• Friday is the application deadline for the 2013 class of the Jacksonville Regional Political Leadership Institute. The nonpartisan, pro-business organization is associated with JaxBiz, the political affiliate of the JAX Chamber. Graduates include Mayor Alvin Brown and City Council members Jim Love, Lori Boyer and Greg Anderson. For information, email [email protected].
• The Jacksonville Transportation Authority will host the 2013 Florida State Bus Roadeo from 9 a.m.-noon Saturday at the authority's 100 N. Myrtle Ave. headquarters. Bus operators from 12 Florida public transit authorities will compete on a driving course designed for the operators' skills in normal driving situations. A bus maintenance competition also is part of the event. The winning authority will advance to the 2013 International Bus Roadeo in Indianapolis. Authority bus operator Ramon Farfan, last year's international champion, will participate to defend his title. For more information, visit jtafla.com.
• Fifteen Jacksonville attorneys have maintained board certification in civil or tax law for 30 years, according to The Florida Bar. In Florida, only board-certified attorneys may use the term "specialist," "expert" or "board-certified specialist" when referring to their legal credentials. Civil trial attorneys who achieved the milestone are Wayne Alford, Judge Tyrie W. Boyer, Thomas Brown, W.C. Gentry, Wayne Hogan, Charles Howell, Rutledge "Rut" Liles, Jim Rinaman Jr., Bob Spohrer, Jim Terrell, Dianne Weaver and Ed White. Tax law attorneys are Tom Donahoo, Michael Schneider and Frederick Short Jr.
• Visit Jacksonville has launched a new marketing website, onlyinjax.com. The site includes area events, dining, arts, entertainment, sports and shopping options, among other features.
• The next meeting of the Downtown Investment Authority is 2 p.m. today in the Don Davis Room at City Hall. The agenda includes updates on the authority's CEO selection committee, an introduction after 60 days from City Office of Economic Development Executive Director Ted Carter and legislative updates on the Supervisor of Elections Office and the Bostwick Building.
• Children's Home Society of Florida will host its "Under the Tent Awards" at noon today at the society's Buckner Division campus, 3027 San Diego Road. The event recognizes individuals and organizations that have assisted the society's services to strengthen families through adoption, foster care and child-abuse prevention programs. This year's honorees are "Children Advocate of the Year," Jess and Brewster J. Durkee Foundation; "Public Official of the Year," state Rep. Charles McBurney; "Corporate Citizen of the Year," Publix Super Markets Inc.; "Foster Parents of the Year," Steven and Sandra Alvey; and "Volunteer of the Year," Julie Sechrist
• Hostess Brands Inc. won permission from a bankruptcy judge to sell the majority of its cake brands, including Twinkies, to Apollo Global Management LLC and Metropoulos & Co, which teamed up with an offer of about $410 million, reported the Wall Street Journal today. Twinkies could be back in the market by summer. Flowers Foods Inc., based in Thomasville, Ga., won the right to buy 20 bread bakeries, including the Hostess bread bakery in North Jacksonville, for $360 million. Grupo Bimbo SAB de CV of Mexico won the bid for the Beefsteak rye brand for $31.9 million.
• The City's 11th Annual Fair Housing Awareness Symposium is 8 a.m.-1 p.m. April 6 at the Osborn Center. The Jacksonville Human Rights Commission is hosting the event, which coincides with the Neighborhood Department's Community Development Block Grant Week. This year's theme is "Living Free: Removing Barriers." The event is free to the public and will have a continental breakfast and lunch program for those who attend. For more information, visit coj.net.
• Ted Carter, City Office of Economic Development executive director, will be the keynote speaker at the April 25 meeting of the NAIOP Commercial Real Estate Development Association Northeast Florida Chapter. The meeting will be at the Sheraton Jacksonville. Registration and networking begin at 11:30 a.m., with the program following at noon. The cost is $25 for NAIOP members and $50 for non-members. For information, visit naiopnefl.com.
• The board of directors of Main Street America Group elected Eric Elliot as a director of the super-regional property and casualty insurer's board. Elliot is president and CEO of Prime Therapeutics, the fourth-largest pharmacy-benefit manager in the U.S.