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Northeast Florida In the News - Nov. 2005
GAINESVILLE -- A University of Florida professor has developed a vaccine against a deadly form of skin cancer known as melanoma that provides almost complete protection in mice. Howard Johnson, a professor of immunology at UF's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, plans to license the technology to a pharmaceutical company before human clinical
trials can begin.
The Harn Museum of Art has opened a new 18,000-sq.-ft. wing. The Mary Ann Harn Cofrin Pavilion, built with a $3.2-million donation from Harn Cofrin and her husband, David, features 6,500 square feet of exhibition space, a cafe and meeting rooms.
The Alachua County Land Conservation Board recommended the commissioners purchase the two-acre parcel in northwest Gainesville where Wal-Mart once wanted to build a supercenter. The land is near the headwaters of Hogtown Creek.
The state Public Employees Relations Commission ruled that UF's board of trustees must recognize the United Faculty of Florida, which represents more than 1,800 professors and researchers. UF was the only state university that refused to negotiate with the union.
HAMILTON COUNTY -- When Hamilton Jai Alai and Poker opened earlier this fall, it marked the first time in 27 years that a jai alai fronton had opened in the state. The facility, built on 35 acres near Interstate 75, will add a 3,000-seat horse track in 2007 -- Florida's first new track in 33 years.
JACKSONVILLE -- JEA's St. Johns River Power Park and Northside Generating Station emit more mercury into the atmosphere than any power plants in the state, according to a report by the Florida Public Interest Research Group. The organization, citing data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, says Duval County ranks first in the state for emissions, accounting for 21% of Florida's total.
Eighty-two percent of first-time test takers from the Florida Coastal School of Law passed last July's Florida Bar Examination, tops among state law schools.
For the third time in 11 months, JEA's board of directors voted to raise electric rates. Citing a "meteoric" rise in fuel prices following Hurricane Katrina, the board boosted the price of electricity for its 400,000 customers by 11.5%. A typical customer's electric bill has risen $25.95 over the last year.
Ice House America donated four of its self-contained ice vending machines to assist in hurricane relief, including one operating outside the Astrodome in Houston. The mobile ice makers can produce 36 pounds of ice every eight minutes.
Joseph J. Wise is the new superintendent of Duval County Schools. The former superintendent of the Christina School District in Delaware replaces John Fryer.
PSS World Medical (Nasdaq-PSSI), a distributor of medical products to physicians and nursing homes, bought Columbia, S.C.-based Southern Anesthesia and Surgical for an undisclosed amount.
Jacksonville ranked last in a J.D. Power and Associates survey that measured customer satisfaction with their new homes. The city scored lowest in a poll of the nation's 30 largest housing markets with an overall score of 98, far below the nationwide average of 112. Other Florida scores: Tampa, 115; Fort Myers/Naples, 108; Palm Beach, 107; and Orlando, 104. Austin, Texas, topped the list with a score of 122.
The Base Realignment and Closure Commission delayed for one year a decision on whether Navy jets will return to Cecil Field. The fate of the airfield, which the Navy abandoned in the mid-1990s, hinges on the possible closure of the Navy's master jet base in Oceana, Va. Commissioners gave officials at Oceana 12 months to resolve issues related to residential development encroaching into the base's flight path.
An agreement between city and university officials guarantees the annual Florida-Georgia football game will be played at Alltel Stadium through 2010.
Longtime consultant Mike Saylor replaced Jeannie Fewell as the city's planning director.
ST. JOHNS COUNTY -- A proposed bridge over the St. Johns River linking Clay and St. Johns counties could cost taxpayers $1 billion, double previous estimates from the state Department of Transportation.
The home of author and civil rights activist Stetson Kennedy will become a state park. The Florida Communities Trust approved the creation of Beluthahatchee Park, located on five acres on the Bartram Scenic Highway (SR 13).
