“Call ahead” option could be coming to Duval Tax Collector’s branches

Jacksonville, FL - With the goal of improving your access and experience, the Duval County Tax Collector’s Office is looking to roll out a new system that would let you get in line at a branch by signing up online or through an app.

The program is for people who weren’t able to get an appointment for a certain day, but want to still try to get their needs addressed. They would be able to look on the Tax Collector’s website or through an app that’s not yet available, to see how long the wait is at any of the nine branches. Customers would then be able to sign in, virtually.

“You’ll be able to get in line, and wait at the office, at home, wherever it is that you are, until it’s time to come to visit us,” says Chief Deputy Tax Collector Sherry Hall.

By allowing people to virtually get in line, Hall says the need for customers to spend a long time waiting around the branch is eliminated. Instead, they can go to nearby shops or restaurants, or stay in their office and get work done, and just plan to be at the branch based on the listed wait time. You would even be able to get a text message when your number has been called, and if you’re then running late, you could ask for more time through that two-way text feature.

“It will be available at all locations and for all services that we provide,” Hall says.

Documents filed with the City show the Tax Collector’s Office believes they can cover the launch of this system and four years of the subscription service by using $391,100 in budget savings. The Jacksonville City Council still has to approve shifting that funding to this project.

If approved, Hall says they hope to have this system up and running before the end of this calendar year. She says nine Tax Collector’s Offices in Florida currently use this same queuing system.

Two suspects arrested for involvement in skimming ring impacting NE Florida, SE Georgia

A two month, multi-agency investigation has ended with the arrests of two suspects involved in a Romanian skimming ring that affected nearly 400 residents across Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia. Specifically, more than 80 Putnam County residents were affected with more than 300 others in areas like Jacksonville, Keystone Heights, Newberry, and into Southeast Georgia. The Putnam County Sheriff's Office plans to release further details on Monday, June 17th, but WOKV has learned the identities of the two suspects arrested. Arrest reports from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office identify the two as 35-year-old Elena Matei and 18-year-old Plopsor Matei. Both are facing a variety of charges, from using or possessing a skimming device to bank fraud. While the arrest reports are heavily redacted, it does show Capital City Bank told investigators they’ve had to reimburse their customers about $46, 360 due to cards being compromised due to skimmers. The reports also show that SunTrust Bank told investigators it is at a loss of $6,230. The Putnam County Sheriff's Office says in addition to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, the US Secret Service, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Clay County Sheriff's Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the North Florida Financial Crimes Task Force also helped with the investigation.
Boy, 16, shot, killed in front of father while meeting online buyers of his Xbox

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Westside murder suspect claims neighbor put 'voodoo' on him, according to arrest report

A day after the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office announced an arrest in the murder of a Westside grandmother, the suspect's arrest report is revealing new disturbing details. According to 24-year-old Darnell Johnson's arrest report, a family member cited concerns about his behavior around the same time as Shirley Blakely’s death. The report says the individual had called police about Johnson and was attempting to have him 'Baker Acted', but Johnson left before that could happen. She told police that he had been pacing the floor, talking about the neighbor putting 'Voodoo' on him, just prior to him leaving. The individual told police she then went driving around looking for Johnson. The report says he was eventually found behind Blakely’s residence. Johnson has denied any involvement in Blakely's death, according to the report. WOKV told you last week that Blakely’s family said the man responsible for her murder believed he had been ‘cursed.’
Salmonella infection from backyard poultry spreads to 227 more people in 20 more states

Four times more people in twice as many states have been infected with salmonella in less than a month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta reported this week. The CDC has linked the infections to contact with backyard poultry, namely chickens and ducklings. >> Read more trending news On May 16, 52 people in 21 states had been infected, the CDC announced. On Thursday, the CDC said 227 more people in 20 additional states have been added to its investigation. Four salmonella serotypes have also been added. Of the 279 now infected, 40 have been hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported. Seventy cases affect children younger than 5, the CDC said. >> Salmonella outbreak in 21 states linked to backyard poultry; don’t kiss the chickens, CDC warns So far, infections have been found in all states except Georgia, Alaska, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and North Dakota. In interviews, people said they got their chicks and ducklings from agricultural stores, websites and hatcheries. This is not the first time a salmonella outbreak has been linked to our feathered friends. In July 2018, the CDC discovered 212 salmonella cases in 44 states linked to backyard poultry. >> Stop kissing, snuggling pet hedgehogs, CDC warns There are many ways people can be infected by fowl. Poultry might have salmonella germs in their droppings, and on their feathers, feet and beaks, even when they appear healthy and clean, the CDC states on its website. The germs can get on cages, coops, feed and water dishes, hay, plants and soil. Germs also can get on the hands, shoes and clothes of people who handle or care for poultry. >> CDC warns consumers not to wash raw chicken Infection can be prevented, however. The CDC recommends the following safety tips: Always wash your hands with soap and water right after touching backyard poultry or anything in the area where they live and roam. Adults should supervise hand-washing by young children. Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not readily available. Don’t let backyard poultry inside the house, especially in areas where food or drink is prepared, served or stored. Set aside a pair of shoes to wear while taking care of poultry and keep those shoes outside of the house. Children younger than 5, adults over 65 and people with weakened immune systems shouldn’t handle or touch chicks, ducklings or other poultry. Don’t eat or drink where poultry live or roam. Don’t kiss backyard poultry or snuggle them and then touch your face or mouth. Stay outdoors when cleaning any equipment or materials used to raise or care for poultry, such as cages, or feed or water containers. For a complete list of recommendations, visit the CDC’s website.
Trump: No plans to dismiss Kellyanne Conway, despite recommendation from federal watchdog agency

President Donald Trump said Friday that he has no plans to fire White House counselor Kellyanne Conway despite a recommendation from a federal watchdog agency. >> Read more trending news “I’m not going to fire her,” the president said Friday in an interview “Fox and Friends” on Fox News. “I think she’s a terrific person. She’s a tremendous spokesperson. She’s been loyal. ... Based on what I saw yesterday, how could you do that?” In a letter sent Thursday to Trump, officials with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel detailed several instances in which Conway attacked Trump’s Democratic rivals in the 2020 presidential race on social media and in official interviews, which is a violation of the Hatch Act. The law bars federal officials from using their offices to campaign for political candidates. >> Federal watchdog recommends Kellyanne Conway be fired for Hatch Act violations “It looks to me like they’re trying to take away her right of free speech and that’s just not fair,” Trump said Friday. “It doesn’t sound fair so I’m going to look at it very carefully.” The president framed Conway’s violations of the Hatch Act as necessary in response to criticism of him or in response to questions from the media. “You ask a person a question and every time you’re supposed to say, ‘I can’t answer, I can’t answer,’” Trump said. “I mean, she’s got to have a right of responding to questions.” The White House counsel issued a letter Thursday calling for the Office of Special Counsel to rescind the recommendation, though the agency declined, according to The Washington Post. Special counsel Henry Kerner told the newspaper his recommendation was “unprecedented,” but he added that Conway’s conduct was as well. “In interview after interview, she uses her official capacity to disparage announced candidates, which is not allowed,” he told the Post. “What kind of example does that send to the federal workforce? If you’re high enough up in the White House, you can break the law, but if you’re a postal carrier or a regular federal worker, you lose your job?” Kerner told Fox News the decision on whether to fire Conway ultimately falls to the president. “We respect his decision and, of course, the president has any option he’d like — to reprimand or not to reprimand,” Kerner said, according to the news network. “I am a Trump appointee — I have no animus toward Kellyanne whatsoever. ... My job is to make sure the federal workforce stays as depoliticized and as fair as possible.” >> Conway accused of Hatch Act violation; what is the Hatch Act? In its 17-page report, the Office of Special Counsel noted that Conway minimized the significance of the Hatch Act during a May 29 interview. “If you're trying to silence me through the Hatch Act, it's not going to work,' she said, according to The Hill. Later, she added, 'Let me know when the jail sentence starts.