Local

Columbia County Commissioner Rocky Ford said the North Florida Regional Utilities advisory committee, which had previously met informally, has established that the four counties are interested in working together on utility needs. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

Columbia County Commissioner Rocky Ford said the North Florida Regional Utilities advisory committee, which had previously met informally, has established that the four counties are interested in working together on utility needs. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

Regional utility group officially forms

JAMIE WACHTER
Wednesday, September 27, 2023
The North Florida Regional Utilities advisory committee is now official.
Lake City Manager Paul Dyal was asked Tuesday by the entire Lake City Council to reconsider his decision to resign the position. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

Lake City Manager Paul Dyal was asked Tuesday by the entire Lake City Council to reconsider his decision to resign the position. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

Dyal urged to reconsider resignation

JAMIE WACHTER
Tuesday, September 26, 2023
The City of Lake City’s next administrator will possibly be its current city manager. During a special meeting Tuesday, the entire Lake City Council urged City Manager Paul Dyal to reconsider his resignation, which was submitted Sept. 19, before tabling a resolution to accept the resignation.
The Lake Shore Hospital Authority agreed Monday to declare the Lake Shore Hospital building as surplus and to give it to Meridian Behavioral Healthcare to utilize for mental health services. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

The Lake Shore Hospital Authority agreed Monday to declare the Lake Shore Hospital building as surplus and to give it to Meridian Behavioral Healthcare to utilize for mental health services. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

Lake Shore hospital given to Meridian

JAMIE WACHTER
Tuesday, September 26, 2023
The Lake Shore Hospital will have a second life as a mental health facility. At Monday’s special meeting, the Lake Shore Hospital Authority unanimously approved declaring the main hospital surplus and deeding it to Meridian Behavioral Healthcare.
Chaos, a Columbia County Sheriff’s Office K9 deputy, was found Tuesday after he went missing during a search for a fleeing suspect Monday. (COURTESY COLUMBIA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE)

Chaos, a Columbia County Sheriff’s Office K9 deputy, was found Tuesday after he went missing during a search for a fleeing suspect Monday. (COURTESY COLUMBIA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE)

CCSO K9 found after lengthy search

NEWS STAFF
Tuesday, September 26, 2023
A day after the search began, a missing Columbia County Sheriff’s Office K-9 officer was found Tuesday morning. Chaos, who went missing during an early-morning search Monday, was spotted by a Columbia County resident on SE Pounds Hammock Road mid-morning Tuesday.

UWSV hosting Veteran Summit

TONY BRITT
Tuesday, September 26, 2023
Area veterans who want to learn about different types of services available to them will have an opportunity to talk to vendors and professionals later this week during a United Way of Suwannee Valley event geared toward them.

CCSO: Threat at FWHS 'not credible'

NEWS STAFF
Monday, September 25, 2023
FORT WHITE – A threat of a school shooting at Fort White High School has been deemed “not credible.” According to a Columbia County Sheriff's Office release, deputies learned Friday night that a student had threatened a shooting at the school.
Chaos, a Columbia County Sheriff's Office K9 officer, went missing Monday during a search east of Lake City. (COURTESY COLUMBIA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE)

Chaos, a Columbia County Sheriff's Office K9 officer, went missing Monday during a search east of Lake City. (COURTESY COLUMBIA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE)

CCSO searching for missing K9 officer

NEWS STAFF
Monday, September 25, 2023
A Columbia County Sheriff's Office K-9 officer remains missing after an early-morning search Monday. A deputy began pursuit of 29-year-old Justin Pike around 11:40 p.m. Sunday at the Interstate 75 and U.S. Highway 90 interchange.
A revised FEMA flood risk map shows areas in The Oaks of Lake City subdivision that will be in flood zones, including new areas that are shaded blue. The Suwannee River Water Management District and FEMA are continuing to revise the maps after receiving hundreds of objections from the public earlier this year. (COURTESY SUWANNEE RIVER WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT)

A revised FEMA flood risk map shows areas in The Oaks of Lake City subdivision that will be in flood zones, including new areas that are shaded blue. The Suwannee River Water Management District and FEMA are continuing to revise the maps after receiving hundreds of objections from the public earlier this year. (COURTESY SUWANNEE RIVER WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT)

Flood map relief coming

JAMIE WACHTER
Saturday, September 23, 2023
A flood of feedback — or objections — has washed out preliminary FEMA flood risk maps for southern Columbia County.

Council begins manager search process, again

JAMIE WACHTER
Saturday, September 23, 2023
The search for a new manager for the City of Lake City will begin next week. Finding a temporary administrator to replace Paul Dyal’s seat next month will also occur next month,  although who that interim manager will be is still unknown. The Lake City Council is holding a special meeting at 6 p.