Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. Acting on the request of Sheriff Mac McNeill, House Representative Allison Tant has introduced legislation for the coming session that seeks to cap the compensation that the…
Category: Front Page
FDC enhances public safety through innovation and accountability in 2025
Florida Dept. of Corrections Contributor In 2025, the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) continued to advance Florida’s public safety mission through strategic investments in staffing, institutional security, officer safety, training and technology,…
Opponents of SB 180 see glimmer of hope in newly proposed legislation
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. Opponents of the controversial Senate Bill 180, which became law in June 2025 and essentially restricts counties and municipalities from amending their comprehensive plans or land-development regulations…
Officials contemplate use of RESTORE Act funds for local projects
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. Jefferson County staff are seeking direction from elected officials on how the county should proceed in terms of the acquisition and use of some $12 million in…
Vendors and parade entries sought for MLK Day events
Laura Young ECB Publishing, Inc. Plans are well underway for Monticello’s 45th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. peace walk/parade and celebration, which will take place on Monday, Jan. 19. This year’s themes…
State tries to clear confusion over new license plate law
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. Confusion continues to exist over a new state law that makes it a criminal offense to cover any part of a vehicle’s license plate, whether the obstruction…
Florida tests drones in schools to stop shootings
Merrilee Gasser The Center Square A taxpayer-funded program to test whether drones can ward off school shooters is set to launch in three Florida districts by the beginning of next year. The…
County renews and updates housing management contract
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. The Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners recently approved changes to the existing contract between the county and Accenture Infrastructure and Capital Projects, LLC, formerly known as…
Florida continues taking shots at vaccine mandates
Mickey Starling ECB Publishing, Inc. Florida continues its efforts to end all state vaccine mandates, including for schools, a major shift announced by Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo in September of 2025. The…
Jefferson County hires a lobbyist
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. Jefferson County now has its own paid lobbyist to safeguard its interests, promote its agenda in the legislature and keep it abreast of happenings in the state…
Beware of the new tap to pay scam
Christian Peterson ECB Publishing, Inc. Scams and scammers are constantly evolving. It seems like every time the public figures out a way to combat a scam, a new one pops up. Now,…
City considering changing the way water use is measured
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. Monticello may switch to using gallons instead of cubic feet to measure customers’ water usage. City Manager Kurt Mackiewicz broached the subject to the Monticello City Council…
Did you know you can read the Monticello News daily?
Hailey Heseltine ECB Publishing, Inc. The year 2025 was full of exciting updates here at ECB Publishing. In September, the content of our Friday Jefferson County Journal and Wednesday Monticello News merged…
County signs latest agreement for extension of $500,000 grant for A-Building
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. At this point, it can be difficult to keep up with the many twists and turns and extensions granted to the Jefferson County by the Florida Department…
Mosquito control program refunded
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. Residents who subscribe to the county’s mosquito control program will be glad to learn that the program has been funded for another year. The Jefferson County Board…
County’s interest earning exceed half a million in last fiscal year
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. Effective cash management strategies employed by the clerk of court’s finance department have resulted in steady earnings throughout Fiscal Year 2024-2025. This was the bottom line of…
Florida leads new wave of SNAP junk food restrictions as 18 states prepare changes in 2026
Hailey Waldo ECB Publishing, Inc. This year, Florida secured approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to restrict the use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for certain “junk food”…
Proposed legislation seeks to correct problems created by Senate Bill 180
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. Two bills introduced in the Florida Legislature for the coming 2026 legislative session aim to correct some of the problems created by last year’s controversial law that…
Scholarship fund honoring Judson Freeman continues to grow
Laura Young ECB Publishing, Inc. The winter holidays are full of traditions, some dating back centuries and others just starting to take root. It seems that the Christmas party for the Monticello-Jefferson…
Andrew Tillman selected as District Teacher of the Year
Hailey Heseltine ECB Publishing, Inc. Andrew Tillman has been selected as the District Teacher of the Year for Jefferson County Schools, following his recognition as Jefferson County K-12 Community Partnership School’s (JCS)…