• State Rep. Lake Ray, chairman of the Duval Delegation, recently announced a noon Oct. 4 deadline for filing local bills. Public hearing dates on received bills will be announced at a later time following committee assignments and committee meeting dates. For information on procedures to file local bills, contact the delegation office at 630-1680 by 4 p.m. Sept. 21.
• State Rep. Janet Adkins recently announced that Larry Williams, her legislative aide for District 12, will leave the House on Nov. 2. Over the past four years, Williams has served constituents throughout the six counties in District 12 and worked with Adkins in Tallahassee during regular and special legislative sessions. He is leaving to pursue governmental consulting on the state and federal level.
• Gov. Rick Scott recently announced the appointments of local attorneys Michelle Bedoya Barnett, Paul Renner, Michael Mullin, Courtney Grimm and Robert O’Quinn Jr. to the Fourth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission. The commission consists of nine attorneys and non-attorneys who locate, recruit and evaluate applicants for judicial office.
• More Scott appointments: He also recently appointed Jamie Glavich and Linda Levin to the Purple Ribbon Task Force. They were the only two local appointments of the six made to the 18-members group of volunteers who make strategy and policy recommendations to the governor and Legislature in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.
• The Jacksonville Children’s Commission’s TEAM UP afterschool programs started this week at 44 elementary and middle schools in Duval County. The program is a community partnership among Duval County Public Schools, the commission and various youth-serving nonprofits.
The school system provides the classroom space, the cafeteria for meals and programs and certified teachers. The commission provides monitoring, youth-development training and financial support, while nonprofits operate activities and secure volunteer and financial support. For a list of the 61 funded after-school program locations, visit jaxkids.net.
• Jacksonville-based Money Pages is expanding by 1,300 square feet to nearly 7,000 total square feet at its Southside headquarters at 8375 Dix Ellis Trail, Suite 201, where it employs 40. This is the sixth office space expansion the company has undergone since it opened in April 2000 with two employees. The monthly coupon magazine reaches more than 570,000 Northeast Florida households per month.
• The Associated Collegiate Press has named the Spinnaker, the University of North Florida’s weekly student-operated newspaper, as a finalist for the 2012 Pacemaker Award. The newspaper was a finalist and winner in 2010. This year’s winners will be announced Nov. 3 at the National College Media Convention in Chicago. The Spinnaker is one of 25 finalists in the four-year non-daily category.
• Sea Best Seafood’s “Cool Zones,” will debut debut Sunday at the Jacksonville Jaguars opening home game. The areas are open to all fans and feature air-conditioned cooling benches, misting fans and cold refreshments.
The main zone is in the south end zone beneath the Bud Light Party Zone and opens three hours before 1 p.m. kickoff on game days. It will remain open after all 1 p.m. games for fans to watch the 4 p.m. out-of-town NFL game broadcast.
On 4 p.m. game days, the zone will open at 1 p.m. so fans can watch 1 p.m. out-of-town NFL games.
A second zone is near Gate 2.
• Community Hospice of Northeast Florida has named Elizabeth Perez as director of human resources. Perez has more than 15 years in the human resources field. Before joining Community Hospice, she worked locally as a vice president at EverBank, where she provided strategic leadership and management for employee sourcing, recruiting and talent acquisition.
• The expected seven-month renovation of the JAX Chamber’s Downtown office will cause a temporary relocation of its services and 54 employees to the Southside. Offices will close Nov. 1-2 and will re-open Nov. 5 at the BBVA/Compass Building off Gate Parkway. The phone number will remain 366-6600. The temporary mailing address will be 10060 Skinner Lake Drive.
• A new photo studio at the Animal Care and Protective Services shelter is now in operation with the help of a $1,500 grant from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The studio is helping enhance adoption photographs for local dogs and cats.
Local photographers and studios are donating their time and some additional items to help. Society staff also is interested in hearing from local photographers who wish to donate their services for adoption pictures. For more information, visit the society’s Facebook page, Animal Care & Protective Services, or follow it on Twitter, @COJPets.
• The McKenzie Noelle Wilson Foundation announces the opening of its 2nd McKenzie’s Academic Resource Center on Thursday in the Countryside Village community at 10960 Beach Blvd. The center will provide free programs to students – elementary through high school – residing in the Portside community. Those programs include mentoring, tutoring, use of a computer lab, early learning and special teen programs. The center is open after school Monday through Thursday and is operated by volunteer teachers and teenagers. Those interested in volunteering as an after-school mentor can sign up at mckenziegives.org.