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 DAN HILDEBRAN [email protected] Bradford County Sheriff Gordon Smith said the man, whom deputies say shot and killed his estranged wife before taking his own life, shot himself in the head while his 11-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son looked on. Deputies said Loyd Alan Kerr, 50, broke into the mobile home of Rachael Renee Kerr, … Read more
BY MARK J. CRAWFORD [email protected] Starke’s reintroduction of higher impact fees on new development has been delayed by post-storm legislation. Not long after being presented its updated impact fee study in November, the city learned that Senate Bill 180 (2025), which limited local governments’ ability to regulate land development following hurricanes, also affected the city’s … Read more
BY MARK J. CRAWFORD [email protected] The site plan for Starke’s new multifamily development has received the city commission’s approval. Ten quadruplex buildings will go up at the corner of State Road 16 and Weldon Road, for a total of 40 new apartments. Each building is approximately 4,560 square feet, and most are arranged along S.R. … Read more
BY MARK J. CRAWFORD [email protected] The Starke Charter Revision Committee’s latest meeting focused on defining the city’s form of government and election cycles. Members are working to deliver voters an amended charter to consider this fall. Jeff Johnson and Al Hunter were selected as chair and vice chair of the committee to manage meetings, and … Read more
BY LUKE HARLOW UF/IFAS Bradford County Horticulture Agent Comparatively, we are in a pretty good location to deal with freezes in Northeast Florida. We don’t have to deal with icy roads causing accidents or getting hit in the head by iguanas falling from trees. Our average annual lows for Bradford County are generally in the … Read more
BY JENN SAMSEL [email protected] Concerned Citizens of Bradford County held its ninth annual Martin Luther King Jr. Drum Major Service Award Banquet on Jan. 17 at the Gov. Charley E. Johns Conference Center in Bradford County. The event opened with a powerful speech from the guest speaker, the Hon. Tatum Davis, Bradford County … 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] 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
