Coronavirus, Ahmaud Arbery killing among the most unforgettable local stories in 2020

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JACKSONVILLE, Florida – As the coronavirus pandemic dominated global and national headlines in 2020, it also grabbed local news, hitting close to home for those who have tested positive for COVID-19, know someone who has done or lost a loved one.

A local story, the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery, made national news, with video of the shooting sparking outrage across the country.

Here’s a look at those stories and other unforgettable events covered by News4Jax this year:

Coronavirus

The northeastern Florida and southeastern Georgia region has recorded more than 124,000 cases of the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic.

Relatives mourn the loss of more than 1,700 people in the region who have died from COVID-19.

Shortly after the pandemic hit Florida in March, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry closed all beaches in Duval County. When they reopened the following month, the move took national media attention. Other beaches in the region, including in St. Johns County, also closed but has since reopened.

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Curry announced on April 1 he issued a decree forcing residents to stay in their homes unless they are forced to leave. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced the same day he issued a statewide stay-at-home order.

As residents started working from home and some businesses had to shut down, students had to start learning online as well. When the the new school year started in the fall, many school districts in the region offered the possibility of in-person and virtual learning.

About a month after DeSantis’ home security order went into effect, he announced Florida would start to reopen. Curry’s office worked to ensure that city policies stayed in tune with the governor’s plan.

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In early April, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp also published an order tell people to stay at home. The the state has started to reopen later this month.

Over the summer, as cases of COVID-19 began to peak, the TIAA Bank Field test site in downtown Jacksonville saw queues of several hours. This site was then moved to Regency Square Mall and continued to experience long queues at times. In June, Curry also issued a mandatory mask command, which was extended until December 26. Several other counties and towns in the region have followed suit.

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Now businesses have largely reopened and all restaurant restrictions have been lifted.

Shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine began arriving in December to hospitals in the Jacksonville area, as well as in the Coastal Health District in Southeast Georgia. The first 10,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine arrived December 14 at UF Health Jacksonville, and the first 10 shots were quickly administered to the emergency room and intensive care unit, including the CEO of the medical center.

Murder of Ahmaud Arbery

Ahmaud Arbery was running in the Satilla Shores neighborhood of South Georgia on February 23, when authorities said the unarmed 25-year-old black man was chased by a white father and son and shot dead.

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The shooting was captured on cellphone video by a neighbor who, according to a police report, was also attempt to block Arbery this afternoon.

More than two months passed before Gregory and Travis McMichael were arrested. The arrests came 48 hours after the video was leaked to the public. William “Roddie” Bryan Jr., who is credited with recording the video, was also arrested about two weeks later.

The three men stay in jail pending trial on charges including murder.

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The case was forwarded to three district attorneys before the Georgia Attorney General appointed the Cobb County District Attorney to serve as special prosecutor.

Ahmaud Arbery

Events at the end of May

The last weekend in May saw the first days of protests and unrest in Jacksonville after the death of George Floyd in custody in Minneapolis.

Officers arrested dozens of protesters on charges such as illegal assembly and non-violent resistance to police during the two-day protests in the city center.

Since then, prosecutors have cleared almost all of the protesters arrested on May 30 and 31 of the charges against them. The charges were dismissed after the state attorney’s office reviewed the more than 400 videos that have been made public.

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State Attorney’s Office Releases Hundreds of Body Camera Videos of May’s First Two Protests

Confederate statues suppressed

The Confederate Statue in Jacksonville’s Hemming Park, the downtown plaza surrounded on both sides by City Hall and the Federal Courthouse, was kidnapped in the middle of a June night. The statue and nameplate were transported long before daybreak, leaving an empty pedestal.

Confederate statue removed from the park overnight; others in Jacksonville also descend

Later in the year, Hemming Park was also renamed after James Weldon Johnson, a Jacksonville black civil rights activist, educator and songwriter who wrote “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” – often referred to as “The Black National Anthem”.

In Saint-Augustin, two Confederate monuments were removed from the city center. Two weeks after the statue was moved from Jacksonville, Saint-Augustin commissioners voted 3-2 in favor of moving the Confederate monument to the Plaza de la Constitucion. The memorial was finally transported to his new home at Trout Creek Fishing Camp.

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Confederate Memorial Removed from Downtown St. Augustine

Another statue was also dismantled in the ancient city. A statue of Confederate General William Loring that has stood on the property of the University of Florida in downtown St. Augustine since 1920 has been kidnapped in august.

There were protests in St. Augustine against the removal of the two monuments.

In August, the Putnam County Council of Commissioners Approval the moving of the Confederate statue in front of the Palatka courthouse.

In Georgia, Brunswick commissioners have voted in November to remove the Confederate monument from Hanover Square.

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Lot J

There has been a continuing drama among the city’s leaders over the development plan Lot J from TIAA Bank Field in downtown Jacksonville.

City Councilor Reggie Gaffney said he think there are enough voices to approve the deal and make the $ 445 million entertainment complex a reality.

City council chairman Tommy Hazouri postponed the vote on the Lot J bill to December and said he would like to see a final vote on January 12.

The deal calls on the city to invest $ 233 million in direct spending or loans from the city of Jacksonville to developer from Jaguar owner Shad Khan, the Cordish Companies.

Lot J could become Jacksonville’s new entertainment district

Until January 7, city council members will review the documents and then vote at a special meeting. If they agree enough, they could then adopt it or wait until January 12 at a regular council meeting.

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Supporters of the Lot J project say it will create jobs, boost Jacksonville’s economy and lead to a thriving downtown area.

But critics are concerned about the taxpayer’s share in the multi-million dollar price tag.

RNC which was not

President Donald Trump planned to accept his appointment in Jacksonville, but five weeks before the end of August event, he unplugged over the four nights Republican National Convention celebration in Florida, citing a “surge” of the coronavirus in Florida.

Trump had decided in June to move parts of the GOP convention to Jacksonville amid a dispute with North Carolina’s Democratic leaders over holding an event indoors with supporters without masks.

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Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams had said shortly before Trump canceled the Jacksonville portion of the event only due to financial and timing issues, he did not have the necessary resources to protect residents and visitors from the spread of the coronavirus and the potential protests the event would have drawn to the city.

More than 10,000 people were expected in Jacksonville – a fraction of the number that would typically attend a naming convention.

The event was met his share of opposition, including a group of lawyers who have filed a complaint which required changes to be made to ensure the safety of people. A group of 70 pastors wrote a letter to the mayor, expressing his “serious concern” about the host city of the event. And nearly 200 doctors signed a letter addressed to the town hall, saying the convention should be postponed.

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A small subset of GOP delegates convened again in Charlotte to officially rename Trump. The convention ended up featuring recorded content and live speeches, including one by Trump on the White House lawn.

Cargo fire

Eight firefighters were injured on June 4 as fight a fire on board a cargo ship at Blount Island.

The eight members of the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Service were among dozens trying to find the blaze inside the Norwegian ship laden with second-hand vehicles when a the explosion occurred. Firefighters escaped the ship with their lives but with burns to the head and hands. A ninth firefighter was hospitalized for heat exhaustion.

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According to the Coast Guard, due to the tireless efforts to spray water on the exterior of the ship, the ship’s hull remained intact – preventing it from breaking and sinking, which was a good thing for safety and potential environmental impacts.

The Coast Guard said at the time that cars were melting inside. The hull itself never rose above 350 degrees.

On August 30, the ship was moved from Blount Island.

Sky 4 above a burning cargo ship

Boys Killed from Putnam County

Two brothers were brutally killed in their Melrose home in August.

Robert Baker, 12, and Tayten Baker, 14, had recently moved with their family from Polk County to Putnam County when authorities said they were killed by their aunt’s boyfriend, Mark Wilson Jr. , which the family had allowed to live in an outhouse on the property.

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The medical examiner said both boys died from blunt trauma and deep lacerations. Investigators said hammer and knife were used to kill the boys, and the guns were both collected by MPs.

Wilson, who the sheriff described as a “sick monster,” was charged by a grand jury with two counts of first degree murder, one count of burglary with battery and one count of burglary with weapon.

The state intends ask for the death penalty.

Robert and Tayten Baker (Kim Rigney / GoFundMe)

Copyright 2020 by WJXT News4Jax – All rights reserved.

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