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Today's Showcase
Off the Porch
A weekend in a bubble
Today
I spent a weekend in Clinton, New York. Why Clinton? Clinton is home to Hamilton College, where my granddaughter, Eleanor, attends. It was homecoming weekend, and two field hockey games were …
Nature's Reflection
2026 Right Whale Festival
Yesterday at 3:30 AM
I spoke with Cheryl S. Munday, the Right Whale Festival coordinator. She shared a lot of great information and enthusiasm for the event , which takes place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, …
Kindness Matters
Compassion through the eyes of teens and their mentors
3 days ago
If you've lived in Fernandina for a while, you probably have heard of Take Stock in Children (TSIC). This celebrated organization is celebrating its 30th year as part of our community.
Cumberland belongs to the American people — Not Gilded Age heirs
2 days ago
Opinion: Looking across the marsh and the St. Marys River at Cumberland Island from my home is a daily reminder of what makes this coast extraordinary. Cumberland belongs to every American, but those of us in …
Airport noise battle: Fernandina Beach residents get first chance to weigh in on FAA Master Plan
3 days ago
FERNANDINA BEACH - Ameila Island homeowners concerned by nearly 15,000 annual touch-and-go aircraft maneuvers will get their first opportunity Oct. 24 to formally weigh in on the municipal airport's …
Health insurance 2027: Part D premiums are expected to rise next year
5 days ago
Open enrollment period for Medicare recipients opens Oct. 15 and will run through Dec. 7. This is the time when Medicare and Medicare Advantage members can make changes to their health insurance …
Fernandina Commissioners move to rewrite paid parking law just 7 weeks after voters approved it
Thursday, October 8
FERNANDINA BEACH - The City Commission voted 4-1 Tuesday to advance an ordinance that would repeal and replace the citizen paid parking initiative approved by 75% of city voters in August, reigniting …
Top stories
Minutes after Hispanic Festival proclamation, City learns new Florida law will bar it next year
Thursday, October 8
FERNANDINA BEACH - City Commissioner Genece Minshew lashed out Tuesday at a new Florida law that will restrict city actions involving diversity, equity and inclusion, calling it “the most egregious …
North Florida Land Trust and the city partner to extend Greenway
Wednesday, October 7
FERNANDINA BEACH - North Florida Land Trust (NFLT) and the City of Fernandina Beach have partnered to preserve nearly 10 acres of land over two properties that will help connect additional …
The photo gallery
Pat's Wildways: Mango Time!
Friday, June 19
I usually don’t go for fruit if given a choice, but for me, mangos are something different. They are the best of the fruiting world, in my opinion at least. And am I in luck! This trip to Belize, …
Florida cacti
Saturday, July 4
I always get a kick out of seeing cacti in the salt marsh, for example in the Ron Sapp Egans Creek Greenway, because I think of cacti as living in dry areas like the desert. But it turns out there …
Digital Compass
Readwise: Keeping your mind curious and remembering what you learn
Thursday, October 8
Retirement gives us something we spent most of our working lives wishing for: time. Time to read, study history, finally understand investing, or explore photography, gardening, genealogy, or …
Microsoft didn't tell its engineers to stop using AI — the real story is more important
Thursday, October 1
You may have seen a surprising headline recently: Microsoft told its engineers to stop using AI. Considering Microsoft has invested billions of dollars in artificial intelligence and has built AI …
From the HeART
Freedom to read is freedom indeed
4 days ago
Sunday is the last day of this year's Banned Book Week. If you have not taken advantage of learning what this is about, you have one more opportunity this afternoon with an encore performance of “ …
Libraries are for everyone
Sunday, October 4
I have been an avid reader since I experienced the joy of learning through reading in elementary school. I loved spending Saturdays on a trip to the library and then going home and diving into …
Off the Porch
Finally – fall is in the air
Wednesday, October 7
We knew it would come, but couldn’t wait. Comfortable temperatures have arrived. We grumbled through August, as we always do, impatient for cooler temperatures. Each August, we declare it was the …
Cornwall — A magical place
Wednesday, September 30
One of many memorable walking vacations with my sister took us to England, first to the Cotswolds for a week of gentle walking, then a more challenging week in Cornwall. In our second week, we joined …
Pat's Wildways
Pat’s Wildways: Intertribal powwow
Friday, October 9
It turns out I don’t need to travel to the Mayan Mountains in Belize to get a taste for Indigenous culture. St. George, Georgia, only 40 miles from here, is home to the Cherokee of Georgia Tribal …
Pat’s Wildways: Training crocodiles
Friday, October 2
It’s not every day that you see someone training a crocodile, not even for me. I’ve seen lots of animals being trained, what with my marriage to a marine mammal trainer, but I never expected to …
Bill Raser, journalist, actor and a fixture of Amelia Island’s arts community, dies at 89
5 days ago
FERNANDINA BEACH - Journalist, thespian, photographer, Bill Raser charged through his 89-year life with a savoir faire that left a world of admirers behind. Born in Philadelphia February 26, 1937, …
$18 million Citrona Drive plan would add shared-use path, wider sidewalk
Tuesday, October 6
FERNANDINA BEACH - A transportation study is recommending an $18.09 million reconstruction of Citrona Drive that would add a 10- to 12-foot-wide shared-use path, a six-foot sidewalk and dozens of …
Nature
5th Annual Roselle Festival — Hawthorne, Florida
5 days ago
I recently saw social media posts from Floridians excited about the fall harvest of their roselle plants. Local residents enjoy growing roselle in order to harvest the cup-like structure beneath the …
Sharing our space with others — pollinators
Saturday, October 3
There are many ways to make a positive impact on our local ecosystems to ensure our own health, stability and happiness in the future. We all know we need pollinators for our well-being. We can make …
Nature's Reflection
Gopher tortoise — the environmental engineer and homemaker
Tuesday, September 29
Deep in the middle of a now-rare longleaf pine forest in northeast Florida, a gopher tortoise looks for a place to build a home. She is surrounded by saw palmettos, wildflowers, towering and graceful …
The pollination crew
Saturday, September 26
We need pollinators to survive as a human species. These insects and other organisms are crucial for food production and are currently in high demand. Pollinating insects save us at least $195 …
See more Nature stories
County News
St. Johns River Water Management District seeks public input on Lower St. Johns River Basin Plan
Tuesday, October 6
The St. Johns River Water Management District has opened the public comment period for the draft 2026 Lower St. Johns River Basin Plan. The draft plan outlines priorities and projects that …
Read more county news
City News
Buccaneer Trail paving scheduled next week
Friday, October 2
Buccaneer Trail will be resurfaced from the South Fletcher Roundabout at Harris Teeter to Marian Drive as part of Nassau County’s FY 2025/26 Level & Overlay projects.
…
Saturday, September 12
Get ready to have a detailed discussion with your healthcare provider about your cholesterol. Health professionals are rethinking how they view high cholesterol due to new treatment guidelines and a …
Read more.
Tuesday, September 1
After a rough flu season last year winter, federal health authorities are hopeful that this season’s vaccine is a better match for the predominate flu strains and will reduce illness.
Read more.
Business
Surf Restaurant property proposed as 13-home redevelopment
Wednesday, August 12
FERNANDINA BEACH — An Amelia Island beachside landmark could give way to residential development under a concept plan headed to the city's Technical Review Committee this Thursday.
Golf Pub Social Announces New Ownership
Tuesday, April 7
FERNANDINA BEACH, FL — Golf Pub Social, Amelia Island’s go-to destination for indoor golf, live music, and community gathering, is entering an exciting new chapter. The venue has been …
Liberty Academy: The Buzz on Beekeeping
Saturday, February 21
Liberty Landscape Supply has announced a new event series titled "Liberty Academy," which offers continuing education, expert guidance, and community engagement for area homeowners, contractors, and …
Special Features
A Message in a Bottle Leads to Stories From Everywhere
Wednesday, August 21, 2024
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 Remarkable Journey of Cumberland Island Museum's Collection
Monday, February 17, 2025
In December 1990, the 5-log schooner Behemoth made two trips from Fernandina Beach to Brickhill Bluff. The 100-year-old nonmotorized vessel was owned, maintained and operated by Les Johnson. The …
Community
Story & Song’s ‘Let’s Listen’ series presents a look at education
4 days ago
With 13,000 students, 17 schools, and a 91% graduation rate, Nassau County ranks among the highest-performing public school systems in Florida. How is education keeping up with today’s …
Reduced library hours dismay county residents
Thursday, September 24
The reality of reduced library hours and the shuttering of the Bryceville library branch is setting in for county residents. And it doesn’t feel good.
The cutbacks are the result of a …
Friday, September 18
The 6th Annual Island Hop Craft Beer & Spirits Fest returns to Central Park in Fernandina Beach on Sat., Oct. 3, 2026, from noon-4 p.m., bringing together craft beverages, live music, local food, …
Monday, September 14
The Taste of Amelia is expanding this fall from its popular culinary crawl into a three-day celebration of food, wine, spirits, history, and Amelia Island hospitality. The Taste of Amelia …
Churches & Charities
Yesterday at 10:56 AM
Three local women have stepped up with a creative way to support Chandler’s Hope Clothes Closet, a nonprofit Michele Holbrook founded and manages in honor of her son. The organization collects new …
Wednesday, August 26
FERNANDINA BEACH — Nominations are officially open for Barnabas Center’s 6 th annual Hometown Heroes Fashion Show. This year’s event honors veterans and active-duty military members for their …
5-Day Forecast
Thursday
Patchy Fog then Sunny
High: 82°F
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Friday
Patchy Fog then Sunny
High: 83°F
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Saturday
Mostly Sunny and Very Windy
High: 74°F
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Sunday
Very Windy. Partly Sunny then Chance Showers
High: 73°F
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Monday
Chance Showers and Very Windy
High: 76°F
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