Call Center Company in Jacksonville, FL

The two new proposed restaurants are planned in two of the city's chain restaurant meccas, the St. Johns Town Center and River City Marketplace.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — With one location already under construction in Southwest Jacksonville and a second in the works in the Regency area, fast-growing Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers is planning two additional Northeast Florida restaurants.

These, though, are planned in two of the city’s chain restaurant meccas, the Town Center and River City Marketplace.

According to documents filed with JEA on May 13, the popular fried chicken tender chain is proposing a restaurant at 4863 Gate Parkway in the former Pollo Tropical location at Markets at Town Center. The site is located between Zaxby’s, another fried chicken chain, and CVS pharmacy.

Plans show a 2,868-square-foot restaurant with a dual drive-thru.

A second plan also filed on May 13 shows a proposed 2,683-square-foot restaurant with a dual drive-thru at 730 Skymarks Drive — also a former Pollo Tropical — at the sprawling River City Marketplace on the city's Northside. The site is located between VyStar Credit Union and McDonald's.

Miami-based Pollo Tropical closed the Town Center restaurant and locations at River City Marketplace and Mandarin in recent months, leaving Jacksonville to “focus on higher growth markets in Florida,” a company spokesperson said. Pollo Tropical made its Northeast Florida debut at the Town Center in 2010.

In the coming weeks, Raising Cane’s will make its area debut at 8308 Merchants Way, near Gator’s Dockside at the Epic Theaters-anchored Oakleaf Station in Southwest Jacksonville.

And in late January, a proposed Raising Cane’s was identified in plans filed with JEA at what is now an outparcel at Regency Square Mall, the 58-year-old shopping mall at 9501 Arlington Expressway that was sold earlier this year and will be redeveloped and renamed The Nexus at Regency.

Founded in 1996 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Raising Cane’s is known for its limited menu of fried chicken fingers and signature Cane’s sauce — a secret recipe known only to its managers. Its combo meals — available with two, three, four or six chicken fingers — come with crinkle-cut fries, Texas toast, and coleslaw. A chicken sandwich made with three chicken fingers is also available.

Raising Cane’s — which made its Florida debut in Miami’s South Beach area in early 2022 — has 20 locations in the Sunshine State, including Gainesville and Daytona Beach, the closest restaurants to Jacksonville, according to the company’s website. Other Raising Cane’s can be found in the Tallahassee, Tampa, Orlando and South Florida areas.

Editor's note: This story was first published by our news partners, The Florida Times-Union.

Cap and gown season is just days away for thousands of Jacksonville-area high school seniors and the people who care about their graduations.

“This is an exciting time for students and their families and their school,” Duval County School Board member Cindy Pearson said during the board’s monthly meeting May 6. After asking students to stay focused for the remainder of the year, Pearson acknowledged what they already knew: “… This is a special time, and you’ve earned it.”

From May 16 to the end of the month, Northeast Florida public school districts will award diplomas at dozens of graduations. Here are dates, times and locations for ceremonies for each of their (non-charter) schools.

When do Duval County students graduate?

The school district scheduled graduations for the Class of 2025 in this order:

A. Philip Randolph Academies of Technology; Wednesday, May 21, 7 p.m., at the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts, 300 Water Street

Alden Road Exceptional Student Center; Friday, May 16, 6 p.m., at the school at 11780 Alden Road

Andrew Jackson High School; Tuesday, May 27, 1 p.m., at the University of North Florida Arena, 11852 UNF Drive

Atlantic Coast High School; Friday, May 23, 1 p.m., at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, 300 A. Philip Randolph Boulevard

Baldwin Middle-Senior High School; Thursday, May 29, 7 p.m., at the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts

Bridge to Success Academy; Tuesday, May 27, 7 p.m., at the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts

Darnell Cookman School of the Medical Arts; Friday, May 23, 7 p.m., at the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts

Douglas Anderson School of the Arts; Wednesday, May 28, 7 p.m., at the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts

Duncan U. Fletcher High School; Friday, May 23, 5 p.m., at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena

Duval Virtual Instruction Academy; Wednesday, May 28, 6 p.m., at the UNF Arena

Ed White High School; Thursday, May 22, 1 p.m., at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena

Englewood High School; Friday, May 30, 1 p.m., at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena

First Coast High School; Friday, May 30, 5 p.m., at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena

Frank H. Peterson Academies of Technology; Friday, May 30, 6 p.m., at the UNF Arena

Jean Ribault High School; Friday, May 30, 1 p.m., at the UNF Arena

Mandarin High School; Tuesday, May 27, 5 p.m., at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena

Marine Science Center; Tuesday, May 20, 5 p.m., at Duncan U. Fletcher High School, 700 Seagate Avenue, Neptune Beach;

Mount Herman Exceptional Student Center; Tuesday, May 20, 11 a.m., at the school at 1741 Francis Street

Palm Avenue Exceptional Student Center; Tuesday, May 20, 5 p.m., at Paxon School for Advanced Studies, 3239 Norman E. Thagard Boulevard

Paxon School of Advanced Studies; Wednesday, May 28, 1 p.m., at UNF Arena

Riverside High School; Wednesday, May 21, 1 p.m., at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena

Samuel Wolfson School for Advanced Studies; Tuesday, May 27, 6 p.m., at UNF Arena

Sandalwood High School; Tuesday, May 27, 1 p.m., at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena

Stanton College Preparatory; Thursday, May 29, 6 p.m., at UNF Arena

Terry Parker High School; Thursday, May 29, 1 p.m., at UNF Arena

Westside High School; Thursday, May 22, 5 p.m., at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena

William M. Raines High School; Wednesday, May 21, 5 p.m., at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena

When do Baker County students graduate?

Baker County High School will start its graduation Friday, May 23, at 7 p.m. at the school at 1 Wildcat Drive, Glen St. Mary.

When do Clay County students graduate?

The school district's graduation schedule has seniors at Clay High, Fleming Island High, Keystone Heights High, Middleburg High, Oakleaf High and Orange Park High all getting their diplomas Friday, May 23 at 8 p.m. on the football fields of their respective schools.

Clay Virtual Academy students will graduate Friday, May 23 at 3 p.m. in the cafeteria of Ridgeview High, 466 Madison Avenue, Orange Park.

Elevation Academy at the Bannerman Learning Center will hold its graduation Tuesday, May 27 at 5 p.m. in the cafeteria of Fleming Island High, 2233 Village Square Parkway, Fleming Island.

Ridgeview High seniors will graduate Thursday, May 22, at 6 p.m. at the UNF Arena.

When do Nassau County students graduate?

Nassau County's graduation schedule slated Fernandina Beach High School's ceremony for Saturday, May 24 at 11 a.m. at the UNF Arena.

Hilliard Middle-Senior High School's pomp and circumstances are scheduled for Tuesday, May 27 at 7 p.m. at Paul Whittenburg Field adjoining the school at 1 Flashes Avenue.

The Nassau County Community and Virtual School graduation is scheduled for Thursday, May 22 at 7 p.m. at Wildlight Elementary, 550 Curiosity Avenue, Yulee.

West Nassau High School's graduation will be Friday, May 23 at 11 a.m. at the UNF Arena.

Graduation for Yulee High School will be Friday, May 23 at 7 p.m. at the UNF Arena.

When do St. Johns County students graduate?

The school district's graduation schedule slotted Allen D. Nease High graduates to get their diplomas Saturday, May 17 at 9 a.m. at the UNF Arena.

Bartram Trail High will graduate Monday, May 19 at 6 p.m. at the UNF Arena.

Beachside High's graduation will be Saturday, May 17 at 3 p.m. at the UNF Arena.

Creekside High seniors graduate Friday, May 16 at 6 p.m. at the UNF Arena.

Pedro Menendez High students will graduate Wednesday, May 21 at 7 p.m. at the St. Augustine Amphitheater.

Ponte Vedra High's ceremony will be Wednesday, May 21 at 6 p.m. at the UNF Arena.

St. Augustine High's graduates will get their diplomas Tuesday, May 20 at 7 p.m. at the St. Augustine Amphitheater.

St. Johns Technical High students graduate Friday, May 23 at 7 p.m. at the Tocoi Creek High auditorium, 11200 St. Johns Parkway, St. Augustine.

St. Johns Virtual School's graduation will be Thursday, May 22 at 6 p.m. at Tocoi Creek High auditorium.

Londyn Muhammad, a senior at Atlantic Coast High School, has been accepted into several universities including Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss, Florida State, Alabama & more.

Credit: Shamond Scales

Londyn Muhammad surrounded by her college acceptances.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A woman with a plan — along with 36 college acceptances and more than $1 million in scholarship money — shines bright at Atlantic Coast High School in Jacksonville.

Londyn Muhammad, a senior at Atlantic Coast, has made her family proud after being accepted into 36 colleges and universities across the nation.

"Londyn has always been very driven," said Shamond Scales, Londyn's father. "I would say around middle school, we (Scales and Londyn's mother) kind of recognized that, 'Okay, she's you know, she's a little different.' But not only that, she would just [be] very, very driven... very, very consistent in her study."

Scales told First Coast News his family moved to Jacksonville from Jackson, Tenn., during Londyn's freshman year of high school, saying that it was his daughter's first time outside the state.

Scales said the leap from a city with a population of less than 100,000 people to a city that's the largest by area in the continental United States presented challenges for Londyn.

"There was a lot to overcome: the speed of the education, the speed of the culture," Scales said. "I think that was the biggest obstacle, was just culturally trying to figure it out. It was rough on our family."

However, that hasn't stopped Londyn from achieving a weighted 4.6 GPA, Scales said. The young scholar has also accomplished becoming "Miss Atlantic Coast High," being given the principal's award from the school and serving as senior class president.

"I think Londyn's superpower is her drive to want to be the best and to excel academically," Scales said.

Now, as the sun sets on her last year of high school, Scales said Londyn has been very strategic with selecting a college to attend because forensic accounting, what she wants to study, is "a very, very specific area of accounting" and isn't offered everywhere.

Scales said it is Londyn's dream to attend Washington University, a private university in St. Louis, but explained that she's made a verbal commitment to the University of Kentucky because she has not yet heard back from the private institution about a decision on her application.

Scales said the Gates Scholarship, a scholarship that offers $90,000 a year for five years to high school seniors, "basically made every single space (college and university) possible" for Londyn to attend. He further stated that when Londyn applied, she was one of around 48,000 applicants, and only 1,500 people were awarded it.

"She already had enough [scholarship money] to full-ride to other places before the Gates Scholarship," Scales said. "That Gates Scholarship just said basically you can go anywhere in the United States you wanna go."

So far, some of the universities Londyn has been accepted into include Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss, Florida State, Alabama and Auburn.

Credit: Shamond Scales

The governor is proposing $1,000 rebate checks for all full-time homeowners, along with plans to eliminate lifelong property taxes.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis paid a visit to Jacksonville Friday morning, speaking on how he wants to help Florida homeowners save money when it comes to property taxes.

"If you’re thinking about a family of four affording when the median home price is purchased in Florida, that’s a pretty hefty tax bill right after buying a home," DeSantis said. "And when you consider what the average is throughout the United States of America, the math just doesn’t add up."

Frustrated that the Florida House is pushing against his plans for property tax reform, the governor came to Jacksonville side by side with homeowners, discussing the rising property taxes throughout the state.

“People flooded down here, and we’ve had a massive spike in real estate value,” he said. “As people are buying homes in particular, you have higher tax bases to pay property taxes.”

DeSantis was joined by Senator Blaise Ingoglia, speaking on how they believe a property tax cut will better serve Florida residents.

“You should never be in the situation where you have to give up your home because you can’t afford the taxes,” the governor said.

DeSantis added that many property values around the state have gone up three times their original purchase price as early as five years ago. With the Florida median home price now averaging $400,000, the increased property taxes and insurance costs are hindering those on a fixed income.

“This is supposed to be your private property, but you could own your home for 50 years and you still have to pay the government to live on your property,” DeSantis said.

To bring short-term relief, the governor is proposing sending out tax rebate checks of $1,000 to full-time homeowners.

“[This is] making sure people can own their homes free and clear, not being in a situation where they can’t afford it and potentially lose their property,” he said.

Also, the governor looks to put a tax reform amendment on the 2026 ballot that targets eliminating property taxes for lifelong homeowners.

Ingoglia mentioned how local government budgets have expanded their budgets by 60 to 120% just by collecting tax revenue.

“To say someone who’s been in their home for 30 years has to keep ponying up money, you don’t own your home if that’s the case,” DeSantis said. "If you’re going to tax something, do it at the transaction and then let people enjoy their private property.”

If backed by the Florida legislature, DeSantis said the tax rebates would be sent out by the end of 2025.

Estelle Williams McKissick, who was a Duval County Public Schools educator for 50 years and known as beloved "Mother McKissick" at the historic Jacksonville church led by her husband and then son, died Wednesday, May 7.

Mrs. McKissick was 96. A cause of death was not released; funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.

"I don’t have adequate words to describe this pain. My mother was my world," her son, Bishop Rudolph McKissick Jr., senior pastor of The Bethel Church, wrote in a Wednesday Instagram post. "My mother, but [she] mothered so many more. I glory in her triumph. We now have to adjust to life without her. I’m sure I will have more to say as the days come and the memories flood.

"What a woman. What a life. This morning with her family around her I whispered in her ear I love you momma. She breathed her last and woke up in glory," he wrote.

In August 2024, she celebrated 62 years of marriage to Bishop Rudolph McKissick Sr., Bethel's longest-serving pastor with 47 years at the pulpit from 1966 to 2013.

Her Duval County Public Schools career included 41 years as teacher, assistant principal and principal. She retired for one year, then a district administrator asked her to return. Nine years later, she retired again.

"I loved it, the challenge of touching young lives," McKissick said in a city of Jacksonville video upon receiving a 2015 Mayor's Trailblazer Award for lifetime achievement.

She was especially keen on helping youth "who didn't know if they were going to make it," she said. "I like to work with them. I like to give them a little light to show them they could learn."

A year after her second retirement, her husband "had a vision" and proposed that she become an educator once again, she said. He wanted to start a Saturday school for struggling students and for her to be its inaugural leader. B.E.S.T. Academy — Bethel Enhancing Students Totally — evolved into a summer academic enrichment program.

Currently, the academy helps students learn about STEM and prepare for the SAT and ACT college admission tests. Also, it helps elementary students with English and math.

"As a passionate educator and lover of The Bethel Church, we know that her earthly presence was impactful and leaves a great legacy," according to the church's Facebook announcement of her death.

bcravey@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4109