Noah Hertz Reporter email
Noah Hertz is a Jacksonville Today reporter focusing on St. Johns County. From Central Florida, Noah got his start as an intern at WFSU, Tallahassee’s public radio station, and as a reporter at The Wakulla News. He went on to work for three years as a general assignment reporter and editor for The West Volusia Beacon in his hometown, DeLand. Noah won an award for his breaking news coverage at The Wakulla News and he went on to help The Beacon take home awards from the Florida Press Association. A Florida State University graduate, Noah is happy to be back up in North Florida. When he isn't writing, Noah likes reading, baking and playing video games.
Featured image for “Medical examiner critically cramped in St. Johns County”
Staff from the District 23 Medical Examiner's Office set up to perform an X-ray using a portable unit because the office does not have the space for a dedicated radiological room. | St. Johns County
2 days ago

Medical examiner critically cramped in St. Johns County

After failing to get state funding last year to replace its aging Medical Examiner’s Office, St. Johns County is trying…

By Noah Hertz

Featured image for “One-time outcast now leads the way on St. Johns Commission”
The current St. Johns County Commission are, from left, Christian Whitehurst, Sarah Arnold, Krista Joseph, Clay Murphy and Ann Taylor. | St. Johns County
December 18, 2024

One-time outcast now leads the way on St. Johns Commission

As chair of the St. Johns County Commission, Krista Joseph hopes to slow the county’s rampant growth.…

By Noah Hertz

Featured image for “St. Johns Mosquito Control Board’s Christmas bonuses null and void”
This metal mosquito statue is the size of an adult human, not an adult mosquito, and it sits outside of the Disease Vector Education Center that the district operates in St. Johns County. | Noah Hertz, Jacksonville Today
December 12, 2024

St. Johns Mosquito Control Board’s Christmas bonuses null and void

A fiery Anastasia Mosquito Control District meeting ended with the board’s controversial Christmas bonuses voided.…

By Noah Hertz

Featured image for “New Lincolnville park honors two ‘unsung heroes’”
St. Augustine Vice Mayor Barbara Blonder greets George Smith at the grand opening for a new park in Lincolnville honoring him and his late wife Ollie Smith. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
December 6, 2024

New Lincolnville park honors two ‘unsung heroes’

George and Ollie Smith are little-known pillars of the historically Black Lincolnville community.…

By Noah Hertz

Featured image for “St. Johns pledges $2.2M for ‘all-inclusive’ playground”
This concept image shows some of the wheelchair-accessible playground equipment planned at the St. Johns County Police Athletic League's new playground. | St. Johns County
December 3, 2024

St. Johns pledges $2.2M for ‘all-inclusive’ playground

The Diamond of Dreams playground will be only the second in the county designed for children with disabilities.…

By Noah Hertz

Featured image for “St. Johns County eases public comment at meetings”
St. Johns County's entryway on State Road A1A. | Noah Hertz, Jacksonville Today
November 27, 2024

St. Johns County eases public comment at meetings

The St. Johns County Commission will take public comment earlier in meetings beginning Tuesday.…

By Noah Hertz

Featured image for “Bonuses for mosquito control board may have been improper”
The Anastasia Mosquito Control District is responsible for keeping the population of the blood-sucking pests down in St. Johns County. | Anastasia Mosquito Control District
November 26, 2024

Bonuses for mosquito control board may have been improper

The board of the Anastasia Mosquito Control District has given itself bonuses for at least six years, including $1,000 the…

By Noah Hertz

Featured image for “A rare species of sea turtle returns to the First Coast”
A Kemp's ridley sea turtle travels up St. Augustine Beach to nest this summer. | Ashley Raybould, St. Johns County
November 25, 2024

A rare species of sea turtle returns to the First Coast

St. Johns County is celebrating a surprising number of Kemp’s ridley sea turtle nests this nesting season.…

By Noah Hertz

Featured image for “Nights of Lights will shine this weekend in St. Augustine”
Crews install decorations in the Plaza de la Constitucion in downtown St. Augustine ahead of the start of Nights of Lights this weekend. | Noah Hertz, Jacksonville Today
November 21, 2024

Nights of Lights will shine this weekend in St. Augustine

St. Augustine expects a tide of visitors as the popular Nights of Lights returns for the holidays.…

By Noah Hertz

Featured image for “St. Augustine settles on site for Anastasia Island fire station”
Lion statues guard St. Augustine's iconic Bridge of Lions. | Noah Hertz, Jacksonville Today
November 13, 2024

St. Augustine settles on site for Anastasia Island fire station

The city says Anastasia Island is in dire need of a new fire station, but finding a site has taken…

By Noah Hertz

Featured image for “Clay County leads state in removing schoolbooks”
School library books, like these at R.L. Brown Gifted and Talented Academy in Jacksonville, remain a controversial issue in Florida. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
November 12, 2024

Clay County leads state in removing schoolbooks

Clay County was responsible for 287 of more than 700 schoolbooks removed from classrooms and libraries statewide.…

By Noah Hertz

Featured image for “St. Johns County Commission now has majority who committed to slowing growth”
Ann Taylor and Clay Murphy were elected on Nov. 5. | Credit: Taylor/Murphy campaigns
November 11, 2024

St. Johns County Commission now has majority who committed to slowing growth

Next week, two new St. Johns County commissioners will join the board.…

By Noah Hertz

Featured image for “St. Johns School Superintendent Tim Forson announces plan to retire”
St. Johns County School District Superintendent Tim Forson. | News4Jax
November 7, 2024

St. Johns School Superintendent Tim Forson announces plan to retire

St. Johns County Schools Superintendent Tim Forson will retire next year.…

By Noah Hertz

Featured image for “Newcomer elected to St. Johns County School Board”
St. Johns County's entryway on State Road A1A. | Noah Hertz, Jacksonville Today
November 5, 2024

Newcomer elected to St. Johns County School Board

Voters also continued a half-cent sales tax and approved a new 1-mill property tax to help fund teacher salaries.…

By Noah Hertz

Featured image for “Duval voters choose Shayla Lee as county judge”
Shayla E. Lee
November 5, 2024

Duval voters choose Shayla Lee as county judge

Lee, a public defender, won the judgeship by more than 50,000 votes.…

By Noah Hertz

Featured image for “3,000-home ‘agrihood’ rejected in St. Johns County”
Freehold Communities' Arden development in South Florida is an agrihood with a 5-acre farm and event barn. | Freehold Communities
November 5, 2024

3,000-home ‘agrihood’ rejected in St. Johns County

The agrihood would have combinded homes with agricultural elements, but many residents opposed it.…

By Noah Hertz

Featured image for “‘Agrihood’ coming to a vote in St. Johns County”
Freehold Communities' Arden development in South Florida is an agrihood with a 5-acre farm and event barn. | Freehold Communities
November 1, 2024

‘Agrihood’ coming to a vote in St. Johns County

County commissioners will consider a 3,000-home “agrihood” that would combine housing with elements like community farms.…

By Noah Hertz

Featured image for “Restrained students still an issue for St. Johns parents”
October 30, 2024

Restrained students still an issue for St. Johns parents

The federal government found that St. Johns County has reduced the use of restraint, but some parents say it isn’t…

By Noah Hertz

Featured image for “Street closed for good in downtown St. Augustine”
The intersection at Cuna and Spanish streets in downtown St. Augustine is now the end of the line for cars going north on the bricked street. | Noah Hertz, Jacksonville
October 29, 2024

Street closed for good in downtown St. Augustine

A portion of Spanish Street is closed to vehicles to make the city more walkable, but some businesses objected.…

By Noah Hertz

Featured image for “One School Board seat still up for grabs in St. Johns County”
St. Johns County District 5 School Board candidates Linda Thomson, left, and Bethany Hilbert.
October 28, 2024

One School Board seat still up for grabs in St. Johns County

Linda Thomson and Bethany Hilbert are competing for the School Board seat in District 5.…

By Noah Hertz

Featured image for “Matanzas Riverkeeper joins call to protect native turtle species”
This diamondback terrapin lives at the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve in St. Johns County. | Amy Howard
October 23, 2024

Matanzas Riverkeeper joins call to protect native turtle species

The Matanzas Riverkeeper is joining a national effort to protect the diamondback terrapin, a small, spotted turtle found in Northeast…

By Noah Hertz

Featured image for “#AskJAXTDY | How did DeSantis get so much public funding for his campaigns?”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis visited the VyStar Credit Union headquarters in Jacksonville to sign a pair of bills on May 2, 2024. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
October 22, 2024

#AskJAXTDY | How did DeSantis get so much public funding for his campaigns?

Public funding is available to level the playing field in statewide elections. So why do well-funded candidates get so much?…

By Noah Hertz

Featured image for “Tourism council ready to promote Black History Museum”
St. Johns County leaders have identified a West Augustine site, near the former location of Florida Memorial College, as a potential home for a Florida Museum of Black History. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
October 21, 2024

Tourism council ready to promote Black History Museum

Tourism officials are recommending St. Johns County commit $50,000 to marketing and communication for the museum.…

By Noah Hertz

Featured image for “UF Health opens 2 new urgent care centers in St. Johns”
In addition to a new hospital planned in St. Johns County, the medical system just opened two new urgent care centers. | UF Health
October 21, 2024

UF Health opens 2 new urgent care centers in St. Johns

UF Health converted two existing clinics into its first full urgent care centers in St. Johns County.…

By Noah Hertz