BY DAN HILDEBRAN
Monitor Editor
Keystone Beach closed for two months
The beach will be closed beginning Monday, Feb. 14 and will remain closed until April.
Renovations on the restroom area and the performance stage will take place during the two-month closure.
The estimated cost of the project is over $600,000.
Charter review committee considers raise for Clay commissioners
The county’s charter review committee met on Tuesday, Feb. 15 to discuss raising commissioner’s salaries. Most counties follow state statue in setting commissioner pay, which base the compensation on county population. However, Florida’s 20 charter counties have the freedom to deviate from state law.
In 2006, voters reduced the salaries of Clay County commissioners from $52,000 a year to $37,500 a year.
During Tuesday’s meeting, the CRC instructed its attorney to draft language that would increase commissioner pay according to annual cost-of-living changes. The committee rejected a proposal to increase commissioner pay to state statute levels which would have increased annual compensation for the five-member board to over $97,000 a year.
Clint Gillen to lead business association
The owner of Keystone Heights’s Carquest will lead the Keystone-Lake Region Business Association beginning January 2023.
Gillen’s father bought Keystone Auto Parts in 2006. Ten years later Gillen and his wife purchased the business from Gillen’s father.
Gillen said the business climate in the Keystone Heights area is strong. He said the main problem Lake Region businesses are dealing with now are inventory and supply shortages caused by supply chain disruptions.
Lawsuit blames guidance counselor for attempted suicide
A federal lawsuit blames a Clay County School District guidance counselor for a sixth-grade student’s attempted suicide at Paterson Elementary on Jan. 5.
The litigation, filed by the Child & Parental Rights Campaign, claims the counselor held secret weekly meetings with the student about a gender identity crisis for months without alerting the parents.
School district: “We performed an investigation into these allegations and believe the statements made by this out-of-state organization invalid.”
Bradford school bus rear-ends car
The Florida Highway Patrol said the bus was picking up students on the morning of Wednesday, Feb. 16 and was exiting the Starke bypass at State Road 16 when it struck a stopped vehicle.
One of 16 students on board was taken to a hospital as a precautionary measure.
Both vehicles received minor damage.
Keystone Heights JROTC participating in Daytona Speedweeks
The Indian Brigade’s color guard presented the colors prior to the NEXTera Energy 250 on Friday, Feb. 18.
The guard made a second appearance prior to Saturday’s Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner 300.
The group also participated in last year’s races.
Co-op promoting “Thank a Lineman” license plate
Clay Electric Cooperative said the tag must pre-sell 3,000 license plate vouchers before the state begins manufacturing and distributing the plate. There are currently only 1,300 tags sold.
The plate features the silhouette of two line workers on a pole with an American Flag background, anchored with the phrase: “Thank a Lineman.”
Proceeds from the tag sales will go toward lineman education programs like the Electric Utility Institute at Lake-Sumter State College.
Two file for Clay School Board District 1
The seat is currently held by Janice Kerekes. Last week, former Bradford football coach Derek Chipoletti withdrew from the race.
Chipoletti: “I am very appreciative and humbled by the tremendous amount of support that I received. I have made many new friends and learned a lot about our local politics. It has been a great experience and I encourage those that do have the time to get involved!!”
Former professional baseball player and retired Jacksonville sheriff’s corrections sergeant Charlie kirk filed to challenge Kerekes last year.
Last week, photographer and former 5th-grade teacher April Peeples, in addition to Middleburg High School graduate Erin Skipper also filed to challenge Kerekes.
Clay school board members run county wide.
Clay Electric sends teens to Tallahassee
The 11th-graders spent three days in the Florida capital last week learning about state government and electric cooperatives.
There was also a test and speech competition for one of four spots for an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C in June.
The winners of the 2022 Youth Tour to Washington contest are: Abby Luck of Fleming Island High School, Shannon Hodges of St. Johns Country Day School, Cat Kivett-Smith of Ridgeview High School, and Olivia Votava of Oakleaf High School. The alternates are Olivia Hannigan of Columbia High School and Al’Leah Ford of Q.I. Roberts High School.
5-acre wildfire in McRae
The blaze occurred during the afternoon of Saturday, Feb. 19.
The fire was located on Odom Ranch Trail, south of County Road 214, about halfway between Lake Geneva and McRae.
No structures were damaged, and no injuries were reported.
Wildfire near Chemours burned 250 acres
Bradford County Fire Rescue said the Florida Forestry Service, Starke Fire Rescue, Bradford County Public Works and Clay County Fire Rescue assisted in containing the blaze.
Firefighters battled the fire for several hours, off of Southeast 15th Avenue, near the Bradford-Clay County line. Just after 4 p.m. BCFR said the blaze had consumed 15 acres. The fire was contained after 9 p.m.
No injuries or property damage was reported. The cause of the blaze is under investigation. BCFR said smoke from the blaze could linger for days.
Pedestrian killed near Hampton
Bradford County Fire Rescue reported the incident around 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 21.
The agency said a vehicle struck and killed a pedestrian near the intersection of U.S. 301 and County Road 18.
The crash is still under investigation.
Bradley’s evidence tempering bill advances in Senate
The Senate judiciary committee passed Jennifer Bradley’s SB 796 which would change evidence tampering from a third-degree felony to a second-degree felony.
Bradley represents Clay, Union and Bradford counties in the upper chamber.
Rep. Sam Garrison of Orange Park filed a companion bill, HB 287 in the House.
The bills arose after the mother of Aiden Fucci was arrested for washing blood from her son’s jeans. Her 14-year-old son is awaiting trial for the murder of 13-year-old St. Johns County student Tristyn Baily, whom prosecutors said was stabbed 114 times.
Hospital auxiliary changes name, mission
Since 2010, Shands Starke Hospital Auxiliary Inc. has provided support to Bradford County’s only hospital while operating a gift shop in the facility to raise funds.
Last year, the nonprofit changed its name to Bradford Community Health Care Auxiliary Inc. and expanded its mission to support health care throughout the entire community.
Now, the group is seeking to replace obsolete medical and trauma jump bags on Bradford County ambulances. The bags support opening airways, beginning intravenous treatment and organizing medicines. The cost of the project is $4,627.
