BY DAN HILDEBRAN Monitor Editor MELROSE— Many smaller towns don’t have a single Christmas parade, but the community at the corners of Bradford, Putnam, Clay and Alachua counties featured two Christmas parades this year: the Merry Melrose Christmas Parade on Dec. 11 and the Bonnie Melrose Christmas parade the following Saturday. Tom Germano, the second-year … Read more
On Thursday evening, the Bradford County School District posted the following statement about school safety threats circulating on social media.
BY CLIFF SMELLEY Telegraph Staff Writer Jamie Rodgers, who had head-coaching stints at Baker County and Suwanee and was named the Florida Dairy Farmers Class 5A Coach of the Year twice, was announced as the new Bradford High School head varsity football coach. “I’m just excited to get here and get to work and build … Read more
BY DAN HILDEBRAN Monitor Editor STARKE— A 55-year-old Starke man turned himself in after he shot a 35-year-old Central Florida man over a $200 football game wager. Jimmy Lamar Hankerson was arrested on Dec. 8 for the Dec. 7 offenses of homicide and possession of a firearm by a felon. According to an arrest report, … Read more
BY DAN HILDEBRAN Monitor Editor STARKE— A former Starke attorney already serving a 21-month sentence for grand theft was arraigned recently on additional and unrelated charges. Johnie Steven Cooper, 61 was arraigned on Dec. 8 for a case involving investment fraud and another claiming he overbilled an estate for his services. Took money for stock … Read more
BY MARK J. CRAWFORD Telegraph Editor STARKE — Severe thunderstorms swept through the area Dec. 8 and even spawned a tornado in Starke. The National Weather Service determined the EF1 tornado occurred around 5:20 p.m. With a peak wind speed of 95 mph, the tornado traveled around a half-mile from east of U.S. 301 toward … Read more
BY MARK J. CRAWFORD Telegraph Editor A group aiming to convince the school board to allow them to found a charter school in Brooker may first have to convince the county commission to deny a special exception for a daycare. The former Brooker Elementary School has been empty this year, and community members were hoping … Read more
BY MARK J. CRAWFORD Telegraph Editor STARKE — Bradford County Fire Rescue may have an opportunity to hire additional firefighters and reduce response times but doing so would depend on grant funding that county commissioners are hesitant to accept. If the fire department applies for and receives a SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency … Read more
