TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Rick Scott has signed a Medicaid bill that will require 25 Florida counties to pay nearly $300 million the state says is past due to the health care program for low-income and disabled patients.

St. Johns County’s share is roughly $1 million.

“And we’re one of the lucky ones,” County Administrator Mike Wanchick told the County Commission on March 20.

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The St. Augustine Archaeological Association is unveiling the first of two markers commemorating parish churches in the city during a ceremony Saturday morning at the Sisters of St. Joseph parking lot at Villa Flora.

Ceremonies begin at 10 a.m. Saturday at the site of Nuestra Senora de la Soledad, Our Lady of Solitude Church and Hospital, at 234 St. George St.

The site is the location of a chapel built in 1572 and a hospital built in 1597.

That hospital was the first in today’s United States.

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St. Anastasia Catholic Church, 5205 A1A South, will present Living Stations of the Cross at 6 p.m. Wednesday. The production is scripted and directed by Andrew Nance, with his wife JoAnn Nance assistants director.

Members of the parish will take on the key roles while those attending the service will take part with singing, prayers, and responses.

Members of the 8 a.m. Ensemble and Singers, under the direction of Peter Morin, minister of music, will also participate.

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“Eyes of Faith,” an Easter season spectacular featuring drama, narration, choir and orchestra will be presented today, Saturday and Sunday at Turning Point at Calvary, 3500 State Road 16. Doors open at 6:15 p.m., and the performance begins at 7 p.m.

Described as “a real portrayal of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ,” the production features more than 200 volunteers/performers with lighting, sound effects and atmosphere enhancing the presentation.

Child care will be provided for ages babies through four.

Baptist musical

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An “Experimental Prototype” of a Jewish Tour of St. Augustine, operated by the St. Augustine Jewish Historical Society (SAJHS) was deemed a success by participants and tour leadership alike, after visiting and discussing eight significant sites around America’s first European City. Purposely limited to 18 Jewish and Christian participants, the tour visited several spots on the grounds of Mission Nombre de Dios and observed the neighboring Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park, thought to be the location of the first landing of Spanish settlers with Pedro Menendez de Aviles on Sept.

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More than 1,000 people are signed up to join a walk Saturday in Jacksonville to raise funds and awareness of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

Joining the Walk to Defeat ALS will be ALS patients, including ones in wheelchairs, plus friends and families.

Walk to Defeat ALS is The ALS Association’s signature event, and funds raised go to support cutting-edge research, programs and patient care. Last year these walks raised nearly $1.2 million in Florida.

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April 14 is the day for the Fashionable Luncheon at Marsh Creek Country Club, to benefit the Council on Aging.

Lynn Anderson and local celebrity models will present Fashions for Men and Women. And local actor, singer, playwright and speaker Lee Weaver will perform his award-winning ‘Melinda’ and a selection of Broadway music.

Cost is $25 per person and includes a festive drink, lunch, entertainment and fashion show. Also included will be special raffles and unique door prizes. Tables of eight are available. All proceeds will benefit the programs and services of COA.

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Patricia Playter Longo, who turned 100 March 19, was feted with a small family gathering at the home of her niece Patty and her husband, Fred Sotomayor March 18.

Her birthday was also celebrated at the Pavilion at Bayview with 75 of her fellow residents, friends and four generations of family. The celebration included champagne and chocolate cake with music provided by Spanish guitarist Dennis Fermin.

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MIAMI — The impact of the pope’s trip to Cuba will be felt in the long-term, but the pilgrimage to the island from Miami has already brought healing to many Cuban-Americans who participated, Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski said Thursday.

More than 300 pilgrims accompanied Wenski to Cuba this week in honor of Pope Benedict XVI’s trip to the island. Many were Cuban-Americans returning for the first time in many years, or the children of exiles.

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GAINESVILLE — The couple who owned a cat sanctuary where authorities removed 697 felines last year has been ordered to pay $626,770 to the Humane Society of the United States as restitution for expenses.

The Gainesville Sun reports that 65-year-old Steve Lefkowitz and 60-year-old Pennie Lefkowitz pleaded no contest Thursday to 47 counts of animal cruelty and were sentenced to 15 years of probation.

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TALLAHASSEE — Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson is 8 percentage points ahead of potential Republican challenger Connie Mack IV in a new poll of Florida voters.

Quinnipiac University released the poll Thursday. It shows Nelson leading Mack, a U.S. representative from Fort Myers, 44 percent to 36 percent in the Senate race. They had been in a statistical tie in a similar poll conducted by the Connecticut school in January.

Quinnipiac, though, did not conduct a poll matching Nelson and former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux, who is vying with Mack for the GOP nomination.

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TALLAHASSEE — Former Jacksonville City Councilman Matthew Carlucci is the newest member of the Florida Ethics Commission.

Gov. Rick Scott named Carlucci to the panel on Thursday.

He replaces Cheryl Forchilli, a Tampa lawyer who had been appointed by former Gov. Charlie Crist.

Carlucci, a 55-year-old insurance agent, served on the city council from 1987 to 1994 and again from 1999 through 2003.

As a council member he pushed for strong ethics laws and creation of a city ethics office.

His late father, Joe Carlucci, was a state senator.

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Fish fry

The 60th annual St. Augustine Boating Club Palm Sunday Fish Fry will be from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $10 for all-you-can-eat fried fish, hush puppies, baked beans, coleslaw and cheese grits.

To go boxes will be available. Also available at an additional cost will be Menorcan clam chowder and baked goods. The Boating Club’s datil pepper hot sauce will be for sale. Children under 12 eat for free. Fried fish or hot dogs will be available for the kids. The Boating Club is at 611 Boating Club Road, off A1A North.

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What a difference three weeks make. The first photo, taken March 9, shows crews as they begin the process of renourishing the beach at Anastasia State Park north of Pope Road. The second photo, taken Thursday, shows how much sand has been added in 20 days. The dredging is part of the beach renourishment project that will place sand on more than two miles of St. Augustine Beach from the southern limits of Anastasia State Park to F Street. ‘Mother Nature has been very cooperative since we launched this renourishment effort,’ St. Augustine Beach Mayor S. Gary Snodgrass said.

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Two young men threw a brick through an open school bus window and hit a 14-year-old student at North St. Johns and Pearl streets on Thursday afternoon, said St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Chuck Mulligan.

Sheriff’s Office deputies searched for two 14-year-old boys who they believe threw the brick through the public school bus window around 5 p.m., Mulligan said.

The injured student’s parent took him to Flagler Hospital for treatment, Mulligan said. Deputies were still searching for the juveniles Thursday evening.

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Here is what you have been waiting for! The Topdog Charity Volleyball Tournament presented by Autoline video! They raised a lot of money for the Humane Society and had a blast doing it! Check out the footage! Share on Facebook

Small clean little lines coming in this morning at the Pier. It’s around knee high at best with glassy conditions. We should see a switch in the wind by this afternoon but for now one guy out making the most of it. Check back to see if conditions have improved any this afternoon. Share on [...]

Small clean waves pushing through at lunch time. Looks to be in the knee high range with some waist high sets.Clean conditions with a light NW wind. Kind of mushy with the higher tide but does look kind of fun for the right board. Grab the small wave equipment and get a few before it’s [...]

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Small clean leftovers coming in this morning at the Pier. It’s in the thigh to waist high range with weak conditions. Grab the small wave equipment and get a few before it’s gone. Check back to see what’s left this afternoon. Share on Facebook

Still some fun waves out there this afternoon. Looks to be in the waist high range with some plus set pushing in. The wind has come onshore a bit and is giving it a little texture. Could be worth a check right before dark. Check the updated weekly surf forecast for details! NEW POLES live [...]

Waves are looking really fun this morning at the Pier. It’s in the waist to chest high range and pretty clean. Maybe a tiny bit of morning sickness but we should stay in the fun range throughout the day. Check back for the afternoon update! Share on Facebook

Waves have come up since this morning. It’s now in the waist to stomach high range. The wind has come up but it still is a little weak. Might get fun towards the evening as the tide drops out! Share on Facebook

ORLANDO – The Marion County Sheriff’s Office sniper team took first place in individual as well as team competition during the Florida SWAT Spring Shootout held March 6-8. The top individual was Carlton Curtis. Also representing the MCSO, and placing sixth, was Mark Swarbrick, according to website www.floridaswat.org/sniper. Marion’s team excelled in competition in areas such as Walk in the Woods, Rifle Madness, Tower Challenge, Champion’s Challenge and more, according to the site. MCSO spokesman Judge Cochran stated in a… Read More »

Randall E. Alvord, Ocala, a Modern Woodmen of America representative, has attained the Fraternal Insurance Counselor (FIC) designation, according to a recent press release. The FIC title is an educational designation that can be earned by career life insurance representatives associated with fraternal insurance societies. Representatives devote more than one year to meet the examination and career development criteria set by the Fraternal Field Managers Association.