Clay County's free wedding filled with love

Friday, February 15th, 2013, 5:47pm

GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. -- The cold weather on Valentine's Day didn't cause any cold feet in Green Cove Springs. Ten brides walked step-in-step with the 10 grooms, all ready to take the next step in life.

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Arrests announced in the killing of Det. David White

Submitted by FirstCoastNews Web Staff

Thursday, February 14th, 2013, 8:47pm

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. - The Florida Department of Law Enforcement announced four arrests in the shooting death of Clay County Detective David White.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement announced in a release to the media that 22-year-old Robert Apple II, 21-year-old Christopher Henderson, 19-year-old Curtis "Ping" Dingler and 36-year-old Jack Lemond have been arrested Thursday in connection with the theft and transfer of the gun allegedly used to kill Det. David White in February 2012.

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Beware of online dating schemes or romance scams

Submitted by Ken Amaro, Ken Amaro, Community Reporter

Thursday, February 14th, 2013, 8:05pm

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Studies support online dating; 20 percent of heterosexual couples meet online; 60 percent of same-sex couples meet on the internet.

Glamour magazine reports that fraud is sweeping online dating sites. Scammers are using fake profiles with pictures of real military personnel. The target is women who are looking for love.

But these scammers are not looking for love -- they want your money.

Jonette Burns, 60, is in the middle of a divorce and turned to the online dating for a companion.

"I stay at home a lot," said Burns. "That's why I decided to try the online dating.

And now the experience has left her bitter and angry. What looked like a hopeful relationship turned out to be a scam.

"Just heartbroken and devastated that someone can do that," said Burns.

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New competition in Jacksonville home market

Submitted by Jeff Marcu, Anchor/Investigative Reporter

Wednesday, February 13th, 2013, 9:52pm

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The local real estate market is heating up, and home buyers now have some new competition.

Investor groups are taking advantage of our real estate market and buying large portfolios of homes, then renting them out.

Jennifer Serrano and her family have been looking for the perfect home for the past six months.

"I have seen it go from being a buyer's market, to now, it's pretty tough looking into buying a home," she said.

To add to the competition, buyers now have to beat out investment firms that are snapping up literally thousands of homes. These companies are some of the largest buyers of homes in Jacksonville.

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Major delays on I-295 southbound after crash on the Buckman Bridge

Submitted by Amanda Zitzman, Traffic Anchor/Reporter

Tuesday, February 12th, 2013, 8:58am

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A crash involving an overturned vehicle on the Buckman Bridge southbound snarled traffic on I-295 Tuesday morning.

The accident happened just before 6 a.m. and blocked two southbound lanes on the Buckman Bridge. Witnesses that drove by the scene said an SUV flipped over.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, they are investigating the crash as a hit and run. No further details have been released.

Southbound traffic was at a standstill beyond Blanding Boulevard until the lanes were reopened around 7:45 a.m.

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Sheriff's search for man wanted on drug charges

Submitted by FirstCoastNews Web Staff

Monday, February 4th, 2013, 1:22pm

GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. - The Clay County Sheriff's Office is seeking the public's help locating a suspect wanted on drug related charges.

Jamaaal Rashad Cobbert, 30, is wanted by the CCSO for charges of possession of Cocaine with intent to sell or deliver, according to a post on the CCSO Facebook page.

Cobbert is described as 5-feet-11-inches tall, weighing about 180 lbs, the post details.

Cobbert's last known address is on Palm Street in Green Cove Springs.

Anyone with any information about this suspect is asked to contact the Clay County Sheriff's Office at 904-264-6512. To remain anonymous and receive a possible reward, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.

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2 sisters-in-law and 3 children are found

Submitted by FirstCoastNews Web Staff

Saturday, February 2nd, 2013, 11:50pm

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. -- The Clay County Sheriff's Office has announced that the two adults and three children who had gone missing have been found in North Carolina.

Two sisters-in-law, Brittany Miller-Leichty, 22, and Thelma Leichty, 34, and their three children were reported missing Saturday night, according to Mary Justino, with the CCSO.

Those who were reported missing: Miller-Leichty and her son Alexzander Rodgers, 5, Leichty and her daughters Kelly Barnard, 7, and Caitlyn Barnard 12.

Both women lived in an apartment at St. Johns Landing Apartments off of Highway 17, in Green Cove Springs, with the children and their husbands Jacob and Joshua Leichty, Justino said.

The Sheriff's Office was initially contacted by the two women's husbands who reported that their wives had been behaving strangely for several weeks.

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