Carmen Macri

Since a young age, Carmen Macri knew she wanted to be a writer. She started as our student intern and has advanced to Multi-media Journalist/Creative. She graduated from the University of North Florida and quickly found her home with Folio Weekly. She juggles writing, photography and running Folio’s social media accounts.

Jacksonville Is Getting in Its Own Way … Again.

Carmen Macri

September 19, 2024

Downtown·Feature·News

What is really happening with the Laura Street Trio? Words by Carmen Macri In the very heart of Downtown Jacksonville lies the very vacant Laura Street Trio. The buildings have been deteriorating for more than 30 years with graffiti covering the walls and overgrown weeds taking over the landscape. But the question remains, why? To put it bluntly, the

Feature

Healthcare Prices May Be on the Rise as Baptist Health and Florida Blue Battle It Out

Words by Carmen Macri A dispute between Northeast Florida’s largest healthcare system and its leading health insurance provider has left tens of thousands of people uncertain about their future healthcare. The three-year contract between Baptist Health and Blue Cross Blue Shield Florida (BCBS) is set to expire on

The Holy Punt

Collegiate Football Program Comes to Jacksonville Community College Words by Carmen

Get Rowdy at The Rowdy Pickle

Words By Carmen Macri For reasons beyond me, pickleball has become

Best Local Journalist: Katie Jeffries

January 20, 2023

Feature

Best Local Journalist Katie Jeffries First Coast News anchor, traffic reporter and news reporter Katie Jeffries has always had a passion for journalism. From a young age, Jeffries parents believed she would grow up to be a lawyer or a writer because of her love for investigating, debating and writing

Tattoo Talk

December 30, 2022

Feature·Lifestyle

Tattoo Talk Words by Carmen Macri What better way to get to know someone than when they are stabbing you repeatedly in the back of the arm? (I personally can’t think of one.) There is always that awkward limbo when getting a tattoo. Do you try to make small talk?

The Willow Sisters

December 21, 2022

Feature·Music·On Stage

The Willow Sisters Words by Carmen Macri Much like the songs of a weeping willow, twins Kristen and Brittany Rogers have voices so soothing you will find yourself in a trance. The sisters have been singing alongside each other since before they can remember. Growing up, they had a burning

Sinister Santa

December 21, 2022

Feature·Opinion

Sinister Santa Words by Carmen Macri He enslaves hundreds, breaks into millions of homes a year and preys on children specifically. I mean, I am not sure why the world is so in love with this (dare I say) predator. The lore of ol’ St. Nick dates to 200 A.D.,

Folio’s Declassified New Years Eve Survival Guide

December 1, 2022

Feature·Lifestyle

New Years’ Eve survival guide for people who hate new years’ Words by Carmen Macri and Ambar Ramirez What is better than being bumper to bumper in a sweaty crowded college bar on new years eve? Fighting off the anxiety of finding some lucky stranger to be your new year’s

Would You Freeze-Dry Your Best Friend?

November 26, 2022

Feature

More and more pet owners are looking to taxidermy to keep memories alive Words By Carmen Macri Yes, it is exactly what it sounds like. It pains me to say that stuffing the family pet has made somewhat of a comeback, based on social media posts anyway. Losing a

Boring Social Media is Making a Comeback

November 1, 2022

Feature·Lifestyle

Words by Carmen Macri Once a day at random, I receive the notification “Time to BeReal: 2 min left to capture a BeReal and see what your friends are up to.” No matter where I am or what I am doing, I have to take two photos simultaneously; one

Bar Brawl

November 1, 2022

Community·Downtown·Feature·Food + Drink

Words by Carmen Macri Spirits were high during the third quarter of the Bar Brawl at The Volstead downtown. The bracket-style competition calls for the best bartenders in the city to show the people what they’re made of, only it comes with a twist. The bartenders are given a spirit

Liar Liar Pants on Fire

October 19, 2022

Feature·Uncategorized

Words by Carmen Macri If I told you Jacksonville is home to some of the most notorious liars, would you believe me? Everybody lies. Whether it’s a little white lie or a tale of a rogue military mission gone wrong. (We will get there soon.) The only difference between the

Bed Bug Guru

October 3, 2022

Music

Words by Carmen Macri No, they’re not experts on the creepy crawlers hiding inside your mattress. (Well, they might be, I don’t know.) They’re just four Florida boys trying to make it bug, I mean big. Jacksonville is known for birthing some of the biggest names in the music industry: