BY CLIFF SMELLEY [email protected] Bradford County students who are considered food insecure have food to eat over the weekends during the school year, thanks to the Food4Kids Backpack Program of North Florida. Executive Director Margot DeConna spoke to the Kiwanis Club of Starke on Nov. 18 about her organization, which provides food to 165 children…
BY DAN HILDEBRAN [email protected] Keystone Heights High School students participated in the school’s Reality Check on Thursday, November 20, in the school’s gym. The event simulates budgeting in adult life by assigning each student an occupation and income, then having them walk to stations throughout the gym floor to arrange other expenses. Event organizer…
BY DAN HILDEBRAN [email protected] The central drop-off team leader for Operation Christmas Child at Trinity Baptist Church in Keystone Heights said the number of gift boxes collected this year will likely exceed that of 2024. Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief organization, that collects shoeboxes filled with gifts…
BY JENN SAMSEL [email protected] The 11th Annual Krawl’n For The Fallen event, held at the Keystone Heights Airport, honored fallen police officers, K-9s, fire, and military personnel. The event was a fun-filled weekend packed with action, featuring displays from various police and fire departments, motorcycles, boats, helicopters, and K-9 units. Participants enjoyed food, participated in…
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has released an updated version of its Avian Mortality Reporting App, making it easier than ever for the public to help monitor the health of Florida’s wild bird populations. Each year, FWC biologists investigate reports of bird deaths across the state to track diseases such as Highly…
November is Manatee Awareness Month, highlighting a time when Florida’s manatees are starting their seasonal movements to warmer waters around the state. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is sharing the reminder that Floridians and visitors should be extra mindful this time of year to watch for manatees when on the water. “Manatees are…
BY CLIFF SMELLEY [email protected] Age is just a number. Judy Benjamin believes that. As she likes to say, “You don’t have to curl up on the couch if you’re turning 65 or 70 or 75 or 80.” Yet at 81, Benjamin is doing something most of us wouldn’t attempt at any age — walking from…
BY CLIFF SMELLEY [email protected] Bradford County native Shanon “Shane” Kiser was named Leon County’s Glenn Howell Distinguished Educator of the Year. “I still feel at a loss for words,” said Kiser, who learned he was the award recipient on Oct. 27. Kiser, a 2010 Bradford High School graduate and son of Emanuel “Joe” and Cassandra…
BY CLIFF SMELLEY [email protected] On a day that’s all about expressing gratitude to those who served in the military, one of the speakers at a Veterans Day ceremony at Camp Blanding Joint Training Center posed the question of just how one goes about thanking those individuals. Clay County Superintendent of Schools Dave Broskie was one…
