BY DAN HILDEBRAN Monitor Editor STARKE— A Bradford County man was sentenced to 30 months in prison after pleading to two incidents of fleeing from law enforcement. Daniel Smith Griffis, 37, pleaded no contest to the Oct. 15, 2021, offenses of fleeing to elude law enforcement at a high speed, driving with a suspended or … Read more
BY DAN HILDEBRAN Monitor Editor STARKE— A 30-year-old Marion County man was sentenced to two years in prison for leading Lawtey police and Bradford deputies on a chase through Lawtey. Brandon Wilbert Evans pleaded no contest to the Oct. 3, 2021, offense of fleeing and eluding an officer after a crash involving property damage or … Read more
BY DAN HILDEBRAN Monitor Editor STARKE— A judge sentenced a registered sexual offender to 18 months in prison after he gave a false address to Florida’s sexual offender registry. Glenn Dewayne Burch, 48, pleaded no contest to the Sept. 29, 2021, offense of failure to report a residence change by a sexual offender. The defendant … Read more
BY DEIRDRE MURPHY Garden Club of the Lakes KEYSTONE HEIGHTS—This month’s Yard-of-the-Month recipients are Greg and Lois Taylor. The couple moved to Keystone about 18 months ago and have been working tirelessly to enhance their front landscape which adds to their home’s amazing curb appeal. However, the backyard is where everything gardening is happening. In … Read more
BY DAN HILDEBRAN Monitor Editor KEYSTONE HEIGHTS— The city’s Heritage Commission is hosting a walking tour of the town’s historic homes on May 7. Commission member Deirdre Murphy told city council members during their March 7 meeting that the purpose of the event is to bring awareness and historic knowledge of the homes in the … Read more
BY DAN HILDEBRAN Monitor Editor KEYSTONE HEIGHTS— City Manager Lynn Rutkowski said she would remain in her job for at least 30 days while she reconsiders the verbal resignation she made during an earlier council meeting. Rutkowski updated her status during the city council’s March 7 meeting. During Monday night’s session, the mayor and council … Read more
Clay County Fire Rescue sent a crew to the panhandle wildfires as part of a regional task force Saturday. At press time, the Adkins Avenue Fire, Bertha Swamp Road Fire and Star Avenue Fire had burned through over 10,000 acres and forced the evacuation of over 1,100 homes. The Bertha Swamp Road blaze is the … Read more
BY DAN HILDEBRAN Monitor Editor FLEMING ISLAND—During the March 3 Clay County School Board meeting, Superintendent David Broskie shared the results of a student climate and culture survey. He said 61% of the district’s students participated in the survey, which is a 10% improvement over last year. Broskie said a positive outcome of the survey … Read more
BY DAN HILDEBRAN Monitor Editor KEYSTONE HEIGHTS— The Keystone Heights High School Band Boosters reported in a social media post that the band played during the Jacksonville Icemen hockey game on Saturday, Feb. 26 at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. On their way to Jacksonville, the band also performed at Spring Park in Green Cove … Read more
BY DAN HILDEBRAN Monitor Editor KEYSTONE HEIGHTS— The Keystone Heights Charter Review Committee held its first meeting on March 3. The committee recommends changes to the city’s governing document. All changes must be approved by voters during an April 11, 2023, election. Panel members include airport board member Bruce Harvin, former city council member Larry … Read more
