5 Years Ago, 2011

The Clay Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved four recommendations from its Sports Development Advisory Committee, including hiring a full time sports manager and establishing a nonprofit sports and recreation council. The Florida Department of Transportation began a $2.1 million project to improve a 5.1-mile section of County Road 315C between State Road 21 and Christian Camp Road/County Road 14 between Keystone Heights and Penney Farms. The project included four-foot wide shoulders to improve safety. Todd A. Zehner was appointed director of finance and operations at St. Johns Country Day School. He graduated from the school in 1987.

10 Years Ago, 2006

Parents and school district administrators prepared to attend open house events at Clay County’s newest school, the K-8 Oakleaf School, which would open in August. Construction crews leveled parts of the former Tyson chick hatchery alongside U.S. Highway 17 on Fleming Island to make way for the construction of Christ’s Church, a satellite of a church in Mandarin. James Curry, 39, of Orange Park, was arrested after a foot chase for allegedly robbing the Food Lion on Wells Road in which he forced store staff into an office and held them at gunpoint with a .38-caliber handgun before getting away with thousands of dollars in cash.

20 Years Ago, 1996

The Clay County School District reported that 2,347 students were suspended in the 1995-96 school year, compared to 2,867 from the previous year. The Board of County Commissioners, the Clay County School Board and St. Johns River Community College entered a joint agreement to help fund a performing arts auditorium on the college campus. The BCC committed to pay $1 million toward the construction over a two-year period. The Clay County School Board approved final plans for new $17 million junior high school “M” to be built on Sandridge Road adjacent to Lake Asbury Elementary.

30 Years Ago, 1986

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrested Dion Patrick Turner of Orange Park and charged him with kidnapping and aggravated battery for allegedly forcing Mark Allen Giggey into a car while Giggey was walking to a convenience store on Parkwood Drive after a July 4th party. James E. Forsham of Keystone Heights was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison in a U.S. District Court in Gainesville on federal drug conspiracy and income tax evasion charges. The Clay County Health Department issued a measles outbreak for after three clinically-confirmed cases were in Clay County.

40 Years Ago, 1976

Paul Smysor apologized to the Keystone Heights community for dragging his feet and pledged to rebuild the 40-room Keystone Inn to its former glory days when it housed the likes of J.C. Penney and Molly Firestone. The 22-member Lake Asbury Volunteer Fire Department broke ground on a new fire station on Branscomb Road. The $13,000 metal building would have two fire engine bays, an office, a storage area and restrooms. John Gilbert of the Aero Corp. in Lake City sought to lease eight acres of property at the Keystone Heights Airport where he planned to build a $500,000 airport terminal and hangars, and would include gift shops and travel trailer companies.