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KEYSTONE HEIGHTS

News4Jax Super 6 softball: Rankings hold steady as teams hit midway point

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – High school softball season is in full swing and so are our News4Jax Super 6 rankings. (1) Oakleaf (11-1, Class 7A)Notable wins: Clay, Creekside, East Ridge, Episcopal, Gainesville, Keystone Heights, Providence, Ridgeview. (2) Ridgeview (13-3, Class 4A)Notable wins: Bartram Trail, Clay, Episcopal, Fletcher, Keystone Heights, Oakleaf, Paxon, West Nassau (twice). (5) Episcopal (8-4, Class 3A)Notable wins: Clay, Fletcher, Middleburg, Paxon, West Nassau. To cap their 2-0 Super 6 week West Nassau beat a solid Providence squad 8-2.

JTA’s ‘Green Line’ will connect Clay County riders with Middleburg VA clinic

The Jacksonville Transportation Authority will cut the ribbon Thursday on the Clay Community Transportation Green Line, which will provide direct transportation from Keystone Heights and Penney Farms to the VA Clinic in Middleburg. The Green Line will make three trips each day. It will also connect to the Magenta Line, which offers two trips per day between Keystone Heights and Gainesville. Clay Community Transportation also offers a Blue Line that runs from Pier Station in Green Cove Springs to Fleming Island, Middleburg, Orange Park and NAS Jacksonville, as well as a Red Line that runs from Middleburg to the Orange Park Mall. AdMORE ONLINE: Clay Community Transportation routes and stops

JTA opening ‘Green Line’ to connect Clay County riders with Middleburg VA clinic

The Jacksonville Transportation Authority will cut the ribbon Thursday on the Clay Community Transportation Green Line, which will provide direct transportation from Keystone Heights and Penney Farms to the VA Clinic in Middleburg. The Green Line will make three trips each day. It will also connect to the Magenta Line, with offers two trips per day between Keystone Heights and Gainesville. Clay Community Transportation also offers a Blue Line that runs from Pier Station in Green Cove Springs to Fleming Island, Middleburg, Orange Park and NAS Jacksonville, as well as a Red Line that runs from Middleburg to the Orange Park Mall. AdMORE ONLINE: Clay Community Transportation routes and stops

Psychedelic drugs, explosives, lab found at Keystone Heights home, sheriff says

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – Hallucinogenic drugs and enough explosive material to make seven homemade hand grenades were found at a home in Keystone Heights, Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook announced Monday. On March 19, officers went to the home and found a “DMT extraction lab” inside a shed on the property, Cook said. They can be dangerous to those who are producing the drug, the community and for our investigating officers and detectives,” Cook said. AdDetectives also found chemicals that can be used to create other psychedelic drugs, five guns, 2,000 rounds of ammunition and chemicals that could be used to build destructive or explosive devices. Homeland Security, the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives worked together to investigate the lab and clean up the hazardous chemicals that were located there.

News4Jax Super 6 baseball: New team at No. 1, plus a newcomer this week

(4) Clay (11-1, Class 4A)Notable wins: Baker County, Baldwin, Keystone Heights, Ponte Vedra, St. Johns Country Day, Trinity Christian. 1 St. Johns Country Day in a 3-0 gem last Friday night. (1) St. Johns Country Day (9-2, Class 2A)Notable wins: Baldwin, Bartram Trail, Bolles, Glynn Academy, Spruce Creek, University Christian. Bolles’ only other loss came to St. Johns Country Day in the second game of the season. They beat Bishop McLaughlin Catholic (7-1) and St. Johns Country Day (6-3 in 9 innings) and lost 5-4 to Ponte Vedra.

News4Jax Super 6 softball: New team at the top and a newcomer in this week’s rankings

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – High school softball season is in full swing and so are our News4Jax Super 6 rankings. (2) Ridgeview (9-1, Class 4A)Notable wins: Bartram Trail, Fletcher, Keystone Heights, Oakleaf, Paxon, West Nassau. (NR) Baker County (7-2, Class 4A)Notable wins: Keystone Heights, Middleburg, Paxon, Trinity Christian. (4) West Nassau (5-2, Class 3A)Notable wins: Keystone Heights, Middleburg. Dropped out: Episcopal (3-2, Class 3A).

Bradford County man booked into Clay County jail on DUI manslaughter charge

A 26-year-old man was booked Tuesday afternoon into the Clay County jail on a charge of DUI manslaughter. According to an FHP report from Oct. 11, 2015, Joshua Gabriel Barron was driving on State Road 21 near Keystone Heights just after midnight when he crossed the center line and struck a car head-on. That driver died and Barron was seriously injured. Troopers at the time were investigating whether alcohol was involved in the crash. Barron’s last known address is in Starke.

New player fee proposed as Clay County reconsiders lease agreements with youth sports leagues

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – Clay County leaders are getting pushback over a proposal to help fund parks and recreation programs. Trevor Waters, president of the Keystone Youth Soccer Club, told News4Jax that the proposed per-child fee would be crippling in Keystone Heights, where he says his players come from less affluent families than those in other parts of the county. But this idea looks like it will be sent back to the drawing board after Clay County Commissioner Besty Condon lambasted the proposal in the most recent commission meeting. “That’s their hard-earned money.”It’s unclear what county leaders will do and whether the proposed per-player fee will be instituted. The Clay County Board of County Commissioners has tabled this issue until baseball season is over, likely by the end of June.

Year later, slain mother of 3′s family still seeking justice

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – Liza Dukes, her boyfriend and his father were all shot at a home in Keystone Heights in December 2019. More than a year later, Dukes’ sister, Keri Lewis, told News4Jax the family’s journey to find justice has been frustrating. “I’m just ready for this to be over with so that we can grieve and move on,” Lewis said. In February, a grand jury indicted Hill on two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder. AdRELATED: State to seek death penalty against man indicted in deadly New Year’s Eve shootingAsked what she misses most about her sister, Lewis said:“She was always that person for me.

7th arrest made in Clay County man’s beating death

Marshals Service in Texas was the seventh person charged in connection to the November 2019 beating death of a Clay County man. Doug Roe Jr. was arrested Nov. 10 on a Clay County Sheriff’s Office warrant in connection with the murder of Stephen Perry, who was badly beaten with bats on the porch of a home near the Clay County/Putnam County line. Photo of Stephen Perry provided to WJXTClay County detectives investigated Perry’s murder for months and followed leads that took them to New York, Texas and Georgia. Alexsandria McNabb and Jesse Roe are charged with accessory after the fact to murder. The Sheriff’s Office said Perry had given Alexsandria McNabb, who was dating Kalvin Roe at the time, shoes for her son.

Clay County man suspected of 5 armed robberies in 3 counties arrested

KEYSTONE HEIGHTS, Fla. – A Clay County man suspected in a string of armed robberies has been arrested, Sheriffs from four local counties announced Tuesday. Investigators said Noe Cruz, 22, is thought to be behind a series of at least five hold-ups in Putnam, Alachua and Bradford counties. The Keystone Heights resident, who has no prior criminal history, is believed to have worn a red bandana during the robberies and drove the same car, a green SUV. “The very nature of the actions of this individual potentially could have resulted in injury or death to an innocent person as in each instance the suspect was armed with a firearm,” Putnam County Sheriff Gator DeLoach said. Investigators said they believe Cruz intended to continue his crime spree if he had not been arrested.

Head-on crash shuts down US-301 at County Road 218 for hours

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – A Keystone Heights driver died in an early morning wreck on U.S. 301 south of County Road 218 when his pickup truck crossed into oncoming traffic and struck another pickup head-on, according to Florida Highway Patrol. Crash investigators said the 29-year-old man was driving north at 5:45 a.m. between Lawtey and Baldwin when he lost control, cross the median and struck the southbound vehicle. #BREAKING: @FHPJacksonville is reporting at least one fatality in a multiple vehicle crash on US 301 south of CR 218. The southbound lanes remained closed past noon. Crash investigators have not yet determined what caused the crash, but roads in the area were slick from rain overnight.

Keystone Heights football team forced out of action due to COVID-19

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Keystone Heights football team will be out of action through Oct. 9 due to COVID-19 issues, Clay County District Schools announced on Wednesday. The Clay High football team had to cancel its game at Palatka last week due to potential coronavirus exposure. That means Keystone Heights' football game at St. Joseph Friday night and its Oct. 9 game at Crescent City are off. “The Florida Department of Health - Clay County has recommended the quarantine of all individuals on the Keystone Heights High School Varsity Football Team due to the potential exposure to positive COVID-19 cases. The Clay volleyball team was also quarantined due to possible COVID-19 exposure.

COVID-19 concerns scrap Menendez-St. Augustine rivalry game

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Menendez football team’s game at rival St. Augustine Friday night has been canceled due to COVID-19 concerns as several players and coaches became ill. Later Wednesday, the Clay County District Schools announced that Keystone Heights would have its football team shelved through Oct. 9 due to possible exposure to COVID-19 cases. It marks the second time in as many weeks that an area football team has been forced to cancel a game due to coronavirus quarantine measures or concerns. Clay High had to cancel last week’s game at Palatka due to players having to quarantine. Eagle’s View was also looking for an opponent after losing its game to Ocala St. John Lutheran this week, too.

Video appears to show deputy strike Clay County murder suspect during arrest

Five people have been arrested in connection with Perry’s death, including four brothers from the Roe family of Keystone Heights. They include Caleb Roe and Travis Roe, who have been charged with second-degree murder, as well. The family is speaking out specifically after the arrest of Travis Roe on Aug. 27. The family had video surveillance on its property and provided a copy of the video to News4Jax. News4Jax spoke with Travis Roe by phone from jail.

High school football 2020: Team-by-team schedules, results from around the area

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After a long delay to start the season due to a global pandemic, high school football season kicks off on Sept. 4 around Florida and Georgia. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced quite a few adjustments to schedules in 2020 and many teams have yet to finalize their schedules. Teams that don’t have opponents for a certain date or their schedules have not been provided are marked with a TBA. FLORIDAAll games start at 7 p.m. unless indicated. There will be no district champions declared in 2020, so district games are not identified.