Historic City News reporters were alerted by St. Augustine Police Public Information Officer Mark Samson yesterday that the commotion on South Ponce de Leon Boulevard at the height of rush hour traffic was not a training exercise.

In recognition of the ten-year anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office is reminding Historic City News readers to remain vigilant for any activity of a suspicious nature.

“We hope we never find ourselves in the situation where we need them,” St. Johns County Sheriff David Shoar told Historic City News this morning; referring to members of his Crisis Negotiation Team as they were being presented the 2011 Team of the Year Award.

Just after 3:00 p.m. this afternoon, Historic City News was informed that the noose had closed around 38 year-old Brenda Elaine Manucy; a fugitive from the tri-county drug sweep code named “Operation Shopping Spree” which resulted in warrants for 19 arrests last month.

Public Information Officer Debra Johnson reported to Historic City News that yesterday, Flagler County deputies arrested two men who were selling meat from a freezer in the back of their pickup truck.

Yesterday evening, St. Johns County deputies reported to Historic City News that following their interview of a 36 year-old St. Augustine man, he was placed under arrest and charged with sexual assault upon a child over the age of 12; a second degree felony.

Historic City News has learned through an interim report released yesterday by the Senate Criminal Justice Committee that, in a measure to reduce costs of operation, the Department of Juvenile Justice may begin releasing youthful offenders a week early, on average.

Sheriff’s spokesman Kevin Kelshaw informed Historic City News that sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning, burglars made their way through an air conditioning vent on the roof of a SR-312 restaurant and gained access to bags of cash before the left — the same way they got in.