A look back at 2021

2021 was a busy year as more businesses began to reopen and events were held once again following a tough year of restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here’s a look at some of the notable news from the past 12 months:

JANUARY

• Robert A. Hardwick was officially sworn in as the new St. Johns County Sheriff.
• Johns County received its second allotment of COVID-19 vaccines.
• The Cultural Center of Ponte Vedra Beach opened its new Jacksonville Beach facility.
• Ponte Vedra High School named Steve Price its new football coach.

FEBRUARY

• K9s For Warriors founder Shari Duval passed away. She was remembered for helping hundreds of veterans and rescuing more than 1,000 dogs.
• Ponte Vedra High School student Marina Mitchell became the first female in St. Johns County to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout.
• Tennis great Tony Trabert passed away. He was a 10-time major champion and 1970 International Tennis Hall of Fame inductee.
• The Ponte Vedra High School boys basketball team won the district championship.
• The PGA Tour Global Headquarters opened in Ponte Vedra.

MARCH

• Justin Thomas won THE PLAYERS Championship.
• The Ponte Vedra girls soccer team won the state championship.

APRIL

• A proposed parking change on Ponte Vedra Boulevard advanced.
• Vicar’s Landing began construction on a new facility.
• A new management company took over the Hilton Garden Inn in Sawgrass Village.
• The Sheriff’s Office recognized two local heroes who saved a boy from drowning.

MAY

• The Ponte Vedra High School baseball team advanced to the regional final.
• The Ponte Vedra High School boys tennis team advanced to the state championship.
• Beaches, A Celebration of the Arts saluted artists and supporters.
• The Ponte Vedra High School girls lacrosse team won the regional title.

JUNE

• Nease NJROTC was named the second most outstanding unit in the nation.
• Flagler Health+ broke ground on its Durbin Park campus.
• American Roll-on Roll-off Carrier Group moved its headquarters to Ponte Vedra.
• The emergency berm restoration project was approved for local beaches.

JULY

• Plans for a new YMCA branch in Durbin Park were announced.
• The PLAYERS Community Senior Center in Ponte Vedra reopened after being closed during the pandemic.
• The link in Nocatee Town Center officially opened its doors.
• Cyclist Greg Taylor returned to Jacksonville after his 11,500-mile, cross-country ride to raise funds for Chemo Noir.
• Johns County put together a time capsule in commemoration of its 200th anniversary.
• The Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach became the First Coast Cultural Center.

AUGUST

• The Ponte Vedra Raiders flag football team won the Under Armour Under the Lights Flag Football National Championship.
• K9s For Warriors broke ground for a mega kennel.
• Dozens gathered at Vilano Beach for the Florida Skimboarding Pro/Am.

SEPTEMBER

• The Nease High School football team beat rival Ponte Vedra, breaking an 11-year losing streak.
• Starling resident Jerry Norton published a book featuring his art. He is known for painting a portrait of each U.S. president.
• Ron DeSantis visited American Legion Post 233 to thank first responders and members of the military on the eve of Sept. 11.
• Augustine marks the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
• Winn-Dixie added a taproom and enhancements to its Ponte Vedra store.
• Hugo’s Interiors celebrated its centennial.

OCTOBER

• Ocean Palms Elementary School students raised $100,000 for the school at their Otter Run.
• K9s For Warriors received a Back the Blue Award from state Attorney General Ashley Moody.
• The Nease High School boys swim team won the district title.
• The inaugural Furyk & Friends event was a success.

NOVEMBER

• The final Never Quit Run was held at Jacksonville Beach.
• The first PAM Jam in Ponte Vedra Beach was held at the library.
• The Ponte Vedra High School girls volleyball team won the regional title.
• Sam Joiner and his 1961 Mercedes-Benz 190SL were the overall winners at the 2021 Ponte Vedra Auto Show.
• Elite Airways began commercial flights from the Northeast Florida Regional Airport in St. Augustine.
• The Ponte Vedra High School girls swim team won its first state title in school history.
• The Ponte Vedra High School girls cross-country team won its first state title.
• Jessica Porvasnik won the inaugural PXG Women’s Match Play Championship.

DECEMBER

• Sterling Joyce, the “unofficial mayor of Jacksonville Beach,” passed away. The community turned out to celebrate his life and legacy at a special ceremony.
• The Ponte Vedra Municipal Service District board approved traffic calming and sidewalk studies.
• Johns County and St. Johns County School District approved new districts.
• Coastal Wine Market & Tasting Room launched its Stone to Crystal cabernet sauvignon.
• Nease High School girls basketball player Sydney Gomes surpassed 2,000 points.