Eric Anderson, the emergency preparedness manager for the Northeast Florida Regional Council, told the Keystone Heights Rotary Club during its Sept. 21 meeting that when Florida’s 10 regional planning councils were first established in the 1970s, their mission was to manage growth within the state through regional planning. Anderson added that now, growth management is … Read more
The president of the Clay Education Association thanked two outgoing school board members for standing up for teachers. Vicki Kidwell said Tina Bullock and Janice Kerekes have always spoken out for instructors in Clay County. “Teaching isn’t easy,” Kidwell said, “and seeing our school board members at school functions, reading to our kids, and speaking … Read more
STARKE — The Florida Department of Transportation will host an open house to provide citizens with an update on the Starke Railroad Overpass Interchange Improvements project. The hybrid open house will be held Tuesday, Oct. 11, at the Gov. Charley E. Johns Conference Center, 1610 N. Temple Ave. in Starke. Project staff will be available … Read more
Union County’s unemployment rate decreased from 2.9% to 2.7% during August, while Clay County’s jobless rate fell from 2.6% to 2.5% during the month. Bradford’s rate held steady at 3.1%. Nassau County had the lowest rate in northeast Florida with 2.4%, and Putnam County reported the highest at 4%. Statewide, the unemployment rate remained unchanged … Read more
Keystone Heights City Council members discussed allowing golf carts on city streets after City Manager Lynn Rutkowski provided them with current golf cart ordinances from Starke, Green Cove Springs and Putnam County, in addition to the state statutes regulating the vehicles. She said if the council decided to move forward with allowing golf carts on … Read more
A St. Johns River Water Management District manager said Lake Brooklyn rose by 0.7 feet in August, bringing the lake’s level to 102.45 feet, which is near Brooklyn’s long-term average. Michael Daly, a water resource data manager in the district’s Bureau of Water Resource Information, said rainfall in the central and northern portions of the … Read more
DLP Bancshares of St. Augustine announced that it has acquired Community State Bank in Starke. DLP Bancshares is a holding company owned by a consortium of private investors, including Don Wenner, CEO of the real estate investment and financial services firm DLP Capital. DLP Bankshares said in a news release that following the acquisition, it … Read more
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Lawtey Police Department honored a Lawtey police officer for apprehending a defendant in a carjacking incident. Cesar Rodriguez, an off-duty Lawtey officer, was riding a motorcycle in the Argyle Forest area of Jacksonville on Aug. 3 when he saw a traffic crash and was told by witnesses that one … Read more
A jury acquitted former Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels of all charges Thursday night after a three-day trial in Green Cove Springs. Prosecutors claimed that while sheriff in 2019, Daniels ordered deputies to arrest his mistress: Cierra Smith, for stalking him. He was charged with lying to law enforcement about the circumstances surrounding Smith’s arrest … Read more
During its Sept. 13 meeting, Clay County commissioners approved a $333,444 bid to convert the tennis courts at Twin Lakes Park east of Keystone Heights and the W.E. Varnes Park on College Drive in Orange Park to pickleball. Commissioner Betsy Condon said the planned conversion is bringing excitement to the Lake Region. “They have 35 … Read more
