OUR Reopening Turn on ‘Grad Support for COMMUNITY Fernandina Lights’ Saturday Barnabas CARES PAGE 5 PAGE 8 PAGE 10 $1.00 FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2020 / 12 PAGES, 1 SECTION • fbnewsleader.com County’s on-beach parking reopens today ■ On-beach parking is for county residents and military only ■ Scott Road on-beach parking remains temporarily closed PEG DAVIS Assistant County Manager Taco Pope about the News-Leader plans. Saying that the county could begin printing a After approving a consent agenda that included type of beach-access ID card within a few weeks, extending the county’s state of emergency for Mullin said at this time the county “doesn’t have another week, the Nassau County Board of County the manpower to examine deeds” for people who Commissioners voted unanimously Wednesday don’t have a license or ID to prove their residency. to lift the county’s temporary on-beach parking The county’s plan is for employees from the ban at 8 a.m. today, but with several important county’s Maintenance and Road & Bridge depart- restrictions. ments to be on-hand to help process the on-beach Only Nassau County residents and active traffic until a contract with a private security firm duty military members will be allowed to park can be finalized. The county moved forward on the county-run beaches until further notice. Monday with selecting a firm to do that. The executive order issued by the county says, Mullin said he’s been asked why Nassau “Proof of Nassau County residence shall require County Sheriff’s Office deputies can’t just a valid Florida Driver’s License by the driver or patrol the beaches. He said the matter had been State of Florida identification card by an occupant reviewed with Sheriff Bill Leeper, adding, “It was of the vehicle, indicating a current Nassau County determined to be impossible.” residence.” An attendant will check the licenses, On-beach parking at Scott Road will remain identifications cards and military IDs. closed for now, but the parking lot and pedestrian The board received a detailed briefing from County Manager and Attorney Mike Mullin and PARKING Continued on page 3 NASSAU COUNTY Fort Clinch State Park Slides from a presentation Wednesday show Nassau County’s plan to control on-beach park- beach and trails reopened ing at Peters Point Beachfront Park, above, and at American Beach, below. Fort Clinch State Park has now partially reopened after being shut for weeks by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. All state parks were tem- porarily closed due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. “The park is open with access to the beach and trails. All other facilities (visitor center museum) and camping will remain closed. I will inform as I know,” Park Manager Heath Alboher said via email Wednesday. According to the park’s web page: “Effective Wednesday, May 13, Fort Clinch FILE State Park is open for day use activities (see A cannon at the fort. hours of operation and fee information below). Services may be limited. Restroom availability may be limited, all other park facilities are the fort itself. closed. Visitors are expected to maintain dis- Go to floridastateparks.org/fortclinch for tances of at least six feet apart and limit group information on Fort Clinch State Park, and to size to ten or fewer people.” floridastateparks.org/learn/safety-updates for The hours of operation are 8 a.m. to sun- more on Florida’s park system and its phased down, 365 days per year. Fort is open daily plan for reopening during the coronarvirus from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The fee to enter the park is $6 per vehicle. There are extra fees to enter PARK Continued on page 5 BOCC receives FDOH COVID-19 status report Dr. Eugenia Ngo-Seidel, head of the is 2,372 per 100,000, which is a little bit Florida Department of Health – Nassau below the state rate of 2,716. ... We are County, gave the Board of County working hard to improve that test rate U.S. NAVY Commissioners and the community an overall.” The USS Florida comes back to Kings Bay. update Wednesday on official statistics Ngo-Seidel said the goal of FDOH- for COVID-19 testing in Nassau County Nassau is to test 2% of the county’s and on free testing opportunities next population this month. Thursday. Ngo-Seidel added later that her COVID-19 is the disease caused by department has completed 100% of USS Florida returns to base SARS-CoV-2, also known as the novel its case investigations and case inter- SPECIALIST 1ST CLASS punch at our timing and tempo,” said (Blue) commanding officer, from coronavirus. views within 48 hours. She also said the ASHLEY BERUMEN Vice Adm. Daryl Caudle, commander, Reamstown, Pa. “So, after being sort Seidel reported that as of Tuesday, department is providing guidance and Navy News Service Naval Submarine Forces. of homeless for the past 30 months, it’s May 12, at 10 a.m., 2,047 tests had been PPE to nursing homes, “checking to see Florida is one of just four guided- nice to be back in Kings Bay.” completed, with 61 positive cases offi- if they have any unmet needs.” The Ohio-class guided-missile missile submarines in the U.S. Navy’s While forward deployed, the ship cially counted. Fifty-nine of those were Another case of COVID-19 was submarine USS Florida (SSGN 728) fleet and comprises half of the guided- sailed more than 98,000 nautical miles, in residents, and two were in “visitors.” added to the county’s official total as of returned to its homeport of Naval missile submarine force in Kings Bay, which is the equivalent to nearly four She said the positivity rate for the coun- Thursday morning: an 87-year-old male Submarine Base Kings Bay, Ga. on May home to all East Coast Ohio-class sub- times around the world, and pinned 202 ty is 3% overall. with no known contact with a confirmed 9 after operating forward deployed for marines to include five ballistic-missile new submariners with their submarine The median age for residents test- case and no travel history. “The man more than two years supporting the and two guided-missile submarines. It warfare, or “Dolphins.” ing positive as of Tuesday morning was will remain in isolation until released U.S. Africa, Central and European was commissioned in June 1983 as a Missile Technician 1st Class Eckle 49. There have been 13 hospitalizations by public health,” according to an offi- Combatant Commands. ballistic-missile submarine (SSBN), and Penley, Florida (Blue), from Charlotte, and one death, according to Seidel: cial Facebook post by Nassau County For over 800 days, Florida provided completed more than 50 patrols before N.C., said he is happy to be home. “Hospitalizations do not reflect those Emergency Management. unprecedented strike and special oper- its conversion to a guided-missile sub- “It’s difficult being away and not that are currently in the hospital ... (that) The next free testing scheduled as ation mission capabilities, bringing mis- marine. having contact with my family,” said is the hospitalization rate for the entire of May 14 will take place at the FDOH sion flexibility and unparalleled stealth The boat’s conversion began in 2003 Penley. “I can’t wait to spend time with time period.” clinics in Hilliard and Callahan on May to the fighting force. and the submarine re-entered service my son and daughter.” “The cases – we’ve had 21 in ZIP 21. The testing in Hilliard will take “For the past 30 months, USS with new and unprecedented strike and SSGNs are equipped with superior code 32034, 10 cases in 32097, 11 cases place in the morning and the testing in Florida has been forward deployed, pro- special operation mission capabilities in communications capabilities and have in 32046, 15 cases in 32011, and less Callahan is scheduled for the afternoon. viding our combatant commanders with May 2006. the ability to carry up to 154 Tomahawk than five in 32009,” Ngo-Seidel said. You do not have to have any symptoms not only one of the most versatile and “Most submarines don’t operate for- land-attack cruise missiles. The plat- “Our overall case rate positivity is 71 of COVID-19 to be tested. clandestine platforms the United States ward deployed like this for this amount form can also be configured to host up cases per 100,000, which is less than The department provided the follow- Navy has to offer, but also one capable of time, especially without a real home the state rate of 195 per 100,000, and of delivering an absolutely devastating base,” said Capt. Brian Tothero, Florida FLORIDA Continued on page 4 as far as test completion, our test rate TESTING Continued on page 5 Keep up with the latest local news online at fbnewsleader.com or at https://www.facebook.com/fernandinanewsleader/ INDEX 2020 Nests: 10 False Crawls: 7 CLASSIFIEDS, 7 RELIGION, 9 First nest of the season was on May 6. COMMUNITY, 10 SCHOOL NEWS, 8 ameliaislandseaturtlewatch.com EDITORIAL, 6 SERVICE DIRECTORY, 7 OBITUARIES, 2 SUDOKU, 10 2018 Nests: 142 Hatchlings: 12.031 SPORTS, 12 2019 Nests: 356 Hatchlings: 24,002 Please turn off or redirect lights News-Leader, 166th year. No. 40, Copyright, 2020 shining directly on the beach. NL Friday 05.15.20.indd 1 5/14/20 5:55 PM 2 FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2020 NEWS News-Leader OBITUARIES summer vacations in our rental cottage along the entire life revolved around her children and grand- Harry E.