Starke employee will be missed
Mark J. Crawford
March 17, 2026
BY MARK J. CRAWFORD mark@bctelegraph.com The city of Starke mourned the sudden loss of one of its employees this past week. City Manager Drew Mullins said Cory Adams — a meter reader — died right after work March 11. The death was not related to his job, and as he...
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Sheriff affirms right to open carry, defends staff
Mark J. Crawford
March 17, 2026
BY MARK J. CRAWFORD mark@bctelegraph.com It was the first fair under Bradford County’s ownership of the fairgrounds and the management of a new fair board, but a policy posted at the gates has led to a lawsuit. Christopher Rose II is suing both the county and the Bradford County Fair...
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Bradford awarded funds to replace truck driving school
Mark J. Crawford
March 17, 2026
BY MARK J. CRAWFORD mark@bctelegraph.com Bradford County School District has funding to build its new commercial driving range. The news came last week as part of a $9 million Florida Job Growth Grant announcement. Gov. Ron DeSantis awarded $3 million so Bradford can continue training applicants for commercial driver’s licenses...
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Soil and Water Conservation District saddened by dissolution decision
Mark J. Crawford
March 17, 2026
BY MARK J. CRAWFORD mark@bctelegraph.com Citing the inability to fill its seats, the Bradford Soil and Water Conservation District has been dissolved. Amy Morie chaired the board and said despite their efforts, they have been unable to fill vacant seats. The law was changed in 2023 requiring the conservation district...
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Water shortage leads to restrictions
Mark J. Crawford
March 17, 2026
Due to continued drought conditions and a forecast that calls for lower than average rainfall in the months ahead, the Suwannee River Water Management District Governing Board on March 10 declared a Phase II Water Shortage. Currently, districtwide aquifer levels sit around the 20th percentile, and ongoing monitoring efforts show...
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Sports:
KHHS defeats Eagle’s View 16-6 in baseball
Cliff Smelley
March 13, 2026
BY CLIFF SMELLEY cliff@bctelegraph.com Brock Screen hit a three-run homer for the Keystone Heights High School baseball team in a 16-6 win over host Eagle’s View on March 13. The Indians (3-10) took a 5-1 lead on Screen’s long ball, which he hit as part of a five-run second. Cooper...
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UCHS baseball team drops 11-3 game to Celtics
Cliff Smelley
March 13, 2026
BY CLIFF SMELLEY cliff@bctelegraph.com Union County High School’s baseball team dropped its third straight game, losing 11-3 to host Trinity Catholic on March 13. The Tigers (11-4) took advantage of two errors to score the game’s first run in the top of the second, but the Celtics (10-3) answered with...
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BHS baseball team loses to Menendez
Cliff Smelley
March 13, 2026
BY CLIFF SMELLEY cliff@bctelegraph.com Bradford High School’s baseball evened the score with a three-run fifth before losing 10-4 to visiting Menendez on March 13. The Tornadoes (5-6), trailing 3-0, got back-to-back singles from Cannon Sapp and Kaedan Parks to start their half of the fifth. Sapp put Bradford on the...
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Features:
Hope 4-H spends day at the Capitol
Mark J. Crawford
March 17, 2026
Latoya Foster and her Agriscience Foundations class attended a field trip to the Capitol for 4-H Day. “The students had an amazing opportunity to learn about their state government and have first-hand experience of the political process,” she said. “We toured the House of Representative and Senate chambers, the historical...
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Union Co. Master Gardeners graduate
Mark J. Crawford
March 17, 2026
Nine Master Gardeners completed the first Union County Master Gardener training in December 2025. The course included 50 hours of horticultural training and a field trip to the University of Florida campus for the graduation ceremony and a tour of the poinsettia production greenhouses. Master Gardeners help county extension agents...
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Telegraph’s Miller receives Pillars of Service Award
Cliff Smelley
March 13, 2026
BY CLIFF SMELLEY cliff@bctelegraph.com John Miller has served his community through his involvement with the Bradford County Telegraph, but his civic engagement has encompassed much more, including his support of Santa Fe College. Miller, who has been owner and publisher of the Telegraph since 1973, was honored by Santa Fe...
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Copeland, Desire, Morris are tops in Very Berry Bakeoff
Cliff Smelley
March 12, 2026
This year’s Bradford Agricultural Fair/Bradford 4-H Very Berry Bakeoff had 17 entries from 11 participants, with Lucian Copeland, Jorden Desire and Noah Morris placing first in their respective divisions. Entries had to feature strawberries in honor of Bradford County’s agricultural heritage. Categories were Breads, Cakes, Cookies, Candy/Dipped Items and Pies....
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BHS senior Nicolas attends program at MIT
Cliff Smelley
March 12, 2026
BY CLIFF SMELLEY cliff@bctelegraph.com Imagine a trip to the Boston area, taking in the sights and enjoying the local cuisine, but spending most of your time devoted to math and science classes. A lot of us would be on board with sightseeing and eating, but Bradford High School senior Alixiyah...
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Starke Kiwanis members hear about Blanding’s POWs
Cliff Smelley
March 12, 2026
BY CLIFF SMELLEY cliff@bctelegraph.com Members of the Kiwanis Club of Starke heard some interesting facts about Camp Blanding during its World War II days, including that it housed more than 1,000 German prisoners of war. Camp Blanding Museum Historian George Cressman presented a program at the Kiwanis Club’s Feb. 17...
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Crime:
2 years for threatening to kill with a hammer
Dan Hildebran
March 10, 2026
BY DAN HILDEBRAN Dan@BcTelegraph.com A Melrose man who threatened a family member with a hammer last fall has been sentenced to two years in with the Department of Corrections followed by two years of probation after entering a no contest plea to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. According to...
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4 years for choking partner, damaging patrol camera
Dan Hildebran
March 10, 2026
BY DAN HILDEBRAN Dan@BcTelegraph.com A 23-year-old Starke man was sentenced last month to more than four years with the Department of Corrections after pleading no contest to choking and imprisoning his live-in partner during a September altercation that also led to a criminal mischief charge stemming from an unusual encounter...
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Obituaries:
Obituaries — March 10, 2026
Cliff Smelley
March 10, 2026
Arnola Hall Arnola Hall, 85, of Keystone Heights died Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, in Middleburg. She was born March 14, 1940, in Cairo, Georgia, to James Arnold and Manola Boynton. She was preceded in death by sons, Richard Wayne (Shelli) Hall Jr. and James Scott (Pam) Hall. She was...
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Obituaries — March 3, 2026
Cliff Smelley
March 3, 2026
Wayne Alvarez Stanley Wayne Alvarez, known fondly as Wayne to those who had the pleasure of knowing him, passed away quietly at his beloved farm in Bradford County on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, at the age of 78. Born Nov. 2, 1947 in Bradford County, to the late Donald and...
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Editorial:
Public deserves better notice
Mark J. Crawford
January 20, 2026
Dear Editor: Whether for or against an issue, don't we all want officials to follow the law? This past week, the Bradford County Commission voted on a controversial issue to convert the old Douglas Warehouse into a 3,000-bed ICE/DHS detention center. The agenda was only published to the county website...
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Historic loss for community
Mark J. Crawford
January 20, 2026
Dear Editor: Within the next few weeks, the community of Melrose will lose one of its most precious, historic buildings; the Mediterranean Revival Historic School House that sits on the corner of 26 and 21. This building has stood as a reminder of the importance of education and historic pride...
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POSTED 5/12/2022: CLICK HERE to download the BC Personal Taxes Display & Notice
