Clay County Veterans Services

06/10/2025

Master-at-Arms First Class Petty Officer (Surface Warfare) Craig Allen Pierce led the Pledge of Allegiance at the June 10 BCC Meeting. A proud veteran, Petty Officer Pierce served in the U.S. Air Force from 1987 to 1993 and later in the U.S. Navy from 2001 until his retirement in 2015—completing a distinguished 25-year military career. His stateside assignments included South Dakota, California, and Florida, while his overseas service took him to West Germany, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Iraq, Cuba, the Philippines, and Guam. Throughout his career, Petty Officer Pierce earned numerous awards, including the Bronze Star, Navy Commendation Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal. Motivated by a deep sense of patriotism, he gained a lasting appreciation for teamwork, perseverance, and self-sacrifice during his time in uniform. Now a resident of Middleburg, he continues to serve his community as a volunteer with the Clay County Historical Society. We extend our sincere gratitude to Petty Officer Pierce for his service to our Nation and his ongoing contributions to our local community.

06/02/2025

Updated from FDOT:
As part of First Coast Expressway construction, the planned traffic shift at the State Road 16/First Coast Expressway interchange is planned overnight on Wednesday, June 18.

Previous Message:

Update from FDOT: The planned traffic shift at the State Road 16/First Coast Expressway interchange has been postponed to later this month.

Update from FDOT: As part of First Coast Expressway construction, the planned traffic shift at the State Road 16/First Coast Expressway interchange has been postponed to Friday, June 6 due to weather.

TRAFFIC ALERT: FDOT is opening an intersection that's new to Clay County on Tuesday, June 3, at the State Road 16/First Coast Expressway interchange in Green Cove Springs. The diverging diamond interchange is pictured here.

All ramps at the interchange will remain closed until this segment of the First Coast Expressway is opened to traffic, which FDOT anticipates to be this summer.

From FDOT: A diverging diamond interchange (DDI) is an interchange design in which the two directions of traffic on State Road 16 below the First Coast Expressway will briefly drive on the opposite side of the road. This intersection design creates significant improvements in safety, since long left turns crossing traffic lanes are eliminated and potential conflict points are reduced to 14 from the 26 found in traditional interchange designs. Additionally, the DDI promotes efficiency with only two clearance intervals (the time for traffic signals to change from green to yellow to red) instead of the six or more found in other interchange designs. The DDI at State Road 16 will join the DDI at Henley Road and First Coast Expressway as the first of this kind in Clay County.

05/27/2025

Command Master Chief Christopher Jones led the Pledge of Allegiance at the May 27 BCC Meeting. A proud U.S. Navy veteran, Master Chief Jones retired in 2019 after an extraordinary 31-year military career. He served in locations including San Diego, the Pacific Northwest, Key West, Pensacola, and Memphis, and completed 12 overseas deployments. His exemplary service earned him numerous honors, such as the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, two Meritorious Service Medals, five Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, and the Joint Service Commendation Medal, along with several other campaign and unit awards. In retirement, he continues to give back as the HR Manager at Baptist Health Clay and as Vice-Chair of the Board for First Tee – North Florida. We extend our gratitude for his outstanding service to both our nation and our community.

05/26/2025

05/25/2025

Going from the training room to the classroom? You can find more information about veterans' education at https://www.floridavets.org/benefits-services/education/.

05/24/2025

Want to make a difference in the lives of shelter animals? 🐶🐱

Clay County Animal Services is always looking for compassionate volunteers to help with a variety of tasks, from dog walking and socializing to cleaning kennels and assisting our medical team.

Sign up to volunteer at https://bit.ly/ClayAnimalVolunteer

05/23/2025

Where's the money and how do I get it...? Find out at the Lender Expo hosted by our partners SBDC in Clay County on June 5!

If you're a small business owner struggling to secure funding for your business, this event will have networking opportunities and a facilitated Q&A with representatives from various Clay County bankers and lending institutions. Sponsored by SouthState and Capital City Bank.

Register today!

https://events.blackthorn.io/en/6g3Q8Wa7/clay-county-wheres-the-money-and-how-do-i-get-it-lender-expo-5a1eVO8US5W/overview

05/21/2025

We want YOU to lead the Pledge at the next Board of County Commissioners meeting! If you're interested, contact [email protected].

05/20/2025

All Clay County Board of County Commissioners offices and departments will close on Monday, May 26, in observance of Memorial Day. This includes:


Clay County Public Libraries- will close on Monday, May 26, and will reopen on Tuesday, May 27.

Clay County Environmental Services Administration Building - will close on Monday, May 26, and will reopen on Tuesday, May 27.


**Rosemary Hill Solid Waste Management Facility and our Environmental Convenience Centers will be closed on Monday, May 26 and will reopen on Tuesday, May 27. Additionally, there will be no curbside garbage or yard waste collection on Monday. Residents can expect a one-day delay in service, with Monday routes being collected on Tuesday, Tuesday routes collected on Wednesday, Wednesday routes collected on Thursday, and so on.**

05/20/2025

Hey, Keystone Heights! We're bringing Clay County Community Services and Veteran Services to you.

We'll be at the Keystone Heights Historic Beach Pavilion once a month to assist residents and veterans and answer questions about local resources.

Our next event is on Wednesday, May 21.

For more information, visit https://www.claycountygov.com/community/community-services

05/19/2025

During World War II, Camp Banding was home to a German POW compound. Prisoners of war were required to work, earning 80 cents a day, with overtime work earning one dollar.

Dr George Cressman explains the history behind Camp Blanding's prisoner of war compound, or PW compound as it was called at the time. This was one of the cam...

05/18/2025

Learn more about Adopt A Spot/Mile options at https://bit.ly/KeepClayBeautiful.