Public Safety
The National Weather Service says the current El Niño is comparable in strength to the 1997-1998 event, which produced a deadly tornado outbreak in central Florida, and tornado frequency increases slightly during very strong El Niño years.
Public Safety
The parents of Leonel Armando Bolivar Linares, a 29-year-old custodian at Trout Creek Academy in St. Johns County, say their son has been in ICE custody since August after being pulled over on his way to work.
Local Government
Local Government
Unofficial St. Johns County results show Sean Griswold with 53,616 votes (43.97%) in the Airport Authority Board Group 3 race, ahead of Sean Hess with 37,857 (31.05%) and Christopher Cannan with 30,468 (24.99%). All 55 reporting units are listed; vote-by-mail is partially reported and provisional ballots are excluded.
Tammie McClafferty defeated Jillian Tozer with 60.82% of the vote in a St. Johns County School Board District 4 race shaped by culture-war clashes over religion and transgender issues.
Clay M. Hansen defeated incumbent Tom Rivers by 190 votes for the St. Augustine Port, Waterway and Beach District Board Group 5 seat, according to unofficial results from St. Johns County Supervisor of Elections.
A second St. Johns County homeowner has filed a civil lawsuit against arrested contractor Steven Rounds and Incredible Kitchen and Bath, seeking triple damages after paying more than $20,000 for a kitchen remodel that was never performed. The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office is asking anyone who hired the company to contact a detective.
Florida says a breach of its student financial aid website may have affected about 4.9 million people. Social Security numbers and other personal information may have been exposed.
St. Johns County commissioners voted 4-1 on Nov. 3 to deny a 250,000-square-foot light industrial park at 3960 Inman Road, citing traffic on State Road 16 that county staff said already runs at 126% of capacity.
Florida voters approved Amendment 3 with 62% support, and St. Johns County officials have warned the property-tax overhaul could strip $113 million from local revenue by 2029, leaving little room for services beyond public safety.
St. Johns County Utilities staff judged and promoted water-industry careers at a regional engineering competition where about 70 students built miniature water towers at the University of North Florida on Oct. 24.
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The Historic District
St. Johns County became Florida's first Certified Autism Destination after 21 local hotels, attractions and restaurants completed specialized training through the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards.
Health
View MoreAscension St. Vincent's announced three new primary care locations across St. Johns County, including a clinic at 616 State Road 13 in Fruit Cove planned for 2027, as the county's population has grown nearly 27% since 2020.
Health
View MoreAscension St. Vincent's St. Johns County has appointed Donna Wagner, a 30-year nursing leader with deep local ties, as its new chief nursing and operating officer.
Health
View MoreUF Health opened its 99-bed Durbin Park hospital on Sept. 22, giving north St. Johns County a new full-service hospital with a 24-hour ER, six operating rooms and cardiac catheterization services.
Health
View MoreAscension St. Vincent's St. Johns County opened a neuro-oncology clinic at 300 St. Elizabeth Way, bringing brain and spine tumor care closer to home for local residents.
Local Government
View MoreAnimal welfare advocates told the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners on Nov. 3 that county reports show 534 cats and 51 dogs were euthanized in the first nine months of 2026, and they formally requested a commissioner-backed oversight committee for the county animal shelter.
Local Government
View MoreThe St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved a temporary moratorium on medium- and large-scale data center development at its Nov. 3 meeting, while also taking up major land-use decisions along the Race Track Road corridor.
Local Government
View MoreFEMA announced more than $2.5 billion in Public Assistance funding for Florida storm recovery, covering 500-plus projects statewide. St. Johns County, which has existing FEMA projects before its commission, could be in line for reimbursements.
Local Government
View MoreFlorida voters approved Amendment 3 with 62% support, and St. Johns County officials have warned the property-tax overhaul could strip $113 million from local revenue by 2029, leaving little room for services beyond public safety.
Local Government
View MoreThe St. Johns County Planning and Zoning Agency unanimously rejected a request from property owner Dustin Zepp to operate a private helicopter landing site at his home in the Ashton Oaks equestrian community, after neighbors and HOA leaders turned out in force to oppose the plan.
Local Government
View MorePre-season 2027 beach driving passes go on sale Tuesday, Dec. 1, at six locations including the Tax Collector's Julington Creek office, with resident passes priced at $65 and free passes available for disabled military veterans.
Education
View MoreSt. Johns County Utilities staff judged and promoted water-industry careers at a regional engineering competition where about 70 students built miniature water towers at the University of North Florida on Oct. 24.
Education
View MoreFlorida says a breach of its student financial aid website may have affected about 4.9 million people. Social Security numbers and other personal information may have been exposed.
Education
View MoreThe Florida Department of Education named 27 St. Johns County schools as Schools of Excellence for 2025-2026, placing them in the top 20% statewide, while the district earned one of only 18 Academically High-Performing designations in Florida.
Education
View MoreThirty-nine Stellar Academy of Engineering students at Nease High School spent the morning of Monday, Oct. 12, working alongside professional engineers at five Jacksonville-area firms during a teacher planning day.
Education
View MoreThe St. Johns County School Board voted Oct. 13 to acquire land and begin design for a new middle school in Silverleaf, reversing course just two months after Superintendent Brennan Asplen said no new K-8 or middle schools were planned.
Education
View MoreThe St. Johns County School District is recruiting local businesses as job-training partners for its Life Work Program, which supports young adults with disabilities after they earn a standard diploma, during Disability History and Awareness Weeks in October.
Public Safety
View MoreThe National Weather Service says the current El Niño is comparable in strength to the 1997-1998 event, which produced a deadly tornado outbreak in central Florida, and tornado frequency increases slightly during very strong El Niño years.
Public Safety
View MoreThe parents of Leonel Armando Bolivar Linares, a 29-year-old custodian at Trout Creek Academy in St. Johns County, say their son has been in ICE custody since August after being pulled over on his way to work.
Public Safety
View MoreSt. Johns County recorded a preliminary 3,960 traffic crashes in 2025, the most in at least nine years, but the per-capita crash rate fell to its lowest point as population growth outpaced collisions, according to state data reported by the St. Johns Citizen.
Public Safety
View MoreA second St. Johns County homeowner has filed a civil lawsuit against arrested contractor Steven Rounds and Incredible Kitchen and Bath, seeking triple damages after paying more than $20,000 for a kitchen remodel that was never performed. The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office is asking anyone who hired the company to contact a detective.
Business
View MoreNet domestic migration to Florida fell roughly 93% from its 2022 peak, but the households still arriving bring higher incomes, creating a split in St. Johns County's housing and commercial markets along income lines.
Business
View MoreSt. Johns County lists the master development plan for Life Time's proposed 85,000-square-foot Durbin Park fitness center as complete; commercial construction plans are under review.
Business
View MoreTesla listed Jacksonville among four new cities for its driverless ride-hailing service, but the company has not announced a launch date or service boundaries, leaving it unclear whether the robotaxis will reach St. Johns County.
Business
View MoreThe Church of Eleven22 plans to move its Ponte Vedra High School congregation to the Shoppes of Valley Ridge and is exploring another U.S. 1 site. Designs and construction schedules remain unsettled.
Sports
View MoreBartram Trail's girls soccer team opened the 2026-27 FHSAA season with shutout wins over Bishop Moore and Fernandina Beach, keeping the No. 1 spot in the Florida Times-Union's Week 2 Northeast Florida power rankings.
Sports
View MoreCreekside visits Ponte Vedra and Bartram Trail hosts Land O'Lakes on Friday, Oct. 30, with the Sharks' and Bears' postseason seeding on the line in the regular-season finale.
Sports
View MoreBeachside won the Oct. 15 district final 25-15, 25-22, 25-11. Nina Simanic led the Barracudas with 18 kills and 19 digs.
Sports
View MoreBartram Trail sophomore Avery Hartley ran 19:01 to win the individual title at the Half-Mile Timing Invitational in Gainesville and is now nominated for the Florida Times-Union Girls Athlete of the Week, with voting open through 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 16.
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Editor
Megan published her first poem in the Sun Sentinel at the age of 11 and has been locked in ever since. She attended UF and FIU and has a degree in Communication Arts. Her professional background includes photography, editing, writing, translation, and graphic design. Megan enjoys learning language, art and vegan foods.
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