Full Edition: May 25, 2026

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Island Brief

Amelia Island • Nassau County • First Coast

Good Morning, Nassau County! On this day in 1977, Star Wars opened in theaters for the first time. Down here the morning is a little calmer. A few showers are possible before 11, then skies clear out to a warm and breezy Memorial Day afternoon with highs near 85 degrees. City offices are dark today, and if you want to mark the holiday in a quiet way, the American Legion Post 54 is holding their annual service at the harbor marina at 11 a.m. It's a good Monday to slow down.

Fernandina ⛅ 85°/75°

Yulee ☀️ 86°/75°

Callahan ☀️ 86°/74°

Hilliard ☀️ 87°/74°

📰	Top Stories

Two rounds of court-ordered mediation between Rayonier Advanced Materials (RYAM) and the City of Fernandina Beach have failed to produce a settlement. Sessions held April 13 and May 20 both concluded in impasse, and the nearly year-old lawsuit will now proceed to full litigation. At the heart of the dispute is whether RYAM's proposed $53 million bioethanol facility at its Gum Street complex constitutes "chemical manufacturing" prohibited under the city's Land Development Code, or a permitted fermentation process more like brewing. The parties filed a joint suspension motion and have until June 28 to submit a new case management proposal, after which litigation resumes.

Read More → Nassau NewsLine

The Nassau County Board of County Commissioners voted on May 20 to establish a fact-finding committee to study the potential impacts of data center development, with the county's proposed 12-month moratorium heading for a final vote on June 8. The committee is made up of county staff with expertise in planning, engineering, environmental science, finance, and economic development. It is not a decision-making body; its job is to gather information from outside experts through a series of publicly noticed workshops beginning June 1. Residents who packed the May 11 first hearing urged the county to take a careful look at data centers' water consumption, power demand, and land-use footprint before the county's rural character changes permanently.

Read More → The County Insider

In its 27-year history, the Gumball 3000 has wound through dozens of cities around the world. On June 5 it comes to Centre Street for the first time. More than 100 supercars driven by celebrities and international participants will roll in from 6 to 9 p.m. as part of the 2026 rally route from Miami to Mexico City. The event is completely free and open to the public, and it falls on the same night as Sounds on Centre. The Gumball 3000 Foundation is also partnering with the Skatepark Project for a community event at the Main Beach Skatepark. Mark the calendar: this one is going to draw a crowd.

Read More → Amelia Island

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📍	Around Nassau County

➤	Fernandina Beach: The Island Walk Publix at 1421 Sadler Road is on track to reopen this summer. A Publix spokesperson confirmed a Q3 2026 opening to the News-Leader last week. The rebuilt store will feature Publix Pours, an in-store wine and beer bar, plus expanded deli and smoothie options. (More)

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Fernandina Beach: The city is hosting a Sea Turtle Protected Species Workshop at City Hall tomorrow, Tuesday, May 26, from 2 to 3 p.m. The workshop comes as the sea turtle nesting season hits its stride, with Amelia Island Sea Turtle Watch tracking active loggerhead nests along the island's beaches. Free and open to the public. (More)

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Nassau County: The regular BOCC meeting scheduled for today was cancelled in observance of Memorial Day. The next BOCC meeting is June 8, which will also serve as the second and final public hearing on the proposed 12-month data center moratorium. That hearing is expected to draw another packed room. (More)

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Nassau County: The burn ban is gone, but the drought is not. Nassau County remains in St. Johns River Water Management District Phase III Extreme Water Shortage, with the county running roughly 7.35 inches below normal rainfall for the year. Officials are still urging water conservation. This week's afternoon storm chances could chip away at the deficit, but the gap is significant. (More)

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Amelia Island: Federal courts blocked the offshore red snapper season this weekend, but Florida FWC stepped in with a workaround: recreational red snapper fishing is allowed in state waters, within three nautical miles of the coast. It is not the 39-day deep-water season anglers planned for, but it is something. Federal waters remain closed pending further court orders. (More)

🗓️	This Week on the Island

MON 25

Memorial Day Service Fernandina Harbor Marina • 11:00 AM • American Legion Post 54 at the Monument to Our Fallen. Free, public, all are welcome.

SAT 30

42nd Annual Kingfish Tournament & Fishing Rodeo Fernandina Harbor Marina • Lines in at 6:30 AM; weigh-in 2–5 PM • Captain's Meeting Friday May 29 at 7 PM. First place guaranteed $10,000. Rain date Sunday May 31.

SAT 30

Fernandina Beach Farmers Market N. 7th Street, downtown • 9 AM–1 PM • Every Saturday, rain or shine. Also: New Orleans Jazz Party at Story & Song, 5–7 PM Saturday evening.

FRI 5

SAVE THE DATE: Gumball 3000 on Centre Street (June 5) Centre Street, downtown • 6–9 PM • 100+ supercars, celebrities, live music, free to the public. Coincides with Sounds on Centre (Mojo Roux). Main Beach Skatepark community event same day.

Reach hundreds of engaged local readers three times a week. The Island Brief is hand-delivered to inboxes across Amelia Island and Nassau County every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning.

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The Gumball 3000 is bringing more than 100 supercars down Centre Street for the first time ever on June 5. That got us wondering: what is the most unexpected or memorable thing you have ever spotted rolling through downtown Fernandina Beach? Hit reply and let us know. We read every response.

Fort Clinch at Amelia Island's northern tip was never fully completed. When Confederate forces evacuated the fort without a fight, Union troops marched in and occupied it for the rest of the war. In what year did that peaceful Union occupation begin?

Answer: 1862. Union forces occupied Fort Clinch in March 1862 without a battle after Confederate troops withdrew. The fort was later reactivated during the Spanish-American War of 1898, used by the Coast Artillery in both World Wars, and decommissioned by the Army in 1947. It has been a Florida State Park since 1935.

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