Local

Linemen work on a power pole on SW Grandview Street in Lake City on Monday as utility crews continue to try to get power back to residents following Hurricane Helene. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Linemen work on a power pole on SW Grandview Street in Lake City on Monday as utility crews continue to try to get power back to residents following Hurricane Helene. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Supply sites condensing in Helene response

NEWS STAFF
Tuesday, October 1, 2024
The response to Hurricane Helene’s devastation will continue to condense today.

Four-vehicle crash on U.S. 90 kills Wellborn man

NEWS STAFF
Tuesday, October 1, 2024
A Wellborn man was killed Monday afternoon in four-vehicle accident on the east side of Lake City. The crash caused major traffic congestion around the U.S. Highway 90 and Interstate 75 interchange for several hours.
Alexander Veiga, co-owner of The Collective, (right) serves up food during Monday’s event. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Alexander Veiga, co-owner of The Collective, (right) serves up food during Monday’s event. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

‘Collective’ effort provides comfort foods

TONY BRITT
Tuesday, October 1, 2024
FORT WHITE — A community grassroots effort to support neighbors struggling to recover from Hurricane Helene unfolded in downtown Fort White Monday evening.
Florida Gateway College’s Olustee campus is housing mobile kitchens, shower facilities and bunks to house more than 900 linemen helping Florida Power & Light restore power in Columbia County and North Florida after Hurricane Helene. (COURTESY FLORIDA GATEWAY COLLEGE)

Florida Gateway College’s Olustee campus is housing mobile kitchens, shower facilities and bunks to house more than 900 linemen helping Florida Power & Light restore power in Columbia County and North Florida after Hurricane Helene. (COURTESY FLORIDA GATEWAY COLLEGE)

FGC hosting FPL base camp

JAMIE WACHTER
Tuesday, October 1, 2024
OLUSTEE — Florida Gateway College’s Olustee campus has taken on a different look this week.
A visitor to the Fort White Community Center on Sunday grabs a bag of ice off the back of a semi truck that was supplying ice to those without power after Hurricane Helene. (STASI WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

A visitor to the Fort White Community Center on Sunday grabs a bag of ice off the back of a semi truck that was supplying ice to those without power after Hurricane Helene. (STASI WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

County closes two distribution points as power restored

TODD WILSON
Monday, September 30, 2024
Columbia County’s emergency operations response to Hurricane Helene will be scaled back on Tuesday as two of the assistance locations will be closed and supplies will be diverted to other locations in the county where they are needed, officials said Monday evening. At 9 p.m.
Red Cross workers unload hot meals out of an American Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicle on Monday evening at the Fort White Community Center. Red Cross served Shepherd's Pie and bread prepared by Big D's Barbecue in Tallahassee as dinner to people without power from Hurricane Helene. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Red Cross workers unload hot meals out of an American Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicle on Monday evening at the Fort White Community Center. Red Cross served Shepherd's Pie and bread prepared by Big D's Barbecue in Tallahassee as dinner to people without power from Hurricane Helene. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

More than 1,000 pick up hot meals, supplies in Fort White

TONY BRITT
Monday, September 30, 2024
FORT WHITE — A steady stream of vehicles ventured to and from the Fort White Community Center on Monday as U.S. Army National Guard troops and county staff provided food, water, ice and other supplies for more than 1,000 people. The facility began serving residents just after 6 a.m. and by 1 p.m.
Storm debris is piled up alongside SW McFarlane Avenue in Lake City on Monday afternoon. Cleanup crews will now begin the process of picking up the debris alongside streets and roadways in both the City of Lake City and Columbia County. (JACK WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

Storm debris is piled up alongside SW McFarlane Avenue in Lake City on Monday afternoon. Cleanup crews will now begin the process of picking up the debris alongside streets and roadways in both the City of Lake City and Columbia County. (JACK WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

Storm debris almost cleared from Columbia roadways

TODD WILSON
Monday, September 30, 2024
Lake City churned back to life Monday as most business corridors saw power returned after more than three days in the dark and retail stores opened their doors to customers. Traffic was steady most of the day on U.S.
Columbia County Schools will be back open Tuesday. (FILE)

Columbia County Schools will be back open Tuesday. (FILE)

Columbia schools re-opening Tuesday

NEWS STAFF
Monday, September 30, 2024
Columbia County Schools will be back in session Tuesday. The district announced late Monday morning that all the school facilities in the district have power and are safe for the return of both students and staff.
Power crews from Titan Powerline of Duncan, Okla., work to install a new power pole and transformer where the old one snapped and exploded during Hurricane Helene on Southwest Castle Heights Terrace near Southwest Main Boulevard in Lake City Sunday afternoon. A foreman with Titan said the company does daily work in Oklahoma and Texas, but contracts with FPL for storm recovery. Titan Powerline sent three full crews, or 20 workers, to Lake City to help restore power. (TODD WILSON/Lake City Reporter)

Power crews from Titan Powerline of Duncan, Okla., work to install a new power pole and transformer where the old one snapped and exploded during Hurricane Helene on Southwest Castle Heights Terrace near Southwest Main Boulevard in Lake City Sunday afternoon. A foreman with Titan said the company does daily work in Oklahoma and Texas, but contracts with FPL for storm recovery. Titan Powerline sent three full crews, or 20 workers, to Lake City to help restore power. (TODD WILSON/Lake City Reporter)

Clay Electric moves toward midweek power-up goal

TODD WILSON
Sunday, September 29, 2024
Clay Electric is quickly gaining ground on the areas where its customers are in the dark and needing power restored and the company hopes to have its customer base almost all restored by the end of day Tuesday, officials said.