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…
Category: Front Page
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)…
Florida drivers face new penalties for covered plates
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…
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…