Local

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.

Dunn defeats Lawson in redrawn district

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Wednesday, November 9, 2022
Republican Rep. Neal Dunn defeated Democratic Rep. Al Lawson for a north Florida congressional seat in a redrawn district that pitted the two incumbents against each other. Dunn, a surgeon from Panama City, was elected to a fourth term in the U.S. House.
Current projected path of Tropical Storm Nicole as of 4 p.m. Wednesday. (NOAA)

Current projected path of Tropical Storm Nicole as of 4 p.m. Wednesday. (NOAA)

UPDATE: (Wednesday, 3:40 p.m.): Live Oak City Hall closed Thursday

NEWS STAFF
Wednesday, November 9, 2022
Live Oak City Manager George Curtis is closing City Hall on Thursday “out of an abundance of caution.” The closure of City Hall and City Hall annex was made Wednesday afternoon by Curtis due to the Tropical Storm Warning issued Wednesday morning for the area.
Tropical Storm Nicole’s projected path as of 1 p.m. Thursday. (COURTESY/NOAA)

Tropical Storm Nicole’s projected path as of 1 p.m. Thursday. (COURTESY/NOAA)

Nicole makes landfall, weakens to tropical storm

NEWS STAFF
Wednesday, November 9, 2022
Nicole made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane at about 3 a.m. Thursday near Vero Beach, but caused no significant damage there, officials said Thursday. The brunt of the storm hit north of its center. By 10 a.m.
Hunter Peeler gets a hug from a supporter outside the Columbia County Supervisor of Elections Office on Tuesday night after winning the District 5 seat on the Columbia County School Board. (MORGAN MCMULLEN/Lake City Reporter)

Hunter Peeler gets a hug from a supporter outside the Columbia County Supervisor of Elections Office on Tuesday night after winning the District 5 seat on the Columbia County School Board. (MORGAN MCMULLEN/Lake City Reporter)

Peeler edges out Porter for District 5 school board seat

TONY BRITT
Tuesday, November 8, 2022
For the past 11 months Hunter Peeler had been campaigning for the Columbia County School Board District  5 seat.