3/31/17 @ 5:00 p.m. - The Board of County Commissioners met at approximately 4:40 p.m. and implemented a local burn ban due to multiple fires the last few weeks and the current windy weather conditions. The burn ban prohibits burning of yard debris and trash. It does not pertain to cooking on attended and monitored barbeque equipment or to permits issued by the Division of Forestry.

The burn ban will remain in effect through April 7, 2017. At that time, the Board will consider if the burn ban needs to be extended for an additional seven (7) day period.

For current information related to the fire, please visit Emergency Management's website or follow them on FaceBook or Twitter.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

3/31/17 @ 4:20 p.m. - Nassau County Fire Rescue and the Forestry Service are working to contain a brush fire behind Lowe's in Yulee. The area affected is north of State Road 200, between Barnwell Road and O'Neil Scott Road. Drivers are being urged to stay away if possible.

The Board of County Commissioners have called a Special Meeting for 4:30 this afternoon (or as soon thereafter as possible) to discuss implementing a local burn ban. More info to follow.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

4/4/17 @ 9:15 a.m. - The Nassau County Extension's 4-H Program, along with 4-H Programs from around the State, organize annual camping trips to the beautiful Camp Cherry Lake where children can enjoy a variety of activities including kayaking, swimming, and fishing while making life long friends. Child Development Experts agree that summer camp also fulfills a basic need for belonging, acceptance, and humility while boosting self-esteem. 

Many parents desire to provide their children with the opportunity to attend summer camp, however some can't afford it. Nassau County Extension 4-H has established a program in which citizens can sponsor a local child to participate in their year's trip to Camp Cherry Lake which will take place July 12-16, 2017. The cost is $250 for a full scholarship or $125 for a half scholarship.

If you are interested in sending a deserving child to camp, please see the attached flyer or contact Nassau County 4-H Extension Agent, Keley Irvine, at (904) 530-6350 or via e-mail at kelseymirvine@ufl.edu. The deadline to sponsor is June 1, 2017.

Note: The Nassau County Extension is a joint partnership between the University of Florida and the Nassau County Board of County Commissioners. For more information related to the County Extension and programs/services they offer, please visit their website.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

 4/5/17 @ 10:30 a.m. - Please join us for the 4th Annual Government Day taking place on Saturday, April 15th, at the Yulee Sports Complex. This event will feature three softball games with competitors from various County Offices and Elected Officials serving as umpires and commentators. There will also be a FREE Easter Egg Hunt sponsored by the Nassau County School Board, as well as kid's zone with a bounce house, slide, face painting and other fun activities, all for a one-time entry fee of $5.00.

Nassau County Fire Rescue and the Nassau County Sheriff's Office will have service vehicles on site for everyone to explore. Nassau County Professional Firefighters, Local 3101, will be serving hotdogs for lunch and there will also be other yummy snacks including popcorn, sno-cones, and candy bars, all for $1.00 each.

Date: Saturday, April 15, 2017
Place: Yulee Sports Complex, 86142 Goodbread Rd.
Event Time: 11:00 a.m.

All proceeds will benefit four amazing charities: The Katie Ride & Walk, United Way of Northeast Florida, The James S. Page Scholarship Fund, and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Previous years have raised thousands of dollars for these charities and we hope to make this year even better. We look forward to seeing you all there. Don't forget to bring a basket for collecting Easter eggs!

If you have any questions, please contact the County Manager's Office at (904) 530-6010.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

Below is lane closure information from the Florida Department of Transportation for the week of April 1 - April 7, 2017: 

SUBJECT: LANE CLOSURE INFORMATION 
Job Description:SR-200 Reconstruction (W of Rubin Rd. to E of CR 107 Scott Rd.)
Financial Project Number:210712-4-52-01 & 210712-4-56-01
Federal Aid Project Number:881064P
Contract Number:T2579
County - Section Number:Nassau - 74060
 
SPECIFIC LOCATION OF THE CLOSURE:
Daytime:     

• SR 200 EB Right Lane from Blackrock Rd to Duval Rd; Saturday, 04/01/17 5:00 AM – 12:00 PM
  
• SR 200 EB Left Lane from Blackrock Rd to Duval Rd; Saturday, 04/01/17 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM

 
Nighttime:    

• SR 200 EB Right Lane from Barnwell Rd to Old Nassauville Rd; Friday, 03/31/17; 9:00 PM – 6:00 AM
  
• SR 200 EB Left/WB Left Lane from Blackrock Rd to Duval Rd; Monday, 04/03/17 - Friday, 04/07/17; 9:00 PM – 6:00 AM
• SR 200 WB Right Lane at Felmor Rd; Tuesday, 04/04/17 & Wednesday, 04/05/17; 9:00 PM – 6:00 AM
  

REASON FOR THE CLOSURE (Type of Construction / Maintenance Activity):
Adjusting Temporary Signals
Traffic Shift
Setting Median Barrier Wall
Installing Camera for Temporary Detection
 
NOTE: Scheduled lane closures subject to change due to weather.
 
PROJECT ENGINEER OR CONTACT PERSON AND TELEPHONE NUMBER:
ETM                                        
Carrie Smithheart, PA              
Office:(904) 265-3170          
Cell:(904) 509-9007

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office            
 

3/29/17 @ 9:15 a.m. - The below story regarding the Ribbon Cutting for the new Sheriff's Administration Building was taken from the Sheriff's FaceBook page:

On Monday, March 27, 2017, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to open the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office new administration building at the Nassau County Public Safety Complex.
The facility is the first ever stand-a-lone Sheriff’s Office Administration Building ever constructed since Sheriff’s Office was founded in 1827. NCSO has always been housed in either a courthouse or jail facility.

This new sheriff’s office had been talked about since at least the 1990’s when the courthouse and jail were being planned and then eventually built in the early 2000’s. Several former sheriffs developed plans and worked on committees, but it seemed the money just wasn’t there after the courthouse was finished.

In 2013, a committee comprised of then County Manager Ted Selby, District 3 County Commissioner Pat Edwards, and Sheriff Bill Leeper worked closely together to get this project finally started and completed. We developed a new set of plans that lowered the costs, worked with the Florida legislature to get $500,000 dollars allocated for the project, even though it was vetoed by Governor Scott. This however, was the impetus to get the county commission to place the building on their capital improvement plan and allocate $10 million dollars of reserve funds for the project in 2014.

This past May we cut the ribbon and moved in to our new state-of-the-art 911 Call Center across the street in the Emergency Operations Building, which allows our communications officers to serve our citizens with the latest technology and equipment available.

Cutting the ribbon on this new Sheriff’s Office Admin facility is another major part of our continuing efforts of professionalizing NCSO and will serve the sheriff’s office and the citizens of Nassau County for many decades to come, providing a safe & secure facility where our employees can deliver the best services possible for our citizens.

As for what is to come, we are very excited to start beginning the design phase of our next major project, which is a public safety (police & fire) training center, which will be built on 40 acres off of CR-108 west of I-95 in Sandhill. This center will allow Nassau County law enforcement officers and fire/rescue personnel to be some of the best trained around our state and our region. Our citizens deserve nothing less.

3/28/17 @ 3:45 p.m. - Nassau County Emergency Management has provided a Press Release containing a timeline of events related to the Bryceville wildfire. This synopsis includes information on when the Florida Fire Service was notified, as well as information on the number of responding agencies, the implementation of a command post at Station 60, and a detail of equipment used to contain the fire. As of yesterday afternoon, the fire was at 95% containment and rescue personnel were still working to mop up hot spots between 50-75' in from the fire's edge and around all the structures in the fire area. That work is expected to continue throughout the week. 

To read the Press Release in its entirety, please visit Emergency Management's website.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

3/24/17 @ 1:55 p.m. - The Florida Department of Health issued a Press Release in recognition of World TB Day which commemorates the discovery of the bacteria that causes tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is one of the world's deadliest diseases and can attack the lungs, kidney, spine and brain.

The Florida Department of Health is making strides to eliminate TB in the State by spreading awareness, implementing improved testing and treatments, and making it easier for clients to successfully complete therapy. Please read the attached Press Release for more information related to symptoms of TB and to explore important resources such as statistics, current trends, and publications.

If you have any questions, please contact Emily Cason with the Nassau County Health Department at (904) 530-6805 or via e-mail at Emily.Cason@flhealth.gov.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

Updated at 4:53 p.m.
3/23/17 @ 4:30 p.m. - Nassau County Emergency Management has indicated that the evacuation order has been lifted, power has been restored, and residents can now return to their homes. Active flare-ups and smoldering areas are not near residential structures. Emergency personnel will continue to work through the day and night until all fires are out.

If you are not a resident of this area, please stay away! Fire is still burning and there is still a large amount of first responders and heavy equipment in the vicinity. Extra people and cars make it difficult for them to navigate the area. We appreciate your understanding.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

3/23/17 @ 3:20 p.m. - We have just been notified that residents of Garfield Road can now return home as fires in this area have been cleared and power has been restored. For additional information, please contact Nassau County Emergency Management at (904) 548-0900.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office