BY DAN HILDEBRAN Monitor Editor KEYSTONE HEIGHTS— Clay County tourism officials announced a new kayak bass fishing tournament for 2023, which they said could increase visits to the Lake Region. County Commissioner and Tourist Development Council Chair Mike Cella made the announcement at Whitey’s Fish Camp in Fleming Island on Wednesday, Nov. 16. County Tourism … Read more
BY DAN HILDEBRAN Monitor Editor KEYSTONE HEIGHTS—A Green Cove Springs man turned himself into Clay deputies after a judge issued an arrest warrant for him on a charge of vehicular homicide. Dustin Cartwright Johnson, 23, was charged in the Aug. 16, 2021, death of Keystone Heights resident Robert Dean Brown. According to a Florida Highway … Read more
BY DAN HILDEBRAN Monitor Editor KEYSTONE HEIGHTS— Clay County Commissioners, County Manager Howard Wanamaker and Jacksonville Transportation Authority leaders, rode through the county on one of JTA’s Clay Community Transportation buses on Monday, Nov. 14. The county said in a social media post that the event’s goal was for commissioners to get a first-hand look … Read more
BY DAN HILDEBRAN Monitor Editor KEYSTONE HEIGHTS—The board of County commissioners’ finance and audit committee approved a $6,000 a-month lobbying contract with the Southern Group during its Tuesday, Nov. 15 meeting. At an earlier board of county commissioners meeting, commissioners ranked the Tallahassee-based lobbying firm as its first choice over long-time county lobbyist The Fiorentino … Read more
BY DAN HILDEBRAN Monitor Editor KEYSTONE HEIGHTS—Clay County Government said curbside collection of recyclables will resume on Monday, Dec. 5, for the unincorporated areas of Clay County and the City of Keystone Heights. “Waste Management now has the required number of drivers needed to service all Clay County routes,” the county said in a news … Read more
BY DAN HILDEBRAN Monitor Editor KEYSTONE HEIGHTS— Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook said she expects crime rates to possibly rebound from their current lows and that her agency will continue developing its real-time crime center and a program that makes mental health counselors available to respond to calls. She said she also hopes to launch … Read more
BY DAN HILDEBRAN Monitor Editor KEYSTONE HEIGHTS— Clay County voters rejected three proposed charter amendments by wide margins, renewed a one-mill assessment for school security and elected Republicans to the county commission, State House and U.S. Congress in the Nov. 8 general election. Aaron Bean ran away with the District 4 U.S. House seat race … Read more
Keystone Heights’ (2-8) Coach Chuck Dickinson said his offense could not keep pace with P.K. Yonge’s (3-7) high-powered offense after the Indians lost their season finale 35-22. Dickinson noted that the visiting Blue Wave scored on five out of seven possessions. “We scored on three out of six, I think,” the coach said after the … Read more
BY DAN HILDEBRAN Monitor Editor STARKE — Bradford, Union and Clay County residents saw Gov. Ron DeSantis in person as he made two campaign stops in the area during the closing stretch of his reelection campaign. On Thursday, DeSantis spoke at Florida Gateway College in Lake City. The following day he appeared at Best Bet … Read more
KEYSTONE HEIGHTS— A federal judge sentenced a former Putnam County librarian to nearly 22 years in prison for distributing child pornography. Kurt Batucan Sheldon, 31, of Interlachen, was also ordered to serve a life term of supervised release and register as a sex offender. According to court documents, the case was initiated when the parents … Read more
