2025 Year In Review
By Tami Stevenson
This last year saw many ups and downs in nearly every aspect of life, including the weather. People saw storms and temperatures beating records almost daily throughout the U.S., which left many asking what season they were in.
Incredibly, in the midst of all the other storms, the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season ended with no hurricanes making landfall in the U.S., the first time since 2015, despite a very active season.
Here are some of our top local highlights from 2025:
Painting the Sherman Tank
The 1958 M4 Sherman Tank sitting on the grounds of the Florida National Guard Armory in Live Oak was repainted, thanks to local business owner, Charles Bean for donating his time and money to see this project through. -Photo by Charles Bean
After three years of waiting for an answer from the National Guard Armory in St. Augustine, local resident Charles Bean, owner of Charles Bean Painting LLC, finally got permission to clean and paint the 1958 M4 Sherman Tank sitting on the grounds of the Florida National Guard Armory in Live Oak.
Bean, along with his two sons, Jack and Dallas, who are part owners in his painting business, went to work and finished it just before Memorial Day, all on his own dime.
Over the years, the tank has become an icon and great photo opportunity for visitors and the community. Many local adults can remember playing around it and families taking photos in front of it when they were kids, especially little Charles Bean, whose father worked at the Armory while he was growing up. He has many fond memories of playing around the tank.
In order to get the rust, mold and mildew off the surface, they sandblasted it, power washed it, applied primer, then finally painted it, along with the lettering and stars as the final touch.
Bean’s father said, “They did a good job. It really looks good and I’m glad it’s done.”
Suwannee County Historian Eric Musgrove said he passes by there nearly everyday and was glad to see it repainted.
“The M4 Sherman is a great piece of local history. It honors our National Guardsmen and those in the actual forces in WWII and beyond. It’s a great piece, having been repainted,” said Musgrove.
KrissAnne Hall in Live Oak
KrisAnne Hall talking with people after her presentation. -SVT Photo
Constitutional Attorney KrisAnne Hall, in January, taught and encouraged local residents while speaking at the Coliseum in Live Oak.
Hall was a prosecutor in Florida’s Third Circuit for nearly ten years. She was fired for teaching the Constitution to the local people in Suwannee County.
Her job termination lit a fire under her and now, along with husband JC Hall, they have been traveling the country teaching the Constitution for over a decade.
Hall wanted to encourage and inspire residents not to sit on their laurels.
“The last time Donald Trump was our president, the conservatives and republicans took such a deep sigh of relief that the patriots really stopped working. We literally called it the Trump slump.” She added, “Because then all of a sudden everybody thought that Donald Trump is going to fix everything. We don’t have to do anything anymore. I’ve seen it happen in Florida – Ron DeSantis is governor, we don’t have to do anything else.”
Museum Donation
Kurt Carter, Right, with daughter P.J. Carter, Left, and granddaughter Shailyn Carter holding the magazines. The photo below is the Branford agreement with the railroad. -SVT Photo
During the All Aboard event in February, the Carter family stopped by the Suwannee County Historical Museum to donate some railroad magazines from the mid 1900’s along with a small, book-like Agreement with the Fruit Growers Express Company and its employees out of Branford, with signatures in the back, operating through the Railway Employees’ Department, dated July 1, 1945. The agreement and magazines had been kept by Kurt Carter and his family for three generations. The family felt it was time to donate them to the museum.
Carter received the agreement and railroad magazines from his grandfather Arthur Nettles from Lulu.
Fluoride banned in Florida drinking water, linked to lower IQ in kids
In November of 2024, Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo issued guidance recommending the removal of fluoride from public water systems, citing a recent report by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that showed a link between higher levels of fluoride exposure and lower IQ in kids.
The new reports showed a neuropsychiatric risk associated with fluoride exposure.
As a result SB 700 dubbed as “The Farm Bill” was introduced, which included banning fluoridated water in city municipalities.
The bill passed the Senate and the House, was approved by Governor DeSantis and became law July 1, 2025.
Fluoride has been added to drinking water in the U.S. since the mid 20th century.
According to Ladapo, Floridians should be aware of safety concerns related to systemic fluoride exposure including:
• Adverse effects in children reducing IQ, cognitive impairment, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
• Increased
neurobehavioral problems in children whose mothers ingested fluoride during pregnancy.
• Accumulation of fluoride in the pineal gland, causing sleep cycle disturbance.
• Skeletal fluorosis,
which could increase the risk of bone fracture.
• Potential risk of premature menarche in adolescent girls.
• Potential suppression of the thyroid gland by inhibiting iodine absorption.
Due to the neuropsychiatric risk associated with fluoride exposure, particularly in pregnant women and children, and the wide availability of alternative sources of fluoride for dental health, the State Surgeon General recommended against community water fluoridation.
With the new legislation, Floridians can enjoy cleaner water from their municipalities.
No more chemtrails in Florida skies?
Although Senate Bill 56: Geoengineering and Weather Modification Activities, became effective in July, it seems our skies were still inundated with atmospheric manipulation until October 1. That’s when all publicly owned airports had to begin reporting any aircraft equipped with these modifications to the Florida Department of Transportation.
The bill repealed the state’s ability to issue permits for geoengineering and weather modification. The bill also prohibits the injection, release, or dispersion of chemicals or substances into the atmosphere for the express purpose of altering weather, temperature, climate, or sunlight intensity.
Those who violate the law face third-degree felony charges, up to five years in prison, and fines up to $100,000.
Additionally, the Department of Environmental Protection has launched a public reporting portal to identify suspected violations, at https://echo.epa.gov/report-environmental-violations
Note: Terms like atmospheric manipulation and geoengineering are accepted, but the term “chemtrail” is still considered a conspiracy theory.
Four appointed to NFC District Board of Trustees
In August, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of four locals to the North Florida College District Board of Trustees: Malcolm Hines, Michael McWaters, Adrienne Taylor, and Daniel Tillman to the North Florida College District Board of Trustees.
Malcolm Hines
Hines is an Assistant Superintendent for the Suwannee County School District. He is a veteran of the United States Army, serving for over 25 years. Hines is the recipient of the 2018 Suwannee County Principal of the Year Award.
Michael McWaters
McWaters is the Owner and Chief Executive Officer for the Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative. Active in his community, he served in various capacities at Cherokee Electric Cooperative and Cullman Electric Cooperative. McWaters earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Troy University and his master’s degree in public administration from Jacksonville State University.
Adrienne Taylor
Taylor is an Assistant Principal at Suwannee High School. She previously served as the Executive Director of the Suwannee Foundation for Excellence in Education, Inc., and was an Elementary School Teacher for the Suwannee County School District. Taylor earned her bachelor’s degree in recreation, parks, and tourism from the University of Florida and her master’s degree in educational leadership from the American College of Education.
Daniel Tillman
Tillman is an Employee Benefits and Commercial Insurance Specialist for Acentria Insurance. Previously, he was a Professional Baseball Player in the Milwaukee Brewers, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Los Angeles Angels Organizations. Tillman earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Florida Southern College.
RIVEROAK Upgrades Welding Dept.
RIVEROAK Technical College’s welding department received an upgrade in April with 20 new booths, new ventilation, and electrical upgrades.
Photo: They had to literally demolish the classroom before they could begin.
Tylenol (acetaminophen) - Autism link
In September, President Trump made a public announcement after a study was released by Andrea Baccarelli, MD, PhD, Harvard University, that found a link between acetaminophen (the active ingredient in Tylenol) and autism.
“We found evidence of an association between exposure to acetaminophen during pregnancy and increased incidence of neurodevelopmental disorders in children. This association is strongest when acetaminophen is taken for four weeks or longer,” said Baccarelli.
Some medical associations and groups are pushing back, calling the claim of Tylenol irresponsible, and the battle continues for warning labels to be put on the bottles.
Since the year 2000, Autism has surged more than 400 percent.
Charlie Kirk assassination
Charlie Kirk -CC Photo by Gage Skidmore
America mourned the loss of popular conservative and political activist Charlie Kirk, who was 31 years old when he was assassinated on September 10, 2025, while doing what he did best, speaking and debating with students on college campuses throughout the nation.
Kirk held deep Christian values and wasn’t afraid to share his beliefs when he spoke. He was the co-founder of Turning Point USA (TPUSA).
The nonprofit organization exploded after his assassination and is now more popular than ever among young people and adults alike. Kirk inspired everyone to step up to the plate and get serious about where the nation’s values are headed and their own personal values.
His wife, Erika Kirk, is now the chairwoman and CEO of Turning Point USA.
Dr. Jennifer Page named 9th NFC President
North Florida College held their formal Investiture Ceremony of Dr. Jennifer Humbles Page, the ninth president of the institution. at the Van H. Priest Auditorium in November.
They paid tribute to former President Dr. John Grosskopf, as part of the program, who served for 17 years.
Page is a native of Suwannee County and an alumna of North Florida College. After earning her associate in arts degree at NFC, she pursued a bachelor’s degree in English education at Florida State University, a master’s in secondary education at the University of North Florida and a doctorate in higher education leadership from Aspen University. Page has been with NFC for 15 years.
During her remarks, she said, “This presidency is not about me, it is about the people we serve and the region we call home.”
Page also said, “We may be the smallest college in the state, but our size is our strength.” She added, “We operate as a true team: adaptive, connected, and fully committed to our mission. And we prove every day that small colleges can do extraordinary things.”
