Today's Showcase
From the HeART

False crawls

False crawl.

By Linda Hart Green
Today

My brother captures photos of peaceful sunrises and other phenomena on his early beach walks. I love that he has this time to himself to soak in tranquility. This particular morning he was the …

Dining With Dylan

Still Looping: A local spot that refuses to change (and that’s okay)

By Dylan Bailey
Yesterday at 3:30 AM

The Loop in Fernandina Beach has been around forever — or at least long enough to feel like it. I still remember coming here on a field trip from Paks Karate, sitting at one of the booths, …

Pat's Wildways: empty house

By Pat Foster-Turley
3 days ago

Our home feels empty. There is no longer a cat scratch post, a litter box, food and water dishes, cat toys, and a lamb’s wool mat on our spare bed, that was once the “cat’s …

Top stories
Starts at 5 p.m.

Paid parking/Brett's town hall Tuesday

By Mike Lednovich
12 hours ago
The Fernandina Beach City town hall covering possible paid parking downtown and what should replace Brett's Waterway Cafe at the marina is this Tuesday at 5 p.m. Watch the video for full details.

Okefenokee mining threat no more

Swamp lily.
By Lauri Holton
Today
I could sense the tears building up in my eyes as I read the news. Then, the tears began to stream down my cheeks. I could no longer hold back the river of relief and pure joy that I was feeling. …

Paddlers support veterans' wellness

By Mike Lednovich
Yesterday at 12:30 PM
About 115 kayakers and paddleboarders made the trek Saturday morning on the Amelia River from St. Marys to Fernandina Beach in support of the Cross the Line Foundation. Watch the video for more …

Commission to consider two paid parking vendor proposals

By Mike Lednovich
3 days ago
The city of Fernandina Beach took its next steps Wednesday toward possibly implementing a paid parking system in the historic downtown district, as an evaluation committee selected two companies to …

City commission narrowly approves city attorney contract amid heated debate

By Mike Lednovich
4 days ago
The Fernandina Beach City Commission voted 3-2 Tuesday to approve a controversial employment agreement with incoming City Attorney Teresa Prince. The decision followed a tense discussion marked by …
From the HeART
Walter Brueggemann

A person to know; a message to remember

By Linda Hart Green
Sunday, June 15

The Rev. Dr. Walter Brueggemann is not a household name. It may seem odd that with everything going on locally, nationally and globally, I chose to use my commentary space to tell you about him. I …

The importance of using the right name

By Linda Hart Green
Sunday, June 8
An article in the Times-Union of Jacksonville from May 25, 2025 was titled, “Don’t you ‘Sweetie’ me!” by Paula Span. The article was about “elderspeak.” It …
Off the Porch

A flip-flop kind of girl

By Dickie Anderson
5 days ago

When you think of beaches and Florida, you think of flip-flops. The simplest of footwear is an iconic reminder of our casual lifestyle. Flip-flops can be made of rubber and simple or adorned with …

Google That

By Dickie Anderson
Wednesday, June 11
What did we do before the internet? Guess we went to the library and used dictionaries and the thesaurus. Remember phone books? Gone forever. The internet is great, but I do miss hunkering down in …

The cloud isn’t infallible: Why even Google’s 99.9% uptime can fail

4 days ago

In our increasingly digital world, we’ve grown accustomed to seamless access to our favorite apps, websites, and services. The “cloud” has become such an integral part of our daily …

Mastering email: a Cal Newport approach to productivity

By Deryck Burnett
Friday, June 13
In today’s world, email is both a blessing and a curse. It’s quick, convenient, and allows us to communicate across the world in seconds, yet it’s also a major source of distraction …
Dining With Dylan
Crab queso dip with wonton chips.

Shuckers Oyster Bar & Grill: Where the view slaps harder than the gator tail

By Dylan Bailey
Saturday, June 7

If you’ve ever crossed the bridge heading toward the island, you’ve passed Shuckers. If you’ve lived here longer than a weekend, you’ve probably been there — or at least …

Foxtail Coffee: Sleek, sweet, and worth the return trip

By Dylan Bailey
Monday, May 19
There’s a new contender in the Wildlight caffeine scene. Mocama may have planted its roots first, but Foxtail Coffee has rolled into town with some serious steam, and faster than you’d …
Pat's Wildways
Carol, Charlotte, Melissa and I picnicked together on a fine day on Cumberland Island.

Pat's Wildways: Cumberland Island picnic

By Pat Foster-Turley
Friday, June 13

It was not a usual trip to Cumberland Island for me a little while ago. I was on the ferry from St. Marys alone this time, not with a handful of other friends. But I was not going to be alone long. …

Pat’s Wildways: U-Pick farms

By Pat Foster-Turley
Friday, June 6
It’s blueberry picking season! Recently, I got a hankering for picking my own blueberries and hopefully other produce from a U-pick farm near us. It took a bit of Googling but I found a few …

State approves $4 million for flood wall project

By Mike Lednovich
5 days ago
The long-term effort to shield historic downtown Fernandina Beach from cresting Ameilia River floodwaters got a major boost from the state of Florida.   Lorelei Jacobs, the …

Almost 4,000 sign petition opposing paid parking

By Mike Lednovich
Tuesday, June 17
Organizers opposing a plan to implement paid parking in historic downtown Fernandina Beach have collected almost 4,000 online petition signatures Tuesday morning, according to the host website. …
Nature

Manatees and the Indian River Lagoon

Dead manatees pile up inside a large trash bin near the Indian River Lagoon. A federal judge ordered the state to stop allowing the water pollution that leads to these deaths, but Florida has decided to fight the order.
By Lauri Holton
Yesterday at 3:30 AM
From 2020 to 2022, more than 1,200 manatees starved to death in Florida. The manatee mortality event was caused by the destruction of the coastal, seagrass, and warm-water habitats upon which they …
Pat's Wildways

Pat’s Wildways: Nature near Darien

The boardwalk at the Cay Creek Wetlands Interpretive Center enables close-up views of a freshwater tidal swamp.
By Pat Foster-Turley
Friday, May 30
Last week I wrote about walking around the town of Darien, Georgia and all the historical and scenic sights. But when Bucko and I go to Darien, it is not just about the town, but about the various …
Pat's Wildways

Pat’s Wildways: around and around

A broad-headed skink sunbathes on the trail.
By Pat Foster-Turley
Friday, May 16
I confess that I’ve been less active these days than I was in years past. Back in the day, I routinely took five-mile walks around our area and led Newcomer’s Club friends on once-a-month …

Crow and raven

American crow.
By Lauri Holton
Monday, May 12
I have become fond of finding benches to rest upon while observing the world passing by. One never knows what entertaining scene one may witness. On Amelia Island we are fortunate to have many …
County News

View from the inside: What happens when ICE raids

By Linda Hart Green
Saturday, June 14
If violent gang members threatened your 10-year-old son to join them or they would take him, what would you do? The threat was real. It had already happened to many others. This was the gang’s …
City News
Critics attack post

City publishes paid parking Facebook video

By Mike Lednovich
Monday, June 16
The city of Fernandina Beach posted a paid parking video Monday on its Facebook page to counter what it said were inaccurate rumors about the proposal.
Health
By Shari Roan
Saturday, June 7
After a bicycle accident or injury, it can take a bit of courage to get back on a bike. Cyclists often fear reaggravating overuse injuries, such as tendinitis. Returning to cycling after a bicycle …
Read more.
By Shari Roan
Tuesday, May 27
Almost one-third of U.S. adults said they had at least one sunburn within the past year, according to a recent survey from Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine. …
Read more.
Business

10 restaurants failed first inspections last week

Wednesday, February 5
Readers can view the full report for each establishment at https://data.jacksonville.com/restaurant-inspections/nassau/   BANTAM AND BIDDY Administrative complaint …

Sparkling Event Venue Opens at Amelia River Golf Club

By Shari Roan
Tuesday, February 4
Engaged couples, vendors and invited guests celebrated the grand opening of a 6,000-square-foot event center Jan. 25 at Amelia River Golf Club. The venue is the brainchild of Tom and Michelle Miller. …

Inspectors Cite 23 Restaurants

Wednesday, January 29
These records are sanitation and safety inspections conducted by the Division of Hotels and Restaurants on public food service establishments. Each inspection report is a "snapshot" of conditions …
Special Features
Bottle with message inside.

A Message in a Bottle Leads to Stories From Everywhere

By Lauri deGaris
Wednesday, August 21, 2024
Recently, my friend Cathy showed me a plastic Coke bottle she found on the beach. Inside the bottle was a neatly folded letter. The cap was tight, and no water had penetrated the bottle. The message …

The Remarkable Journey of Cumberland Island Museum's Collection

Carol Ruckdeschel in the Cumberland Island Museum.
By Lauri Holton
Monday, February 17
In December 1990, the 5-log schooner Behemoth made two trips from Fernandina Beach to Brickhill​ Bluff. The 100-year-old nonmotorized vessel was owned, maintained and operated by Les Johnson. The …
Community
Community

OHPA: Damaged port facilities unacceptable

By Mike Lednovich
Monday, June 16
Exasperated Port Authority commissioners are demanding repairs be made to extensively damaged warehouse buildings and other Port of Fernandina facilities. Ocean Highway and Port Authority (OHPA) …

Last chance to see the shrimp drop at the Amelia Island Museum of History

Tuesday, June 3
If you’ve visited the Amelia Island Museum of History recently, you may have noticed an eye-catching guest in the Temporary Gallery: the Shrimp Drop. This giant metallic framework, sculpted …
A group of horse riders pose for photos on the beach.
Island named among top summer destinations
Monday, June 2
USA Today has named Amelia Island among the top ten "Best Summer Travel Destinations." An expert panel nominated their must-see places for a summer vacation, then readers voted to determine the …
Fabric warehouse can be seen from historic neighborhood
Massive port tent ordered to be moved
By Mike Lednovich
Thursday, May 29
Port Authority Commissioners voted Wednesday to have a 22,000-square-foot fabric tent torn down and relocated to its original designated location within the port.
Churches & Charities
Sunday, April 20
National Braille Press (NBP) announced its 5th Braille Across America Challenge, where Kristin Robar of Yulee, Florida, is among the 70 participants from 21 states who are raising funds and spreading …
Tuesday, April 15
First Presbyterian Church of Fernandina Beach, established on May 22, 1858, is delighted to announce the launch of a significant remodeling project for The Anchor, a cherished community landmark and …
5-Day Forecast
Monday
Sunny
High: 88°F
(-18°C)
Tuesday
Sunny
High: 86°F
(-18°C)
Wednesday
Sunny
High: 86°F
(-18°C)
Thursday
Chance T-storms
High: 86°F
(-18°C)
Friday
Chance T-storms
High: 87°F
(-18°C)