JACKSONVILLE, Fla. --  Showers in the area will continue racing eastward as warm front lifts north. Then some isolated showers on Thursday before a cold front brings in t-storms(some strong) on Friday.

*****Although The National Weather Service Radar is not currently sending out data.....Our Radar is up and working... The only one out of Jax*****

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The International Home Builders Show was buzzing with the newest home improvement gadgets.

Lutron electronics which sells energy saving devices from dimmers to switches rolled out battery powered automated window treatments.

"It is completely do it yourself,...more you don't need to have someone do it, I installed mine in about 11 minutes per shade," said Melissa Andresko.

The shades come in various sizes and colors and make home automation affordable.

This spring Broan Nu Tone is bringing light and functionality to bathrooms and powder rooms with a ventilation fan cleverly disguised as a ceiling light,some are energy star rated.

"Now when you need ventilation, it doesn't have to look like ventilation. Who are you appealing to?  Remodelers, anyone that is looking to retrofit,' said Karen Collins.

The Little Giant ladder company has a new select step ladder that fits in almost any space.

"This allows you

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Your home is probably the biggest investment you'll ever make, yet we make mistakes when it comes to repairs or remodeling. Here are ten home improvement tips from HGTV's Mike Holmes who was at the International Homebuilders Show in Orlando.

Number Ten:...more

Before you start the project, define the purpose of it.

"What you have to look at is it's a job. It is a job and you need to know more about what's involved, educate yourself," said Holmes.

Number Nine:

You need to calculate the costs.

"I call it the dating game when it comes to talking to contractors; people need to spend money smartly," he said.

Number Eight:

Before you hire a contractor do your due diligence.

"You could start off by talking to family, neighbors, your friends ask if they had someone that seems to be good that doesn't runaway with the money, this is just the beginning, you have a lot of work to do from there,"

This database is comprised of information obtained from the DEA's National Clandestine Laboratory Register.  A list of all documented Florida clandestine labs is available here

trycatch(v_e)Click here to load this Caspio Online...more Database. 
SEE ALSO: 
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- Clay County Sheriff Rick Beseler: "Darkest Day in the History of This Agency"
- Clay Detective First Killed in Line of Duty by Suspect Since 1913
- Body of Slain Clay Detective Moved to Jacksonville M.E.'s Office
 

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- In some neighborhoods the noise of heavy machinery and the promise of a new road might be a welcome sight.

But David Esposito questions the need and the justification of this road repaving project in his Kernan Lakes neighborhood.

"It is wasteful...more spending. There appears to be a lack of oversight, the road is in good condition," said Esposito.

It is costing taxpayers $192,000 to resurface more than 6,000 feet of road, in two sections. Esposito, who admits he is not a road engineer, believes the cracks in Alden road do not justify the expense.

"That road can't be more than 12-13 years old," said Esposito. "Where I come from in New England you get potholes the size of a truck before it gets fixed." 

Esposito took his tape measure and a hammer to demonstrate the size of the cracks near his street. "If these are the cracks that the engineering department recommended to the city, I can't believe it," he

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Duval County's graduation rate took a hit following the calculation of federal rules now being used to determine the percentage of students who graduate in four years.

In December, the Florida Department of Education released statewide numbers that put the...more state's graduation rate at 80%, but the federal calculation drops the number to 70%.

The federal graduation rate counts students who receive standard diplomas within four years.  The state had counted students who received special diplomas.

In Duval County the calculation change resulted in an 8% drop with the federal formula lowering the graduation rate to 63%. In December, the state graduation figure gave Duval its highest percentage ever with 71%.

Duval County school board chairperson Betty Burney was not upset with the federal formula.

"I think what they are trying to do is get everybody uniform," said Burney.

Clay, Nassau and St. Johns county

 A fundraising campaign conducted by Sailormen, Inc. at Popeyes restaurants in Northeast Florida and across the Southeast will provide customers with valuable discounts while garnering support for the Muscular Dystrophy Association's worldwide research and services programs. 

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Voting in the 3rd Annual HighSchoolSports.net Slam Dunk Contest is underway.  Watch the video clip above to see the contestants in action, then vote in the poll (located at the bottom of this article) as many times as you want.

Voting will end at 11:00 p.m. on...more Sunday, February 12th.  The winner will be announced that night on Sports Final which begins at 11:30 p.m. on First Coast News.

This is the third year that we have held this contest.  In 2009, former Mandarin High School star Charles McRoy received the most votes.  He is now playing basketball at UNF.

Also that year, current Florida Gator Patric Young competed as did Aaron Bowen who currently plays at Georgetown and Stacey Poole Jr. who recently transferred from Kentucky to Georgia Tech.

For a look back at the 2009 contest, click here.

For a look back at the 2011 contest which Terry Parker's Solomon Poole won, click here.

Finally, be sure to like

 
Maintaining healthy cholesterol levels can keep heart disease, heart attack and stroke away. And a commonly used vitamin could help by increasing production of “good” cholesterol in the body, researchers at the University of Florida College of Medicine-Jacksonville have found. The findings were published recently in the journal Metabolism, Clinical and Experimental.

 
The U.S. Department of Education today approved Florida’s request for a flexibility waiver from the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Florida was one of 11 states asking for flexibility with regard to accountability standards mandated by the No Child Left Behind legislation...more implemented in 2001. The state requested the waiver to be able to move to a single statewide accountability system that would eliminate duplicative regulation and make Florida’s system easier to understand.