ST JOHNS COUNTY

The award recognizes the program’s overall achievement across a wide spectrum of areas including leadership, academics, scholarships, service, hosting activities, competitions, etc.

Governor DeSantis signed the new congressional maps into law on Friday -- triggering voting rights groups to sue Florida saying it will diminish the state’s Black representation and benefit Republicans.

More than 300 people in St Johns County are struggling with homelessness.

A woman convicted of DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide in a 2019 crash that killed a St. Augustine man was sentenced Tuesday afternoon to 15 years in prison, the State Attorney’s Office said.

Sex offenders also have specific rules about what they can and can't do around Halloween, depending on what county they live in. We've compiled a county-by-county breakdown of those rules and regulations.

A 54-year-old woman was driving impaired and speeding without her headlights on when she crashed her SUV into a pickup truck in February, killing a father of two, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

Flooding has caused a sinkhole to open, water has been turned off to the area.

After the coldest Christmas Day we’ve had in 16 years, we are in for a widespread Hard Freeze for most areas, only St Johns County and Coastal Duval counties are not under a Hard Freeze Warning, just a normal Freeze Warning. The difference is mainly how cold the area will be for how long, and areas under a Hard Freeze Warning tonight may need to protect exposed pipes. We expect the areas under a Hard Freeze Warning to see overnight lows between 23-29° and need to drip or wrap exposed pipes in addition to protecting your pets and plants. ALL areas need to be concerned with heating your home safely, we often see a rash of house fires, mainly due to space heaters, on night like tonight. Saturday night we are in for a lighter freeze with temperatures getting down into the upper 20s and low 30s.

NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. – Lawyers for Kimberly Kessler have filed another motion to have physical evidence in her Nassau County murder case thrown out. Kessler is charged in the death of her co-worker Joleen Cummings in 2018, who she worked with at Tangles Hair Salon. A search warrant allowed investigators to seize as evidence the clothes Kessler was wearing, fingernail scrapings and to do a gunshot residue test on her hands. It wasn’t clear at the time, but Nassau County investigators say they had already found blood evidence inside the Tangles Salon where it’s believed Cummings was killed. While the warrant sought a gunshot residue test on Kessler’s hands, there’s never been any suggestion in court documents that Cummings was shot to death.

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For those who still plan to head out in the neighborhood on Oct. 31, another important safety check will be to find out if there are any sex offenders on your trick-or-treating route. No Halloween decorations can be visible from the exterior of any sexual offender's or sexual predator's residence. Sex offenders and predators on probation are required to follow specific terms regarding holidays, which can vary by case. Because of strict city ordinances regarding sex offenders living in Starke, most offenders in Bradford County live in the county's rural areas, where trick-or-treating is less common, McKinley said. Union CountyBecause of the county's regulations, sexual predators cannot move into Union County, but sex offenders can, Capt.

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – We are less than 30 days away from Halloween, but if you’re adventurous and love a good ghost story, there are haunted places nearby that you can visit 365 days a year. St. Augustine, the oldest city in the United States, is known for its history. RELATED: Creepiest places in Florida guaranteed to haunt your dreamsThe Ghosts & Gravestones tour made a list of the most haunted places around town. St. Augustine Lighthouse: The 1874 St. Augustine Lighthouse tower has been featured on "Ghost Hunters" and is known for paranormal activity and spooky tales. (Agustininn)You can hit most of these places in one night with the help of Ghosts & Gravestones tour.

Look for fewer showers with a 40% chance through the day primarily near coastal areas and especially around St. Johns, Flagler and Putnam counties. Sunday brings the highest winds gusts before letting up just a touch to around 20-25 mph. Minor river and beach flooding is possible with late morning high tide at the beach around noon on the river. Those northeast winds stay strong with gusts to 40 mph and waves crashing near 10 at the beach. Over 3 inches of rain fell in St. Johns county with nearly 5 inches in St. Augustine near Treaty Park.

Incumbent Republican Paul Renner faces Democratic challenger Adam Morley in this district that covers southern St Johns County and all of Flagler County. Because there are no primary challenges, this race only appears on the general election ballot in November. WATCH: Both candidates interviewed by Kent Justice on Oct. 18 edition of This Week in JacksonvilleRepublican Paul Renner and Democrat Adam Morley are running in District 24. (Photos from candidates)DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATEAdam MorleyParty affiliation: DemocraticCampaign website: votemorley.comThis candidate has not responded to the News4Jax candidate survey. REPUBLICAN CANDIDATEPaul RennerParty affiliation: Republican (incumbent)Campaign website: voterenner.comThis candidate has not responded to the News4Jax candidate survey.

St. Johns County School District wants parents’ help deciding on fall reopening planPublished: July 2, 2020, 5:39 pmVIDEO: St. Johns County students will be expected to wear a mask on their school bus should they return to class in the fall.

Survey: 30% of St. Johns County teachers ‘uncomfortable’ with returning to school in fallPublished: May 26, 2020, 5:26 pmVIDEO: In an effort to understand how St. Johns County teachers felt about the prospect of returning to school campuses in the fall, the school district sent out a survey to more than 2,600 instructional staff.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Employees at the St. Johns County Public Library created a fun online story time on Thursday. During a Faecbook Live, a few people got together to play instruments and read to children. This is another way of learning and spreading love while quarantined at home. You can watch more videos here.

St. Johns County schools look to expand online options amid COVID-19 closuresPublished: March 16, 2020, 4:28 pmVIDEO: St. Johns County Superintendent Tim Forson said the district is taking precautions to keep students safe, extending Spring Break by a week and looking at extending remote and online learning options.

FHP: 19 cars hit by BB pellets on interstate in St. Johns, Volusia, Seminole countiesPublished: January 2, 2020, 5:18 pmVIDEO: Three vehicles in St. Johns County were among 19 damaged in a possible shooting rampage that investigators say began on Interstate 4 in Central Florida and continued up Interstate 95.

St. Johns County schools rolling out new coursesPublished: December 11, 2019, 5:37 pmVIDEO: St. Johns County is the latest school system to roll out new courses on sex trafficking, mental health, and drug abuse.

St. Johns County students to receive courses on substance abuse, child trafficking, mental healthPublished: December 11, 2019, 9:29 amST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Tim Forson, the St. Johns County school superintendent, sent a letter Tuesday to parents that lists new requirements for middle and high school students.

Over 75% of Creekside High students miss school after virus outbreakPublished: December 6, 2019, 6:04 pmVIDEO: A day after more than a dozen students and a teacher went home sick from Creekside High School with a suspected stomach virus, most of the student body did not show up for school, according to the St. Johns County School District.

More than a dozen Creekside High students go home sickPublished: December 5, 2019, 5:36 pmVIDEO: More than a dozen students and a teacher went home sick Thursday from Creekside High School, according to the St. Johns County School District.

Friend of women killed in hit-and-run: ‘It could have been me too’Published: December 4, 2019, 5:42 pmVIDEO: Nearly six months have ticked by since Susanne Landino and Bonnie Parry were struck and killed while biking along Race Track Road in St. Johns County.

Memorial Hospital held a drug take back event in Duval and St Johns County. The purpose is to help you safely get rid of unused medications so they don't end up in the wrong hands. Copyright 2019 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – A tractor-trailer jackknifed on Interstate 95 near the State Road 206 overpass in St. Johns County Tuesday afternoon blocked all northbound lanes for about an hour. The crash involved five vehicles, including the tanker truck. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, there were injuries, not none were serious. Troopers said the backed up traffic caused two secondary crashes. | Stay with News4Jax for updates.

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi has opened a Medicaid fraud investigation into one of the biggest providers of mental health counseling in public schools statewide, including some schools in Northeast Florida.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Archeologists from the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum have teamed up with the state to salvage a large piece of a shipwreck on Ponte Vedra Beach. Crews will attempt, for a second time, to remove the 47-foot-long wooden hull to higher ground- where it will be safer, Friday morning. Crews then had to secure the hull with a rope to make sure it wouldn't wash back out into the ocean during high tide. RELATED: Shipwreck may be from 18th centuryThe shipwreck is the property of the state of Florida. After surveying it, experts believe it is from a ship that may date back to the 18th century.

Deputies said the latest incident happened at an elderly couple's home in southern St. Augustine. Bob, an 83-year-old veteran, said he and his wife, Barbara, paid a crew of four men $500 to refinish their driveway Dec. 9. Barbara said she went to get the money to pay them, and one man followed her into the couple's bedroom. Deputies said one man eventually snuck in to get the rest of the money -- stealing more than $8,000. The couple said they were told that the work to the portion of the driveway would be dry by that night.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – A missing 18-year-old who has autism was found safe Tuesday, the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office said. Ben Herskovitz was last seen in the Ardmore Street area about 3 p.m., deputies said. He was seen running into the woods, but was found several hours later, just after 5:30 p.m., at a neighbor's house, SJCSO spokesman Kevin Kelshaw told News4Jax. He was a little dehydrated and will be checked by paramedics, Kelshaw said.

ST. AUGUSTINE BEACH, Fla. – A billboard in St. Augustine Beach is drawing attention from all across the world for a message some people have called “discriminatory.”The billboard along A1A reads “Islam Bloody Islam, Doomed by its Doctrine,” and more than 9,300 people had signed a petition by Tuesday afternoon that called on the owner to take it down. “You can tell the community is not really behind that kind of fear.”At the shopping center across the street, News4Jax discovered he isn’t the only St. Augustine resident unhappy with the sign. An online petition asks St. Johns Outdoor Advertising, the company that owns the sign, to take it down. And while he believes in free speech, Benjelloun said the sign could lead to violence. It's just not appropriate for St. Augustine,” Poage said.

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Dr. Stanley Paris' will sail from St. Augustine on Saturday afternoon in his 63-foot pride-and-joy. The sailboat will also be his home for the next 130 days or so that the University of St. Augustine's founder is attempting to circumnavigate the globe. The New Zealander and his wife sailed into St. Augustine in 1995 and never left...As we near the 450th anniversary of the nation's oldest city, he plans to sail St. Augustine's name around the world, hoping to set a record as the oldest and fastest ever to make the trip solo. He also plans on doing it green -- meaning throughout the entire voyage, he will not turn on the engine or generator. He'll carry your name on a list, and then he'll stick it on his boat when he gets back to St. Augustine.

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – A 21-year-old man was critically injured after running in front of a car on U.S. Highway 1 on Thursday night, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Troopers said Tyler Devoe, of St. Augustine, ran into the path of a southbound Honda Civic driven by 16-year-old Vivian Lovette near the intersection of Ocean Boulevard about 8 p.m. Janet Devoe, Tyler's mother, spoke with Channel 4's Emily Turner about the accident outside her son's Shands hospital room. She said a man came after her son with a crutch and the 21-year-old either ran or was pushed into traffic before Lovette hit him. The mother said her first priority is helping her son recover and continuing to be thankful that her son is alive.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – The Memorial Emergency Care Center at Julington Creek is set to open Monday and ready to take care of patients with medical emergencies. This makes it a lot different from an urgent care center," a news release reads. This facility is licensed by the state as an Emergency Department and gives St. Johns County rescue crews a place for patients to be treated 24/7. From chest pain to strokes to broken bones, emergency medicine trained physicians will help both adults and children during medical emergencies. The center is located at 42 Doctors Village Drive, right off Racetrack Road, just west of Veterans Parkway.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The St. Johns County School District topped the list of 67 state school districts in a numerical ranking released Monday by the Florida Department of Education. The goal is to make it easier for parents to assess school district performance. "We are always grateful for the opportunity to recognize the outstanding work of our students, teachers, support staff and parents," said St. Johns County School District Superintendent Joseph Joyner. The school district ranking is determined by the school grade points it earned based on the assessment scores of all students in the district that were enrolled for the full year. "St. Johns County deserves congratulations for this accomplishment," said Florida Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – The St. Johns County School Board's recent decision to make boundary changes for nearly 1,000 families to relieve some overcrowded schools sparked outrage from parents, emails released Tuesday show. In a stack of more than 260 emails full of emotion, parents wrote in to school district officials about what a "terrible idea" the change was. The move to rezone the schools to relieve overcrowding and help fill up a new elementary school will take effect next school year. Just about every email sent to the school district represented angry parents. One parent wrote about support for the school district, and another parent said what the district was doing made a lot of sense.