LEADING OFF: What s happening in and around the Beaches
For Shorelines
Cemetery tour Saturday
Learn about African American history at the Beaches during a walking tour of Lee Kirkland Cemetery on Saturday, Feb. 13 at 1 p.m. Hosted by the Beaches Museum, the tour will be conducted by local history detective Johnny Woodhouse.
The Lee Kirkland Cemetery has been the burial grounds for the local African American population for the last 100 years or more. With marked and unmarked graves, it can be difficult to trace the lives of the people interred there. Join Woodhouse in an exploration of the cemetery’s lost histories.
Middle-income workers struggle find homes in St. Johns County
The average cost of a home in St. Johns County is $290,000, according to the the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) that realtors use.
Credit: Jessica Clark Author: Jessica Clark Updated: 6:44 PM EST December 21, 2020
ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. For middle-income workers like nurses, teachers and firefighters, it is becoming increasingly harder for them to afford to live in St. Johns County.
County officials said the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the issue.
Tiffany Jordan and her husband have six children. She is a paraprofessional for the St. Johns County School District. He is a custodian at Ring Power.
That said, the district has its hands full in monitoring the number of positive cases reported among students and district employees, as well as those who are deemed by the DOH to fall within the window of potential contact, according to Melissa Kledzik, the district s director of health services.
When a student or staff member has tested positive for COVID-19, the district is alerted and is required to immediately send an email to that person and/or his or her parents or guardians.
The notification comes with an advisory from the DOH that reads: Because your child may have been exposed to someone at the school who had COVID-19, DOH-St. Johns is notifying parents of exposed attendees that their child will need to quarantine at home. If any signs or symptoms develop, seek medical attention immediately.
St. Johns County s Legislative Delegation for the Florida Legislature is scheduled to hear from dozens of speakers Friday on a wide range of topics, including mental health, infrastructure and schools.
The delegation ― made up of State Sen. Travis Hutson, delegation chair and State Rep. Cyndi Stevenson and State Rep. Paul Renner, all Republicans ― holds meetings to hear from locals about their priorities and to discuss upcoming legislative issues.
The next regular session of the Florida Legislature begins on March 2.
The Legislative Delegation meeting will take place from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the St. Johns County auditorium at 500 San Sebastian View in St. Augustine. While the meeting is open to the public, seating will be limited because of COVID-19.