Singer-Songwriter-Musician Mike Jurgensen From New Port Richey Continues to EntertainMike Jurgensen has won the Will McLean Best New Florida Song Competition three times. Now he serves as one of the contest judges. It’s a testament to his talent. Whether singing solo or performing in the band 2PM, Mike’s smooth “James Taylor-style” voice captivates the audience. Two of his songs, “Margaret” and “Music Drifts Along This River,” were included in the national Edward R. Murrow award-winning documentary, “Apalachicola “Doin’ Time” produced by Donna Green-Townsend in 2000.
Mike currently performs with the trio, “2PM” which includes musicians Pete Price and Pete Hennings. During the group’s latest appearance as part of the Sunday Sampler Series at the historic train depot in Dunnellon, FL they performed one of Mike’s latest songs, “Let’s Just Play One More.” The song captures how music can go late into the night around campfires at music festivals around the state because it’s just hard to pull yourself away from a great jam with friends.
Mike Jurgensen sat down with Donna Green-Townsend to talk about what inspires his songwriting:
Feature on Mike before a concert at the Studio Arts Center in Crystal River, Florida.
2PM performing the Herb McCullough Song, “Love Is All There Is,” at the 2018 Will McLean Festival.
2PM performing David Crossland’s song, “When The Buffalo Comes Back,” at the 2012 Will McLean Festival
2PM performing Ken Skeens’ song, “Down A Barefoot Road” at the 2012 Will McLean Festival.
Republican State Rep. Dennis Baxley from Ocala (photo by Ethan Magoc / WUFT)
Florida’s “stand your ground” law continues to be debated across the country following the not guilty verdict for George Zimmerman. Florida’s law was the first of its kind in the nation, and many other states have followed in the years since. The stand your ground law states people have the right to use deadly force to defend themselves when in fear of “imminent peril of death or great bodily harm…”
While delivering a speech this week at the NAACP Convention in Orlando, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder encouraged attendees to take a stand against stand your ground-style laws.
But other lawmakers say they feel instead of changing the law, the nation needs to promote a less violent society. Jimmie Smith, Republican state representative in Citrus and part of Hernando counties, said legislators want people to be able to defend themselves.
“The stand your ground law gives you the right to not have to flee a situation. So if somebody breaks into your home, you do not have to run. If somebody tries to take your car, you can stand and defend yourself,” said Smith.
Although Smith is not surprised some would like the government to reevaluate these laws, he hopes they will remain unchanged. Dennis Baxley, Republican state representative from Ocala, co-authored Florida’s law in 2005. Baxley said the law has become a political football that has put the U.S. attorney general under a great deal of pressure to do something.
“I’m very disturbed by the fact that we are playing that as a race discussion when this is truly about respect for human life and what will keep our people safe,” said Baxley. Baxley said he wouldn’t be surprised if lawmakers introduce new bills during the next legislative session to make possible changes in the law.
Donna Green-Townsend talked with Republican State Representative Dennis Baxley:
Meanwhile in Tallahassee, members of the group Dream Defenders have been holding a sit-in outside Gov. Rick Scott’s office pushing for changes to the stand your ground law.
“There are tons of things going on in our state that just disproportionately affect people of color,” said Nailah Summers, University of Florida Dream Defenders president. Summers said the Dream Defenders do not plan to leave until Scott hears their concerns.
Baxley said he’s aware of the Dream Defenders and others’ concerns about the law. Still, he said, “you don’t build policy just on that kind of emotion.”
Railroad Crossing near Hawthorne where Martin Beckles’ Fed Ex truck was hit by a CSX train. (photo by Donna Green-Townsend / WUFT)
Updated, July 11: Martin Beckles has died from his injuries, Florida Highway Patrol announced Wednesday afternoon.
The accident report stated he was to be treated at UF Health Shands Hospital, though Shands officials never confirmed his stay there. That was likely because he was brought in under an alias due to the severity of his injuries, an FHP investigator told WUFT News.
Prior to Beckles’ passing, David Westrick, FedEx spokesman for media relations, could not confirm how long the company had employed Beckles, though he did say FedEx was working with authorities on the investigation to determine how the crash happened.
“Our thoughts and well wishes are extended to Mr. Beckles and his family,” Westrick said.
Gary Sease, a CSX spokesman, wrote the following in an email to WUFT News:
The CSX freight train was southbound and had begun its trip at Jacksonville with a destination of Tampa. The train had two locomotives and 34 rail cars. The speed limit for trains in that particular area is 60 mph and the train’s event recorder indicates it was traveling 53 mph when it collided with the delivery truck on July 3. The crossing is a private one for the access of a property owner in the area. It is marked with cross bucks (the “X” sign indicating a crossing). We are cooperating with authorities looking into this collision. Our thoughts are with the injured driver.
There are no railroad crossing arms at the area where Beckles was hit, and a blog comment posted by a witness Sunday mentioned the difficulty of seeing a train coming due to the rain at the time of the accident.
“You could not see more than 30 feet in front of you,” wrote Ashley Schneider, an employee at Walt’s Tree Service, 11106 SE US Highway 301. “The conductor was trying very hard to hold back the tears wishing there was something he could do to change the event.”
No charges have been filed in the investigation, which is ongoing.
Original story, July 4: The driver of a FedEx vehicle suffered critical injuries after a train collided with his truck at a railroad crossing Wednesday afternoon just south of Hawthorne.
The Florida Highway Patrol reports Martin Beckles, 51, of Ocala was attempting to cross railroad tracks from a private drive off U.S. Highway 301 south of Hawthorne at 3:55 p.m. when a southbound CSX train hit the truck’s passenger side.
The railroad crossing does not have cross arms and FHP reports heavy rain at the time of the accident. Beckles was rushed to UF Health in Gainesville. Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. Bruce Simmons said the investigation into the accident is continuing.
The coming-of-age musical “Avenue Q,” which features a unique blend of actors and puppets, is in its final three weeks at the Hippodrome State Theatre in downtown Gainesville.
The original play garnered Tony Awards for best musical, best score and best book. WUFT-‘s Donna Green-Townsend talked with two New York actors who are in the play, Michael Hull and Jennifer Lauren Brown, about the popularity of this “adult-themed” comedy.
For more on the show, visit the Hippodrome’s website.
The Sno Rogers Band performing for a Sunday Sampler in Dunnellon
The Sno Rogers Band has gone through a few changes. At the time this feature was produced the members were David McBrady on Banjo, Terry Miller on guitar and Barbara Johnson on bass. The band was known for its high energy!
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During the 2015 Will McLean Music Festival at the Sertoma Youth Ranch near Dade City two of the former members of the Sno Rogers Band, David McBrady (bass) and Terry Miller (guitar) jammed together along with Lee Townsend on banjo and Jordan Cherkinsky on mandolin for old times sake. It was one of those memorable festival campground moments.
The Florida Citrus Commission wants consumers to count on Florida’s ability to provide a citrus product. Not only is that reliability important, but the citrus commission also wants consumers to expect a quality product. To that end, the commission has to come up with clever marketing strategies ways to market the state’s oranges and grapefruit. Donna Green-Townsend talked with the Director of Marketing for the Florida Citrus Commission, Bill Gordon. This story originally aired statewide on the IFAS program, Florida File in 1990.
Orange County is home to thousands of hotel rooms. The amount of trash hauled away to landfill sites costs hotels a lot of money. In 1990 Orange County Energy Extension Agent Jo Townsend talked with Donna Green-Townsend about an award-winning hotel recycling projectdesigned to save the hotel industry money while doing something positive for the environment. This story ran on the statewide IFAS television program Florida File in 1990.
In an effort to increase oyster harvesting in Dixie and Suwannee Counties in Florida, the Florida Sea Grant Program in cooperation with the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute teamed up with 4-H students in a special oyster aquaculture program. As Donna Green-Townsend reports, the project involved placing oyster seeds in a variety of mesh bags out in the Gulf of Mexico. (this feature originally aired on the statewide IFAS program Florida File in 1990)
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