Communications Specialist Danielle Berke, announced to local Historic City News reporters that all departments of the St Johns County Board of County Commissioners, St Johns County Administrative offices, branches of the Public Library, and the Pet Center will be closed Thursday, July 4, and Friday, July 5, in observance of Independence Day.

The US Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, has ruled that a landmark law of the Great Society era, the Voting Rights Act, does not reflect today’s racial progress; giving states like Florida a chance to show that it can run fair elections for the first time in decades.

The St Johns County Board of Commissioners has canceled their next regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday, July 2, 2013, due to its proximity to the Independence Day holiday and the absence of county staff due to summer vacation schedules.

As residents entered the Alcazar Room this afternoon, in preparation for the 5:00 p.m. regular meeting of the St Augustine City Commission, they were required to pass through a manned security checkpoint; emptying their pockets of metal objects and surrendering their bags for inspection before being frisked with an electronic wand.

With less than six-months until the announced commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act in 2014, Sue Agresta, representing a group called “Friends of Lincolnville”, will appear before the St Augustine City Commission Monday evening to ask for adoption of her group’s plans.

Historic City News reporters regularly review the “consent agenda” items prior to public meetings of St Augustine City Commission; often there are payments to private entities, agreements, and actions that have a financial impact on local residents that are approved for the City Manager without public discussion before the Commission.

A 4:00 p.m. closed-door meeting of the St Augustine City Commission has been called by City Attorney Ronald W. Brown in order to obtain advice regarding the pending litigation captioned Wendler v. City of St Augustine.