• Jacksonville Community Council Inc. has teamed with the Museum of Science & History to announce the city's race relations' progress at 10 a.m. Friday. The annual announcement also coincides with the museum's exhibit of "RACE: Are We So Different?" that opens Saturday. Since 2005, JCCI has studied race-based disparities in Jacksonville and the influences in education, health, families, neighborhoods and employment, among others, and serves as an annual report card.
• Duval County Public Schools has announced 15 semifinalists for the 2013 Florida Blue Duval County Teacher of the Year award. They are Stacey Adkins, Central Riverside Elementary School; Rebecca Austin-Datta, Darnell-Cookman Middle/High School; Thomas Cason, Mandarin High School; Carol Coston, Enterprise Learning Academy; Lynn Dostaler, Seabreeze Elementary School; Patricia Foley, Ramona Boulevard Elementary School; Susan Harper, Tiger Academy; Elizabeth Kelly, Lone Star Elementary; Blair Nolan, First Coast High School; Natalie Pelham, Annie R. Morgan Elementary School; Apryl Shackelford, Northwestern Middle School; Carolyn Tuttle, Oceanway Middle School; Catherine Watkins, Arlington Heights Elementary School; Robyn White, West Jacksonville Elementary School; and Dana Yarbrough, James Weldon Johnson Middle School. From the 15, five finalists will be selected and a winner will be named at the March 14 EDDY Awards at the Times-Union Center.
• In an effort to increase visibility and accessibility, the Ritz Chamber Players are no longer ticketing the MainStage Concert Series, making the performances free to the public. The organization still urges people to join its Ritz Chamber Players Membership Club for an annual fee, which includes perks such as premium seating and backstage access, among other benefits. The next performance is "In Remembrance of The Dream Concert" at 7:30 p.m. today at Jacoby Symphony Hall. More information is available at ritzchamberplayers.org.
• The St. Johns Riverkeeper is offering the public an opportunity to purchase rain barrels at discounted prices for a limited time as part of its new Rain Barrel Program. It began as a way to encourage residents to conserve water resources and protect water quality. Barrels will be $65 for one or $120 for two, down from the normal retail value of $109 for one. The deadline to pre-order is Feb. 25 and a limited number will be available the day of the sale on a first-come, first-served basis. Barrel pickup will be 10 a.m.-2 p.m. March 2 at The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, which along with Riverside Avondale Preservation are partners in the program. More information: stjohnsriverkeeper.org.
• Women in Transportation Seminar, known as WTS, will hold its annual awards reception 5:30-7:30 p.m. Jan. 29 on the second floor of the Aetna Building. The event will honor annual sponsors, scholarship winners and chapter members as well as recognize Jennifer Yoder, England, Thims & Miller director of business development, as its "Woman of the Year." The chapter, part of an international organization, has a mission to engage and empower its members to enrich the transportation industry in Northeast Florida.
• The O'Hara Law firm has changed its name to O'Hara Halvorsen Humphries. Tiffany Jones, Mike Regan and Aurora Vaca also have been named non-equity shareholders. The civil litigation firm handles insurance defense and liability cases in Florida and Georgia.
• Artists and entertainers with the Riverside Arts Market are on hiatus until March, but farmers and growers are still on-site 10 a.m.- 1 p.m. for the weekly event Saturdays under the Fuller Warren Bridge through Feb. 23.
• The U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Association will offer the International Trade Certificate Program on six consecutive Friday mornings Feb. 1 through March 8. The program is scheduled 8 a.m.-noon at the University of North Florida Herbert University Center. The program is designed for businesses that want to sell their products or services in the global market. Topics include identifying markets; finding partners; legal issues; international marketing strategy; logistics; financing; and communications. The fee is $295. For information, visit sbdc.unf.edu or call (904) 620-2476.
• Parkway Properties Inc. announced it has entered into a purchase and sale agreement to acquire a portfolio of eight office properties in the Deerwood submarket for a purchase price of $130 million. The properties total 1 million square feet, were developed in phases from 1996-2005 and are a combined 93.7 percent occupied, according to a news release. They have an average in place gross rent of $19.11 per square foot. "We believe the Deerwood portfolio offers a stable, core investment with strong occupancy and a high-quality rent roll," said James Heistand, Parkway president and CEO in the release.
• The next meeting of the City Council Courthouse Oversight Special Committee is 3 p.m. today in Conference Room A on the 4th floor of City Hall. The agenda includes status updates on the courthouse budget, state attorney's office and old federal courthouse, Americans with Disabilities Act issues and parking and traffic issues.
• Colliers International Northeast Florida has been selected by El Ad Florida to provide the EverBank Center’s marketing and leasing services. The 956,201-square-foot Downtown building is at 301 W. Bay St. Team leader Chuck Diebel will handle marketing and leasing efforts and be assisted by associates Preston Phillips and Lisa McLatchey. According to a news release, more than 275,000 square feet of space is available. “We look forward to working with them to find the best tenants for this property,” said Robert Selton III, Colliers Northeast Florida president and CEO.
• HandsOn Jacksonville has hired Suzanne Teate to serve as director of strategic advocacy and advancement. She will advocate for the organization’s projects and clients to optimize financial and human resources in the community, according to a news release. Teate’s background includes serving as director of cultural affairs for the Florida Department of State, statewide coordinator of museum services for the National Endowment of the Arts and director of special performing arts project for the U.S. Department of Education.
HandsOn Jacksonville “equips and mobilizes people to take action that changes the world,” according to its website.
• Traditions Realty broker and owner Sally Suslak has been named treasurer of the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors for 2013. She will serve as chair of the association’s Budget and Finance committees, supervise budget revisions and formulate a projected annual budget and monitor its investments, according to a news release.