Murray Hill and Ortega Community News

Woman rescues stranger from oncoming train

Ken Amaro — Wednesday, May 22nd, 6:17 am

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The driver of a 1997 Nissan Altima and the engineer behind an oncoming Amtrak train crossed paths Tuesday in the Ortega area; it was an impending disaster. "You could hear the Amtrak train," said Annette Brown, "I said 'Oh my God.'" But to Brown, it was where faith met destiny. "I was saying to her 'get out of the car,'" said Brown, "but she said 'but my car...

Sibling sexual abuse hurts a Jacksonville father

Ken Amaro — Friday, May 10th, 8:05 pm

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- It is still one of society's greatest taboo but because no wants to talk about it, doesn't stop sibling sexual abuse. According to the Pandora Project studies have shown that between 2% and 4% of people have been sexually victimized by a sibling. "What is a father to do?" asked Reggie Thomas. Thomas, 36, is a divorced father who is worried about his two...

Widow denied access to deceased husband's savings

Ken Amaro — Thursday, May 2nd, 7:27 pm

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Married 53 years, it is hard for Julia Bolena to forget her husband and what he brought to their marriage. Sixteen months ago, her husband died of cancer and Bolena said she has been trying to close a chapter with the bank ever since. "I just know there's some way they can resolve it if they want," she said. Her husband had two accounts, a checking and a small savings...

Murray Hill Ortega Police Blotter - May 2013

FirstCoastNews Web Staff — Wednesday, May 1st, 11:27 pm

No police reports at this time.

PictureMe customers want refund or pictures

Ken Amaro — Thursday, April 25th, 8:08 pm

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Clarissa Griffin wanted to celebrate six-month-old Suri and took her to PictureMe, a portrait studio inside many Walmart stores. "I went to take her picture two days before Easter," she said, "I had never had her pictures taken." Griffin said the studio sold her a package deal for $139.09. "They took a total of 32 pictures. They did the Easter background and they...

Lost USPS package baffles Jacksonville resident

FirstCoastNews Web Staff — Wednesday, April 10th, 9:34 pm

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Wynoma is wondering where her package is. She tells First Coast News that she mailed it from the Murray Hill post office on March 26th but it never got to its destination. First Coast News called the United States Postal Service's Murray Hill branch and were told Wynoma's package was supposed to arrive at Jacksonville's Northside on March 28th. First...

Residents blame JEA power lines for fire

Ken Amaro — Thursday, March 28th, 7:29 pm

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Earlier this year, a two-alarm fire spread from a field under JEA's high power lines near Crystal Springs to several homes nearby, causing damage. Tina Parrish said her teenage son grabbed a garden hose and started spraying the fence. "If he did not do that, it would have been worse," said Parrish, "Our deck and home would have been on fire." The fire...

Retired cop gets involved in catching speeders

FirstCoastNews Web Staff — Saturday, March 23rd, 8:39 am

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...

Allied Veterans customer glad to see state crackdown

Ken Amaro — Tuesday, March 19th, 9:46 pm

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Peggy Johnson, self-employed, was a regular at the Allied Veterans internet cafes. "The most I have ever won is $600 about two months ago," said Johnson. "Ask me how much I have lost." Johnson said it was called a sweepstakes cafe, but there is no doubt what it was. "It is gambling, money for money," said Johnson, "You have to place cash on the card and that's what you get...

Stolen identity, a Baker County man wants his good name back

Ken Amaro — Monday, March 18th, 7:52 pm

MACCLENNY, Fla. -- Meet Chris Milton, the real Chris Milton who lives hundreds of miles from Upstate New York. "I have never been to New York," said Milton. Milton grew up and lives in Baker County; he has been a few places, Buffalo, New York is not one of them, but his name surfaced there. "It is not a good feeling," said Milton," you try to live a good life and abide by the law...