Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
First Coast Connect: 07/31/26
news.wjct.org/show/first-coast-connect/2026-07-30/on-fridays-show-first-coast-week-in-review
Each Friday, our media roundtable dives into the biggest stories of the week. Among our topics this week:
City Council falls short to override a mayoral veto that would have reduced the executive branch’s board appointment power.
A proposed “road diet” in Brooklyn aims to promote foot traffic but could drive up travel times for motorists.
JEA’s top executive takes an extended leave of absence, but the public utility says it's unrelated to job performance.
Records show the Jacksonville Transportation Authority has $15 million in unpaid bills as its CEO eyes his exit.
City Council President Nick Howland introduces a bill that would give companies incentives to hire veterans and military spouses.
We talk about all that and take your calls, questions and comments. You can join the conversation on air at 904-549-2937 or go to firstcoastconnect.org to find all the ways to connect with us.
Guests:
Mike Mendenhall, City Hall reporter and associate editor at Jacksonville Today
David Bauerlein, metro reporter at the Florida Times-Union
Anthony Austin, anchor at First Coast News
Dan Scanlan, reporter and producer at WJCT News
ShepardFest
The only festival in the world dedicated entirely to Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Sam Shepard returns to St. Augustine this weekend. ShepardFest features performances, readings, films and conversation centered on Shepard's work. The lineup includes a full production of Shepard's Buried Child and a staged reading of his one-man play Kicking a Dead Horse, alongside lectures on theater design and dramaturgy. Audiences can also expect screenings of Thunderheart and Days of Heaven. The four-day festival kicks off Thursday at The Waterworks.
Guests:
Raines Carr, founding artistic director, Shepardfest
Robert M. Dowling, author of Coyote: The Dramatic Lives of Sam Shepard
Topics and guests subject to change.
First Coast Connect: 07/31/26
news.wjct.org/show/first-coast-connect/2026-07-30/on-fridays-show-first-coast-week-in-review
Each Friday, our media roundtable dives into the biggest stories of the week. Among our topics this week:
City Council falls short to override a mayoral veto that would have reduced the executive branch’s board appointment power.
A proposed “road diet” in Brooklyn aims to promote foot traffic but could drive up travel times for motorists.
JEA’s top executive takes an extended leave of absence, but the public utility says it's unrelated to job performance.
Records show the Jacksonville Transportation Authority has $15 million in unpaid bills as its CEO eyes his exit.
City Council President Nick Howland introduces a bill that would give companies incentives to hire veterans and military spouses.
We talk about all that and take your calls, questions and comments. You can join the conversation on air at 904-549-2937 or go to firstcoastconnect.org to find all the ways to connect with us.
Guests:
Mike Mendenhall, City Hall reporter and associate editor at Jacksonville Today
David Bauerlein, metro reporter at the Florida Times-Union
Anthony Austin, anchor at First Coast News
Dan Scanlan, reporter and producer at WJCT News
ShepardFest
The only festival in the world dedicated entirely to Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Sam Shepard returns to St. Augustine this weekend. ShepardFest features performances, readings, films and conversation centered on Shepard's work. The lineup includes a full production of Shepard's Buried Child and a staged reading of his one-man play Kicking a Dead Horse, alongside lectures on theater design and dramaturgy. Audiences can also expect screenings of Thunderheart and Days of Heaven. The four-day festival kicks off Thursday at The Waterworks.
Guests:
Raines Carr, founding artistic director, Shepardfest
Robert M. Dowling, author of Coyote: The Dramatic Lives of Sam Shepard
Topics and guests subject to change.
