Local

Lobbyist Mat Forrest of Ballard Partners and land use lawyer Ed Staker with Shutts & Bohen LLP chat at the NEF event.  Photo by Marisa DeMar/News-Leader 

Lobbyist Mat Forrest of Ballard Partners and land use lawyer Ed Staker with Shutts & Bohen LLP chat at the NEF event.  Photo by Marisa DeMar/News-Leader 

The Wrath of RYAM

Marisa DeMar
Tuesday, September 16, 2025
  The activist group No Ethanol Fernandina (NEF) hosted a Q&A session last Thursday to rally support surrounding continuous fears of a bioethanol power plant being built on the island.
James and Jenny Shaffer stand in front of the historic Standard Marine building, which they plan to renovate.

James and Jenny Shaffer stand in front of the historic Standard Marine building, which they plan to renovate.

Couple target historic Standard Marine building restoration

Nick Blank
Friday, September 12, 2025
Hoping to add another layer to a downtown building’s rich history, the owners of the Standard Marine building near the Fernandina Beach riverfront say the mixed-use project is closer to construction after a four-year wait.
Lenford Killings

Lenford Killings

Callahan man arrested for fatal 2023 accident, police say

News Staff
Friday, September 12, 2025
A Callahan man was arrested last week stemming from a 2023 crash that resulted in the death of a 9-month-old child, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Lenford Killings, 36, was charged with three felonies: aggravated manslaughter of a child, DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide.
Brian Kelly, Military Officers Association of America president and retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant general, addresses chapter members at Fernandina Beach Golf Club on Tuesday.

Brian Kelly, Military Officers Association of America president and retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant general, addresses chapter members at Fernandina Beach Golf Club on Tuesday.

'You should be proud of yourselves'

Nick Blank
Friday, September 12, 2025
When more than 60 retired officers formed the Military Officers Association of America in Los Angeles 96 years ago, they probably didn’t anticipate 350,000 national members by 2025.
Paul Lore on the row boat in the Fernandina Beach Harbor on Sept 9.  By Marisa DeMar/News-Leader 

Paul Lore on the row boat in the Fernandina Beach Harbor on Sept 9.  By Marisa DeMar/News-Leader 

A big oar-deal 

Marisa DeMar
Friday, September 12, 2025
Fernandina Beach resident Paul Lore and Dawn Smith from Burnham on Crouch, England, will be taking on a four-part charity row across the Atlantic Ocean this winter.  The first leg of the journey will start in La Gomera, Spain and end in Antigua.
Owner Tom Miller, Manager Greg Vadnais, and Nassau County Chamber members cut the ceremonial ribbon Monday at Putt-Putt Amelia Island. Submitted Photo by Allyson Myrick 

Owner Tom Miller, Manager Greg Vadnais, and Nassau County Chamber members cut the ceremonial ribbon Monday at Putt-Putt Amelia Island. Submitted Photo by Allyson Myrick 

65 years of Putt Putt

Marisa DeMar
Friday, September 12, 2025
Putt-Putt Amelia Island, the miniature golf course next to Main Beach, has officially reopened to the public after months of renovations. On Monday, the business held a ribbon-cutting ceremony joined by the Nassau County Chamber of Commerce to commemorate its grand reopening.

Potential legislative conflicts ahead for city 

Marisa DeMar
Friday, September 12, 2025
In the next Fernandina Beach City Commission meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 16, the commissioners will be asked to rank their concerns regarding potential legislative disruptions to the local government.  The upcoming state legislative session taking place between Jan.
Owens Corning employees stand by the framing of a Habitat for Humanity home they worked on Friday, Sept. 5. Nick Blank/News-Leader

Owens Corning employees stand by the framing of a Habitat for Humanity home they worked on Friday, Sept. 5. Nick Blank/News-Leader

‘Sweat equity’ in Fernandina Beach

Nick Blank
Wednesday, September 10, 2025
On South 10th Street in Fernandina Beach, volunteers hammer away in the heat accompanied by screaming cicadas. They’re working on Habitat for Humanity homes, which are coming together in different stages. Two homes have been framed, concrete has been poured for another, and one is a dirt lot.
All Access Main Street decal outside of the window of The Lavender Store in downtown Fernandina Beach. Photos by Marisa DeMar/News-Leader 

All Access Main Street decal outside of the window of The Lavender Store in downtown Fernandina Beach. Photos by Marisa DeMar/News-Leader 

All Access Main Street aims to make city more accessible

Marisa DeMar
Wednesday, September 10, 2025
The Fernandina Beach Main Street started a national initiative, All Access Main Street, to make businesses more accessible.  Lisa Finkelstein, the former executive director of Main Street, told the News-Leader about the three-step program that the local group’s steering committee created.