HISTORIC CITY NEWS
Historic City News has been published daily since March 2000. Reporting local news for St Augustine and St Johns County Florida, Historic City News is the county's only free press. Our mission is to hold public figures accountable to the public.
On Sunday, May 7th at 3:00 p.m., there will be a protest to raise awareness of barricades erected by the City of St Augustine that deny May Street traffic the ability to turn right into Nelmar Terrace on Magnolia Street and Douglas Avenue from SR-A1A.
Today, the Florida House of Representatives passed Joint Resolution 7105 which amends the State Constitution to increase the homestead exemption by $25,000. This measure, if approved by the voters in 2018, will increase the overall exemption to $75,000 for hard-working Florida homeowners.
Shortly after 1:00 a.m. this morning, Historic City News learned that deputies arrested 20-year-old Richard James Westerman at his residence located at 3276 Debra Court in the Summerhill neighborhood of St Johns County. Westerman was charged with the crime of video voyeurism.
Kathy Schirmacher, Secretary Treasurer of Citizens for the Preservation of St. Augustine, invites Historic City News readers to test how well they know the history of St. Augustine and join local historian David Nolan on a “Know Your City” tour of the Nation’s Oldest City.
In an April 26th Historic City News article titled, “House members grease way for public meetings to become secret,” we reported that the House Government Accountability Committee had unanimously approved a Bill that would allow private one-on-one meetings of local elected officials, even when they serve on the same decision-making boards.
During Saturday’s spring commencement ceremony, about 359 Flagler College students received their undergraduate diplomas at the St. Augustine Amphitheater stage; but it was the last time they will be presented by Dr. William T. Abare, Jr., before he retires as president.
The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office informed local media that they are investigating a robbery reported Saturday night at the Holiday Inn Express on SR-16 at I-95.
The 58-year-old city manager of Cross City, Gary David Pinner, was suspended by the City Council for a period of 30 days on March 27, 2017. Craig Riley of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, requested and obtained a warrant for Pinner’s arrest on official misconduct charges. Pinner was arrested today and transported to the Dixie County Jail. The case will be prosecuted by the Office of the State Attorney, Third Judicial Circuit.