Historic City News was notified that firefighters were responding to a residential structure fire at 2:46 a.m. this morning in the Ravenswood Subdivision at 4 McWillams Street.

St. Augustine Fire Chief Carlos Aviles informed local Historic City News reporters that his department was awarded a $31,595.39 grant to cover 100% of the purchase price of a new special use all-terrain vehicle.

Bryan L. Shorstein, Public Information Officer for State Attorney R.J. Larizza, informed local Historic City News reporters that at the conclusion of a hearing this morning, 47-year-old Michael McCabe of Port Orange was sentenced to 25 years in prison — followed by 25 years of sex offender probation.

Public Information Officer Cecilia M. Aiple reported to Historic City News today that officers were called to Target, located at 1440 S. Ponce de Leon Boulevard in St Augustine, just after 9:30 p.m. on Thursday January 4, after store security officers observed a customer commit retail theft of a Gerber Multi-Plier 400.

United States District Judge Brian Davis today sentenced 30-year-old Justin Gregory Pennington who resides on Magnolia Shoals Way in Ponte Vedra Beach, together with 54-year-old Marcelene M. Keesbury and 50-year-old Charles M. French, both of Ft. Wayne, Indiana, for their roles in a multi-million-dollar conspiracy from 2016.

What do you do when you live in a town whose tourism-driven economy is threatened because visitors no longer feel safe doing the very things they traveled there to enjoy — dining from scores of local restaurants, cafes and bistros, walking through charming city streets exploring the romantic sights and sounds, or discovering centuries-old artifacts of our nation’s history?

During the morning hours on December 28, 2017 the St. Augustine Beach Police Department reported to Historic City News that complaints had been received from two local businesses whose front windows had been smashed in what appeared to be attempted burglaries.

Police were called to the Best Western hotel located at 2010 North Ponce de Leon Boulevard in St Augustine on New Year’s Day, January 1, 2018 at about 2:57 p.m., after a homeless woman refused to leave the hotel lobby and became increasingly uncooperative.