St. Johns County Schools Welcome Fewer Restrictions With Amendment 8

Friday, October 8th, 2010, 4:25pm

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- When there are more than 18 students in a classroom at Ketterlinus Elementary in St. Augustine, two teachers will team up in the room.

State guidelines allow 18 students per teacher in elementary schools, 22 in middle schools.

St. Johns Superintendent Joseph Joyner says the constant balancing act from those hard class size caps has been a burden on school districts.

"All of the decisions and I would call those unintended consequences, have not been necessarily good for kids. So our first objection is on an instructional, student level," said Joyner.

He says he would welcome new flexibility offered by Amendment 8, which is on the ballot November 2nd.

"I think smaller classes are good but I don't think teachers like children moved out of their classroom after they've formed relationships," said Joyner.

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Animal Emergency Hospital of St. Johns Open House Oct. 9

Submitted by Rachel Leitao, First Coast News Staff

Friday, October 8th, 2010, 2:52pm

Animal Emergency Hospital of St. Johns is having an open house on Oct 9th, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Pony rides, silent auctions, give a ways, food, pet information, vaccines etc etc.

All proceeds go to the St. Augustine Hhumane Society. 2505 Old Moultrie Rd. St. Aug.

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Little Gator Bowl Pop Warner Youth Championships Oct 31

Submitted by Rachel Leitao, First Coast News Staff

Thursday, October 7th, 2010, 2:19pm

October 31, 2010, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. at EverBank Field. Admission is free.

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Jinglebells ProAm December 7th, 2010

Submitted by Rachel Leitao, First Coast News Staff

Thursday, October 7th, 2010, 1:07pm

The Monique Burr Foundation for Children is hosting its annual Jinglebells ProAm golf tournament
on Tuesday, December 7th, at The Golf Club at South Hampton in St. Augustine.

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St. Johns County Sheriff's Employees Get Extra $1,000

Submitted by FirstCoastNews Web Staff

Wednesday, October 6th, 2010, 5:49pm

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. -- The men and women of the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office received something that many people haven't seen in years, a $1,000 bonus.

It was Sheriff David Shoar's decision.

Sgt. Chuck Mulligan, a spokesman for the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office said there was some extra money in the personnel fund because staff had found ways to scrimp and save over the year.

"At the end of the fiscal cycle, [the financial staff] had been so lean with our budget, there was some money left over at the end of the budget cycle," Mulligan said.

St. Johns County Sheriff's employees have not received pay raises in two years and probably won't for another two years. Also, empty positions from retirements and departures have not been filled.

From office personnel to deputies on the street, everybody who works for the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office received that extra $1,000.

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Closings Expected Wed. in Trial of Woman Accused of Running Mom off Buckman

Submitted by FirstCoastNews Web Staff

Tuesday, October 5th, 2010, 7:08pm

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Both sides will present their closing arguments Wednesday in the trial of Sasha Pringle, accused of causing an accident that sent a woman's car careening off the Buckman Bridge.

The jury has been dismisssed for the day, after a full day of testimony, seeing autopsy photos of the victim, and studying both of the vehicles involved in the crash.

Pringle is on trial for the DUI manslaughter of Luma Kajy, 41, and for leaving the scene of the February crash. Pringle's blood test revealed marijuana and prescription medication in her system.

Both Kajy's and Pringle's vehicles were brought in on flatbed tow trucks for the jury to see. The vehicles were parked in the back of the court house, where the jury spent about ten minutes walking around the vehicles. Pringle appeared shocked, and could be seen wiping her eyes and nose.

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Evidence Room Too Small For Collection in St. Johns County

Submitted by FirstCoastNews Web Staff

Tuesday, October 5th, 2010, 6:08pm

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. -- Behind locked doors at the St Johns County Sheriff's Office is the evidence room.

"What's in the room ... is the critical stuff from homicide cases, drug cases," Sgt. Chuck Mulligan with the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office explained.

It is full of items related to crime scenes and investigations in St. Johns County - so full, in fact, that some of the items had to be moved to other locations.

"Some of the evidence pieces, especially from capital crimes, we can never dispose of," Mulligan explained.

The solution? The county is stripping an existing sheriff's office building and turning it into a new and much bigger evidence room. However, the building is no ordinary structure.

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