Run-down Jacksonville apartments scrutinized by mayor issued 86 code violations, $750 in fines in less than 2 years
City officials said that since October 2021, code enforcement inspectors have found 86 code violations at a Jacksonville apartment complex that has come under scrutiny after residents revealed they have been dealing with mold, crumbling staircases, rodents and more.
โHe was in there for quite a whileโ: Soccer club says fugitive ransacked concession stand
Two days after a fugitive accused of shooting and killing a Nassau County deputy was taken into custody at the Kirsten Higginbotham Sports Complex off Ball Park Road, those in charge of the facilities got their first chance to survey the damage he left behind.
Hundreds of officers searching for weapons tied to killing of Nassau County deputy
Hundreds of law enforcement officers were assisting in an evidence search Wednesday related to the investigation into the death of Nassau County Deputy Joshua Moyers, who was shot and killed during a traffic stop, authorities said.
Retired K-9, SWAT officers โvery confidentโ police will find man accused of killing Nassau County deputy
As the search for Patrick McDowell, whoโs accused of shooting and killing Nassau County Deputy Josh Moyers, continued into day four, two retired officers whoโve helped end manhunts before were watching closely.
Schools, trains, traffic: Community impacts of manhunt for suspect accused of shooting deputy
Road closures affected school bus pickups and drop-offs and trains were shut down, blocking some people in their homes Friday morning, as investigators searched for a suspect accused of shooting a Nassau County deputy.
FHP: 17-year-old killed in Northside crash involving semitruck
One person is dead and three people were transported to a hospital, including one person who was said to have critical injuries, following a crash Monday afternoon on the cityโs Northside, according to the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department.
Year after death, West Nassau High football player honored at vigil
NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. โ A year after Trent Fort was shot and killed in Callahan, close friends, family and loved ones gathered for a peaceful candlelight vigil in his memory. Wednesdayโs somber occasion was reminiscent of when more than 100 people filled West Nassau High Schoolโs stadium, holding candles to remember the 16-year-old. During the vigil, some wore a shirt that read โTrenton 21.โ Twenty-one was Fortโs football jersey number. Others wore shirts that read โ#Forever21.โณGALLERY: Photos from vigil honoring Trent FortโIโm elated. โIt not only shook the family, but it also shook the community as well.โAdPhotos from vigil honoring life of Trent Fort (News4Jax.com)The football player, his mother said, would have been a junior in 2021.
Evening rain set to move in
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ Severe Thunderstorm Warning for central Nassau County and northern Duval County has been cancelled. Showers and some light sprinkles will last into the overnight hours with a 70% chance of rain targeting areas along I-10. Locations around and north of Jacksonville should see more rain especially across Georgia. A strong cold front will push across the area Thursday with a good chance of rain and possible thunderstorms. This strong front brings weekend days down to the 50s and freezing inland temperatures at night.
West Nassau hoops star Deebo Coleman picks Georgia Tech
CALLAHAN, Fla. โ Dallan โDeeboโ Coleman is bound for Georgia Tech. The West Nassau senior basketball guard announced his college commitment on Wednesday afternoon in the schoolโs gym. He enters the 2020-21 season with 1,797 career points and is poised to reach the 2,000-point mark, a benchmark that has served as a elite for area players. Among area players who have been among upper echelon basketball prospects in the 2010s, few have been top 70 players. Patric Young (Providence, ESPN No.
Hereโs what we know about Floridaโs plan to distribute a COVID-19 vaccine
Although we still donโt know when a COVID-19 vaccine will be made available to the general public, the Florida Department of Health is already making plans to administer those injections to residents across the state. The Florida Department of Health currently plans to administer the COVID-19 vaccine in three phases. (Florida Department of Health)The doctors and state health officials who are developing the distribution plans are meeting biweekly. Since hospitals have the most storage, theyโll likely be among some of the first health care facilities to receive doses of the vaccine. You can read the draft of Floridaโs COVID-19 vaccination plan in its entirety here.
Man with knife shot, killed by deputy, Nassau County says
CALLAHAN, Fla. โ The Nassau County Sheriffโs Office said a deputy responding to a domestic call in Callahan on Friday shot and killed a man who had threatened his brother with a knife. Family identified the man who was killed as Justin Dawley. Deputies said they had negotiated with the man for about 15 minutes when he lunged at them with the knife. The man shot wasnโt identified by authorities, but Undersheriff Roy Henderson said he was in his 30s or 40s and the Sheriffโs Office had responded to domestic violence calls at that home before and the man who was killed had made suicidal statements in the past. Thatโs different from what the sheriffโs office said on Friday.
US long-term mortgage rates fall to low; 30-year at 2.81%
WASHINGTON โ U.S. long-term mortgage rates fell this week as the key 30-year loan reached a new all-time low for the tenth time this year. Home loan rates have marked a year-long decline amid economic anxiety in the recession set off by the coronavirus pandemic. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the average rate on the 30-year mortgage fell to 2.81% from 2.87% last week. The average rate on the 15-year fixed-rate mortgage declined to 2.35% from 2.37%. The low borrowing rates have bolstered demand by prospective homebuyers.
Callahan mom accused of leaving children in filthy home to visit boyfriend
CALLAHAN, Fla. โ A Callahan mother is facing three charges of child neglect after Nassau County deputies said she left the home and crashed her car. According to an arrest report, Stephanie Mann, 30, was intoxicated when she crashed her car Saturday night on Old Dixie Highway. The report states that Mann abandoned her three children in a filthy home so that she could visit her boyfriend in the middle of the night after she became upset with him. When a deputy learned Mann had left her children at home, the arrest report states, the deputy showed up at the house, which smelled of cat urine and animal feces. According to the arrest report, the children were removed from the home and allowed to stay with Mannโs friend.
Norโeaster continues to slowly unwind, flood waters the last to fade away
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ Coastal and tidal waterways really have seen the worst of it with the intracoastal as flooded as we have seen without a hurricane. High tide flooding will fade but only slowly with some areas likely to still flood for the next week. Biggest tides were on Sunday with Saturday, Monday and Tuesday a very close second, third and fourth. Highest winds were on Monday, with many locations seeing wind gusts to 40 mph. The highest gust was on Saturday with a peak gust of 49 mph at Marineland.
Deputies: Boy, 12, brings 3 guns to Nassau County school
CALLAHAN, Fla. โ A 12-year-old Nassau County boy was arrested Thursday after deputies say he brought three guns and ammo to a private Christian school in Callahan. "She discovered the butt of a gun and turned it over to the principal,โ who told deputies he found a revolver, a second handgun and two boxes of .380 caliber ammunition inside. The teacher said Stanford told her he had brought the guns to school to show the principal. Inside his desk was a drawing of a man outside of a school with guns. The childโs mother, Sasha Lewis, told deputies the family has guns at home, but she thought the gun safe was locked.
Nassau County teen accused of attacking girl at basketball court
CALLAHAN, Fla. A 16-year-old Nassau County girl was arrested after video was posted online showing her attacking another teenage girl Monday afternoon at a Callahan basketball court. Deputies said the teenager charged with battery told them she was just having a bad day.The video of the attack at Ewing Park is disturbing. Deputies said the aggressor pushed the other girl to the ground, stood the victim and slapped and punched her. This incident was reported to the Nassau County Sheriffs Office on Monday night, but deputies say at the time the mother of the victim did not want to press charges. Deputies arrested the teenager at home about 10:30 a.m. Tuesday and released her to the custody of her parents later in the day.
Community feeds hundreds at drive-in food pantries
Hundreds of people received food on Thursday through multiple drive-in giveaways across our area, including Callahan and Durkeeville. Cars were lined bumper to bumper at the non-profit Families of Slain Children on North Myrtle. โItโs a blessing to be here today to get this food and these people giving us because we really need it,โ Jacksonville resident Betty Jean Bean said. โI had children coming up here asking for food,โ Beverley McClain, CEO of Families of Slain Children, said. We canโt do that, we canโt have that.โChurch volunteers, with the help of the non-profit Farm Share, served 415 families today on Thursday, roughly 1,500 people.
Teens held in death of West Nassau student face new upgraded charges
CALLAHAN, Fla. โ Two teenagers arrested shortly after a 16-year-old West Nassau High School student was shot and killed earlier this year are facing new, adult charges. The Sheriffโs Office said Trent Fort was shot in the chest after getting into a confrontation during a drug deal after school on Feb. 24. He was arrested shortly after Fortโs murder at a McDonaldโs in Callahan and his brother was tracked to a wooded area in the Spring Lakes Estates neighborhood. Fortโs parents said theyโve never met the teens, but they learned who they were on the day of the shooting. โIโm pretty positive that there will be more arrests, and Iโm just waiting on it,โ said Paige Hall, Fortโs mother.
Virus ignited in US no earlier than mid-January, study says
In the study released Friday, CDC researchers collaborated with health officials in six states as well as genetics researchers and disease modelers in the Seattle area. Only later did health officials realize the virus could spread before symptoms show up, rendering symptom-based screening imperfect. Until late February, coronavirus infections were too rarely diagnosed by emergency departments to be identified as a growing epidemic, the study found. But limited spread in some communities was occurring in late January and early February, the study found. A separate study, released Friday by the journal Science, focused on the virus's beginning in New York City, which was hit hard by the virus.
Coronavirus treatment drug UF Health helped develop gets emergency FDA apporval
This is the first study that involved UF Health showed a clear benefit to patients suffering from coronavirus complications, according to UF researchers. Remdesivir is not yet FDA approved but the principal investigators of the test sites at UF Health say the drug will now be standard of care for the treatment of COVID-19. UF Health is setting up what is essentially a free-standing public health disease surveillance unit operating in collaboration with and under the authority of the Florida Department of Health. A critical component of testing is the quick return of results, typically 12 hours or less for tests conducted and processed by UF Health. A key to reopening UF is that UF Health Shands Hospital is well-positioned with supplies and patient capacity to treat anyone who requires hospitalization.
Hundreds turn out for drive-up Easter service in Nassau County
CALLAHAN, Fla. โ A church in Nassau County held a unique Easter service Sunday morning at the Northeast Florida Fairgrounds. Callahan First Baptist Church held a drive-in service as hundreds of cars filled the parking lot with worshipers who continued to practice social distancing. Lynn Hyatt, lead pastor at Callahan First Baptist Church, leads a drive-up Easter service. With about 100 volunteers and the help of the Nassau County Sheriffโs Office, Callahan First Baptist Church members and nonmembers came together while staying safe. Pastor Hyatt said that church isnโt necessarily the building, itโs about the community and the community really did turn out Sunday.
Family lays to rest West Nassau High football player shot, killed
CALLAHAN, Fla. โ Friends, family and classmates gathered on Saturday to say their final goodbyes to Trent Fort, the West Nassau High School football player who died in a shooting. Funeral services began at 11 a.m. at Callahan First Baptist Church, which is across the street from the high school. โHe didnโt deserve this, and these people here -- I have no words for West Nassau and the town of Callahan. The shooting triggered additional security measures at West Nassau High School throughout the week. We extend our deepest sympathy and support to the studentโs family.
School remembers West Nassau High football player who died in shooting
NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. โ Close friends, family and fellow students got together Thursday night to remember the life of a 16-year-old West Nassau High School football player who died in a shooting. Investigators said Trent Fort was shot and killed in Callahan on Monday afternoon. Candles filled the stadium of the high school, where many say heโll be remembered as being a great person both on and off the field. โHe didnโt deserve this, and these people here -- I have no words for West Nassau and the town of Callahan. Investigators say Fort was shot and killed in the Spring Lake Estates Neighborhood on Monday afternoon.
Mother hit, killed by car while helping driver who struck horses
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ A woman who stopped to help after another driver struck and killed two horses on U.S. 301 was hit and killed after she got out of her car, the Florida Highway Patrol said. The horses died from their injuries, troopers said. She stopped to help, got out of her car and started to walk over to the other driver. But at the same moment, a red Kia Forte that was also headed south on 301 hit one of the horses lying in the roadway, flipping the Kia, which hit Nault and her Hyundai. She tried to save her mother, but Nault died at the scene.
Memorial grows as increased security continues at West Nassau High School
CALLAHAN, Fla. โ West Nassau High School students again arrived to increased security on campus Wednesday, two days after a 16-year-old student was shot and killed off campus during what authorities described as a drug deal. Nassau County Undersheriff Roy Henderson said the increased law enforcement presence and security measures will continue for the rest of the week. A memorial at West Nassau High School for a slain 16-year-old football player (WJXT)The school sent an updated message to parents on Tuesday, letting them know studentsโ bookbags, purses and other personal belongings would again be searched Wednesday as they entered school. Deadly shootingHenderson said a news conference Tuesday that the 16-year-old West Nassau student was shot in the chest after getting into a confrontation during a drug deal Monday afternoon. RELATED | Mom, pastor call teen shot & killed amazing young manHenderson said the victim and shooter go to school together at West Nassau High.
Sheriffโs Office: Nassau County teen dies after shooting during drug deal
CALLAHAN, Fla. โ A 16-year-old West Nassau High School football player got into a confrontation during a drug deal Monday afternoon before he was shot and killed, the Nassau County Sheriffโs Office said. One of the other teens called 911 as they drove Fort to West Nassau High School -- about 8 minutes away -- to meet the rescue unit. Henderson said the victim and shooter go to school together at West Nassau High. Security was increased Tuesday at West Nassau High School after a deadly shooting off campus Monday afternoon. (WJXT)Increased security at high schoolStudents at West Nassau High School arrived to increased security Tuesday, and Henderson said that will continue for the rest of the week.
Callahan arcade burglarized as officials weigh future of businesses
CALLAHAN, Fla. โ An adult arcade in Callahan was broken into and ransacked early Tuesday morning, several hours after Nassau County commissioners weighed a proposal to impose stricter regulations on such businesses. Commissioners recently introduced a proposal to ban game rooms and classify them as a public nuisance after a recent uptick in violent crimes. Iโm not scared to go to any of these game rooms around here.โJoe Lutz manages the Cyber Center. Lutz feels not all game rooms should be punished for the crimes that have happened at other arcades. The move to regulate simulated gambling devices in Nassau comes after Jacksonville shut down adult arcades in October.
Teen killed, 2 others injured in ATV crash
Passenger Donovan Parker, 18, of Bryceville, died at UF Health hospital in Jacksonville, the Highway Patrol said. According to the Highway Patrol, passenger Gabrielle Fennell, 16, of Callahan, was seriously injured and driver Rylee Martin, 16, of Bryceville, suffered minor injuries. The Highway Patrol report indicated none of the teens was wearing a helmet. The homeowner whose mailbox was destroyed told News4Jax that he was at the back of his property on Saturday afternoon when he heard the crash. โEven though itโs a dead end, itโs about 1.5 miles long.โThe Highway Patrol report said charges are pending further investigation.
Deputies: Human skull, bones found in wooded area of Nassau County
NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. - An apparent human skull and bones were discovered last week in a wooded area between Callahan and Hilliard, according to a Nassau County Sheriff's Office report. His case is one the 10 open missing persons cases in the county. According to the Sheriff's Office, it appeared they had been there quite some time. Silcox told News4Jax that her son-in-law was one of the corrections officers who found the bones. Leeper told News4Jax on Tuesday that the remains were not believed to be those of Joleen Cummings, a 34-year-old Nassau County mother of three who disappeared in May 2018.
Deputies: Human skull, bones found in wooded area of Nassau County
NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. - An apparent human skull and bones were discovered last week in a wooded area between Callahan and Hilliard, according to a Nassau County Sheriff's Office report. Copyright 2019 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.
Nassau residents share concerns over new development
CALLAHAN, Fla. โ During a meeting at the fairgrounds in Callahan on Tuesday night, Nassau County residents discussed how to improve its growing community. "We're very concerned about the lights, the traffic, the noise that's going to come from the kids playing," Moses said. Dale Ramsey and his wife Sunni Jaramill also shared their concerns. Members of the Western Nassau Heritage Preservation Committee and the Department of Planning and Economic Opportunity held the meeting. LINK: Nassau County Board of CommissionersTo share input, email planninginfo@nassaucountyfl.com or call 904-530-6300.
Fundraiser for Bryceville fire victims planned
CALLAHAN, Fla. โ On Saturday, April 15, a fundraiser will be held in to raise money for those who lost homes in the Bryceville fires in March. The event will be held from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m at AA Bottled Gas at 450044 State Road 200 in Callahan. Organizers will be selling half chicken dinners or pork plates for $10. Whole pork butts can be preordered for $35. Originally, organizers were asking for donations of clothes, canned goods, and gift certificates, but now say they are no longer in need of clothes thanks to the amount collected by churches and schools.