In today's Digest:
🏠 Eviction filings hit a seven-year high at 718
🦝 A rabid raccoon was found near Queen Road and U.S. 1
🏖️ Fort Matanzas vehicle access reopened with ADA upgrades
🐟 Florida-caught seafood on Charlotte Street
At 40 Charlotte Street in St. Augustine, Catch 27 serves seafood caught in Florida waters and delivered fresh daily. The kitchen cooks from scratch with seasonal ingredients and local produce, and the name nods to Florida's place as the 27th state.
The selection rotates among snapper, sheepshead, mahi, triggerfish, flounder, and black drum. The current menu also lists Minorcan seafood chowder, tropical ceviche, and Rockefeller-crusted local snapper.
Read more here.
🏖️ Fort Matanzas beach ramp reopens
The Gist: St. Johns County reopened the Fort Matanzas vehicular beach access ramp after a project that began Nov. 17, 2025. The work added ADA upgrades to the parking lot and entrance in coordination with the National Park Service, which funded the project without county revenue.
Why It Matters: The reopened ramp restores vehicle access and adds ADA improvements to the parking lot and entrance.
What's Next: Access gates are open daily from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. through Oct. 31 for sea turtle nesting season.
Read more here.
🏠 County eviction filings reach seven-year high
The Gist: St. Johns County recorded 718 eviction filings in 2025, the most since at least 2019 and the fifth straight annual increase. Filings rose from 499 in 2019 and 657 in 2024, according to University of Florida housing data.
Why It Matters: High rents are pushing some local workers to cheaper homes outside the county, where longer commutes add gas and vehicle costs.
Read more here.
🦝 Rabid raccoon prompts St. Augustine advisory
The Gist: The Florida Department of Health issued a rabies advisory after a raccoon killed Aug. 28 near Queen Road and U.S. 1 in St. Augustine South tested positive. Officials say rabies may be present in the area's wild-animal population.
Why It Matters: Residents should keep pets vaccinated and leashed, secure outdoor food and garbage, and avoid handling wild or stray animals.
What's Next: Anyone bitten or scratched should seek medical care and report it to DOH-St. Johns at 904-506-6081.
Read more here.
🥕 Ponte Vedra Friday Farmers Market | Palm Valley Outdoors Bar & Grill | Ponte Vedra Beach | Friday, September 11, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. | More
Shop local produce, baked goods, and artisan wares beside the Intracoastal Waterway.
🦀 GTM Research Reserve Family Seining | Guana Dam | Ponte Vedra Beach | Saturday, September 12, 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. | More
Wade into Guana Lake and seine for fish, crabs, and other estuary animals.
⛵ Founder's Day 2026 | Mission Nombre de Dios and Fountain of Youth | St. Augustine | Saturday, September 12, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. | More
Watch the landing, cannon salutes, procession, and first Thanksgiving reenactment.
🌿 Old City Home & Garden Expo | Francis Field | St. Augustine | Saturday, September 12, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. | More
Shop plants, home decor, and local art, with food trucks and kids' activities.
🎵 Sing Out Loud's YoungFolk Day | The Waterworks | St. Augustine | Tuesday, September 15, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. | More
A music-career workshop leads into a free concert by five young local acts.
🏴☠️ Blackbeard's Pirate Ball 2026 | Art N' Motion | St. Augustine | Friday, September 11, 7:00 to 11:00 p.m. | More
Pirate garb, heavy hors d'oeuvres, auctions, dancing, and local charity fundraising.
🎭 Grand Horizons | The Waterworks | St. Augustine | Friday, September 11 through Sunday, September 13; 7:30 p.m. Friday, 4:00 p.m. Saturday, 2:00 p.m. Sunday | More
A retirement-community divorce comedy carries mature themes and strong language.
🎻 Sam Grisman Project Live and Summer Tour Film | Ponte Vedra Concert Hall | Ponte Vedra Beach | Sunday, September 13, doors 5:00 p.m., show 6:30 p.m. | More
Acoustic American roots music accompanies a screening of the Deadhead documentary Summer Tour.
🎸 JET: Down The Moonlit Mile Revue | Ponte Vedra Concert Hall | Ponte Vedra Beach | Tuesday, September 15, doors 6:00 p.m., show 7:30 p.m. | More
JET plays its garage-rock catalog with Florida band Annie Dukes.
🎤 Modest Mouse | St. Augustine Amphitheatre | St. Augustine | Thursday, September 17, doors 6:00 p.m., show 7:00 p.m. | More
Hear Modest Mouse's art-punk catalog with Robber Robber opening.
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