BY MARK J. CRAWFORD Telegraph Editor Former Starke Police Chief Jimmy Epps died on Sunday at the age of 81. After splitting his youth between Arkansas and Starke, Epps entered the U.S. Air Force, spending 20 years enlisted, including three tours in Vietnam. The decorated veteran then joined the Starke Police Department. He worked for … Read more
Citizens of Bradford, while you have scraped and saved to the best of your efforts during this pandemic, your county commissioners have unanimously agreed to raise your property taxes to 10 mills. Your very own land, which you hold in sted for not only yourselves, but your children, and your children’s children has been callously … Read more
Dear Editor: Last year I urged the County Commission to take a small step toward increasing the millage rate, maybe a quarter mill, so that more money would start coming in and the following years’ inevitable increases could be a little smaller. Why would I say inevitable? Because for many years we have been running … Read more
Dear Editor: How many calls for service has the Bradford County Fire Rescue had since Oct. 1, 2020? Out of those calls, how many structure fires? How many working fires? On average, how many calls for services is Bradford County Fire Rescue doing each day? Are they responding to every EMS call alongside of rescue? … Read more
Debra Beck MELROSE Debra Jean “Debbie” Beck, 61, of Melrose, passed away on Wednesday, September 15, 2021 at North Florida Regional Medical Center surrounded by her family. She was born June 19, 1960 in Orlando to William R. Smith and Barbara Durden Smith. Debbie was a member of Believers Worship Center in Melrose and loved … Read more
Sept. 18 through Sept. 24 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 … Read more
BY MARK J. CRAWFORD Telegraph Editor STARKE — A more tentative budget may have never been approved than that adopted by the Bradford County Commission during its first budget hearing on Sept. 16. Calling for more information as well as cuts, commissioners might not have approved the $70 million budget at all had their attorney … Read more
BY MARK J. CRAWFORD Telegraph Editor STARKE — Bradford County Sheriff Gordon Smith is fighting for a larger budget to cover rising costs and provide line staff a $1 hourly raise. Smith sent out an updated cover letter to 2021-22 budget request that provides some details of the nearly $7.1 million budget. More than $500,000 … Read more
BY TRACY LEE TATE Times Editor Next weekend, Sept 30-Oct 2, 2021, Union County will celebrate two milestones, all in one weekend. It will be the end of Homecoming Week for Union County High School. After fun and games during the first part of the week-long event, students will gather at the football stadium on … Read more
STARKE — Work continues on the Starke Railroad Overpass on State Road 100 in Bradford County as crews shift their focus toward construction of the bridge itself. Installation of drilled shafts – reinforced concrete columns poured into drilled holes that will eventually support the new overpass – has been completed on the east end of the … Read more
