Waterfront Park budget approved, construction plan set

By Mike Lednovich
4 days ago
Fernandina Beach's long sought waterfront park is about to become a reality following a $2 million budget approval Tuesday by city commissioners. Left unresolved was whether to spend …

Commissioners Choose Trees Over Man Caves

By Mike Lednovich
5 days ago
Fernandina Beach Commissioners were being asked Tuesday to choose concrete over trees on three acres of airport land a Southern California developer sought to lease in order to build a luxury …
Today's Showcase
From the HeART

Persistence is Bravery Too

By Linda Hart Green
Yesterday at 3:30 AM

My cat’s name is Jitters. He has lived up to it. He runs out of the kitchen when my toast pops up. He hightails it under the bed if the doorbell rings. He needs safe spaces. In these stressful …

Pat's Wildways

Pat’s Wildways: Shell Shenanigans

The beach at Little Talbot Island is deserted of people on a cold winter day.

By Pat Foster-Turley
4 days ago

It was the coldest day this winter so far. What the heck was I doing on the beach at Little Talbot Island all wrapped up in layers of winter clothes? It was not the best day for beachgoing, according …

From the HeART
Current residents of the

Small Acts, Big Love

By Linda Hart Green
Sunday, February 2

A friend of mine is a tireless advocate for animal rescue. She matches her words with actions. Her story reminds me it is possible to make a difference right where you are. She volunteers …

Pulpits are For Free Speech

By Linda Hart Green
Sunday, January 26
“Is anybody going to say anything?” wondered Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde. It was the day before the inaugural prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral, where she would bring …
Off the Porch

Losing Things

By Dickie Anderson
Wednesday, February 5

We all hate to lose things. It is crazy-making. It can be big things like where you parked your car or small things like an earring. Thank heavens for the key fobs telling your car to blink or honk. …

Sunny Florida – Not So Fast

By Dickie Anderson
Wednesday, January 29
When you least expect it, your routine is interrupted by a true “aha” moment. We had such a moment last week. Snow. Some people argue it really wasn’t snow but more ice.  …
Digital Compass

Start using open source software

By Deryck Burnett
5 days ago

You don’t need to spend money on Microsoft Office to get high-quality tools for writing, spreadsheets, and presentations. LibreOffice and OpenOffice are free, reliable alternatives that work …

Big Changes Coming to Windows 11 Security

By Deryck Burnett
Thursday, January 30
 # Big Changes Coming to Windows 11 Security Last month, Microsoft announced some exciting updates to make Windows 11 more secure. These changes will help protect computers from hackers and …
Pat's Wildways
At the Tabasco factory on Avery Island, Louisiana, tabasco pepper mash is aged in salt-covered barrels for up to three years.

Pat’s Wildways: Salt and Pepper

By Pat Foster-Turley
Friday, January 31

Have you ever heard of a salt dome? Well, I never had either until I visited the Tabasco factory on Avery Island in southern Louisiana. Avery Island is a salt dome, one of five in Louisiana. …

Pat's Wildways: Frogs

By Pat Foster-Turley
Friday, January 17
By now, almost everyone has heard that frogs are becoming scarcer in the wild these days. Combined effects of habitat loss, diseases, introduced species, and changing climate have affected frog …
Dining With Dylan

Savor the Island: Highlights from Amelia Island Restaurant Week 2025

By Dylan Bailey
Saturday, February 1

Another year, another incredible Amelia Island Restaurant Week! From Jan. 17 through 26, the island indulged in a 10-day feast highlighting the best of over 20 restaurants. If you missed it, you …

Papa Johns in Yulee: A Welcome (and Greasy) Return

By Dylan Bailey
Saturday, January 18
Papa Johns is back! After a decade without one nearby, the beloved pizza chain has opened a new location in Yulee, Florida, and the community was ready for it. I made a point to stop by on their …
City News
Protest At city commission meeting

Residents take 'a stand' against hate speech

Residents protest Yates' comments
By Mike Lednovich
Wednesday, February 5
More than a dozen residents stood and turned their backs in protest as an ultra-conservative activist delivered a three-minute rant against transgender and other members of the local gay community …

City Rejects RYAM Bioethanol Plant Project

Tuesday, February 4
Fernandina Beach will not allow Rayonier Advanced Materials (RYAM) to construct and operate a bioethanol plant at its Gum Street complex announced City Manager Sarah Campbell at Tuesday's city …

Brett's earned $5.4 million but paid city no rent

By Mike Lednovich
Monday, February 3
Fernandina Beach City Commissioners will hold a shade (closed to the public) meeting Tuesday to consider possible settlement with the leaseholders for Brett's Waterway Cafe for lost revenue the …
County News

Zimmerman named to school board

Monday, December 9, 2024
Fernandina Beach business owner and political activist Joe Zimmerman has been appointed by  Governor Ron DeSantis to the Nassau County School Board, filling the District 3 seat vacated by …
Nature
Okefenokee expansion map.

Okefenokee Expansion and Reflection

By Lauri Holton
Saturday, January 25
Today, the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is the largest national wildlife refuge east of the Mississippi River. It contains approximately 407,000 acres and that number is about to increase. …
Off the Porch

Africa Redux

Dickie and her sister Betsy on safari.
By Dickie Anderson
Wednesday, January 22
Recently, a friend returned from her dream trip to South Africa. Excited for her, I shared memories of my two trips to Africa years ago. The trips were with my fellow adventurer, my sister Betsy. The …

Saving Sturgeon: St. Marys Riverkeeper's Lunch and Learn

St Marys River boat trip, fall 2024.
By Lauri Holton
Tuesday, January 7
The St. Marys Riverkeeper invites Fernandina residents to the next “Lunch and Learn” webinar ​ series on Jan. 15, 2025, from 12-1 p.m. This free webinar ​ will explore the federally …

Get Shelling! Amelia Island Needs Your Help for Whale Mosaic Project

Right whale and calf mosaic, Main Beach, 2018.
By Lauri Holton
Monday, December 30, 2024
Amelia Island Whale Ambassadors invites you to help our community create a shell mosaic on the beach. On Jan. 25, 2025, we will gather at Main Beach to create a life-size whale out of shells to raise …
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 …

It’s a Wonderful Life

Ken and Elizabeth Wilson at their old house in 1987.
By Shari Roan
Monday, December 23, 2024
Last September, when Elizabeth and Ken Wilson drove up to the Maplewood, New Jersey, house they owned over 35 years ago, memories overwhelmed them. The retired Fernandina Beach couple were in New …
Health
Assorted mocktails.
By Shari Roan
Today
About one-quarter of American adults participate in Dry January, a vow to avoid drinking alcoholic beverages for the month, according to the polling firm Civic Science.
Read more.
By Shari Roan
Thursday, January 30
Each month, the Observer brings you a roundup of some recent health news. Medicare recipients who rely on telehealth visits for their care will still have Medicare coverage of those visits, at least until later this year …
Read more.
Community
Community

Dining Down Centre – Epic Birthday Celebrating Fernandina Beach’s Bicentennial

Wednesday, December 18, 2024
The party begins January 1, 2025, from 2-4 p.m. This event is the culmination of a year-long community-wide bicentennial celebration involving more than 30 organizations. Fernandina Beach Main …

Fernandina Beach-based Singer Soars on NBC’s 'The Voice'

THE VOICE --
By Shari Roan
Saturday, November 16, 2024
When he auditioned for the NBC hit program “The Voice,” earlier this year, Edward Preble, a 19-year-old vocalist from Fernandina Beach, thought the show might be a “stepping stone …
Cold night shelter seeking volunteers
Friday, November 15, 2024
The JTA Expands Services to Nassau County for Transportation Disadvantaged Residents
Sunday, October 6, 2024
As of Tuesday, October 1, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) has assumed all responsibility as the Community Transportation Coordinator for the transportation disadvantaged residents of …
Churches & Charities
Thursday, June 13, 2024
Nassau County Council on Aging (NCCOA)  has received a gift of $4.9 million from Tom and Julie Wood Family Foundation to support, enhance and create …
Tuesday, February 6, 2024
If you're curious about the increase in the number of unhoused people in our county and what is being done, learn more about what the nonprofit Coalition for the Homeless is doing. An open community …
5-Day Forecast
Tuesday
Decreasing Clouds
High: 70°F
(-18°C)
Wednesday
Mostly Sunny
High: 76°F
(-18°C)
Thursday
Slight Chance Showers then Showers Likely
High: 78°F
(-18°C)
Friday
Breezy. Slight Chance T-storms then Chance Showers
High: 64°F
(-18°C)
Saturday
Partly Sunny then Slight Chance T-storms
High: 73°F
(-18°C)