BY DAN HILDEBRAN [email protected] The applicant seeking to build a crematory near Worthington Springs is suing Union County after commissioners denied a zoning special exception that would have permitted the facility. Lawyers for JR Davis Acquisitions LLC wrote in a complaint that the site plan submitted to the county for the facility “demonstrated that the … Read more
BY DAN HILDEBRAN [email protected] City Planner Janice Fleet led Keystone Heights City Council members and its Planning and Zoning Board through an initial meeting to modernize the city’s comprehensive plan, which was last updated in 2011. A comprehensive plan is a blueprint for growth. It outlines how the city will regulate future land use, traffic, … Read more
BY DAN HILDEBRAN [email protected] Southeastern Grocers, the owner of Winn-Dixie grocery stores, said it is acquiring the Hitchcock’s Markets locations in Keystone Heights, Alachua, and Williston. “These stores will be converted to Winn-Dixie and opened in phases beginning late 2025, further strengthening the grocer’s North Florida presence,” the company said in a news release. “The … Read more
BY DAN HILDEBRAN [email protected] The chair of the Keystone Heights Airport Authority board told his fellow board members during their October 7 meeting that “a fairly significant business group from India” is interested in leasing airport land. Gen. Jim Eifert said the enterprise just completed a multi-billion-dollar project in the United Arab Emirates and contacted … Read more
BY DAN HILDEBRAN [email protected] Keystone Heights city council members approved a final millage rate of 3.6073 for its 2025-2026 budget, lower than the 3.6422 tentative rate council members approved during a September 18 meeting. The city’s current rate is 3.8847. In the September 18 meeting, council members said the correct rollback rate—the millage rate at … Read more
The following individuals were arrested recently by local law enforcement officers in Bradford, Union, or Clay (Keystone Heights-area) counties. All defendants are considered innocent until convicted in a court or until pleading guilty or no contest. Information in this report is from law enforcement agencies and court documents, which are public records. Bradford Who … Read more
BY DAN HILDEBRAN [email protected] Madison Street Baptist Church announced it has paid off its $6.5 million mortgage. The 2005 note was used to finance its 43,000-square-foot Family Life Center. The congregation’s associate pastor of music and administration, Charles Warren, described the debt as an anchor around the congregation’s neck over the last 20 years. … Read more
BY DAN HILDEBRAN [email protected] Birmingham, Alabama-based Express Oil Change joined the North Florida Regional Chamber of Commerce for a ribbon-cutting on October 15 at the company’s 1198 S. Walnut Street location. Regional Manager Shane Baldwin said the company launched in 1979 as a quick lube service. “You sit in your car for 10 to … Read more
BY CLIFF SMELLEY [email protected] Union County High School swept second seed Lafayette 3-0 (25-22, 25-18, 25-15) in the Oct. 14 District 6-Rural tournament semifinals, advancing the third seed Tigers to the Thursday, Oct. 16, championship match against top seed Branford at UCHS at 7 p.m. It’s a repeat scenario up to this point, as the … Read more
