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Cuban refugee, U.S. Navy petty officer reunite 30 years after Guantanamo Bay

Celia E. Ochoa at Guantanamo Bay in September 1994.

Celia E. Ochoa lives in Middleburg now, but it was nearly 30 years ago when she, her family and six other passengers were …

The newly approved policy and procedure notably establishes a guideline of community standards, which would flag books as

Book closed on Clay County’s ‘book challenge’ debate

FLEMING ISLAND – The Clay County School Board voted 5-0 to adopt its newest media policy , discerning which students can access books in public school libraries, and 3-2 to adopt its latest …

Clay High loses at Tallahassee Lincoln, 2-0

TALLAHASSEE – And then there was one. The county’s fourth and final chance to advance to the state’s high school Final Four, Clay High baseball team, bowed out of the Class 1-5A tournament …

St. Johns Country Day advances to Class 2A Final Four with 8-6 win

ORANGE PARK – St. Johns Country Day School waited until the bottom of the seventh inning to get back-to-back home runs to beat North Florida Christian, 8-6, to advance to the Final Four of the …

Free summer camp registration deadline is May 24

CLAY COUNTY - The deadline to register for a free children's summer camp in Clay County is quickly approaching on Friday, May 24. Clay County Parks and Recreation is partnering with Ascension St. …

Councilmember Elston Kussler during his swearing in ceremony

Attempt to oust Charlie Van Zant fails in Keystone Heights

KEYSTONE HEIGHTS – Just minutes after Elston Kussler was sworn in during the city council meeting on May 6, his first official statement on the dais was defending City …

The map shows the new Form-Based Code zones in downtown Green Cove Springs.

GCS City Council a step closer to finalizing its Form-Based Code

GREEN COVE SPRINGS —After weeks of meetings, the city council on Tuesday took the first step to finalize the Form-Based Code for the downtown area. The code establishes regulations based on …

Isaac Haas brings 19th-century Clay County to life

A prolific photographer in the 19th-century, Isaac Haas did what most of us do today when we see something interesting – he snapped a photo...

MotoSurf GP of Keystone returns to Lake Geneva this weekend

KEYSTONE HEIGHTS – The MotoSurf Games season will hit the beach this weekend at Lake Geneva for the season-opening Grand Prix of Keystone Heights. Established in 2013 as the MotoSurf World Cup …

Charity Barbosa, left, smiles after Plantation Oaks Elementary rings their cowbells after she accepted their job offer.

School District hires 80 from hundreds of Job Fair applicants

FLEMING ISLAND —Every elementary school set up a table with goodies and decorations inside the Fleming Island High cafeteria Monday night to attract a talented group of new teachers for the …

Case stands with his family after his new badge was pinned on his uniform

Randy Case named new OPPD Police Chief

ORANGE PARK – The town council voted 3-0 to appoint Assistant Chief Randy Case as its next chief of Orange Park Police Department on Tuesday, May 7, after he served briefly as interim …

Nathan Stanley becomes new Executive Director at Seamark Ranch

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Seamark Ranch has provided a safe home to more than 150 children in need. Their mission is to provide a traditional home environment where children can heal through …

Clay Today Arts Contest

Clay Today Creative Arts Contest

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Senior Spotlight

Oakleaf High’s Jacquelyn Beasy spent the last year putting her life back together after the sudden death of her mother. She will attend the University of Florida next year and study psychology to focus on the effects of mental health and substance abuse.

Senior Spotlight: Oakleaf High's Jacquelyn Beasy

OAKLEAF – Her mother probably told her how she came up with her name, Jacquelyn Beasy, but she can’t remember. Like most adults and adolescents, she remembers they had their differences but …

St. Johns Classical Academy’s Wedangelis Feliciano-Berrocales came to the United States 11 years ago from Puerto Rico. Her parents couldn’t speak English, and they didn’t have a job. She was self-taught English and will graduate on May 24 from St. Johns Classical Academy before becoming the first in her immediate family to attend college.

Senior Spotlight: Wedangelis Feliciano-Berrocales

FLEMING ISLAND – There was a recession in Puerto Rico 11 years ago, and Wedangelis Feliciano-Berrocales’ parents didn’t have college degrees or jobs. When the pandemic hit, the …

James Jetty went from living in the back of a tattoo shop and a car to graduating from Clay High with plans to earn a psychology degree from UCF.

Senior Spotlight: Clay High's James Jetty

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – For most of his young life, James Jetty’s only future was figuring out where he would sleep that night. Sometimes, he found a spot in the back of his mother’s tattoo …

Luke Rykalsky will go to the University of Florida with the Benacquisto Scholarship, but his attention will drift back to Orange Park after his father suffered two strokes.

Senior spotlight: Orange Park High’s Luke Rykalsky

ORANGE PARK – His father can’t physically tell him, but Luke Rykalsky knows he’s supposed to leave home for college next year. It won’t ease his worries, especially since his father counts on …

Ben Ulsch lost his parents in 2018, then he suffered a severe knee injury that forced him to miss most of his junior and all of his senior football seasons. He said throughout the challenges, he is a “stronger” person who plans to own his own construction company.

Senior spotlight: Keystone Heights’ Ben Ulsch

KEYSTONE HEIGHTS – The more Ben Ulsch talks, the more he tries to put football behind him. He tells you a third-place finish in the Class 1A 169-pound state weightlifting championship was a …

Obituaries

Mickey Joan Allran Price

Mickey Joan Allran Price, 78, of Salisbury, passed away Tuesday, April 16, 2024. She was born January 4, 1946, in Rowan County, NC to the late Everette Hoyle Allran and Minnie Coley. She was a …

Kimberly A. Coggin

Kimberly A. “ Kim” Coggin, 61 of Green Cove Springs passed away Tuesday, April 16, 2024, at her residence following an extended illness. Kim was born in Chicago, Illinois, and lived …

Shelley Jean Defibaugh

Shelley Jean Defibaugh passed away on April 2, 2024, in Orange Park, FL at the age of 57. She was born to Barbara and Frank Turner on September 19, 1967, in Massillon, OH. Shelley …

Barbara Faulkner Davidson

Barbara Faulkner Davidson, 98, a long-time resident of Orange Park, Florida, passed away peacefully at home on Thursday, April 11, 2024. She was born in Jacksonville, FL to the late James Hilton …

James Roy Studdard

JAMES ROY STUDDARD passed away peacefully surrounded by family on April 10, 2024. James was born in Cherokee County, Alabama, on July 9, 1940, and grew up in Clanton, Alabama. After graduating …

CCSO K-9 Ory retires

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Clay County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Deputy Ory, a seven-year veteran with the agency, retired May 3. According to CCSO, Ory was responsible for 14 bites, hundreds of tracks and …

Jacksonville man charged with impersonating FBI agent

ORANGE PARK – A Jacksonville man was arrested after the Clay County Sheriff’s Office said he claimed to be an FBI Special Agent after he approached two women he said were driving recklessly on …

Obstructed tag leads to fentanyl charge for Jacksonville man

MIDDLEBURG – A Jacksonville man was stopped on Blanding Boulevard on April 30 with an obstructed license tag, and he wound up going to the Clay County Jail for trafficking 51.1 grams of fentanyl. …

Gainesville man arrested in CCSO child porn internet sting

ORANGE PARK – A Gainesville man was arrested on May 1 after the Clay County Sheriff’s Office caught him in an undercover operation using his computer to solicit a child for sex. According to the …

Arrests and Bookings

Tuesday, May 7

Thanggy K. Janvier, 27, Middleburg, domestic battery

Roya S. Dees, 34, Oakleaf, domestic battery

Arthur T. Pendarvis, 49, Middleburg, consumption of alcohol within 300 feet of package store

Sydney M.L. Riley, 26, Green Cove Springs, VOP aggravated assault with deadly weapon

Brian K. Herndon, 49, Green Cove Springs, DWLSR

Charles A. Futch, 39, Green Cove Springs, FTA DWLSR

Alexis E.R. Lopez, 30, Fleming Island, driving without a driver’s license

Angel L. Coakley, 40, Green Cove Springs, VOP domestic violence

Charles H. Tilford, 41, Middleburg, DUI, DWLSR

Badcock Furniture Green Cove Springs

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Fleming Island, Oakleaf snag softball titles

MIDDLEBURG - With a first-ever district title going to Fleming Island's coaching duo of Jennifer and Baire Bucklew, the Golden Eagles joined a three-peat of district titles at Oakleaf High as area …

Raiders down Blue Devils

ORANGE PARK - In 1998, Google was born, Bill Clinton was President, and the Orange Park Raiders won their last Baseball District Title. In the backyard at Ridgeview High, the District Tournament …

Slap Yo' Grandma! Raiders win! CHS, OHS, FIHS, KHHS, SJCDS alive

ORANGE PARK - One long-time Orange Park High football announcer's favorite phrase often came when the Raiders did something special on the field and had Larry Scarbrough has been calling Thursday's …

Fleming Island has best shot of stealing track title at UNF

FLEMING ISLAND – After winning the region track title last week at the University of North Florida, the Fleming Island boys track team is in a prime position to upset the South Florida dominance in …

The Clay County YMCA – For A Better Community

First Coast YMCA-Our DayStar Program

At DayStar, we are committed to ensuring everyone reaches their full potential with dignity while providing individuals access to the unique support they need. Daystar is committed to providing …

Here's what's happening around Clay County

CLAY COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD will meet on May 2 at 6 p.m. at the Teacher Training Center at Fleming Island High, 2233 Village Square Pkwy. ORANGE PARK ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE …

Did you know?

Clay Today will test your knowledge weekly and provide interesting facts on various topics. This week, sports stars who own cars in NASCAR. Stock car racing is still celebrating Tyler Reddick’s …

Word of the Week

Plangent : (PLAN-junt) an adjective meaning loud, deep, and often expressive of sadness or suffering. The word is a synonym of "plaintive." "The campers were awoken by the plangent howl of …

More words of the week

Briefs

Fleming Island’s Laird inducted into Phi Kappa Phi

BATON ROUGE, La. – N aomi Laird of Fleming Island was recently initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society. …

Thirteen from Clay County earn degrees from Flagler College

ST. AUGUSTINE – More than 500 students, including 13 from Clay County, celebrated their graduation from …
Clamour Theatre presenting 'PASSING THE BATON' on May 16

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Brian Johnson, previously seen in Clamour's "ZONA," "THE GHOST OF GREENBRIER" and …
BedRock '80s Hairband Rock' to play at Memorial Day Riverfest

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – BedRock "80's Hairband Rock" is gearing up for its performance at …
Pickleball ready for its first serve at Augusta Savage Center

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – The Clay County Board of County Commissioners and the City of Green …
Empowerment Council: Women business owners discuss their impact on economy

CLAY COUNTY – The Clay County Chamber of Commerce hosted the Women's Empowerment Council Luncheon …

School District hosting Job Fair Monday at Fleming Island High

FLEMING ISLAND – If you’re looking for a career, update your resume and be at Fleming Island …
Garden Club of Orange Park invites public to open house tours

ORANGE PARK – The Garden Club invites the public to Open House tours held on Thursday afternoons …
Fortis College to host open house for National Nurses Week

ORANGE PARK – In honor of National Nurses Week, Fortis College in Orange Park is celebrating its …
Women’s Excursion Day at Silver Needle & Thread on May 9

ORANGE PARK – Everyone is invited to Women’s Excursion Day on May 9 from 2-7 p.m. at the Silver …
Ridgeview’s NJROTC Cadet Walker attends Basic Leadership Academy

ORANGE PARK – Raelynn Walker recently was one of only four girls chosen to be cadres at the U.S. …

Orange Park Furniture celebrates 50 years in the homey business

ORANGE PARK – Pursuing through the aisles of sectional couches, sofas, reclining chairs, dining …
Harbor Freight Tools to open new store April 20

ORANGE PARK – Harbor Freight Tools will officially open its new store on Saturday, April 20. The …
Nifty nicknacks, unique businesses at County Fair

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – If you're looking to escape the sun during the Clay County Agricultural …

'Round up' your purchase at Hagan Ace during April

JACKSONVILLE – Hagan Ace Hardware will proudly celebrate 30 years of partnership with …
DGPerry CPAs + Advisors eager for celebratory breakfast on April 16

ORANGE PARK —DGPerry CPAs + Advisors are in the middle of tax season, so they don't have time for …
HCA Orange Park Hospital among top 5% for patient safety

ORANGE PARK – HCA Florida Orange Park Hospital was selected as 2024 Patient Safety …

Badcock Furniture Green Cove Springs

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