Lost and found: In search of a good Samaritan

Submitted by Lewis Turner, Reporter, Meteorologist FCN

Wednesday, March 6th, 2013, 7:45am

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Darlene Moore's emotions have gone from nervous energy to pure joy.

She's one of the potentially thousands of people on this planet each day who misplace their wallet.

It stinks.

"I had $200 in there," Moore said.

It's frustrating.

"Along with all my ID and credit cards," she added.

But, for the most part, a lost wallet isn't really a news story.

Unless it's a major loss, typically we cancel our credit cards and go through the major pain of getting legal IDs renewed.

A lost wallet isn't a matter of life or death.

It typically leads to several days of inconvenience.

However, it's interesting to note the longer lasting emotion that comes with a found wallet, which is the case for Moore's missing bill fold.

"I'm just on a high because this all happened like 2 weeks ago, and I'm still elated about it," Moore said.

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JSO investigating robbery at Bank of America

Submitted by FirstCoastNews Web Staff

Monday, March 4th, 2013, 11:51am

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is investigating a Bank of America robbery.

The Bank of America located at 4500 Wabash Ave. called JSO Monday morning following a robbery around 9:45 a.m. at the branch.

A suspect allegedly entered the branch and gave a teller a note, received cash then fled.

The suspect is described as a male, 35 to 40 years-old and is about six-feet -tall. The suspect was last seen wearing a tan jacket with a hood and a green hat. The suspect did allegedly imply he was armed at the time of the robbery.

JSO is expected to release surveillance photos of the suspect later today. Stay with First Coast News for the latest on this developing story.

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New option for Florida's beer-to-go market

Submitted by FirstCoastNews Web Staff

Thursday, February 28th, 2013, 8:58am

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Beer is a more than $3 billion business in Florida. In Jacksonville, the craft beer business is just beginning to boil and there's a new law that could change how beer lovers drink.

"When I was in brewing school, they made fun of Florida breweries for having this very old kind of backwards law," said Ben Davis, owner of Intuition Ale Works.

When you sip on a cold one from a local micro-brewery your beer-to-go options fall into two categories: a 32-ounce or 128-ounce Growler.

The industry standard 64-ounce, or half-gallon growler, is illegal in Florida.

So, for beer drinkers looking to take home that fresh craft beer home in a refillable glass jug called a growler, the choices are too small or too big.

But a new bill, House Bill 715 is trying to change that and make the coveted half-gallon growler legal and according to some beermasters legitimize the Florida craft beer business and help the city of Jacksonville.

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94-year-old left homeless by fire

Submitted by FirstCoastNews Web Staff

Wednesday, February 27th, 2013, 8:39pm

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The house at 227 Bronson street is being demolished.

"What happened is it burned up," said Flora Davis,"When I left here it was alright."

For more than 30 years this was home for 94-year-old Flora Davis.

"It is paid for, land and all," she said," but I did not have insurance, that is my trouble."

Davis, who retired from the local cigar factory, and lives on a retirement and a social security check, let her insurance lapse. She said she couldn't afford it.

So at 94 years of age Flora Davis is homeless.

"It is kind of rough," she said,"but then you have to take the bitter with the sweet."

Davis added,"if you can't do no better you can't do no better, but Jesus Christ is above all."

The fire gutted her home on Super Bowl Sunday, she lost everything.

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Woman's life saved in miracle on St. Johns Avenue

Submitted by FirstCoastNews Web Staff

Wednesday, February 27th, 2013, 12:00am

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A St. Simons Island woman released from the hospital Tuesday calls a local server who helped save her life her hero.

Bobbie Davis, 62, was in Jacksonville to help care for her brother who recently had triple bypass surgery. While she was eating dinner outside at the Brick Restaurant on St. Johns Avenue in Avondale, she had a massive heart attack.

It turns out she was in the right place at the right time to have a heart attack, and now she is sharing her story with a heart full of gratitude.

"All we heard was a slam and then a glass shatter, and it was her falling from the table and hitting her head on the concrete and the glass and plate falling with her," said hostess Elena Federico.

Davis was unconscious and on the pavement. Landon Weeks, a part-time server at the restaurant, ran to her rescue. It just so happens the young father is also a paramedic and a volunteer for the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department.

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Missing Adult Day: A reminder of the unaccounted

Submitted by Ken Amaro, Ken Amaro, Community Reporter

Thursday, February 21st, 2013, 7:31pm

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- According to the Justice Coalition, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office receives thousands of missing reports each year. While most of them are resolved, some become an open case.

"You just don't think it can happen to you," said Carol Payne.

January 3, 2013 was the last time anyone saw Payne's brother.

"Sometimes you think you're gonna wake up," she said, "and realize it is not real."

Her brother James Tracy Wilson, 56, might be driving a blue/gray four door Buick Lacrosse.

"The police are saying probably we'll find his car because it will run out of gas and he didn't have any money," said Payne. "That didn't happen."

Payne said her brother had a routine and never drifted from it.

"His bed wasn't made and the windows weren't open that's when I called my brother and they called the police," said Payne.

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Cyber security expert says JEA not alone for 'Denial of Service' attack

Submitted by Ken Amaro, Ken Amaro, Community Reporter

Tuesday, February 19th, 2013, 8:19pm

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- At the JEA downtown payment center, customers were surprised to learn the utility's website was the target of a cyber attack.

"I wasn't aware of that," said Lacrecia Anderson. "It is scary."

The JEA computer network was hit with a "denial of service" attack; the FBI has been notified.

"We are making sure that none of our customers' information is jeopardized or compromised," said JEA spokeswoman Gerri Boyce.

Dr. Walter Eaton of Florida State College at Jacksonville is a cyber security expert.

"A denial of service on JEA could be nothing more than a test," said Eaton, "a test to see if we could have a 'denial of service' to all utilities in the United States."

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