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 [...]

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City Looking at Lower Density Numbers Downtown and Elsewhere

By Mike Lednovich Fernandina Beach city commissioners have agreed that city staff should make recommendations [...]

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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 [...]

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RYAM Open House a Friendly Affair

The crowd at the RYAM bioethanol open house Wednesday was mostly neighbors wondering about this [...]

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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 [...]

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Commentary: Good Old Boys Versus the Public Good

By Mike Lednovich In the heart of Fernandina Beach, important decisions that shape our community’s [...]

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Rotary’s Taste of Amelia is Coming March 9

The 37th Taste of Amelia event will showcase culinary treats from a variety of restaurants [...]

A Fateful Deliberation Continues Over Potential Density Changes

By Mike Lednovich Like the scientists in the film Oppenheimer who grappled with the potential [...]

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City-County Soccer Field Deal Nears Completion

By Mike Lednovich Nassau County will contribute up to $1.7 million to help Fernandina Beach [...]

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City Seeks Grants to Cover Public Safety Shortages

By Mike Lednovich Fernandina Beach’s Fire Department Chief and Police Chief told city commissioners their [...]

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Is the Bioethanol Proposal Legal? Expert Opinion Sought

By Mike Lednovich Fernandina Beach City Attorney Tammi Bach says she is seeking an outside [...]

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Want to Know More about the Bioethanol Proposal?

RYAM has issued an invitation to an open house at its 10 Gum St. facility [...]

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Go Figure: Park Discussion Was All Over the Waterfront

By Mike Lednovich Hodgepodge perfectly describes what happened during discussion Tuesday on what began as [...]

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Boat Ramp Talk Gets Five Thumbs Down

By Mike Lednovich Fernandina Beach city commissioners were united Tuesday in dismissing any proposed plans [...]

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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 [...]

“You People” — a Commentary

By Chip Ross, city commissioner I recently received an email from a local charter boat [...]

Library Friends to Donate $40,000

By Wilma Allen At its annual membership meeting, Feb. 22, Friends of the Fernandina Beach [...]

Question: Close Downtown Boat Ramp and Use Bartels Ramp?

By Mike Lednovich The Community Redevelopment Area Advisory Board (CRAAB) will discuss the merits of [...]

Late Filing Trips Sturges Up With Ethics Commission

By Mike Lednovich The Florida Commission on Ethics Wednesday found there was “probable cause” that [...]

Fancy Condo Plan Reviewed by City

An ultra-modern design, 33-unit, four-story condominium project at the corner of Atlantic Avenue and North [...]

Tringali Owners File Appeal of Judge’s Ruling

By Mike Lednovich The Tringali property owners have filed an appeal in the First District [...]

Commission Considers Bond Issue With Big Holes In It

By Mike Lednovich Fernandina Beach city commissioners have a vision for a $25 million bond [...]

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 [...]

Unusual Shipping Container Hotel Up for Review

By Mike Lednovich The city’s Technical Review Committee (TRC) is scheduled Thursday to review a [...]

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 [...]

Two Department Heads Leaving the City

By Mike Lednovich Fernandina Beach Municipal Golf Course General Manager David DeMay and city Parks [...]

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 [...]

Waterfront Park Takes a Step Toward Reality

By Mike Lednovich So far, so good for the latest plan put forward to convert [...]

Sturges Strikes Back at Ethics Complaint Filers

By Mike Lednovich At Tuesday’s city council meeting, Fernandina Beach Vice Mayor David Sturges called [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Sturges Ethics Complaint Dismissed

By Brett L. Steger, attorney The Florida Commission on Ethics has entered a public report [...]

CRAAB to Submit Waterfront Park Plans for Approval

  By Mike Lednovich When the city commission convenes on Jan. 16 they will be [...]

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 [...]

Commentary: A Topsy-Turvy Year at City Hall

By Mike Lednovich Now after more than a year in office, how did the 2023 [...]

Citizens Win Tringali Case

By Mike Lednovich A circuit court judge has ruled there is “no plausible explanation for [...]

Fat Exit Package Proposed for Ty Ross

By Mike Lednovich The Fernandina Beach City Commission will be presented today with a proposed [...]

Commentary — The Manager Solution: Make Charlie George Permanent

By Mike Lednovich What many folks don’t realize is that over the past 12 months, [...]

Tringali Demolition Halted Owing to Missing Asbestos Permits

By Mike Lednovich The Fernandina Beach Building Department slapped a “stop work” order on the [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

New Atlantic Seafood — Much Bigger — Being Negotiated

By Mike Lednovich The Fernandina Beach City Commission has approved negotiating a new lease for [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

The Bodycam Video: Minute by Minute

By Mike Lednovich Editor’s note: This is a running summary of the police bodycam footage [...]

City Manager Responds to Calls for Resignation

By Mike Lednovich Responding to withering calls for his resignation, new Fernandina Beach City Manager [...]

Ty Ross Incident’s Police Video Being Redacted

By Mike Lednovich Police body camera video of Fernandina Beach City Manager Ty Ross’ alcohol-related [...]

Remaining Floodwall Plan Comes With Three Big Holes

By Mike Lednovich Fernandina Beach City Commissioners will see a “Waterfront Resiliency System” conceptual design [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Marina Projects Update

By Mike Lednovich Deputy City Manager/City Engineer Charlie George updated the Marina Advisory Board Monday [...]

Ross, Bean Snarl Over Invite to Ethanol Firm

By Mike LednovichFernandina Beach Mayor Bradley Bean, who works for Rayonier Advanced Materials (RYAM), skirted [...]

Land Use Changes Would Make City More Dense

By Mike Lednovich After nearly four hours of Fernandina Beach City Commission meetings on annexations, [...]

David Sturges Comments on Two Ethics Complaints

By Mike LednovichFernandina Beach Vice Mayor David Sturges for the first time publicly commented Tuesday [...]

Rayonier Applies to Get Into the Bioethanol Production Business

By Mike Lednovich Rayonier Advanced Materials (RYAM) of Fernandina Beach has submitted an application to [...]

Sturges Faces Yet Another Ethics Complaint

By Mike LednovichA second ethics complaint has been filed against Fernandina Beach Vice Mayor David [...]

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 [...]

Division And Insults Mar Solemn Proclamation

By Mike Lednovich What was intended as a solemn city commission proclamation honoring transgender victims [...]

After Much Ado, Bean Won’t Read Transgender Proclamation

By Mike Lednovich Fernandina Beach Mayor Bradley Bean notified Fernandina Beach Pride Monday that he [...]

Who’s In Charge Here? Golf Advisors, Manager Differ

By Mike LednovichBy Mike Lednovich Fernandina Beach Golf Club General Manager David DeMay sent tremors [...]

A Short Announcement but Big News

Charlie George bounced into the Wednesday night Community Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board meeting like a [...]

Some Budget Juggling Gets an Executive Chef for Golfers

By Mike Lednovich Failing for years just to even break even, the Fernandina Beach Municipal [...]

A Wobble on Reading the Transgender Proclamation

  By Mike Lednovich Mayor Bradley Bean notified Fernandina Beach Pride Monday that he was [...]

Commission Financial Reports Reveal Just a Little

By Mike LednovichFlorida’s tepid financial interest reporting requirements reveal very little about the financial income [...]

Commentary — Our City Crossroads: Bigger or Better?

By Chip Ross City Commissioner, City of Fernandina Beach Two separate but opposing points of [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Grants for Main Street Facade Improvements

Fernandina Beach Main Street has started a facade improvement matching grant program. The program is [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

What’s With Atlantic Seafood? Good Question, No Answers

By Mike Lednovich When developer Ernie Saltmarsh assumed the lease on the failing Atlantic Seafood [...]

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 [...]

Many Questions About a Dune Walkover for Two Hotels

By Mike Lednovich Two hotels are seeking to connect access with each other by constructing [...]

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 [...]