• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida executive Mike Hightower has been appointed by Gov. Charlie Crist to the Florida Public Service Commission Nominating Council. The 12-member Council is responsible for reviewing the applications of those who apply to serve on the FPSC and the Florida Energy and Climate Commission. Hightower’s term started July 28 and ends Jan. 1, 2012. He’s also chair-elect of the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce.
• Should be an interesting Aug. 20 meeting of the Southside Businessmen’s Club. All four candidates for Circuit Court will participate in a panel discussion moderated by State Rep. Charles McBurney.
• With the registration rolls now closed, the statistics are in for the Aug. 26 primary election. In Duval County, of the 495,180 registered voters, 44.72 percent are registered as Democrats, 37.67 percent as Republicans. More than 13 percent registered to vote with no party affiliation. Voters also registered as members of 23 other parties including the Christian Party with 148 voters on the rolls, the Surfers Party of America (37), the Florida Socialist Workers Party (20), the American Poor People Party (19) and the British Reformed Sectarian Party (1).
• Cindy Graves, former campaign manager for State Attorney candidate Angela Corey, has gotten the endorsement of Sheriff John Rutherford and the Fraternal Order of Police in her bid for the Republican State Committeewoman for Duval County.
• Bay Street will be ready to welcome football fans back to Jacksonville Municipal Stadium when the Jaguars take on the Atlanta Falcons at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. The majority of the bridge work is finished and the Hogan’s Creek bridge will be open at noon on Saturday for game day traffic. The bridge will be shut back down Monday so the rest of the work can be completed. This will be the process for the other home preseason game against Tampa Bay also. Pedestrian traffic will be directed to the north side of the bridge only.
• Terald Hopkins, general manager of Coggin Honda of St. Augustine, will serve as chair for the 2008 March for Babies in St. Johns County. Formerly known as WalkAmerica, it is the March of Dimes’ biggest fundraising event of the year that benefits all babies, those born healthy as well as those who need help to survive and thrive. The March for Babies will take place Nov. 8 at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine.