Three Middleburg baseball players sign with colleges

Submitted by Chad Cushnir, First Coast News sports photojournalist

Tuesday, January 15th, 2013, 6:47pm

MIDDLEBURG, Fla. -- Three baseball players from Middleburg High School were recognized on Tuesday afternoon as they signed letters of intent to accept college scholarships.

Broncos third baseman Bobby Bassler will be playing baseball at Cowley College in Kansas. This school produced current Cleveland Indians star Travis Hafner.

Center fielder Dylan Stokes and pitcher Chuck Vander Venter both signed with Daytona State College.

Last season Middleburg's baseball team won a district championship despite having a losing record during the regular season. Bassler, Stokes, and Vander Venter will play key roles for the Broncos this season as they look to repeat as district champs.

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Foreclosure relief possible with new bank settlement

Submitted by Roger Weeder, Reporter

Monday, January 7th, 2013, 8:49pm

MIDDLEBURG, Fla. -- Susann Kiefer is hoping this year her family gets a loan modification on their three bedroom home that has been in foreclosure limbo for nearly four years.

On Monday, ten major banks and mortgage companies agreed to an $8.5 billion dollar settlement with federal regulators on the way they handled foreclosures on countless families.

Some homeowners who should have been allowed to stay in their homes could receive a few hundred dollars with $125,000 being the high end depending on the mortgage error.

Kiefer says her battle to get a loan modification with Bank of America is going nowhere.

"We are raising two boys in this home. I would just like to know an answer one way or another. Help us or do something," said Keifer, who documents every conversation and piece of paperwork dealing with her ordeal.

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Police: Woman facing theft charges after stealing jewelry from Target

Submitted by FirstCoastNews Web Staff

Thursday, January 3rd, 2013, 5:33pm

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. -- A Middleburg woman whom police say is responsible for stealing silver jewelry from several Target stores in Clay Duval Counties, was arrested Thursday.

Duzti Davis, 24, is facing four felony charges of retail theft over $300 and is being held on a total of $40,000 bond, according to a release from Clay County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Mary Justino.

Davis is said to be behind three cases of theft that occurred between Oct. and Dec. 2012 at stores in Clay County and others in Duval County, according to Justino.

In one of the instances of theft, Davis is said to have stashed dozens of silver necklaces in her bag and left in a silver vehicle.

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A New Year means new laws for Florida drivers

Submitted by FirstCoastNews Web Staff

Tuesday, January 1st, 2013, 7:13pm

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.- It is a new year in the Sunshine State and on Florida's roadways there are some new laws in effect.

To start, say you want to flash your headlights to warn other drivers about nearby police.

"Just to alert," said Kim Rolfe, of Jacksonville. "It's just a courtesy to let other driver's know 'Hey, you're about to pass a cop.'"

Before the new year, that was illegal in Florida.

"I did not know that that was illegal!" Rolfe shouted with a laugh. "I thought I was just doing something nice for my fellow drivers!"

As of January 1, 2013, it's now legal, after the state legislature cleared up the law.

"So, it could be a good law to aide in safety," William Lee, of St. Augustine, said Tuesday morning. "So, I think it's good."

If you're ever in an accident, there's another law you should know about. It's about the personal injury protection (PIP) portion of your Florida policy.

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New Year's celebrations and guns don't mix

Submitted by FirstCoastNews Web Staff

Monday, December 31st, 2012, 11:04pm

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. -- A post on the Clay County Sheriff's Facebook page sums it up best, "what goes up, must come down."

The Clay County Sheriff's Office is encouraging people not to fire guns in celebration of the New Year.

According to the CCSO post, "a bullet fired into the air falls at a rate of 300 to 700 mph. That's enough velocity for a bullet to pierce a person's skull."

The CCSO asks that people find a different way to ring in the New Year, citing, "every year there are calls from residents in various neighborhood throughout the county on random gunfire."

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Sheriff's seek man accused of child sexual battery

Submitted by FirstCoastNews Web Staff

Monday, December 31st, 2012, 7:50pm

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. - The Clay County Sheriff's Office is spotlighting a Middleburg man as one of their 10 most wanted in an appeal for the public to help find him, according to a post on their Facebook page.

Larry Wayne Clark is accused of lewd or lascivious battery on a minor victim age 12 to 16, according to CCSO.

Clark is 6-feet-3 inches tall and weighs around 175 pounds. The 39-year-old's last known address is in Middleburg.

Anyone with any information about Larry Wayne Clark is encouraged to call the Clay County Sheriff's Office at 904-264-6512.

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Father finds porn on tablet bought as Christmas gift

Submitted by FirstCoastNews Web Staff

Friday, December 28th, 2012, 1:08am

MIDDLEBURG, Fla. -- A Middleburg father got more than he bargained for when buying a tablet for his daughter for Christmas. After opening the gift, George Sanchez found pornographic material already on the tablet. He said it was supposed to be a Christmas gift for his teenage daughter.

"I was like 'Oh my gosh!'" Sanchez said.

Sanchez said he and his wife bought the tablet from a Jacksonville pawn shop on Oct. 25. The family put it away, then gave it as a Christmas gift. But their grandson noticed something.

"When he was going through it, he found some dirty pictures on there," said Sanchez.

Pornographic pictures and videos apparently downloaded by a previous user.

"I was not very happy when I saw that," Sanchez explained. "I was really frustrated when I saw that."

He tried several tech avenues to erase it, but to no avail.

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