Formerly Fuscillo (or Fuccillo) Nissan

I was looking for a deal on a synthetic oil change, and I'd used the Money Pages magazine for such a deal before with Southside Kia, when I came across an even better price at Nissan of Orange Park. When I looked at the ad a little closer, I saw the phrase, "Formerly Fuscillo Nissan," which got me to wondering what happened to the Fuccillo business, and whether it was Fuccillo (like the other dealerships in Florida) or Fuscillo (like the ad says).

Guide to Running a Hurricane Newscast

Before I begin this article, I want to state that I am grateful that Hurricane Dorian missed Jacksonville, and I am also very aware that the storm's destruction was catastrophic for some. This article is not about trivializing a hurricane. It's more about trying to fill air time when the hurricane shows up and is just a wind storm in your area.

The only torture worse than waiting for a hurricane to hit is watching hours of news leading up to the event. And then hours of news people trying to make a small, off-shore hurricane seem like something else in order to keep viewers tuned in. The news channels know a lot of people are watching, so the show must go on, and on, and on. The stars are the weather people, but you need the anchors to provide words such as "devastating" to describe storm potential, as well as general assignment reporters stationed at important spots in order to monitor that which needs no actual monitoring.

There Was a Time When St. Augustine Stole The Biltmore Ads

There was a time when I saw an ad for St. Augustine, Florida. It was a simpler time, when none of the other ads were about politicians of ill repute. But it seemed to be a time when St. Augustine had decided to infringe upon the terminology associated with Biltmore. It was last year on local TV.

One Giant Leap for Local Teachers

Florida teachers should be riding the 50th Anniversary of the space program fervor. Space travel is pretty cool, whether it happened a half-century ago or last week. Kids are interested in us going back to the moon and even to Mars. Good teachers use interest and enthusiasm to help teach kids, so take that giant leap, whether you're teaching elementary school, middle school, or high school.

Arielle Nixon Leaves Action News Jax

New Jax Witty has gotten a lot of hits recently that include the name Arielle Nixon and the term Action News Jax. That's because she has not been on the TV screen for some time. And there's a new blonde in her place. What's weird, though, is that there was never the normal farewell (not that I saw or read), even though it's apparent she's gone. (Spoiler Alert - I found out as I was writing this, so skip to the quote below if you don't want to read my whole post).

Famous YouTubers From Jax

The sun. The sand. The outdoor living. Shirtless guys stealing stuff. Jacksonville should be a great place to create YouTube videos and become a famous YouTuber. That's what my kids want out of life, and it's been accomplished by one couple from the area, but the content might surprise you.

FBI Most Wanted in Jacksonville

It's not all that surprising that a man on FBI's Top 10 Most Wanted has been through Jacksonville. We're on I-95, and that makes our city a pit stop for criminals traveling up and down the East Coast. Even though there's no definitive evidence the man in the photo is in Jacksonville right now, it's probably a good idea to get his photo out there because he's been here before.

Getting The Constitution Back Into The Classroom

Originally written during Florida Primary Season 2018.

Political ads. Am I right? I can't keep track of who's endorsed which candidate. And I don't care all that much. I'd like to vote for any candidate worth less than a million dollars, but I'm not sure there are any available. Even if I voted for Mickey Mouse, I'd be voting for a Florida millionaire.

And Then Blackfinn Ameripub Packer Bar Closes

It looks like the best Packer bar in Jacksonville is no longer with us, and it seems to be more about the company than the Packers. From what I can tell, Blackfinn Ameripub has closed its Brookfield, WI, location, as well as one in Clinton Township. Both of those closings were during the summer of 2018, so the company is probably closing down operations all across the board.

Profiles in Courage: Corey Simma

I saw Corey's first weather broadcast back in December of 2017. He seemed to be just a little nervous, but I couldn't blame him for that. I would have been nervous, too, moving from Amarillo, TX, (ranked 131 in market size) to Jax and our ranking of 42. Sure, it's just a studio with a few cameras, but all those people watching probably gets heavy. Even on a weekend evening.

Same Birthday and Football Team = Happy Action Fun Time

I was watching Paternity Court, which is bad enough, but then the woman who was trying to prove the man in court was the man who made her a mommy said that she liked him because they shared a birthday and a favorite football team. Honestly, that might be enough for some people. Here's why it's not.

Here's Why People Don't Invite News Crews Into Homes

I've seen a lot of people who tell news reporters to leave them alone, and many others who won't show their faces in interviews. Sometimes, I think it's silly, especially if you were just being interviewed about some random crime in the Walmart parking lot. Then again, there might be a time when you should have remained anonymous, like when you invite the news crew into your home to check out the mold in your bathroom.

A Victim Speaking Spanish Makes An Investigation Complicated?

Someone was shot in the Sans Souci area of Jacksonville. I don't know if that's normal or not. What surprised me about the story was that the news said the police investigation was complicated because the victim did not speak English. It was called a challenge hurting the investigation, as well the police saying the investigation is "difficult because the victim does not speak English."

So DJ Easy E Made Up Duuuval Chant, But Did He Make Up His Name?

It's pretty bold to claim you coined a phrase, especially one that has suddenly become more popular because the Jags have figured out how to win some games. I'm not sure how many people would reach out to the local news in order to take credit for taking something others were already saying, but that's cool. I'll go ahead and take credit for 9-ohhh-fohhhhh right now.

Apparently, Artesians Helped Build The Navy's Newest Ship

I'm not sure who Artesians are, but they played a role in building the newest ship that will be stationed at Mayport. Perhaps they are people from Artesia, California. It's a town in southern Los Angeles county of about 17,000 people. However, there is no shipyard in Artesia. Artesia, New Mexico, also does not build ships, but the oil and gas industry is big there, and the USS Little Rock probably uses a lot of fuel.

Pit Sisters: Really?

I've made my argument against pit bulls. I don't like the dogs, and I don't like them living near me. Kind of like alligators. And just like I would not really want to see an alligator center that rehabilitates and releases gators, an organization that rehabs pit bulls that have actually been in fights seems like a bad idea.

Democracy Dies In Darkness at Jacksonville.com

I read a lot of news online. I'm not unique, either. People are always reading their news feeds for weather, traffic, sports, and other interests. I'd like to know the local news, too, especially since I'm trying to write about my experiences here. The problem is that Jacksonville.com wants me to answer a survey of six or fewer questions. Therefore, I won't read the article.

Jacksonville Actors and Actresses, Let's Help Each Other

I'm always trying to come up with new ways to sell my stories. I've written two movies, a musical play, and I'm still working on a novel. Maybe I'll never make it big, but I do know that connections help. I've looked into the local Jax writing and film scene on Meetup, and I've come up fairly empty so far, so I figured I'd put this post out there.

Vocal Minorities And Newscasts

I found this cool book about human psychology that talked about vocal minorities. The authors argued that fringe groups were able to get heard and get changes made because they were basically loud, which made people in the center (politically) believe those groups were an important part of decision-making. Recent events at UNF have once again proved this theory.

Boom Goes The Dynamite: Why Bad Newscasts Are Fun

I'm not going to call out anyone specifically in Jacksonville. I know one newscaster I watch misspeaks more than any mainstream newscaster I've seen, but I grew up in Milwaukee's market, ranked #35, and then moved to KC, ranked #33. Jacksonville just broke into the top 50, so it makes sense that the newscasters would be more like I would have seen while traveling to places like Norfolk, Harrisburg, Grand Rapids, Birmingham, Greensboro, Albuquerque, Louisville, New Orleans, or Memphis. Newscasters who were dynamic and precise went to bigger markets from Milwaukee. It's a minor league kind of thing, with the stars often leaving markets like MKE for Chicago.