• Professor Andrew Buchwalter in the University of North Florida Department of Philosophy was selected as a recipient of the John A. Delaney Endowed Presidential Professorship, which recognizes a professor’s significant accomplishments as a researcher. He was awarded $7,500 for the professorship, which carries a full-term appointment of three years and was effective starting this fall semester. Financial support for the award was provided by Joan Wellhouse Newton and her sons, Martin E. Stein Jr., Richard W. Stein and Robert L. Stein.
• Dave Bitner, who said last week he would be stepping down soon as chairman of the Republican Party of Florida because of his declining health, died Thursday at home. He had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Bitner, 62, announced in April that he had been diagnosed with ALS. He recommended that party vice chairman Lenny Curry, of Jacksonville, succeed him as chairman.
• The Jaguars were granted a 24-hour extension to the blackout deadline Thursday. The team has until 1 p.m. today to sell the remaining 5,266 tickets to allow the game to be shown on local television.
• The Clear Capital Home Data Index reports that Jacksonville posted a 2.7 percent quarterly drop in home prices, making it the lowest performing among major markets, replacing Detroit. Clear Capital, of Truckee, Calif., compares the most recent rolling quarter to the previous one. Clear Capital said it uses patent pending rolling quarter intervals to compare the most recent four months of home pricing data to the previous three months.
• Prices in the Las Vegas and the Riverside, Calif., markets also exceeded Detroit’s 1.1 percent quarterly drop. Las Vegas prices fell 2 percent and Riverside’s fell 1.7 percent in the Clear Capital index.
• Jacksonville prices might have dropped 2.7 percent over the quarter in the Clear Capital index, but its 13.2 percent year-over-year decline wasn’t the largest. Detroit’s home prices fell 17.9 percent over the year, followed by Seattle, at a 15.8 percent drop, and Tucson, down 14.2 percent.
• Speaking of housing, the CoreLogic research report found that foreclosure rates in Jacksonville increased in June over June 2010. The rate among outstanding mortgages rose to 8.49 percent, up 1.65 percentage points from 6.84 percent in June 2010. Foreclosure activity in Jacksonville is higher than the national rate of 3.46 percent.
• Also in Jacksonville, the mortgage delinquency rate increased over the year. As of June, 13.41 percent of mortgage loans were 90 days or more delinquent, compared to 12.92 percent in June 2010.
• The Jacksonville Economic Development Commission met Thursday and approved the issuance of up to $21 million in Industrial Development Revenue Refunding Bonds for the YMCA of Florida’s First Coast. The approval is sent to City Council. Bank of America would issue the bonds with YMCA real property as collateral. No new debt would be created and the City would have no financial exposure, said Jorina Jolly, JEDC compliance coordinator. The bonds would be used to refinance variable-interest bonds issued in 2003 and 2006, consolidating and retiring those debts and reducing the interest rate on the bond issue.
• Sheriff John Rutherford is keynote speaker to the Arlington Council of the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce at 7:30 a.m. Sept. 28 at the Jacksonville University Kinne Center. Coming up: Duval County School Board Chair W.C. Gentry on Oct. 26 and incoming chamber Chair Tom Van Berkel, Nov. 30.
• Lunch & Learn with the Cheetahs is Saturday at the White Oak Conservation Center. The cost is $75 for non-members and $50 for members (friends level and up). For information, call 225-3383 or visit www.whiteoakconservation.org.
• The CEO Nexus Forum will feature Foundation Financial Group Chairman Paul Scott at its next meeting. It will be 7:30-9:30 a.m. Sept. 22 at the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce building Downtown. The forum is geared toward CEOs or other C-level executives of second-stage companies. Information: [email protected] or call 366-6633.