Jacksonville Today associate editor Mike Mendenhall welcomes St. Johns County reporter Noah Hertz back to lay out the stories he’ll be tracking in 2026. Noah explains how years of explosive population growth are driving nonstop spending on roads, libraries, and fire stations—and intensifying fights on an all‑Republican County Commission now split over how much new housing to allow. He also flags upcoming commission races where “ghost candidates” could reappear, and why state‑level debates in Tallahassee about development rules and a proposed State Black History Museum in St. Johns could reshape his beat. Read Noah’s latest reporting at jaxtoday.org.

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Extreme cold alerts are in effect across much of Florida this weekend, including Northeast Florida. Meteorologist Megan Borowski from the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network explains how low temperatures could drop, and when conditions are expected to improve. Plus, we look at the lesser-known mental health impacts of prolonged cold weather.

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The Museum of Science and History gets an extra six months to break ground on its new Northbank facility after City Council amends its development agreement, setting a new construction timeline. Plus, Intuition Ale Works announces it will close its longtime downtown brewery and taproom in April after efforts to sell the business fell through, marking the end of a 15-year presence in Jacksonville’s craft beer scene.

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This week, Dr. Joe tackles three headlines that could change how you think about everyday health.

• The new U.S. dietary guidelines promise a “real food” reset, shifting how we’re told to balance protein, fat, and processed foods. Dr. Joe sorts out what’s genuinely new, what’s just branding, and what it all means if you already watch your cholesterol or saturated fat.
• A so‑called “super flu” season is filling hospitals and sidelining families across the country. Dr. Joe looks at why this year’s strain is so intense, and what that says about vaccines, travel, and your personal risk even if you did “everything right.”
• A measles outbreak spilling onto a major college campus is testing assumptions about who’s truly protected. Dr. Joe explains what this cluster reveals about vaccination, campus life, and where the real vulnerabilities might be.

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A political action committee is asking a judge to temporarily halt Fernandina Beach’s new paid parking program, arguing it violates state and federal law as the city prepares to begin enforcement next month. We also look at a bill moving through the Florida House that would allow certain university faculty and staff to carry firearms on campus, part of a package supporters say is aimed at improving campus safety.

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Downtown Jacksonville bars could be allowed to serve alcohol an hour later under a new proposal headed to city council tonight, a move that would extend last call to 3 a.m. We’ll also look at what happened at the Maxwell House plant after smoke and a loud noise raised concerns Monday, and what the company is now saying as the incident remains under investigation.

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Recent ICE operations in Jacksonville sparked widespread fear and confrontation, with reports of roadblocks, detentions of immigrants and bystanders, a city employee placed on leave for advising compliance during stops, and a woman arrested after allegedly punching a Florida Highway Patrol trooper assisting ICE on Beach Boulevard. Host Anne Schindler gets perspective from civil rights attorney Matt Kachergus, Jacksonville Immigration Alliance organizer Maria Garcia, and Very Rev. Kate Moorehead Carroll of St. John’s Cathedral—who experienced the aftermath of a fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis—on the community impact, legal rights during encounters, and how faith leaders are responding to the heightened tensions.​

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