Local

Wallace Kitchings (left) and Mark Hunter, candidates for Columbia County sheriff, speak to voters on Thursday at the Columbia County Republican Party's political rally at the Florida Gateway Fairgrounds. (Photos by JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

Wallace Kitchings (left) and Mark Hunter, candidates for Columbia County sheriff, speak to voters on Thursday at the Columbia County Republican Party's political rally at the Florida Gateway Fairgrounds. (Photos by JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

Nearly $200K raised, spent on sheriff’s race

NEWS STAFF
Friday, August 9, 2024
Nearly $200,000 has been pumped into the Columbia County sheriff’s race heading into early voting. Sheriff Mark Hunter has both received and spent more than $100,000 on his re-election campaign, according to campaign finance documents through July 26.
Lake City Councilman James Carter said the city placing the question about council raises on the November ballot was cheaper than if it went that route through a voter-led petition. (MORGAN MCMULLEN/Lake City Reporter)

Lake City Councilman James Carter said the city placing the question about council raises on the November ballot was cheaper than if it went that route through a voter-led petition. (MORGAN MCMULLEN/Lake City Reporter)

Council raises heading to ballot

MORGAN MCMULLEN
Friday, August 9, 2024
The issue of city council raises again took center stage at Thursday’s Lake City Council meeting. This time, voters will indeed have a say in the process moving forward.
The Suwannee River is flooding from its banks at White Springs after Hurricane Debby dumped up to 16 inches of rain in the area. The river has risen 20 feet at White Springs since last weekend. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

The Suwannee River is flooding from its banks at White Springs after Hurricane Debby dumped up to 16 inches of rain in the area. The river has risen 20 feet at White Springs since last weekend. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Suwannee River rises 20 feet after Debby

JAMIE WACHTER
Wednesday, August 7, 2024
Hurricane Debby’s impact will be felt for days — possibly weeks — to come. The up to 16 inches of rain the storm dumped on North Florida on Sunday and Monday caused the Suwannee River to rise 20 feet since the weekend at White Springs and 17 feet at Suwannee Springs.
Columbia County Commissioner Ron Williams (center) asks Emergency Management Director Shayne Morgan a question during Wednesday’s EOC meeting. County and Lake City department heads also attended. (MORGAN MCMULLEN/Lake City Reporter)

Columbia County Commissioner Ron Williams (center) asks Emergency Management Director Shayne Morgan a question during Wednesday’s EOC meeting. County and Lake City department heads also attended. (MORGAN MCMULLEN/Lake City Reporter)

Commission discusses threats of post-Debby floods

MORGAN MCMULLEN
Wednesday, August 7, 2024
The Columbia County Board of County Commissioners held an emergency meeting Wednesday afternoon to discuss the impacts left from Hurricane Debby. Commissioners and heads of county and Lake City departments were represented at Wednesday’s 2 p.m. meeting at the Emergency Operations Center.
Justice Kite (from left) gets a bag of ice from Darius Parker as she and Cassie Burke, Vystar employees, prepare to give the ice to southern Columbia County residents who were left without electricity following Hurricane Debby. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Justice Kite (from left) gets a bag of ice from Darius Parker as she and Cassie Burke, Vystar employees, prepare to give the ice to southern Columbia County residents who were left without electricity following Hurricane Debby. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Food, water distributed around county after Debby

TONY BRITT
Wednesday, August 7, 2024
FORT WHITE — Hurricane Debby dumped several inches of rain on the area as the storm cut a path through the region.
Flood waters rush across Falling Creek Road on Monday after Hurricane Debby passed through. Columbia County Fire Rescue firefighters pulled a woman from a flood vehicle in the waters Monday evening. (COURTESY COLUMBIA COUNTY FIRE RESCUE)

Flood waters rush across Falling Creek Road on Monday after Hurricane Debby passed through. Columbia County Fire Rescue firefighters pulled a woman from a flood vehicle in the waters Monday evening. (COURTESY COLUMBIA COUNTY FIRE RESCUE)

Firefighters rescue woman from flooded vehicle

MORGAN MCMULLEN
Tuesday, August 6, 2024
A daring rescue near Falling Creek in the aftermath of Hurricane Debby had one woman shaken up but ultimately safe after getting her vehicle stuck in rising waters.

Second GOP rally pushed back by storm

NEWS STAFF
Tuesday, August 6, 2024
The Columbia County Republican Party’s second political rally has been postponed. The party announced Monday that its second rally, scheduled for the Florida Gateway Fairgrounds, was being rescheduled due to Hurricane Debby.

Storm forecast eased slightly

NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
Tuesday, August 6, 2024
Experts at Colorado State University slightly scaled back their forecast for the already-active Atlantic storm season, a day after Hurricane Debby, now a tropical storm, made landfall in North Florida.
Flood waters cross over SE Inglewood Avenue in Lake City on Monday afternoon after Hurricane Debby dumped up to 16 inches of rain on the area. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Flood waters cross over SE Inglewood Avenue in Lake City on Monday afternoon after Hurricane Debby dumped up to 16 inches of rain on the area. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Columbia County addressing public infrastructure ‘big mess’

JAMIE WACHTER
Tuesday, August 6, 2024
With Hurricane Debby dropping around a foot of rain on North Florida on Monday, local officials are busy responding to the flooding and wind damage left behind.