Local

Janice Medford (left) and Jaime Brock show off snowmen made out of pinecones at a vendor’s booth during last year’s holiday market. (FILE)

Janice Medford (left) and Jaime Brock show off snowmen made out of pinecones at a vendor’s booth during last year’s holiday market. (FILE)

Christmas festival planned for downtown

JAMIE WACHTER
Saturday, November 12, 2022
Christmas traditions from around the world are coming to downtown Lake City. Christopher Esing and Lake City Community Program Director Terri Phillips are organizing a Christmas/holiday festival for Saturday, Dec. 10.
Veterans who attended the Veterans Stand Down event Wednesday received bags of toiletries. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Veterans who attended the Veterans Stand Down event Wednesday received bags of toiletries. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Standing up for vets

TONY BRITT
Saturday, November 12, 2022
The American Legion Post 57 became a one-stop shop this week for organizations looking to stand up for area veterans. CareerSource Florida Crown hosted its annual Homeless Veteran Stand Down at American Legion Post 57 On Wednesday, drawing more than 100 veterans to the event.
The Chasteen’s Still Truckin’ food truck will be one of three serving up lunches Tuesday at the Foundation for Florida Gateway College’s Give Back to the Pack event. (COURTESY)

The Chasteen’s Still Truckin’ food truck will be one of three serving up lunches Tuesday at the Foundation for Florida Gateway College’s Give Back to the Pack event. (COURTESY)

FGC Foundation offering food for funds

JAMIE WACHTER
Saturday, November 12, 2022
For this year’s Giving Day, the Foundation for Florida Gateway College is giving back to its supporters. For donations to support FGC students, the Foundation will be providing meals Tuesday from a choice of three different food trucks as part of the Give Back to the Pack event.
American Legion Riders from Post 57 get set for their annual motorcycle ride as part of the Toys for Tots program last Saturday. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

American Legion Riders from Post 57 get set for their annual motorcycle ride as part of the Toys for Tots program last Saturday. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Toys for Tots run revs up donations

TONY BRITT
Saturday, November 12, 2022
The local Toys for Tots program has started its preparations for what officials expect to be a busy holiday season for collecting and giving gifts. The effort received a substantial boost last weekend when motorcyclists from the area opened their wallets and donated a toy drive to start the season.
Jocelyn Jenkins (left), 12, presents John Cruise, an Army veteran, with a desk flag during a veterans recognition award ceremony at The Canopy. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Jocelyn Jenkins (left), 12, presents John Cruise, an Army veteran, with a desk flag during a veterans recognition award ceremony at The Canopy. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Veterans recognized at Haven Hospice ceremony

TONY BRITT
Saturday, November 12, 2022
More than a dozen local veterans were recognized for their service to the country at a local retirement facility Friday afternoon. Fourteen veterans were recognized, awarded and saluted during the brief award ceremony at The Canopy mid-afternoon on Friday.

DOT adding sidewalk to U.S. Highway 90 West

NEWS STAFF
Saturday, November 12, 2022
A sidewalk is being added along U.S. Highway 90 west of Lake City. The Florida Department of Transportation, which is using CDM Contracting Inc. to perform the project, has begun work on the construction of a sidewalk from Birley Avenue to Brown Road in western Columbia County.
Current projected path of Tropical Storm Nicole. (COURTESY/NOAA)

Current projected path of Tropical Storm Nicole. (COURTESY/NOAA)

Nicole causes power outages

NEWS STAFF
Thursday, November 10, 2022
While Hurricane Nicole mostly moved south and west of the area, thousands in Columbia and neighboring counties still felt her impact.
Apollo Davison (from left) and Ash Esposito practice their lines in a dress rehearsal for the production of ‘Puffs’ at Columbia High School. There are three performances scheduled for the weekend. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Apollo Davison (from left) and Ash Esposito practice their lines in a dress rehearsal for the production of ‘Puffs’ at Columbia High School. There are three performances scheduled for the weekend. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Magical performance: CHS theatre performing ‘Puffs’

TONY BRITT
Wednesday, November 9, 2022
The strange world of wizardry, vaguely akin to the Harry Potter series, will come to life on a Columbia High School stage over the next few days during the theatrical production of “Puffs” or “Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic.

Long lines in Fort White delay election results

MORGAN MCMULLEN
Wednesday, November 9, 2022
Tomi Brown believes Tuesday night was one of the smoothest election nights since she got her post back in 2008. Now the Columbia County Supervisor of Elections is looking toward the future after managing the hiccups of 2022. Results for Columbia County were unofficially finalized around 9:30 p.m.

Veterans dinner returns from hiatus

NEWS STAFF
Wednesday, November 9, 2022
The annual Veterans Day dinner is back after a two-year absence due to Covid. It just didn’t make sense to endanger the lives of local vets, some of whom faced health problems already, said event organizer Louise “Miss Wezzie” Huelskamp. As the outlook grew brighter, so did Huelskamp’s hopes.