Laura Young ECB Publishing, Inc. Jefferson County folks with livestock and warm-blooded pets may find it worth the drive to the Florida Gateway Fairgrounds in Lake City on June 18 to learn…
Commissioners to recognize veterans on June 18
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. The Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners will hold a special recognition of Jefferson County veterans during its June 18, meeting. The ceremony, organized by Interim County…
Don’t wait ’til you smell the smoke: JCFR provides free smoke detectors
Hailey Heseltine ECB Publishing, Inc. When was the last time you tested or replaced your smoke detectors? Most house fires are caused by mishaps when cooking, but other fire sources, including heating…
The hunt is on: scalloping season opens
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Contributor The 2026 recreational bay scallop season in the Fenholloway – Suwannee River Zone opens Monday, June 15, and will remain open through Labor Day (Sept….
AEDs: a lifesaving tool anyone can use
Hailey Waldo ECB Publishing, Inc. When a person experiences sudden cardiac arrest, quick action can save a life. Along with CPR, an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is one of the most important…
Registration for Tallahassee’s annual Out of the Darkness Walk is open
Hailey Heseltine ECB Publishing, Inc. Did you know that suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States? According to the World Health Organization, over 720,000 people’s lives are…
June is PTSD Awareness Month
Heather Ainsley ECB Publishing, Inc. The human mind is a powerful thing – but it isn’t invincible. In every psyche, there is a breaking point, and each individual’s threshold for stress and…
Dangerous social media trend sends warning to parents
Hailey Waldo ECB Publishing, Inc. A growing social media trend involving microwaving NeeDoh and other gel-filled squishy toys is raising serious safety concerns after children across the country have suffered painful burns…
Celebrate America Festival with Free Military Admission at Wild Adventures Theme Park
Story Submitted Wild Adventures Theme Park in Valdosta, Ga., will host its Celebrate America Festival powered by Georgia Power from June 20 through July 12, a patriotic three-week event honoring 250 years…
County awards $22K to nonprofits
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. The Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners recently awarded a total of $22,000 to 11 local nonprofit organizations that work in various ways to improve the community…
When someone goes missing in Jefferson County: the silence before the alert
Patricia Smith Contributor Alert systems work, but the question remains about whether public awareness is keeping pace. In Jefferson County, a missing person’s case rarely begins with an emergency tone or a…
County renews legal services contract with NGN
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. The Tallahassee-based law firm of Nabors, Giblin and Nickerson (NGN) will continue to serve as legal counsel to the Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners, with Attorney…
Watermelon Festival events for June 12-13
Laura Young ECB Publishing, Inc. Watermelon Festival royalty were crowned last weekend, and the line-up of festival fun continues for two more weeks, organized by the Watermelon Festival Committee and the Monticello-Jefferson…
The day my heart stopped – a cardiac arrest survivor’s story
Tiffany Blaner ECB Publishing, Inc. Every year more than 350,000 people suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests. Around 90% of those cardiac arrests are fatal. Approximately 200 Americans under the age of 25 die…
We must oppose the surveillance state, starting here
I had written about the massive number of surveillance cameras in Jefferson County back in January 2026. To recap, Jefferson County has at least 25 Flock “safety” license plate reader cameras in…
Planners set hearing on Love’s truck stop near Lloyd
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. Some four months after Jefferson County planners denied an application from Eshden Partners, LLC, to rezone a 128-acre property near Lloyd from Mixed Use Suburban Residential (MUSR)…
Local group asks governor for review of Trulieve
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. Notwithstanding the ongoing actions of two regulatory agencies relative to the Trulieve facility in the Waukeenah area, some local residents’ concerns have not been alleviated, evident by…
Golden Grants available for schools and nonprofits
Madelyn Schieder Contributor Today, the McDonald’s Florida Georgia Line Operator’s Association (FGLBU) opened applications for its annual Golden Grants Program. This year, the program will award grants of $2,500 and $5,000 to…
Warden Hewitt connects “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” to faith
Laura Young ECB Publishing, Inc. An extra meeting was added to this year’s calendar for the Monticello Community Prayer Breakfast so that the group could recognize Jefferson Correctional Institution (JCI) as a…
Lawmakers adopt property tax reform measure for ballot (Local officials hold special meeting in anticipation of legislators’ action)
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. Although not exactly as proposed by the governor, Florida lawmakers on Tuesday, June 2, approved a revised property tax amendment that could significantly increase the annual homestead…