(Law in question allows death penalty for rapists of minors under 12) Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. Beginning with a House bill that passed and was signed into law by Governor Ron…
Category: Front Page
Senate passes Rural Renaissance Bill
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. In a bipartisan vote on Wednesday, Jan. 14, the second day of the legislative session, the Florida Senate unanimously approved Senate Bill (SB) 250, titled Rural Communities,…
Dexter’s Law is now in effect
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. One law that took effect on Thursday, Jan. 1, is called “Dexter’s Law,” although the actual designation is CS/HB 255 –Aggravated Animal Cruelty. The legislation has been…
New bill aims to legalize recreational marijuana
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. A bill recently filed in the current Florida legislative session seeks to legalize recreational marijuana, even as Smart & Safe Florida continues its efforts to get an…
Governor announces major rate relief due to insurance and tort reforms
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. Governor Ron DeSantis recently announced significant statewide insurance rate relief for Florida homeowners, saying that Citizens Property Insurance (CPI) policyholders statewide would see meaningful premium reductions beginning…
Commissioner expresses multiple concerns
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. District 4 Commissioner Austin Hosford had a long list of items to discuss toward the end of the Jan. 15 meeting of the Jefferson County Board of…
Early morning crash kills two
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…
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…