Five years ago, 2021 

• Baptist Medical Center Clay purchases the VyStar Credit Union’s North Florida call and operations center at 2310 Village Square Pkwy. with plans to convert it into Baptist HealthPlace at Fleming Island adjacent to its new 100-bed hospital. 

• The Clay County District Schools learns its graduation rate hits a record rate of 93.4% for the 2019-20 school year. 

• Clay High sophomore Noah Manning collects 50,000 empty aluminum cans to raise money to buy vests for service dogs. 

10 years ago, 2016 

• The Clay County Board of County Commissioners approves a series of leases for $1 a year to allow athletic organizations to play soccer, baseball, softball and other activities at parks around the county for the next 10 years. 

• Students at W.E. Cherry Elementary are taught coding so they can learn how to use a computer to complete commands. 

• Spring Park Coffee owner Steven Kelley is sworn into office as a member of the Green Cove Springs City Council. 

20 years ago, 2006 

• With as many as 17,000 new homes scheduled for construction in the next 10 years, the school board says it is concerned about the low rate of impact fees and how it will affect its funds. 

• Eleven students from the University of Illinois spend their winter break working with Challenge Enterprises’ Lighthouse Learning Center. 

• BCC Chairman Pat McGovern tells fellow commissioners he will not seek reelection. 

30 years ago, 1996 

• The Jacksonville-based Metropolitan Planning Organization places construction of Branan Field/Chaffee Road on its three-year list of priority road projects. 

• AMC announces it is going to expand its Orange Park Mall theater to a 24-screen movie complex. 

• Former Clay County Risk Manager Rafael Diaz sues the county government and the sheriff’s office for the costs associated with an audit and investigations surrounding allegations he stole $100,000 from the county the previous February. 

40 Years Ago, 1986 

• In a 3-2 vote, the Orange Park Town Council agrees to hire Larry Myers of Orange Park as its new town manager replacing Joyce Bryan, who had been demoted. Myers’ starting annual salary was $36,000, plus a $225-a-month car allowance. 

• The Green Cove Springs City Council decides against establishing a city holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. following the lead of the county and state, which also chose not to observe the holiday, which was signed into federal law in 1983 by President Ronald Reagan. The Clay County School Board added Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and George Washington’s birthday holidays to the 1986-87 school calendar.