The weather has been hot, hot, hot, and no one knows that better than Kitty Miller, the board president for the South Putnam Christian Service Center in Crescent City.

With Putnam County experiencing nowhere near the same amount of damage from Hurricane Idalia as other areas of the state, local workers have set off to assist a county that wasn’t so fortunate.

The town of Welaka has stepped up its law enforcement game by adding another officer to its police department.

A Republican candidate became the second person to file his intent to run for a Putnam County Board of Commissioners seat, according to the Supervisor of Elections Office.

Putnam County officials prepared for the worst from Hurricane Idalia, but emergency operations began demobilizing by Wednesday afternoon because of the storm’s light impact on the area.

Schools will remain closed today to allow Putnam County School District officials to ensure buildings and bus routes are safe for students and employees to return.

Emergency shelters opened at local schools Tuesday afternoon as Hurricane Idalia forecasts grew more dire.

Putnam County officials recommended evacuation for numerous areas of the county Tuesday evening in light of Hurricane Idalia’s strengthening. 

Businesses and government offices are closing and trash pickup schedules are being altered as Hurricane Idalia charges toward Florida.

Schools will close as Putnam County braces for Tropical Storm Idalia to make landfall early Wednesday.