Bri Rodriguez ECB Publishing, Inc. HB 253 bans license plate covers and obscuring devices starting Oct. 1. Florida drivers should take a closer look at their license plates. Beginning Oct. 1., House…
Category: Front Page
Proposed legislation again aims at developing rural land
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. Two bills newly filed in the Florida Legislature for the coming 2026 session seek to sideline local governments and the public when it comes to growth management…
From prosecutor to circuit judge: Jones Returns to his first courtroom
Paula Wright (Watkins) Chief Deputy Court Administrator Second Judicial Circuit The Second Judicial Circuit is pleased to announce that Judge Jason L. Jones has been assigned to serve as the Circuit Judge…
Read local, support local: Support community journalism
Emerald Greene ECB Publishing, Inc. Local news plays an indispensable role in American civic life as a trusted source of critical information. It is a fact that local newspapers serve a vital…
Two arrested in Monticello drug bust
Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Contributor On Dec. 12, 2025, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Drug Task Force executed a residential search warrant in the city of Monticello at 200 Florida St. The…
County’s interest earnings 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…
County to sell property formerly slated for shrimp-processing company
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. County officials have declared a 10-acre parcel at the industrial park as surplus property, preparatory to selling it to the highest bidder. The 10-acre parcel, located on…
JCS honors its Teachers and Employee of the Year
Hailey Heseltine ECB Publishing, Inc. On Nov. 20, three outstanding faculty members at Jefferson County K-12 Community Partnership School (JCS) were surprised with the honor of being chosen as The Teachers of…
Sen. Simon reintroduces Rural Renaissance bill
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. Florida Senator Corey Simon has reintroduced legislation for the 2026 session that seeks to provide more support and resources to rural areas in terms of healthcare, improved…
A second wildlife mural to go up on courthouse circle
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. It appears that a mural painting on a downtown building facing the courthouse circle will proceed, despite city planners recommending denial of the design. On Tuesday evening,…
NOAA looks back on 2025 hurricane season
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. Now that the Atlantic hurricane season is officially over as of Nov. 30 (although hurricanes have been known to occur well into December in the past), the…
Funeral home proposal advances two tentative steps
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. The ongoing effort of a local business to get a property on South Jefferson Street rezoned and its land-use designation changed on the Future Land Use Map…
City officials wrestle with how actively to pursue code enforcement
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. The Monticello City Council recently engaged in general discussion on code enforcement, prompted by City Manager Kurt Mackiewicz and City Planner Quinn Atkinson. The two basically were…
Monticello Police Department may be moving to new location
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. After more than eight decades of being headquartered in the small building adjacent to city hall on Mulberry Street, the Monticello Police Department (MPD) may soon be…
“Missy’s Law” legislation filed to keep persons convicted of serious crimes in custody
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. A bill introduced in the Florida Legislature for the coming 2026 session aims to keep individuals convicted of serious crimes from being released prior to sentencing. House…
County-wide speech contest winners announced
Laura Young ECB Publishing, Inc. The county-wide level of the 4-H Public Speaking Contest was held on Tuesday evening, Dec. 2, hosted by UF/IFAS Extension – Jefferson in the auditorium at Aucilla…
County to enhance 911 system
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. The Jefferson County is set to receive additional funding for the continued upgrade of its emergency communication system and its transition into Next Generation 9-1-1 (N911) services….
The fire ban has ended, BUT…
Laura Young ECB Publishing, Inc. The fire ban imposed across Jefferson County in mid-November expired at midnight on Wednesday, Dec. 3. Fire Chief Derrick Burrus reported that there was discussion about extending…
It’s time for Letters to Santa!
Please read the guidelines above and make sure that you get your letters sent so Santa can read them! For letters to be published in the newspaper, they must be delivered to…
Firefighters respond to multiple blazes as fire danger remains high
Laura Young ECB Publishing, Inc. Jefferson County Fire Rescue Chief Derrick Burrus says that rains predicted for this week will likely not be sufficient to lift the ban currently in place on…