• Donald McClure, chief administrative officer of the City of Jacksonville during former Mayor Jake Godbold’s administration, died last night. He oversaw the redevelopment of Downtown and developed the financial plans for $1 billion in public and private improvements. McClure came to Jacksonville at the beginning of consolidated government and was appointed by former Mayor Hanz Tanzler to direct the City’s Human Resources Department. For the past 10 years he worked with The Clarkson Group in a variety of financial and management positions, most recently as president of Clarkson-McClure Associates. Cause of death has not been determined, but McClure recently had been treated for melanoma. Funeral arrangements are pending.
• City Council members found out Tuesday why Council President Ronnie Fussell had been inquisitive about their favorite charities. White envelopes were on their chairs for the last meeting during Fussell’s term as Council President and they contained donations to the members’ favorite charities. “That is from my wife and I for all of your hard work this year. Thank you,” said Fussell to his colleagues.
• Student and emerging filmmakers are invited to submit original short films on the theme of the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville’s current exhibition “Balance and Power: Performance and Surveillance in Video Art.” The films selected will be shown during a screening Aug. 5 at MOCA. The contest is open to any currently enrolled high school, college student or recent graduate (within the past 2 years). Deadline for entries is July 22 by 5 p.m. For more details and rules call Ben Thompson at 366-6911.
• Eight attorneys from the Fourth Judicial Circuit will be among 124 attorneys honored by The Florida Bar at tomorrow’s annual meeting for their 50 years of dedication to the practice of law. The attorneys are: James L. Ade, Kenneth George Anderson (Senior Counselor), John Edward Houser, Harry Katz Jr., Anthony Joseph Leggio (Senior Counselor), Edward McCarthy Jr., Robert Mathews Smith Jr., and Steven Arthur Werber. To be recognized, attorneys must be members in good standing of The Florida Bar and attain their 50th anniversary of admittance to the practice of law in 2009.Senior Counselors — who’ve practiced for 50 years or more but have not been members of The Florida Bar for the entire period — will also be recognized at the luncheon.
• With yesterday’s installation of City Council President Richard Clark, Council begins its annual summer break. There isn’t a regularly-scheduled meeting until the July 20 Finance Committee meeting.
• Rogers Towers attorney James Riley has volunteered to do whatever it takes to help keep the Florida-Georgia game in Jacksonville and Riley has a stake in both sides. Riley says he hasn’t missed a game since he was 13 years old, he graduated from Georgia in 1984 and UF law school in ‘87. “I feel I may be uniquely qualified to assist the City in holding on to this game for years to come,” said Riley in a letter to Mayor John Peyton.