Local

Amelia Island stuck to North America after Pangea split 180 million years ago. Submitted photo

Amelia Island stuck to North America after Pangea split 180 million years ago. Submitted photo

Amelia Island’s African beginnings

Sean Rosenthal
Tuesday, October 17, 2023
Over the last 500 million years, Amelia Island was once in Africa, was in the middle of a mountain range, then coastal, then underwater, then inland and now coastal again. The sand on our beaches is African sand.
Fernandina Beach farmers market will have honey vendor St. Marys Bee Ranch and hand-crafted knives made by J. Thompson Knives. Primitive Instincts will showcase necklaces at their booth at the Arts Market. Photo by Judie Mackie/Special

Fernandina Beach farmers market will have honey vendor St. Marys Bee Ranch and hand-crafted knives made by J. Thompson Knives. Primitive Instincts will showcase necklaces at their booth at the Arts Market. Photo by Judie Mackie/Special

Arts Market joins Farmers Market on Saturday

Guest Columnist
Friday, October 13, 2023
The Fernandina Beach Market Place farmers market will be open Saturday, Oct. 14, and the Fernandina Beach Arts Market will be adjacent to the farmers market every week through the end of October. That’s right, the next three Saturdays will feature both markets in downtown historic Fernandina Beach.
The view from Masada, an ancient fortification on a plateau. Members in my group had bar and bat mitzvahs in the ruins of the synagogue here, the oldest synagogue yet found. Photo by Sean Rosenthal/News-Leader

The view from Masada, an ancient fortification on a plateau. Members in my group had bar and bat mitzvahs in the ruins of the synagogue here, the oldest synagogue yet found. Photo by Sean Rosenthal/News-Leader

Israel is beautiful

Sean Rosenthal
Friday, October 13, 2023
I hadn’t thought about Israel in a while. I had been there over the 2018-19 new year and found beauty all around.
Ocean Highway and Port Authority. File photo

Ocean Highway and Port Authority. File photo

OHPA delays listing property for sale

Julia Roberts
Thursday, October 12, 2023
Cabana Lane Real Estate, the company who won a Request for Proposals to sell three parcels of property for the Ocean Highway and Port Authority, withdrew its offer to list the land. At the Oct.
A kids fishing clinic at George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier State Park. Photo courtesy Florida State Parks

A kids fishing clinic at George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier State Park. Photo courtesy Florida State Parks

State planning park provisioning

Sean Rosenthal
Thursday, October 12, 2023
In a decade or two, the George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier State Park will be replaced by a pier at the very edge of Amelia Island, according to the Florida State Parks department. One end of the pedestrian bridge is closed now, and the bridge will only continue to fall into disrepair.
Photo by Beth Jones/News-Leader

Photo by Beth Jones/News-Leader

Sinking sailboat in the Sound

Sean Rosenthal
Thursday, October 12, 2023
Nassau County Fire Rescue was on scene and had rescue boats in the water at Dee Dee Bartel Boat Ramp at Fort Clinch today around 12:30 p.m. The marine unit responded to a report of a 45 foot sailboat that was taking on water in the Cumberland Sound, according to Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper.
Render of the future Civic Center campus at the Robert M. Foster Justice Center on William Burgess Boulevard. Submitted photo

Render of the future Civic Center campus at the Robert M. Foster Justice Center on William Burgess Boulevard. Submitted photo

‘Our plan is to go vertical’

Sean Rosenthal
Tuesday, October 10, 2023
Nassau County is taking the first steps towards developing a civic campus at the Robert M. Foster Justice Center on William Burgess Boulevard and overpass that will allow drivers to go from Yulee Middle and High schools to Semper Fi Drive on the other side of I-95, without getting on S.R. 200 or U.
The facade of a building planned for the site of the current pocket park downtown has been designed to fit in with the buildings in Fernandina Beach’s Historic District. Photo courtesy of the city of Fernandina Beach

The facade of a building planned for the site of the current pocket park downtown has been designed to fit in with the buildings in Fernandina Beach’s Historic District. Photo courtesy of the city of Fernandina Beach

Out of pocket

Julia Roberts
Tuesday, October 10, 2023
Plans are moving ahead for a commercial building on the property that currently serves as a small park in Fernandina Beach’s Historic District.  The park is next to Amelia Island Coffee and features benches and hosts a Christmas tree each year.