HASTINGS

Plans are now in the works to turn the historic Hastings library in St. Johns County into a technical college.

A Los Angeles man who spent more than 38 years behind bars for a 1983 murder he did not commit has been declared innocent.

The New Zealand government has declared a national state of emergency after Cyclone Gabrielle battered the country’s north in what officials described as the nation’s most severe weather event in years.

The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office said it is investigating a shooting in Hastings that left one person hurt.

A man who spent more than 38 years behind bars for a 1983 murder and two attempted murders has been freed from a California prison after long-untested DNA evidence pointed to a different person.

A 16-year-old St. Augustine boy who was riding a bicycle is in serious condition following a collision with a car Wednesday morning in Hastings.

The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a triple shooting in the Hastings area.

The medical center is part of St. Johns County’s plan for more than $51 million of federal funding it is getting from the American Rescue Plan.

A 13-year-old boy from Hastings, Florida, died on Sunday after he was hit from behind by a pickup truck while riding his bicycle.

The University of California Hastings College of the Law wants to remove the name of its founder, who sponsored massacres of Native Americans in the 1850s.

A man and woman were killed early Saturday morning in a crash on a motorcycle on I-10 near I-295.

Congressional leaders and colleagues have used a memorial service for Rep. Alcee Hastings to remember him as a straight-talking champion for the disadvantaged who overcame hurdles in his own life.

Rep. Alcee Hastings, the fiercely liberal longtime Florida congressman who was dogged throughout his tenure by an impeachment that ended his fast-rising judicial career, has died at 84.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – A 41-year-old man accused of fatally stabbing a woman Tuesday night in a domestic incident has been charged with murder, according to a St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office arrest report. The report indicated the victim recently got an injunction against Derrek Perkins on Monday, but Perkins had not yet been served the injunction. The victim’s gender and exact relationship to Perkins were redacted from the murder arrest report, but according to the State Attorney’s Office, the victim was his wife. The second witness said Perkins was on the porch and ran down the stairs and away from the house. If you or someone you know is or has been a victim of domestic violence or abuse, there are resources available:

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – The St. Johns County Police Athletic League unveiled a new program this week: boxingThe program is officially open and they held a ribbon cutting at the new facility. Harris Center in Hastings will allow kids who want to have fun and exercise a chance to hone their skills. PAL is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the social development of youth. Its mission is to provide positive programs to youth in the community through athletic, educational, social and wellness programs. If you’d like to sign your child up for boxing, registration is open on stjohnspal.org.

HASTINGS, Fla. – A 14-year-old returned home safely Thursday morning and was reunited with her family after she was reported missing Tuesday afternoon, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office said. The girl’s mother said she began to worry when her daughter didn’t come home after she was dropped off from the school bus. The family had offered a $2,000 reward for information on her whereabouts. A spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office said the girl returned home Thursday. Note: Because the girl is no longer missing, News4Jax has removed her name and photograph from this article to respect her family’s privacy.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – A St. Johns County woman came up with a winning ticket in a Florida Lottery scratch-off game and is now two million dollars wealthier. Debra Tice, 56, of Hastings, claimed a $2 million top prize from the 100X Scratch-Off game using a secured drop box located at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. She chose to receive her winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $1,605,000.00. Tice purchased her winning ticket from Circle K, located at 4205 U.S. 1 South in Saint Augustine. The retailer will receive a $4,000 bonus commission for selling the winning Scratch-Off ticket.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. - A Putnam County Sheriff's Office civilian employee was injured in a crash Wednesday afternoon in St. Johns County, authorities said. The single-vehicle crash happened about 12:30 p.m. on State Road 206 at Hamilton Avenue, just south of Elkton and east of Hastings, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The Highway Patrol said the employee, identified by a Sheriff's Office spokesperson as Barry Stewart, was driving a Police Athletic League vehicle when it flipped on SR 206. He was flown to Orange Park Medical Center with serious injuries, troopers said. Stewart is the executive director of the PCSO Police Athletic League, the spokesperson said.

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. - A Hillsborough County, Florida deputy sheriff arrested a 35-year-old man on Fourth of July after being accused of pretending to be a law enforcement officer. Hastings told him "he was a law enforcement officer and his credentials were at the office." He told the deputy he could follow him back to the "station" so he could obtain and show him his credentials. Shortly after exiting on Branch Forbes, Hastings was stopped by a Hillsborough County deputy, where he was detained while they interviewed the off-duty deputy. No handcuffs or firearms were located in the vehicle," the Sheriff's Office said.