On Monday, August 10, in a 3-2 decision, the City Commission voted to relocate the Confederate memorial, which is currently located in the Plaza de la Constitución, to Trout Creek Fish Camp, located at 6550 SR-13, St. Augustine, Florida.
Early voting in St Johns County is off to a particularly good start, according to Vicky Oakes, St Johns County’s Supervisor of Elections. She told Historic City News editor Michael Gold in a telephone interview this morning that she is pleased with how smoothly her additional part-time staff is working out.
At their June 22, 2020 meeting, Historic City News reported that the St. Augustine City Commission approved the relocation of the Confederate memorial to a new location such as a cemetery or private property. This decision also included authorization to temporarily store the memorial in a stable environment if a permanent location could not be determined in a timely manner.
The first 13,797 ballots in the August 18, 2020 Primary Election have already been cast, according to Vicky Oakes, Supervisor of Elections for St Johns County. Of the 200,885 qualified voters, these ballots represent those who requested and returned a mail-in ballot. Mail in voting will continue through 7:00 p.m. on Election Day.
Historic City News followed this morning’s hearing in Courtroom 316 of the St Johns County Courthouse, when Circuit Judge R. Lee Smith heard the case of Jill M. Pacetti, individually and as a representative of the group of lineal descendants of the 46-fallen soldiers listed on the Confederate Obelisk; the Veteran’s Council of St. Johns County, Inc, a Florida Corporation and the Military Officers Association of America, Ancient City Chapter, a Florida Corporation, against the City of St Augustine.
The St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners reported to Historic City News that they will hold a special meeting beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 28, 2020, in the Auditorium located in the County Administration Building.
St Johns County School Board member Beverly Slough reported to Historic City News this week that an accurate Census count in 2020 is critical to establishing the availability of federal funds for our students. Our county’s youth benefit through funding for public education, school programs, and school district planning.
