May this New Year bring you love, joy, and success in your life. Wishing you all a very Happy New Year!

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

Did you know that the Nassau County Extension offers free educational plant clinics in which you can learn about proper plant care, disease management, and insect control? You can also bring samples of your diseased or insect infested plants with you and speak with experts that can diagnose your problem and provide you advice on how to correct the issue.

The 2016 schedule has been posted to the County Extension website. January's classes include the following:

Plant Clinics

Date: Monday, January 4, 2016
Time: 10:00 am-2:00 pm
Location: Yulee County Building, 86026 Pages Dairy Road, Yulee, FL 32097

Date: Monday, January 11, 2016
Time: 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Location: Yulee County Building, 86026 Pages Dairy Road, Yulee, FL 32097 


The County Extension also offers free educational classes regarding landscape maintenance. These classes include a variety of topics such as how to prune trees, how to grow roses, and attracting wildlife to your yard. January's classes are as follows:

Landscape Maintenance Classes:

Topic: Citrus, Citrus for the Home, Citrus Pest Control 
Date: Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Time: 10:00 am-11:00 am
Location: Yulee County Building, 86026 Pages Dairy Road, Yulee, FL 32097

Topic: Prunning Fruit Trees
Date: Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Time: 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Location: Yulee County Building, 86026 Pages Dairy Road, Yulee, FL 32097

If you have any questions, please contact the Nassau County Extension Office at (904) 530-6350.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

Photos courtesy of Gale Jameyson and the Fernandina Observer

On Wednesday, December 9, 2015, Nassau County Fire Rescue, the Fernandina Beach Fire Department, and Rayonier Advanced Materials conducted a simulated hazmat drill at Rayonier's mill in Fernandina Beach. The drill was intended to test the capabilities of all local responders that would be called upon in a real life situation. In this scenario, emergency personnel responded to a rail car that was leaking hazardous materials.

First on the scene was the Fernandina Beach Fire Department who according to Nassau County Fire Chief, Matt Graves, "established command, conducted reconnaissance, and rescued one viable victim that was decontaminated and transported to Baptist Medical Center Nassau". After arriving at the hospital, BMCN staff proceeded to treat the victim.
 
Nassau County Fire Rescue's Special Hazards Operations Team (SHOT) personnel responded as part of the hazardous materials response team. Upon arrival, SHOT personnel initiated air monitoring, established technical decontamination, and commanded emergency personnel to secure the rail car.   "All of the responders, from plant personnel to fire rescue assets, performed extremely well", stated Chief Graves. "There are lessons to learn and improvements to be made but the overall response was appropriate and professional".

The SHOT team was established in May 2015 in an effort to have a specialized response team that can effectively protect first responders, citizens, and visitors in the event of a hazardous materials release.  Other trainings SHOT participated in this year include a confined space rescue course and high angle rescue training. Chief Graves added, "We are proud of the members of Nassau County Fire Rescue that have dedicated their time to undertake this enormous responsibility and all the training that is required to make this a tangible and valuable asset to our community".

If you have any questions regarding SHOT, please contact Nassau County Fire Chief, Matt Graves, at (904) 491-7525 or via e-mail at mgraves@nassaucountyfl.com.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

We are pleased to announce that the Nassau County Public Library System has been selected by the Florida Legislature as one of eleven library systems in the state to provide a Career Online High School program to its residents. Citizens over the age of 19 that have successfully completed the 9th grade can apply for one of 20 scholarships to obtain a high school diploma and a career certificate in one of eight high- demand fields including: Childcare & Education; Certified Protection Officer (Security Officer); Office Management; Certified Transportation Services (Trucker/Commercial Driver); Homeland Security; General Career Preparation; Retail Customer Service Skills; Food Service and Customer Service Skills.

All course-work is completed online, providing you the flexibility of 24/7 access to classwork. And since the classes are taught online, you won't have to purchase any expensive textbooks! Classes are taught by certified instructors and at the end of the course, you will be provided the skills needed to assemble a career portfolio including a resume, cover letter, and job preparation support. Students will be given up to 18 months to complete the program, however some high school credits can be transferred over to accelerate your progress.

If you are interested in this exciting program, please click here to be redirected to the Library's website where you can review detailed information and make contact with a member of the enrollment team. If you have any questions, please contact Library Director, Dawn Bostwick, at (904) 277-7365 or via e-mail at dbostwick@nassaucountyfl.com.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) will be hosting an Open House on Thursday, January 7, 2016 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. to allow residents an opportunity to review information related to the SR200/A1A Widening Project and to discuss the project with the construction team.

The first phase of the project from Still Quarters Road to Rubin Lane is currently under construction. The second phase consisting of widening from Rubin Davis Lane to O'Neill Scott Road is set to begin in January 2016.

The meeting will be held at Florida State College of Jacksonville's (FSCJ) Nassau Campus in the Nassau Room located at 76346 William Burgess Blvd, Yulee, FL 32097.

Please contact FDOT's Public Information Office at (904) 360-5582 or Toll Free at (800) 207-8236 with questions or comments.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

The Friends of the Fernandina Beach Library will be hosting a Holiday Extravaganza at the Fernandina Branch Library on Saturday, December 5th from 6:00-8:00 p.m.

The celebration will include reading of holidays stories, crafts, and appearances from special guests including The Grinch. At 6:10 p.m., the lighting of the library will take place.

For more information, please contact the Friends of the Fernandina Beach Library at (904) 321-6529.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

The County received the attached memorandum from Governor Rick Scott ordering all flags to be flown at half-staff in remembrance of the victims of the San Bernardino, California shooting that took place on Wednesday, December 2, 2015.

All flags in the State of Florida and the United States shall be flown at half-staff through sunset on Monday, December 7, 2015. The lowering of the flags for the San Bernardino victims will coincide with the lowering of flags on Monday in honor of Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

The Florida Department of Transportation has provided the attached monthly status report for the State Road 200/A1A Widening Project. The report gives an overview of activities that have taken place since the project began in September 2014, as well as activities that are expected to be performed in December.

If you have any questions, please contact Debbie Delgado, Public Information Officer for Adkins Global, at (904) 524-3869 or via e-mail at Debbie.Delgado@atkinsglobal.com.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office