The FBI is investigating racist text messages sent to black people across the country about being “selected to pick cotton.”

Republican Michelle Cook will remain Clay County sheriff for another four years after beating out her opponent, former Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels for a second time.

Over the weekend, Clay County held its annual Touch a Truck: What Moves Clay event, which allowed families to interact with county officials, employees, and volunteers while checking out various trucks and even a helicopter.

Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo will hold a news conference Thursday morning in Cape Coral.

A 13-year-old boy was arrested Monday after the Clay County Sheriff’s Office said investigators found text messages stating he wanted to go on a “purge killing spree” centered around his ex-girlfriend and her friends.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office is looking for two suspects who were last seen near the Keystone Middle and High Schools on Wednesday afternoon.

The Clay County sheriff and the Clay County District Schools superintendent recently released three videos on social media, addressing school threats, talking to children about them and explaining how they investigate tips.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office is handling security and safety once again for the district's schools after the School Board voted to disband the district's police force.

There were multiple reports of downed trees and fallen power lines in Clay County on Monday morning as the outer bands of Hurricane Debby blew through the area, according to Clay County Emergency Management.

Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook said the department is still in the process of testing different body-worn cameras to see which one will be the best fit for its deputies.

A former sheriff and a current sheriff will face off in Clay County. Darryl Daniels qualified to run for the office Friday morning. The deadline to qualify is noon.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) on Monday announced a $7 million plan to issue body-worn cameras to all its deputies over the next five years.

Hundreds of boaters and community members will head to Bayard Point on Friday for Clay County’s “Boater Skip Day.”

Dozens of community members visited Green Cove Springs Park Saturday afternoon for a special event to support a police officer’s wife who is battling cancer.

Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook and members of the Sheriff’s Office will host the 2024 Police Memorial Ceremony on Thursday.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office has been working to crack down and remove illegal drugs from the streets.

The Clay County Agricultural Fair is officially back with its traditional food, rides, animals, and lots of fun for people of all ages.

The 2024 entertainment includes Vanilla Ice, Diamond Rio, Tyler Farr, Martina McBride, Bret Michaels and more!

A former Clay County school secretary under investigation after she was accused of improperly using school funds is now facing three counts of credit card fraud.

On Monday, Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook is expected to formally unveil the new Clay Watch Registry, which allows families of those who are prone to wandering to easily provide crucial information to law enforcement.

A Clay County woman who was arrested and accused of attempted second-degree murder of a law enforcement officer following an alleged shootout with Clay County Sheriff’s Office deputies on Tuesday is a school district who is currently under investigation after she was accused of improper use of school funds.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office took a woman into custody after a shooting involving at least three deputies at the Holly Hill Cemetery on Old Jennings Road at around 10:40 a.m. on Tuesday.

A retired Clay County deputy is thanking the community and Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook after a relatively new program helped her in her time of need.

An 18-year-old man was arrested and accused of robbing at least three people that he met during the dating app “Grindr,” according to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.

A recent arrest of a 25-year-old man accused of being a fentanyl dealer and trafficker in Clay County is putting the spotlight on the drug epidemic plaguing many communities.

A man who was arrested early Sunday morning following a shooting incident at the Middleburg Christmas Parade appeared in court Monday.

A man was arrested Saturday following a shooting incident at a Middleburg Christmas Parade, according to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.

Clay County will have at least 12 major events happening in different parts of the county on Saturday, Sheriff Michelle Cook announced at a Tuesday morning news conference.

Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook is ready and willing to take over the School Resource Officer services next school year after the district voted to turn school security back to the sheriff’s office.

Four years after the Clay County School District voted to implement district school police officers following the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, board members voted Thursday to reverse that decision and turn over school security to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.

In what would be a dramatic turnaround for the Clay County School District, they may decide to disband the district’s police department. If they do, it would turn security back over to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office placed four Orange Park schools on lockdown on Thursday morning while it searched for a carjacking suspect.

Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook announced Wednesday the arrest of 10 men in connection with “Operation Shining Light,” an undercover sting aimed at catching those using the internet to sexually exploit children.

A newly launched public safety initiative aimed at helping first responders in Clay County is now able to help them in times of need thanks to the donations from the community.

On Thursday, the Clay County Supervisor of Elections announced that former Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels has filed again to run for the position in 2024, presumably against current Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook.

A chilling body camera video shows a local deputy's encounter with fentanyl, as he asks another deputy for an ambulance. This close call Thursday was one of many topics of conversation at a fentanyl roundtable in Clay County Friday morning.

Not one, not two, but three advertisements all added to public benches thanking Clay County deputies for all they do were purchased recently -- by someone who has chosen to remain anonymous thus far.

A man is dead and a woman was injured in a shooting

Local sheriffs and Jacksonville’s next mayor on Wednesday evening are set to hold a news conference to discuss what they are saying is a growing issue of violence against law enforcement officers.

Clay County Sheriff's Office announced the arrest of 52 people Wednesday for selling illegal drugs.

A man who is suspected in connection with a 2019 sexual assault in Georgia was arrested in Clay County, Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook said.

Sheriff Michelle Cook identified the man as Landen Hillman from Oakleaf.

The sights, sounds and smells of the Clay County Agricultural Fair are an annual tradition in Green Cove Springs -- and so is seeing Richard Nunn cut the ribbon on Opening Day.

The Clay County Agricultural Fair opens Thursday.

Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook on Monday announced the rollout of the agency’s newest tool: drones.

Clay County Sheriff's Office has released a sketch Thursday morning, hoping it will lead to more information in a rape case.

Amid a population spike, Clay County leaders have begun discussions on major capital investments for the area, including things like a new jail and improvements to major roads.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office says it’s investigating two fires at unoccupied homes in the Clay Hill area.

Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook on Monday said deputies responded to a reported sexual battery earlier in the day, and that investigators were working to identify a suspect.

A former Clay County deputy on Wednesday pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual assault of a child.

Hours after deputies surrounded a home on Sandy Hollow Loop in the Lakeside area Friday morning, a man surrendered to law enforcement around 11 a.m., Sheriff Michelle Cook said.

An Amber Alert was issued Thursday night asked for an 8-month-old girl, who was believed to be in the company of her father.

Clay County leaders announced Monday that are taking the initiative to protect law enforcement officers, first responders and emergency management teams with the addition of the Signal 35 Fund, which is named after the county’s radio call code for officers who need assistance.

Following last Thursday’s acquittal of former Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels we’re looking into whether he has a viable path to re-enter politics. This comes after Daniels released a statement following his acquittal and statement that he is the victim of a political witch hunt.

Dalton Bray, who served as sheriff of the Clay County Sheriff’s Office from 1989 to 1992, has died, the department posted Tuesday on its Facebook page.

Ahead of the new school year, Clay County officials on Monday laid out their plans to keep students safe and protect against mass shootings.

Two people died Saturday morning when an experimental helicopter known as a gyrocopter crashed and caught fire on private property off County Road 214 in the Melrose area of Clay County, authorities said.

A pilot on Thursday afternoon had to make a landing on State Road 16 near State Road 21, according to Clay County Fire Rescue.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office refused to answer questions Thursday after deputies shot and killed someone Wednesday night in Orange Park following a car chase.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office said authorities on Wednesday night were sent to investigate a shooting that involved deputies.

A dayslong search in the area surrounding a home where a Clay County couple survived a two-day hostage nightmare turned up what are believed to be human remains, Sheriff Michelle Cook announced Friday.

A Clay County Sheriff's Office deputy accused of ongoing sexual abuse of a 12-year-old girl has been arrested and will be fired, Sheriff Michelle Cook announced Thursday.

Lumpkin told deputies he “needed to confess something.”

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office said a man who was openly carrying a firearm showed up at their facility, after phoning in threats regarding Sheriff Michelle Cook.

An undercover operation nearly two weeks ago led to the seizure of 26 pounds of crystal meth and the arrest of a 19-year-old California man, Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook said Tuesday.

Clay County law enforcement agencies have launched a new tool for reporting crimes and suspicious activity in the county that can also help keep the public informed.

Clay County Fire Rescue personnel were dispatched Wednesday night to a fire at the popular Grumpy’s Restaurant in Middleburg.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Tuesday that it was working with a property owner to dismantle a homeless camp in a wooded area just south of the Duval County line, near the Orange Park Mall.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating a deputy-involved shooting that happened Saturday at a Green Cove Springs gas station in Clay County. The incident started with a hostage situation that shut down roads in the area for several hours, investigators said.

A 13-year-old boy has died and four other teenage boys were injured Saturday during a brawl outside a house in Orange Park.

Clay County Animal Services says puppies who were pulled from a property on Old Jennings Road in October could soon be ready for adoption.

Clay County Animal Services on Tuesday confirmed more than 200 animals were rescued Monday from a 1-acre property on Old Jennings Road where, Sheriff Michelle Cook said, an investigation revealed deplorable conditions.

More than 100 animals were found at a home Monday on Old Jennings Road after an investigation there revealed deplorable conditions, according to Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook.

People across the country spent Tuesday evening getting to know their neighbors and the police officers and deputies that patrol their neighborhoods, keeping them safe.

At least eleven first responders in our area have died of COVID-19.

A beloved Jacksonville Sheriff's Office police academy instructor has died and his passing is being called an "active duty death," News4Jax has learned. It does not appear to be related to COVID-19.

The carnival at the Orange Park Mall in Clay County came to an abrupt end Saturday night.

Three men are facing narcotics charges after Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook on Thursday led a SWAT team to a Middleburg home to execute search and arrest warrants.

The News4Jax Trust Index team is fact-checking accusations that the government brought in a group of people who immigrated illegally and dropped them off in Green Cove Springs.

Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook on Thursday announced Operation Hammer and Hope, a two-step process of reducing drug overdoses in the county.

The search for a 34-year-old man who fell of a boat late Sunday afternoon in Black Creek resumed at 8:30 a.m. Monday as a recovery mission, Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook said.

Police in Clay County found a 13-year-old who had been missing for several hours overnight Friday.

Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook, along with her narcotics deputies and tactical team, on Wednesday raided a Middleburg home and arrested two residents.

After an 11-year-old boy's death, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Children and Families began investigations into his death and the safety of his siblings.

Three people died Wednesday morning when a small plane when down off Violet Way at the end of Carter Spencer Road in Middleburg, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Now that the Clay County Agricultural Fair is underway, there’s a traffic alert for drivers traveling on State Road 16, the two-lane road that feeds into the fairgrounds.

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – Hallucinogenic drugs and enough explosive material to make seven homemade hand grenades were found at a home in Keystone Heights, Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook announced Monday. On March 19, officers went to the home and found a “DMT extraction lab” inside a shed on the property, Cook said. They can be dangerous to those who are producing the drug, the community and for our investigating officers and detectives,” Cook said. AdDetectives also found chemicals that can be used to create other psychedelic drugs, five guns, 2,000 rounds of ammunition and chemicals that could be used to build destructive or explosive devices. Homeland Security, the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives worked together to investigate the lab and clean up the hazardous chemicals that were located there.

Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook got a shout out from the National Sheriff’s Association in honor of Women’s History Month. She is the only current female sheriff in all of Florida. Before being elected Sheriff, Cook served as Chief of the Atlantic Beach Police Department and was a director for the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Cook said, “Women bring perspectives and life experiences that are needed in this profession.”She encourages young women who want to better the community to consider a career in law enforcement.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – A man at the center of a SWAT standoff Sunday in Clay County was identified as the “sole suspect” in the killing of a woman in St. Johns County, authorities said Monday. The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office said it received a call Sunday morning from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office about a man, identified as Hopkins, who had driven a vehicle into a home in Fleming Island and barricaded himself inside. Based on the man’s statements, St. Johns County deputies responded to a home in the northwest part of St. Johns County to check on the welfare of a resident. Eventually, with the help of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office SWAT team, members of the Clay County SWAT team entered the home and found him dead. The Betty Griffin Center in St. Johns County can be reached at 904-824-1555The hotline number of Quigley House in Clay County is 904-284-0061.

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – The man who barricaded himself inside a Fleming Island home after crashing into its garage Sunday morning has taken his own life, according to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. She said the homeowner was out of state at the time of the incident but was returning to Clay County. AdIn St. Johns County, authorities say the death of a woman in the northwest part of the county early Sunday morning is believed to be related to the SWAT standoff Sunday in Clay County. @wjxt4 https://t.co/6FtnpzAqmd — Brittany Muller (@BrittMullerNews) March 7, 2021A St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson told News4Jax that the agency received a call around 8:30 a.m. Sunday from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office to do a welfare check on a woman in the northwest part of St. Johns County. “We believe this to be a domestic violence incident and related to the active situation in Clay County,” the spokesperson said.

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – A man died Saturday evening after exchanging gunfire with Clay County deputies, authorities said. On Monday afternoon, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office identified the man as Rudy Duvivier, 32. According to the Sheriff’s Office, deputies arrived about five minutes later and encountered an armed man who then began firing shots at them. The deputies returned fire, striking the man, the Sheriff’s Office said. “I moved to Clay because I feel safer in Clay County for some reason.

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – A Clay County man was arrested Thursday on 10 counts of child pornography possession. As of Monday, Patrick Roach, 62, remained in the Clay County jail on $250,000 bond, according to online jail records. According to an arrest report, the case against Roach began in August when Clay County detectives received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The report shows the tip was about files of child pornography being uploaded to a Microsoft account. News4Jax also spoke Monday with Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook about the added threat that exists when law enforcement officers make child pornography arrests.

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook says since taking office, she’s hit the ground running. In that timeframe, Cook says she’s already made significant changes to the department, including increasing patrols when Clay County residents need them most. Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook and her husband, Don Tuten“I think we’ve done a good job of keeping work at work and home at home and not overwhelming them with what we see and hear every day at our jobs,” Cook said. Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook news conference on Facebook Live. (Clay County Sheriff's Office)She was back before the cameras that same month, after one of her deputies -- Sgt.

Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook honored Lt. Mark Cowan for his years of service. GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. – Lt. Mark Cowan has put on a Clay County Sheriff’s Office uniform for the final time. Sheriff Michelle Cook honored Cowan for his 40 years of service. Cowan started as a part-time reserve deputy in 1980 and started full-time in 1981. “I truly enjoyed serving the citizens of Clay County.”

GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. – A longtime Clay County Sheriff’s Office deputy has been charged with organized fraud after investigators said they found he was falsifying time cards for his secondary employment. Deputy Timothy James Bell, a 26-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office, was fired after his arrest, Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook announced Thursday. Cook said the Sheriff’s Office got a tip from within the agency in late October and started looking into Bell’s secondary employment activity. Cook explained that deputies often handle security and property checks in their off-duty hours for companies in Clay County and that these jobs are assigned by a secondary employment coordinator with the Sheriff’s Office. Deputies are expected to log out of work at the Sheriff’s Office before they show up at work for the secondary job, Cook said.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Formal charges were filed Wednesday against former Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels, who was removed from office in August while under state investigation over an extramarital sex scandal. Daniels, 55, was defeated by Republican challenger Michelle Cook in the August primary following his arrest and subsequent suspension by Gov. The charges stem from an investigation into Daniels’ relationship with Cierra Smith, his long-time mistress and a former corrections officer who was a subordinate of Daniels while he was chief of the Duval County jail. Daniels accused Smith of stalking him in May 2019 and authorities say he tried unsuccessfully to have her arrested. Court documents show investigators suspect Daniels tried to tamper with, hide or destroy data on his agency-issued cellphone that were related to the investigation.

STARKE, Fla. – A Clay County deputy who died in September from complications of COVID-19 was honored Saturday at the Krawl’n for the Fallen event in Starke. The event was overshadowed by tragedy Friday night when a skydiver died after his parachute didn’t deploy properly during a fun jump after practice. Despite the tragic death, the event carried on as law enforcement agencies and families of fallen officers gathered to honor those who have been lost. The Clay County Sheriff’s Office said it was honored that Sgt. He started with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office in the 90s before joining the Clay County Sheriff’s Office in 1998.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A joint operation between the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Agency has led to 20 pounds of near-pure crystal methamphetamine tied to Mexican drug cartels being taken off area streets. A major crystal meth bust has netted approximately 20 pounds of the drug and more than $32,000 in cash. He was accused of distributing kilogram-sized quantities of crystal meth in both Clay and Duval counties. “We learned of one of these individuals as a major meth dealer here in the area," said DEA agent Matt Dubet. “This particular meth seizure was 98% pure crystal meth,” he said.

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – Domestic violence can affect anyone. “In a one-minute period of time, 20 people experience domestic violence,” said Jennifer Rodriguez, director of sexual assault services for Quigley House in Clay County. Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook said no one is immune to domestic violence -- even her own family. Clay County took time Friday during Domestic Violence Awareness month to remind everyone that these aren’t just numbers, they’re family members and friends. The Clay County Sheriff’s Office’s free services are available at 904-529-4081, and the 24/7 Quigley House hotline is at 904-284-0061.

ORANGE PARK, Fla. – Clay County deputies and a SWAT team spent several hours early Friday morning in an Eagle Landing neighborhood after the Orange Park Police Department received a call about a violent incident in a home and hostages may inside. According to the 911 call, the caller said he had a bomb strapped to his chest and demanded money. “I want $30,000, otherwise I’m going to blow up the hostages and the entire building with by bombs. “It appears at this time the call concerning this incident was a prank,” deputies said in a release Friday afternoon. The SWAT team and their equipment packed up and left.