• Susan Stewart, who has served as secretary in the Duval County Legislative Delegation Office for 18 years and worked under three previous coordinators, has been tapped for the top job by the Office of General Council. Her appointment is pending approval of the delegation members at their meeting and local bill public hearing Jan. 30 at City Hall.
• There are a couple of new faces within the local Republican Party’s leadership. Elder Donald Foy is the new vice chairman and attorney Angela Corey is the new secretary. Corey, who was fired from local State Attorney Harry Shorstein’s office last year, has publicly stated she plans to run against Shorstein for his position in 2008.
• The Jacksonville Business Journal is holding its annual “Book of Lists” celebration Feb. 1 at the Aetna Building. This year, attendees can purchase a raffle ticket for $100 for the chance to win a two-year lease on a 2007 Corvette or Cadillac XLR. The cars are courtesy of the Nimnicht dealerships and all proceeds generated go to nonprofit organization Dreams Come True.
• Interesting seminar coming to town. Career Track is hosting a one-day seminar called “Dealing with Difficult People” April 6 at the Ramada Mandarin. It costs $99. For more, log on to careertrack.com
• Mayor John Peyton has written a two-page letter to City Council President Michael Corrigan explaining his position on the appointment of Brad Thoburn to director of the City’s Planning and Development department. Peyton’s request to appoint Thoburn – and waive job requirements in order to do so – has elicited public scrutiny in recent weeks.
• Good news for Riverside residents. According to the City’s Public Works Department, striping of College and Post streets at minor intersections will begin next week. Originally, the streets were not going to be striped due to their residential status. However, residents raised so many safety concerns, the City opted to stripe the intersections.
• Friends of Scott Speicher, the Army Captain missing since the first Gulf War, are pushing to have a Jacksonville school named after the pilot. The Speicher family has asked U.S. Naval Commander William Blacklidge to help push the School Board to consider renaming Forrest High.
• Actor and comedian Jamie Foxx has cancelled his second show in Jacksonville that was added after his first show sold out, citing a schedule conflict due to being invited to appear on the “Oprah Winfrey Show.” Refunds are available where the tickets were purchased.
• James R. McCain Jr. has joined Jacksonville’s Office of General Counsel as assistant general counsel. He will work in the Government Operations Department. McCain graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a master’s degree in English literature in 1978 and from Georgia State University College of Law in 1992. He was an associate with Holland & Knight in Atlanta and Jacksonville from 1995-2001 and most recently an associate with Henderson & Maxwell, P.A.
• The Sports & Entertainment Board of the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission is negotiating with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to bring a spring training baseball game and a series of three regular-season games to the Baseball Grounds in 2008.