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ST JOHNS COUNTY

Hard freeze tonight, cold again tomorrow

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.

Kimberly Kessler’s lawyers want more evidence thrown out

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.

Still trick-or-treating this year? Check your route for sex offenders

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.

Feeling brave? These are the most haunted places in St. Augustine

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.

Day 2 of the 2020 equinox nor’easter

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.

Florida state House District 24

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.

Crane gets stuck trying to move shipwreck on Ponte Vedra Beach

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: 4 posing as driveway repairmen stealing from customers

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.

9,300 sign petition to remove 'Islam Bloody Islam' billboard

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 adventurer setting sail around globe

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 pedestrian hit by car Thursday night

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.

Emergency center set to open in St. Johns County

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.

St. Johns Co. schools rank No. 1 in Fla.

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.

School boundary emails show parents' anger

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.