State orders rainbow crosswalks in Jacksonville be removed

Jacksonville, Fl — The rainbow crosswalks throughout Jacksonville could soon be a thing of the past. A new memo from the Florida Department of Transportation has ordered that the crosswalks be removed. The agency has put out a directive saying such unique crosswalks could lead to distractions or misunderstandings, which could put both pedestrians and drivers in danger. LGBTQ+ advocates say the effort to remove the crosswalks is just another attempt by the Trump administration to eliminate the idea of inclusion.

THREE BIG THINGS TO KNOW:

Mourning begins in Texas where more than 170 are still missing from flash floods. A growing memorial wall in the Hill Country includes photos of those have died. The search for more victims moved slowly Thursday as stifling heat and mounds of trees, hunks of lumber and trash made the task more difficult. Texas Governor Greg Abbott called on state lawmakers to approve funding for new warning systems and emergency communications in flood prone areas. President Donald Trump plans to visit the region today.

Construction of a new ICE detention facility at Camp Blanding was supposed to start this week. But the state’s procurement website doesn’t seem to list any request for proposals matching the Camp Blanding project. Action News Jax Jake Stofan requested a copy of any related RFP’s issued by the agency, a list of any vendors that have applied for the project, the estimated start date of the project and the projected cost of the project. So far, the Florida Department of Emergency Management has not provided responses, though it has acknowledged the receipt of the records requests. On Monday Governor DeSantis said he believed the agency was still in the process of selecting vendors to construct the detention center.

Jacksonville-based CSX is making a company-wide realignment, and it means 125 managers are being laid off. The holding company employs about 23,000 people. The move comes after CSX stock moved up only one percent in the first half of the year.

FIRST ALERT WEATHER: Hot and humid with a few afternoon storms. Feels like temperatures will likely be 100-105 degrees this afternoon. Morning hours will be dry in Jacksonville with a few showers and storms developing after 3-4 pm to the west of Jacksonville. The storms will slowly move E/NE. Storms will be capable of heavy rain and lightning. This weekend will be very hot with highs in the lower to mid 90s. Feels like temperatures will be 105+. Only a few showers and storms in the afternoons. A lot of dry hours for the weekend,

Chase Robinson with First Coast Crime Stoppers shares how the program’s tips have had tangible impacts on the Jacksonville community, in terms of narcotics and weapons taken off the streets, arrests made, cases closed, and property and cash recovered.

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Restaurants across Florida and around the country are offering deals today in celebration of National French Fry Day. Shake Shack customers can enter code “free fry” to get a free side of fries when ordering online or in the Shack app. Burger King Royal Perks members can get any size fries free with a purchase of at lease one dollar through their app as well, plus DoorDash DashPass members can get chicken fries buy one, get one free. McDonald’s is already offering free medium fries with a one-dollar purchase through their app each Friday until the end of this year but customers will be able to use the deal a second time through this Sunday.