Daily Record Financial News &
‘ Serious threat before us
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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2016
Vol. 103, No. 234 • oNe SectioN
By David Chapman Staff Writer
City seeking $1.44M federal grant to buy equipment
Photo by Max Marbut
By Max Marbut Staff Writer
It was just scheduled maintenance — not part of the city’s emergency preparations for Hurricane Matthew — but a crew from Lewis Tree Service Inc. was busy Downtown on Wednesday morning. They were removing dead limbs from palm trees along East Bay Street, between Liberty and Main streets, that probably would have blown into the street during the high winds anticipated later today and Friday when the storm is predicted to be closest to Jacksonville.
Photo by Wes Lester/City of Jacksonville
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You need to leave. ... You will be on your own.
www.jaxdailyrecord.com
Stretchers should cut firefighter injuries
Beaches, low-lying areas ordered to evacuate due to storm
Mayor Lenny Curry and city officials were on high-alert Wednesday in preparation for Hurricane Matthew, a storm expected to be a Category 3 when it reaches Northeast Florida on Friday. Sustained winds are expected to be 30-50 mph, while gusts could reach 60-80 mph. Storm surge and rain are expected to cause flooding in coastal and low-lying areas. The anticipated impact was enough for Curry to declare a state of emergency for the city Wednesday afternoon and order the Beaches communities and residents in city evacuation zones A and B to leave. Those zones comprise all areas east of the Intracoastal Waterway, all of Northeast Duval County and most of the areas along the east-west portion of the St. Johns River. A map showing the full area is available at bit.ly/2e1CBxu. “We have a very serious threat before us right now,” Curry told City Council members during a noon briefing Wednesday. The mayor said people should expect power outages from the storm and traffic backups associated with residents evacuating, but the city and its partners are doing what they can to make them miniMayor Lenny mal. Curry “There will likely To residents who be some uncomfortmoments,” he do not evacuate able said. as ordered Curry did not directly call the evacuation “mandatory” but instead a “direct order.” “You need to leave,” he stressed. There will be no government or public safety services available for those areas after the evacuation period when Matthew hits, Curry said. “You will be on your own,” he said. Bridges will be closed at times during the storm when winds reach certain speeds. Shelters began opening Wednesday afternoon, starting with the Legends Center, 5054 Soutel Drive, to accommodate those with special needs. Shelters at Twin Lakes Elementary, 8000 HURRICANE CONTINUED ON PAGE A-3
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Mayor Lenny Curry ordered residents in the Beaches and low-lying areas to evacuate before the storm arrives in the area overnight.
Something Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department personnel do about 80,000 times a year is going to become safer through automation. City Council is considering a bill to appropriate $1.54 million to purchase power-loading stretchers for JFRD’s 53 rescue units. A grant from the Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency Assistance to Firefighters Program will account for 90 percent of the appropriation with the city covering the $144,000 balance. The power stretchers are battery-powered and hydraulically operated and will replace the manually operated stretchers now being used. According to case studies conducted by public safety departments that use automated stretchers, the benefit for rescue personnel is a reduction of back injuries associated with lifting and pushing patients on stretchers Blanton into rescue units. Instead of manually loading a patient, EMTs roll the stretcher to the rescue unit, then push a button and simply guide the stretcher into the vehicle. “Back injuries account for much of our job-related injuries. We expect this new system to drastically reduce work-related injuries,” said JFRD Assistant Chief Jake Blanton. A study presented in 2013 at the 25th annual Occupational Ergonomics and Safety Conference stated injuries related to loading patients and stretchers into rescue units are caused by awkward working postures and high-loading forces. The study concluded the compression of spinal discs that may lead to lower-back disorders was reduced by as much as 62 percent when power stretchers are used compared to manual stretchers. STRETCHERS CONTINUED ON PAGE A-2
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Ruby Tuesday renovating at Windsor Commons
Changes coming to Ruby Tuesday include removing booths and adding tables, according to plans filed with an application to renovate the Windsor Commons restaurant. Ruby Tuesday has submitted permit applications to the city for its three Duval County restaurants in the Regency and airport areas and now at 4784 Windsor Commons Court. Plans show the 4,134-squarefoot restaurant will be remodeled with new finishes, furniture, ceiling tiles and lighting fixtures, including a new Garden Bar. Seating in the dining room will be reduced from 169 to 136.
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Tables and chairs will take up the center of the dining room, which will be lined on one side by booths. The existing design has more booths in the center and tables along the side. Exterior renovations include painting, new awnings and new signage. Renovations to the Windsor Commons restaurant, built in 2003, are shown at $150,000. Remodeling at the Regency location, built in 2002, also is $150,000 while the cost at the airport site, built in 2001, is $253,000. Nationwide, the chain intends to spend almost $40 million to enhance its signature Garden Bar,
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and internationally. Ruby Tuesday has not responded to several emails for comment.
remodel and catch up on maintenance. Ruby Tuesday also is expected to update its restaurants in Fleming Island and St. Augustine. Maryville, Tenn.-based Ruby Tuesday Inc. announced in August it would close 95 restaurants, affecting one in Orange Park. The company owns and franchises 615 restaurants in 42 states
Three restaurants moving forward
Texas de Brazil Churrascaria Brazilian Steakhouse and Texas Roadhouse filed for concurrency review to develop restaurants at Town Center Promenade while PDQ filed site plans for The Crossing at Town Center. Visitors to St. Johns Town Center are aware of the 75 acres being cleared along Town Center Parkway across from the shopping center, better revealing the large
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lake the property borders. Preferred Growth Properties of Birmingham, Ala., is developing The Crossing and The Strand at Town Center at Gate and Town Center parkways. Core Property Capital of Atlanta will develop the Town Center Promenade north along Town Center Parkway. At the Promenade, Texas de Brazil wants to build a 7,000-square restaurant on 1.95 acres, which is Lot 7, at Town Center Parkway and Tropea Way South. Texas Roadhouse intends to build a 7,163-square-foot restaurant on almost 2.6 acres, which is Lot 9. MATHIS CONTINUED ON PAGE A-2
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