>
Today's Showcase
Kindness Matters
A special kind of person
8 hours ago
It takes a special kind of person to remind us that even when we see things differently, we can still treat one another with dignity, compassion, and understanding. I met exactly that kind of person …
From the HeART
A somber Sunday afternoon
Yesterday at 3:30 AM
Before I retired from the parish ministry, Sunday afternoons were a valued time for rest. After a busy day of preaching, attending to people’s concerns, interacting with everyone at the social hour …
Pat's Wildways
Pat’s Wildways: Fernandina Fossils
4 days ago
Finding fossilized shark teeth on our beaches has a long tradition on Amelia Island. When I first moved here years ago, I, too, had the “collecting shark teeth bug.” I spent countless hours …
Layoffs, service cuts, higher fees? Fernandina Beach faces $7 million Amendment 3 fallout
6 hours ago
FERNANDINA BEACH — City employees could face layoffs, salary cuts and furloughs, while residents could see reduced services and higher fees as Fernandina Beach prepares for a projected $7 …
Right Whale Festival celebrates successful Saturday as endangered whales head toward Amelia Island
Yesterday at 7:18 AM
FERNANDINA BEACH — Beautiful weather greeted visitors to the Right Whale Festival at Main Beach Park on Saturday, and organizers are inviting the public back Sunday for the final day of the annual …
An Open Letter to Fernandina Beach
Yesterday at 3:30 AM
To the Fernandina Beach City Commission, our local newspaper, and the residents of this community:
I am writing this not just as a resident of Fernandina Beach, but as a father of a 15-year-old …
From Spanish settlers to Black Civil War soldiers: Bosque Bello wins national recognition
Yesterday at 3:20 AM
FERNANDINA BEACH — Bosque Bello Cemetery, where Spanish colonial settlers, Black Civil War soldiers, shrimping pioneers and generations of Fernandina families are buried, has been added to the …
Top stories
Salt Life fire: Electrical outlet likely sparked blaze
3 days ago
FERNANDINA BEACH — A burned-out electrical outlet likely ignited a wooden couch on the second-floor patio of Salt Life Food Shack, causing Monday morning's fire that forced the popular beachfront …
Amendment 3 could cost Fernandina Beach its Ybor Alvarez youth soccer fields
4 days ago
FERNANDINA BEACH — The passage of Amendment 3 appears to have killed Fernandina Beach's plan to purchase the Ybor Alvarez soccer fields from its municipal airport, leaving the future of a youth …
The photo gallery
Pat’s Wildways: Spotting otters
Friday, September 11
Anyone who has read my column over the last couple of decades surely knows that otters are a part of my long-time history and my ever-present passion. For years I was chair of the International Union …
Sharing our space with others — pollinators
Saturday, October 3
There are many ways to make a positive impact on our local ecosystems to ensure our own health, stability and happiness in the future. We all know we need pollinators for our well-being. We can make …
Dragonflies
Saturday, August 29
Dragonflies are fascinating, with a secret underwater life that most people don't know anything about. The larval stage of a dragonfly lives in a freshwater environment for years as an animal called …
Digital Compass
That 'delivery failed' text could be a scam: A holiday guide to staying safe
4 days ago
The holiday season brings packages, tracking numbers, and a steady stream of delivery notifications. That makes it a particularly convincing time for one of the simplest online scams: a …
The PHP flaw behind last week's headlines
Thursday, October 29
If your business has a website, there's a good chance it runs on a piece of software most owners have never heard of. Last week that software made international news. …
From the HeART
Everyone has something to say
Sunday, November 1
Statistics. Ugh. I took one required class in statistics for my sociology major in college. It was the bane of my existence. I got through it with the help of the professor who taught that subject …
What Time Is It?
Sunday, October 25
The ticking and chiming emanating from the booth at the antique store drew me. Clocks of every size, shape and vintage provided a happy cacophony.
The sounds sparked deep memories. We lived in …
Off the Porch
Architectural Treasures of Amelia Island
Wednesday, November 4
Amelia Island offers a unique opportunity to experience history. Fernandina Beach's Historic District is a living museum. Like sleeping beauties ...
Boo! Halloween is here!
Wednesday, October 28
The air is cooler and crisper. We grab a sweater or jacket as we go out the door. Our grocery stores offer pumpkins and gourds of all sizes and shapes. Mums in yellows, purples, and oranges beg to be …
Pat's Wildways
Pat’s Wildways: Lunar influences
Friday, October 30
By now, everyone around Fernandina has noticed the exceptionally high tides that are flooding some of our streets. Downtown along Front Street always floods during these “king tides,” but this …
Pat’s Wildways: Nashville
Friday, October 23
It’s not every day you see a real live brawl and have the opportunity to call 911 about it. In fact, never has this happened to me. I’ve never seen anyone punched in person and (happily) never …
Fernandina residents pack City Hall over flight school noise as Commission consider next steps
5 days ago
FERNANDINA BEACH — Fernandina Beach city commissioners Wednesday declined to immediately pursue a proposed $12 landing fee for visiting aircraft, instead directing staff to examine voluntary noise …
Ritz-Carlton's Cook named national resort General Manager of the Year
5 days ago
AMELIA ISLAND — Greg Cook, general manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, has been named the nation's top resort general manager for 2026 by the American Hotel & Lodging Association …
Nature
Shifting sands
3 days ago
Dynamic and beautiful, barrier islands naturally migrate inland, always changing shape on both ends in an everlasting dance with the sea. The Atlantic barrier island system starts at Plum Island, …
Nature's Reflection
Sweet harvest in south Georgia
Tuesday, November 3
It is satsuma-picking season at the family-run Vacuna Farms, which is owned and operated by Ben and Sherry Nevill Casey. Established in 2007, Vacuna Farms LLC is a verified pesticide-free, U-pick …
Turtle season ends with record 298 nests
Sunday, November 1
A late-October storm destroyed the last remaining sea turtle nest of the season on island beaches, but that didn’t dampen spirits over the nesting season. Amelia Island Sea Turtle volunteers …
Florida enacts comprehensive weather modification ban
Saturday, October 31
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. —The Florida Legislature passed Senate Bill 56 on July 1, 2025, to protect Floridians from unauthorized chemical exposure and atmospheric manipulation. The …
See more Nature stories
County News
New Season Treatment Center invites community to Nov. 5 ribbon cutting for mobile opioid treatment unit in Yulee
Sunday, November 1
YULEE, Fla. — New Season Treatment Center invites community members, health care partners and news media to a ribbon - cutting ceremony Thursday, Nov. 5, celebrating its fourth On the Road to …
Read more county news
City News
Retraction: Incorrect Amendment 3 Election Results
Wednesday, November 4
Retraction: Incorrect Amendment 3 Election Results
The Fernandina Observer is retracting its original report on the Nov. 3 vote on Florida Amendment 3 because it contained incorrect election …
Saturday, October 17
Would an intelligent species jeopardize its own ability to survive? The excessive use of plastic in our society is posing a serious risk to humans and to the health of the planet.
Plastic is a …
Read more.
Saturday, October 17
FERNANDINA BEACH - For years, eligible Nassau County residents who cannot afford breast cancer screening could receive free breast imaging in Jacksonville through a partnership between Pink Ribbon …
Read more.
Business
Can Nassau County stop mega data centers? Legal warning dominates public workshop
Tuesday, October 27
YULEE — Nassau County commissioners face significant legal risks if they attempt to ban data centers outright, County Attorney Denise May warned Monday, explaining why county officials are pursuing …
Surf Restaurant property proposed as 13-home redevelopment
Wednesday, August 12
FERNANDINA BEACH — An Amelia Island beachside landmark could give way to residential development under a concept plan headed to the city's Technical Review Committee this Thursday.
Golf Pub Social Announces New Ownership
Tuesday, April 7
FERNANDINA BEACH, FL — Golf Pub Social, Amelia Island’s go-to destination for indoor golf, live music, and community gathering, is entering an exciting new chapter. The venue has been …
Special Features
A Message in a Bottle Leads to Stories From Everywhere
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
Monday, February 17, 2025
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
Holiday season kicks off with island museum’s annual Holiday Home Tour
4 days ago
Fernandina Beach’s most iconic Christmas event, the Amelia Island Museum of History’s 20th Annual Holiday Home Tour, is scheduled for December 4 and 5. Owners have decorated homes in the historic …
Friends of the Library Fall Book Sale
Sunday, November 1
The Friends of the Fernandina Beach Library Fall Book Sale is coming up. It is one of the library's major annual fundraisers, with thousands of donated books and other treasures.
What will you …
Friday, October 30
Enjoy an afternoon of classic big-band favorites, swinging rhythms, and the timeless sounds of American jazz. Whether you are a long-time fan or simply looking for a fun afternoon at an historic …
Thursday, October 29
Join the 14th Annual Keller Williams/Amelia Island Chili Cook-Off for Nassau County Shop with Cops programs, with both the Nassau County Sheriff's Office and the Fernandina Beach Police Department. …
Churches & Charities
Tuesday, October 13
Three local women have stepped up with a creative way to support Chandler’s Hope Clothes Closet, a nonprofit Michele Holbrook founded and manages in honor of her son. The organization collects new …
Wednesday, August 26
FERNANDINA BEACH — Nominations are officially open for Barnabas Center’s 6 th annual Hometown Heroes Fashion Show. This year’s event honors veterans and active-duty military members for their …
5-Day Forecast
Tuesday
Patchy Fog then Sunny
High: 75°F
(°C)
(°C)
Veterans Day
Mostly Cloudy
High: 75°F
(°C)
(°C)
Thursday
Mostly Cloudy then Mostly Cloudy and Breezy
High: 73°F
(°C)
(°C)
Friday
Sunny and Breezy
High: 62°F
(°C)
(°C)
Saturday
Sunny
High: 59°F
(°C)
(°C)