• Gov. Charlie Crist appointed Alexander “Alex” R. Christine to the St. Johns County Court. Christine, 55, has served as senior partner at Christine & Christine, P.A., since 2007 and previously practiced as a partner with other firms since 1989. He served as a chief deputy state attorney in the Seventh Judicial Circuit from 1987-1988 and as assistant state attorney from 1983-1987. Christine will fill the vacancy created by the appointment of Judge Patti Christensen to the Seventh Circuit Court.
• Rogers Towers moved its St. Augustine office to the Whetstone Building, along State Road 312 east of U.S. 1, in front of Flagler Hospital. The firm will continue to maintain its other St. Johns County office in Ponte Vedra Beach.
• Duval County’s unemployment rate rose to a seasonally adjusted 12.54 percent in November from 11.52 percent in October and 12.33 percent in November 2009, according to state numbers adjusted for seasonality by the University of North Florida Local Economic Indicators Project.
• UNF Economics Professor Paul Mason said the increase in the unemployment rate follows a four-year trend in which unemployment rises from October to November. He said it was rare before 2007 “and suggests that Christmas layoffs and furloughs are occurring earlier than normal since the weakness of the economy began in 2007.”
• Between October and November, the Duval County labor force rose by 155 people, according to the state. The number of employed people fell by 2,349 while the number of unemployed rose by 2,504. The labor force consists of people working and people looking for work.
• State Sen. John Thrasher, chair of the Duval County Legislative Delegation, scheduled a three-hour delegation workshop with the Duval County School Board and Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals starting at 9 a.m. Jan. 6 to discuss education issues for the 2011 legislative session. The workshop will be at The Schultz Center for Teaching and Leadership.
• Thrasher also announced the delegation’s hearing to vote on local bills is scheduled at 2 p.m. Jan. 21 at City Council chambers in City Hall. Five bills are on the agenda.
• The Straight Talk partnership of the Jacksonville Jaguars Foundation with local TV networks, other media and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida launched a new campaign called “Talk the Talk – Walk the Talk” to help reduce the incidences of teen pregnancy and the spread of sexually transmitted infections among teens. Delores Barr Weaver, team owner and chair and CEO of the Jaguars Foundation, wanted to take the Straight Talk message beyond the foundation’s annual show in May for a continuous reach year-round.
• This morning, members of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department plan to take more than 65 children from the Sulzbacher Center shopping for Christmas. Each child will receive a Walmart gift card for toys and school clothes. This event was organized with the support of Walmart; the Police Athletic League; Jay Demetree, Demetree Brothers Inc.; Fitzhugh K. Powell Jr., Cecil W. Powell & Co.; Wackenhut Corp.; Oaklawn Cemetery and Funeral Home; Tobacco Cove and other donors.
• The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5-30 plans its 8th Annual “Shop with an FOP COP” Wednesday morning at Walmart. It teams 100 children with law enforcement officers for a day of holiday shopping at Walmart. Children are nominated through five area organizations that select 20 children as a reward for grades, behavior, attitude or similar qualities.
• Jacksonville Community Council Inc. will release its 2010 Race Relations Progress Report at the Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast Jan. 14 at the Osborn Center.
• A celebration of 100 years of Naval Aviation will kickoff in January. The yearlong observance will be “The Centennial of Naval Aviation.” Jacksonville has long played a key role in the history of Naval Aviation and will host one of the 34 Centennial-themed events when the “Birthplace of the Blue Angels Air Show” comes to NAS Jacksonville November 5-6.
• Volunteers are needed to help low-income working families with free tax preparation services. Contact Linda Hemphill at the RealSense Prosperity Campaign at 390-3237. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old and have basic computer skills. No tax experience is necessary. Volunteers will receive 16-20 hours of free IRS training and will be certified as tax preparers.