• Adair C. Rommel, with The Law Offices of Jason K.S. Porter, has been certified as an expert in criminal trial law by The Florida Bar. Her practice is focused on the defense of people charged with violating Florida’s criminal laws. She has been with the firm for two years. She formerly was a division chief in the State Attorney’s Office.
• With Jacksonville in the general path of Hurricane Irene, Mayor Alvin Brown is being briefed regularly by the Emergency Operations Center. As of 7 a.m., the National Hurricane Center showed Irene heading toward Northeast Florida by early Saturday morning. Brown spokesman Abel Harding said Brown spoke with center Chief Marty Senterfitt this morning. Harding said Brown was being updated to ensure “that Jacksonville is prepared in the event we found ourselves in the path of the storm.”
• Unemployment in Duval County rose slightly to 10.84 percent in July from 10.46 percent in June, according to state numbers adjusted for seasonality by the University of North Florida Local Economic Indicator Project. While still above 10 percent, the rates are below the 12.09 percent rate in July 2010.
• Correction: Fourth Circuit Magistrate Joanna Houser applied for a judicial opening in Duval County Court. A story published Aug. 16 contained incorrect information provided to the Daily Record.
• William “Billy” Tedford joined the Law Offices of L. Lee Lockett as an associate attorney focusing on DUIs and criminal defense. He spent four years as an assistant public defender and was named “Trial Attorney of The Year” for 2009.
• Coral Gables-based Simply Healthcare Plans Inc., part of MBF Healthcare Partners LP, appointed Venessa Wood as vice president of its new North Florida operations. She will oversee the company’s expansion into North Florida. Wood has held several leadership positions in the North Florida health care industry. Simply Healthcare provides access to health care services to Medicaid and Healthy Kids recipients in Florida through a comprehensive network of health care providers.
• Jacksonville-based Solantic Walk-In Urgent Care plans to offer more than 50 new jobs statewide. The chain of urgent care centers plans to offer positions for physicians, physician assistants and front office staff in many of its more than 30 centers around the state.
• A new AT&T store opened at 9498 Atlantic Blvd in the Regency area. The 4,560-square-foot store is nearly double the size of the previous Regency area facility.
• Sales of existing condos in Jacksonville rose 17 percent, from 200 to 234, in July from the year before, reported the Florida Realtors. The median price rose 2 percent to $74,700 from $73,100.
• The Florida Realtors reported that the number of existing Jacksonville single-family home sales by Realtors rose 2 percent in July from the year before, from 1,159 to 1,182, while the median sales price dropped 4 percent from $143,400 to $137,500.