Follow us on

Where Jacksonville Listens Live for Severe Weather and Breaking News

recent on-air advertisers

Now Playing

News/Talk Radio, WOKV
Where Jacksonville Listens ...

Morning News Recap

Posted: 4:52 a.m. Monday, May 16, 2011

5/16: Mayor's race is anyone's guess 

By Rich Jones

Less humid and cooler air settles in to start the week.  Temps barely reaching the 80's with comfortable night-time temps in the 50's.  But we warm up through the week, with Friday's high approaching 90. 

The low humidity and strong winds have us at an elevated fire danger this afternoon.  The Okefenokee swamp fire continues to burn, it's now more than 120-thousand acres. There are 22 active wildfires in Florida.

The need for assistance continues to grow along the swollen Mississippi River.  Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal is asking FEMA to expand the flood assistance. People are being told to get out of low-lying areas as water gushing from a floodgate for the first time in four decades creeps closer to Cajun communities.

You Decide 2011:  Early voting ends with a surge of activity in the final weekend.  The final count is up by 48% over the March election, and the turnout was about even between Democrats and Republicans.  More than 6,000 votes were from independents and no party affiliation.  Hear Supervisor of elections Jerry Holland explain who has the early edge.  Hear Adam Kirk explain how the March results could be duplicated this time around.

You Decide 2012:  Mike Huckabee says no to a run for the White House. He says now is not the right time.  It opens the field a bit for names like Newt Gingrich, who appeared on Meet the Press Sunday to make his case.  Tim Pawlenty is in Iowa, but still not saying whether he's going to run. 

A woman riding in a powered wheelchair on the Westside is hit and killed this weekend.  The pickup truck was driving southbound on Lambing when it hit the woman as she was going northbound. 

A gruesome discovery on the Westside. A couple out for a walk find a man's body lying in a watery ditch.  Cops believe the body had been there several days. 

Space shuttle Endeavour is all fueled up for a morning liftoff.  Launch time is 8:56 a.m. for NASA's next-to-last shuttle flight.  Hear it live on WOKV.  Commanding Endeavour's final voyage is astronaut Mark Kelly.  He's married to wounded Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle  Giffords.  She's at Kennedy Space Center for the launch.

K.J. Choi wins the Players Championship on the first playoff hole.  He benefitted from a heart-wrenching three putt by David Toms. 

Our Top National Story:  The White House did a wekend shift on energy issues.  With Republicans moving bills to open up more drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, the White House is speeding up new sales of drilling leases there, and in Alaska.   Hear Jamie Dupree explain that the President also wants a seismic review of what oil and gas resources might lie off the coast in Florida and other Atlantic states. 

Another batch of health care waivers issued by the feds.  It's now more than 13-hundred companies that will be allowed to ignore a phase out of limits in insurance benefit payouts for one year.  Hear Jamie Dupree explain a lot of the companies come from the hometown of Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi.  Read the entire list in Jamie Dupree's blog on WOKV.COM.   

A Miami imam and two of his sons are due in court on charges they helped support the Pakistani Taliban. The trio is accused of funnelling about $50,000 to promote the terrorist organization.

The New York City hotel maid who says she was sexually assaulted by the head of the International Monetary Fund in his hotel room has picked him out of a police lineup.  The arraignment for Dominique Strauss-Kahn is expected today.  One of Strauss-Kahn's lawyers says their client denies any wrongdoing, and intends to vigorously defend the charges.

Senator John Kerry is in Pakistan where he got an earful about the Osama bin Laden raid from Islamabad's  powerful army chief. But Kerry is expected to have some serious words for Pakistan's leaders today. Kerry made it clear to reporters in Afghanistan that patience is running thin in Washington over suspicions that Pakistan aids militant groups.

Rahm Emanuel will soon be sworn in as Chicago's first new mayor in two decades.  Vice President Joe Biden is expected to attend this morning's inauguration ceremony.

 
 
 

© 2013 Cox Media Group. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad ChoicesAdChoices.