Musicians, fans and friends of Aretha Franklin, the “Queen of Soul,” are honoring her legacy after news of her death Thursday. Franklin’s publicist said she died at her home in Detroit, according to The Associated Press. She was 76. >> Read more trending news  Fans are remembering Franklin’s singular presence, stage command and legendary performances. >>Related: Aretha Franklin dies at 76 Franklin’s family issued an official statement to The Hollywood Reporter: “In one of the darkest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our heart. We have lost the matriarch and rock of our family. The love she had for her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins knew no bounds.  “We have been deeply touched by the incredible outpouring of love and support we have received from close friends, supporters and fans all around the world. Thank you for your compassion and prayers. We have felt your love for Aretha and it brings us comfort to know that her legacy will live on. As we grieve, we ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time.” Family members confirmed Monday to WDIV-TV that Franklin, 76, was “gravely ill,” after a report from entertainment site Showbiz411 claimed she was being surrounded by friends and family in Detroit. >>Photos: Aretha Franklin through the years Franklin canceled several concerts this year due to health issues, Fox13Memphis reported. According to The Associated Press, “she was ordered by her doctor to stay off the road and rest up.” She performed in her hometown of Detroit in June 2017, the Detroit Free Press reported. She ended the concert with an appeal for those in the crown to, “Please keep me in your prayers,” according to the newspaper. She last performed in November at Elton John’s AIDS Foundation gala in New York City, the News reported. >>Related: The best Aretha Franklin songs: A timeline Franklin was born March 25, 1942, in Memphis, Tennessee. Her family moved to Detroit when she was young, according to Fox13Memphis. Franklin started singing when she was young, with encouragement from her mother, Barbara, and her father, the Rev. C.L. Franklin. She started out singing gospel but launched a career in secular music after she turned 18. She rose to fame after signing in 1967 with Atlantic Records. Franklin’s career, spanning six decades, has spawned hits including “Respect,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” and “Chain of Fools.” She’s considered one of the best-selling artists of all time, selling more than 75 million albums worldwide. Franklin was inducted in 1987 to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. She’s earned 18 Grammy Awards and a Presidential Medal of Freedom for her work. In 2005, then-President George W. Bush described Franklin as “a woman of achievement, deep character and a loving heart.”

One of the development groups behind a plan to build a Convention Center at the Jacksonville Shipyards site, is now putting forward a proposal for “Riverwalk Place”, less than a mile down the street. GALLERY: “Riverwalk Place” in Downtown Jacksonville Jacksonville’s Downtown Investment Authority solicited bids to build a Convention Center, hotel, and parking garage at the site of the old Courthouse and City Hall Annex. Three proposals were returned, including one from Rimrock Devlin DeBartolo Jacksonville, LLC. That group is, in turn, a partnership between Rimrock Devlin Development and DeBartolo Development, LLC.  Despite offering that plan, RDD then partnered with Iguana Investments Florida- which is a development group backed by Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan- to propose a Convention Center and hotel for the Shipyards site instead. The DIA previously selected Iguana as the master developer for that site, and Iguana is pitching this Convention Center project as the first phase of the overall redevelopment.  GALLERY: Convention Center proposed for Jacksonville Shipyards “We believe the Shipyards is the optimal location for the Convention Center and hotel because of its riverfront location, ability to expand if needed, and synergies gained from its proximity to the existing sports venues and other development activities planned in the immediate aftermath, says DeBartolo Development President and Chief Operating Officer Edward Kobel.  Now, RDD is offering alternate plans for the old Courthouse/Annex site, where the DIA initially imagined the Convention Center potentially being constructed.  “Our alternative development proposal for the Old Courthouse property will serve as a perfect complement and will provide downtown with much needed uses and facilities that will help strengthen the connectivity between the downtown core and sports complex area,” Kobel says.  “Riverwalk Place” is a “mixed-use 24 x 7 lifestyle community”, according to RDD. It includes a 10,000 square foot multi-restaurant venue along the St. Johns River. Along Bay Street, there would be a five-story, 347-unit luxury multi-family apartment complex; nine-story, 150-room limited service hotel; and six-and-a-half story, 468-space parking garage.  “We believe our interwoven plans for the Old Courthouse and Shipyards will help accomplish this goal and we are thrilled to take this next step in pursuing this vision,” says Rimrock Devlin Development’s Wallace Devlin.  RDD believes these proposals together will be an impetus for riverfront development in Downtown, and could also serve to transform the Downtown core overall.  RDD delivered this proposal to the DIA today. It’s not yet clear how the DIA will receive this proposal, as it still has active bids for a Convention Center and hotel at the old Courthouse/Annex site.  These project proposals come as several projects are underway to try to revitalize the area. GALLERY: Shad Khan’s plan for the Jacksonville Shipyards WOKV has brought you an in-depth look at the City’s proposal to take down the Hart Bridge ramps, to further accommodate riverfront development. Khan’s group continues to negotiate the Shipyards redevelopment, and has a greater $2.5 billion redevelopment vision for the Shipyards and Sports Complex combined. The Laura Street Trio is also undergoing redevelopment, Berkman Plaza II was recently sold, and The District is underway on the Southbank.

Drain your property of standing water.  The Nassau County Health Department is seeing an increase in West Nile Virus activity in chickens that are used to test for mosquito-borne illness.   There's also been an outbreak of Eastern Equine Encephalitis reported in emus.  According to the Health Department, human infections with EEEV and WNV are asymptomatic or may result in a nonspecific flu-like syndrome with fever and headache.   So far in 2018, there have been four cases of Eastern Equine Encephalitis infection in horses in Nassau, and one outbreak of EEEV reported in emus. Ten sentinel chickens have tested positive for EEEV, and 17 have tested positive for WNV.  Nassau County health officials urge you to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes and to take precautions to help limit your exposure:  -Drain water from garbage cans, house gutters, buckets, pool covers, coolers, toys, flower pots or any other containers where sprinkler or rain water has collected. -Discard old tires, drums, bottles, cans, pots and pans, broken appliances and other items that aren't being used. -Empty and clean birdbaths and pet's water bowls at least once or twice a week. -Protect boats and vehicles from rain with tarps that don’t accumulate water. -Maintain swimming pools in good condition and appropriately chlorinated. Empty plastic swimming pools when not in use.  You are also encouraged to cover your skin with repellent and/or clothing.  Repellents with DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol, and IR3535 are effective.

Aretha Franklin is the Queen of Soul, and while her rendition of the national anthem was soulful before Thursday’s NFL game between Detroit and Minnesota, some critics believed the song was too long. Those naysayers were drowned out by Franklin's fans, who said they needed to show a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T. >> Read more trending stories Franklin wore her trademark fur coat and a Detroit beanie to signify her hometown. She sat down at a piano and belted out a 4-minute, 35-second version of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Her version brought the house down at Detroit's Ford Field, and her performance quickly went viral. For reference, the average length of the last ten Super Bowl national anthems has been just under two minutes. Twitter had a field day with the song’s length, and so did the game’s broadcaster, CBS. The network put up a graphic that showed not only the time of possession by the Lions and Vikings, but also by Franklin. But Franklin’s legion of fans responded in kind, defending the song’s length. “That was a gospel version of the #NationalAnthem,” tweeted John Miller (@jfreemon63) “It's called seasoning folks. Prep takes longer ... but it tastes better.”

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee was among the passengers on board an American Airlines plane that was quarantined in Nashville early Thursday. That plane has since “been cleared” and the passengers allowed to leave, according to WZTV. Here are the latest updates: Update 9:10 a.m. EDT Aug. 16: Huckabee thanked American Airlines employees for their professionalism  in a tweet Thursday morning. “Kudos to @AmericanAir pilot and crew -- handled medical issue on red eye from LAX to Nashville very professionally,” Huckabee wrote. “We were held for a while as medical personnel made sure the person wasn’t Gwyneth Paltrow from Contagion. Seriously, hope the lady is okay -- taken on gurney.” Airport officials said in a statement released to The Tennessean Thursday morning that American Airlines Flight 1289 was quarantined as a precaution because of fears that a passenger’s recent illness might still be contagious. The plane has since been cleared and all passengers released, according to multiple reports. Officials did not identify the illness. Update 8:40 a.m. EDT Aug. 16: Nashville International Airport spokesperson Shannon Sumrall said in a statement released to The Tennessean that passengers were held Thursday morning on American Airlines Flight 1289 as a precaution because of a passenger’s recent illness. Sumrall told the newspaper that a physician “medically cleared” the passenger ahead of the flight, but that the passenger did not have paperwork to confirm his or her health. “(The passenger) was talking bout the recent illness and other passengers on board became worried of exposure,” Sumrall told The Tennessean. “For safety, passengers were held by BNA (Nashville International Airport) Police until contact was made with the physician to confirm clearance, which it was.” Officials did not identify the illness. Update 7:52 a.m. EDT Aug. 16: The American Airlines passenger who appeared to be ill “has been cleared,” WZTV reports. The passengers are now off the plane, the station said. Original report: Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is on board an American Airlines plane that has been quarantined in Nashville, WZTV reports. Flight 1289, which traveled from Los Angeles to Nashville overnight, was detained at Nashville International Airport after a passenger appeared to be sick, an American Airlines spokeswoman told the news station. >> Read more trending news  Huckabee tweeted about the incident early Thursday. “5 hr red eye flight on @AmericanAir Nashville from LA. On ground for 40 min and now told someone on board is sick & we are being towed to other gate and quarantined until all checked out. Can’t get up to go to bathroom or get off plane. It’s the Russians! I just know it!” he wrote just after 6:30 a.m. EDT Thursday. “1 hr after landing got to far away gate where @AmericanAir will hopefully get us off this plane! Medical [personnel] at gate. Hope it’s not because I got that straw in CA,” he added. According to WZTV, “the plane was taken to a remote portion of the airport where emergency personnel were waiting for the plane.” Those on board were instructed to stay put as a Vanderbilt Hospital doctor examined the patient. Read more here.

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