Local

Martha Johns (from left) addresses the audience after getting her Teacher of a Lifetime certificate from Superintendent Lex Carswell on Tuesday evening. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Martha Johns (from left) addresses the audience after getting her Teacher of a Lifetime certificate from Superintendent Lex Carswell on Tuesday evening. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Recognition of a lifetime: Columbia schools honor five educators for their service

TONY BRITT
Tuesday, May 14, 2024
A lifetime of excellence in education was on display in the Columbia County School Board Auditorium Tuesday evening when five local educators where inducted as honorees into the district’s Teacher of a Lifetime program.
Dr. Richard Nabinger, pharmacist at the Baya West Pharmacy, receives the Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience Outpatient Preceptor of the Year award from Peter Swaan, dean of the University of Florida College of Pharmacy, at the college’s graduate awards celebration Friday. (COURTESY UF COLLEGE OF PHARMACY)

Dr. Richard Nabinger, pharmacist at the Baya West Pharmacy, receives the Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience Outpatient Preceptor of the Year award from Peter Swaan, dean of the University of Florida College of Pharmacy, at the college’s graduate awards celebration Friday. (COURTESY UF COLLEGE OF PHARMACY)

Baya pharmacist honored for teaching UF students

JAMIE WACHTER
Tuesday, May 14, 2024
Through the hectic nature of running a pharmacy, Dr. Richard Nabinger sometimes wonders if he is teaching the students at Baya Pharmacy enough. Nabinger no longer has to wonder.

Belmont graduating 48

TONY BRITT
Tuesday, May 14, 2024
A future after high school is calling close to 50 Belmont Academy seniors, who will be moving onto the next phase of their lives when the school hosts its annual commencement exercise at the end of the week. Belmont Academy will hold its commencement 7 p.m.
Wade Burlingame uses an electric chainsaw to cut a felled oak tree that landed across his vehicles at his Lake Montgomery Avenue home during Friday’s storm. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Wade Burlingame uses an electric chainsaw to cut a felled oak tree that landed across his vehicles at his Lake Montgomery Avenue home during Friday’s storm. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Morning storms cause thousands to lose power

MORGAN MCMULLEN
Friday, May 10, 2024
Early morning storms that ripped through North Florida prompted a state of emergency from Gov. Ron DeSantis. They also left some local damage in their wake.
Fort White High School was burglarized and vandalized in the overnight hours of Wednesday night and Thursday morning. The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office is looking for help in identifying the four suspects caught on video surveillance from the school. (COURTESY COLUMBIA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE)

Fort White High School was burglarized and vandalized in the overnight hours of Wednesday night and Thursday morning. The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office is looking for help in identifying the four suspects caught on video surveillance from the school. (COURTESY COLUMBIA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE)

Deputies hunting vandals in Fort White High School break-in

JAMIE WACHTER
Friday, May 10, 2024
FORT WHITE — The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office is looking for help in identifying four suspects from a break-in at Fort White High School.
Amaya (clockwise from left), Felder, Levy, Johns and Haltiwanger

Amaya (clockwise from left), Felder, Levy, Johns and Haltiwanger

District honoring 5 Teachers of a Lifetime

TONY BRITT
Friday, May 10, 2024
Working in a profession where instant gratification rarely exists, five former Columbia County School District educators have been recognized for their ability to inspire students, dedicate themselves to a greater cause and just flat-out teach and educate local youngsters.
Stephanie Selman (from left) and Natalie Alessi, Fort White High School students, work on adding and removing bolts with an impact driver at the Ring Power vendor’s booth Wednesday morning at Build My Future. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Stephanie Selman (from left) and Natalie Alessi, Fort White High School students, work on adding and removing bolts with an impact driver at the Ring Power vendor’s booth Wednesday morning at Build My Future. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Build My Future exposes high school students to trades

TONY BRITT
Wednesday, May 8, 2024
A realistic look at jobs in the building and construction industry was given to area high school juniors and seniors Wednesday morning during the fourth edition of Build My Future.
Summers Elementary School VPK teacher Karen McDonald works with students outside of the school. The Summers VPK program earned a perfect state score. (COURTESY))

Summers Elementary School VPK teacher Karen McDonald works with students outside of the school. The Summers VPK program earned a perfect state score. (COURTESY))

Summers VPK scores perfect grade

JAMIE WACHTER
Wednesday, May 8, 2024
Summers Elementary School is home to one of the state’s best VPK programs. In fact, Summers’ program could even be called perfect after it was one of just four VPK classrooms in the entire state to receive a perfect 7 ranking in the state’s monitoring system, the Classroom Scoring System (CLASS).