Local

State flowing $13.8M to Lake City, Fort White

NEWS STAFF
Tuesday, March 25, 2025
The City of Lake City and Town of Fort White have been awarded more than $13 million in Water Quality Improvement Grants funds from the state. Fort White was awarded $12 million while Lake City received $1.7 million for septic-to-sewer conversion projects. The grant funding announcement, from Gov.
Violet Payseng (from left) and Selena Morrell, volunteers at Catholic Charities, move a case of peanut butter, while volunteering in the agency’s food pantry on Monday afternoon. Catholic Charities is hosting its second March Against Hunger event on Thursday afternoon at Lake DeSoto’s Darby Pavilion. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Violet Payseng (from left) and Selena Morrell, volunteers at Catholic Charities, move a case of peanut butter, while volunteering in the agency’s food pantry on Monday afternoon. Catholic Charities is hosting its second March Against Hunger event on Thursday afternoon at Lake DeSoto’s Darby Pavilion. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Catholic Charities, community will March against Hunger

TONY BRITT
Tuesday, March 25, 2025
Over the past 12 months, Catholic Charities has seen a 17% increase in the number of patrons visiting its local food pantry.
A Florida Department of Law Enforcement Crime Scene vehicle pulls out of the Home Depot parking lot Tuesday morning. FDLE helped process the scene of a 'suspicious' death in a vehicle at the Lake City store. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

A Florida Department of Law Enforcement Crime Scene vehicle pulls out of the Home Depot parking lot Tuesday morning. FDLE helped process the scene of a 'suspicious' death in a vehicle at the Lake City store. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

LCPD investigating 'suspicious' death in Home Depot parking lot

NEWS STAFF
Tuesday, March 25, 2025
Authorities are investigating a “suspicious” death after a body was found in a vehicle at the Lake City Home Depot. Lake City police officers responded to Home Depot at 12:17 a.m. Tuesday after a body was found unresponsive in a Tesla car.
Lake City firefighters and members of Gateway-Forest Lawn Funeral Home pull a casket out of a hearse that the funeral home is donating to the department for training with the honor guard. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Lake City firefighters and members of Gateway-Forest Lawn Funeral Home pull a casket out of a hearse that the funeral home is donating to the department for training with the honor guard. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Helping LCFD’s honor guard

TONY BRITT
Friday, March 21, 2025
For the past few months the Lake City Fire Department’s Honor Guard has been practicing the precision, procedures and rituals necessary to pay the proper respect to fallen firefighters at their funerals.
Columbia County Manager David Kraus said based on what Florida’s EOG DOGE Team is asking about in an email to counties and cities there is no issue in Columbia County. (FILE)

Columbia County Manager David Kraus said based on what Florida’s EOG DOGE Team is asking about in an email to counties and cities there is no issue in Columbia County. (FILE)

No local concerns with Florida DOGE

JAMIE WACHTER
Friday, March 21, 2025
Florida’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has begun sniffing around local governments in an effort to find “unnecessary spending.” Those efforts are unnecessary according to local officials.
Registration for the Scrabble tournament was a lot of fun with Diane Feagle (from left), Kathy Smith and Nora Riley. (COURTESY)

Registration for the Scrabble tournament was a lot of fun with Diane Feagle (from left), Kathy Smith and Nora Riley. (COURTESY)

Community support boosts Scrabble tourney

NEWS STAFF
Friday, March 21, 2025
The Lake City Garden Club recently held their annual Scrabble Tournament with 20 teams participating in the nail-biting event. Thirty spectators and Club members provided support and encouragement.

Woman hit, killed on U.S. 441 in Five Points

NEWS STAFF
Friday, March 21, 2025
A Lake City woman was killed Wednesday night when she was hit by a pickup while walking in Five Points. A Florida Highway Patrol release said the woman, 54, was walking in the northbound lane of U.S. Highway 441 when she was hit by a pickup around 8:28 p.m. Wednesday.
A fire burned the back porch of a residence on SE St. Margaret Drive on Thursday. The home owner was not injured by two dogs did die in the fire. (COURTESY LAKE CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT)

A fire burned the back porch of a residence on SE St. Margaret Drive on Thursday. The home owner was not injured by two dogs did die in the fire. (COURTESY LAKE CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT)

Dogs perish in home fire

TONY BRITT
Friday, March 21, 2025
A Thursday afternoon structure fire gutted the back porch area of a local residence. While the homeowner was not injured, the blaze claimed the lives of two of the home owner’s dogs, before it was extinguished.

Lake City man arrested for shooting at family member

NEWS STAFF
Friday, March 21, 2025
A Lake City man has been arrested after shooting at a family member. According to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, 67-year-old Terry Parker entered a family member’s room at a SW Lucky Drive residence Monday morning and after she asked what was wrong, he fired a pistol at her head.