Nassau County

Two adult gaming parlors were shut down Wednesday in Nassau County following an eight-month investigation.

Fifteen gambling machines, hundreds of debit cards and cash, together valued at $250,000, were seized from Cabana Gold in Callahan and Treasure Bay in Fernandina Beach, Sheriff Tommy Seagraves said.

Cabana Gold owner Carl Gibson and his brother Russell Gibson, who owns Treasure Bay, have not been charged with crimes.

A horse in Nassau County has tested positive for Eastern Equine Enchephalitis.

The virus, which is transmitted by bites from infected mosquitoes, primarily affects horses, but humans can become infected.

So far this year, there have been no reports of any Nassau County residents with mosquito-borne diseases, the county Health Department said in a press release this afternoon.

The Health Department officials reminds horse owners to ask their veterinarians about vaccines to protect their animals against EEE and West Nile Virus infections.

They also urge residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites:

by AMELIA A. HART

amelia.hart@mynassausun.com

The Nassau County School District has once again received an “A” from the Florida Department of Education.

Ten of the district’s 12 schools received A grades on school accountability reports released this morning by the department, including Fernandina Beach High and Hilliard Middle-Senior High which both received Bs last year.

West Nassau High School rebounded from last year’s D grade to earn a B grade for the 2007-08 school year.

In its second year, Yulee High School slipped from a C to a D.

Effective today, the criminal, civil and recording fees collected by the Nassau County Clerk of the Circuit Court's office will increase.

The additional revenue will go to the state, however, not the Nassau Clerk's office.

Criminal Department Fee Updates

Service Current Fee Updated Fee
Certify a copy $1.50 $2.00
Verify a document to be certified from other than clerk $3.00 $3.50
Hardship Fee $6.00 $7.00
Exemplified copies $6.00 $7.00
Searches $1.50 $2.00
Sealing & Expunging $37.50 $42.00
Receiving/Distributing Restitution payments $3.00 $3.50
Appeal to DCA $50.00 $100.00
County Court - Traffic
Certificate of Compliance form $6.00 $7.00
Dismissals & DL/Registration/Insurance expired w/proof it was valid prior to citation $7.50 $10.00
Proof of compliance - Tag/DL/Registration $57.10 $61.25
Proof of compliance - Insurance $42.35 $55.90
Child Restraint Violation $123.50 $141.00
Moving violations other than speeding $123.50 $141.00
Non-moving violations $76.50 $91.00
Fail to stop for school bus/railroad $163.50 $181.00
Seat belt violation $76.50 $91.00
Red Light violation $188.50 $206.00
Open container - driver $123.50 $141.00
Open container - passenger $76.50 $91.00
ATV violation - non-moving $71.50 $86.00
ATV violation - moving $123.50 $141.00
Pedestrian/Bicycle violation $48.50 $49.50
Boating violation - non-moving $61.00 $73.00
Boating violation - moving $65.00 $90.00
Faulty equipment $54.00 $75.00
Dropping load $246.50 $261.00
Handicap parking $143.50 $158.00
Unlawful Speed
6-9 miles over $88.50 $106.00
10-14 miles over $163.50 $181.00
15-19 miles over $188.50 $206.00
20-29 miles over $213.50 $231.00
30+ miles over $313.50 $331.00
Unlawful Speed in a school or construction zone
6-9 miles over $113.50 $131.00
10-14 miles over $263.50 $281.00
15-19 miles over $313.50 $331.00
20-29 miles over $363.50 $381.00
30+ miles over $563.50 $581.00

Our local anglers are reporting the action is heating up along with our summer temperatures. There is plenty of live bait available at the buoy line, reefs, wrecks, jetties and the backwater. The arrival of the bait means plenty of action when slow trolling, bottom-fishing or live-baiting.

The backwater anglers can expect flounder, trout, reds and puppy drum at the end of their hooks, but I would try to be on the water early in the morning or late in the evening. Live shrimp, mud minnows or finger mullet will work well for bait for the live-bait angler.

The topwater action continues to be good, especially fished over or around the oyster bars holding bait.

by AMELIA A. HART

amelia.hart@mynassausun.com

Eight Nassau County incumbents earned another term in office when they were the only candidates to qualify to run this week.

Clerk of the Circuit Court John A. Crawford, Supervisor of Elections Vicki Peterson Cannon, Tax Collector John M. Drew, Superintendent of Schools John L. Ruis, all Republicans, and non-partisan School Board members Gail G. Cook in District 2 and Jim Adams in District 4, and Soil and Water Conservation District members Tom Ford for Group 2 and Dana R. Bell for Group 4 will all return to office.

Qualifying ended at noon today.

Although Nassau County Commission District 1 incumbent Jim B. Higginbotham ran four years ago as a Republican, he qualified to run this week with no party affiliation meaning he will face Republican challenger Danny Leeper in the general election in November.

Republicans Michael C. Franklin, Tammy Stiles and Larry Williams will run for the GOP nomination for Property Appraiser in the Republican primary Aug. 26. The winner will face Democrat Ray Harper in November.

Incumbent Nassau County Sheriff Tommy Seagraves will be challenged in the Republican primary by C.W. "Connie" Johnson, Richard King and Carlos E. Slay. The winner will face Democratic candidate Jim Coe in November.

Incumbent County Commission District 5 incumbent Marianne Marshall will face Walter (JR) Boatright in the Republican primary. The winner will go up against Democrat Ramiro Palma in the District 5 race in November.

The race for Ocean, Highway & Port Authority District 1 also will go to the general election as Melvin Usery qualified as a Republican and Peter Mallory qualified with no party affiliation.

With only Republicans — Wynn Fendig, Stacy Johnson and Grady Howard Wright — qualifying to run, all Nassau County registered voters will be able to vote Aug. 26 in the race to replace County Commission District 3 member Tom Branan, who is resigning as of July 14.

All voters also can cast ballots Aug. 26 in the following races since they are either nonpartisan or only Republicans qualified to run:
• School Board District 1: Donna Martin and Dave Mazur
• Amelia Island Mosquito Control Member, Group 1: Clyde Goodbread and Ralph Jim Suarez
• Ocean, Highway & Port Authority District 2: Danny Fullwood and Jennifer Kelly-Sheffield (both Republicans); and
• Ocean, Highway & Port Authority District 3: Margie Gandy and Shirley Lear (both Republicans)

by AMELIA A. HART

amelia.hart@mynassausun.com

Nassau County Sheriff Tommy Seagraves is hosting a charity motorcycle ride Saturday, June 21, for one of his own: Deputy Terri Evans who has battled breast cancer for two years, causing a financial hardship for her family.

Seagraves said Evans has taken a "turn for the worse." She was taken to a hospice center in Jacksonville earlier in the week and Segraves said if she returns home before the charity ride, he will re-route the ride to pass in front of her home.

The 90-mile ride will begin and end at Peters Point on Amelia Island, looping into Jacksonville and through Callahan, Hilliard, Yulee and Fernandina Beach.

by AMELIA A. HART
amelia.hart@mynassausun.com

Lightning Monday afternoon ignited a 105-acre fire in the Tiger Point area of Black Hammock Island.

The fire at Cedar Point & Pumpkin Hill Road started at 4:30 p.m. and was contained at 10:43 p.m. June 16, according to a press release this morning from the state Division of Forestry.

The nearest structure was more that 600 yards from the fire and no damages or injuries were reported.

Firefighters had some difficulty suppressing the fire due to the thick pine plantation it was burning in and the changes in wind direction brought on by the sea breeze.

by AMELIA A. HART

amelia.hart@mynassausun.com

The Division of Forestry responded this weekend to a 70-acre fire south of Hilliard that burned for four hours Saturday.

The Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement is investigating the fire on Woodland’s Nursery Property at Bay Road and Georgia Street.

It started at 3 p.m. June 14 from an unknown cause and was contained at 7:05 p.m, according to a Division of Forestry press release today.

An 8-acre fire which started June 8 at US 301 and Thomas Creek Road remains active.

The Times-Union

The Florida Corrections Accreditation Commission has accredited the Nassau County Jail, making it one of 34 detention facilities in the state to receive the designation.

The accreditation award was presented to Sheriff Tommy Seagraves Jr. during a ceremony last week in Coral Springs.

To receive the distinction, facilities are reviewed on 238 standards, 97 of them mandatory and 141 optional, according to a release from Seagraves.

An inspection is required every three years to maintain the designation.