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Columbia High School’s JROTC four champion archers were Dakota Bechiner (from left), Erik DelCastillo, Dalton Minton and Chase Peisel. (COURTESY)

Columbia High School’s JROTC four champion archers were Dakota Bechiner (from left), Erik DelCastillo, Dalton Minton and Chase Peisel. (COURTESY)

Columbia JROTC wins archery titles

TONY BRITT
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
The Columbia High School JROTC program, in its first year of fielding a competitive team, captured a season and tournament championship during the weekend, completing a perfect season.
Bettye Lane was a longtime teacher in the Columbia County School District and also was the first black councilwoman to serve on the Lake City Council. (COURTESY)

Bettye Lane was a longtime teacher in the Columbia County School District and also was the first black councilwoman to serve on the Lake City Council. (COURTESY)

Historic Lane recalled for love of community

TONY BRITT
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
A local pioneer in the field of education as well as politics who also harbored a love for Lake City and making it a beautiful venue through plants and trees, died on Sunday. Bettye Lane, a long-time educator and city councilwoman, was  87 years old.
The council voted 3-2 at Monday’s meeting in favor of pursuing a legal judgement in its favor to get roughly $200,000 back in severance pay made to former City Manager Paul Dyal (above). (FILE)

The council voted 3-2 at Monday’s meeting in favor of pursuing a legal judgement in its favor to get roughly $200,000 back in severance pay made to former City Manager Paul Dyal (above). (FILE)

City wants invalid Dyal pay back

MORGAN MCMULLEN
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
The Lake City Council is ready to try to recoup some of the money members say they believe was improperly paid out to the former City Manager.
Lake City Attorney Clay Martin speaks during Monday’s Lake City Council meeting. (MORGAN MCMULLEN/Lake City Reporter)

Lake City Attorney Clay Martin speaks during Monday’s Lake City Council meeting. (MORGAN MCMULLEN/Lake City Reporter)

Martin tries to clear up Lake Shore confusion

MORGAN MCMULLEN
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
While the Lake City Council didn’t act on the matter at its Monday meeting, it did clarify a few things on a potential deal between itself and the Lake Shore Hospital Authority on the subject of Meridian Healthcare and the main Lake Shore Hospital building.
Belmont Academy administrator Drew Sloan (fourth from right) accepts a plaque from Catholic Charities’ Shannon Moser, Renee LeBlanc and David Boozer on Friday as students look on. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Belmont Academy administrator Drew Sloan (fourth from right) accepts a plaque from Catholic Charities’ Shannon Moser, Renee LeBlanc and David Boozer on Friday as students look on. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Belmont recognized for Catholic Charities food drive

TONY BRITT
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
Students at Belmont Academy went the extra mile last year during the holiday season to collect canned good for food insecure community members.
Bobby Griffis shows county commissioners a picture of damage to a local field during Thursday evening’s county commission meeting as several citizens attended the meeting opposing the plan to raise field usage fees for travel ball teams. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Bobby Griffis shows county commissioners a picture of damage to a local field during Thursday evening’s county commission meeting as several citizens attended the meeting opposing the plan to raise field usage fees for travel ball teams. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

County to ‘work out the kinks’ on new field fees

TONY BRITT
Friday, May 16, 2025
The Columbia County Commission’s marathon meeting Thursday night came to an abrupt end when Chairman Tim Murphy adjourned the meeting without warning.
Pat Davis places a rose to honor her son, late Columbia County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeff Davis, during last year’s Public Safety Memorial ceremony. (FILE)

Pat Davis places a rose to honor her son, late Columbia County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeff Davis, during last year’s Public Safety Memorial ceremony. (FILE)

Fallen heroes to be honored Tuesday

TONY BRITT
Friday, May 16, 2025
Columbia County law enforcement officers and first responders who gave their lives in the line of duty will be honored next week in the county’s annual memorial service for fallen heroes. The Lake City-Columbia County Annual Public Safety Memorial will take place 6:30 p.m.

Woman injured in Cedar Park shooting

NEWS STAFF
Friday, May 16, 2025
A woman was hit in the leg by gunfire early Thursday morning at Cedar Park Apartments. According to the Lake City Police Department, multiple shots were fired around 12:37 a.m. Thursday but nobody observed the shooting.
Plans for the old Lake City Reporter building show where CareerSource Florida (Florida Crown), the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and the county’s building and zoning department would be located after renovations are completed. CareerSource and DEP hope to be in the building by Aug. 1. (COURTESY)

Plans for the old Lake City Reporter building show where CareerSource Florida (Florida Crown), the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and the county’s building and zoning department would be located after renovations are completed. CareerSource and DEP hope to be in the building by Aug. 1. (COURTESY)

County making room in old LCR building

TONY BRITT
Friday, May 16, 2025
A building Columbia County officials purchased nearly two years ago to address the need for additional office department space, is having renovation and remodeling work fast-tracked as two potential tenants look to move into the building within the next 90 days.