Nov. 5 – Roving reporter

This news bulletin is brought to you in conjunction with NATKIM Radio. Listen to WPLK (800 AM), WIYD (1260 AM) and WPLK FM (98.3 FM).

Visioning workshops for Putnam County’s future get underway tonight. First of the workshops being overseen by University of Central Florida is at the Crescent City Women’s Cub at 604 N. Summit Street from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Putnam County will hold the workshops in three areas of the county over the next month. County commissioners won’t be there but residents are being asked to come with ideas.

Golf carts in the news including another accident in St. Johns County. This one in Nocatee area Sunday caused a 16-year-old girl to be airlifted to a hospital after a head-on crash with a SUV in the driveway of a business on Capital Green Drive. The driver of the golf cart, who turned 17 Monday, was cited for careless driving after apparently swerving into the SUV. The girl is expected to be OK. It’s the third accident involving golf carts and teens in St. Johns County this year. The Sheriff’s Office has held seminars and pushed a safety campaign on rules of the road concerning golf carts.

On Monday St. Johns County deputies ended up in a slow-speed chase with a golf cart at Palencia after a 42-year-old man stole a cart. Andrew Burnett of Sanford faces a variety of charges after a deputy saw him drive the cart through the intersection of U.S. 1 and Palencia Village Drive. Sanford kept going, weaving down U.S. 1 followed by the deputy. Sanford veered into oncoming traffic and ended in a ditch. He took off on foot and was eventually arrested at a nearby apartment complex. Deputies later found he allegedly attacked and robbed the cart’s owner. He’s in jail on an $8,000 bond.

Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a crash Monday that left one person dead in St. Johns County. The crash happened just before 7:15 p.m. on Country Road 13 near Palmo Fish Camp Road.

St. Johns County commissioners can expect to hear from people going to Mickler’s Landing. Seems they can’t access the park and parking lot, which gives the public access to the beach in Ponte Vedra. Construction equipment for private beach nourishment projects for 13 landowners is being parked there during the week with the county’s permission. A county spokesman has said the renourishment will benefit everyone. The park will open on the weekends from Friday evening to Sunday. Work could take anywhere from 60 days to February.

In Flagler County commissioners have rejected an appeal by Hammock area residents who didn’t want to see the redevelopment of a former boat yard in the residential area. Commissioners rejected the appeal, which means the owners of the four-acre parcel can go forward with plans to tear down the facility and build a boat storage facility to house 240 boats and build a restaurant.

Putnam County Library System offers an opportunity to help others beginning today through an adult reading program. Tutors to help others learn to read are needed. The orientation and training session is today from 1 to 4 p.m. and a second one is from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Three online sessions are set for Nov. 7, 12 and 14.

Work continues along State Road 20 in Interlachen with Park Avenue and Francis Street now unavailable at least through early December. Caution is advised if you’re driving through the area, which is seeing some major changes as part of the $23 million DOT widening project on State Road 20 from Alachua to Putnam counties.

Palatka Gas Authority offices will be closed Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. to perform IT upgrades to its system. No water shutoff will be done tomorrow. Normal business hours resume Thursday. For more info, call Ann Atkins at 386-328-1591.

This is Marcia Lane, your roving reporter.