Local

Lake City Police Chief Gerald Butler speaks to a group of more than 35 children on Friday afternoon about the importance of staying in school. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Lake City Police Chief Gerald Butler speaks to a group of more than 35 children on Friday afternoon about the importance of staying in school. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Police stress importance of school to children

TONY BRITT
Tuesday, September 12, 2023
More than 35 youngsters, representing the Presley EXCEL and Scholars Program, Youth for Christ Ministry, Presley Learning Center Academy, Readers Are Leaders, Miracle Tabernacle Girls of Distinction and EXCEL  Boys Group visited the Lake City Police Department on Friday afternoon where Gerald...
Rory Penland, a Lake City native, stands in front of ‘The Orangerie’ (Musee de l’Orangerie in Paris, France, in March 2018. Penland’s Iconic Art Project exhibit, featuring replicas of some of the most famous art pieces in history, will be on display at the Gateway Art Gallery later this month. (COURTESY)

Rory Penland, a Lake City native, stands in front of ‘The Orangerie’ (Musee de l’Orangerie in Paris, France, in March 2018. Penland’s Iconic Art Project exhibit, featuring replicas of some of the most famous art pieces in history, will be on display at the Gateway Art Gallery later this month. (COURTESY)

Gallery has gone to the pets, Penland

TONY BRITT
Saturday, September 9, 2023
From a glance at things, it may appear that the Gateway Art Gallery has gone to the dogs. And cats and whatever other pets local artists have.
Columbia County Commissioner Tim Murphy said he was opposed to the $7,500 awarded to the Columbia County Riding Club in the county’s 2023-24 budget. (MORGAN MCMULLEN/Lake City Reporter)

Columbia County Commissioner Tim Murphy said he was opposed to the $7,500 awarded to the Columbia County Riding Club in the county’s 2023-24 budget. (MORGAN MCMULLEN/Lake City Reporter)

County passes tentative budget

MORGAN MCMULLEN
Saturday, September 9, 2023
Columbia County has adopted its tentative budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Now it has just one more procedural hurdle to get over before it officially passes.
Kathy Hebda, the chancellor of the Florida College System, and Kimberly Reichey, the senior chancellor of the Florida Department of Education, dropped off food and supplies at Florida Gateway College on Thursday. (COURTESY FLORIDA GATEWAY COLLEGE)

Kathy Hebda, the chancellor of the Florida College System, and Kimberly Reichey, the senior chancellor of the Florida Department of Education, dropped off food and supplies at Florida Gateway College on Thursday. (COURTESY FLORIDA GATEWAY COLLEGE)

Donations help restock FGC Student Food Pantry

JAMIE WACHTER
Saturday, September 9, 2023
The shelves are restocked at the Florida Gateway College Student Food Pantry with some help from friends across the state.

LDS church helping cleanup efforts

NEWS STAFF
Saturday, September 9, 2023
Hurricane Idalia cleanup efforts are still ongoing in different regions of South Georgia and North Florida. One religious group is saying that it’s still serving residents who were impacted by the storm.
First responders gather at the intersection of U.S. Highway 441 South and Southeast Patio Glen on Friday afternoon. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

First responders gather at the intersection of U.S. Highway 441 South and Southeast Patio Glen on Friday afternoon. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

2 dead after deputy-involved shooting

NEWS STAFF
Friday, September 8, 2023
Two people are dead following a domestic disturbance and a deputy-involved shooting in a mobile home park on U.S. Highway 441 South Friday afternoon.
Members of the Alachua County Bomb Squad and Lake City Police Department look at the suspicious device found in the Quality Inn on Thursday morning. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

Members of the Alachua County Bomb Squad and Lake City Police Department look at the suspicious device found in the Quality Inn on Thursday morning. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

Bomb scare at Quality Inn defused

NEWS STAFF
Thursday, September 7, 2023
A suspicious device left behind by a guest at the Quality Inn was not an explosive. Staff at the Quality Inn on SW Commerce Drive in Lake City found a small, plastic device left in a room after a guest checked out around 10 a.m. Thursday.

10 apprehended in drug busts

NEWS STAFF
Wednesday, September 6, 2023
Two search warrants served led to 10 arrests Tuesday. The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday that the Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force served the two search warrants at two locations in Lake City.
Stacy Cowart has resigned as Columbia County’s utility director to take a job locally in the private sector. (FILE)

Stacy Cowart has resigned as Columbia County’s utility director to take a job locally in the private sector. (FILE)

County searching for new utility director

JAMIE WACHTER
Wednesday, September 6, 2023
Columbia County has a “critical” need for a new utility director. Stacy Cowart, the county’s utility director submitted his resignation in late August after taking another job locally with a private company, County Manager David Kraus said Wednesday. Cowart will work through Sept. 22.