Board votes to prohibit AI data centers

By WILLIAM SNOWDEN
Editor

County commissioners voted unanimously Monday night to prohibit data centers in Wakulla – and received a standing ovation from the standing-room only audience.
Data centers are profliferating with advancements in artificial intelligence and have become controversial over the enormous strain on local electrical grids and the immense use of water to cool the centers.

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County looks at budget options if amendment passes

By WILLIAM SNOWDEN
Editor

County commissioners held a budget workshop after their regular meeting on Monday night, and much of the focus was on how to respond if the constitutional amendment on property taxes passes in November.
The state Legislature has proposed a constitutional amendment that would increase homestead exemption on residential property from $50,000 to $150,000 in 2027-28 and then $200,000 the year after. It will appear on the ballot on the Nov. 3 general election.

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4-H holds safe space dance

4-H teens at the Sunset Social Dance at the livestock pavilion.

Special to The Sun

Wakulla County teens gathered for an evening of music, connection, and fun at the recent Sunset Social Dance, a lively event hosted by Wakulla 4-H. Held following the Teen Town Hall, the dance offered youth the flexibility to attend one or both events, empowering them to shape their own experience for the night.

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St. Marks officials attend workshop

By LINDA ANN McDONALD
Correspondent

The City of St. Marks was invited by the Florida Institute for Build Environment Resilience (FIBER) to and attended the Urban Futures Workshop on May 7 in Gainesville.
City Manager Katherine Gatewood and City Clerk Paula Bell attended the workshop to collaborate with other Florida municipalities, UF’s College of Design, Construction and Planning, and the Duke Energy Foundation.

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Crawfordville’s Tia Unsell is inMiss Florida competition

Tia Unsell of Crawfordville is in the Miss Florida competition.

Special to The Sun

Tia Unsell, 27, of Crawfordville, will be competing June 24th-27th at the 90th Miss Florida Scholarship Competition in Lakeland.
Currently, Unsell holds the title of Miss Gainesville. Unsell won the title of Miss Gainesville January 17th at Eastside High School in Gainesville, where there were 11 young women in her division.

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$8.5M impact to Wakulla budget

Constitutional amendment on property tax would create a hole in local budget

By WILLIAM SNOWDEN
Editor

Because an estimated 46% of Wakulla County’s property taxes come from homesteaded property – higher than most other counties – Wakulla will be more affected by the proposed constitutional amendment on property tax that is to be voted on in November.

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