County partners to host  Kids Bike Rodeo

Clay County Parks and Recreation is teaming up with partners from across the area to hold a Kids Bike Rodeo from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 30, at the Clay County Fairgrounds.

Kids can learn essential bike safety skills, go through obstacle courses, have a bike hospital checkup, a bike carwash, and more.

One of the highlights of the event is a free helmet giveaway, available while supplies last. Helmets are required for participation; fittings will be done by appointment. The rodeo welcomes both bicycles and scooters, but motorized vehicles are not allowed.

Families can now register online at LetsPlayClay.com to secure their spot and schedule a helmet fitting.

Middleburg-Clay Hill Library

hosts book sale May 29-31

MIDDLEBURG -- The Friends of the Middleburg-Clay Hill Library will host a book sale from May 29-31 at 2245 Aster Ave. Hundreds of books in all genres are priced from a dime to a dollar.

Friends’ members may shop early on Wednesday, May 28, from 4 to 8 p.m. The cost to become a member is $1.

Book sale times are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, May 29; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, May 30; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 31.

County to break ground

on new animal services building

MIDDLEBURG – County officials will celebrate the groundbreaking of its new Animal Services Building at 9 a.m. Tuesday, May 27, near Paul Armstrong Park at 2511 County Road 220.

The building will replace the outdated and insufficient facility that is close to the South Prong of the Black Creek.

Anyone interested in attending may park at the JTA Park-n-Ride lot and take a courtesy shuttle to the site on the corner of CR 220 and Sleepy Hollow Road.

Thanks to a partnership between the county, Chewy Health and Lincoln Memorial University, this new facility will have more opportunities for generations to come. Details on this forward-thinking collaboration between the public, private and educational sectors will be made at the groundbreaking. County leaders will also announce how animal lovers can be part of the building's legacy for years to come.

The new building will increase capacity and allow for more programs and services to help Clay County’s animals. This new building has been in the works for years and is a milestone not only for county leaders but also the community.

The needs for services and programs have outpaced the county’s current shelter, located off State Road 16 in Green Cove Springs. During major storms, the shelter runs the risk of flooding from nearby Black Creek. However, while Clay County Animal Services has outgrown its space, the shelter continues to meet the state’s criteria of a no-kill shelter.

Keystone Heights company

partners with RV manufacturer

FlexArmor, a Keystone Heights business, has partnered with custom RVs manufacturer New Horizons RV.

Since 2005, FlexArmor has been providing its technology with RV construction to create seamless RV roofs. With technology, its roof solution never needs to be replaced. It includes a lifetime warranty and was developed in Northeast Florida.

For FlexArmor, this collaboration represents a 20% increase in year-over-year business and opens the door for more partnerships in the future.

This is the first partnership of its kind and signals a shift in RV manufacturing. After 20 years in the industry, FlexArmor is now recognized as more than an after-market upgrade but as essential to the integrity of an RV from the beginning of its construction.   

For FlexArmor, this collaboration represents a 20% increase in year-over-year business and opens the door for more manufacturing partnerships in the future.

Foreigner’s Journey tribute concert

takes stage in September

Foreigner’s Journey: A Tribute to Foreigner & Journey is slated for 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 13 at Thrasher-Horne Center in Orange Park.

Hit songs to be performed include “Faithfully,” “I Want to Know What Love Is,” “Separate Ways” and “Feels Like the First Time.”

Tickets, which range in price from $29 to $69, are available at THcenter.org and by calling (904) 276-6815.

Oakleaf JHS band to celebrate 20^th year in March 2026

This upcoming school year (2025-26), Oakleaf Jr High School will be celebrating its 20th anniversary. All former OLJ Jazz Band alumni are invited to return and be a part of this special milestone on March 31 next year.

It is the annual “Oakleaf Jazz Knight” with performances by the current OLJ jazz band and both OHS bands. The concert will conclude with the OLJ alumni jazz band.

Reconnect with old friends, revisit the band room. and join the alumni band performance. For more info, email michael.summers@myoneclay.net.

Stronger Together Golf tourney

tees off June 10

The 2^nd annual Stronger Together Golf Tournament for Isaiah Carrasco is scheduled from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. June 10 at Fleming Island Golf Club. Top of the Tee is the event’s presenting sponsor.

Carrasco survived a 2022 car crash and sustained a traumatic brain injury.

The tournament comprises a 9-hole scramble on TopTracer: The Back 9 of Oakmont, and a Long Drive Competition (three balls for $10 or 10 balls for $20). The event includes a silent auction, raffles, live music and food trucks.