Local

Nilda Soto, a family support specialist with the Early Learning Coalition of Florida’s Gateway, delivers a meal to Maria Alexander, a Season of Giving recipient, earlier this month. (COURTESY)

Nilda Soto, a family support specialist with the Early Learning Coalition of Florida’s Gateway, delivers a meal to Maria Alexander, a Season of Giving recipient, earlier this month. (COURTESY)

Early Learning Coalition hands out meals to families

NEWS STAFF
Friday, November 24, 2023
With support from the community, the Early Learning Coalition of Florida’s Gateway helped provide meals to 12 families in time for Thanksgiving. The coalition, in a release, thanked everyone who volunteered time, donated food, and gave money to make the Season of Giving initiative a success.
Brad and Lorrie Wheeler finish setting up a nativity scene in their yard Monday. The Wheelers’ Christmas display has become a community draw for the past 27 years at 197 NW Brookside Court. The display officially begins every year on Thanksgiving night. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Brad and Lorrie Wheeler finish setting up a nativity scene in their yard Monday. The Wheelers’ Christmas display has become a community draw for the past 27 years at 197 NW Brookside Court. The display officially begins every year on Thanksgiving night. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Wheelers lighting way to Christmas

TONY BRITT
Tuesday, November 21, 2023
While most families are preparing for their Thanksgiving Day traditions, one local family is nearing the end of its month-long Christmas decorating tradition. Brad and Lorrie Wheeler, and other friends and family members, have spent close to four weeks setting up Christmas decorations and displays.
President John F. Kennedy (back left), Jacqueline Kennedy (back right), begin the motorcade from Love Field to downtown Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963. Texas Gov. John Connally is waving. (TOM DILLARD/Dallas Morning News/TNS/file)

President John F. Kennedy (back left), Jacqueline Kennedy (back right), begin the motorcade from Love Field to downtown Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963. Texas Gov. John Connally is waving. (TOM DILLARD/Dallas Morning News/TNS/file)

JFK’s death recalled 60 years later

JAMIE WACHTER
Tuesday, November 21, 2023
Sixty years later, Marlin Feagle can recall it all like it happened yesterday. It was shortly after lunchtime and he was sitting in typing class at Columbia High School when Principal S.W. Rayburn came over the public address system with an announcement on Nov. 22, 1963.
Interim City Manager Dee Johnson will receive a $135,000 salary while he handles the managerial duties. (MORGAN MCMULLEN/Lake City Reporter)

Interim City Manager Dee Johnson will receive a $135,000 salary while he handles the managerial duties. (MORGAN MCMULLEN/Lake City Reporter)

Council OK’s $135K salary for Johnson

MORGAN MCMULLEN
Tuesday, November 21, 2023
As the Lake City Council looks for a permanent fixture in the city manager position, its interim got a better idea of how much he’ll be making running the show in the meantime. Council members voted to give Interim City Manager Dee Johnson a $135,000 salary, a bump of $10,000 from his current rate.

Makerspace hosting free repair clinic

JAMIE WACHTER
Tuesday, November 21, 2023
If it’s broken, they will fix it. The Columbia County Makerspace is holding a free community repair clinic on Saturday in partnership with the Columbia County Economic Development Department, the City of Lake City, the Lake City Rotary Club and numerous other community sponsors.
The Rotary Club of Lake City’s annual Christmas parade will ride through downtown Lake City on Saturday, Dec. 9 at 6 p.m. (FILE)

The Rotary Club of Lake City’s annual Christmas parade will ride through downtown Lake City on Saturday, Dec. 9 at 6 p.m. (FILE)

Rotary excited about Christmas parade

TONY BRITT
Tuesday, November 21, 2023
Christmas-themed music, people dressed as Santa Claus and his helpers and a bunch of lighted floats will usher in the local Christmas season this year during the Lake City Christmas parade. The parade, which is slated for 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec.
Columbia County Clerk of Court Jay Swisher (center) watches as U.S. Imaging’s Felicia Valdez scans one of the county’s bound historical records in the records vault at the Columbia County Courthouse Thursday. U.S. Imaging’s Brandon Valdez looks on. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

Columbia County Clerk of Court Jay Swisher (center) watches as U.S. Imaging’s Felicia Valdez scans one of the county’s bound historical records in the records vault at the Columbia County Courthouse Thursday. U.S. Imaging’s Brandon Valdez looks on. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

Saving the county’s history: Official records being digitized

JAMIE WACHTER
Saturday, November 18, 2023
Some of Columbia County’s oldest records — as well as all of the others — are getting new life. Four U.S.
Sheriff Mark Hunter emphatically makes a point during his comments to the County Commission on Thursday night after his request to be placed on the meeting agenda was denied. (MORGAN MCMULLEN/Lake City Reporter)

Sheriff Mark Hunter emphatically makes a point during his comments to the County Commission on Thursday night after his request to be placed on the meeting agenda was denied. (MORGAN MCMULLEN/Lake City Reporter)

BOCC, Sheriff resume duel on raises

MORGAN MCMULLEN
Saturday, November 18, 2023
The ongoing feud between the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office and the Board of County Commissioners took another turn after the board denied Sheriff Mark Hunter a spot on its Thursday agenda.

Cops: LC man sexually battered minor

NEWS STAFF
Saturday, November 18, 2023
A Lake City man is behind bars after authorities say he sexually battered a minor. According to a Columbia County Sheriff’s Office report, Howard Demarcus Miller, 30, was arrested Thursday after a months-long, multi-agency investigation.
A group of Cambridge Prep Academy students (far left) and Columbia High SGA students add food items to boxes on Thursday morning during the Catholic Charities Thanksgiving Basket Giveaway. More than 559 local families benefited during the effort. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

A group of Cambridge Prep Academy students (far left) and Columbia High SGA students add food items to boxes on Thursday morning during the Catholic Charities Thanksgiving Basket Giveaway. More than 559 local families benefited during the effort. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Catholic Charities feeds nearly 600 families

TONY BRITT
Saturday, November 18, 2023
From fluffing plastic bags, unboxing items, and moving boxes of canned goods to bagging boxes of food staples, grabbing fruit and forming conveyor belts to get all the items moved, the Catholic Charities office reached a new level of activity on Thursday.