Good morning Jacksonville! Your connection to what's happening around town is here. Take a sip of coffee and read on. ☀️
In today's newsletter:
Also on today's calendar: Live Music from Dennis Miller at Top Dawg Tavern! and 9 more events.
Today's riddle: What is the difference between a jeweler and a jailer? 🤔 (Answer below!)
1. Inaugural James Weldon Johnson Literacy Walk-A-Thon scheduled for October 10 (actionnewsjax.com) — Jacksonville residents are invited to a new James Weldon Johnson Literacy Walk-A-Thon on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, at Andrew Jackson High School in the Urban Core. The one-mile walk promotes literacy, health, and community pride while honoring Johnson's legacy, with individual, youth, team registrations and sponsorships now open for locals, schools, churches, and civic groups.
2. Eight years after the Jacksonville Landing shooting, Riverfront Plaza has officially replaced the city's landmark (firstcoastnews.com) — Downtown Jacksonville's Riverfront Plaza now fully occupies the former Jacksonville Landing site, opening for the first time on the shooting's August 26 anniversary. The city is planning a second phase with a café, beer garden, fountain, and possible memorial plaque, while former Landing tenants reflect on how the tragedy reshaped security and memories of the riverfront.
3. Day after Dolly dies, Life Flight Jacksonville gets special winged visit to copter it named 'Dolly' (actionnewsjax.com) — A Life Flight Jacksonville crew had an unusual moment the day they named their air ambulance "Dolly" in honor of Dolly Parton, who died Tuesday. Within hours, a red‑tailed hawk perched on the helicopter's rotor, prompting staff to share the "magical" visit with followers and reflect on the lifesaving work they do across Jacksonville-area hospitals.
4. 'Never forget': Jacksonville honors Dollar General shooting victims three years later (firstcoastnews.com) — Jacksonville community members, faith leaders, and officials gathered at Kings Road Memorial Park to honor three victims and survivors of the racially motivated Dollar General shooting three years later. Speakers shared memories, acknowledged ongoing trauma, and emphasized unity against hate, with organizers planning to hold this remembrance in Jacksonville each year to keep the victims' names alive.
5. Jacksonville NAACP Earns Top National Honors (jacksonvillefreepress.com) — Jacksonville's NAACP branch just earned one of the organization's top national awards for its civil rights advocacy, organizing and community education. The branch's free monthly "Ask A Lawyer" clinic and member Joseph Maceo George's longtime labor and civil rights work were spotlighted, underscoring how local volunteers are gaining national recognition for serving Jacksonville residents.
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Ok Jacksonville! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: A jeweler sells watches and a jailer watches cells. (Thank you Jean D. for sending it in!)
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