🏠 News From Your Neighborhood
Florida
Two Publix stores sit just 500 feet apart in this Northeast Florida city — but why?
NEPTUNE BEACH, Fla. – It’s pretty much a Florida tradition for any beach day: You load up the car and on the way to the ocean, you make the obligatory Publix run to grab all the beach essentials like Pub Subs, sweet tea and fried chicken.
Just check social media. There are a ton of creators who describe their Publix pit stops as a mandatory step before any fun-in-the-sun activity.
But any beachgoers heading down Atlantic Boulevard toward Neptune Beach will have a choice to make. That’s because two Publix stores sit just over 500 feet apart.
Yes, you read that right.
There are over 20 Publix stores in Jacksonville alone. Sometimes it feels like there’s one on every corner. And on Atlantic Boulevard just before 3rd Street, it’s like you’re seeing double.
Publix Super Market at Seminole Shoppes at 630 Atlantic Blvd. opened in 2010. It’s probably the most familiar Publix in the area if you don’t visit Neptune Beach often.
So, it might be a bit confusing to see a more modern-looking Publix sitting at the Neptune Beach Plaza on 580 Atlantic Blvd., just to the left of the original 54,130 square-foot store.
The updated store opened in 2023 after the company acquired the 29,810 square foot space that formerly housed Lucky’s Market for $2.3 million, according to News4JAX news partner the Jax Daily Record.
As convenient as it may sound, it’s also confusing. Why did the Florida-born company feel the need to build another Publix close to…well, another Publix?
A spokesperson for the company told News4JAX it is not “unusual to have Publix locations close in proximity.”
There are similar situations in St. Johns County, though not quite to the extreme happening at the Beaches.
In Nocatee, the Super Market at Nocatee Town Center at 120 Marketside Avenue sits less than a half mile from a Publix GreenWise Market across the street at 250 Pine Lake Drive.
GreenWise is Publix’s organic brand that was expanded to stand-alone stores with four locations in Florida, according to an online locator map.
St. Augustine’s Publix at Market at Shoppes at Murabella has a newly opened Publix Super Market at Parkey Village of St. Johns that sits right across State Road 16.
While both Neptune Beach stores are fully open and have been successfully operating next to each other, residents admitted the concept was rather strange.
McKenzie Fletcher moved to Atlantic Beach from Ponte Vedra Beach and shops at the newer Publix in Neptune Beach.
She said she questioned the employees about the store’s purpose.
“This is now the closest Publix to me and I was asking if they were shutting down the old one. Hence, why this one is brand new,” Fletcher said.
Nope, that’s not the case here. Both stores are open with no intention of shutting down.
When News4JAX reached out to Publix to learn the differences between the stores, the spokesperson confirmed while both stores operate as a “traditional Publix” with most grocery departments and a full-service bakery and deli, the newer store includes features from the GreenWise brand.
“The Neptune Beach Plaza location also has a Pours section where customers can purchase items like acai bowls, smoothies, beer, wine, coffee or tea and sip while they shop,” the spokesperson said.
Fletcher found the additional store to be convenient despite her confusion.
“It’s slightly closer to my house and it is kind of like stop-and-go. I do feel like they do have special things like the little bar and stuff. It’s cute.” Fletcher said.
Other people News4JAX spoke to also seemed to question the dueling Publixes.
One woman commutes around four miles from the Golden Glades neighborhood to shop at the newer Publix store because the store at Atlantic and Hodges Boulevards is temporarily closed for construction.
“I thought it was little a odd. I thought maybe because the one at Hodges is closed, maybe they thought they were going to have a bit of a spillover. I’m not quite sure why they did that. It is interesting,” one woman told News4JAX.
We asked Publix for a construction update and have not heard back.
But even with double the opportunity to buy groceries “where shopping is a pleasure,” some found minor inconveniences.
Another Atlantic Beach resident pointed out that the newer Publix does not have a pharmacy, which makes him have to take a trip to the older store. Although the two stores are side-by-side, unless you’re walking, you can’t simply drive from one store parking lot to another because there is a barrier blocking access.
News4JAX asked the spokesperson about the barrier but they did not immediately respond.
“As a whole, we look for opportunities to best serve our customers and, in some cases, alleviate congestion in stores, in addition to allowing for the best traffic patterns in a particular area,” the spokesperson said responding to a separate email asking about the benefit both stores serve.
Most people we spoke with said they preferred the newer location because it didn’t seem as busy.
“I prefer the smaller one. There’s a different atmosphere, a little bit more positive. It’s a little easier to find stuff, less walking. It’s the same thing. It’s just newer,” one man said.
The two locations have coexisted for at least a year. One thing is for sure, Floridians love Publix, so double the opportunity is a double bonus for shoppers.
The ever-growing grocery store recently opened a new Jacksonville location at 11341 Normandy Boulevard in the Plaza at Normandy. The closest store to that location is 5.3 miles away.
Copyright 2024 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.
Florida
Traffic stop goes viral after Florida deputy accuses driver missing right hand of holding phone
PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Video of a traffic stop in Palm Beach County is going viral over an awkward exchange between the driver and a deputy who accused her of holding a phone while driving.
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“You drove past me holding a phone with your right hand, manipulating that phone,” the deputy tells 36-year-old Kathleen “Katie” Thomas.
“Obviously not,” Thomas says while laughing and holding up her right arm, showing that she’s missing her right hand.
“So you wanna call this a day?” she asks.
“I don’t want to call this a day. You had a hand up, manipulating,” the deputy responds.
“You just said my right hand,” Thomas counters.
“Well, I thought I saw your right hand,” the deputy says.
“So you didn’t,” Thomas responds.
Thomas posted the bodycam footage on Instagram and TikTok where it gained millions of likes.
In the video, although she shows the deputy she doesn’t have a right hand, the deputy doubled down.
“I’m asking you now; did you or not have your phone in your hand?” the deputy asks.
“I did not,” Thomas responds.
“You did not have your phone in your hand?” the deputy asks again.
“I did not,” Thomas responds.
“Hand to God, you didn’t have a phone in your hand?” the deputy asks.
“Hand to God,” Thomas says.
Court records show Thomas was given a $116 citation despite the presented evidence, but it was later dismissed at the request of the deputy involved.
Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.
A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded Thursday night on a launch pad at Cape Canaveral in Florida.
The explosion occurred at about 9 p.m. ET. Blue Origin said there were no injuries from the incident.
“We experienced an anomaly during today’s hotfire test,” Blue Origin said in a statement. “All personnel have been accounted for. We will provide updates as we learn more.”
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station also confirmed in a separate statement that “all personnel have been accounted for and there were no injuries/fatalities.”
Blue Origin was scheduled to fuel the rocket Thursday evening ahead of a planned test firing of the rocket’s engines.
Blue Origin, which is owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, successfully launched its third New Glenn rocket last month.
This rocket was being prepared for the fourth New Glenn mission as soon as June 4 to launch 48 satellites for Amazon’s Leo internet service, which competes with Elon Musk’s Starlink.
The 48 satellites were not aboard the rocket during the test. It was not immediately clear how much damage the launch pad and ground equipment sustained, or how long it might take to repair it.
Space Launch Complex 36, where the explosion occurred, is the only launch pad equipped to launch New Glenn rockets.
The New Glenn rocket is key to Blue Origin’s and NASA’s moon base plans, and the explosion will likely be a setback. Next year, the New Glenn is supposed to launch another Blue Moon lander as part of the Artemis III mission in low Earth orbit.
In a social media post, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman wrote, “Spaceflight is unforgiving, and developing new heavy-lift launch capability is extraordinarily difficult. We will work with our partners to support a thorough investigation of this anomaly, assess near-term mission impacts, and get back to launching rockets.”
The New Glenn rocket had just been cleared on May 22 to return to flight after being grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration after an anomaly with the second stage during an April 19 launch.
In a statement Thursday, the FAA said it was aware that the rocket had “experienced an anomaly during a static fire test on the pad in Cape Canaveral, Florida,” adding that the “test was not within the scope of FAA licensed activities.”
The FAA also noted that “there was no impact to air traffic” from the explosion.
Bezos wrote on X Thursday night, “It’s too early to know the root cause but we’re already working to find it. Very rough day, but we’ll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It’s worth it.”
Musk wrote: “Sorry to see this, I hope you recover quickly.”
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida coach Jon Sumrall’s assistants will make a combined $11.2 million in 2026, a significant investment for a program desperate to win more often.
Offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner tops the list after signing a three-year, $6.6 million contract to leave Georgia Tech and join Sumrall in Gainesville. Faulker will get $2.1 million in 2026 – the first $2 million coordinator in school history – and has a $100,000 raise set for each of the next two years.
Only six college offensive coordinators were paid $2 million or more in 2025, according to CBS Sports. Fifteen defensive coordinators topped $2 million.
Florida defensive coordinator Brad White signed a three-year, $5.85 million deal that starts at $1.85 million and also includes a $100,000 raise in 2027 and 2028.
The Gators released the contracts Thursday in response to a public records request.
Sumrall signed a six-year, $44.7 million contract last year that averages $7.45 million annually. The Gators will dole out more than $20 million to Sumrall, his staff of 15 assistants and a front office led by new general manager Dave Caldwell.
Four of the assistants are scheduled to earn at least $1 million during their deals.
Defensive line coach Gerald Chapman and offensive line coach Phil Trautwine will join Faulker and White in the seven-figure club. Chapman, the lone holdover from former Florida coach Billy Napier’s staff, will make $950,000 this year and $1 million in 2027. Trautwine, meanwhile, starts at $750,000 and jumps to $1 million. Both signed two-year deals.
Their salaries show Sumrall’s commitment to rebuilding the team along both lines of scrimmage in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference.
Napier’s 12-man coaching staff was paid a combined $7.5 million in 2025. The Gators posted three losing seasons in Napier’s four years.
The rest of Sumrall’s staff range between making $350,000 and $600,000 annually, all of them on two-year contracts.
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