Category Archives: City News
Ayscue Files to be Next City Mayor
Fernandina Beach City Commissioner Darron Ayscue has filed to run for mayor in the August [...]
Bioethanol Forum to be Held Monday — All Are Invited
By Mike Lednovich Plans for a bioethanol plant to be located at the Rayonier Performance [...]
1 Comment
City Looking at Lower Density Numbers Downtown and Elsewhere
By Mike Lednovich Fernandina Beach city commissioners have agreed that city staff should make recommendations [...]
2 Comments
Mar
Waterfront Dispute Comes Down to a Park or More Parking Spaces
By Mike Lednovich The race is on to determine whether a waterfront park in Fernandina [...]
6 Comments
Mar
RYAM Open House a Friendly Affair
The crowd at the RYAM bioethanol open house Wednesday was mostly neighbors wondering about this [...]
6 Comments
Mar
It Might Feel Early, But the Time to Seek Office Is Upon Us
By Suanne Thamm This year is a crucial political year for the city of Fernandina [...]
3 Comments
Mar
Commentary: Good Old Boys Versus the Public Good
By Mike Lednovich In the heart of Fernandina Beach, important decisions that shape our community’s [...]
23 Comments
Mar
Rotary’s Taste of Amelia is Coming March 9
The 37th Taste of Amelia event will showcase culinary treats from a variety of restaurants [...]
Mar
A Fateful Deliberation Continues Over Potential Density Changes
By Mike Lednovich Like the scientists in the film Oppenheimer who grappled with the potential [...]
3 Comments
Mar
City-County Soccer Field Deal Nears Completion
By Mike Lednovich Nassau County will contribute up to $1.7 million to help Fernandina Beach [...]
5 Comments
Feb
City Seeks Grants to Cover Public Safety Shortages
By Mike Lednovich Fernandina Beach’s Fire Department Chief and Police Chief told city commissioners their [...]
9 Comments
Feb
Is the Bioethanol Proposal Legal? Expert Opinion Sought
By Mike Lednovich Fernandina Beach City Attorney Tammi Bach says she is seeking an outside [...]
11 Comments
Feb
Want to Know More about the Bioethanol Proposal?
RYAM has issued an invitation to an open house at its 10 Gum St. facility [...]
2 Comments
Feb
Go Figure: Park Discussion Was All Over the Waterfront
By Mike Lednovich Hodgepodge perfectly describes what happened during discussion Tuesday on what began as [...]
7 Comments
Feb
Boat Ramp Talk Gets Five Thumbs Down
By Mike Lednovich Fernandina Beach city commissioners were united Tuesday in dismissing any proposed plans [...]
2 Comments
Feb
No Action Yet on Density Plan. Public Workshop Set
By Mike Lednovich The city’s Planning Advisory Board took no action Wednesday on proposed revisions [...]
Feb
“You People” — a Commentary
By Chip Ross, city commissioner I recently received an email from a local charter boat [...]
Feb
Library Friends to Donate $40,000
By Wilma Allen At its annual membership meeting, Feb. 22, Friends of the Fernandina Beach [...]
Feb
Question: Close Downtown Boat Ramp and Use Bartels Ramp?
By Mike Lednovich The Community Redevelopment Area Advisory Board (CRAAB) will discuss the merits of [...]
Feb
Late Filing Trips Sturges Up With Ethics Commission
By Mike Lednovich The Florida Commission on Ethics Wednesday found there was “probable cause” that [...]
Feb
Fancy Condo Plan Reviewed by City
An ultra-modern design, 33-unit, four-story condominium project at the corner of Atlantic Avenue and North [...]
Jan
Tringali Owners File Appeal of Judge’s Ruling
By Mike Lednovich The Tringali property owners have filed an appeal in the First District [...]
Jan
Commission Considers Bond Issue With Big Holes In It
By Mike Lednovich Fernandina Beach city commissioners have a vision for a $25 million bond [...]
Jan
Citing a November Case, Bach Says Candidates Can Tout Party Affiliation
By Mike Lednovich City Attorney Tammi Bach issued an opinion Monday that says candidates for [...]
Jan
Unusual Shipping Container Hotel Up for Review
By Mike Lednovich The city’s Technical Review Committee (TRC) is scheduled Thursday to review a [...]
Jan
Atlantic Seafood to Move, Grow but Still Look Funky
By Mike Lednovich The City’s Historic District Council Thursday mostly liked the concept design of [...]
Jan
Two Department Heads Leaving the City
By Mike Lednovich Fernandina Beach Municipal Golf Course General Manager David DeMay and city Parks [...]
Jan
City Elections Are Coming — But So Far Candidates Are Scarce
By Mike Lednovich The clock is ticking with just four months remaining for candidates to [...]
Jan
Waterfront Park Takes a Step Toward Reality
By Mike Lednovich So far, so good for the latest plan put forward to convert [...]
Jan
Sturges Strikes Back at Ethics Complaint Filers
By Mike Lednovich At Tuesday’s city council meeting, Fernandina Beach Vice Mayor David Sturges called [...]
Jan
Sturges Told Investigator Firing of Martin Triggered Ethics Charge
By Mike Lednovich Fernandina Beach Vice Mayor David Sturges said the commission’s firing of City [...]
Jan
Facebook Posts Cast Doubt on State Probe into Sturges/Ericksen Relationship
By Mike Lednovich A Florida Commission on Ethics Advocate ruled that because Fernandina Beach Vice [...]
Jan
Sturges Ethics Complaint Dismissed
By Brett L. Steger, attorney The Florida Commission on Ethics has entered a public report [...]
Jan
CRAAB to Submit Waterfront Park Plans for Approval
By Mike Lednovich When the city commission convenes on Jan. 16 they will be [...]
Jan
Is the Island Maxed Out? Commission’s All Over the Place
By Mike Lednovich The late Los Angeles Dodgers Manager Tommy Lasorda once said, “Opinions are [...]
Jan
Commentary: A Topsy-Turvy Year at City Hall
By Mike Lednovich Now after more than a year in office, how did the 2023 [...]
Jan
Citizens Win Tringali Case
By Mike Lednovich A circuit court judge has ruled there is “no plausible explanation for [...]
Dec
Fat Exit Package Proposed for Ty Ross
By Mike Lednovich The Fernandina Beach City Commission will be presented today with a proposed [...]
Dec
Commentary — The Manager Solution: Make Charlie George Permanent
By Mike Lednovich What many folks don’t realize is that over the past 12 months, [...]
Dec
Tringali Demolition Halted Owing to Missing Asbestos Permits
By Mike Lednovich The Fernandina Beach Building Department slapped a “stop work” order on the [...]
Dec
The New City Manager Resigns. More — Much More — to Come
By Mike Lednovich Fernandina Beach City Manager Ty Ross verbally resigned Friday morning effective immediately [...]
Dec
City Backtracks on Resolution to Revamp Golf Course Advisory Board Duties
By Mike Lednovich The Fernandina Beach city administration promised to work hand-in-hand with its Golf [...]
Dec
New Atlantic Seafood — Much Bigger — Being Negotiated
By Mike Lednovich The Fernandina Beach City Commission has approved negotiating a new lease for [...]
Dec
Ty Ross: Give Him Another Chance or Send Him on His Way?
By Mike Phillips The truth takes its own sweet time. We know the truth that [...]
Dec
Fernandina Police Release Bodycam Video of City Manager Bicycle Accident
Fernandina Beach Police body camera video of new City Manager Ty Ross’ bicycle accident two [...]
Dec
The Bodycam Video: Minute by Minute
By Mike Lednovich Editor’s note: This is a running summary of the police bodycam footage [...]
Dec
City Manager Responds to Calls for Resignation
By Mike Lednovich Responding to withering calls for his resignation, new Fernandina Beach City Manager [...]
Dec
Ty Ross Incident’s Police Video Being Redacted
By Mike Lednovich Police body camera video of Fernandina Beach City Manager Ty Ross’ alcohol-related [...]
Dec
Remaining Floodwall Plan Comes With Three Big Holes
By Mike Lednovich Fernandina Beach City Commissioners will see a “Waterfront Resiliency System” conceptual design [...]
Dec
Overdrinking Tips City Manager Into a Bicycle Wreck
By Mike Lednovich Fernandina Beach’s new city manager, Ty Ross, said he was alcohol-impaired riding [...]
Nov
Atlantic Seafood Wants Big Space Increase and 30-Year Rent
By Mike Lednovich After more than a year since taking over the lease of the [...]
Nov
Marina Projects Update
By Mike Lednovich Deputy City Manager/City Engineer Charlie George updated the Marina Advisory Board Monday [...]
Nov
Ross, Bean Snarl Over Invite to Ethanol Firm
By Mike LednovichFernandina Beach Mayor Bradley Bean, who works for Rayonier Advanced Materials (RYAM), skirted [...]
Nov
Land Use Changes Would Make City More Dense
By Mike Lednovich After nearly four hours of Fernandina Beach City Commission meetings on annexations, [...]
Nov
David Sturges Comments on Two Ethics Complaints
By Mike LednovichFernandina Beach Vice Mayor David Sturges for the first time publicly commented Tuesday [...]
Nov
Rayonier Applies to Get Into the Bioethanol Production Business
By Mike Lednovich Rayonier Advanced Materials (RYAM) of Fernandina Beach has submitted an application to [...]
Nov
Sturges Faces Yet Another Ethics Complaint
By Mike LednovichA second ethics complaint has been filed against Fernandina Beach Vice Mayor David [...]
Nov
Corps Agrees to Move the Channel at No Charge
By Mike Lednovich The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has agreed to move the Amelia [...]
Nov
Division And Insults Mar Solemn Proclamation
By Mike Lednovich What was intended as a solemn city commission proclamation honoring transgender victims [...]
Nov
After Much Ado, Bean Won’t Read Transgender Proclamation
By Mike Lednovich Fernandina Beach Mayor Bradley Bean notified Fernandina Beach Pride Monday that he [...]
Nov
Who’s In Charge Here? Golf Advisors, Manager Differ
By Mike LednovichBy Mike Lednovich Fernandina Beach Golf Club General Manager David DeMay sent tremors [...]
Nov
A Short Announcement but Big News
Charlie George bounced into the Wednesday night Community Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board meeting like a [...]
Nov
Some Budget Juggling Gets an Executive Chef for Golfers
By Mike Lednovich Failing for years just to even break even, the Fernandina Beach Municipal [...]
Nov
A Wobble on Reading the Transgender Proclamation
By Mike Lednovich Mayor Bradley Bean notified Fernandina Beach Pride Monday that he was [...]
Oct
Commission Financial Reports Reveal Just a Little
By Mike LednovichFlorida’s tepid financial interest reporting requirements reveal very little about the financial income [...]
Oct
Commentary — Our City Crossroads: Bigger or Better?
By Chip Ross City Commissioner, City of Fernandina Beach Two separate but opposing points of [...]
Oct
Who Should Pay for Water Hookups? Ross Says 3-2 Vote Means Residents Pay
By Mike Lednovich Mayor Bradley Bean, Vice Mayor David Sturges and Commissioner Darron Ayscue ignored [...]
Oct
City Rezoning to Protect Land on State-Mandated Housing List
By Mike Lednovich The City Commission was unanimous in protecting parcels at the MLK Rec [...]
Oct
Grants for Main Street Facade Improvements
Fernandina Beach Main Street has started a facade improvement matching grant program. The program is [...]
Oct
Peck Center Field Issue Grows Bigger than the Field
By Mike Lednovich Impassioned members of Fernandina Beach’s black community came out Tuesday and voiced [...]
Oct
State of the City: A First of Five Responses to Ty Ross
STATE OF THE CITY – By Chip Ross 10 October 2023 Last week all the [...]
Oct
What’s With Atlantic Seafood? Good Question, No Answers
By Mike Lednovich When developer Ernie Saltmarsh assumed the lease on the failing Atlantic Seafood [...]
Oct
Hotels Get Right to Make Walkway Over Public Dune and Heritage Trees
By Mike Lednovich Championed by Mayor Bradley Bean and Commissioner Darron Ayscue, the Fernandina Beach [...]
Oct
Many Questions About a Dune Walkover for Two Hotels
By Mike Lednovich Two hotels are seeking to connect access with each other by constructing [...]
Oct
Code Change Study: Clarity or an End Run on Neighborhood Character?
By Mike Lednovich A parade of speakers voiced its concerns to the Planning Advisory Board [...]
Sep