Clay musician Brandon Leino to perform at September Porch Fest

GREEN COVE SPRINGS — Local musician Brandon Leino will perform at the Green Cove Springs Preservation Society’s September Porch Fest on Friday, Sept. 11, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the historic Rivers House, 219 Spring St.

A lifelong Clay County resident and Clay High graduate, Leino has deep local roots spanning three generations. He owns Inline Lawn and Fence, and he has performed music throughout the area since taking up the guitar 15 years ago. Away from music and work, Leino enjoys the North Florida outdoors, including hunting, fishing, shrimping and horseback riding.

The Preservation Society created Porch Fest to recapture the simple pleasure of gathering with neighbors, listening to live music and enjoying the small-town character. Guests are encouraged to dine and shop locally before bringing their lawn chairs to the Rivers House.

The series began this summer with performances by Remedy and The Taildraggers Ultralight. The concerts have brought residents together while helping establish the Rivers House as the community’s emerging “Front Porch of Green Cove Springs.”

Porch Fest is also a fundraiser for the restoration of the historic Rivers House. The $40 charge reserves a lawn space for the concert, helps cover the cost of presenting the event and contributes to the work needed to preserve and restore the property. Each reservation is more than a concert ticket. It is an investment in returning an important historic home to community use.

The Society plans to transform the Rivers House into the Rivers House Heritage and Adventure Center, a welcoming gathering place beside Spring Park where local history, education, culture, the natural environment and community life can come together. The collaborative effort fosters community pride and celebrates the unique character of Green Cove Springs to preserve its cherished traditions and inspire residents to become active stewards of the city’s heritage.

For tickets, visit zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/september-porch-fest.

Jaguars offering ‘Fan First Favorites’ concessions for $4.99

JACKSONVILLE – To kick off the 2026 season, the Jaguars are introducing a new value pricing menu at EverBank Stadium featuring the venue’s most popular concession items. The Fan First Favorites menu will include several food and beverage options for $4.99 in the general bowl and Gallagher Clubs East and West. Complimentary packaged snacks will also be available to Club ticket holders.

The items on the Fan First Favorites menu include hot dogs, popcorn, pretzels, nachos, candy, 16.9 oz. water and 12 oz. select domestic beer, located at the four ‘Stadium Classics’ concession stands on the Main Concourse level and the “Stadium Classics’ locations in upper East and West Clubs. The complimentary snack items available at the Club ‘Stadium Classics’ locations will vary from game to game.

“The Fan First Favorites menu offers an array of fan-favorite concession items at a great price,” said Jaguars President Mark Lamping. “From the beginning of the Stadium of the Future planning process, the Jaguars set out to create a better fan experience, including the variety and price of food and beverages. We're proud to begin delivering on that commitment this season.”

The Jaguars will continue to permit outside food to be brought to the stadium provided it is unwrapped and placed inside a one-gallon clear plastic bag, and two 16.9 oz. factory-sealed water bottles.

SJRWMD giving away Blue School Grants

CLAY COUNTY – Students across the St. Johns River Water Management District will have new opportunities to explore Florida’s waterways, conduct scientific research and connect with the environment through the District’s Blue School Grant program.

The District is offering up to $60,000 in funding for the 2026-2027 school year to support hands-on learning in K-12 public and charter schools throughout the District. The program helps teachers bring water-focused science lessons beyond the textbook through projects such as water quality testing, aquaponics, conservation gardens, and watershed studies.

Individual awards of up to $3,000 a teacher or school are available to fund water-focused STEAM curriculum or projects. These hands-on learning experiences help students connect classroom learning to real-world environmental concepts while building science skills and increasing their understanding of how their actions impact Florida’s water resources.

“Teachers have incredible ideas for bringing science to life, and Blue School Grants help turn those ideas into meaningful learning experiences,” said Ali Pressel, education and outreach coordinator for the District. “The best science lessons happen when students can ask questions, explore, and make discoveries for themselves. This funding helps make those experiences possible.”

Applications for the 2026-2027 Blue School Grant cycle opened Aug. 1 and close at 11:59 p.m. Sept. 15. Teachers and schools interested in bringing hands-on water science to their students are encouraged to apply. For application requirements, instructions and key dates, visit www.sjrwmd.com/education/blue-school.

Haven hosting bereavement camp for children, families

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – The Haven will host a camp for children and families who’ve experienced loss at Camp Chowenwaw on Sept. 12 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Camp Safe Haven at 1517 Ball Road is a free bereavement camp for children and youth ages 5-to-18 and their families after the death of a loved one. Campers build coping skills, share feelings and take part in fun therapeutic activities led by Haven professionals and volunteers.

This camp will feature nature walks, grief art projects, a drumming circle provided by The Giving Tree Music, music and movement by singer-songwriter Shana Banana, adult support group, lunch, special horse visitors, and a memorial ceremony. All children and teens must be accompanied by a caregiver.

“Camp Safe Haven provides bereaved children and their adults a safe environment in which to express their grief emotions, process difficult moments with grief counselors, and learn new tools for moving forward in their grief journey,” said Haven bereavement coordinator Nooriel Nolan. “For kid campers to see there are other kids going through grief, who know how hard that is, that’s invaluable. It normalizes grief. They feel understood and often make new friends. Families exchange numbers and promise to stay in touch – it’s beautiful to witness them building lasting supports.”

Space is limited. To register or learn more about Camp Safe Haven, please call 844.LIGHTEN (844-544.4836) or visit havenhospice.com/camp.

UF/IFAS Extension Clay County offering free online gardening classes

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – The UF/IFAS Extension Clay County Master Gardener Training program will offer a series of online classes this summer, including Florida’s forgotten plants at 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 28, pruning for health, beauty and bloom at 11:30 a.m. on Oct. 26, rethinking turf in Florida landscapes at 11:30 a.m. on Nov. 23 and designing with Florida natives at 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 14.

The free online training is open only to Clay County residents and is taught by Master Gardener volunteers. If you have any questions, please email whhobbs@ufl.edu or call (904) 284-6355.

To watch replays of the events, visit UF/IFAS Extension Clay County.com.

Appeals accepted by County for new flood zone designations

CLAY COUNTY – The 90-day appeal period for the FEMA flood zone changes are underway and tuns until Wednesday, Nov. 18.

FEMA is updating Clay County’s Flood Insurance Rate Maps, which determines flood risk and may affect whether some residents are required to carry flood insurance. The appeal period allows residents to request changes or inform FEMA of issues.

Some residents could be required to carry flood insurance as a result, and for others, this could no longer be a requirement. To see which flood zone your property is listed, visit public.claycountygov.com/floodzone/.

To appeal, property owners must have technical data to support proposed appeals. This includes scientific or study data. FEMA will also consider comments and inquiries regarding data such as incorrect street names, typographical errors, and omissions. You may submit appeals by emailing floodteam@claycountygov.com. Appeals without data will be denied.

The updated maps use improved science and data, offering more accurate information than the 2014 maps. While most properties will see no change, some will be added to or removed from Special Flood Hazard Areas.

Clay County urges residents and business owners to review the maps and learn how changes may affect their insurance, property protection activities, and emergency planning.

Here are Flood Zone categories:

• High-risk areas (Special Flood Hazard Areas, or SFHAs) are designated as Zones A, AE and AE Floodway, and are required to have flood insurance if a federally backed mortgage is involved.

• Flood Zone X -The area of minimal flood hazard and is generally not required to have flood insurance. No flood permits are required for development.

• Shaded Flood Zone X Shaded – (500-year floodplain) An area of moderate flood hazards which has a 0.2% chance of annual flooding and is generally not required to have flood insurance. No flood permits are required for development.

• Flood Zones A & AE – (100-year floodplain) These areas have a 1% annual chance of flooding. Flood Zone A does not have a measured Base Flood Elevation. Flood Zone AE does. Flood insurance is required for mortgaged structures in these zones, as are flood permits for development and elevation certificates for new structures or substantial improvements.

• Floodway – This area is defined as the channel of a river, creek or other watercourse and the adjacent land areas that must be preserved to safely discharge the base flood without causing increases in water elevation. Flood insurance is required for mortgaged structures in this zone, as are No-Rise Studies for any new development, flood permits and elevation certificates for new structures or substantial improvements.