Five years ago, 2019

• “My whole life was changed by a tick,” Kevin Gregorius said after a Lone Star tick bit him when he was walking through the woods in Fleming Island. He said he was violently ill and later diagnosed with alpha-gal syndrome. This condition made him allergic to red meat, such as beef and pork. 

• Assistant Superintendent of Operations Michael Kemp urged the Clay County School Board to approve a new half-cent sales tax to fund capital improvement projects, which the school board later voted in favor of on June 27, 2019. 

10 years ago, 2014

• A grassroots campaign gave up its mission, collecting petitions to change the position of superintendent for Clay County District Schools from elected to appointed by the school board. Today, candidates for superintendent are still voted into office. 

•  The Florida Department of Transportation began constructing a sidewalk along U.S. 17 from Margaret’s Walk Road to Hibernia Road on Fleming Island. The $243,203 mile-long project on the east side of U.S. 17 included extending drainage structures to accommodate the new sidewalk.

20 years ago, 2004

• Johnny Pons announced his withdrawal from the race for Clay County Sheriff and threw his support behind fellow candidate Rick Beseler. Pons’ withdrawal left Beseler and Steven Richardson to do battle with incumbent Sheriff Scott Lancaster.

• Officials at Orange Park Medical Center launched an expansion project expected to take five years to complete. The project included adding 36 private rooms to its third and fourth floors.

• Owners of CPD Fitness on Wells Road in Orange Park spent $300,000 to upgrade and renovate the 40,000-square-foot fitness center, formerly The Q.

30 years ago, 1994

• Clay County Sheriff Scott Lancaster expressed growing concern regarding tapped-out capacity in the county jail. State Department of Corrections officials told Lancaster they feared overcrowding would lead to inmate violence.

• The U.S. Air Force announced it would build a Titan IV solid rocket motor warehouse at Camp Blanding. The Titan IV was used to launch satellites into space.

40 years ago, 1984

• L.H. “Lanny” Lancaster announced he would not seek re-election as Clay County Supervisor of Elections after serving 10 years. Before that, Lancaster had served on the Clay County Board of Commissioners for 14 years.

• Clay County School Deputy Superintendent for Finances, Sandra McCracken, said the district will use a $1.7 million federal disbursement to help build a new middle school in the Ridgeview area.

50 years ago, 1974

• The Clay County Board of Commissioners voted 5-0 to borrow $500,000 from the Florida Department of Transportation to purchase rights-of-way along Blanding Boulevard to four-lane the roadway from Robyn Road to the Duval County line.

• The Town of Orange Park completed construction on a new $340,000 sewage treatment plant on Ash Street. The new facility was set to treat one million gallons of raw sewage a day.