Byron Donalds, a U.S. Representative who is running for governor of Florida, speaks Saturday at a rally in Mason City. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

Byron Donalds, a U.S. Representative who is running for governor of Florida, speaks Saturday at a rally in Mason City. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

Donalds touts experience, water plan during stop in Mason City

Tuesday, June 16, 2026

MASON CITY — Republican gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds received quite a welcome in southern Columbia County on Saturday.Before Donalds, a U.S.

Local

U.S. Army veterans John “Dutch” Shultz (foreground from left), Dawn Huston and Terry Holliday pose for a Flag Day photograph as Kenneth Burkes, an American Legion member, holds the flag. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

U.S. Army veterans John “Dutch” Shultz (foreground from left), Dawn Huston and Terry Holliday pose for a Flag Day photograph as Kenneth Burkes, an American Legion member, holds the flag. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

VA Domiciliary celebrates Army’s birthday, Flag Day

TONY BRITT
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
Residents of the Robert H. Jenkins Jr.
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Around Columbia County

Kathryn Land and J. Reid, former Hamilton County Sheriff Harrell’s Reid’s children, hold his encased medallion after he was posthumously inducted into the Florida Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame on Saturday. Land and Reid were surrounded by family members and past and present members of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. (COURTESY)

Kathryn Land and J. Reid, former Hamilton County Sheriff Harrell’s Reid’s children, hold his encased medallion after he was posthumously inducted into the Florida Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame on Saturday. Land and Reid were surrounded by family members and past and present members of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. (COURTESY)

Reid inducted into law enforcement hall of fame

JAMIE WACHTER
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
TALLAHASSEE — The Dean of the Florida Sheriffs and longest serving sheriff in Florida history now...
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Sports

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Byron Donalds, a U.S. Representative who is running for governor of Florida, speaks Saturday at a rally in Mason City. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

Byron Donalds, a U.S. Representative who is running for governor of Florida, speaks Saturday at a rally in Mason City. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

Donalds touts experience, water plan during stop in Mason City

JAMIE WACHTER
MASON CITY — Republican gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds received quite a welcome in southern Columbia County on Saturday.Before Donalds, a U.S. Representative from south Florida, could make his way into the Mason City Community Center to address a little more than 100 people as part of his ‘…
Columbia’s Colten Mitchell is the LCR’s Boys Tennis Player of the Year again. (MANDI SLOAN/Special to the Reporter)

Columbia’s Colten Mitchell is the LCR’s Boys Tennis Player of the Year again. (MANDI SLOAN/Special to the Reporter)

SPRING ALL-AREA: Columbia's Colten Mitchell repeats as LCR Boys Tennis Player of the Year

JORDAN KROEGER
One moment defined Colten Mitchell’s junior season at Columbia.That came at the District 2-3A tournament in April.Standing across the net was Mosley’s Ethan Scott, a player who had gotten the better of Mitchell not just this season but last year too. Scott had defeated Mitchell 9-7 in 2025 and then…
Suwannee’s Brooke Fernald is the LCR’s Girls Tennis Player of the Year. (COURTESY)

Suwannee’s Brooke Fernald is the LCR’s Girls Tennis Player of the Year. (COURTESY)

SPRING ALL-AREA: Suwannee's Brooke Fernald named LCR's Girls Tennis Player of the Year

JAMIE WACHTER
LIVE OAK — Going into the season, Brooke Fernald didn’t know what to fully expect.The Suwannee senior expected to be one of the Bulldogs’ top two players considering she and Charlotte Dunn were the only returners.But with nobody else coming back, there were a lot of questions and uncertainty…

Pittman hired to oversee city parks project

JAMIE WACHTER
Columbia County’s loss is the City of Lake City’s temporary gain.Five weeks after Clint Pittman resigned as Columbia County’s parks and landscape director, Pittman is now the city’s superintendent of parks, a temporary position that was approved by the Lake City Council on Monday.In the new part-…

Slater named Reporter’s interim general manager

NEWS STAFF
Monja Slater has been promoted to interim general manager of the Lake City Reporter, according to Mark Major, the president of Community Newspapers Inc., the owner of the Reporter.Slater joined the Reporter in 2021 and has served as its advertising director and business development manager. She…
U.S. Army veterans John “Dutch” Shultz (foreground from left), Dawn Huston and Terry Holliday pose for a Flag Day photograph as Kenneth Burkes, an American Legion member, holds the flag. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

U.S. Army veterans John “Dutch” Shultz (foreground from left), Dawn Huston and Terry Holliday pose for a Flag Day photograph as Kenneth Burkes, an American Legion member, holds the flag. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

VA Domiciliary celebrates Army’s birthday, Flag Day

TONY BRITT
Residents of the Robert H. Jenkins Jr. Veterans’ Domiciliary Home of Florida spent the past few days celebrating.Tasked with activities such as competitions, a scavenger hunt, venturing through ration packets and  participating in a celebration for the U.S. Army’s birthday and Flag Day, the…
North Florida Water Utilities Authority Attorney Grady Williams holds up one of the agreements that established the NFWUA during Monday’s meeting. Williams and Executive Director Shannon Roberts asked the board for direction as far as to the timeline for transferring assets from Columbia and Suwannee counties to the Authority. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

North Florida Water Utilities Authority Attorney Grady Williams holds up one of the agreements that established the NFWUA during Monday’s meeting. Williams and Executive Director Shannon Roberts asked the board for direction as far as to the timeline for transferring assets from Columbia and Suwannee counties to the Authority. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

NFWUA slows down transferring assets

JAMIE WACHTER
The North Florida Water Utility Authority tapped the brakes Monday on completely taking over control of utility plants in Columbia and Suwannee counties.During the NFWUA board’s meeting Monday, talk about potentially transferring the physical assets within the two counties to the Authority by Oct.…

Council opts out of new EMS tax

JAMIE WACHTER
The City of Lake City isn’t interested in implementing a tax for emergency medical services.An ordinance to take part in a Municipal Service Taxing Unit for EMS died for lack of a motion during the Lake City Council’s lengthy meeting Monday night. The Council approved the first reading of the…
Erik Bredfelt with Inspire told the Lake City Council that its update of the Community Redevelopment Agency plan was important because those funds can only be spent on projects outlined in the plan. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

Erik Bredfelt with Inspire told the Lake City Council that its update of the Community Redevelopment Agency plan was important because those funds can only be spent on projects outlined in the plan. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

Revised CRA plan focused on five areas of improvements

JAMIE WACHTER
A revamped Lake City Community Redevelopment Agency plan is focused on improvements in five areas.An overview of the revised plan was presented to the Lake City Council in an update during a CRA meeting Monday, with Inspire’s Erik Bredfelt highlighting the plan, which was implemented in 1988 and…
North Florida Water Utilities Authority board member Steven Dicks said the group needs to start reaching out to small governments about how it can help with utilities since the proposed property tax cut could limit budgets for those entities. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

North Florida Water Utilities Authority board member Steven Dicks said the group needs to start reaching out to small governments about how it can help with utilities since the proposed property tax cut could limit budgets for those entities. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

Property tax cut a ‘golden opportunity’ for utility group

JAMIE WACHTER
The property tax referendum in front of Florida voters this fall may turn out to be a boost to the North Florida Water Utilities Authority.At least one NFWUA board member thinks so.Near the end of the NFWUA’s board meeting Monday, at-large member Steven Dicks said he felt the Authority had the…
Mayla Beaty (left), the incoming president of Filipino-American Cultural Society of Lake City, stands with the Peter Howell as he prepares to cut the roasted pig during the Philippine Independence Day celebration at Quail Heights Country Club on Saturday. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Mayla Beaty (left), the incoming president of Filipino-American Cultural Society of Lake City, stands with the Peter Howell as he prepares to cut the roasted pig during the Philippine Independence Day celebration at Quail Heights Country Club on Saturday. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Lake City cultural society celebrates with dance, feast

TONY BRITT
More than 100 people, associated with the Filipino-American Cultural Society of Lake City, celebrated Philippine Independence Day this weekend with food, fellowship, traditional dance, cultural presentations, friendship and camaraderie.The local celebration took place Saturday at Quail Heights…
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