Laura Young ECB Publishing, Inc. Part of U.S. Highway 90 near Abram Road in Jefferson County was closed during the wee hours of Friday, Jan. 23, as law enforcement and emergency personnel…
Category: Front Page
Fire Chief issues another burn ban
Updated Monday, Jan. 26 Laura Young ECB Publishing, Inc. On Thursday, Jan. 22, Jefferson County Fire Rescue Chief Derrick Burrus enacted a ban on all outdoor burning. The ban will remain in…
Bill aims to control artificial intelligence
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. No sooner said than done. Promptly following on the heels of Governor Ron DeSantis’ call for legislation to curb Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data centers, Republican Senator…
2025 Year in review
Click here to revisit the Monticello News and Jefferson County Journal front page headlines from 2025!
Area agency cuts ties with senior center (Commission donates $30,000 to agency)
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. As a recent letter from the head of the Area Agency on Aging for North Florida (AAANF) to the larger local community made clear, the former organization…
Plan revived for subdivision just west of city
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. City officials are once again considering a development on the southwestern part of town that when first proposed as a Planned Unit Development (PUD) in 2007…
School district to pilot MagicSchool AI
Laura Young ECB Publishing, Inc. Over the next six months, teachers and administrative staff at Jefferson County Schools will be trying out an AI platform designed just for educators and tailored to…
City adds plum tree to community orchard on Florida Arbor Day
Laura Young ECB Publishing, Inc. Mayor John Jones declared Jan. 16 as Arbor Day in the City of Monticello, in association with Florida Arbor Day. The proclamation, passed by the city council…
School board recognizes staff of the year
Laura Young ECB Publishing, Inc. At its regular meeting on Jan. 12, 2026, the Jefferson County School Board presented engraved plaques to its recently selected staff of the year. Pictured above, left…
City’s possible purchase of former utility building for police department moving forward
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. Whether the Monticello Police Department (MPD) remains at its present location or relocates to another building across town that once was occupied by a utility company now…
Citizen’s noble act encounters legal realities
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. A local citizen’s attempt to do a good turn for the children in his neighborhood ran into legal realities that appear to have doomed the effort. Ronald…
MLK Day parade cancelled but celebration still planned at the community center
Laura Young ECB Publishing, Inc. The MLK, Jr. Committee has just announced the cancellation of the parade that was planned for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 19. Nevertheless, the…
FDLE spotlights seven active cases on National AMBER Alert Awareness Day
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) is commemorating National AMBER Alert Awareness Day by spotlighting the seven active AMBER Alerts in Florida. “When a child goes missing, it becomes an immediate…
Council set to select a new city clerk
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. Monticello officials expect to appoint a new city clerk and treasurer as soon as Tuesday, Jan. 27. This, at least, is the date that the Monticello City…
Two local grocery store projects making progress
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. Two development projects related to grocery stores in Monticello continue moving forward, if perhaps not as speedily as some residents would like, given the lack of choices…
Jones reclaims mayor’s seat
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. Councilman John Jones is the City of Monticello’s new mayor as of Tuesday evening, Jan. 6. Jones replaced Gloria Cox, the city council member who served in…
Hurricane-impacted rural communities to receive financial help
Rick Patrick ECB Publishing, Inc. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently announced that an additional $167.5 million will be awarded to several Florida communities affected by the hurricanes of recent years. A total…
City council denies funeral home application
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. The long-running effort by local businesswoman Evelyn Hagan to get a property on North Jefferson Street rezoned and its designation changed on the comprehensive plan in order…
County manager’s office reviews 2025, sets goals for 2026
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. Understanding the importance of messaging, setting goals and establishing standards, Jefferson County Manager Shannon Metty and Deputy Manager Ron Russo have set forth an outline of strategic…
State may do away with license stickers
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. If two recent bills filed in the Florida Legislature for the coming session become law, vehicle registration decals will become a thing of the past. The two…