Diana Duque, the new health officer at the Columbia County Health Department, is looking to strengthen community health in her new role. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Bringing a healthy outlook

The Columbia County Health Department handles community health needs, environmental health needs and public health concerns for the county. For the past few months, those duties have been handled by an interim director, but Diana Duque has…
The Columbia County Health Department handles community health needs, environmental health needs and public health concerns for the county. For the past few months, those duties have been handled by an interim director, but Diana Duque has officially taken over the helm as the health department…
The FHSAA rankings to seed next week’s district tournaments were released Tuesday. Here’s where, and who, the area teams will play and also where they sit in their respective playoff races. Game times currently listed on MaxPreps are subject to change. DISTRICT 2-5A Games at higher seed…
The FHSAA rankings to seed next week’s district tournaments were released Tuesday. Here’s where, and who, the area teams will play and also where they sit in their respective playoff races. Game times currently listed on MaxPreps are subject to change. DISTRICT 2-5A Games at higher seed…
Ever wondered what the cat is up to while at work all day? Jacob Sheldon, a 19-year-old paraprofessional at Summers Elementary School, did. So as Sheldon started to consider what his orange cat, Nate, was doing all day long by himself, his imagination sparked a children’s book, “I Think My Cat’s…
LIVE OAK — The inaugural Wildflower Festival is set to bloom this weekend in Live Oak. The third festival organized by the Suwannee Festivals group is planned for Heritage Park and Gardens, 1004 Helvenston Street in Live Oak, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Katherine Allen, the family and…
JASPER — Concerns over high bacteria levels in the Withlacoochee River have been eased. The Hamilton County Health Department announced this week that the health advisory issued last week on the river has been lifted. The lifting of the advisory comes after water testing completed on April 17 and…
Food delivery will flow the opposite way next month thanks to an upcoming country-wide food drive. The National Association of Letter Carriers is set to conduct its 32nd annual national Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive on Saturday, May 11. Residents are encouraged to leave a sturdy bag of non-…
One of the exits at the Interstates 10 and 75 interchange will be closed next week. The Florida Department of Transportation announced Tuesday that the exit from I-75 south to I-10 west will close Monday at 8 a.m. so crews can work on erosion repair. The exit will remain closed, weather and…
TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday approved $200 million to continue a popular home-hardening grant program that could help about 20,000 mostly low- and moderate-income residents cut property-insurance costs. DeSantis signed two bills related to the My Safe Florida Home grant program and…
It’s not a game that’s going to boost Columbia’s strength of schedule or playoff rating in the FHSAA rankings, but it’s a game that embodies the “spirit of softball.” It’s why coach Cindy Dansby continues to keep Riverside on the schedule and hopes to do so, even after winning by run-rule for the…
LIVE OAK — Already one of the hottest teams in Class 4A and winners of 11 of the past 13 games, the 4A No. 8 Bulldogs decided to take out their anger from their last loss on the team that handed it to them. Suwannee jumped all over Taylor County Wednesday night at Booster Field, scoring nine runs…