April 27, 2021 The Roving Reporter

This is Marcia Lane, your roving reporter.

A crash with injuries tied up early morning traffic in East Palatka at State Road 207 7 and East Louis Broer Road today. The accident happened at 5:30 a.m. and left southbound lanes blocked for a couple of hours delaying motorists headed to work. Florida Highway Patrol is investigating.

Florida Department of Health in Putnam County reported two new coronavirus related deaths Monday, bringing the death total since counting began in March a year ago to 143 deaths. Ten new coronavirus cases were reported for a total of 6,384 in Putnam. Flagler County reported seven new cases, for a total of 7,148. St. Johns County reported 103 cases, bringing their total to 22,237.

Crescent City Commission is holding yet another special city commission meeting on Tuesday at 6 p.m. This one deals with one item only, an ordinance to rezone about 14.6 acres of property at the southern end of the Putnam County town from multi-family residential to a RV park Planned Unit Development. 

Statewide health officials are reporting a decline in the rate of people getting vaccinated for coronavirus. That comes even as more vaccines are available. Currently in Florida about 27.5 percent of the population is vaccinated, slightly below the national average.

Putnam County is holding open testing for coronavirus on Mondays only at 1101 Husson Ave. across from Moseley Elementary School in Palatka. Moderna vaccines are being given free at the location Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. No appointments are needed and reportedly they will call about the second shot. New COVID-19 info phone number in Putnam is 386-325-3247. 

Flagler County is stepping up efforts to get the vaccine to the public including four planned vaccinations at restaurants in Flagler Beach this week and next. By mid-May the Florida Department of Health there will make walk-in vaccinations available at the Tax Collector’s office off State Road 100 on Sundays and possibly other after hour times. Vaccinations for restaurant employees, walk-ins and patrons will be at Finn’s Beachside Pub this Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and at Tortuga’s Florida Kitchen & Bar on Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon.

In St. Johns County appointments for vaccines are required at most locations. Shots are being given at Solomon Calhoun Community Center, CVS Pharmacy at 2703 Ponce de Leon Boulevard, multiple Publix stores, Winn-Dixie stores at North Ponce Boulevard and in Ponte Vedra and at the Wal-Mart in St. Johns. Veterans can go to VFW Post 2391.

Two men in Flagler County found their fishing trip turning into an ordeal Friday after the motor on their jon boat conked out and they spent seven hours stranded. Eugene Nipper, 87, and James Alan Deihl, 68, were able to make contact with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office but per regulations since they were not in distress they were told to call for a tow. The men weren’t from the area and didn’t know their location. Problems locating them led to the two still being stranded at 8:30 p.m. Eventually Volusia County’s emergency helicopter went up and Flagler Fire-Rescue using a jet ski located the men who were towed into Bing’s Landing around 11 p.m.

The Children’s Reading Center Monday got the go-ahead to start up a sixth grade after a unanimous vote by Putnam County School Board during a special meeting. Earlier the district had denied the request since the charter school missed the March 1 deadline. Initially the sixth grade class will only have 32 spots available.

Get ready to go to Broadway without leaving Putnam County this weekend and next as Palatka High School’s Theatre Department presents Matilda the Musical. The show opens Thursday and runs through Sunday at C.L. Overturf Jr. Sixth Grade Center Auditorium in Palatka. Tickets are $15 in advance and 20 at the door and are available at Ralph’s House of Flowers 386-325-4734.