Sixth HND scholarship winner wants to be a nurse

Submitted by FirstCoastNews Web Staff

Wednesday, May 15th, 2013, 8:37pm

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. -- In a field of five brothers, Mary Kate Truss has grown up knowing how to stand out.

"It's really fun. I mean, at first when I was like seven, I was like I would love a sister anytime," she joked.

The 18-year-old senior at Bishop Kenny High School is as devoted to her studies as she is volunteering.

She maintains a high grade point average while also holding down a job and babysitting.

But all of her volunteer work did not really get started for her until after a back surgery when she was younger.

Truss said, "All the nurses there were so great, and I was like if I can get through this surgery, I can give back to others."

From then on, she did just that.

Truss volunteers at the Mandarin Food Bank. She traveled to Haiti on a mission trip to help an orphanage after the earthquake. That trip is also when she made a big life decision.

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Fourth Hero Next Door student scholarship winner revealed

Submitted by FirstCoastNews Web Staff

Monday, May 13th, 2013, 8:01pm

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. - Another superb student on the First Coast is $1,000 richer.

On Monday morning during Good Morning Jacksonville, First Coast News handed out another Hero Next Door student scholarship.

It was the fourth of 11 total scholarships that are being handed out to a field of finalists that were narrowed down from more than 500 applicants.

The final scholarship of $5,000 and will be handed out May 22 during Good Morning Jacksonville.

The rest will be handed out during the morning show every weekday until the big finale.

Monday's winner is 18-year-old Alexa Parsons, a senior from Creekside High School.

Her dad, Mike, nominated her for her academic success and work with at-risk youth.

"I think that it seems to be something that comes naturally to her to reach out and try to help people that don't have the good fortunate she has," he said.

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Julington Creek Police Blotter - May 2013

Submitted by FirstCoastNews Web Staff

Wednesday, May 1st, 2013, 11:20pm

No police reports at this time.

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Retired cop gets involved in catching speeders

Submitted by FirstCoastNews Web Staff

Saturday, March 23rd, 2013, 8:39am

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Old habits are dying hard for a retired cop in West Jacksonville.

Michael Liptrap has 20 years of experience as both a state and military police officer. He retired in Jacksonville in the Ortega area.

One of his areas of specialty while he was on the job was traffic enforcement.

Liptrap wrote First Coast News concerned about a traffic issue in his neighborhood, specifically involving Seaboard Ave.

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Ending the 'R' word in Florida

Submitted by Ken Amaro, Ken Amaro, Community Reporter

Wednesday, March 20th, 2013, 6:57pm

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Mora Rossi, 25, has down syndrome and hates the 'R' word.

"People get pushed around a lot because they're different," she said.

Rossi, who completed high school and a transition program at UNF, said her disability does not define her.

"I don't think as myself as a person hearing the 'R' word," said Rossi, "I think of myself as a person who want to change the world."

She wants the word retardation replaced with the phrase 'intellectual disability'.

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Group pushing for new speed limit on Argyle Forest Blvd.

Submitted by FirstCoastNews Web Staff

Wednesday, March 20th, 2013, 12:52pm

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A west Jacksonville neighborhood is trying to get the city to change the speed limit on Argyle Forest Boulevard.

Right now, a stretch of the road is marked with three speed limits in less than three miles.

The beginning of the stretch begins at Blanding Boulevard, where the speed limit is 35 M.P.H.

It rises two more times to 40 M.P.H. and 45 M.P.H. the farther you drive west.

The Argyle Area Civic Council believes the road has been marked this way since before it went from a two lane road to a four lane road.

The group would like to see the road marked consistently at 45 M.P.H.

Bill Lewis, the group's president, said this week the change would help with traffic flow and cut down on unintentional speeding.

"People are used to 45 M.P.H. on all sorts of roads in Jacksonville with four lanes," he said.

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Teacher of the Week: Laurie Menefee

Submitted by Amanda Zitzman, Traffic Anchor/Reporter

Wednesday, March 6th, 2013, 9:51pm

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- She provides an environment where children want to come to school and strive to succeed. That's why Laurie Menefee was nominated as our Teacher of the Week!

"Kids are absolutely amazing," Menefee said as we visited her fourth grade classroom at Timberlin Creek Elementary in St. Johns County. "They find the humor in life and they enjoy learning."

Menefee has been a teacher for nearly ten years, eight of which she's spent at Timberlin Creek, where students can enjoy an interactive learning process.

"Being in a class like this where we have hands-on technology, it just really makes them want to do their best and want to be the best they can be," Menefee said.

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