Sea turtle nesting faces challenges

Tuesday, March 26th, 2013, 6:45am

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - As sea turtles nest on Florida beaches, experts say they are facing some challenges from the aftereffects of Hurricane Sandy and Tropical Storm Debby.

Dr. Robbin Trindell is responsible for sea turtle management at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. She says the storms altered many Florida beaches where sea turtles nest, and changes in the coastal landscape can make it difficult for sea turtles to successfully lay their eggs and produce hatchlings.

The wildlife commission reminds beachgoers that it's illegal to disturb sea turtles, their nests or hatchlings. The loggerhead is a federally threatened species, while the leatherback and green turtle are federally endangered.

Marine turtle nesting season began in March, from Brevard through Broward counties. May first marks the official start in other coastal counties.

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Ending the 'R' word in Florida

Submitted by Ken Amaro, Ken Amaro, Community Reporter

Wednesday, March 20th, 2013, 6:57pm

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Mora Rossi, 25, has down syndrome and hates the 'R' word.

"People get pushed around a lot because they're different," she said.

Rossi, who completed high school and a transition program at UNF, said her disability does not define her.

"I don't think as myself as a person hearing the 'R' word," said Rossi, "I think of myself as a person who want to change the world."

She wants the word retardation replaced with the phrase 'intellectual disability'.

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Baseballs falling on home 'sounds like a bomb'

Submitted by FirstCoastNews Web Staff

Tuesday, March 19th, 2013, 8:14pm

ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. -- Imagine having baseballs flying into your home, your yard and almost hitting you. An Atlantic Beach woman said it's happening in her neighborhood and it's been that way for years.

Atlantic Beach is home for Iris Newkirk.

"Oh, I love the neighborhood," she said with a smile.

But from over the fence at Mayport Middle School's baseball field right next door, problems sometimes pop up and fly over.

"For the last 25 years, the balls have been coming in my yard," Newkirk said.

They also hit the roof.

"It sounds like a bomb," she said as she described what the sound was like.

Over the years, there were many baseballs.

"It could be about over 1,000, 2,000 balls," she said.

She began collecting them two years ago.

"It's 60 balls in there and that's a lot and it's going to take just one to hit me or my grandchild," she said. "And it's going to be worse."

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Police find meth lab in storage unit

Submitted by FirstCoastNews Web Staff

Tuesday, March 19th, 2013, 11:18am

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A bomb squad with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office responded to a methamphetamine lab at storage facility on Mayport Road.

Management at the Pan-Am storage complex called police around 8 a.m. Tuesday due to a suspicious person sleeping in a storage unit, according to Atlantic Beach Police Department Commander Tiffany Layson.

Sleeping in a storage facility is not allowed at Pan-Am according to Layson.

Further investigation by police allegedly uncovered components of a meth lab inside the storage unit where the man was accused of sleeping, Layton stated.

Several homes behind the storage facility were evacuated as a precaution.

A suspect with a history of trouble with the law is in custody on an outstanding warrant. More charges are expected to follow.

The Atlantic Beach Police Department, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and Jacksonville Fire Rescue responded to the scene.

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From 0-100 in a second: Jet dragster on display

Submitted by Lewis Turner, Reporter, Meteorologist FCN

Monday, March 18th, 2013, 5:34pm

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- By day, Elaine Larsen runs her own motor sports company.

But she really lights it up when the sun sets.

"My nighttime job: I'm a jet dragster driver."

She's one of only four women who race these machines.

"This is kinda like a top fuel dragster on steroids," she said.

Put very simply, it's a car with a jet engine strapped to its back.

"Came out of a T-2 Buckeye, which is a fighter trainer," she said.

Her car's engine literally came out of a jet plane.

It can go from a standstill to 100 mph in one second.

"You pull 5Gs on the launch, so it throws you to the back of the seat."

She says the fastest she's ever gone in her quarter mile races is 336 mph.

And you can see her race this weekend at the Daytona Spring Turkey Run.

Among the classic cars and displays at the Daytona International Speedway, Larsen will be there showing off her jet dragsters.

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Atlantic Beach pub flies Irish flag

Submitted by FirstCoastNews Web Staff

Sunday, March 17th, 2013, 9:58pm

ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. -- An Atlantic Beach Irish pub celebrated St. Patrick's Day in style by flying the Irish flag.

The owners of Culhane's Irish pub, the four Culhane sisters, were especially happy Sunday because this seemly routine activity was almost done away with earlier this month.

The Culhanes told First Coast News the flag has flown for the past 8 years, but recently they were cited by the city of Atlantic Beach for violating an ordinance against flying the flag. The city gave the Irish pub special permission to fly it for St. Patrick's Day: however, the flag has to come down Monday.

Atlantic Beach is working on rewriting the ordinance to allow the pub to fly the flag permanently, but that probably won't be finalized until May.

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Firefighters: 10-acre brush fire contained

Submitted by FirstCoastNews Web Staff

Saturday, March 16th, 2013, 7:36pm

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Crews from the Jacksonville Fire Department have contained a large brush fire that occurred in a wooded area between San Pablo Road and San Pablo Road South.

Firefighters say the blaze has consumed approximately 10-acres, but no homes were in danger and no injuries have been reported.

Crews have been able to contain the fire on three sides, according to Annaleasa Winter, Florida Forest Service public information officer.

At this time the firefighters say they do not know what caused the fire.

Gene Sparks, a homeless man, told First Coast News that there was a homeless camp in the woods. He statement there was an argument among the men in the camp. Sparks said he saw one of the men put a lighter to the woods "out of spite".

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