MaryMaraghy's blog

A widow of Sept. 11, 2001, disasters will be the guest speaker at a women’s conference at 7 p.m. Fridayand 8:30 to noon May 10 at Hickory Grove Baptist Church, 310 S. Oakridge Ave. in Green Cove Springs. Jennifer Sands will share her story. Admission is free; however reservations help with planning. Please call 284-3311 or 406-9526 to register. 

 Orange Park tonight came another step closer to implementing a town-wide tax to fund the fire department.

"It's not going to be pretty," said Orange Park Town Manager explaining that the town will be taxing residents who have never before been taxed.

Five months ago, the council notified state and county officials that they are considering taxing all property owners - including tax-exempt parcels - a tax based on the property's square footage. This would include the tax-exempt Moosehaven retirement community and St. Vincent's medical complex, both on U.S. 17.

Residents can put non-perishable food items, in a bag or box, by your mailbox on May 10 for the annual U.S. Postal Carrier's Food Drive. Letter carriers will be collecting the items for local food banks in Clay County.

The Jacksonville Bomb Squad discovered camera equipment, and not an explosive device, in a suspicious package sent to the Clay County Courthouse this morning in Green Cove Springs.

U.S. 17, which had been closed earlier today, is back open. And a slew of law enforcement personnel are departing the area. In addition to the bomb squad, standing by were representatives from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, Green Cove Springs Police Department, the State Attorneys Office and federal law enforcement.

Courthouse employees called law enforcement regarding a package they deemed suspicious. It was moved to a vacant lot across the street.

Given current gas prices, Orange Park residents - and at least one Town Councilman, said they are irked to see the town's new 41-foot ladder truck at restaurants all over town.

"They go to breakfast, lunch and dinner. I see them everywhere, every day," said Orange Park resident Larry Carter during the public comment portion of Tuesday night's Orange Park Town Council Meeting. "I got a problem with that. They are wasting fuel, starting that truck up 20 times a day. You can save a lot of taxpayer money if you park it."

Town Manager John Bowles said the town's fire fighters, who are also the town's paramedics, need to train and practice using the 6-month-old truck, for at least a few more months, as recommended by the $800,000 truck's manufacturer.

Congressman Cliff Stearns is scheduled to hold a town meeting from 10:45 to 11:45 a.m. Saturday, March 29 at the Orange Park Branch Library, 2054 Plainfield Avenue. Then from 1-2 p.m., Green Cove Springs City Hall, 321 Walnut St. And then 

A barbecue lunch fund raiser will be held 11 a.m. March 28 at the Clay County Administration Building to raise money for the family of baby Allison Surrency, who recieved an emergency liver transplant on New Year’s Eve.

Lunch plates of barbecue pork or chicken, cole slaw and beans will be sold for $6 each. Delivery is available for large orders. All money raised will help the family with medical bills. Clay County Fire Rescue Professionals Local 3362 is hosting the event for Allison’s father, Clete Surrency, a Clay County fire fighter.

 Around 4:30 p.m. yesterday, the body of 23-year-old Jacey McWilliams of Jacksonville was found in a wooded area near Johns Cemetery Road in Middleburg.  Her death is considered a homicide and detectives continue their work today on the case. A possible suspect, David Martin, is in custody in Pinellas County on unrelated charges, according to the Clay County Sheriff's Office. McWilliams' family reported her missing to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office on March 11. to JSO on March 11, 2008. Martin is charged in Pinellas County with shoplifting and is also held on a no-bond warrant from Clay County for violation of parole. Martin, a registered felon, has been charged over the years in Clay County with theft, drug possession and armed burglary.  Clay detectives plan to travel to Pinellas County to interview Martin next week. The cause of death has not bee released. 

I've heard three Clay schools have cut back on music due to budget cuts.
I want to write about it. Anybody want to talk about it? Please call me 366-6374.
Thanks

A charter bus carrying Clay High School's marching band, drill team and flag team was involved in an accident around 5:30 a.m. this morning in Elizabethtown, Ky. No one was injured.

The band, made up of approximately 100 students, is on its way to Chicago to perform in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.  The students, chaperones and Band Director left yesterday afternoon. They will perform tomorrow and will return on Monday.