Category Archives: County News
Commentary: Six Short Lessons for Our School Board
By Mike Phillips The Nassau County School Board was treated Thursday evening to a lesson [...]
6 Comments
St. Marys Mine Hearing Available Via Zoom
By Paula Alford The quality of life for all of us living near the St. [...]
4 Comments
Mar
Commentary: The Riverstone Battle is Far From Over
By Lyn Panone On April 23, 2023, Nassau County Commissioners Martin, Huppman, Gray and Farmer [...]
8 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
Barnabas Honors Hometown Heroes
This year’s 3rd annual Barnabas Center Fashion Show Honoring Hometown Heroes, which takes place on [...]
Feb
Beware: Officials Warn of a Realistic Phone Scam
The Nassau County Clerk of the Circuit Court and the Comptroller have issued this warning [...]
Jan
Panama Woes Becoming Fernandina Woes
By Mike Lednovich A year-long drought is limiting the number of ships able to pass [...]
Jan
Port Will Sell Some Land, but Without a Plan for the Money
By Mike Lednovich The Port of Fernandina’s long-time accountant urged Ocean Highway and Port Authority [...]
Jan
Changes Coming for Recorded Documents Related to Property Ownership
In an effort to hinder the rise of property fraud, an amendment to Florida Statute [...]
Dec
Key Riverstone Hearing to be Conducted Via Zoom – CANCELED
CANCELED – See comment below. A hearing on Riverstone litigation matters has been scheduled for [...]
Dec
From Grim to Soon to Be Attractive on a Stretch of SR200
By Wilma Allen The median strips along state Route 200, as you drive to and [...]
Dec
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
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
After 4 Years, Port Tells Feds It Has No Tug Contracts
By Mike Lednovich The Ocean Highway and Port Authority, along with Port of Fernandina operator [...]
Oct
Port Loses a Frustrated Realtor to Help With Lot Sales
By Mike Lednovich Highly respected Amelia Island property broker John Hillman sent Ocean Highway and [...]
Oct
Port Eats Another $40,000 to Correct Termination
By Mike Lednovich The Ocean Highway and Port Authority had to do an about-face on [...]
Oct
Port Commission All Over the Place on Lot Sales
By Mike Lednovich With their real estate agent listening via a cellphone, Ocean Highway and [...]
Oct
Port Director Exit Pay Will Cost More for Doing it Right
By Mike Lednovich “A contract is a contract,” Ocean Highway and Port Authority Commissioner Mike [...]
Oct
Port Tugboat Mess Is Running up Costs for Customers
By Mike Lednovich The deadline to have the Port of Fernandina’s tugboat Fort Clinch certified [...]
Sep
New Port Customs House Wrinkle: Feds Will Prevail
By Mike Lednovich The latest twist in the ongoing controversy regarding the U.S. Customs and [...]
Sep
Arts Alive Is Cranking Up in Nassau Schools
By Wilma Allen Starting next week, hundreds of local kids will be raising their paint [...]
Sep
Port Commission Still Short of a Valid Budget
By Mike Phillips It was an unhappy crew of port authority commissioners who gathered Wednesday [...]
Sep
Huge School Tax Increase Debated — but Passed — by Board
By Mike Lednovich It’s bad news for local property owners as the Nassau County School [...]
Sep
Update on Vote-by-Mail Confusion
The Observer recently reported that 12,295 vote-by-mail registrations in Nassau County had been invalidated by [...]
Sep
Like Voting by Mail? You Probably Have Some Work to Do
By Mike Lednovich Nassau County Supervisor of Elections Janet Adkins has been notified that 12,225 [...]
Sep
The Latest (7:30 am Aug 30): Still Under Tropical Storm Warning
Issued By Jacksonville – FL, US, National Weather Service Affected Area Coastal Nassau County Description [...]
Aug
Tough Talk from Customs: New Port Facility or Else
By Mike Lednovich The Ocean Highway and Port Authority (OHPA) has so little money available [...]
Aug
Big School Tax Hike in the Works
The District School Board of Nassau County is proposing a tax levy of $109 million, [...]
Jul
County Has a New Planning Director
Nassau County’s new planning director is Elizabeth Backe. She has almost 25 years of experience [...]
Jul
New Wrinkles in RV Site Plan: Townhouses and City Annexation
By Mike PhillipsThe developer of a proposed RV park on Nassau County land on Sadler [...]
Jul
City Critic Was Getting Free Trash Service for Five Years
By Mike LednovichNews-Leader columnist Steve Nicklas, who repeatedly criticizes city spending as wasteful, has been [...]
Jul
Are OHPA’s Dire Finances a Formal Emergency?
By Mike LednovichThe Ocean Highway and Port Authority’s attorney and accountant are working with the [...]
Jul
Is Port-City Dispute Nearing Resolution? Stay Tuned
By Mike Lednovich Fernandina Beach claims each year that the Ocean Highway and Port Authority [...]
Jul
New Library Director Selected
Julie Cannavino has been selected to serve as the next Nassau County library director. She [...]
Jul
A Grim Meeting as the Port Ekes Out a Budget
By Mike Lednovich A bleak future financial outlook for the Ocean Highway and Port Authority [...]
Jun
Port Budget: Short of Money and, So Far, Ideas
By Mike Lednovich The Ocean Highway and Port Authority (OHPA) begins tackling its 2023-24 budget [...]
Jun
Port May Sell Residential Land to Pay Legal Debts
By Mike Lednovich The Port of Fernandina took the first step Wednesday toward potentially selling [...]
May
Port Finances Are ‘At The Cliff’s Edge’
By Mike Lednovich The Port of Fernandina’s crushing legal debt may threaten its ability to [...]
May
The Riverstone Vote Is Not What You Think — Read On
By Mike Lednovich County Commissioner John Martin said in emails Tuesday that people are erroneously [...]
Apr
Stunner: Commission Accepts Developer’s Tall Towers Offer
By Mike Lednovich The Nassau County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) voted 4-1 to [...]
Apr
How Nassau County Makes Elections Secure
By April L. Bogle Janet Adkins, Supervisor of Elections (SOE) for Nassau County, addressed eight [...]
Apr
The Attorneys Speak: Riverstone Proposal Is ‘Deeply Flawed’
Dear Chair and Members of the Nassau County Commission: I, along with Reese Henderson, represent [...]
Apr
Community Leaders Speak: The Riverstone Proposal Is a ‘Hail Mary’
A Letter to the Nassau County Commissioners and County Attorney: Nearly two years ago, the [...]
Apr
Here’s a Special Way to Love the Beach
By Shari Roan Along with the maritime forest, Amelia Island is best known among nature [...]
Apr
Here’s the Latest Riverstone Tall Towers Offer
By Mike Phillips The shroud of mystery has been lifted from the latest settlement proposal [...]
Apr
Why the Secrecy on New Riverstone Offer?
Since May 22 of last year, Nassau County and Riverstone Properties have been at a [...]
Apr
Do Nassau Sea Turtle Lighting Regs Need Work?
By Wes Wolfe Florida Politics The resurgence of loggerhead sea turtles along the Florida and [...]
Mar
Commentary: What Will it Take to Be United in Keeping Our Paradise?
By Suanne Thamm Hatfields vs. McCoys. Sharks vs. Jets. Natives vs. Newbies. Isn’t it about [...]
Mar
Why a Mine in Georgia is Our Problem, Too
EDITOR’S NOTE: Many Nassau County residents don’t know that St. Marys Riverkeeper, as part of [...]
Mar
A Big Win for Cruise Ships Opponents at Port Commission Meeting
The cruise ship idea is dead. As the Port of Fernandina master planning process drew [...]
Mar
Port Commission Will Vote on its Plan March 8
The Ocean Highway Port Authority (OHPA) commissioners are preparing to vote on a final version [...]
Feb
Nassau Firefighters to Train for Derailments
Nassau County Emergency Management (NCEM) will hold a multi-agency tabletop emergency response exercise in its [...]
Feb
Boat Ramp Repairs
The North End (Dee Dee Bartels) Boat Ramp is temporarily closed. A piling on the [...]
Feb
Port Decisions Coming into the Final Weeks
By Mike Phillips What was expected to be a conclusive port commissioners meeting last evening [...]
Feb
Big Raise Approved for Nassau Teachers
By Wes Wolfe Florida Politics Nassau County is making moves, working to better compensate the [...]
Jan
‘Impaired’ Properties Continued: More of the Story
By Mike Phillips Although the bureaucratic tangle around the Jasmine Street beach access clearly is [...]
Dec
The Port Thinks Big – and Bigger – and Bigger
The Port of Fernandina has completed its first draft of a 10-year master plan. It’s [...]
Dec
Records Settlement Vindicates Nassau Employee — and Rayonier
By Wes Wolfe Florida Politics Another chapter involving former Nassau County Attorney Michael Mullin is closed, [...]
Nov
COMMENTARY: Whither Nassau County?
By Bill Gingrich Nassau County voters cast their election ballots in favor of who they [...]
Nov
Major Commerce Park Planned for Wildlight Development
Pattillo Industrial Real Estate (PIRE) has announced the development of a 1.5 million-square-foot industrial complex [...]
Nov
Nicole Evacuations Ordered for Zones A and D
Nassau County is calling for evacuations of zones A and D as Tropical Storm Nicole [...]
Nov
City Backs County Land Conservation Bonds
By Wes Wolfe Florida Politics A bond plan to kick-start Nassau County’s land conservation, amid [...]
Oct
The Myth of City-County Discontent
By Dale Martin, City Manager In the midst of the current campaign season for two [...]
Oct
Welcome to Fernandina Beach: A Kerfuffle Over the Sign
By Wes Wolfe Florida Politics Those wanting to turn Amelia Island into the sort of [...]
Oct
Operation Heavyweight Busts 54 Drug Dealers
Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper has announced that a months-long, multi-agency drug-dealing investigation has put [...]
Oct
A Break on Flood Insurance Premiums
Nassau County has once again received an improvement in its classification in the Community Rating [...]
Oct
Here’s the Word on Storm Debris
Hurricane Ian Storm Debris Assessment Preliminary damage and debris assessments by Nassau County’s emergency responders [...]
Sep
Evacuation Order Has Been Lifted
As of 8:30 a.m., the evacuation order for Nassau County has been lifted. While the [...]
Sep
As Ian Departs, Final Weather Service Advice
NWS JACKSONVILLE FL 455 AM EDT FRI SEP 30 2022 STORM SURGE WARNING REMAINS IN [...]
Sep
County Bulletin: Don’t Drop Your Guard Yet
Hurricane Ian downgraded to a tropical storm Hurricane Ian was downgraded overnight to a Tropical [...]
Sep
Beach Driving, Some Parking Suspended
Hurricane Ian causes some beach parking to be suspended As of 1:45 p.m., a decision [...]
Sep
County Opening Two Shelters
Nassau County has two shelters opening as of noon today in anticipation of Hurricane Ian [...]
Sep
Garbage Service to Resume
Waste Management has announced that it will resume residential garbage pickup in Nassau County on [...]
Sep
Evacuation Order Zones A and D
The Following is an Evacuation Order for Zones A and D – Hurricane Ian As [...]
Sep
A Wednesday Morning Update From the City Manager
Morning Update from Fernandina Beach City Manager By Dale Martin Fernandina Beach City Manager As [...]
Sep