• Competing against artists from around the state, Jacksonville attorney and artist Tom Farrell won the Best of Show Award at the San Sebastian Winery’s annual Fine Art and Jazz competition. Farrell’s winning entry was his painting entitled “The Shrimp Boat.” It will be featured on the bottle label of a limited series of wine produced by the winery later this year.
• Because of the childhood obesity issue, the YMCA has eliminated soft drinks from all of its local sites. And that’s just the first step. The Y is also planning to remove the snack machines.
• Jags QB Byron Leftwich got a little national press on cbssportsline.com this week. It was a story on his work ethic written by former T-U sportswriter Pete Prisco.
• The Landing has a new PR person, Rachel Kaltenbach, formerly of The McCormick Agency.
• The Chamber of Commerce will host U.S. Sen. Christopher Bond of Missouri Monday. Bond will speak and then answer questions following the invitation–only lunch.
• Tuesday’s City Council tour of the library left most of the Council members with smiles on their faces, but there were a couple of reminders of some past sore points. While viewing the adjacent garage, Council Auditor Jimmy Meyer jokingly asked “Where’s the pedestrian walkover?” referring to the earlier Council battle over a bridge connecting to the library. Council member Suzanne Jenkins, who successfully opposed the bridge because she said it would discourage foot traffic in Hemming Plaza, playfully slapped at a ducking Meyer.
• The Anheuser-Busch plant has a new brewmaster. Steve Foppe, who was a senior assistant brewmaster at the Houston brewery, replaces Dan Driscoll, who was named brewmaster at the St. Louis brewery.
• St. John & Partners advertising agency has cracked the Top 100 in billings, according to AdWeek magazine. The local firm ranked 98th among all agencies nationally.
• Moonlight Movies returns to the Jacksonville Beach SeaWalk Pavilion May 21 with a showing of “E.T.” The series includes “Jaws” on May 28; “Rear Window” on June 4; and “The Sound of Music” on June 11.
• The Bankruptcy Court clerk’s office will be closed Friday from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
• The Jacksonville Port Authority has a new shipping line using its Talleyrand Marine Terminal. Gulf Africa Line, which mainly serves South Africa, moved from Savannah to Jaxport in March.