Mark J. Crawford
Riddick will not run for reelection
His and other seats open to candidates BY MARK J. CRAWFORD [email protected] County Commissioner Danny Riddick has announced he will not seek reelection this year. He was emotional when making the announcement last week, saying it was a tough decision because he enjoys the job. “I’ll just tell you, God has blessed me. He’s helped … Read more
Zoning director resigns, faces ethics charges
BY MARK J. CRAWFORD [email protected] Randy Andrews, who served as director of Bradford County’s zoning office, is no longer at work amid possible ethics charges. According to a press release following the Florida Commission on Ethics most recent meeting, the ethics commission found probable cause that Andrews “violated the constitutional amendment prohibiting abuse of office … Read more
ICE discussion spills over to city commission meeting
BY MARK J. CRAWFORD [email protected] According to Starke Mayor Andy Redding, discussions between consultants and the county about hosting an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainment facility have not included the city commission. As citizen Paul Still pointed out during his comments to the city commission Feb. 3, the proposal calls for the extension of Starke’s … Read more
Contamination raises more concerns about proposed ICE facility
BY MARK J. CRAWFORD [email protected] Florida Department of Environmental Protection is updating landowners about the contamination identified in the groundwater beneath the former Department of Management Services Bureau of Federal Property Assistance warehouse on U.S. 301 south of Starke. FDEP covered the cost of extending Starke’s waterlines to the Deerwood subdivision in 2003 after some … Read more
Help domestic violence victims
BY MARK J. CRAWFORD [email protected] Recent shootings in Bradford and Union counties have underscored the crisis of domestic violence. The tragic incidents have raised awareness about the immediate need for support for victims and the roles that community members can play in offering assistance. Domestic violence can encompass physical, mental/emotional and sexual abuse — pushing, … Read more
Legal Notices for 2-12-26
Bradford IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE EIGHTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR BRADFORD COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO.: 04 2025 CA 000457 VYSTAR CREDIT UNION, Plaintiff, UNKNOWN HEIRS, SPOUSES, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, CREDITORS, AND ALL OTHER PARTIES CLAIMING BY, THROUGH, UNDER OR AGAINST THE ESTATE OF DEBRA ILENE HUNTER F/K/A DEBRA ILENE … Read more
Many speak in opposition to Bradford County’s ICE proposal
BY MARK J. CRAWFORD [email protected] Public speakers again protested Bradford County’s willingness to host an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility on the outskirts of Starke, with many appealing to commissioners’ sense of decency. If an agreement is reached with the federal government, ICE would take over the Douglas Building and surrounding acreage just south … Read more
Democrats plead with county to ‘cancel’ ICE ‘experiment’
BY MARK J. CRAWFORD [email protected] The Bradford County Democratic Party issued a press release on a proposed an ICE-run 3,000-bed immigrant detention facility was proposed for Bradford County, in a developed area just outside the city of Starke. The issue was a topic of discussion during members’ most recent meeting. They distilled the discussion into … Read more
