• Governor Charlie Crist selected First District Court of Appeals Judge Ricky Polston Wednesday to replace Florida Supreme Court Judge Ken Bell, whose resignation was effective Oct. 1. A native of Graceville, Fla., Polston was one of three candidates in consideration for the seat. First District Court of Appeals Judge Peter Webster and Fourth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Wadell Wallace were the two other applicants. Two more seats will be vacated next year when Justices Harry Lee Anstead, January, and Charles Wells, March, reach mandatory retirement.
• Ch. 4 will close this week’s celebration of consolidation when it airs “Government by Gaslight” Saturday at 6:30 p.m. The show is a re-airing of the same 30-minute program that ran in 1966. Ch. 4 anchor Tom Wills will host the show.
• The mayor’s office has raised the ire of First Conservative Baptist Church Pastor Dr. Gene Youngblood. Apparently the City billed the church for a “fire inspection tax” prompting Youngblood to inform the City the church is tax exempt. “We hereby place you on notice that any attempt to collect or levy through any means, we will seek relief through the courts,” wrote Youngblood.
• The guest speaker at tonight’s Gator Bowl Association meeting is Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe. The meeting is at 5 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza.
• Clarification: U.S Rep. Ander Crenshaw will speak Oct. 14 at a luncheon at Jacksonville University’s Davis College of Business. For more details, call 256-7188.
• Kelly Madden, First Coast market president for Wachovia, will serve as chair of the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce for 2010. She will be the third female to chair the organization joining Carol Thompson (executive vice president of Baptist Health System, 2001) and M. Lynn Pappas (managing partner with Pappas Metcalf Jenks & Miller, 2002).
• Don’t forget, the 2008-09 Florida Forum series starts Tuesday with Michael Beschloss, an author and presidential historian. He’ll offer insight into past presidencies and what the country might expect after the Nov. 4 election. Forum co-chair Jackie Bargas says there are still tickets available.