Woman arrested for toy donations calls it a misunderstanding

Submitted by Ken Amaro, Ken Amaro, Community Reporter

Wednesday, December 17th, 2014, 8:01pm

GREEN COVE SPRINGS, FL -- When you type in Wanda Lopez name on ripoffreport.com, you will find two anonymous postings.

ID=20563313

"I feel really hurt," said Lopez.

The postings describe her as a fraud, a pageant scammer and a liar. The latest posting was December 4, the same day Lopez was arrested by Green Cove Springs police at Fred's grocery store. She is charged with petit theft.

"It is all because of what's going on with this website," she said.

View Comments | Post a Comment

Community Sponsors

Advertise Here

Are you interested in promoting your business to local customers?

A wheelchair for places wheelchairs can't go

Submitted by Jessica Clark, Reporter

Wednesday, October 29th, 2014, 6:49pm

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. -- Hand-cranked carts, made on the First Coast, are changing peoples' lives around the world.

ID=18145203

Volunteers make carts for people in third world countries who have lost the use of their legs.

Seun Oke is from Nigeria. The 26-year-old took the grand tour of The P.E.T. Place in Penney Farms, a workshop, this week. Volunteers at The P.E.T. Place make the kind of cart she relies on. P.E.T. stands for personal energy transportation.

When Seun was 8-years-old, she was diagnosed with polio and she lost the use of her legs.

View Comments | Post a Comment

Submitted by FirstCoastNews Web Staff

Wednesday, April 9th, 2014, 5:57pm

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. -- Thanks to a federal grant for more than $2 million, 21 more firefighters are on the job at several station in Clay County.

Deputy Chief David Motes said it's a big step forward.

"It gives us our 4 firefighter minimum in the station, and helps us with our response to our citizens," he said.

The jump in staff has happened at fire stations in Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, Orange Park, Keystone Heights, and Fleming Island.

"It's the largest group of firefighters Clay County has ever hired in our history," Motes said.

View Comments | Post a Comment

Submitted by Mike Lyons, First Coast News Reporter/Multi-Media Journalist

Thursday, April 3rd, 2014, 6:09pm

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. -- Clay County's Animal Care and Control just west of Green Cove Springs on State Road 16 is packed with dogs.

So much so, that a high school student reached out to First Coast News for help spreading the word so more people will adopt a dog and avoid possible euthanization.

Fifteen-year-old Clay High sophomore Alyssa Fischer volunteers at Clay County Animal Control and is sad to see so many dogs needing a home outside these cages.

"So many dogs are in the kennels, even five dogs in one cage if they are not that big so we really need people to come out and adopt, foster, rescue, anything you can do," said Fischer.

Volunteers put up a sign saying "ADOPT," using red and white cups along the fence for people to see while driving by.

View Comments | Post a Comment

Community Sponsors

Advertise Here

Are you interested in promoting your business to local customers?

Harvey's Supermarket closing in Green Cove Springs as is a distribution center, lost jobs

Submitted by Mike Lyons, First Coast News Reporter/Multi-Media Journalist

Wednesday, February 26th, 2014, 8:49pm

GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. -- Bi-Lo, the parent company of Winn-Dixie, has purchased 155 stores, including Harvey's, Sweetbay and Reid's, which will result in the closing of a Harvey's Supermarket in Green Cove Springs.

It is being closed due to its proximity to Winn-Dixie, which is about a mile north of Harvey's on U.S. 17.

Charlie Thomas has been shopping there for 7 years and he won't be happy to see it closed on May 3rd.

"We are really going to miss it , because I shop here 3 or 4 times a week. And by comparison with prices at the Winn-Dixie right up the street here, we are going to miss this store," he said. "Cheaper, they always have good deals."

Bill Smith just moved to Green Cove Springs 6 months ago and enjoys shopping here.

View Comments | Post a Comment

Submitted by FirstCoastNews Web Staff

Tuesday, February 25th, 2014, 7:26am

GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. (AP) - Three northeast Florida sheriff's deputies have been disciplined after an arrest mix-up sent the wrong teenager to jail.

The 17-year-old spent 35 days in the Clay County jail after being charged as an adult in a sexual battery case. One deputy also faces a suspension and a transfer.

The Florida Times-Union reports that in a disciplinary letter, Sheriff Rick Beseler wrote that because of that deputy's incompetence, "an innocent man was arrested for an offense that he did not commit."

The mistake wasn't discovered until the teen received court documents detailing the charges against him.

Authorities say investigators failed to confirm their suspect's identity with a photo lineup.

View Comments | Post a Comment

Submitted by FirstCoastNews Web Staff

Tuesday, February 4th, 2014, 8:44pm

GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. -- A former information technology specialist for the Clay County School District is accused of stealing thousands of dollars in computer equipment from the school district.

The Clay County Sheriff's Office believes Michael Francisco stole at least $19,000 in computer and AV equipment, and then sold the items online.

Francisco worked at multiple schools in the county over the course of eight years.

He is currently being held on $100,000 dollars bond.

View Comments | Post a Comment