• The Florida Supreme Court Historical Society will host an annual dinner in Tallahassee Jan. 28. This year’s dinner will feature tributes to Mark Hulsey and Tallahassee’s Bob Erwin for their lifetime of service to the society. The speaker is Principal Deputy Solicitor General of the United States Neal Katyal, who is a distinguished professor of National Security Law at George Washington University and has been at the forefront of numerous high profile court cases. Anyone interested in attending the dinner can contact Joe Milton (346-3800) or Hank Coxe (353-9307).
• Mayor John Peyton received some good news late last week from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The organization awarded Recovery Act Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistant Grants for three different projects. The first project, entitled “Jailed and Detained Juveniles,” received $57,000; the second project, entitled “Thorminc Ex-Offender Re-Entry,” received $38,400; and the third, “Truancy Centers” received $124,000. All funds, according to the letter, are to be utilized in reducing crime and improving public safety.
• On top of the good news, Peyton has also been receiving quite a few well wishes over the holiday season. As of Friday, he had 59 different holiday greeting cards on display from area organizations and individuals, but many more were floating around, according to staff.
• Not such merry holiday news: Florida’s unemployment rate hit 11.5 percent in November, the highest since May 1975, according to Agency for Workforce Innovation via The News Service of Florida.
• The Southeastern Conference has awarded the 2010 SEC Gymnastics Championship to Jacksonville. The March 27 event will be hosted by the Gator Bowl Association and conducted at the Arena. The SEC Gymnastics Championship was held at on-campus sites from 1981-2000. It was then moved to neutral sites and held in Birmingham, Ala. (2001-2003, ‘06), Duluth, Ga.(2004-05, ‘08), North Little Rock, Ark. (2007) and Nashville, Tenn.(2009). For ticket information visit www.SECsports.com.
• College football bowl season might have begun over the weekend and will conclude early next month, but one local restaurant chain will get into the competetive spirit beginning Jan. 9. Brucci’s Pizzeria, with three local locations, will host the inaugural “Brucci’s Pizza Bowl” citywide pizza eating tournament. Contestants will qualify Jan. 9-10 at the Ponte Vedra, Hodges Boulevard and Fruit Cove locations, in 25-minute pizza “eat-offs” with winners moving on through three “playoffs” the following weeks until a winner is crowned the day before the Super Bowl Feb. 6. Celebrity judges – who can award bonus points on eating style – include Sheriff John Rutherford, former PGA President M.G. Orender among others, with a cash prize for overall winner. For more information on the tournament, go to www.bruccispizza.com.