Lloyd Monroe Contributor More than 50 classmates participated in the Jefferson County High School (JCHS) Class of 1975’s weekend-long reunion on June 6-8. Friday evening’s social/mixer took place at the home of…
Juneteenth Celebrating the path to freedom
Danny Federico ECB Publishing, Inc. “My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.” – Desmond Tutu Known as one of America’s oldest holidays, Juneteenth (June 19)…
Girls of Royalty holds purposeful activities
Mary Madison Contributor The Girls of Royalty Mentoring Program, Inc. (GOR) has adopted bylaws that state the organization’s nine purposes. Three of those are as follows: • to help the girls gain…
Senior Center aims to extend its reach
Laura Young ECB Publishing, Inc. There’s no reason for any resident of Jefferson County over the age of 60 to be home alone when there’s a wonderful place that welcomes seniors for…
Letter to the editor
I read recently about speaker Johnson chastising Elon Musk about disagreeing with the president or his party. I thought back to a story told by President Reagan comparing life in these United…
What a good bouy!
Heather Ainsley ECB Publishing, Inc. This spring has been unseasonably hot, and the sweltering heat is far from over. Now is an ideal time to put on your swimming trunks, slather on…
Jefferson Express bus shuttle may cease service
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. The affordable express bus shuttle service that Big Bend Transit (BBT) operates between Monticello and Tallahassee is slated for termination, unless county officials decide to pick up…
Funeral home’s rezoning request underscores longstanding drainage problem
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. The proposed placement of a funeral home on a 0.77-acre property at 370 South Jefferson St. has served tangentially to underscore a longstanding stormwater drainage problem that…
Mackenzie Edson raises money for local non-profit
Heather Ainsley ECB Publishing, Inc. For those who enjoyed a pleasant stroll around Downtown Monticello during this year’s Watermelon Festival, they undoubtedly met young Mackenzie Edson, a special little girl who has…
High speed chase ends in crash
Laura Young ECB Publishing, Inc. The Madison County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) has reported that at around 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 11, while a deputy was monitoring traffic on I-10 in Madison…
Madison and Jefferson superintendents seek to share three district positions
Laura Young ECB Publishing, Inc. Madison and Jefferson counties sit adjacent to each other, with the Aucilla River in between. As rural counties in North Florida, their relatively small school systems face…
The Watermelon Festival Schedule
TODAY, FRIDAY, June 13 Vendor Village, 3-9 p.m. Watermelon Oasis, 3-9 p.m. “Frozen Jr.” at MOH, 7 p.m. Melon Jam Street Dance, 7-9 p.m. Beer Garden, 7-9 p.m. SATURDAY, June 14 Vendor…
County sets up committee to hire new auditor
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. With the contract of the current auditor about to expire, county officials recently adopted a resolution setting up a committee to procure the services of a new…
Officials learn about restrictions tied to A-Building grants
Lazaro Aleman ECB Publishing, Inc. County officials are wiser about what they can and can’t do with regard to the A-Building, given the restrictions associated with the several preservation grants that the…
Felony Verdicts from the 2nd Judicial Circuit
Phillip Strickland of Monticello, Fla., born March 27, 1985, had been found guilty in Circuit Court in Jefferson County of Possession of Controlled Substance; had served a 366-day sentence in the Florida…
Celebrating Flag Day
Halie Wetherington ECB Publishing, Inc. Flag Day is celebrated annually on June 14 to commemorate the adoption of the flag of the United States, which occurred on June 14, 1777. The Meaning…
Celebrating freedom with Flag Day
Christian Peterson ECB Publishing, Inc. Flag Day, annually celebrated on June 14, is one of the more obscure American holidays. But where did this holiday originate from? And how can one celebrate…
Ponderings: Beetles in the night
It is June, which means that the season has begun when I venture out into the night in my pajamas and I start a careful vigil that I like to call “caterpillar…
From the Sunny Side: Wisdom
I have often heard it said that “with age comes wisdom.” I do believe that is true, in most cases. I like to think I am a bit wiser about many things…
Meet the 2025 Miss Watermelon Queen!
Hailey Heseltine ECB Publishing, Inc. Heaven-Leigh Purvis was crowned the 2025 Miss Watermelon Queen by Maggie Boyd, 2024 Miss Watermelon Queen, on the evening of Saturday, May 31. Purvis is the daughter…