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Photo of the Week

A Big Mama Lyft

Today
Barry Bockian of Fernandina Beach caught the alligator dubbed "Big Mama" ferrying one of her young ones along Ron Sapp Egans Creek Greenway this past week.

Loss of shark teeth, fossils will take bite from locals, tourists

Cheryl Wilson holds up a whale vertebra found on the beach
By Mike Lednovich
3 days ago
City officials pledged to work closely with federal contractors to ensure that shark teeth and other marine life artifacts are kept in the mix of sand that is dredged and relocated onto Fernandina …

Right Whale Calving Season Begins with New Arrival in Georgia

Right whale Nauset (Catalog #2413) and calf, sighted on Dec. 1, 2024 approximately 4.9nm off Sapelo Island.
By Lauri Holton
5 days ago
For the second year in a row, the first new moon of December brings the first right whale calf of the 2024-2025 season.  Right whale catalog #2413 “Nauset” and her calf were sighted …
City news
FRS extractor.
By Mike Lednovich
Monday, December 2
Plans to use a huge sand sifting machine called “the extractor” for beach renourishment in Fernandina Beach is drawing the ire of beachcombers in search of shells and shark teeth. A …
Read more.
By Mike Lednovich
Thursday, November 28
City beaches will be replenished with new river and ocean bottom sand in 2025 under two federally funded programs. Kings Bay entrance channel dredging and the Nassau County Shore Protection Project …
Read more.
By Mike Lednovich
Saturday, November 23
Commentary: Words matter and last Tuesday the Fernandina Beach city commission chambers were witness to the most hateful three-minute rant likely ever uttered during the meeting's public …
Read more.
County News

Early Voting Begins

Wednesday, October 23

60 Townhomes proposed on Amelia Island parcels

By Mike Lednovich
Sunday, October 20
A proposed 60-unit townhouse complex on the south end of Amelia Island will be reviewed Tuesday by the Nassau County Development Review Committee. The project is on four parcels total 7.5 acres adjacent to Stewart Avenue …

The JTA Expands Services to Nassau County for Transportation Disadvantaged Residents

Sunday, October 6
As of Tuesday, October 1, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) has assumed all responsibility as the Community Transportation Coordinator for the transportation disadvantaged residents of …
Showcase
From the HeART

Finding Meaning in Advent's Quietness

By Linda Hart Green
Today

In my early days as a pastor, I had too much theological education and not enough time in the real world of the church. I tried (unsuccessfully) to get my congregation to hold off celebrating …

    • Giving Thanks for a Mentor
      By Linda Hart Green
      Sunday, November 24

      My mentor, Rev. Dr. Anthony Campolo, age 89, died this week. He was my professor of sociology at Eastern College, which is now Eastern …

    • Don’t take it to your grave
      By Linda Hart Green
      Sunday, November 10

      My father had the ability to talk to anyone anywhere. Color, status, clothing, education or religion meant nothing to him. He valued each …

Showcase
Off the Porch

Impressed with the Impressionists

By Dickie Anderson
5 days ago

While visiting family in Washington over the Thanksgiving holiday, I had a chance to visit The National Gallery and tour the much-promoted "Impressionist Moment" exhibit. It was a must-do for me. I …

    • Books — Can be our Friends
      By Dickie Anderson
      Wednesday, November 27

      What would life be without books? For many, it would be a very lonely place. Reading has always been a big part of my life. In the past, my …

    • French Thanksgiving?
      By Dickie Anderson
      Wednesday, November 20

      Halloween is in the books. The candy is probably all gone, pumpkins discarded, and scary decorations put away. Now, onto the next holiday in …

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Digital Compass

eM Client: The Best Email Solution for Seniors

By Deryck Burnett
4 days ago

As technology becomes more integral to daily life, seniors need tools that simplify and enhance their digital experiences. eM Client is an exceptional email solution designed to meet those needs. …

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Pat's Wildways

Pat’s Wildways: Bye Bye Hotel Moskva

The grand Hotel Moskva in Belgrade as it started to snow.

By Pat Foster-Turley
3 days ago

Those of you who have been reading my recent columns know that I just had a work assignment in Serbia, my third such assignment in 10 years or so. I knew by now that I only wanted to stay at the …

    • Pat's Wildways: Jackal Study
      By Pat Foster-Turley
      Friday, November 29

      I always seem to get mixed up in things that go beyond my scope of work and this recent USAID Serbia biodiversity assessment was no exception. I …

    • Pat's Wildways: Donkey Milk Anyone?
      By Pat Foster-Turley
      Friday, November 22

      I’m here in Serbia now doing a biodiversity assessment for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and as usual, the …

Showcase
Dining With Dylan

From Cedar River to Atlantic: Does the Seafood Still Shine?

By Dylan Bailey
Monday, November 25

Atlantic Seafood, formerly known as Cedar River Seafood, is a Fernandina staple that hardly needs an introduction. If you’ve driven by recently, you might have noticed the name change—a …

Community
Community

How Did Amelia Island’s Historic District Come To Be?

Historical maker, Amelia Island.
Tuesday, December 3
Dickie Anderson, author of “Great Homes & Churches of Amelia Island” and a docent at the Amelia Island Museum of History, will share her thoughts on the evolution of Amelia …

Fernandina Beach-based Singer Soars on NBC’s 'The Voice'

THE VOICE --
By Shari Roan
Saturday, November 16
When he auditioned for the NBC hit program “The Voice,” earlier this year, Edward Preble, a 19-year-old vocalist from Fernandina Beach, thought the show might be a “stepping stone …
Help in Times of Grief and Trouble
By Linda Hart Green
Wednesday, October 2
Piles of debris line our streets. Chainsaws roar and hammers bang. We are cleaning up. The howling wind was scary. We were brushed by the outer bands of Hurricane Helene as it tore northward on its destructive path.
Churches & Charities
Thursday, June 13
Nassau County Council on Aging (NCCOA)  has received a gift of $4.9 million from Tom and Julie Wood Family Foundation to support, enhance and create …
Tuesday, February 6
If you're curious about the increase in the number of unhoused people in our county and what is being done, learn more about what the nonprofit Coalition for the Homeless is doing. An open community …
Health

By Shari Roan
4 days ago
The joy and festivities of the holiday season exact a price for many adults: unwanted weight gain. From eggnog to champagne to cookies and fudge, it’s easy to discover your pants are a bit …
Read more.
One frame of a CT scan of the chest showing lungs and heart.

By Shari Roan
Thursday, November 21
Despite a decade of data showing the value of low-dose CT screening for people at high risk of lung cancer, too few Floridians take advantage of the test. At Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center, …
Read more.
Nature

The Pecan: A Gift from the Earth

By Lauri Holton
Tuesday, December 3
Recently, I mentioned to a friend that I was preparing to write an article about pecans. My friend told me, “You surely are the only person I know who can turn the lowly pecan into an …
Carol Ruckdeschel holds a piece of sturgeon skin.

Cumberland Island News Announcement

By Lauri Holton
Saturday, November 23
The Cumberland Island Museum is pleased to announce the transfer of its natural history collection to the National Park Service. The Cumberland Island Museum collection …
A rainbow glows over the benches on Main Beach.

Pat's Wildways: Well-Placed Benches

By Pat Foster-Turley
Friday, November 15
Recently, I was strolling along the marina, admiring the yachts docked there, and I stopped by the Amelia River Cruises ticket office to say hello. Kevin McCarthy’s granddaughter was minding …
A turtle on the far bank is highlighted by blooming goldenrods.

Pat's Wildways: Greenway “Treasure Hunt”

By Pat Foster-Turley
Friday, November 8
It’s that great time of year again! It’s time to get out of our air-conditioned homes and take a walk on the Ron Sapp Egans Creek Greenway. Now that the weather has cooled, the storms …
Special Features
Bottle with message inside.

A Message in a Bottle Leads to Stories From Everywhere

By Lauri deGaris
Wednesday, August 21
Recently, my friend Cathy showed me a plastic Coke bottle she found on the beach. Inside the bottle was a neatly folded letter. The cap was tight, and no water had penetrated the bottle. The message …

The Story of Horses and People

Saturday, July 29, 2023
A Meditation by Lauri deGaris   Horses have grazed the plains and pastures of Mother Earth for 50 million years. For at least 30,000 of those years, humanity has held these magnificent creatures in …
Business
Connor and his mom, Christine, hold Connor's book and microgreen kit.

He Makes It Easy to Be Green

By Pam Green
Monday, September 16
Despite having come into this world with a myriad of debilitating medical issues, teen entrepreneur Connor Hiebel, radiates an aura of tenacious positivity. The 19-year-old founder of Amelia …

Start-Ups Grads Venture Forth

Tuesday, February 6
The latest graduates of the $1,000 Start-Ups program have completed a 9-month program on entrepreneurship, financial management and life skills. This fairly new program has now graduated 43. The …

Panama Woes Becoming Fernandina Woes

Monday, January 29
The Panama Canal By Mike Lednovich A year-long drought is limiting the number of ships able to pass through the Panama Canal and thus is reducing the number of ships coming into the Port of …
5-Day Forecast
Monday
Partly Sunny
High: 73°F
(-18°C)
Tuesday
Partly Sunny
High: 75°F
(-18°C)
Wednesday
Showers and Breezy
High: 69°F
(-18°C)
Thursday
Sunny
High: 54°F
(-18°C)
Friday
Mostly Sunny and Breezy
High: 61°F
(-18°C)