• The Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair opens at 5 p.m. today at the Fairgrounds & Expo Center near EverBank Field. Events are scheduled every day and night through Nov. 14. One of this year’s highlights is Nov. 11, Veterans Day, when military personnel and their families will be admitted free. For the complete schedule of exhibits and entertainment, visit www.jacksonvillefair.com.
• According to the CoreLogic information company, the rate of foreclosures among outstanding mortgage loans in the five-county Jacksonville area rose to 7.15 percent in August, an increase of 1.53 percentage points from August 2009 and an increase from 7.02 percent in July. Foreclosure activity in Jacksonville is twice as high as the national foreclosure rate, which was 3.20 percent for August, a 3.95 percentage point difference.
• In more foreclosure news, CoreLogic said the mortgage delinquency rate increased in Jacksonville. In August, 12.93 percent of mortgage loans were 90 days or more delinquent, compared to 10.97 percent the year before.
• Gator Bowl Association executive Erik Dellenback elicited knowing nods among professionals in the Meninak Club when he talked about how some folks try to tell you how to do your job. “It’s very easy,” they say. “Do this, this, this and this.” (Yeah, right.)
• Melissa Gross-Arnold, president of Commercial Real Estate Women Jacksonville, urged members at Tuesday’s meeting to make sure they voted. The elections would at least put some issues to rest. “We love uncertainty in commercial real estate,” she deadpanned. With the elections, “we’ll know and then we can plan and move forward.”
• The Catholic Lawyers Guild held its 21st annual Red Mass Friday and posthumously honored attorney Dan Brown with the organization’s “Law and Spirituality Award.” His family accepted the award. The late Judge Virginia Beverly was also recognized during the ceremony for her work in the legal community and her support of the guild. Red Mass is a tradition bringing together elected officials and members of the bar, judiciary, enforcement and administrative branches to seek spiritual guidance for the direction of their offices.