Ambar Ramirez & Carmen Macri
Who Are We Keeping Up With? Because It Sure Ain’t The Joneses
McKenna Oakley
Ambar Ramirez & Carmen Macri
Redefining Hair, Reclaiming Identity: Brittany’s Hair
Ambar Ramirez & Carmen Macri
Jimmy Brown of UB40: The “Down to Earth”
Rockstar Who Still Grooves
Teresa Spencer
Ban or Preserve? The Ongoing Controversy
Surrounding St. Augustine’s Horse Carriages
Kaili Cochran
Beaches Town Center
Jacksonville Isn’t Bored — It’s Ready...Are You?
Ambar Ramirez & Carmen Macri
TERESA SPENCER
KERRY
AMBAR RAMIREZ
SAVANNA STILLWAGNER
JOSHUA WALKER Multimedia
MCKENNA OAKLEY Writer
KALEB STOWELL
Writer
ZA’NYA DAVIS Writer
Back in Black (and Teal): Jaguars Football is Here
Kaleb Stowell
Smoke, Fire & Felonies: Inside the Criminal Cover-up that Nearly Killed Jacksonville’s Bravest
Chip Drysdale
Law and Disorder in Fernandina
Ambar Ramirez & Carmen Macri
From Veto to Victory: Limelight Theatre’s Comeback
Savanna Stillwagner
Economic Strain is Driving People to Seek Shelter in Stroage Units
Za’Nya Davis
BEHIND THE COVER:
Travis Hunter’s first NFL game with the Jacksonville Jaguars
Photo by Aaron Berkshire
“Back in Black (and Teal): Jaguars Football is Here”
KAILI COCHRAN Writer/Designer
AARON BERKSHIRE Photographer
To the St. Johns Riverkeeper for calling on Duval County’s middle and high school filmmakers to turn their cameras on the local trash problem. The River Reels: Trash Talk Video Contest challenges students to create a video of 60 seconds or less that spotlights the impact of litter and why it’s crucial to reduce waste, dispose of it properly and protect the St. Johns River and local waterways.
To Gov. Ron DeSantis for wading deeper into controversy with a string of political maneuvers that are corrupt, cruel and cloaked in secrecy. A Medicaid overbilling settlement sent $10 million to Hope Florida, the charity run by First Lady Casey DeSantis, money that allegedly flowed to “dark money” groups and political committees working to sink marijuana legalization. Lawmakers are openly discussing criminal probes. Meanwhile, “Alligator Alcatraz,” an Everglades detention center built with disaster funds and without environmental review, faces lawsuits from environmentalists and legislators who accuse DeSantis of blocking oversight. A federal judge has halted construction for now. The governor also backed a crackdown on citizen ballot initiatives, adding felony threats for petitioners. He continues to blur ethical lines every day it seems.
To ICE for Abuse of power, wrongful detentions, inhumane detention conditions, denial or delay of medical treatment for detainees, racial profiling, untraceable opaque transfers — and for blocking members of congress the opportunity to inspect detention centers.
Words by Ambar Ramirez & Carmen Macri
Aries, this month is all about channeling your creative energy into every project, whether personal or professional. Don’t be afraid to put your own unique stamp on things. Remember: the right way isn’t the only way. With Mercury leaving retrograde, you will start to feel normal again; that being said, it’s no longer an excuse for your erratic behavior. Time to tighten up.
August means balance, stability and security, Taurus. Until Aug. 22, the Leo Sun lights up your domestic fourth house, putting relationships and home life front and center. Luckily, the cosmos are on your side. With peaceful Venus in Cancer and your communi cation zone until Aug. 25, conversations feel effort less, making it the perfect time to nurture connec tions and strengthen bonds.
You are quite the social butterfly this month, Gemini, but remember the im portance of balance and recharging your social battery. No one wants to face your wrath when it hits empty and you get overstimulated. With Mercury re-entering its regular rotation, you’ll start to see an influx of past relationships bubbling to the surface. Some welcome, some not so much.
With love planet Venus in your sign until Aug. 25, this month is all about romance but not the usual kind. We’re talking self-love, Cancer. Book that massage you’ve been putting off, clear some space in your schedule, and make yourself the priority this month.
Leo, soak up every moment of your season while you can—because after August 25th, things might get a bit jolting. As Venus moves out of Cancer, it’s time to tighten up your inner circle. Focus on deepening those existing bonds instead of chasing new connections.
You’ve been steadily climbing toward your goals this month, Virgo. But it’s starting to feel like you can’t step off the ride, even for a quick snack. With the Sun in Leo until the 22nd, your energy reserves are running low. It’s time for a little R&R before you buckle back in and get back to the grind.
Libra, buckle up: This month is shaping up to be a wild ride. The stars are lining up perfectly for your best month yet. You’re buzzing with energy, confidence, and ready to chase new thrills. With Mars hanging out in your sign until September, exciting adventures are right within your reach.
Scorpio, August is your power play month. The New Moon in Leo kicks off a surge of ambition, a perfect time to go after what you want with everything you’ve got. Just watch out for that Mercury retrograde mid-month; don’t rush big decisions or you’ll regret it. Use this time to clear the clutter, get real with yourself and sharpen your focus. Your instincts are on point — trust them.
You’re no stranger to the saying “curiosity killed the cat,” Sagittarius. And not because you believe it — if anything, you’ve spent your life proving it wrong. With the Leo Sun in your nomadic ninth house, you’ve got the itch to book a ticket and pack a bag. And to that, we say, go for it! Knowledge and new experiences are just around the corner.
August is your “let’s get real” moment. The New Moon in Leo is lighting a fire under your ambition, so stop waiting for permission and just take what’s yours. But don’t get sloppy — Mercury retrograde mid-month is lurking, ready to trip you up if you’re not paying attention. Use this time to streamline, cut the BS, and remind everyone why you’re the one who actually gets shit done. No fluff.
This August, you’re pulling people closer, Aquarius. With the Sun in Leo until the 22nd, it’s time to define where your relationships stand. And with Venus in Cancer until the 25th, it makes it easy to refresh your space, your routines and yourself. The stars are preparing you for the next season ’cause once Virgo season begins, relationships and shared resources take on a deeper, more serious tone, setting you up for powerful fresh starts.
This month, we are starting with the basics, Pisces. There’s beauty in simplicity, especially when it comes to relationships. Try to find comfort in the uncomfortable. When Virgo season begins on Aug. 22, the Sun turns its focus to your partnerships, helping you restore balance to any relationship that’s been off-kilter.
Words by McKenna Oakley
We’ve all been there. Mouths agape, eyebrows scrunched, fingers once unzipping your worn-leather wallet, frozen in disbelief. You filled the grocery cart with nothing more than the makings for dinner that night, and now you’ll need to take out a small mortgage to pay for it. Inflation is handing out K.O.s left and right, no doubt. But one group seems especially underwater: Generation Z — or Gen Z, as we’ll call them.
With record-breaking student loan debt, a static job market and virtually no savings, the current generation of young adults faces an abysmal outlook. Their new norm? Working several jobs to scrape by, living with a handful of roommates they found through a Facebook group or — shudder — heading back to mom and dad’s with their tails between their legs. And the effects aren’t just financial.
Social media is riddled with memes and short clips romanticizing even the smallest markers of middle-class existence — things now out of reach for the average Gen Z-er. Gone are the days of longing for opulent luxury. In are the days of hustling to afford rent for a crappy studio apartment and generic-brand groceries. A 401(k)? Never heard of her.
Given this grim reality, the spending habits of Gen Z have also changed. Most are slow to spend, and when they do, they prioritize short-term stability over long-term goals. Savings accounts are often neglected in favor of securing current comfort — with a splash of reward, like an overpriced oatmilk latte or tickets to the new “Superman.”
But is it really that bad? Haven’t all generations encountered speed bumps on their drive to financial independence? Let’s look at some numbers before you give Gen Z the cold shoulder.
A recent Newsweek article “Gen Z’s Financial Reality as Nearly Half Run Out of Money Each Month” reports that — in addition to the shocking stat in its title — only about 22% of Gen Z consider themselves financially stable, and a quarter have gone a week or longer without being able to afford essentials like rent. Of these respondents, around 20% were working more than one job to make ends meet. In face of gaps between the ends, according to the “TIME” article “‘We Want to Be Independent’: Nearly Half of Gen Zers Rely on Financial Help From Parents,” an astonishing 46% of Gen Z has to rely on financial support from their family.
What fuels these destitute circumstances? A slowing and unpredictable economy, for one thing — which is well-documented in reports like Bloomberg’s “Gen Z’s Hole in the Labor Market Could Soon Grow.” Lingering effects from the pandemic depress the labor landscape, with industries favoring older, experienced workers, and leaving few entry-level positions. The job market can effectively be summed up as “low-hire, low-fire.”
You might be thinking “What’s the big deal? COVID was years ago!” While true, macroeconomics is a complicated, geriatric beast — and there’s no denying the strain of inflation. “The Washington Post” article “Millennials had it bad financially, but Gen Z may have it worse” reports that Gen Z spends substantially more on essentials than Millennials in the past decade.
For instance, they pay 31% more for housing, and car insurance has more than doubled.
Add this to uncertain trade policies and the rise of artificial intelligence, and Gen Z is gazing at an icy world. Hiring freezes laugh while rising costs of living shove them into the snow.
Unfortunately, to understand Gen Z’s economic pickle, we need a nuanced perspective. It’s easy to cite statistics, but getting to their heart requires more work. To help us understand the outlook, “Folio” reached out to Inga Timmerman, an assistant professor at the University of North Florida and local expert in accounting, finance and student loans.
In addition to high education costs and increasing housing expenses, Timmerman pointed to the changing nature of work as another barrier. Gen Z often work part-time or “gig”-based positions rather than long-term, fulltime roles that guarantee safety nets like pensions, employer-sponsored retirement plans, healthcare or paid leave.
The recent “Big Beautiful Bill” has further complicated the landscape. The typical college grad doesn’t fall under the category of high-income household or corporation, which are the demographics that benefited the most from recent tax cuts. Meanwhile, many middle-class provisions are set to expire in 2025. In Dr. Timmerman’s opinion, Gen Z navigates a system with less protection and more personal financial risk in addition to higher costs.
She also explained how some of the financial lull is still fueled by pandemic policies. Though many of them, like expanded unemployment benefits, were meant to prevent economic collapse, there have been lasting negative side effects. For instance, the surge in inflation was created by an increased demand in supply chains while these chains were still actively trying to recover. The limited edition pandemic prices have unfortunately stuck around— not so limited after all. (Anyone else hit with a wave of toiler-paper-frenzy nostalgia? Just us? OK.)
Though Timmerman believes that self-sufficiency is still possible, it will look different. Independence will take longer and require more adaptable planning. This could mean living with multiple roommates or studying at a community college rather than a university. It may not be the glamour that youths dreamed of while watching The CW, but bacon won’t bring itself home.
The delayed spending on housing, cars, furniture and other major life expenses, along with the proliferation of multigenerational homes, will undoubtedly stain the economy.
“This slows demand in key sectors like real estate, retail and construction,” says Timmerman. “As the U.S. economy is built on consumption, the more people avoid spending money, the more impact they will have on the overall economic growth. It also means fewer new households are contributing to local tax bases or participating in community growth through homeownership.”
Sure. Technically. Economic cycles shift with time, and the next few years could improve housing supply, wage growth and even student loan policies — though that last one may be a pipe dream. Technological innovation could also open new career opportunities. Structural challenges won’t go anywhere, but Timmerman is faithful the generation she knows well as a professor is resourceful enough to weather the winter storm.
Even if the trends persist, this doesn’t eliminate the possibility of Gen Z reaching milestones like homeownership. They’re just postponed. On average, Gen Z will accomplish these picket-fence-standards in their late 30s or early 40s, rather than the traditional early 30s mark.
Timmerman encourages young adults not to forget that they are ultimately in control. “No matter what happens around you, you can still control something,” she said. “You may not be able to control inflation, housing prices or student loan policy, but you can control your spending, saving and career development. Create a budget that aligns with your values, build an emergency fund and prioritize long-term goals like retirement even if it feels far off.”
In pursuit of a financially sound future, her advice to Gen Z is also to start now. Small amounts saved or invested early can compound significantly over time, whether it’s contributing to a Roth IRA or setting aside $25 a week in a high-yield savings account.
She additionally emphasizes the importance of strategy when it comes to education costs. In her words, there are plenty of “cheap and marketable” degrees that can make life “much easier long-term.” Managing high student loan debt well into adulthood is the norm for most, but it doesn’t have to be for all.
And lastly, Timmerman encourages anyone and everyone to seek financial help when needed. There are countless tools, advisers, mentors and resources available — and some are even free. Gen Z is already proving to be pretty financially literate, which is an encouraging sign. To the young folks, we say continue this trend. To older crowds, we say take a page out of their book. Anyone, regardless of age, can hop online or make a quick phone call before making a financial or career-oriented decision. In uncertain times, you’re not alone.
So no — it’s not all sunshine and rainbows, and it probably won’t be for the next few years. Budgets may need to be tightened and spending may need to be reeled in. The fruit will be harder to harvest, but maybe it’ll taste even sweeter. (Don’t roll your eyes, we never claimed to be philosophers.)
And in the meantime, we may not be keeping up with the Joneses — but hey, we’re at least catching up to the Martins: their less flashy, more relatable, and, in our opinion, far more endearing neighbors.
“We started with sound.”
Words &
photos
by
Ambar Ramirez & Carmen Macri
The Ponte Vedra Concert Hall wasn’t always a hub for arts and entertainment. Originally, it was simply a place where community members came together around shared religious interests. But after St. Johns County purchased the property from New Beginnings Baptist Church in 2006, it quickly transformed into a beloved venue where people gathered to see artists they knew and loved.
The Ponte Vedra Concert Hall is one of the few medium-sized concert venues Jacksonville has to offer, so when news broke that the New Beginnings Baptist Church would be turning into a music venue in the heart of Ponte Vedra, residents could hardly hide their excitement. From the beginning, the community embraced the PV Concert Hall.
When they first opened their doors in 2011, the developers embraced the integrity of the church, not changing much besides the interior, replacing church pews with venue seating. For the last decade, the PV Concert Hall has remained a beating heart in the community for entertainment, hosting over 1,000 shows by varied artists like Indigo Girls, Art Garfunkel, Kurt Vile, Sierra Ferrell, Joyce Manor and many more.
But not much has changed within the walls. That is, until 2024, when St. Johns County approved a $5.4 million remodel.
As St. Augustine Beach Mayor Dylan Rumrell put it, the PV Concert Hall is “Welcoming a new era.”
They began with the sound. By installing the cutting-edge L-Acoustics L2D Audio system, the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall became one of the first venues in the United States to feature this advanced technology. The building itself expanded dramatically. What was once a 10,500-square-foot venue now spans 25,500 square feet, boosting capacity by more than 20%.
But the transformation didn’t stop at the interior. The exterior shed much of the quaint, 1980s church charm and embraced a sleek, modern identity worthy of a premier music destination. Large glass panes now frame the façade, offering a contemporary, light-filled welcome to guests. Additionally, they added the Kookaburra Coffee Cafe, open daily. Outside, a fully renovated parking lot and a thoughtfully designed landscaping plan — created in partnership with Southern Horticulture—introduced native trees and shrubs, ensuring sustainability was woven into every step of the renovation.
In late July, “Folio” got an exclusive invite to the load-in — a behind-thescenes peek at the magic before the curtain rises. Our tour wound through the venue and into the auditorium, where Jerry Wilson, president of Friends of Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, welcomed us. He walked us through the impressive roster of commissioners and contributors who helped bring the vision to life, then rolled a short video showcasing how their work is hitting all the right notes to elevate the community through music.
In the video, one of the city’s pastors who worked closely on the project remarked, “The fact that you can take the old and make it into the new and still keep the spirit is nothing short of a miracle.” We couldn’t agree more.
Words by Teresa Spencer
Joints on the Pillow: Why Florida Hotels Are Still a Buzzkill for Medical Marijuana Patients
Florida loves to remind you it’s the Sunshine State. Just don’t expect that sunshine to hit your joint if you’re staying at a hotel.
Here’s the blunt truth: even if you’ve got your shiny, state-issued medical marijuana card, lighting up in a hotel room in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Amelia Island, anywhere in Northeast Florida is still a no-go. The law is as clear as a freshly cleaned bong: cannabis consumption is only legal on private property with the owner’s explicit permission. Hotels? They’re considered public or semi-public spaces, and that “smoking room” you see on Expedia? That’s for Marlboros, not marijuana.
Why so uptight?
• Florida voters passed Amendment 2 to legalize medical marijuana for qualifying patients, but the language was very specific: it’s for private use only.
• Smoking and vaping are legal but only in spaces shielded from public access. Hotels are open to the public, and even those with keycard access still fall under the “public-facing” umbrella.
• Hotel owners aren’t legally required to accommodate cannabis, and most don’t. Tobacco? Sure. Weed? Not unless they enjoy regular chats with state regulators.
The internet agrees. A quick scroll through Reddit cannabis threads reveals plenty of horror stories from well-meaning patients who thought they could sneak a vape in a “smoking room” and ended up with hefty fines or an unplanned early checkout.
So what’s a traveling patient to do?
• Private rentals only. Platforms like Bud and Breakfast, HiBnb, and Inndica connect patients with 420-friendly hosts. Though good luck finding one in Northeast Florida. The pickings are slimmer than a roach clip.
• Stealth consumption (at your own risk). Edibles, tinctures, or topicals are less obvious than smoke but the law still treats them the same if you’re on prohibited property.
• Balconies and patios. But only if the owner explicitly allows cannabis use. Don’t assume a balcony means “do whatever you want.” In Florida law, assumptions burn faster than your stash.
The bottom line: Until Florida tweaks its rules (and hotel chains loosen their ties), medical cannabis consumption in Northeast Florida hotels isn’t just frowned upon — it’s illegal. That means if you’re traveling and need to medicate, your best bet is finding a private rental where the host’s cool with it. Otherwise? You’ll be stuck counting down the hours until you can get home to your own couch, your own playlist and your own very legal smoke session.
Hair holds memories; it’s a language, an extension of self. Hair is sacred, both a protest and pride. It’s ancestral, history you can touch, a quiet intimacy.
Brittany Molina, founder of Brittany’s Hair, understands that hair is so much more than just hair. At Brittany’s Hair, Molina and her small but mighty team of stylists know hair is a reflection of your lifestyle, personality and confidence. Each client who walks through the doors experiences a uniquely personalized session. Whether it’s getting hair extensions, color or a fresh cut, you can expect to be treated like royalty at Brittany’s Hair.
Molina began her stylist journey 35 years ago in Miami. Growing up in her mother’s salon, she experienced hair styling as from a unique perspective — it’s all she’s ever known. Up until 25 years ago, that is. From the classic services a salon offers, Molina made a big change in her career when she decided she would get into doing hair extensions and helping clients who are suffering from thinning hair from alopecia or other related issues.
“I’m fascinated by transformations. I am also a defined thinning hair client and a mesh integration client, so I know exactly what you go through and what you need and what it feels like. And I also didn’t want someone else doing my hair; I wanted to have control. So if I knew exactly what was going on, then I could duplicate that for my guest,” Molina explained. “And I know what goes into the care for clients. So, you know, a lot of times it helps me troubleshoot better because I wear it, and I’m fascinated with being able to transform people’s hair, whether it’s colors, cuts or extensions. But I think you’ve got to specialize in something, and that’s just what I’m passionate about and where I stay.”
A typical booking with Molina would go something like this. It starts with filling out a new client form online, and from there, a time to go to the salon is scheduled. Before anything else can happen, Molina will have a consultation with the client. It’s during the consultation that Molina goes into depth about what each client needs, the process and care. Each moment with Molina and her team is meticulous. You want to leave the salon confident; they want that tenfold.
Brittany’s Hair offers a full range of premium hair extensions tailored to fit your unique style and needs. Whether you’re looking for weft, i-tip, k-tip, fusion, mesh integration or nano tip extensions, Brittany’s has you covered — with quality, precision and care. Every color, style and texture is personalized to their client’s exact wishes. And rather than being halfstrands, Molina offers full-strand, double-jointed hair, meaning their hair is full length and maintains its thickness from root to tip.
Along with the many services Brittany’s Hair offers, they understand that thinning hair and hair loss conditions are often deeply personal struggles, amplified by society’s unrealistic beauty standards — on men and women alike — that equate attractiveness with full, thick hair.
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Because of this, Molina had a private room installed for those clients who struggle.
“So maybe you don’t want to get your extensions done out here. You know, all we have to do is just move to the back room,” Molina shared.
“I’M FASCINATED BY TRANSFORMATIONS.”
Mindy Stamulis, a fellow stylist, chimed in on the matter.
“It’s not even just men who have a shifting hairline. It’s certainly women. And when it affects women, they feel even more vulnerable and sometimes it’s even cultural,” Stamulis added.
“Some people don’t want to take their hairpieces off out here. Like I have one client, I see her at like 5:30, 6 in the morning because she doesn’t want anybody to see her coming in and out,” Molina concluded.
Like with any business, running a hair salon comes with its fair share of challenges. The industry is constantly evolving, trends come and go, and now there’s even AI to contend with. Molina mentioned that it’s already made its way into the salon. Back in the day, clients would bring in heavily edited professional photos, shot in perfect lighting and polished in Photoshop. But recently, a client came in with an AI-generated image and asked Molina to recreate it.
Molina knows her limits just as well as she knows her strengths. She’s not afraid to tell a client no, but she’s also not afraid to collaborate and find a way to bring their dream hair to life.
“Hair is a very personal and organic process. So when you come into the salon with what you guys were talking about, an AI photo, and before that was probably a photoshoot that had all kinds of lighting, we had to speak to the lighting and how do we get there. So we can use these tools as a point of inspiration, creatively speaking or at least in communication,” Stamulis shared. “So there’s an art form with that. And I just think she’s [Molina] has done so well over the years with that. And so that goes back to that transparency. I think that is a point of one’s maturity in the industry and what she’s [Molina] learned along the way. And you can only learn that from being in the space and doing it.”
Molina is always growing, always learning. In an industry that’s constantly evolving, she knows you never stop being a student. She’s never seen her craft as something to “perfect” — only something to keep pushing, refining and reimagining.
“I’m proud of where I am now. I think years and years of experience get you to where you are, and life lessons also get you there. We’re in a big push, the business is growing, and it’s a wonderful time to be. But I also have control of how it grows and where it’s going and what it’s doing,” Molina said. “I’m looking forward to where we go with this. I work constantly on education, just this year alone, I spent $25,000 on my education so that I can come here and deliver what people really need. So I’m pretty proud, you know, a lot of times when you’re in the business, a lot of times people start and they think they know it all. And I think every day is a learning experience, especially with trends. We’re just finding new stuff out about hair, like what actually works, what doesn’t.”
Words by Teresa Spencer
Brown has been holding down the heartbeat
since pers, before “Red Red Wine” became a worldwide sing along, before
The Birmingham native’s drumming has always been precise, space-conscious and almost egofree. The kind of rhythm that doesn’t crowd the music, it frames it. “It’s all about slowing down,” he told me. “For reggae, you want a spacious groove. A lot of drummers push it at 120 BPM. I like it where the rhythm breathes.”
UB40 was born in a haze of rebellion and boredom. “We were mates from school,” Brown recalled. “Only one of us could play an instrument — a bit of guitar — so we all learned together. None of us could read music. We just … figured it out.”
Figuring it out meant woodshedding in tiny ven -
ues until something strange happened: word started getting around. “We’d maybe done 30 gigs, all in small places. Then one night, Karen Carpenter came to see us,” Brown recalled. “After the set she said, ‘You should open for us.’ That tour changed everything. A year later, our first album started doing really well. That’s when it hit [us], we’d made it.”
The band’s name came from the UK unemployment form, UB40, a nod to the economic hardship and multicultural grind they came from. Birmingham’s immigrant-heavy neighborhoods infused their sound with Jamaican reggae, ska and the grit of the English working class. Brown’s dad worked in a factory. Music wasn’t an escape;
it was a weapon.
They wrote everything together. Everyone got equal credit. “It’s like being married,” Brown said about surviving the inevitable band arguments. “You compromise. You work through it.” And while UB40’s legacy is cemented, Brown measures success in something more personal: “My family’s the proudest thing I’ve ever done. I met my wife before the band even existed. We’ve been together 50 years.”
He has four daughters, all artistic in their own ways, and three grandkids. His eldest grandson is off to music school. The others?
since
the very first downbeat
in 1978, before they were chart-topbefore reggae in Europe had a face that wasn’t Jamaican-born.
“The grandchildren haven’t been that impressed seeing me onstage,” Brown laughed. “They were more interested in what was going on backstage at the first show they attended.”
When I asked for the craziest thing that ever happened on a tour bus, Brown grinned like a man sifting through decades of barely printable memories. “It took about 10 years for things to calm down,” he said. “But once, we were in the middle of nowhere with nothing but snow for miles and one of the guys, who always had whiskey in the rider, decided after a few drinks that we should pull over… and have a fight. No reason. Just ‘stop the bus, let’s have it out.’ That was the kind of madness you got back then.”
Even after more than four decades, Brown still gets a kick out of the road. In 2025, UB40’s life is summed up in one word: touring. “We just finished the demos for the next album. We’ll be in the U.S. for two and a half months, take a holiday break, then hit Europe. After that — new album.” His favorite American stops? “New York, New Orleans, California… and the first thing we do now is find the nearest marijuana dispensary. It’s great to see America finally catching up on that.”
Brown doesn’t carry himself like a rock star. He’s more like the guy next door who just happens to be the soundtrack to your pool party. He knows UB40’s music has become synonymous with sunshine, beaches and good times.
“It’s a blessing,” he said. “If our songs make people happy, that’s success. That’s why we’ve lasted.”
Catch UB40 live at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre on Aug. 23. Bring your sunglasses — and maybe have a little red, red wine to celebrate the world’s biggest-selling reggae group with more than 100 million albums sold worldwide.
Don’t miss enjoying them doing things the way they do. Pun intended..
St. Augustine has offered horsedrawn carriage rides for over a century. Today, they’re at the center of a debate over animal welfare
Words by Kaili Cochran
On June 29, protesters lined the streets of downtown St. Augustine, holding signs reading “Ban Horse Carriages” and chanting over the steady clip-clop of hooves. Tourists paused to take photos, some turning their cameras toward the activists, others toward the carriages rolling past.
Horse-drawn carriage rides have long been a bucket-list item for visitors to the nation’s oldest city. But in recent years, they’ve become a topic in a broader debate about animal welfare, tourism and tradition.
In 2012, St. Augustine implemented an ordinance addressing horse carriage welfare. It requires drivers to offer horses water after each tour, bans rides when temperatures reach 95 degrees, and mandates rest breaks and limits on daily working hours. Carriage operators are licensed throughout the city and are subject to routine inspections.
Yet for activists like Jodie Wiederkehr, the rules don’t go far enough. Wiederkehr, who founded the Facebook group “Ban Horse Carriages Worldwide,” has been working with local campaigns across the U.S., including St. Augustine’s. Her group has more than 1,700 members and has helped cities like Chicago successfully pass bans against horse-drawn carriage rides. This effort took just two years of consistent protesting.
In Florida, she says, heat and humidity are the biggest concerns. Asphalt can reach up to 40 degrees hotter than the air temperatures, and activists argue the horses face dangerous conditions in the city’s climate. On a 90-degree day, that can mean the horses are walking on surfaces as hot as 130 degrees.
Supporters of the rides counter that the animals are well cared for. Country Carriages, the largest carriage ride service in St. Augustine, publicly emphasizes their care of the animals. On its website, it says the horses are “well cared for, rotated regularly and provided with shade and water during tours.” “Folio” reached out to Country Carriages and individual drivers for comment through multiple channels but did not receive a response.
Aimee Goosen, one of the carriage drivers at Country Carriages, commented on Facebook in response to an activist’s post. “Feels like 108 and she (her horse) is in the sun happily munching on her block of hay and not under her shelter,” Goosen said.
Online horse carriage reviews frequently praise the horse-drawn carriage experience. A recent reviewer posted, “If you’re lucky enough to be vacationing in St. Augustine, skip the traditional trolleys and see the oldest town in America the way it was meant to be seen-via horse-drawn carriage!”
Safety is a concern raised on both sides. Activists cite incidents that have occurred as evidence that the rides can endanger animals and passengers. Supporters point to the training the horses receive to remain calm in busy, modern traffic and that the carriage drivers are experienced in managing the horses if they become startled.
In some cities, like Chicago, bans have often gone into effect without proposing replacements, as many tourist cities have trolleys.
As the protests continue into yet another year, St. Augustine officials are likely to continue hearing from both sides, with animal welfare advocates calling for a ban and locals emphasizing tradition and tourism. Any potential changes would need to address concerns about animal treatment, public safety and the local economy.
For now, the clip-clop of hooves remains part of St. Augustine, but whether it will echo into the future is a question still up for debate.
Words & photo by Joshua Walker
For years, the Beaches Town Center has been a staple of Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach. And with time comes changes. Some of these alterations have been viewed as good, like the opening of an Angie’s Subs. Others, like paid parking and the closure of Ragtime Tavern + Seafood and Grill, which served the community for more than 30 years, have been met with frustration and disappointment.
Growing up, I spent countless summers at the Beaches Town Center. The memories I made there were priceless. It was localized, comfortable and felt like home. Over the years, however, I’ve seen so many businesses open and close, leaving the area feeling like it’s lost some of its soul. Now it feels like it’s slowly being bought and sold to new owners or being replaced altogether. Add to that the highly stressful parking situation, and it concerns me. What will the Town Center become if more of these changes occur.
I would do anything to resurrect Sun Dog, Shelby’s, Lillie’s Coffee or Ragtime. Those places had such a magical charm to them and felt like huge pieces of the Town Center but are now just memories.
I’m not alone in my suspicions. “The beach is losing its local vibe, and chains kill everything local,” said one resident who wished to remain anonymous. I personally couldn’t agree more that the Town Center is losing its local charm and is slowly becoming a touristy place.
And now with news of Jaguars owner Shad Khan purchasing the Seahorse Inn and uber-popular Lemon Bar, the future of the Beaches Town Center is even more depressing for locals. The plan is to turn the motel and beachside bar into a private club and new hotel resort with restaurants. The date for development hasn’t been confirmed yet, but at the same time, there are no plans to replace either establishment somewhere else to make room for the new resort. It still crushes me that these Beaches landmarks got bought out and could get replaced whenever the decision is made. But for now, we can still enjoy them.
I understand cities change and communities evolve over time. But those changes shouldn’t be catered to tourists or high-end buyers. These changes shouldn’t come with the price of taking away the places that made the Beaches Town Center what it once was.
The Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville is a nonprofit dedicated to enriching life in Northeast Florida through arts and culture. Sounds simple enough, right? Wrong. This organization doesn’t just make the arts accessible and engaging on cultural, social, educational and economic levels — it also proves that by weaving creativity into the fabric of the community, it can uplift neighborhoods and generate real economic impact.
Photo by Eli Elmore
Diana Donovan isn’t just running the Jacksonville Cultural Council — she’s reimagining its role as the heartbeat of the city’s creative community. As executive director, Donovan speaks with the energy of someone who sees every mural, performance and gallery opening as part of a bigger cultural movement.
“When we think about the Cultural Council, what we do, it’s igniting the creative economy,” Donovan shared. “So helping to make sure that the return on investment of when you come to Jacksonville, what makes you eat, stay and play here. We’re more than parking garages and potholes. We need places to go. We need to park. We need to have good, healthy roads. But we also need to make sure that we’re investing in stages as much as we’re investing in stadiums. We need to make sure that we’re intentional about building and sustaining this economy because we have 5,000 plus people in our workforce.”
For Donovan, the Cultural Council’s mission is rooted in accessibility and inclusivity. She believes the arts shouldn’t be reserved for select neighborhoods or certain demographics — it should be woven into the everyday lives of Jacksonville residents.
“Success for the arts is the people first, always,” Donovan said. “It’s the people we’re serving. It’s how we’re serving them. It’s the people who are the creatives who are igniting the creative economy. It’s the people who are participating in it and benefiting from it and experiencing it.”
Her vision also includes breaking down silos between artists, businesses and policymakers. She points out that when these groups collaborate, the impact is exponential — not just in cultural value but in economic vitality.
“So we’re a re-granting public art agency. At the end of the day, our job is to champion for creative economy,” Donovan noted.
Donovan boiled the big picture down into a simple, tangible example. When people spend an evening at the Florida Theatre, the impact reaches far beyond the stage. Depending on the performance, the parking garage attendant gets paid, bartenders earn tips, nearby restaurants and small businesses see more customers, rideshare drivers get fares and security staff ensuring everyone’s safety are compensated. And that’s before even considering the performers on stage, the sound crew, the backstage team, or the companies responsible for lighting the building. The venue itself partners with other nonprofits to use the space for opening acts and community events, creating more exposure for artists, enhancing the audience experience and boosting the community’s overall quality of life.
As Donovan put it, “You have, you know, a downtown being revitalized. You have neighborhoods being enhanced. You have a new stadium, Four Seasons and MOSH being built on the waterfront. All of these big conversations have one thread through them. And it’s the creative sector.” Donovan emphasized that a truly vibrant downtown encompasses more than just one aspect — it’s not solely about the parks, the stadium, the arts or any single group.
“It’s all of us in a cross-sector approach to elevate the community. So those investments are key,” Donovan expressed. “And one of the things that we try to champion through the Cultural Council is public investments.”
In the past year, the Cultural Service Grant Program transformed a $6 million public investment into more than $135 million in economic impact, with $124 million generated in Downtown alone. The program’s workforce includes over 5,000 people — about the same size as the combined staff of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and Jacksonville Fire & Rescue Department. Its programming reached more than 291,000 young people, a number large enough to fill EverBank Stadium over four and a half times. Additionally, volunteers contributed over 166,000 hours of their time to support its initiatives.
Meanwhile, the Art in Public Places Program maintains a collection of more than 140 permanent artworks, collectively valued at over $8.3 million.
“And why is that important? What’s more valuable than your treasure? Your time. Who you spend it with, who you love. Who is your Friday night? Who is your Saturday night? Who do you want to see at a Sunday dinner?” Donovan explained. “And those memories come through arts and culture. And so when we talk about volunteer hours, your most precious commodity is time. And people are choosing to volunteer by the hundreds of thousands in the creative sector just for our nonprofits.”
Every year, the Cultural Council hosts an awards ceremony where they champion the artists, visionaries and changemakers who transform our community through creativity and purpose.
This year’s Fire & Ice theme captures the dynamic forces shaping both quality of life and economic vitality. When fire and ice meet, they make STEAM — a bold symbol of how Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math fuse to drive innovation and fuel Jacksonville’s momentum.
“The one thing I know about Jacksonville is that we will champion for what we believe in, from Duval to the Jacksonville Jaguars to, you know, making sure that we as a city know how to celebrate who we are as a city. Like everybody’s got an opinion on it, everybody’s got their own belief on it, and everybody is ready to share it,” Donovan expressed. “And I think it’s really beautiful to have a city come together over things like the arts and these large performances and experiences … the intentionality of the Arts Awards is to also bring red and blue together, united for the elevation of the community. And so we have different perspectives that are championing to bring the city forward, coming together to celebrate a night of just how similar we are through the creative sector.”
Clear your Sunday schedule, football fans: Jaguars football is back!
The NFL season starting up again marks an important time of the year for people around the globe. It means their favorite group of eleven men will face another group of eleven men to move an oval-shaped ball from one end of the 100-yard-long field to the other.
The city of Jacksonville is no stranger to this tradition; however, this year, the start of the season is a little different than usual.
Media coverage of the Jaguars from non-local sources has skyrocketed since the Jaguars made the bold move to trade up in the 2025 NFL Draft to select Travis Hunter second overall. Hunter is an incredibly versatile two-way athlete, playing both the wide receiver (WR) and cornerback (CB) positions. Hunter was a highly sought-after college football player for the Colorado Buffaloes, led by Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders. The Buffalos’ roster also featured Shedeur and Shilo Sanders, Coach Prime’s sons, which helped garner even more media attention for the team, which meant even more eyes on Hunter.
While Travis Hunter is probably the ultimate reason that the Jaguars have been such a hot commodity among the media this year, there have been some other moves the Jaguars organization has made that have the media buzzing.
After a disastrous 2024 season, the Jaguars completely overhauled their coaching staff. They replaced head coach Doug Pederson with Liam Coen, a first-time head coach who had served as the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Coen then brought in Grant Udinski, also a first-timer, as offensive coordinator, who had been the assistant quarterbacks coach for the Minnesota Vikings. On defense, Coen replaced coordinator Ryan Nielson with Anthony Campanile, another first-time coordinator who previously coached the run game and linebackers for the Green Bay Packers. To top it off, Jaguars owner Shad Khan announced that general manager Trent Baalke would be replaced by James Gladstone, a first-time GM and former director of scouting for the Los Angeles Rams, who also made headlines as the youngest GM currently in the NFL.
The final key contributor to the Jaguars’ prevalence in the media was the performance of star WR Brian Thomas Jr. (aka BTJ) last season. BTJ had over 1200 yards despite starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence being out of commission for the majority of the season. BTJ had arguably the best season out of all of the rookie WRs last year.
Putting all of these pieces together, a lot of eyes were on the Jaguars when training camp rolled around. People across the country were curious to see how this entirely new Jaguars roster would turn out. For the most part, people were impressed. Hunter was being effectively utilized on both sides of the ball, meshing seamlessly with the offensive and defensive schemes of the two new coordinators. BTJ continued to wow fans and reporters with impressive receptions and yards after the catch. Trevor Lawrence played fantastically in camp, completing nearly 70% of his passes consistently and only throwing one interception. Gladstone’s leadership and Coen’s coaching style shone during interviews with the press, both of whom sang the praises of Hunter, explaining how integral a player he is to the operation and the future of the organization.
Most recently, Jaguars’ kicker Cam Little made a 70-yard field goal in the Jaguars’ preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers. When the ball passed through the uprights, the stadium erupted, Jaguars and Steelers fans alike were cheering for this ridiculous feat. This would have awarded him an NFL record if it were in a real game, but keep your eyes out for Little this year, because it seems like he wants the record.
On Aug. 9, 2025, the Jacksonville Jaguars played their preseason home opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
We attended this game to better understand the fan perception of the team heading into the 2025 season. It was resoundingly positive. The attendance was phenomenal for a preseason game, with a reported 58,316 fans in attendance, a number just 4,000 shy of the average regular season attendance for the Jaguars in 2024. Despite the overcast weather, the stands were full of fans, Jaguars and Steelers alike.
The game began with the Jaguars’ first-team offense. The first play of the game was a false start on the offense, and unfortunately, it wouldn’t be the last of the self-inflicted wounds committed by the Jaguars. BTJ then made a catch for 8 yards, followed by a 3-yard run from Travis Etienne. Then, Hunter made his first NFL catch for 3 yards, falling one yard short of the first down marker. The Jags would go for it on fourth down with a handoff to wide receiver Dyami Brown to convert on 4th. Lawrence would then hand it off to Etienne again for 3 more yards, followed by a short pass to Etienne for 10 yards. Lawrence would then throw to Hunter again for 7 yards; however, this play would get called back for multiple penalties on the Jaguars. After this, the drive fizzled out. The Jags had a few more short completions, but ultimately kicked a field goal to end the Jaguars’ first-team offense’s appearance.
The Jags got the ball back with 24 seconds left in the first half and were able to get the ball to midfield with one second left on the clock. Coen sent out Jaguars Cam Little to kick a 70-yard field goal, a preseason record, before the end of the half.
The Steelers started the second half by turning the ball over on downs, putting the Jags in great field position. To repay them, Mullens immediately threw an interception, but Steelers defensive end Isaiahh Loudermilk was called for roughing the passer, saving the Jaguars’ drive. Mullens would then throw two straight passes to Trenton Irwin, followed by a penalty for a false start. Mullens would then pass to Irwin again, resulting in an 11-yard touchdown.
Wolford and the Jags would then put together a very impressive drive to get into the endzone quickly, with key contributions from wide receivers Eli Pancol and Dorian Singer and running back Bhayshal Tuten, who ultimately ran the ball 10 yards into the endzone with defenders and teammates all over him.
Thompson and the Steelers would come back with another touchdown of their own. The Jags responded with a field goal and forced a quick three-and-out, but ultimately it wasn’t enough to secure the victory, and the Jags would lose the game 31-25.
However, losing in the preseason isn’t necessarily a bad thing; if anything, it’s considered a good sign that the team will perform well in the regular season.
After the game, we spoke to several fans around the stadium about the Jaguars’ current roster and how they believe the team will compete this season.
A prominent question arising among Jaguars fans and sports analysts is who will win the battle for the RB1 position between Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby. Etienne was a dominant running back in his second and third years but has had worse production the past two seasons due to injuries. Bigsby was the dominant Jaguars running back last season, generating a lot of offense on the ground for the Jags.
Jordan Littles, a long-time Jacksonville Jaguar fan, said, “I think they both have their strengths… to make a comparison, they remind me a lot of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs with the Lions… ideally, we can find a way to use them like that.”
The Jaguars also drafted Bhayshul Tuten in the 2025 draft, further bolstering their running back core.
Many fans at the game said that behind BTJ and Hunter, the receiver they were the most excited about seeing was Parker Washington. Washington has been with the Jaguars since being drafted to the team in 2023 but has yet to leave his mark. He got a chance to prove himself last season, with many of the Jaguars’ starting receivers being in and out of injuries. In 2024, he had 32 receptions for 390 yards and 3 touchdowns. Another Jags receiver who has been making an impact at training camp and in the first preseason game was Joshua Cephus, a sophomore wide receiver out of the University of Texas at San Antonio. He was exclusively on the Jaguars’ practice squad last season but has worked his way up the depth chart and has become a serious option on the second-team offense.
The Jaguars’ decision to cut tight end Evan Engram at the beginning of the offseason was unexpected, according to most fans.
Engram was one of Lawrence’s favorite targets over the past three seasons, and despite having a down year last year, many Jags fans were excited to see what the duo could do now that they were both healthy again.
Despite this, a fan who chose not to be identified said, “Engram was one of Trevor’s favorite targets, so losing him sucks, but I think a lot of people are underestimating Brenton Strange. When Engram was injured last season, Strange filled his role as needed and did so more than serviceably, I would say.”
Strange had 40 receptions for 411 yards and 2 touchdowns last season.
Many fans expressed their excitement when Liam Coen was announced as the new head coach of the Jaguars in January of 2025, despite not having any previous experience with the role. Coen created one of the best passing offenses in the NFL in 2024 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Jacksonville had been searching for a solution to Lawrence’s inconsistency, so it seemed like a natural fit. For this reason, even without having any history as a head coach, Jaguar fans happily accepted Coen, despite his initial awkward
“Du-Valll” in his first press conference. The reaction to Coen’s coaching strategy at the game was much of the same.
The Jaguars demonstrated a significantly more “pass-first” approach than we saw out of them during the Pederson-Taylor years, with nine passing plays called during the first-team offense’s drive.
The Jaguars’ defense was ranked 31st in total defense for the 2024 season. Given this, a lot of fans have been keeping their eyes on defensive roster moves and coaching decisions. The Jaguars bolstered their defensive line by signing free agent defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah and acquiring defensive tackle Austin Johnson from the New York Giants. With the departure of safety Andre Cisco — who allowed the highest quarterback rating among Jaguars defensive backs in 2024 — the secondary also needed attention. To address this, the team brought in safety Eric Murray from the Houston Texans, who delivered arguably the best season of his career last year, recording 50 solo tackles, 25 assists, a sack and an interception.
Another big question mark on the defensive side of the ball is defensive end Josh Hines-Allen, who broke the Jaguars’ single-season sack record in 2023 when he recorded 17.5 sacks. Hines-Allen had a down year last season, only garnering 8 sacks in 2024. While Hines-Allen had a down year, defensive end Travon Walker had the best season of his career, with 10.5 sacks and 61 total tackles, as well as 2 forced fumbles. Many Jags fans are hopeful that 2025 will bring about a renaissance effect for the two promising edge rushers.
There has also been a lot of eyes on the status of defensive end Arik Armstead, who signed with the Jaguars last season. While originally listed for veteran’s rest at the beginning of mini-camp, the Jaguars would announce Armstead was suffering from a back injury that could jeopardize his readiness for the team’s regular season opener. Armstead thrived in his role at defensive tackle in San Francisco with the 49ers but saw less success after being moved to a defensive end position with the Jaguars in 2024. Armstead announced that he would move back to the inside alongside defensive tackle Davon Hamilton, the position he practiced during spring training.
A fan named Steve said, “I know it’s preseason, so we’re probably using a watered-down version of our playbook, but the team seriously looks much more comfortable on the field… I believe the changes Coen and our new coordinators have made are gonna greatly benefit us.”
A mock trade was recently proposed on social media regarding the Jaguars. The trade was that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would trade quarterback Baker Mayfield and a 2026 third-round pick for Trevor Lawrence. The trade was posed seemingly due to Coen and Mayfield’s history together in Tampa Bay. Reuniting the two in Jacksonville would eliminate the need to acclimate Lawrence to a new system and would give the offense a foundation to build from on day one. However, the consensus of those we spoke to about this hypothetical trade is that Jaguars fans believe that Trevor Lawrence is still their guy, despite a disappointing season last year.
Speaking of Trevor Lawrence, we asked fans how much longer he has to impress them before they’re ready to make a change at the quarterback position. The answer seemed to be the same for everyone — this is a do-or-die year for Lawrence.
Littles stated, “I love Trevor, so it pains me to say this, but I really do believe that we’ve built this team around him, and if he can’t do it now, I’m not sure he ever will.”
The Jaguars’ receiving core is arguably the best it’s been during Lawrence’s time with the team, with BTJ being a top-five receiver in the league last season, and Hunter being an incredibly talented offensive presence, not to mention the depth chart including Dyami Brown, Parker Washington and Joshua Cephus.
Zachary Shainbrown, a long-time Jaguars fan, said, “Absolutely, I still believe in Trevor, I mean he was the No. 1 pick for a reason… As long as he stays healthy, we have a chance.” Shainbrown did ultimately agree that this is Lawrence’s last season to impress Jaguars fans.
Lawrence played very well in his preseason debut under the new Jaguars regime, going 6/7 on his passes on the opening drive.
The Jaguars have been preseason champs for the past two years, which, as you probably know, has not led to them being regular-season champions at all; in fact, it’s more of the opposite. It’s a commonly observed phenomenon, or placebo effect, in the NFL.
This “preseason curse” relates to when a team does really well in the preseason, they usually underperform in the regular season. The two most glaring examples of this were the 2008 Detroit Lions, who were 4-0 in the preseason before going 0-16 in the regular season, as well as the 2017 Cleveland Browns, who also had a perfect preseason before losing all of their regular-season games.
So despite what you might initially think, the Jaguars losing their first preseason game against the Steelers could be something to celebrate. Many fans have taken to social media to talk about how happy they are that the team is finally losing in the preseason.
Here’s to 0-3 in the preseason!
INSIDE THE CRIMINAL COVER-UP THAT NEARLY KILLED JACKSONVILLE’S BRAVEST
As a 30-year veteran of the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department (JFRD), I am currently a battalion chief and have served as the division chief of operations and Training under then-Mayor Alvin Brown.
“Folio” recently published an article I authored, “Nightmare on Blount Island.” It is a true account that details institutional betrayal, incompetence and a criminal cover-up.[i] The article vividly describes how the JFRD command staff recklessly sent unprepared firefighters into a massive ship, the Hoegh Xiamen, filled with over a 1,000 burning junk cars. They then triggered an explosion that seriously injured and nearly killed those same firefighters. These were clear acts of gross negligence.
As explained in my “Folio” article, I was inside the ship working with the firefighting crews when the fire conditions rapidly became out of control and beyond our ability to extinguish the fire. Due to the dramatic change in conditions, I evacuated the firefighters from the interior of the ship. I then recommended to the command staff that we keep all firefighters out of the Xiamen and move all equipment, vehicles and personnel farther away from the vessel due to possible structural collapse. The article detailed how JFRD’s senior commanders then ignored the obvious and dire warning signs of an out-ofcontrol ship fire and ordered the firefighters back into this superheated and explosive atmosphere. Despite any and all reasons, JFRD’s command staff improperly ventilated the ship, negligently providing the fire with a supply of fresh air and oxygen, which triggered the first explosion.
Yes, unbelievably, and contrary to all protocols for fire containment, the firefighters at the top of the ship, where the deck vents are located, were then ordered to continue adding more oxygen to the ship’s interior. These actions by the command staff caused the predictable second explosion, which seriously injured many firefighters. It was a miracle that none of JFRD’s bravest was killed.
As if the firefighters’ injuries weren’t enough, the betrayal of our firefighters by former JFRD Director Keith Powers and his executive staff continued to add insult to injury. Instead of honorably apologizing to the injured firefighters and their families for the flawed judgment of command, these high-ranking officials conspired to conceal their failures through witness tampering, false statements, and omissions of facts in official documents, which included the withholding and alteration of reports and witness statements.
It has been especially notable that neither the Mayor’s Office nor the JFRD’s Command Staff commented on, or in any way refuted, the evidence and testimony that I presented in the first “Nightmare on Blount Island” article. They did not deny that JFRD’s own Blount Island Shipboard Fire Investigative Report, nor the Incident Primary Report which included materially false and fraudulent statements. They also did not refute allegations of tampering with witnesses and withholding records, documents, and other evidence from state and federal agencies conducting the official investigation.
The table below summarizes the criminal acts involving the Xiamen ship fire disaster. It includes the criminal acts, the individuals who committed them, and the specific Florida State Statutes and U.S. Federal Codes that were violated. ACTIONS
Not training FFs to fight ship fires
Gross mistakes that caused the injuries to the firefighters
Ordering JFRD
Officers not to tell the truth and to alter official reports falsely.
Falsification and omissions in EPRO and JFRD Ship Fire Investigation Reports
JFRD did not implement the plan to correct non-compliant issues
Criminal negligence
COJ, JFRD, Fire Training Division
Gross negligence
Witness tampering Official misconduct
F.S.S.784.05
F.S.S. 633.520
JFRD, Chiefs Lesniak, Holsenbeck, and Lundy
Former Director Powers, Chiefs Hooten, Lesniak, and Riska. Randy Wyse
False Statements Act Official misconduct
Florida Fire Prevention and Control
JFRD, Former Director Powers, Chiefs Hooten and Lesniak, and Randy Wyse
COJ, JFRD, Former Director Powers, JFRD FTA Chief Kinstle
F.S.S. 768.72
F.S.S. 914.22
F.S.S. 838.022
18 U.S. Code 1512
Serious disregard for the safety of others, leading to foreseeable harm.
FFs could sue for actual and punitive damages.
Third Degree Felonies
F.S.S. 633.5341
F.S.S. 633.819
F.S.S. 838.022
18 U.S. Code 1001
F.S.S. 633.522
F.S.S. 633.526
Up to 5 years' imprisonment and/or fines.
Fines and civil penalties
I can somewhat understand why the Curry mayoral administration took no action in response to the Blount Island disaster. The only story they received about the reasons for the catastrophe had been fabricated by the very same people who had lied to investigators from the Florida State Fire Marshal, the Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board. But now that the truth has been told and meticulously documented without question, why aren’t the guilty JFRD officials being held accountable for state and federal felonies?
Since the article “Nightmare on Blount Island” was published, I have received numerous calls from firefighters seeking to draw attention to other unethical and criminal behaviors allegedly committed by some of our top officials. One call directly related to the ship fire cover-up came from Mark Rowley, a retired assistant chief of information services at JFRD.
Chief Rowley stated that Director Powers and Operations Chief Riska instructed him to gather the officers who responded to the ship fire at headquarters. Once at headquarters, they were ordered to alter their original fire reports, which had previously documented their actions and those of their crew. The reports were then edited using a pre-scripted narrative. Chief Rowley also noted that when Chief Ryan Lundy, the incident commander during the ship fire disaster, reported to headquarters, he was initially resistant and refused to revise his report. However, he later complied after receiving a direct order from Chief Riska through Director Powers.
To corroborate his account, Chief Rowley was able to show me three sets of reports.
• One set of reports is the original, unedited, as written by each JFRD Officer.
• A second set of reports was altered, and it identifies when changes were made and by whom. Notably, many of these reports included the incriminating phrase: “START OF COPY AND PASTE FROM CHIEF LESNIAK’S FORMAT.” The narrative that followed deliberately omitted critical details, including the initial strategic shift from defensive to the fateful shift back to offensive tactics, the extensive ventilation that triggered the first explosion, and the continued ventilation that led to the second explosion, which injured several firefighters. The falsified narrative concluded with the phrase: “END OF COPY AND PASTE FROM CHIEF LESNIAK’S FORMAT.”
• The third set of reports showed no signs of alteration, giving the impression that they were original and untouched. Chief Rowley stated that Chief Powers specifically instructed him to print and preserve this final version of each fire report in a way that concealed any changes. These were the reports ultimately submitted to the Coast Guard and other state and federal investigative agencies.
The only individual who made any attempt to dispute the veracity of the “Cover Up” was Randy Wyse. Wyse, a former Local JFRD union president, was one of the three members appointed to the Blount Island Ship Fire Committee by Director Keith Powers.
Ben Becker, an evening anchor and investigative reporter for Action News, asked Wyse why he and the JFRD had submitted reports that omitted 57 minutes of radio transmissions. This omission is crucial because it would have revealed the actions taken by the command staff that directly led to the injuries of the firefighters. Wyse’s explanation for the “missing 57 minutes” was that the information was missing due to “radio silence.” [ii]
Wyse’s explanation is truly absurd. After watching the interview, a chief from another local fire department sent me a message regarding Wyse’s statement. He texted, “Amazingly, you were at the first major fire that had 57 minutes of dead airtime.”
To understand the level of busy radio traffic that routinely occurs during any major fire, the following link provides access to a recent incident involving a fire in a parking garage at Jacksonville International Airport. I was the Incident Commander at this fire. I encourage you to listen to that fire and judge for yourself whether Wyse is telling the truth about the possibility of having 57 minutes of “dead airtime” at any major fire incident.
After his interview was aired on Action News, Wyse sent a text to Becker, stating, “No cover-up.” Wyse initially agreed to meet with Becker to defend his brief statement, but he failed to appear for the meeting and the interview. Although the Mayor’s Office did nothing to refute the truthfulness of my article or the statements regarding the “cover-up,” they did state that “the investigative agencies had recommended enhancements to current practices, which had been adopted.” [iii]
Surprisingly, only two of the four investigative agencies made recommendations to JFRD: the NTSB and the US Coast Guard. These agencies trusted and relied, to a significant degree, on the misleading information provided by the JFRD Investigative Committee; therefore, they failed to make any recommendations to the JFRD regarding “enhancements to current practices.”
Only the State Fire Marshall (SFM) and the JFRD’s own Blount Island Ship Fire Investigative Committee made any recommendations.
Florida State Statutes required JFRD to submit a plan for correcting noncompliance issues. [iv] The submitted JFRD plan was contained in the JFRD Investigative Committee’s report, which was given to the SFM. [v] Per Florida Statute 633.52, if the plan is not implemented, the fire service provider shall be subject to fines and civil penalties. [vi]
• JFRD’s Investigative Committee plan for correcting noncompliance issues included that “All firefighters should be trained to Shipboard Firefighter 1 and 2.” In a meeting with a captain at the JFRD Training Academy, he stated that of the JFRD’s 1,900 uniformed firefighters, only 143 firefighters (or 7.5%) have received Shipboard Firefighter 1 and 2 training since the ship fire disaster more than five years ago. JFRD’s own committee recommended 100%. Less than 8% versus 100% is an absolute and abject failure by anyone’s standards.
• The JFRD Committee also recommended that a Command, Control and Resource Class be created and delivered to all chiefs and officers. The class was neither created nor delivered.
• The plan recommended that a Tabletop Scenario for Complex Incidents be developed and delivered. This has not been done.
Additionally, it is notable that the current captain, who is stationed at and supervises the JFRD Blount Island Fire Station, has not received any land-based shipboard firefighting training. This is especially alarming since the JAXPORT Blount Island Marine Terminal has the highest concentration of shipping activity in the area.
In addition to the JFRD’s Committee plan for correcting noncompliance issues, the SFM made five recommendations. [viii]
The SFM’s primary recommendation was to provide and document specialized training as required for employees and supervisors on non-traditional fire suppression activities, and to ensure that training is conducted frequently enough to enable each firefighter to perform their assigned duties and functions satisfactorily and safely.
In my professional opinion, this is one of JFRD’s biggest failures in keeping our firefighters safe. JFRD’s deficiencies in shipboard firefighting are just the tip of the iceberg. Despite being a major metropolitan city, the majority of JFRD’s firefighters are also severely deficient in training for natural disasters, mass casualty incidents, train derailments and other non-traditional forms of fire suppression. And though inconceivable, our firefighters are also inadequately trained for traditional fire suppression emergencies. JFRD officers have received virtually no training in fighting fires in high-rise and apartment buildings, parking garages, and other types of structures. Our on-the-ground commanders, JFRD’s chiefs, have received very little training in tactics and strategy over the last 20 years.
The firefighters and citizens of Jacksonville deserve a fully-staffed JFRD Training Division with experienced and competent leadership. The JFRD Division of Training has not had a division chief in the last 10 years who had any prior experience with teaching or developing training programs before their mayoral appointment.
A major metropolitan fire department requires a highly experienced and accomplished training division chief to facilitate training and prepare personnel for the dangerous challenges they face while risking their lives to save citizens in harm’s way.
My “Folio” article “Nightmare on Blount Island” presented a case supported by documentation, interviews and other sources that outlines how several of JFRD’s highest-ranking officials violated state and federal laws in their effort to conceal mistakes that caused serious injury to our city’s firefighters. They should be held accountable under equal application of the law.
We need to accept the uncomfortable facts and take proactive steps. Our firefighters need comprehensive training and ethical leadership. They need a training division that will empower our firefighters to face tomorrow’s emergencies with confidence. The citizens of Jacksonville and the women and men of the JFRD, who risk everything to protect the citizens, deserve nothing less than a department that stands as a national model for excellence, integrity and readiness.
Let this be the time that decisive action supplants complacency and intentional cover-ups. The rule of law demands accountability for past criminal conduct from some of JFRD’s top officials. We have the rare opportunity to restore public trust and truly build a safer Jacksonville.
[i] Folio, Nightmare on Blount Island, 4/16/25, https://folioweekly.com/2025/04/15/nightmare-on-blount-island/
[ii] JFRD Was Not Prepared, Action News, ABC, 5/1/25, https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/local/jfrd-was-not-prepared-battalion-chief-breaks-silenceblount-island-cargo-ship-fire-injuries/G4S4MGFY4FCRHHUBJS3W2TC6EY/
[iii] Ibid
[iv] Fire Prevention and Control, Fl St 633.522, 2025
[v] Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, Blount Island Shipboard Fire Committee, Investigation and After Action Report, 10/11/20
[vi] Fire Prevention and Control, Fl St 633.526, 2025
[vii] Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, Blount Island Shipboard Fire Committee, Investigation and After Action Report, 10/11/20, 11
[viii] Florida Bureau of Fire Standards and Training Safety Section, Fatality/Injury Investigation Report, JFRD Hoegh Xiamen Shipboard Fire, 6/04/20, 4
TUESDAY, AUGUST 26 – SUNDAY, AUGUST 31
Friday, August 29, 7:05PM IN OUR SHRIMPY ERA
Calling all Swifties! Come support the Jumbo Shrimp while we only play swifty music! Perhaps the songs will be from her most popular “eras.” Be sure to stick around after the game for Friday Night Fireworks, presented by Big D Building Center. Additionally, enjoy Friday Night Lites with $2 12oz. Miller Lites, presented by Miller Lite.
Saturday, August 30, 6:35PM HONEY DRIPPERS WEEKEND
Join us as we play as the Jacksonville Honey Drippers in our colorful jerseys and caps! Be one of the first 2,000 fans to enter the Main Gate at the Baptist Health Centerfield Plaza and receive Honey Drippers Sublimated Shorts! Presented By VyStar Credit Union and 93.3 The Beat. Giveaways only available when entering at the Main Gate on Georgia St. Plus, enjoy a Saturday Night Fireworks show after the game, presented by VyStar Credit Union and Boeing.
Sunday, August 31, 6:35PM HONEY DRIPPERS WEEKEND
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 – SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 VS VS
It’s another Jacksonville Honey Drippers game, AND it’s Southpaw’s Birthday! Also, it’s Baptist Health Sunday Family FUNday, so head out to the center field gate where we will host catch on the field until 20 minutes after the gates have opened. Kids can also feel like the pros after each Sunday game by running the bases once the field is clear. Plus, face paint, balloon animals & more, presented by Baptist Health. TICKETS START AT JUST $5 $5
“Folio” recently received a tip from a local Fernandina Beach resident pertaining to a long list of complaints filed against Fernandina Beach Police Chief Jeffrey Tambasco, concerning acts of bullying, abuse of authority and workplace hostility. Since Tambasco’s appointment, the department has lost approximately 12 of its non-supervisory sworn officers in 24 months. But who is Tambasco? More importantly, why, despite the long list of complaints and evidence against Tambasco’s qualifications, was he appointed to this highly regarded position? Especially considering that then-City Manager Dale Martin, then-Police Chief James Hurley and the majority of the police union did not support the promotion of then-Deputy Chief Tambasco.
It begins with Fernandina Beach’s 2020 City Commission Election, when Bradley Bean was elected to City Commission Group 1 and David Sturges was elected to City Commission Group 2. From the jump, Sturges and Bean were vocal about their displeasure with Martin, claiming Group 3 City Commissioner Chip Ross had too much sway with him. Fast forward to Feb. 7, 2023, during the city commission regular meeting agenda, Sturges makes a motion to terminate Martin’s contract without cause. He reads a statement containing 10 reasons that brought him to that point. Of the 10 reasons, nearly half were based on events that happened during the prior city commission term. One of the most notable reasons Sturges brought up during his statement to terminate Martin was based on Martin’s handling of the police chief search. Sturges highly questioned why Deputy Chief Tambasco was not offered the position.
In response to Sturges’ list of reasons for termination, this is what Martin had to say, according to the “Fernandina Observer.”
“My plan was to announce the police chief at the next commission meeting... Our police union does not support Deputy Chief Tambasco. Our union has not offered an endorsement of Deputy Chief Tambasco. And I will let you weigh that. They were going to take a vote and were encouraged not to. So our union does not support the deputy chief. Chief Tambasco remains one of the five finalists, but our union does not support him. I personally reviewed 61 applications. I interviewed six candidates. It’s a difficult decision but I take pride in doing the right thing and I will hire the best candidate available for the City of Fernandina Beach.”
When the “Fernandina Observer” asked Commissioner Sturges why he felt he should have a role in the hiring of the police chief—despite the city charter stating it’s outside his responsibilities — he responded by email, “The city’s safety and security should be important to all high-minded citizens. All citizens are part of the process when it comes to good government.”
That said, according to a source who wishes to remain anonymous, Sturges’s uncle is a police officer with the Fernandina Beach department. Whether that relationship has anything to do with Sturges’ adamant behavior to promote Tambasco is unclear, but worth noting nonetheless.
On Feb. 21, 2023, Martin was terminated. The next day, former Police Chief Mark Foxworth stepped in as interim city manager and wasted no time appointing Tambasco as interim police chief with the intention that Chief Hurley would groom him as his successor. Foxworth claimed the police union is “neutral” on Tambasco — contradicting what Martin said during the Feb. 7 regular meeting before he was fired. Meanwhile, Hurley, who was interim chief while the search for a new police chief was underway, said he spoke with Greg Forhan, general counsel for the Coastal Florida Police Benevolent Association (PBA), before retiring on Feb. 1, 2023. “He told me directly that more than half of the union members were not in favor of Tambasco,” Hurley said.
On Oct. 16, 2023, Ty Ross was appointed city manager. Just three days later, he named Tambasco as the permanent police chief. Ten days after that, Ross was involved in a drunken bicycle incident — an incident Tambasco reportedly helped cover up. In fact, city officials weren’t even aware it had happened until a local reporter exposed it in a published article. Only two months after beginning his role as city manager, Ty Ross resigned.
Since Tambasco’s appointment, multiple reports have surfaced detailing internal conflict and a hostile work environment within the department.
He’s been accused of rewarding union members who backed him and sidelining those who didn’t. One source provided extensive documentation — public records, written complaints and exit interviews — that support the allegations.
In his Oct. 29, 2024, exit interview, former Fernandina Beach Police Officer Colby Sears alleged that Chief Tambasco created a hostile work environment, withheld professional opportunities and publicly humiliated him in front of colleagues.
Sears said he was initially given a chance to take the State of Florida Field Training Officer Course and the State of Florida General Instructor Course, but after only two days in the latter program, he was abruptly pulled from training. When he called Chief Tambasco to ask why, Sears recalled the chief telling him, “I have lost all faith in your decision making.”
“That statement,” Sears wrote, “really affected my morale and made me feel substandard about my job and the faith in my leadership.”
Sears also claimed that during a block training session, Chief Tambasco addressed rumors of officers leaving and said he supported their decisions — before turning to Sears and saying, “Except you, Sears, no one likes you.” The remark, according to Sears, was made in front of several officers, his immediate sergeant and lieutenant and multiple guest speakers. “This comment again affected my morale,” he said, “and made me feel like I wasn’t wanted within the agency by my own leadership.”
Sears alleged that other officers experienced similar treatment, saying he’d heard of employees being brought to tears by the way Chief Tambasco spoke to them. “He would always say he has an open-door policy,” Sears wrote, “but a majority of employees are too afraid to speak to him about issues due to the way he speaks to them.”
He also described an incident at the department’s 2023 awards banquet in which Commander Hepler allegedly told him, “You’re a dirtbag dad,” in front of several employees and his daughter. Sears called the comment “uncalled for and very hurtful.”
While Sears expressed appreciation for the community and many of his colleagues, he criticized the administration’s use of “managerial rights,” saying it was often applied arbitrarily. His top recommendation: a full overhaul of leadership. “Internal Affairs should investigate and either remove all of the administration and start fresh or put them on an employee improvement plan,” Sears wrote.
“I know there are several employees who are leaving due to the same issues resulting from toxic and poor leadership,” Sears concluded. “I have also heard several community members discuss how negative the administration is. This does not only look bad for the agency, but also its employees.”
In response to Sears’s exit letter, Tambasco issued an October 31, 2024 memorandum — obtained through public records — in which he refuted nearly all of Sears’s claims, offering his own experiences and recollection of events. He concluded his statement with the following quote.
“In conclusion, I sincerely believe that Colby Sears is a disgruntled employee who when being confronted with poor decision making, substandard productivity and a history of not being able to accept constructive criticism, refused to take ownership of his actions. On his last day, Colby Sears taped his ac -
ceptance letter from the Florida Highway Patrol to the white dry erase board in the Patrol Division Briefing Room. This is an example of his lack of maturity and anger towards our administration.”
In a Dec. 18, 2024, letter to human resources director Denise Matson, obtained by public records, Lt. Tracey J. Hamilton accused Fernandina Beach Police Chief Tambasco and members of his administration of creating a hostile workplace, abusing authority and retaliating against employees who speak out.
Hamilton, a 24-year veteran of the department, requested whistleblower protections, citing a “fear of retaliation” if she documented her concerns. She wrote that she had been called a “cancer” and an “internal terrorist” for criticizing the administration’s practices and treatment of employees.
In one September 2024 conversation, Hamilton said Commander Hepler agreed the department was toxic and told her the solution was to “weed out the cancers” before replacing the term with “assholes.” She also alleged Hepler bragged that with enough write-ups, an employee could be “documented out the door” — his euphemism for being fired.
Hamilton then detailed a string of incidents she believes were retaliatory.
According to Hamilton, Chief Tambasco refused to hear her full grievance and had already typed up a denial before their meeting began. During the session, she said, Tambasco became “rude” and “insulted” her, raising his voice and cutting her off when she tried to raise issues with Deputy Chief Bishop.
One of the most serious allegations involves an alleged order to alter an official crash report in 2024 after former Chief Foxworth, a friend of the driver, contacted Tambasco. Hamilton said she resisted the change, calling it “inappropriate” and “unethical,” but was pressured by Bishop, who told her, “I hate even dealing with you. You will do as you are told, or you will face the consequences.”
“I walk on eggshells every time I am at work, afraid of what’s coming at me next,” Hamilton wrote. “The past four years at the police department have been the most stressful time of my 24-year career.”
She concluded by warning that other employees had suffered similar treatment but remained silent out of fear, adding, “Once he reads this complaint, my employment (career) will be in jeopardy.”
These are just two instances out of many that we have received. Before becoming Police Chief with the Fernandina Beach Police Department, Tambasco spent 20 years with the Kissimmee PD. Yet, during the FBPD hiring process, he provided only two employee references from Kissimmee — and the Kissimmee chief never responded to the department’s reference request. If that alone didn’t raise a red flag, what about the 10 to 60 sexually suggestive emails he allegedly sent daily to three women within the agency? And if neither the lack of references nor the sexually charged emails set off alarms, surely his demotion to a civilian position within Kissimmee PD should have. Still, during the hiring process with FBPD, Tambasco claimed he honored his debts — also failing to mention that he was being sued in the Osceola Circuit Court for breach of contract.
On Feb. 13,
memorandum to Chief of Police Jeffrey O’Dell detailing 11 pages of grievances against Tambasco, accusing him of eroding morale, undermining his sergeants, and fabricating internal meetings, conversations and obtained information. Just four days after the letter was sent, Tambasco submitted his non-working notice of retirement with Kissimmee PD.
So the question still stands: How was Tambasco hired to be the FBPD Police Chief?
We reached out to current City Manager Sarah Campbell with the claims we obtained. As the city’s top administrator, is she aware of these issues, and if so, what action is she taking? Here’s her response.
“I have received information from some officers regarding leadership style, inconsistent application of discipline, and a negative workplace environment. Our steps have included: hosting a series of Listening Sessions with staff, both verbal and anonymous written responses were gathered; multiple meetings with members who don’t like the chief and those who do like the chief; phone calls with other agency heads and union liaisons, conversations with the chief directly; and implementation of an employee ombuds program.
All of the work we do as a city is transparent by law. All documentation can be provided at any time. Fairness comes down to following our Standard Operating Procedures and policies. One example of that is the promotion process. We use an outside, impartial group to make recommendations to the city.
I evaluate leadership based on performance, observation, conversations, data, and formal evaluations. The expectations for the Chief of Police are incredibly high. They are responsible for a large workforce and a particularly sensitive responsibility to the community. I do not believe those systems have failed. We are actively working to ensure that employees’ concerns are addressed. No grievances have been filed by any union members against the chief. In conversation with the union attorney, he has conveyed that we have a good leader in place. I have been with the city for nine months. My observations are ongoing, and I will continue to coach the chief, as I do with all of our department directors.
I would say that it is a city leadership issue now. When I need to dedicate my time towards a solution, then it is an issue that has my attention.”
When asked if, as city manager, she still has full confidence in Chief Tambasco’s ability to lead the department effectively and ethically, she noted, “Yes, at this time I do. Based on his responsiveness to the concerns of the employees and myself, based on his adaptability in response to concerns that have been raised, and based on feedback from other leaders and members of the city team. I will continue to discuss improvements to the department and evaluate his performance.”
We reached out to Tambasco to give him the opportunity to leave a comment on the subject. His response was this.
“I strongly encourage you to validate any information that you receive. I cannot comment on something without having the chance to review what you are referring to. What I can say is that I believe in cultivating a culture of professionalism, compassion and service.”
Multiple Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office cruisers swarmed a woman on 1-95 at the Trout River Bridge Wednesday afternoon after a wild high-speed chase straight out of a GTA mission. The chase kicked off around 2:30 p.m. in St. Johns County and didn’t stop until the woman, who apparently did think she was playing Grand Theft Auto — with a hammer as her choice of weapon — was finally boxed in by officers.
Words by Carmen Macri
JSO said the woman, in her 30s, was speeding and driving so recklessly she tried to run deputies off the road. Oh! And did I mention she was wielding a hammer out the window like some kind of vigilante demolition expert? Not exactly your everyday getaway driver.
The Florida Highway Patrol jumped in as the chase roared up I-95 through Southside and downtown Jacksonville, with the driver even attempting to ram police vehicles. She even clipped a civilian’s car on the Fuller Warren Bridge — thankfully, no one was hurt, but it’s safe to say she’s not winning any “good driver” awards.
In the end, the hammer-wielding vigilante was surrounded and arrested. Sorry, there are no cheat codes for this one.
Before the school year kicks off, students and parents gear up with the usual back-to-school shopping spree. You know, the essentials. Pens, pencils, notebooks, binders, folders, agendas… and cars? Wait, no, not cars. At least not stolen cars.
But apparently, 36-year-old William Hutchins didn’t get that memo. Just after midnight on July 16, he broke into a campus portable at Wolfson High School, swiped three sets of keys, and decided to take all three cars from the school’s driving track for a little pre-semester joyride.
Classes might not have been in session yet, but the surveillance cameras and JSO were still doing their homework. Footage quickly led officers to Hutchins, who is now short three cars and enjoying a very different kind of back-to-school experience… behind bars.
The living, breathing performing art culture in Northeast Florida had to hold its breath last year after unexpected funding cuts statewide took that breath away.
The Limelight Theatre in St. Augustine only had two months to make up for the $90,000 grant they were expected to receive after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed all state arts and culture funding, cutting all of the theater’s state funding. This meant 10% of the theater’s budget vanished just like that.
“We were really banking on and budgeting for that money,” said Limelight Theatre Executive Director Sherrie Provence.
“It came out of nowhere,” said Limelight Theatre Development and Marketing Director Mary Branton. “We had maybe two months’ notice.”
It wasn’t just Limelight that was affected by the cuts — organizations and nonprofit community theaters across Florida took the blow.
For The Limelight, the loss came at a particularly vulnerable time of year. In the fall, the theater pays royalties for its entire upcoming season — sometimes as much as $12,000 for a single show.
“That state grant comes exactly when those bills hit,” Provence explained. “When we found out we wouldn’t get it, it was devastating.”
A what-would-have-been beautifully orchestrated production of “The Miracle at Naples” had to be cut, the marketing budget was eliminated and the theater had no advertising for that year.
“We had a lean year,” Provence said. “Christmas time was tough because we had no income coming in.”
Instead, they had to do lots of in-house soliciting.
“It changed a lot of our day-to-day pitching. You know, every time we have a show we ask for help,” Provence said. “We let people know that funds have been cut, and we are in need of extra money.”
According to Frank Ricardo, a previous board member and current active volunteer working on playbills, business aspects of the nonprofit and handson help with crew for the shows, a theater asking for money is uncomfortable even in hard times.
“Fundraising is critical for community theater,” Ricardo said. “It’s not a pleasant thing for board members to do, but it’s necessary. I learned just how much money is needed and how hard it is to get. They’re working much harder now.”
Despite the discomfort, the floodgates of support opened wide for The Limelight.
Donations large and small poured in once the solicitations began, including one generous donation at Christmas that kept the theater afloat until the next show opened.
“That’s not normal,” Provence said. “Those are angels in our community.”
One of those who helped the theater during the time of the cuts is Riccardo, whose connection to The Limelight began 15 years ago when a friend invited him to perform in a celebrity cabaret. “I watched my friend perform in a coconut bra and a hula skirt,” Riccardo said.
Eventually, watching that performance led to a board invitation and a deepening commitment to community theater in the area.
Riccardo commends the growth of The Limelight in the last year, not to the funding cuts, but to the leadership of its director.
“I think it’s a reflection of Sherrie’s leadership,” Riccardo said. “What they are receiving is a better quality of show.”
Riccardo said the work and culture Provence leads her team with is one of the driving factors in the theater’s success. How the Grant Works
This year, The Limelight’s state funding was fully restored, and they didn’t just meet the threshold for funding — they exceeded it. Under new guidelines, only art organizations scoring 95 or higher on their grant application received funding; The Limelight scored 97.
Unfortunately for many organizations, this bump to achieve a 95 or higher meant that most organizations would not be receiving any funding, according to Branton.
Branton, who writes The Limelight’s grants, credits that success to the work of the theater but also following the grant’s rubric to a T.
“You have to say a lot in a very little amount of space and explain exactly what the funding will go toward,” she said.
Where the grant goes into detail about their main three goals and how the grant money will be utilized, it’s clear the community is happy with what they are receiving from The Limelight.
“We’re telling stories that are changing people’s lives,” said Provence. “We can bring hope through a story or help a person feel seen or represented through telling a story about their culture or something that really hits hard. Even through our education program, we’ve had parents tell us, this education program saved my kid’s life.”
Because of the funding from the state and their local donors, it’s the only way they can continue to serve the community.
“This funding allows us to continue telling stories that matter,” Provence said. “Stories that bring hope, make people feel seen, and represent cultures and experiences that deserve to be on stage.”
For Provence, the restored funding is about more than financial relief. “We don’t exist to make money,” she said. “We’re a service to the community.”
She believes theater is essential. “The arts are often seen as a luxury, but we believe they’re an essential value,” she said. “We can bring joy, hope and escape — and sometimes, that’s exactly what people need for their mental well-being.”
The Limelight Theatre’’s 2025-26 season, A Season of Faith, will explore resilience, belief and hope. A “Let There Be Lime Light” gala is set for Oct. 10.
Looking back on 2024, Provence says the hardship forged stronger bonds. “The people who stepped up to help didn’t just keep our lights on — they became part of our story.”
And stepping up doesn’t just come from the bank.
“When you really want to do something, you get involved,” said Riccardo. “Volunteers… that’s gold.”
Words by Za’Nya Davis
Using storage units for housing is illegal in many states, yet it is an experience many Americans have faced. According to a 2025 survey by Storage Units, one in five Americans have slept in a storage unit with 36% of Americans reporting having stayed in a storage unit due to homelessness. Some even reported having spent days, weeks and even longer. This survey also revealed that about 84% of Americans would consider staying in a storage unit should they become unexpectedly unhoused. The results of this survey create questions about where public opinion, corporate policy and reality all collide. What really happens when someone is discovered living in a storage unit?
According to Jeremiah Hodge, operations manager of a local Atlantic Self Storage location, the use of storage units for housing is not permitted and stated that their staff monitor for unauthorized habitation through 24-hour surveillance as well as consistent walkthroughs of the units. “If we ever discover someone attempting to live in a unit, we respond immediately… and work to connect the individual with proper community resources,” Hodge said. Due to renters having access to their units at all hours, Hodge states it makes it easier to prevent this as regulars will report unusual activity for their staff to investigate. “It is devastating when anyone faces housing insecurity to the point of considering living in a storage unit, but a storage unit is not an appropriate or legal living environment.” Hodge stated.
But what are these “community resources” Hodge mentioned? It often is the support of a local social service agency. This is where the matter of perspective and procedure changes as the responsibility shifts and protocol changes. Sitting down with Alexis Snider, a former case manager with Jacksonville Mental Health Resource Center, she was able to shed light on the role agencies play when they are called by the staff of storage units. “It would be common for owners of storage units to call MHRC and ask us to move said individuals,” Snider said, “Depending on the circumstances (circumstances would include, health, vulnerability, availability in shelters, mental status) we would physically pick them up in a company vehicle and transport them to a temporary shelter.”
Snider discussed having experienced multiple people living in their storage unit and the reasons always varied. “The common circumstances that led individuals to live in storage units included financial strain, fleeing domestic violence, mental health/disability, substance abuse.”
Snider said. The urgent issue during these circumstances was to meet these individuals’ most crucial needs. “Assistance and resources we would provide for people living in storage units included temporary shelter (if space was available), if not already enrolled getting them SNAP benefits (EBT card), clothes, shower, food and getting them in touch with organizations in the Jacksonville area to help assist with their specific barriers in getting them stable housing.” Snider said. Though staff of various storage unit facilities were willing to collaborate with MHRC, sometimes, their collaboration and cooperation were often dependent upon if immediate action could be taken or not.
Snider discussed what she has seen to be the common reason for storage unit habitation.
“ One major issue is the lack of affordable housing. In many cities, the cost of rent has far outpaced wages, leaving low-income individuals and families without safe, legal housing options. Wage stagnation, combined with rising living costs, has forced some to seek shelter in unconventional and unsafe places like storage units.”
It is now a reality that many Americans are willing to bend rules and risk their safety to seek shelter in a storage unit. This is the greatest example of how severe the nation’s housing crisis has become. Rent and housing prices continue to increase, paired with stagnant income. All this has created desperate times for Americans, resulting in desperate measures. For those without savings or the support of their family, a storage unit can seem like one’s only hope. Storage unit facilities are left to navigate morality and legality. Storage unit facilities like Atlantic Self Storage remain firm in the prohibition of using their facilities for housing. “We care deeply about our community…” Hodge expressed. “For health, safety, and legal reasons, Atlantic Self Storage strictly prohibits anyone from residing in our units or on our property.”
As housing continues to become financially out of reach for many, the question surfaces: How can we create safe and legal options for before desperation pushes people to pursue less safe options?
CARMEN: I’ll start by admitting my first mistake — I set my expectations way too high. That’s on me. I’m adult enough to own it. But I’m also adult enough to admit we sat in that comedy club for four hours, clinging to the hope it would get better. It didn’t. And we didn’t even have to do that. The first show ended at 8:30… We could have (and should have) left after that, but we had hope that the 21+ show would be better… it wasn’t.
AMBAR: This 21+ event wasn’t their regular adults-only comedy show. It was their quarterly dubious advice. In this show, a random panel of non-comedians is brought on stage. The panel of, and I can’t stress this enough, non-comedians, gives advice to audience members on personal struggles and situations. The comedians then come in and put together a skit based on the panel’s advice.
The girls go to a comedy show
AMBAR: I guess we should start from the beginning. It was a Friday night, and we decided that instead of going about our regular rotation (going to Pete’s), we would try something new. Why was that something new a comedy show? I couldn’t tell you. Maybe we were deprived of laughter, or maybe we thought it would be fun to torture ourselves with awkward audiences.
CARMEN: So, we left Ambar in charge of buying the tickets, another mistake, because she bought us tickets to the family-friendly main event. We walked through the doors and were met with a handful of loud youngsters, and internally rolled our eyes. Not that children shouldn’t be able to enjoy a fun comedy show, it just wasn’t what we had in mind, and like I said, Ambar bought the tickets and failed to read the fine print.
AMBAR: Being put in charge and taking initiative are two different things. I did the latter. Now that’s not to say that I’m good at taking initiative. I’m definitely the go with the flow type of gal, so when I was buying the tickets, I panicked and bought the first thing I saw. It did say “Main Event” after all. Now, did I read the fine print? Yes. Did I not mention that there were two events that night, one of them being the 21+ event? Also yes. But once again, I’m getting ahead of myself.
CARMEN: It is also worth noting that the panel of NON-COMEDIANS did NOT want to be heckled by the crowd. As in, the crowd could not come up with fake scenarios they hypothetically needed advice for. Like, oh, I don’t know, how to tell your dad you are sleeping with his brother’s son (cousin). That is on the list of things they will not offer advice for.
We tried to stick it out. Surely it would get funnier the more the audience got comfortable. Unfortunately, the questions got more and more boring, and the advice was even worse. The comedians did the best they could with what they were given.
Half the show was the crowd lobbing the dullest questions imaginable, and the panel responding with advice so unfunny it felt intentional. The rest was left to the comedians who, as Ambar put it, did the best they could. It didn’t take long to realize our table of four was, objectively, the funniest act in the room. Our only real laughs came from silently heckling the panel — and maybe from the conspiracy theory we cooked up that the question-askers were plants because somehow our raised hands were invisible all night.
CARMEN: The main event show was funny. I will give them that. It was what we expected after realizing it was for all ages, but even then, it was funny. I had a few giggles, and the comedians did great crowd work, especially being that half the crowd was little kids yelling out the first thing they could think of. Still, we were enjoying ourselves the whole way through. That is why we decided to stick it out to the 21+ show. Because if the kiddie show was that entertaining, surely the adult-only show had to be funnier. We were so very wrong.
AMBAR: In short, we spent four hours at a comedy club.
Solve this puzzle like a regular sudoku, but instead of using numbers, use the letters
(for the Jaguars’ new head coach, Liam Coen) to fill each row, column and box.
