MORE INFORMATION. LOOK FOR THIS STORY ON THE HOME PAGE OF NEWS. 4 JAX DOT COM. AND
BEFORE WE CLOSE THE BOOK ON
2021, WE WANTED TO TAKE A
MOMENT TO LOOK BACK AT THE BIG
STORIES THAT SHAPED THIS YEAR.
YEAH, WE HAVE A LOT THIS YEAR.
SO JEN JOINS US NOW RIGHT NOW.
WE’LL TAKE A LOOK AT THE LOCAL
STORIES JUN THAT MADE
HEADLINES. GOOD MORNING TO
BOTH OF YOU. AND GOOD MORNING
TO OUR VIEWERS SOME OF THE
MOST READ STORIES ALSO ON OUR
WEBSITE NEWS 4 JAX DOT COM.
>>LAUREN VERNO: STORIES OF
HEARTBREAK AND HOPE
DISAPPOINTMENT AND TRIUMPH.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: 2021 BEGINS
WITH HOPE FOR NORMALCY AS
VACCINATIONS ROLL OUT. I FEEL
LIKE I WON THE LOTTERY AND
HOPE FOR THE JAGUARS AFTER
ENDING 2020 WITH THE WORST
RECORD IN THE NFL.
>> THOSE DREAMS ON THE
SHOULDERS OF A NEW HEAD COACH.
I’M NOT GOING TO JUMP INTO A
SITUATION WHERE I DON’T
BELIEVE WE CAN WIN. I’M NOT I
WON’T DO THAT. HINDSIGHT IS
2020 AND WE’D SEE MORE FROM
HIM IN 2021. COVID-19 WOULD
CONTINUE TO DOMINATE THE
HEADLINES FOR MONTHS. WE’D SEE
LONG LINES OF PEOPLE
STRETCHING AROUND LOCAL
VACCINATION SITES. WE DON’T
KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT UNTIL YOU
COME OUT HERE. THOSE WOULD
EVENTUALLY BECOME SHORTER.
>> AND A NEW DEBATE WOULD TAKE
CENTER STAGE. THESE KIDS DO
NOT NEED TO BE WEARING THESE
MASKS. OKAY. I’M SORRY. THEY
DOWN THE BACK AND FORTH ABOUT
SCHOOL MASK MANDATES WOULD GO
ON FOR MONTHS WITH PASSIONATE
CROWDS GATHERING OUTSIDE
SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS. FACING
LEGAL CHALLENGES AND FOR A
TIME LOWER INFECTION RATE. THE
MANDATE WOULD DISAPPEAR. BUT
THE VIRUS WOULD NOT. THEN
TRAGEDY STRIKES OUR COMMUNITY
ON MOTHER’S DAY IN THE EARLY
MORNING HOURS. DOORBELL
CAMERAS, RECORD 2 TEENAGERS
WALKING THROUGH A QUIET SAINT
JOHNS COUNTY NEIGHBORHOOD.
ONLY ONE RETURNS LATER THAT
DAY. A MASSIVE SEARCH FOR 13
YEAR-OLD TRISTON BAILEY AND
THAT EVENING.
>> A GRIM DISCOVERY. WE HAVE
LOCATED A BODY THAT HAS PUT
HIM IN A DEN A FINE AS TRISTON
BAILEY. THE CHEERLEADER HAD
BEEN STABBED. DOZENS OF TIMES.
INVESTIGATORS SAY BY A FELLOW
STUDENT, THIS IS A COLD
BLOODED MURDER OF A 13
YEAR-OLD YOUNG GIRL.
>> WHO DID NOT DESERVE TO DIE.
THE HEARTBREAKING NEWS SPREADS
THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. HER
SPIRIT AND BRIGHT PERSONALITY.
REMEMBER DURING MASSIVE
MEMORIALS, I LOVE YOUR SON SO
MUCH. SHE’S ALWAYS BEEN THERE
FOR ME. SHE’S BEEN ONE OF MY
CLOSEST FRIENDS. THE SUSPECTED
KILLER NOW CHARGED AS AN ADULT
IS EXPECTED TO STAND TRIAL
NEXT YEAR.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: THE 2021
HURRICANE SEASON THAT BEGAN
AND REMAINED RELATIVELY QUIET.
BUT IT WAS INTERRUPTED BY
TROPICAL STORM ELSA AND A PAIR
OF DESTRUCTIVE TORNADO GOT BIG
TORNADO. ONE SWEEPING THROUGH
A BUSINESS PARK ALONG PHILIPS
HIGHWAY, KNOCKING DOWN TREES,
RIPPING APART ROOFS AND
WRAPPING SHEETS OF METAL
AROUND THE CELL PHONE TOWER.
ALMOST LIKE A TRAIN GOING BY
ANOTHER CARVING A PATH THROUGH
SAINT MARY’S AND THE KINGS BAY
NAVAL BASE. THE ONLY DEATH IN
THE U.S. FROM THAT STORM. A
LOCAL NAVY AIRMAN KILLED BY A
FALLING TREE BRANCH REMEMBERED
AS A LOVING FATHER, HUSBAND,
BROTHER AND FRIEND ON THE
WORLD STAGE. LOCAL SWIMMERS
MAKE WAVES REPRESENTING THE
UNITED STATES AND NORTHEAST
FLORIDA DURING THE TOKYO
OLYMPICS, CLAY HIGH ZONE.
CALEB DRESSEL EARNING 5 GOLD
MEDALS BECOMING JUST THE 5TH
SWIMMER EVER TO PULL THAT OFF
DURING A SINGLE OLYMPICS. BOTH
GRAD RYAN MURPHY TAKING HOME 3
GOLD, SILVER AND BRONZE. THEN
IN LATE SEPTEMBER. A TRAFFIC
STOP JUST OUTSIDE PROGRAM.
DEPUTY JOSHUA MOYERS SHOT 3
TIMES, BUT WE’RE GOING TO KEEP
MOVING LIKE HUNDREDS OF FELLOW
OFFICERS AND IMMEDIATELY
LAUNCHED A SEARCH FOR THE
SHOOTER. TRAGICALLY MOYERS
DOES NOT SURVIVE SEVERAL DAYS
LATER, DEPUTIES FIND THE
SUSPECT HIDING IN THE BATHROOM
AT A YOUTH SPORTS COMPLEX.
CRAWL LIKE A BABY. LIKE THE
COWARD. HE IS. HE’S ARRESTED
USING MOYERS OWN HANDCUFFS. I
WISH HE WOULD GIVE US AN
OPPORTUNITY. THE SHOOTING AND
CHARGED WITH MURDER MORE THAN
A YEAR AND A HALF AFTER AHMAUD
ARBERY WAS SHOT AND KILLED
WHILE JOGGING THROUGH THE
SATILLA SHORES NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE EYES OF THE NATION TURNED
TO GLYNN COUNTY. 3 MEN ON
TRIAL FOR MURDER AND A LIST OF
OTHER CHARGES.
♪
♪
♪ ♪ >>JENNIFER WAUGH: AS ACTIVISTS
FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY GATHER
OUTSIDE THE COURTHOUSE DRAWING
CONTROVERSIAL COMMENTS FROM
THE DEFENSE. THE CASE GOES TO
THE JURY AFTER NEARLY 12 HOURS
OF DELIBERATION, A VERDICT
COUNT ONE MALICE MURDER.
>> WE THE JURY FIND THE
DEFENDANT TRAVIS MCMICHAEL
GUILTY TO TELL I NEVER THOUGHT
THIS DAY BACK IN I NEVER
THOUGHT THIS DAY WOULD COME.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: BUT GOD IS
GOOD. A SENTENCING HEARING
SCHEDULED FOR NEXT MONTH
FOLLOWED BY A FEDERAL TRIAL ON
HATE CRIMES CHARGES. AND
REMEMBER THE HIGH HOPES FOR
THE JAGS AT THE START OF THE
YEAR OF THE FIELD. OUR PLAYERS
WANT TO PLAYERS WORKED VERY
HARD AND THEY’VE BEEN TREATED
RIGHT. SO I LIKE WHERE THEY’VE
GONE THE WAY OF THE TEAM’S
HEAD COACH AFTER REPEATED
MISSTEPS FROM THIS VIRAL VIDEO
RECORDED AT AN OHIO BAR, A
QUESTIONABLE HIGHER TO REPORTS
OF MEYER CALLING HIS COACHES
LOSERS AND FORMER KICKER JOSH
LAMBO SAYING MY ARE ACTUALLY
KICKED HIM. THE JAGS FINALLY
SEND THE COACH PACKING.
THERE’S NOT A MAGIC PILL.
>> THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO
TO FIX WE ALWAYS HAVE TO TAKE
OWNERSHIP AND BETTER. THE
SCOREBOARD AT TIA BANK FIELD
NOW ESSENTIALLY READS HELP
WANTED. AND ONCE AGAIN, FANS
HOPE FOR SOMETHING BETTER NEXT
YEAR.
>>LAUREN VERNO: SO MUCH TO
TALK ABOUT OVER THE YEARS. SO
WE’RE POSTING STORY, BY THE
WAY, WITH THESE AND OTHER
LOCAL HEADLINES ON OUR WEBSITE
NEWS 4 JAX DOT COM. WE ALSO
LOST SOME COMMUNITY LEADERS
AND LONG TIME FRIENDS THIS
YEAR. TOMMY HAZOURI, FORMER
JACKSONVILLE MAYOR AND CITY
COUNCIL MEMBER. DOCTOR LEON
HALEY, THE FORMER CEO OF U.S.
HEALTH, JACKSONVILLE AND FIRST
PERSON TO GET VACCINATED HERE
IN NORTHEAST FLORIDA. STERLING
JOYCE JACKSONVILLE BEACH
LEGEND. SO MANY LOVED AND BILL
TOMLINSON, A DEAR DEAR FRIEND,
WJXT ENGINEER, AND CO-WORKER
FOR MORE THAN 25 YEARS. WILL
BE MISSED.
♪