AmeliaHart's blog

The First Baptist Church of Callahan at US 301 and Mickler Street has opened as a convenience shelter.

The Salvation Army canteen that had been at the James S. Page Governmental Complex in Yulee to serve hot meals to those affected by ongoing power outages was to move to the church, Nassau emergency officials said.  

A tornado warning has been issued for Nassau County until 3 p.m., including for Callahan, Hilliard and Kings Ferry.

At 2:25 p.m., radar indicated a possible tornado 6 miles northeast of Callahan moving northwest at 32 mph.

Residents should seek shelter on the lowest floor of the building in an interior hallway or room, such as a closet. Use blankets or pillows to cover your body and stay away from windows.

People in mobile homes or vehicles should get inside a substantial shelter. If no shelter is available, lie flat in the nearest ditch or other low spot and cover your head with your hands.

A Salvation Army canteen is open and serving hot meals at the James S. Page Governmental Complex, 96135 Nassau Place in Yulee.

Lynne Peterson with the Salvation Army Hope House in Fernandina Beach said the canteen is expected to be at the complex for the next 24 hours.

The general and special-needs shelter that opened Wednesday at Yulee High School on Miner Road closed at 1 p.m.

The Nassau County emergency phone line — 548-4980 or (800) 958-3494 — is open until 5 p.m. today to answer general questions or to assist those with special needs or who need transportation assistance.

A Salvation Army canteen is open and serving hot meals at the James S. Page Governmental Complex, 96135 Nassau Place in Yulee.

Lynne Peterson with the Salvation Army Hope House in Fernandina Beach said the canteen is expected to be at the complex for the next 24 hours.

The general and special-needs shelter that opened Wednesday at Yulee High School on Miner Road is still open.

The Nassau County emergency phone line — 548-4980 or (800) 958-3494 — is open until 5 p.m. today to answer general questions or to assist those with special needs or who need transportation assistance.

• The candidate forum scheduled for 7 p.m. tonight, Aug. 21, at Nassau County Commission chambers in Yulee has been cancelled as county offices are closed today.

• Kinderstudios in Fernandina Beach will be closed Thursday, Aug. 21, in conjunction with the closure of Nassau County schools for the day.

• Due to the weather conditions, the campground at Fort Clinch State Park in Fernandina Beach has been closed.

The rest of the park remains open for regular day use.

• Due to Tropical Storm Fay, the Amelia Island-Fernandina Beach-Yulee Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 21, at Amelia Urgent Care and Advance Rehabilitation has been cancelled.

The Nassau County Sheriff's Office reported today that deputies seized 737.9 pounds of marijuana July 10 during a traffic stop at the southbound agricultural inspection station on Interstate 95.

Deputies responded to assist inspection station officers who pulled over a 2007 Ford van for failing to stop at the station, according to a press release today.

After being given consent to search the van's load of boxes, searchers found the marijuana.

Noemi Romero of Fayetteville, N.C., was booked into the Nassau County Jail on a charge of trafficking more than 25 pounds of marijuana. Bond was set at $100,000.

Kathy Warner/Special -- Fourth- and fifth-graders in the Emma Love Hardee Elementary School gifted program examine a caterpillar on the Satsuma tree in the Demonstration Garden at the James S. Page Governmental Complex in Yulee in May.

Nassau County Extension Service’s demonstration garden at the James S. Page Governmental Complex in Yulee is earning national praise.

The National Association of Counties has awarded the garden a 2008 Achievement Award, according to a press release Friday from County Coordinator Edward Sealover.

A horse in Nassau County has tested positive for Eastern Equine Enchephalitis.

The virus, which is transmitted by bites from infected mosquitoes, primarily affects horses, but humans can become infected.

So far this year, there have been no reports of any Nassau County residents with mosquito-borne diseases, the county Health Department said in a press release this afternoon.

The Health Department officials reminds horse owners to ask their veterinarians about vaccines to protect their animals against EEE and West Nile Virus infections.

They also urge residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites:

by AMELIA A. HART

amelia.hart@mynassausun.com

As of Nov. 20 — the day of the American Cancer Society’s annual Great American Smokeout — Baptist Medical Center Nassau’s campus on 18th Street in Fernandina Beach will be totally tobacco-free.

The hospital is part of a coalition of Jacksonville hospitals that pledged today to eliminate tobacco use on their campuses.

Smoking has been prohibited inside Baptist Nassau for many years, but people could still smoke outside.

Beginning Nov. 20, tobacco use will be prohibited on all hospital property including the pond and picnic area at Auxiliary Park, building entries, walkways and parking lots.

by AMELIA A. HART

amelia.hart@mynassausun.com

The Nassau County School District has once again received an “A” from the Florida Department of Education.

Ten of the district’s 12 schools received A grades on school accountability reports released this morning by the department, including Fernandina Beach High and Hilliard Middle-Senior High which both received Bs last year.

West Nassau High School rebounded from last year’s D grade to earn a B grade for the 2007-08 school year.

In its second year, Yulee High School slipped from a C to a D.