BY CLIFF SMELLEY [email protected] Five placed first or second in helping the Keystone Heights High School girls weightlifting team win the Region 3-1A traditional championship on Jan. 31 at West Nassau High School. Keystone had 49 points in winning the program’s first regional title. The Indians finished 20 points ahead of runner-up West Nassau. Kyle … Read more
BY CLIFF SMELLEY [email protected] Ar’Nayshia Griffin made five three-pointers and finished with 25 points to lead the Bradford High School girls basketball team to a 43-24 win over visiting Trenton on Jan. 29. It was the regular-season finale for the Tornadoes (14-9), who will host a District 3-3A tournament semifinal game against Palatka (10-10) on … Read more
BY CLIFF SMELLEY [email protected] Despite being the eighth and final seed in the Region 1-3A playoffs, the Keystone Heights High School girls soccer team will host a quarterfinal match against South Walton on Monday, Feb. 2, at 7 p.m. The Indians (8-11-3) host a South Walton team that is ranked seventh in Class 3A. The … Read more
Richard Baleno Mr. Richard Baleno, 70, of Starke died Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, at Windsor Health and Rehab in Starke. He was born on May 5, 1955, in Orlando to the late Samto and Ora (Sears) Baleno. There are no scheduled services per Richard’s request. Arrangements are under the care of Jones-Gallagher Funeral Home, 620 … Read more
BY CLIFF SMELLEY [email protected] Most of us probably aren’t going to find a reason to celebrate if we’re outdoors in 40-degree weather wearing short sleeves and shorts, but if you win a district championship, that’s an entirely different matter. The Keystone Heights High School girls soccer team scored three unanswered goals in defeating host Interlachen … Read more
BY CLIFF SMELLEY [email protected] Sherry Houston, the vice president of Santa Fe College’s Office for Advancement as well as the executive director of Santa Fe Foundation Inc., spoke about how the school is meeting students’ needs in a variety of ways and at a variety of places at the Kiwanis Club of Starke’s Jan. 20 … Read more
BY CLIFF SMELLEY [email protected] Keystone Heights High School will have an additional 10 weightlifters each competing in the Olympic and traditional events at Region 3-1A meet, while Union County and Keystone have six and three additional qualifiers, respectively. The champions at the District 6 meet (see related post) automatically qualified for the region meet, which … Read more
BY CLIFF SMELLEY [email protected] Bradford High School’s competitive cheer team placed sixth in Medium Non-Tumbling at the Jan. 23 Class 1A Florida High School Athletic Association Championships in Lakeland. The Tornadoes, who completed their fourth year in competitive cheer, have qualified for state every year. They earned a third-place finish at the 2025 state finals. … Read more
BY CLIFF SMELLEY [email protected] A free throw by Kah’myra Hankerson sent the game into overtime, but the Bradford High School girls basketball team was then outscored 15-10 in losing 47-42 to visiting Oakleaf on Jan. 24. Oakleaf (11-11) scored eight of the first 11 points in overtime, but the Tornadoes cut their deficit to two … Read more
BY CLIFF SMELLEY [email protected] Maliki Cobarris scored all but two of Bradford High School’s 17 fourth-quarter points as the Tornadoes defeated visiting Oakleaf 56-51 in a boys basketball game on Jan. 24. The Tornadoes (15-2) trailed 14-13 before opening the second quarter with a 12-4 run. Dylan Ruise scored the first basket of the quarter, … Read more
