Local

Inmate charged with murder

NEWS STAFF
Monday, August 15, 2022
A state prisoner now finds himself in the Columbia County Detention Facility on murder charges. On Friday, 39-year-old Jeremy Reinert was booked into the county jail for premeditated first-degree murder.
Lake Montgomery will soon get a fishing pier as community members partnered with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, City of Lake City and Columbia County to fund the project. (FILE)

Lake Montgomery will soon get a fishing pier as community members partnered with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, City of Lake City and Columbia County to fund the project. (FILE)

Reeling in funds: Harter Trust donates $100K for pier project

TONY BRITT
Friday, August 12, 2022
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission wanted community involvement for its plan to rebuild a fishing pier at Lake Montgomery.
Paul Dyal, Lake City’s interim manager, said the council and community members know what they’re getting if he gets the job permanently. (MORGAN MCMULLEN/Lake City Reporter)

Paul Dyal, Lake City’s interim manager, said the council and community members know what they’re getting if he gets the job permanently. (MORGAN MCMULLEN/Lake City Reporter)

Dyal: ‘You...know what you’ve got’ with me

JAMIE WACHTER
Friday, August 12, 2022
As the weeks turned into months and Mayor Stephen Witt kept asking, Paul Dyal really started to consider it. Finally in recent weeks, Dyal agreed to take on the task of the City Lake City’s full-time manager should the Lake City Council authorize it, which could come as soon as Monday.

Garage door struck by gunfire

NEWS STAFF
Friday, August 12, 2022
A garage door at a northeastern Lake City house got a new opening Thursday afternoon. According to the Lake City Police Department, officers responded to a house on NE Joe Coney Ave. at 4:09 p.m. Thursday to a report of gunfire.

Deputies: Don’t drink and call 911

NEWS STAFF
Friday, August 12, 2022
According to law enforcement officials — and common sense — citizens should not abuse the 911 emergency line. One Lake City man found that out the hard way. Derek Tyler Butler, 29, was arrested Thursday after making six consecutive 911 calls between 3:29 a.m. and 5:28 a.
The entrance to the Supervisor of Elections office in Lake City shows a roadside packed with campaign signs on the first day of early voting. (MORGAN MCMULLEN/Lake City Reporter)

The entrance to the Supervisor of Elections office in Lake City shows a roadside packed with campaign signs on the first day of early voting. (MORGAN MCMULLEN/Lake City Reporter)

Early votes trickle in during first week

NEWS STAFF
Thursday, August 11, 2022
Nearly one week into early voting in Columbia County, votes are starting to trickle into the Supervisor of Elections’ office. According to the SoE’s website as of 8 p.m. Thursday, 2,975 voters have cast ballots so far in the August primary election, good for about a 7.85% turnout.
Baye Ballew, an instructor at Saint Leo University’s Lake City Education Center, has been named associate chair of Saint Leo’s Undergraduate Elementary Education Department. (COURTESY)

Baye Ballew, an instructor at Saint Leo University’s Lake City Education Center, has been named associate chair of Saint Leo’s Undergraduate Elementary Education Department. (COURTESY)

Ballew earns promotion at Saint Leo

NEWS STAFF
Thursday, August 11, 2022
Baye Ballew, a Lake City Education Center instructor, has earned a promotion at Saint Leo University. Saint Leo recently named Ballew the associate chair of the Undergraduate Elementary Education Department.
Vincent Tugman takes a selfie with Gwendolyn Tugman as she begins school as a Summers Elementary School kindergartener on Wednesday morning. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Vincent Tugman takes a selfie with Gwendolyn Tugman as she begins school as a Summers Elementary School kindergartener on Wednesday morning. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

School's in session: County kids head back to school on ‘unbelievably good’ first day

TONY BRITT
Wednesday, August 10, 2022
All the new shoes, new bookbags, fresh haircuts and other school supplies collected over the past few weeks were on display Wednesday morning when classes began in the Columbia County School District.