PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – A licensed real estate agent was recently indicted by a federal grand jury on multiple charges that include conspiracy to traffic firearms, conspiracy to sell firearms illegally, providing false statements to a firearm dealer, conspiracy to traffic illegal drugs, and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. According to federal investigators, between March of 2022 and June of last year, Braden Hobbs, 27, of Jacksonville, purchased more than 120 firearms from three different federally licensed gun dealers in Jacksonville, then illegally sold those guns on the street to drug dealers, drug traffickers, and convicted felons. Federal authorities said there were multiple occasions in which Hobbs advertised firearms for sale to potential customers before he completed the purchase of the firearms from federally licensed gun dealers. Federal investigators also said customers had paid Hobbs cash for the guns or traded drugs for the guns. According to investigators, Hobbs was aware that some of his customers intended to resell the weapons and were either drug users or drug dealers. Hobbs did not act alone, investigators found. According to the feds, Hobbs asked unnamed co-conspirators to assist him in finding buyers for the guns, and those co-conspirators advertised the firearms for sale. Cell phone records later showed that one of the unnamed co-conspirators regularly purchased guns from Hobbs. Hobbs is accused of making straw purchases at licensed gun stores. A straw purchase is when someone who is legally allowed to own a gun purchases the weapon for someone who is not legally allowed to own a firearm. According to federal investigators, law enforcement started investigating Hobbs when several guns he had purchased were recovered during unrelated drug raids on homes suspected of being drug houses. Retired JSO Director of Investigations and Homeland Security, turned News4JAX Crime and Safety Analyst, Tom Hackney, said this case highlights how straw purchases get guns on the street into the wrong hands. “This really highlights that burglaries are not the only way guns find their way into the criminal element. It’s a criminal element that is supplying them, and this highlights the nexus between drugs, guns, and violence,” Hackney said. In addition to being a suspected firearm trafficker, federal investigators said Hobbs was also trafficking illegal drugs. Court records show that in June of last year, Hobbs was arrested by Jacksonville police for suspicion of driving under the influence. It was during that traffic stop that officers discovered Hobbs had 330 grams of cocaine, 17 grams of Adderall, and paraphernalia associated with drug trafficking. According to court documents, the evidence found in his car led to multiple drug charges, including trafficking cocaine, which was the most serious felony charge. While in the Duval County jail, Hobbs received an additional criminal charge after investigators said he assaulted a corrections officer. Hobbs posted a $120,000 bond to get out of jail and was awaiting his day in court when he was recently indicted on illegal gun charges. If convicted, Hobbs could face up to 95 years in prison. Hobbs is a licensed real estate agent who worked out of a Ponte Vedra Beach office. An employee at the corporate office confirmed to News4JAX that Hobbs was still employed with the company and that his real estate license was still valid. Copyright 2025 by WJXT News4JAX - All rights reserved. Award-winning broadcast and multimedia journalist with 20 years experience. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines TV Listings Email Newsletters RSS Feeds Contests and Rules Contact Us Careers at WJXT / WCWJ Closed Captioning / Audio Description WJXT Public File WJXT EEO Report WCWJ Public File WCWJ EEO Report Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Info FCC Applications Copyright © 2025 News4JAX.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Q: Can you give an update on the A1A medians in Ponte Vedra Beach?A: Now that it’s spring we are working on cleaning the medians and adding grass and flowers We are trying to keep them looking neat and more manicured but it’s important to point out that these medians have no irrigation and we are reliant on Mother Nature to water the plants Q: What is the latest with your proposed tree ordinance?A: We were lucky to get the tree proposal pushed forward at our March Board of County Commissioners meeting It proposes to create more buffers and preserve more of the bigger trees with some of the same regulations already in place in the northwest part of the county We are discussing the rights of private property owners and what is fair but honestly I’m looking at large tracts of development — especially clearcutting — not someone’s one acre lot Staff will be bringing this back with requested changes in a couple of months for the board to discuss Q: Where do we stand with the Comprehensive Plan?A: This has moved forward and we will have a red line version available for our review in May because I’m looking forward to protecting agricultural land in the future and not developing as fast as we have been We need to have the infrastructure — which includes not just roads fire stations and the like — caught up to where it should be before we continue developing our county All five board members will discuss this at the May meeting.  Q: Can you describe your proposed new committees A: Another goal of mine is a quality of life advisory committee It would be cool to have a panel look at proposed projects and identify where quality of life would make a difference to our county The goal here is to give people the opportunity to express themselves on how the county is developed.  I’ve also proposed an agricultural advisory committee We grow potatoes and other crops right here in St Johns County and we don’t want to lose our food sources for the county It’s sad to see our ag land becoming rooftops and solar panels but I must acknowledge it’s private property I just think it would be nice if we had some support and some incentives for farmers to keep contributing crops Q: What is the best way for our readers to contact you A: Readers can email me at bcc4kjoseph@sjcfl.us or call me at (904) 679-2620 Learn how to describe the purpose of the image (opens in a new tab) Leave empty if the image is purely decorative Make way for Ponte Vedra in the final four Mason Hauseman and Matthias Schulz netted four goals apiece for the top-seeded Sharks, overcoming rival Nease 13-6 in the Florida High School Athletic Association Region 1-2A championship for boys lacrosse on May 3 It chalks up another mark in Ponte Vedra's Battle of the Bridge dominance, a run now extending well over a decade, and keeps the Sharks' hopes alive for adding another FHSAA trophy to go with their title from 2019. clawing back to tie the score after an early 3-0 deficit and denying Ponte Vedra repeatedly on reaction saves by goalie Austin Azotea But the Sharks (18-3) found their rhythm in the middle of a contest amid intermittent rain moving the ball quickly and adjusting to the Panthers' defensive tweaks and we just know it's eventually going to come," Ponte Vedra coach Chris Polanski said Carter Magnano added two goals for Ponte Vedra and Jackson Coughlin scored twice to lead Nease Ponte Vedra advances to the Class 2A final four at Paradise Coast Sports Complex in Naples and next play Lake Mary on May 8 on the FHSAA bracket What a difference six weeks made for Bolles the Bulldogs avenged a regular-season defeat and overcame top seed Episcopal 9-5 in an intense Region 1-1A final at Jangro Stadium David Caldwell scored three goals and Preston Hager two for the Bulldogs (18-5) "It's a shame that only one of us could move on," Bolles coach Tom West said After Episcopal upset Bolles 15-7 on March 21 the Eagles' first victory in the series for nearly seven years the Bulldogs responded with a lockdown night on defense to stifle the hosts Episcopal (19-4) bounced back from an early 3-0 hole tying the game on the second of three goals from Robert Adams before Bolles took charge with two second-period goals from Hager The Bulldogs led by at least two goals the rest of the way with Tucker Chappell and long-stick midfielder Cam Zielinski forcing multiple turnovers helped Bolles weather a string of man-down sequences The Bulldogs (18-5) earn a trip to Naples to face Boca Raton St "We've kind of had a stress test on what we're good at and what we're not good at," West said A Ponte Vedra Beach business executive who put $2 million in the bank for taxes has pleaded guilty to holding onto employment taxes that were owed to the federal government Daniel Tharp’s conviction for willfully failing to pay taxes that his Hangar X Holdings LLC owed could legally lead to a prison sentence as long as five years, but prosecutors agreed to recommend lenience when U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger sentences him Tharp had already paid the Internal Revenue Service the roughly $1.2 million he owed as restitution before his plea agreement was handed over Wednesday to U.S Tharp’s plea only admitted not sending employment taxes for one three-month quarter of 2019, when the company had at least 14 employees and should have submitted $187,525. But the agreement spells out that the company didn't send either money or required quarterly reports for about five years Different case: $10M+ in earnings, $0 to IRS; Jacksonville-area businessman charged with tax evasion Employment taxes include withheld income taxes Social Security and Medicare taxes and unemployment taxes who became chief platform officer for Wheels Up through 2022 Tharp’s plea agreement doesn’t address why Hangar X drew government attention But it says that between 2015 and the end of 2019 the company had employees scattered around the country and withheld employment taxes as the law requires Tharp created a bank account in 2019 labeled as a federal payroll escrow and put $2 million there but “did not remit any of the $1,217,858.81 that were due,” the agreement said Former Florida Georgia Line singer and Volusia County native Brian Kelley will make a stop on his “Sunshine State of Mind” tour later this summer at the intimate Ponte Vedra Concert Hall in Ponte Vedra Beach a converted church that has become a hub for a diverse array of touring acts  Tickets for the 8 p.m. show, which range from $42.90-$81.40, will be available online through the venue’s official ticketing partner, AXS (axs.com) and in-person at The St The tour’s title is a reference to Kelley’s debut solo album, “Sunshine State of Mind,” a 2021 collection of Florida-centric songs that included “Florida Boy Forever,” an ode to his formative years in Ormond Beach The video for that song featured an assortment of Daytona Beach-area backdrops, including the historic Daytona Bandshell, as well as a cameo by Kelley’s father, former Volusia County Council Chair Ed Kelley Brian Kelley was a baseball star on the school team which also received a shout-out in the video “Palm Tree Country,” that’s also built in that same Sunshine State mindset Expect to hear that one, along with additional solo material from his 2024 album release, “Tennessee Truth.” Could there be a reunion?With its lyrics about a broken relationship “Kiss My Boots,” generated speculation that it was about the dissolution of Florida Georgia Line but Kelley told The News-Journal in 2024 that the inspiration is more universal than that “It’s a bigger meaning than one thing or one person,” he said “Everybody in the music industry has a couple of people on the kiss my boots list I love that song and I’m so glad it's out in the world for people to make it what they want when its resonating and when people find their truth in it.” Florida Georgia Line generated 19 career chart-topping singles becoming the first and only act to achieve two RIAA Diamond singles in Country music history (14X Platinum #1s: “Cruise” and “Meant to Be” with Bebe Rexha) The duo has surpassed 17 billion global streams selling more than 40 million tracks and 4.8 million albums worldwide Speculation continues among fans about a possible Florida Georgia Line reunion something that Kelley didn’t rule out in a 2024 News-Journal interview The duo of Kelley and partner Tyler Hubbard officially split in 2022 after taking an indefinite hiatus in 2021 “I’m really proud of what we built,” he said “Time will be the great teller with that,” Kelley said at the time Two popular cuisines ― Italian and Japanese ― will come together in an inspired fusion menu offered at an upcoming Black Pearl hopes to open at 880 Florida A1A N. in Ponte Vedra Pointe Shopping Center by early March just before The Players Championship co-founder and managing partner Kelvin Ole told the Times-Union Ole said Black Pearl will specialize in Itameshi cuisine with a rotating menu focusing on local and global seasonal ingredients Itameshi, which means "Italian food" in Japanese, combines traditional Italian dishes with Japanese ingredients, according to Club + Resort Chef a publication designed for professional chefs "I want to bring the experience to the city," Ole said "I want people to experience what real sushi is I want to explain to people … and get people more excited about food." He said food should be an experience that goes beyond what is on the plate It's not just about grilling fish or frying fish That is what I want to bring to the people here," said Ole noting the culture and history of a dish add to the dish and its creativity Ole said the restaurant will reflect the spirit and elegance of its namesake As described on the restaurant's Instagram page black pearls are significant in Japanese folklore and art Black pearls (kuro shinju) can "symbolize rarity "We are coming to bring black pearl essence with our imagination and creativity to create rare and unique moments for your dining experience!" the restaurant promises Black Pearl will be the first restaurant of its kind in the Jacksonville area Ole said he had been searching for a location for about a year He chose Ponte Vedra Beach for Black Pearl because he "fell in love with the area." think miso carbonara pastaEating at Black Pearl Ole said will be an opportunity for guests to explore the elevated and diverse cuisine that he has experienced during his career "It's not going to be a sushi pizza restaurant … Black Pearl is going to be something different I'm going to do something like a miso carbonara pasta Then probably short rib ramen with garlic parmesan Espuma," said Ole citing a culinary technique that creates a light airy foam His mother had a small bakery in their home of Bali he developed a background in Italian and French cuisine took him to the Philippines for a couple of years and then Singapore and Europe Ole emigrated to the United States four years ago He spent the first two years in Los Angeles where he "fell in love" with sushi and other Japanese cuisine "It changed my life and my point of view about restaurants bring something rare from my experience to here," he said Two years ago, Ole relocated to Jacksonville, where he became the manager of Sushi Bear Sushi & Grill in the Lakeshore neighborhood Ole said Black Pearl will have about 100 seats in the main dining area and patio There also will be a speakeasy-style lounge that will accommodate about 18 to 24 people "It's going to be more cocktail experience with Japanese ingredients and Italian wines There will be Asian-inspired drinks with alcohol or nonalcoholic beverages." Ole said French fine dining bistro: Acclaimed St. Augustine chef opens French bistro as his third fine-dining restaurant What's old is new again: Southern Grounds restores, revitalizes century-old St. Augustine house for new restaurant There also will be eight seats for private Omakase and Italian capo-style dining "My big goal is to bring the first Michelin [star] restaurant to North Florida and I want to start from here with this project," he said Black Pearl is building out in a 4,256-square-foot storefront at an estimated cost of $400,000 Ole said he wants it to become a trendsetter for the hospitality industry in the Jacksonville area The new restaurant replaces Mezcal Cantina Authentic Mexican Grill, which relocated and transitioned into Anejo Cocina Mexicana Black Pearl will join other restaurants at Ponte Vedra Pointe Shopping Center including McFlamingo, Beach Diner, Bronx House Pizza, I Noodle Ramen & Dumpling, and Flo's Premium Ice Cream, a Strategic Sites-Clifford Commercial real estate flyer shows Teresa Stepzinski is the dining reporter for the Times-Union @TeresaStepz or reach her via email at tstepzinski@jacksonville.com If you're a subscriber, thank you. If not, become a subscriber to get the latest dining coverage (This story has been updated to add new information.) Pompano Beach Blanche Ely climbed out of a halftime hole and rallied past Ponte Vedra 44-38 in Friday night's Florida High School Athletic Association Class 5A boys basketball championship Blanche Ely forward Kaleb Corbitt scored 19 and guard Dylon Hanna turned up the energy to spearhead the charge thrilling the enthusiastic traveling Tiger supporters from Broward County inside the RP Funding Center in Lakeland Paced by Maddox Palmer and his game-high 20 points the Sharks splashed back in the final minutes cutting the gap to two points when the Jacksonville University commit converted a four-point play with 2:29 remaining took command and iced the game from the foul line not X's and O's," Blanche Ely coach JR McNabb said Playing their fourth consecutive final four Ponte Vedra initially seemed to have the perfect recipe to frustrate the Tigers But they couldn't overcome the muscle of Corbitt the 33-21 rebounding margin in favor of the Tigers or their own shooting inconsistency (12.5 percent for the first three quarters) from beyond the 3-point arc "We knew they were coming," Ponte Vedra coach Ben Wilson said "We did a good job slowing them down first half but the third quarter's kind of an Achilles' heel for us all year." Two days after outlasting Leesburg in a triple-overtime semifinal epic the Sharks deployed a disciplined zone defense to slow down the eight-time champion Tigers and their three-pronged scoring combination of Hanna The Sharks held Blanche Ely scoreless for a span of nearly seven minutes and their patient approach tempted the Tigers into bad shots They did an unbelievable job preparing and an unbelievable job of scouting us." Ponte Vedra (22-9) entered the locker room up 16-12 holding the Tigers to 21.7 percent shooting before halftime TIGERS STRIKE BACKOne dunk changed the tone Corbitt began the third quarter with a dunk -- he called it a "momentum push" -- and from there our teammates [Hanna and McNabb] hit those little threes we start playing defense and start flying around Blanche Ely (20-9) emerged from halftime with renewed energy starting on a 7-0 run and jumping in front to stay on Corbitt's jumper with 5:28 left in the third The Tigers stretched their lead to as many as seven points getting eight boards from Jonas and six each from Hanna and Corbitt "They kind of took the wind out of our sails a little bit," Wilson said stopped a lot of the offensive stuff we wanted to do and they got loose a little bit in transition twice cutting the gap to one score in the final four minutes and twice electrifying the arena on Palmer dunks as David Sanchez Barrera scored 14 for the Sharks to spur the comeback in his final game But the Tigers converted eight free throws down the stretch to seal it The drought continues for Northeast Florida Although Bradford won the Rural 1A class in 2022 no school from Jacksonville or its immediately bordering counties has won an FHSAA boys basketball championship since Bolles in 2016 Johns County's lone FHSAA tournament champion on the boys side appears well-positioned to challenge once more in 2025-26 The Sharks will graduate starters Sanchez Barrera and Alex Katsikas but the remainder of the roster is on course to return in 2025-26 guards Ryan Speace and Noah Simmons and 6-9 junior forward Trace Westercamp who pulled down a team-high seven rebounds and blocked three shots "There's no quit in our guys," Wilson said Hua Yao Ke, 38, pleaded guilty Thursday to establishing a commercial enterprise for the purpose of evading immigration laws a felony punishable by up to five years in prison requires a conscious decision to get around immigration laws That’s something prosecutors argued Ke did with several employees of the restaurant Kamiya 86 which he opened in 2019 and ran until last year Another approach: Guilty pleas logged in workers comp scam that helped hide illegal labor, cost feds millions he had the intent of hiring undocumented aliens who he knew were not legally authorized to work in the United States,” said a section of a plea agreement labeled “Factual Basis” that Ke initialed to show he agreed with what it said The agreement said Ke didn’t require his workers to fill out a federal Form I-9 an employment eligibility sheet that every employer is supposed to keep for every employee The agreement said Ke paid his employees in cash didn’t take out taxes or withholding deductions and let employees live rent-free in a house he owned off Kernan Boulevard near Beach Boulevard The plea deal described a white van picking up people at Ke’s house and taking them to the restaurant to work It also described investigators talking to people in the van and the house and being told ― by at least two Guatemalan men and a Nepalese woman ― that they were in the United States illegally Whatever sentence he'll face, the biggest potential penalty might be deportation for Ke, who was born in China. A criminal complaint that an investigator filed against Ke last year for his prosecution identified him as a lawfully admitted permanent resident ― a green card holder ― so his position in this country is pretty stable But the plea agreement Ke signed recognized that position could be undermined by him being prosecuted A breakdown of potential penalties from the plea including up to five years behind bars; a fine of up to $250,000; and up to three years of supervised release; also touched on a risk for a non-citizen like Ke "Conviction of the offense also could adversely affect the defendant's immigration status in the United States," the agreement said This story has been updated to include new information Officials said Hua Yao Ke, 38, who owns the Kamiya 86 Sushi and Thai restaurant employed workers unlawfully present in the U.S. Ke didn’t require the workers to provide documents stating that they could legally work in the U.S., contrary to federal law. Investigators said Ke provided free food, housing, and transportation between the houses and the restaurants. Federal agents raided the restaurant on Aug. 14, 2024. Ke is facing up to five years in prison and a hearing has not been scheduled. Hailing from Detroit, Jonathan is excited to start his media career at News4JAX in November 2023. He is passionate about telling stories that matter to the community and he is honored to serve Jacksonville. A Ponte Vedra Beach man may have a new favorite number after scratching off two 19s on his $5,000,000 Triple Match ticket to win one of the last top prizes in the $20 game chose to receive his winnings as a one-time lump-sum payment of $3,319.810 (note another 19 in there) He purchased his winning ticket from First Coast Energy at 195 (and again) Corridor Road in Ponte Vedra Davenport cashed his ticket in on November, you guessed it, 19, according to the Lottery's website. State law allows for a grace period to release winners' names unless waived The Triple Match game launched in September 2023 and offers three ways to win, featuring eight top prizes of $5 million — only one of which remains, according to the Lottery website Five secondary prizes of $1 million are unclaimed of the 18 Davenport becomes only the second Northeast Florida winner of either prize Jose Antonio Moreno of Satsuma claimed a $1 million prize after buying his ticket at the 700 Third Ave Ponte Vedra stood up to a basketball powerhouse until the very end on Friday night. But perennial heavyweight Blanche Ely’s burst in the third quarter was too much for the Sharks to overcome in a 44-38 loss in the Class 5A state championship game at RP Funding Center in Lakeland. The Sharks were trying to bring home the first championship for a St. Johns County team since Nease in 2002 and gave it their best. Ponte Vedra led at halftime in a low-scoring game (16-12) before the Tigers came on with ferocity in the third quarter. Ely (20-9) flipped that deficit into a 31-26 edge going into the final quarter and kept it until the finish. The Tigers now have nine state championships, including two over teams from St. Johns County. Ely beat Creekside 77-54 in the 2018 state title game. The Tigers have won nine state championships in 12 attempts, including the final eight. Two days after edging Leesburg in triple OT in the state semis, the Sharks went into a slowdown game in the opening half and frustrated the Tigers. Ponte Vedra closed the first quarter on an 8-0 run and took that lead into the second half. Maddox Palmer led Ponte Vedra with 20 points. Justin Barney joined News4Jax in February 2019, but he’s been covering sports on the First Coast for more than 20 years. This story has been updated to reflect new information The New York City-based daughter of a Jacksonville attorney was among the 67 victims of the Wednesday-night plane crash in Washington She was a 2014 graduate of Ponte Vedra High School Her parents are Peter and Stacie Nicandri of Ponte Vedra Beach Peter Nicandri is a partner at Milam Howard Nicandri & Gillam in Jacksonville He told WJXT TV-4 that he and his wife were with their daughter last weekend in New York City when she told them about a planned business trip to Kansas "She’s just anything that anyone would want in a daughter," her father told the station She worked hard and had so much ahead of her "They’ve already given us a timeline of the investigation so we will be monitoring," he said but … it’s not going to change the fact that our daughter is gone." A Moodys' spokeswoman said "two of our best" — Nicandri and Chris Collins — lost their lives on the American Airlines Flight 5342 "Chris and Melissa were cherished colleagues who embodied our values and enriched our lives with kindness and warmth," the spokeswoman said "They leave an immeasurable void in our community as well as all those grieving from this terrible tragedy." Collins was a vice president and senior analyst in Moody's Stamford Nicandri was secretary of the school's National Honor Society chapter and member of the National Hispanic Honor Society and Girls Learn International She was also yearbook editor and student ambassador She obtained a bachelor's degree in economics from Vanderbilt University in 2018 and a master's degree in international economics and finance from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in 2022 she was an analyst and consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton an IT services and consulting firm in McLean (This story has been updated to include a family-provided photo.) AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Ponte Vedra girls soccer team is the best in the state again. The Sharks withstood a late push from Lourdes Academy and held on for a 2-1 win in the Class 5A state championship game Saturday afternoon at the Lake Myrtle Sports Park in Auburndale. The back-to-back titles are push Ponte Vedra’s total to five. For head coach Dave Silverberg, it’s the ninth championship of a hall of fame career. Silverberg won four at Nease. This one was special in a different way. The Sharks lost nearly a dozen seniors to graduation or early enrollment. That included star players Natalie Brooks (Clemson) and Jenny Dearie (North Carolina). That meant the Sharks needed every bit of their lineup to produce, and it did. Ponte Vedra scored two minutes into the game when Izzy Whitaker pushed a ball into Katie DeVincentis, who knocked it off a Lourdes player and into the net. The Sharks got their next goal on one of the prettiest shots of the year, this one by Lulu Consunji. Taking a free kick from 35 yards away, Consunji put it just past Whitaker’s head and into the net at the 15-minute mark for a 2-0 lead. The Bobcats pressed furiously after that and scored their lone goal in the final 10 minutes, but the Ponte Vedra defense held strong. Some features on this page require the use of a different browser located within the boundaries of GTM Research Reserve Nearly 12,000 acres of uplands were purchased by the state of Florida in 1984 because of their environmental sensitivity and to protect several species of endangered and threatened plants and animals Approximately 9,500 acres are managed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and 2,600 acres are managed by DEP's Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection including the house and visitor center near Guana Dam.  Guana River Marsh Aquatic Preserve has a rich association of habitats including salt marshes a large artificial freshwater-to-brackish water lagoon open ocean and a complete cross-section of a relatively undisturbed barrier island This diversity provides habitat for a wide variety of resident and migratory wildlife including a sizable breeding population of the endangered wood stork The preserve also contains 13 miles of high energy beach fronting the Atlantic Ocean with high dunes (35-40 feet) and stabilized with native coastal vegetation These beaches provide breeding and nesting habitat for sea turtles and ground-nesting shorebirds such as the threatened least tern The Guana River begins north of the preserve in Ponte Vedra Beach and flows south to join the Tolomato River an earthen dam was constructed across the Guana River creating Guana Lake This wetland is approximately 2,400 acres and provides both open water and marsh habitats This shallow lagoonal lake extends 10 miles north from the dam The drainage basin includes approximately 7,800 acres extending from the dam 17 miles north into Jacksonville Beach The aquatic preserve offers exceptional water-related recreational activities. GTM Research Reserve provides four beach access areas to the Atlantic Ocean for swimming There are parking and boat launch facilities and access to both Guana Lake (Lake Ponte Vedra) and the Guana River for fishing The upland areas offer great opportunities for hiking The aquatic preserve contains archaeological and historic resources such as numerous aboriginal middens and artifacts of aboriginal and Spanish colonial origin This combination of natural and cultural resources provides an outstanding example of essentially natural Florida found nowhere else in the region There are currently no Events/Public Notices that match the selected criteria PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – The former Serenata Beach Club has a new name The private club is now the South Ponte Vedra Ocean Club The new version of the beach club held a VIP Night on Tuesday which included a ceremonial ribbon cutting ‘Serenata is no more," Club director Kimberly Patterson said New owners Kevin Merritt and Lynda-Culhane Merritt purchased the beach club along A1A last year. The club officially opened to members on Monday and a new restaurant concept Culhane-Merritt remains involved with the daily operation of the Culhane’s Irish Pubs in Atlantic Beach and South Jacksonville and the Culhane’s vodka and wine brands The previous owners owed two mortgage lenders a combined $14 million The Merritts paid just over $1.5 million for the property bidding alongside an embattled Rhode Island businessman and Serenata Beach Club Members who planned to open a member-owned club RELATED | Embattled Rhode Island businessman, local corp. and Serenata Beach Club members plan to bid on property at auction Merritt jokes that if he only paid $1.5 million for the club he would be in the Guinness Book of World Records He clarified that they also paid what was owed to the previous mortgage lenders along with investing in much-needed renovations and upgraded fixtures for the beach club “We were going to sell the club to a member equity group They tried their best and they tried to get 550 to join so we had to do what we did,” Merritt said There are currently 275 members of the South Ponte Vedra Ocean Club all of which are previous members of the Serenata Beach Club Merritt said the beach club had about 1,200 members The club has been in the spotlight for a host of financial problems since 2023 leading to temporary shutdowns the club announced its reopening under new management employees said they were still waiting on their paychecks and W-2s Merritt said they are working on rebuilding trust with previous Serenata Beach Club members. “Two hundred and seventy-five believed and I thank them for trusting us. So kudos to them,” Merritt said. Memberships are still available for purchase. The initial cost through March 1 is $15,000 plus tax; after March 1 the cost will be $17,500 with tax. “Imagine oceanfront dining at the Ritz Carlton,” Managing Director Mark Rojas said. “From the time you walk into my restaurant, you will get a class.” Existing members were offered a discount on the initial membership fees. If they joined in November they paid $11,500 and in December that price went up to $12,500. Merritt anticipates that the initial cost will increase by $5,000 every six months until the private beach club is leveled up. Because Lynda’s at the Ocean Club is open to the public, membership will be capped at 850. Tiffany comes home to Jacksonville, FL from WBND in South Bend, Indiana. She went to Mandarin High School and UNF. Tiffany is a former WJXT intern, and joined the team in 2023 as Consumer Investigative Reporter and member of the I-TEAM. Ponte Vedra girls soccer went back-to-back Saturday defeating Miami Lourdes 2-1 in the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 5A championship at Lake Myrtle Sports Complex in Auburndale an opportunistic finish by Katie DeVincentis a minute into the contest and a free kick from practically another ZIP code by sophomore defender Lulu Consunji It took a flurry of saves by sophomore keeper Abby Kennedy including a diving stop to deny the Bobcats' Lily Martinez the recipe for success all year for a Ponte Vedra squad that won it all last year but subsequently had to retool its lineup following graduations it's the proverbial one for the thumb for the Sharks (17-3-2) counting his four championships when coaching Nease at the helm of a Sharks squad that battled to the trophy in a year of resilience "They believed in themselves incredibly," he said When Consunji arrived at her first Sharks practice it took only minutes for him to know the newcomer was ready to start a coach who has sent college players to the likes of North Carolina and Notre Dame is even more impressed "Center backs don't get the glory because they don't score goals," Silverberg said "But she might be the best player I've ever had she cleared Lourdes attacks in bunches as the Bobcats mounted pressure during the second half she produced one of the longest-range goals in Northeast Florida's championship soccer history Consunji hit a rocket that soared into the net off the hands of Bobcats goalkeeper Adrianna Baena after converting a header in the semifinal against North Fort Myers Ponte Vedra wasted no time in jumping in front Izzy Whitaker carved open space on the left flank and served the ball inside where DeVincentis and Lily Morse were raiding into the box DeVincentis took control as the ball rattled around the penalty area and it finally settled into the net for a second-minute goal "We were pressuring them and I just got my foot on it," the sophomore midfielder said Ponte Vedra came close on a couple of other occasions particularly surging into the box with Morse and Whitaker but as Lourdes gradually worked back into the contest the early goal's value stood out more and more we would have had a big-time problem," Silverberg said University of North Florida signee Natalie McCann held Lourdes at bay despite heavy bombardment With Lourdes attackers Sienna Aviles and Antonella Monsalve threatening at every opportunity freshman Chloe Chandler and junior Lila Jones managed to stay one step ahead "It was honestly amazing the way we all pulled together," Kennedy said cutting off several threatening balls in the penalty area and lunging across the net to prevent the Bobcats' Martinez from tying the game early in the second half Even after Lauren Cancio put away a loose ball after a corner with nine minutes left for Lourdes (16-2-2) Then DeVincentis cleared the last Lourdes attack the clock ticked to zero and a swarm of ecstatic Sharks piled on in celebration inside the penalty area "I think this team has come so far in this season," Kennedy said and I think nobody deserves it more than we did." Follow along at High School On SI for live updates throughout the afternoon to see who will be representing in the Class 5A championship game on Friday Leesburg returns to the Final Four for the first time since 2018 Ponte Vedra returns to the Final Four for the fourth consecutive season (Keep refreshing page for live game updates) The Class 5A boys basketball semifinal between Leesburg and Ponte Vedra will tip-off at 3:02 p.m Maddox Palmer (Ponte Vedra) begins the scoring.. Alex Katsikas (Ponte Vedra) drains a corner three.. Palmer (Ponte Vedra) knocks down his first field goal.. Palmer with six quick points for the Sharks.. Angelo Moton (Leesburg) gets the Yellow Jackets on the board.. Evan James (Leesburg) knocks down their first field goal.. 9-6 Sharks with 3:30 left in the opening quarter Under two minutes left in the first quarter.. David Sanchez-Barrera (Ponte Vedra) ends a four-minute scoring drought.. Under three minutes remaining in the second quarter.. Xavier Campbell (Leesburg) snaps a streak of nine straight misses from 3-point range.. Jalen Brown (Leesburg) knocks down the first field goal of the second half.. Palmer answers right back increasing the Sharks lead back to nine.. Leesburg has cut the deficit to just four.. 33-31 Ponte Vedra with 2:04 left in the third quarter Angelo Moton (Leesburg) gives the Yellow Jackets their first lead.. Trace Westercamp makes it a two-possession game Angelo Moton (Leesburg) puts the Yellow Jackets back in front.. Sanchez-Barrera (Ponte Vedra) answers right back.. Both teams have gone the last seven minutes of game time without a field goal. Evan James (Leesburg) ends the scoring drought.. David Sanchez-Barrera ties the game at 46-46 Trace Westercamp re-gains the Sharks lead at 49-46 49-46 Sharks with 2:13 left in triple overtime Ponte Vedra still leading 49-46 with 1:34 left in triple overtime Leesburg 47: Ponte Vedra advances to the Class 5A Championship Game on Friday at 7:00 p.m ROSS VAN DE GRIEKRoss Van De Griek has been a high school sports writer covering the state of Florida since 2021 Ross also has been scouting high school basketball and Grassroots Basketball across the Southeast Region since 2022 Ross has been covering basketball and recruiting for High School on SI since August 2024 and On The Radar Hoops throughout his scouting career You can follow him on X @rossvdg14 or reach him via email rossvdg14@gmail.com for story ideas © 2025 ABG-SI LLC - SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (This story was updated to accurately reflect the most current information.)  a Beaches surfing legend who at 17 became the East Coast Surfing Association's first men's champion and then traveled to compete in two world championships died Thursday after he was found washed up on the shore with his surfboard still attached to his ankle Ponte Vedra beachgoers found him and began CPR, as did rescue personnel when they arrived, but he did not survive Johns County Fire Rescue said as far as officials there know he was alone and was found in the surf zone behind the 400 block of Ponte Vedra Boulevard The department received the call about 8 a.m Mitch Kaufmann, a Beaches surfer who has chronicled the local surfing scene for decades said Thursday afternoon that he had spoken with Roland's family He said Roland lived in Ponte Vedra and surfed that same spot anytime there were waves surfing "like a teenager," on a board shorter than himself and this is what everybody says about Joseph — he walked the walk Roland was retired from the city of Jacksonville founded a seafood company in Mayport bearing his name He was elected to the East Coast Surf Legends Hall of Fame in 1998 and later was worthy of an entry in Matt Warshaw’s 700-plus-page “Encylopedia of Surfing,” placed between "rogue wave" and "roller coaster." The entry noted the achievements of “the slender and easygoing Roland": that upset win at the 1968 East Coast championship over much better-known competitors; a repeat East Coast win the next year; and trips to compete in World Surfing Championships in 1968 (in Puerto Rico) and 1970 (in Australia) Kaufmann said Roland was a modest man who rarely competed past the 1970s but would surf in an occasional EPIC Surf Ministries contest as he got older could play numerous musical instruments and had a recording studio in his house For many years he played in worship bands during church services he told me that after he swam or surfed he tried to eat a healthy lunch and then he’d walk on the beach for an hour every day and pray," Fogg said He remembers Roland coming home from winning an East Coast championship bearing with him a large mahogany trophy about 3 feet long He quickly removed the surfer figure on top of it and fixed it up to work as a skateboard that he could ride “That’s how much he cared about recognition,” Fogg said Roland's friend Mickey Ross said they tried to surf together every Tuesday and Joe still surfed as well as he did as a teenager He could probably out-paddle someone half his age," he said but the ocean was far too jumbled up to surf so they stayed on the beach and talked and prayed which Roland had been attending the past couple of months said his friend's faith was his top priority he never met anybody he didn’t show love to He would show his love for them through his action "We'll have a paddle-out when the family is ready," he said Tickets & More Info: roscolusa.comLocation: 245 Nocatee Center Way, Ponte Vedra, FLFollow Us: @Roscolusa on Instagram & FacebookJoin After losing to North Fort Myers nearly a month to the day the Ponte Vedra girls soccer team dug deep Wednesday afternoon and Chiles to reach the Class 5A Final Four in Auburndale Then Dave Silverberg's group avenged that 4-0 loss to the Red Knights with a 2-1 win and will take on the winner of Lourdes Academy and Cypress Creek for the Class 5A title on Saturday More: Soccer semifinals: Canterbury boys and girls and Bishop Verot girls headed to regional finals "We were unfortunate," North Fort Myers coach Nick Erickson said We couldn't find our footing in the middle of the field North had won 18 in a row and closed its season at 21-3-0 eclipsing the 20-win mark under Erickson for the seventh time in program history Ponte Vedra (16-3-2) dictated much of the first half with ball control and passing but North's counterattack found its footing early Just a minute after Hannah Busenbark timed up a good run but didn't convert she got a shot past Sharks keeper Abby Kennedy in the fifth minute to take a 1-0 lead Continuing to dictate what went on in the midfield Ponte Vedra leveled the game in the 31st minute as sophomore defender Lulu Consunji netted her fourth goal of the season off a cross into the box "We struggled to win the ball in the middle of the field and connect passes," Erickson said I thought we were giving the ball away a little bit too much in the middle of the field I said that Ponte Vedra could be the same exact way It just wasn't their night in that one game (last month) Busenbark had a free shot on an open goal with Kennedy down after making an initial save but put too much on a shot that grazed off the crossbar and out of play It ultimately came back to haunt the Red Knights in the 61st minute when the Sharks executed a set play throw-in with Lily Morse leaking behind the North Fort Myers back line leading to a one-on-one opportunity with Hankinson that she buried in the top right corner to make it 2-1 and they had a really good run of play," Erickson said they had the better run of play than we did and it started to work to a certain degree there's was a throw-in where they whipped it across and had a girl that was unmarked get the second goal." showing life in the 71st minute when Megan Bergin nearly put a shot past Kennedy but was met by a Ponte Vedra defender while winding up to take the shot to disrupt timing Jaelyn Hoefer had a free kick from 30 yards away that Kennedy stopped Busenbark would get one last quality run in the 79th minute trying to go near side but ultimately denied Multiple failed clearances from the Sharks didn't cost them in the end as the final whistle sounded 45 seconds later the most in area history since Haley Pigott's 75 goals at Evangelical Christian during the 2012-13 season "The girl has had an amazing season," Erickson said It does not take away from the season that she had We were unfortunately one goal short today." Follow Sports Reporter Alex Martin on X: @NP_AlexMartin. For the best sports coverage in Southwest Florida, follow @newspresssports and @ndnprepzone on Instagram Carlos Acevedo PONTE VEDRA – Morning Motor Social hosted a car meet in Ponte Vedra where they raised money for Nemours Children’s Health on Saturday The car club also announced a partnership with Ferrari Club America’s Jacksonville chapter It’s a club of Ferrari owners and enthusiasts that allowed attendees at the car meet to see vintage classic Ferraris and modern hypercars We’re all here for the same things: the kids and a genuine love of cars,” George Cost and Chris Nelson said Morning Motor Social donated $1500 to Nemours Children’s Health’s Pediatric Acute Telemental Health (PATH) program Gabe Araujo of Nemour’s Children’s Health said “It allows the rapid access to mental health services and so the service is trying to provide mental health evaluation and connection and connection with families like a warm handoff to providers in their community.” Those impacted by telehealth were also in attendance “We know that mental health services are so difficult for a lot of families to access,” the doctors said “And that can be very frustrating and worrisome for parents so we are so grateful to provide the services to the community and hope to make more families aware of it.” which also brought a racing simulation experience to the event Click here to learn more about Morning Motor Social. Caleb Yauger joined the WJXT team in February 2025. He previously worked as a reporter and weekend evening anchor for Erie News Now (WICU, WSEE) in Erie, Pa., covering both news and sports. Carlos Acevedo is a photojournalist at WJXT News4Jax and a University of North Florida graduate with a degree in Communications, concentrating in Digital Video Production. Since joining News4Jax in 2024, he has been responsible for shooting compelling news stories that capture and share important events with the community. The Ponte Vedra boys basketball team is headed to the state championship game after surviving a wild, triple overtime game against Leesburg in the final four. Maddox Palmer was one of four Sharks to reach double figures in scoring as Ponte Vedra outlasted Leesburg 54-47 on Wednesday at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Palmer had 18 points, followed by David Sanchez Barrera (13), Trace Westercamp and Ryan Speace (10 apiece). The Sharks will face Blanche Ely on Friday at 7 p.m. for the championship. No team from St. Johns County has won a title since the Nease boys in 2002. Ponte Vedra led most of the game, including a 10-point cushion early in the third quarter. But Leesburg erased that by the fourth and pushed the game into OT. Both were scoreless in the first extra period and managed just three points in the second. The Sharks pulled away in the third extra frame, outscoring Leesburg 8-1 to reach the third state title game in program history. Leesburg was just 1 for 11 from the field in the OT periods. Sanchez Barrera hit a driving layup with 10 seconds to play in regulation to tie things at 43-all and Speace drilled an open look 3-pointer on a dish from Sanchez Barrera with 20 seconds to play in the second OT to knot things at 46-all, the only offense of the quarter for the Sharks.