Six local women have been selected to receive the third annual ROWITA  Awards for their artistic accomplishments, outstanding lifetime achievement and contributions to the arts community in St. Johns County.  The 2011 ROWITA recipients are: Georgie Altenbach, JoAnne Engelbert, Betty Fell, Dr. Mildred (Mili) Koger, Jean Troemel, and Sally Walton.

ROWITA represents lifetime achievement and is awarded to women who have made significant contributions to the St. Johns County arts community. The ROWITA awards (Recognizing Outstanding Women in the Arts) were established in 2009 by a coalition of five arts organizations that worked together to create a month long celebration of Women’s History Month (March). The collaborative group increased to six in 2010 and includes: St. Johns Cultural Council; National League of American Pen Women - St. Augustine Branch; Tale Tellers of St. Augustine; Jane’s Stories Press Foundation; Limelight Theatre; and Cyprian Center for Expressive Arts.

From spectacular seaside fireworks in St. Augustine Beach to a children's balloon drop in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida's Historic Coast is ready to usher in 2011 with an exciting array of fascinating, fun and flavorful festivities.

The Christmas season is not a time that most people want to spend in the emergency room.  The kids who had to make that trip to Shand’s Pediatric Emergency Room on Monday, December 20th, got a little surprise from some local Sam’s Club employees.  Yesterday, fourteen of their employees made a special delivery of toys and some Christmas cheer.  For the past month, all three Jacksonville Sam’s Club locations collected $1400 worth of toys that were donated to Children’s Miracle  Network.