Northeast Florida police switch off Flock cameras
Plus a January date at JAX and December dates in the woods.
Good Thursday. A few Jacksonville clocks started ticking this week, and a couple of dates are worth writing down before the weekend gets away from you.
Jacksonville, Nassau and Clay law-enforcement agencies have stopped using Flock license-plate readers after the Florida Department of Transportation revoked permits for the roadside cameras.
FDOT ordered every camera removed within 30 days and said the state would remove any equipment left after the deadline. Putnam County said its 18 cameras would be disconnected immediately and taken down within that window.
Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters called the technology valuable for investigations but said discontinuing it was appropriate after the state decision and community concerns. The immediate change is clear: the readers are offline, and their physical removal now has a state clock.
JAX expects to open Concourse B on Jan. 28
Jacksonville International Airport expects to open its new six-gate Concourse B on January 28. A ribbon-cutting is planned for the day before, and American Airlines is expected to operate the first flights from the addition.
The Jacksonville Aviation Authority expects the city to issue a certificate of occupancy on December 30 after required inspections are complete. That leaves nearly four weeks for new concourse vendors to set up before the Jan. 27 ceremony.
For frequent JAX travelers, the practical date is Jan. 28: that is when the new gates are scheduled to enter passenger service.
The Armada's downtown stadium deal is in limbo
The Jacksonville Armada's $80 million downtown stadium plan is in limbo because a connected team transaction still lacks league approval.
The deal has two parts: current owner Robert Palmer would sell the team to an investor group that includes Steve Campione, and MLS Next Pro must approve that transaction. The league's sign-off is the missing piece.
The club has said operations could cease on September 4 if the approvals do not move forward. That turns a vague stadium delay into an immediate deadline for Jacksonville soccer supporters: the stadium plan and the team's operating future are now tied to the same unresolved approval.
Saturday Sounds returns to Friendship Fountain
Saturday Sounds at the Fountain runs September 5 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Friendship Fountain, 1015 Museum Circle. Admission is free.
The weekly series pairs rotating local musicians with food trucks, the Fountain Bar and the downtown fountain show. This weekend is part of the regular Saturday lineup; second Saturdays shift to jazz, while the final Saturday of each month becomes a silent disco.
For this Saturday, the useful details are simple: arrive at the fountain after 6, bring money if you want food or drinks, and expect the music to run until 9.
Project Leo would put search devices in sheriffs' hands
After two children with autism drowned in Jacksonville retention ponds in August, attention has turned to Project Leo, a statewide program for people with special needs who are at risk of wandering.
The legislation routes personal search-and-rescue devices through participating autism centers and county sheriffs. Local centers would set eligibility criteria based on elopement risk, and participation would be voluntary and free.
The measure includes $1 million for devices in the 2026-27 budget year, divided among four university centers. For Jacksonville families, the important implementation questions are whether the local center and sheriff participate, and how enrollment will work.
The state bear hunt grows, and it comes close to home
Florida is expanding its bear hunt to as many as 215 permits, up from 172 last year. The public application window for 193 permits runs September 11-21, with a $5 entry fee. Another 22 permits are reserved for qualifying large private landowners.
The public hunt runs December 5-27 across four zones that include Baker, Clay, Putnam and St. Johns counties. Applicants who are drawn pay $100 for a Florida-resident permit or $300 as a nonresident.
The application dates arrive first, so anyone planning to enter has just ten days this month to submit a bid.