From our desks at The Baker County Press...
Welcome back to The Loop and happy September! Or as Florida likes to call it, August: Extended Cut.
This week, we’ve got Flock cameras coming down, CareerSource trying to keep more Baker County workers closer to home, JV football getting the rivalry-week win before that fated varsity game the entire town attended, and a local fundraiser rallying around one of our own.
Plus, there are horses, monster trucks, community theater, water testing and enough things happening nearby to keep you from claiming “there’s nothing to do here.”
And because it is officially September, we’re digging into the archives only to discover that Baker County residents were still complaining about September humidity back in 1983. Some traditions really do endure.
Grab a crispy Diet Coke and let’s get into it.
🏛 In The Loop
Baker County is done with Flock
The Baker County Sheriff’s Office is pulling the plug on its automated license plate readers, joining several Northeast Florida agencies after Gov. Ron DeSantis criticized the technology and FDOT ordered cameras removed from state highway rights-of-way.
Sheriff Scotty Rhoden said the cameras had helped deputies find wanted people, recover stolen property and generate leads — but public concerns over privacy, surveillance and how the data is used had become too significant to ignore.
And BCSO was using them quite a bit.
An audit log shows deputies searched the system 2,721 times in the first six months of 2026, most often for drug investigations, wanted people, missing or endangered people, stolen vehicles and theft cases.
Local opposition had also been growing. A petition started by Cheyenne Dowie calling for Baker County to stop using Flock cameras reached 283 signatures before the sheriff’s announcement.
FDOT’s statewide directive gives operators 30 days to remove plate readers from state highway rights-of-way. BCSO is going a step further: the agency says it is discontinuing the technology altogether, at least for now.
So if you’ve been following this ongoing “to Flock or not to Flock” debate, we finally have our answer... for now.
CareerSource isn’t just for job seekers
A recent Baker Business Social at Reimer Coffee (fancy coffee paid for, btw- I was living large), put the spotlight on CareerSource Northeast Florida — and specifically on something plenty of people may not realize:
The organization isn't just for job seekers, but also helps businesses recruit, train, and retain employees — including small companies with fewer than five workers.
That matters here: CareerSource says nearly 70% of Baker County residents commute outside the county for work, while local wages tend to be lower than elsewhere in the region.
CareerSource is also working with local partners on an upcoming Baker County Talent Study to better match workers’ skills with employers’ needs.
We’ve updated the online version of this story with additional comments from CareerSource about these challenges, training opportunities, and services for local businesses.
Read the full story on bakercountypress.com.
And CareerSource isn’t only for someone who just lost a job. People who are already working can also use its programs to gain new skills, earn credentials or make a career change.
More info: careersourcenortheastflorida.com
🔥 WHAT’S HAPPENING: JV got there first
Before Friday night’s varsity rivalry game turned Memorial Stadium into an all-out Baker brawl, the JV Wildcats already had it handled with Bradford.
The younger Cats beat the Tornadoes 22-14 Thursday, pushing through rain and four quarters of tough play. Roberto Barragan and Gary Mosely led a strong ground game, while quarterback Aiden Brady connected with Romello Thompson through the air. Coach Hank Farmer credited the defense with a classic “bend, don’t break” effort.
Then came Friday.
The varsity matchup had considerably more... plot. The highly anticipated rivalry game included a weather delay, a tense pregame confrontation, a heavy law-enforcement presence, and arrests. Through all of it, Baker ultimately fell to Bradford 16-9.
So the weekend scoreboard looked like this:
Thursday: JV Baker 22, Bradford 14
Friday: Varsity Bradford 16, Baker 9
JV apparently decided the best way to deal with rivalry-week chaos was simply to win before the chaos started.
Read more about Friday night in Richard's article here, because it's definitely a winner.
☀️ Lighten The Loop
Florida Fireworks (where Black Cat used to be located, since I know you're wondering) is helping raise money for Sebastian Overland, an 18-year-old Baker County graduate now undergoing treatment for osteosarcoma while attending college.
The company is raffling off a hefty fireworks package, with proceeds benefiting Sebastian. Tickets are $5 each or three for $10 and can be purchased from a crossing guard or by contacting the head crossing guard and Florida Fireworks manager Robert Phillips at 904-408-9955. Cash and Cash App are accepted.
The drawing will be livestreamed by Florida Fireworks on Sept. 18.
Want to help without buying explosives? Sebastian’s family also has a GoFundMe set up to help with medical and travel expenses. Donate here:
https://gofund.me/7da2a00e8
Minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian for prize pickup.
📣 SOUND OFF
👉 Got something to say? Feel free to leave us your anonymous thoughts on anything (um, within reason).
Tell it to the judge Sound Off form:
⚡ Loop Around Town
🎭 Little County, Big History
Sept. 11–13 · Doors open 6 PM | Curtain 7 PM
Baker County High School | 1 Wildcat Dr, Glen St. Mary
Baker County Community Theatre is bringing local history to the stage once again with Little County, Big History, a storytelling-style production highlighting some of the county’s most memorable moments.
The show covers everything from survival during the Seminole Wars and the Battle of Olustee to Baker County’s role in a presidential election, moonshining stories, memories of growing up in the 1800s, and local athletic history.
So basically: stories of sports, shooting, scalping, and 'shine; I can (almost) guarantee it.
That is what you call "range."
Possible footage of a long-lost Baker County relative?
You can grab reserved tickets by calling the Drama Reservation Line at 904-603-9052.
Good for: history lovers, theater supporters, longtime locals, students, cousins and anyone who enjoys being reminded that Baker County has been a little wild from start.
🐎 Ride Night & Vendor Night
Saturday, Sept. 5 · vendors at 6 p.m., riding at 7 p.m. · Baker County Fairgrounds
The Baker County Horseman’s Association is turning its regular Ride Night into a little extra Saturday night outing with vendors, riding events, and plenty of arena action.
Riders will compete in cloverleaf, poles, Texas barrels, and an arena race, with extras after each event.
Ride fees are $10 for members and $15 for nonmembers, while vendors can set up for $50.
So yes, you can shop, snack, cheer, and watch people voluntarily race around barrels on horseback, which is way more exciting than your couch surfing.
💧 Become a citizen scientist
Wednesday, Sept. 9 · 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. · 139 E. Macclenny Ave.
St. Marys Riverkeeper is bringing its Adopt-A-Stream water-quality training to Macclenny for anyone interested in helping monitor local waterways.
Volunteers can learn how to collect credible water samples and work toward certification to monitor streams and rivers.
Bacterial training runs from 9 a.m. to noon, followed by chemical training from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Participants must pass written and practical tests to earn certification.
You too, can become the kind of person who looks at water and says, “I have data.” A hero.
Good for: nature lovers, river people, science-loving residents, retired folks with clipboards, and anyone who has ever looked at local water and wondered, “Should we be checking on that?”
🏥 Florida Department of Health Open House
Wednesday, Sept. 9 · 3–5 p.m. · 480 West Lowder St., Macclenny
The Florida Department of Health in Baker County is opening its doors for an afternoon of guided tours, service information, staff introductions, and giveaways.
Come see what actually happens inside the building you’ve probably driven past thousands of times, but have no actual idea what they offer.
There’s no appointment, copay, or mysterious waiting-room clipboard required — just stop by, ask questions and collect some useful information. And possibly a giveaway. We’re not saying this is the most exciting field trip in Baker County, but it does have free stuff and fewer permission slips.
Good for: families, caregivers, community partners, curious residents and anyone who enjoys learning how local services work before they urgently need them.
For more information, call 904-653-5274 or visit Baker.FloridaHealth.gov.
🚗 Worth the Drive
For those willing to venture outside county lines...
💛 Hello from the 904: Community Celebration
Friday, Sept. 4 · 11 a.m.–2 p.m. · Orange Park Mall
Orange Park Mall is hosting a free community celebration with nonprofits and organizations from across Northeast Florida.
Guests can pick up a “904 Passport,” visit interactive stops around the mall, and catch live music, giveaways, and performances from the Rolling Gems.
It’s part resource fair, part mall stroll, part “Did I actually learn something while walking past the pretzel place?”
Good for: families, nonprofit supporters, community-resource seekers, and anyone who believes malls are dead and is just curious.
🚙 Monster Jam
Saturday–Sunday, Sept. 5–6 · VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville
For anyone with a kid — or an adult — who appreciates enormous trucks doing objectively unreasonable things, Monster Jam is rolling into Jacksonville this weekend.
Shows are scheduled for 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.
Expect giant trucks, loud engines, big jumps, mullets, cut-off sleeves, and at least one person sloshing a beer while fist-pumping in the air.
📣 Got an event? Tell us.
We want to fill this section with more Baker County events — markets, fundraisers, school happenings, church events, local business pop-ups, live music, club meetings, kid stuff, grown-up stuff, weirdly specific stuff. Especially the weirdly specific stuff.
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Send the date, time, location, details, and a flyer or photo to sales@bakercountypress.com so we can help spread the word.
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⚡ Loop Tea Loop
The calendar has flipped to September. Pumpkin spice has infested our coffee shops, grocery stores, and all manner of things once more. Fall decorations are appearing on porches. Somewhere, far, far away, people are opening windows and enjoying crisp morning air.
Not here.
In Baker County, September mostly means, "Summer! Now with school!" But it's still hot, still humid, and just autumn-adjacent enough to make us resent it.
And apparently, this is not a new issue.
Back in September 1983, Press columnist (and local historian) Gene Barber declared Labor Day the unofficial end of summer... “except for the heat and September’s infamous mugginess.”
He described these weeks before the first real chill as an awkward little in-between season. Up north, he wrote, people called it “Indian Summer... Down here, it is just tolerated.”
Honestly? No notes. I think I'd get along famously with Gene. I like his style.
Still, he DID find something worth appreciating in September. The long golden afternoons, the first hint of cool air in the morning, and the subtle change happening in the woods were enough to bring out his poetic side.
Literally.
Writing from the banks of Little Turkey Creek, Barber offered readers a September poem reflecting on aging, changing seasons and the strange tenderness of this particular month:
The drawn out golden afternoons
of September are with me
giving my body a last warmth.
Hints of chill by morning.
I must hurry.
No. No, sweet May
you are desirable
but...
I am September.
My days were once firm and radiant
I remember.
May was fickle.
June hot
very hot.
I was best as August.
But there's a sensitivity to September unmatched.
You too are September?
Come with me.
in the eternal words of Richard Gilmore...
While we may not get sweaters, falling leaves, or genuinely crisp afternoons for a while yet, perhaps there is something to be said for Baker County’s version of fall: golden evenings, slightly less stifling mornings and the annual ritual of staring at the forecast and asking,
“OK, but when is it actually going to cool down?” Fingers crossed by Christmas, my friends.
Alright folks, that wraps it up!! Got thoughts? Stories? Feedback? Shoot it to me at sales@bakercountypress.com. Go ahead, I can take it.