Local News

Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge invites the public to an open house on Seahorse Key on Saturday, July 28, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m..  Enhance your summer by getting the family outdoors into the spectacular Cedar Keys. Bring your camera, fish a little, walk along the beach and enjoy the exhibits.

New editions of manatee and sea turtle decals are available at local tax collectors’ offices across the state. The popular decals, produced annually by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), provide an important source of funds for the state’s efforts to conserve Florida’s manatees and sea turtles.

Anyone donating $5 will receive a decal. Donations support manatee and sea turtle research, rehabilitation and educational programs, as well as FWC conservation efforts.

In an effort to expedite the recovery process for businesses damaged by Tropical Storm Debby, Gov. Rick Scott activated Florida’s Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program. The program will provide emergency, short-term, interest-free loans to small businesses in 36 eligible counties to assist in reestablishing business during the interim period before other aid and insurance claims are processed.

Apparently five people charged with making “shake and bake” meth in a unit of a second floor duplex in Sumner were so overcome by the fumes of the chemical process they did not hear officers were knocking on their front door. 

But when the officers could not get the attention of the people inside the unit, the next door neighbor helped out deputies and officers by kicking down the adjoining door between the units, according to Levy County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Lt. Scott Tummond.