• Chief Administrative Officer Alan Mosley has informed Mayor John Peyton he is leaving the City to take over as Dist. 2 secretary for the Florida Department of Transportation. No word on his official last day or who will take his place.
• It’s not every day the City returns grant money, but it does happen. The trustees of the Jessie Ball duPont Fund gave the City $5,000 to study the feasibility of a drop-in center for homeless adults. Recently, the City sent the Fund a check for $1,649.88.
• Speaking of the City, it’s collective bargaining time with its employee unions. The City began with the firefighters union last week, the police union today and the other unions next week.
• Florida State College at Jacksonville Downtown Campus President Dr. Edythe Abdullah is leaving the school. She’ll be the next president of Essex County College in New Jersey. She’ll stay with FSCJ until this summer.
• Mayo Clinic has been ranked one of the 100 best companies to work for by Fortune magazine. Ranked No. 55, this is the seventh year in a row Mayo has made the top 100.
• On Wednesday, Gov. Charlie Crist extended the state of emergency regarding the affect of freezing temperatures on the state’s agricultural crops. Executive order 10-21 extends the terms to Monday to allow commercial vehicles in excess of normal weight restrictions to transport shipments of harvested crops.
• One team will experience the thrill of victory at the third annual “Bar Brawl” coed, 7-on-7 flag football tournament at the Jaguars’ practice field Feb. 28, but all the teams and fans will be able to taste “Victory.” Anheuser-Busch distributor North Florida Sales will introduce the latest addition to its product line at the event, Victory beer. The Pennsylvania Brewery started in 1996 and now produces about 42,000 barrels of beer a year. The company offers 19 different German-style beers, including seasonals.
• “Ladies Night” is the theme of next week’s First Wednesday Art Walk. Salsa Caliente will be giving free Latin dance lessons in Hemming Plaza and there will be a burlesque show, fire dancing and body painting show at Cafe 331. “Haiku Birdie” will be at The Sinclair and the official after party is at The Twisted Martini where walkers can buy a drink and then trade their Art Walk flyer for a complimentary second refreshment.
• Beaver Street Enterprise Center will have a special guest Friday when State Sen. George LeMieux visits the organization. According to Jackie Perry, Beaver Street executive director, the senator will be taking a tour and learning about the Westside center that helps small businesses.
• Speaking of Beaver Street Enterprise Center, it’ll host a groundbreaking ceremony March 2 from 11 a.m.–2 p.m. for its two-story facility that will provide stage two and high-growth companies more opportunities for growth acceleration.
• If you missed the deadline to nominate someone for the 2010 Women in Business Awards this past weekend, you’re still in luck. The deadline for the annual awards was extended until Feb. 1 for the March 24 event. For more information on the awards and nominating process, go to www.jaxwbo.com.
• Local business owner Sandy Myers might have sold Edwards of San Marco some time ago but she has a new venture on the horizon. During introductions of the recent Women Business Owners of North Florida meeting, Myers said she planned on opening a consignment shop “for real women” in the future.