New UNF poll shows crime biggest issue facing Jacksonville

Jacksonville FL - After a violent weekend in Jacksonville where we told you about seven different shooting incidents across the city, a new poll released by the University of North Florida shows crime is the biggest issue facing the city. The poll says 62% of likely voters in the upcoming city elections in March and May believe crime is the most important issue facing the city while education came in second at 13%.

The new poll also has a snapshot in time of the city’s mayoral race. The poll says 52% of likely voters said they are planning to vote for Mayor Lenny Curry, 15% said they are planning to vote for Jacksonville City Councilwoman Anna Lopez Brosche, 6% said they are planning to vote for no-party affiliation candidate Omega Allen and 3% said they are planning to vote for former Atlantic Beach City Commissioner Jimmy Hill. The poll says 22% of voters still don’t know who they would vote for if the election were held today.

The voters who believed crime was the biggest issue, 58% said they were planning on voting for Curry, while 13% plan to vote for Brosche.

UNF says the poll was taken between February 16th and 19th.

The two election days coming up are March 19th and May 14th.

Ahmaud Arbery: Department of Justice looking at federal hate crime charges

The parents of Ahmaud Arbery have met with members of the Department of Justice as they investigate why it took so long to make an arrest in the murder case, their legal team said. Arbery, 25, was gunned down Feb. 23 as he went on a run near his home in Brunswick, Georgia. Travis James McMichael, 34, is charged with felony murder and aggravated assault in Arbery’s slaying. His father, Gregory Johns McMichael, 64, is charged as a party to felony murder and aggravated assault. The legal team for Arbery’s family said the meeting with U.S. attorney for Georgia’s Southern District and the family happened late last week, WSB-TV reported. >> Ahmaud Arbery: Gregory and Travis McMichael charged with murder In a statement, the attorneys for Arbery’s parents said, in part: “This would involve the consideration both civil and criminal charges against state officials and conspirators involved in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. We left that meeting feeling satisfied that the DOJ would do their part to fully investigate all players involved in this murder and would hold those responsible accountable.” In a statement, the Department of Justice announced it is looking at federal hate crime charges in the case. “The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia have been supporting and will continue fully to support and participate in the state investigation. We are assessing all of the evidence to determine whether federal hate crimes charges are appropriate. In addition, we are considering the request of the Attorney General of Georgia and have asked that he forward to federal authorities any information that he has about the handling of the investigation. We will continue to assess all information, and we will take any appropriate action that is warranted by the facts and the law.” Video of the shooting was leaked on social media earlier this month, prompting the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to take over the case. Last week, the GBI announced a third arrest in the case against William “Robbie” Bryan, the man who shot the cellphone video showing the shooting that killed Arbery. The GBI charged Bryan with murder and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment. Critics say Glynn County District Attorney Jackie Johnson mishandled the case from the beginning, before recusing herself. But Johnson said she was barely involved because suspect Greg McMichael used to be her chief prosecutor and that her office quickly pulled out of the investigation. But as she heads into a reelection campaign, Johnson now faces many questions and both federal and state investigations. In a recent interview with radio station WIFO-FM, Johnson blamed the Glynn County police for not calling in the GBI sooner and the media for the firestorm around her. “I don't fear the truth; I fear lies,” Johnson said. “We are under a cloud now because of the national media that's based on a lie.” Bryan, along with the McMichaels, remain in jail waiting for a court date to be set for a bond hearing.
20 hikers rescued from ‘Devil’s Bathtub’ in southwestern Virginia

Twenty hikers were rescued Monday after flash flooding near a swimming hole known as the Devil’s Bathtub in southwestern Virginia, authorities said. The U.S. Forestry Service closed the Devil’s Bathtub Trail for the rest of Monday after the hikers were accounted for shortly after 10 a.m., WJHL reported. According to Duffield Fire Chief Roger Carter, the hikers were rescued on trails around the Devil’s Bathtub after they were trapped by rising waters, ending an ordeal that began Sunday at 7:15 p.m, WCYB reported. “The real challenge is the stream crossings and when you have the water come up very quickly, that’s going to trap people in places where they can’t get out and they can’t get out because the terrain is so steep and in some places, sheer vertical cliffs and then other places, they may end up on an island trapped by water on all sides of them,” Billy Chrimes, Search and Rescue Coordinator for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, told WJHL. Carter told reporters that one rescued hiker might have a twisted knee, while others have mild cases of hypothermia. Devil’s Bathtub is a naturally occurring swimming hole located in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest. The trail leading to it is called Devil’s Fork and is a 7.2-mile round trip, CNN reported.
Watch: Kobe and Vanessa Bryant’s youngest daughter takes first steps

She does not have the moves of her famous father just yet, but 11-month-old Capri Bryant gave it a good try as she made her first uncertain steps. Vanessa Bryant continues to grieve the deaths of her husband and daughter -- NBA legend Kobe Bryant and 13-year-old Gianna Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash in January -- but there have been some recent happy moments for the family. Vanessa Bryant shared an Instagram video shot over the weekend of the couple’s youngest child, Capri, taking her first steps. “I’m so proud of you!” Vanessa Bryant said in the video. “I knew you were gonna do it!” “My baby!!!! So proud of my Koko Bean,” Vanessa Bryant wrote on Instagram on Monday. “Capri took her first steps from her auntie Sophie to mama today.' Kobe and Gianna Bryant were killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, in late January, along with the pilot and six other people.
Memorial Day: Florida veteran gets surprise parade for 90th birthday

On a day when Americans honor veterans, a Florida man got a double treat -- a parade to honor his military service and his 90th birthday, which fell on Memorial Day this year. Vincent Delmore, who served in the U.S. Army Air Corps, was expecting a quiet birthday since most of his family lives in his native Connecticut, the Naples Daily News reported. Family and friends had different ideas, organizing a parade of patrol cars and friends through his neighborhood. Family members showed up, too. “It was a complete surprise,” Delmore told the Daily News in a telephone call. “I don’t know how many (patrol) cars there were with lights on.” Family members living in Tampa and Orlando made the drive to southwest Florida to visit. It was exciting for the 90-year-old man, who joked about his age to the Daily News. “Make sure not to put my picture in the obituary section,” he told the newspaper.
Jacksonville movie theater offers unique program to entertain guests during coronavirus pandemic

QUICK FACTS: On a rainy Memorial Day, some families would have considered the movie theater for entertainment. But in Florida, movies theaters cannot fully reopen yet. A Jacksonville movie theater, Sun-Ray Cinema in Five Points, is offering a new program to continue serving guests. Watch the video below to learn about the program that allows for a controlled environment, social distancing and entertainment with family and friends.