• University of North Florida student Sophie Shows will be honored Friday during fall commencement for her record of volunteerism. Shows, who will graduate with a 3.78 GPA and a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a dual major in finance and financial services, will be recognized as the recipient of the Senior Service Award for the fall 2011 graduating class. UNF will hand out more than 1,000 degrees at the UNF Arena on campus.
• Today, Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan are scheduled to visit Duncan U. Fletcher High School in Neptune Beach to talk about college affordability.
• Correction: A story Wednesday about the City’s Ethics Commission incorrectly stated that Mayor Alvin Brown decided not to fund the Office of Inspector General in the 2012 fiscal budget. City Council President Stephen Joost sponsored an amendment to Brown’s proposed budget that removed most of the funding for the office. Brown’s government reform proposal doesn’t currently include the Office of Inspector General. The Office of Inspector General could be a part of the second phase of Brown’s reform proposal, according to Chris Hand, the mayor’s chief of staff.
• Baptist Health has promoted Stephen Lee to hospital president of Baptist Medical Center Nassau upon the retirement of current hospital President Jim Mayo on Dec. 30. Lee has served since January 2009 as vice president of operations at Baptist Medical Center, Baptist Health’s flagship hospital in Downtown Jacksonville.
• Also today, The Ohio State University Head Coach Luke Fickell and University of Florida Head Coach Will Muschamp will arrive in town to officially accept the invitation to participate in the Jan. 2 TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl. Gator Bowl Association Chairman Greg Smith will welcome them at a 5:30 p.m. news conference.
• The Indo-US Chamber of Commerce of Northeast Florida, JAX Chamber and iStart Jax will host the inaugural 54-hour Jacksonville Startup Weekend Jan. 20-22 at the UNF Student Union Building. Developers, designers, marketers, product managers and entrepreneurs will share ideas, form teams, build products and launch startups.
• Two-way traffic is back on San Marco Boulevard for the holidays. Petticoat-Schmitt Civil Contractors Inc. said it has demobilized construction crews working on the San Marco streetscape improvements through Jan. 2.
• Look for Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band Jan. 10 at the Arena. Ticket sales start at 10 a.m. Saturday and will be available at the Arena box office, at Ticketmaster locations, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone 800-745-3000.
• Mayor Alvin Brown appointed Charles Appleby to the JEA board to replace Karen Bowling, who currently serves in Brown’s administration. Appleby is chairman and CEO of Advanced Disposal Services Inc. The appointment must be confirmed by the City Council.
• The City approved a permit for Williams & Rowe to install a canopy for Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. at 8775 Old Kings Road S. at a project cost of $42,179.
• In restaurant news, Preeminence Contracting Inc. will build out space for Celebrities Café at 5522 Soutel Drive at a project cost of $22,500.
• On the industrial side, the City approved permits for New Leaf Construction Inc. to build offices for Pioneer Equipment Sales & Storage at 7185 W. Beaver St. at a project cost of $285,000 and for Aquino Construction Inc. to make alterations and repairs for Coca-Cola Enterprises at 1411 Huron St. at a project cost of $150,000.