Local

Jay Fraser (from left), local scouting organization representative and Darrel Mathis, Boy Scout Troop 85 Committee Chair, set up a display in the First Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall that displays scouting memorabilia of Forrest Bradbury, the first Eagle Scout for the group from 1931. A reception will take place Sunday morning in the fellowship hall to celebrate 100 years of local scouting. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Jay Fraser (from left), local scouting organization representative and Darrel Mathis, Boy Scout Troop 85 Committee Chair, set up a display in the First Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall that displays scouting memorabilia of Forrest Bradbury, the first Eagle Scout for the group from 1931. A reception will take place Sunday morning in the fellowship hall to celebrate 100 years of local scouting. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Lake City’s historic Troop 85 celebrating centennial

TONY BRITT
Friday, February 3, 2023
For the chosen few, “Be Prepared” was a Cub Scout motto they learned at an elementary school age and carried throughout their lives.
A semi trailer caught fire Thursday evening on the on-ramp to Interstate 75 at the U.S. Highway 90 interchange. Lake City Fire Department and Columbia County Fire Rescue crews extinguished the flames in minutes. (COURTESY)

A semi trailer caught fire Thursday evening on the on-ramp to Interstate 75 at the U.S. Highway 90 interchange. Lake City Fire Department and Columbia County Fire Rescue crews extinguished the flames in minutes. (COURTESY)

Semi trailer fire shuts down I-75 on-ramp

TONY BRITT
Friday, February 3, 2023
More than a dozen firefighters from the Lake City Fire Department and Columbia County Fire Rescue ran into a fiery, 53-foot boxed trailer obstacle Thursday evening.
Multiple firearms and ammunition were found in a burglary suspect's vehicle Thursday. (COURTESY)

Multiple firearms and ammunition were found in a burglary suspect's vehicle Thursday. (COURTESY)

Cell phone thief found with arsenal

NEWS STAFF
Friday, February 3, 2023
Authorities tracked down a vehicle burglary suspect Thursday evening and found much more than a stolen cell phone. According to a Lake City Police Department release, a cell phone was stolen from a vehicle at the Murphy USA gas station around 5:23 p.m. Thursday while the vehicle was unattended.
The Board of County Commissioners voted Thursday to fund a pair of recreation programs at Richardson Community Center. (FILE)

The Board of County Commissioners voted Thursday to fund a pair of recreation programs at Richardson Community Center. (FILE)

County funds recreation at Richardson

JAMIE WACHTER
Thursday, February 2, 2023
There has been no changing of the deed to Richardson Community Center, at least not yet. But the Columbia County Commission approved at its meeting Thursday morning to fund $142,000 annually for the Lake City-owned, city-ran community center moving forward.

Fiber projects funded $15.4M in N. Florida

JAMIE WACHTER
Thursday, February 2, 2023
The push to expand broadband access in rural North Florida got a boost Thursday. Gov. Ron DeSantis announced $144 million in grant funds from the Broadband Opportunity Grant Program for 58 projects across 41 counties. Columbia, Suwannee, Hamilton and Lafayette counties received nearly $15.
J. Slone, Hill and T. Slone

J. Slone, Hill and T. Slone

3 arrested in drunken hospital episode

NEWS STAFF
Thursday, February 2, 2023
A scene at HCA Lake City Hospital reportedly caused by a McAlpin man landed him and two others in jail Tuesday morning. According to a Lake City Police Department release, an LCPD officer, working off-duty as a security patrol at 340 NW Commerce Dr.
Two vans burst into flames after colliding on U.S. Highway 41 North at the intersection with NW Moore Road on Wednesday afternoon. (COURTESY)

Two vans burst into flames after colliding on U.S. Highway 41 North at the intersection with NW Moore Road on Wednesday afternoon. (COURTESY)

Fiery crash sends four to hospital

NEWS STAFF
Wednesday, February 1, 2023
A crash that engulfed two vans in flames sent four individuals to area hospitals Wednesday afternoon. A 2020 Ford van used to deliver parts was traveling west on NW Moore Road around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday when it pulled out onto U.S. Highway 41 North, a Florida Highway Patrol report states.
Mercilee Brown (from left) and her Rodney Brown, the first African American student to attend Lake City Junior College stand with Travis George, Lelia Williams and Tony Cardenas during an FGC Black History Month Proclamation ceremony on Tuesday morning. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Mercilee Brown (from left) and her Rodney Brown, the first African American student to attend Lake City Junior College stand with Travis George, Lelia Williams and Tony Cardenas during an FGC Black History Month Proclamation ceremony on Tuesday morning. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

FGC honors past at Black History Month program

TONY BRITT
Wednesday, February 1, 2023
Florida Gateway College’s past and future merged Tuesday morning as both current students and the college’s first Black student observed the beginning of Black History Month.