Local

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is close to finalizing its plans for a new fishing pier on Lake Montgomery. The pier will be discussed during Monday’s Lake City Council meeting. (FILE)

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is close to finalizing its plans for a new fishing pier on Lake Montgomery. The pier will be discussed during Monday’s Lake City Council meeting. (FILE)

FWC has new pier on the line

A new fishing pier on Lake Montgomery may soon be reeled in. The Lake City Council is set to discuss the pier project at its meeting Monday, scheduled for 6 p.m. at Lake City Hall.

LCPD: Minor wakes up to man kissing them

A Lake City man was arrested Thursday on allegations of inappropriately touching a juvenile Wednesday. According to a Lake City Police Department report, 20-year-old Keijuan Jones entered the room of a 12-year-old child around 4 a.m. Wednesday while the child was sleeping.
Lake City Police Chief Gerald Butler gives interviewing tips to a group of students during a previous year’s Summer Youth Employment Program. (COURTESY)

Lake City Police Chief Gerald Butler gives interviewing tips to a group of students during a previous year’s Summer Youth Employment Program. (COURTESY)

Youth work program benefits community, students

Local teens will have an opportunity to earn wages, gain work experience and get job skills and experience this summer through a collaborative effort by local governments, the Lake City Police Department and Career Source FloridaCrown.
Multiple events, including the Parade of Homes, are scheduled for this weekend. (COURTESY)

Multiple events, including the Parade of Homes, are scheduled for this weekend. (COURTESY)

Busy weekend slate includes Parade of Homes, 5K, Kids Day, tourneys

There won’t be a shortage of things to do in Lake City this weekend. There will be new homes to tour. There’s also an event designed to let children release some pent-up energy while raising funds for a good cause, as well as a race to remember a beloved teenager lost too soon.
Fluellen and Minter

Fluellen and Minter

Teen arrested for October slaying

A Lake City teenager was arrested Thursday in connection with an October shooting death at the Cedar Park Apartment complex. Antarious R. Fluellen, Jr., 15, was taken into custody Thursday afternoon, Greg Burnsed, a Lake City Police spokesman, said Thursday evening.
Trent Linn (from left), Lake City Correctional Facility Core Civic business manager, Daniel Taylor, Columbia High School principal Trey Hosford and Sonical Mitchell, local “baskets of love” onto trailers Thursday morning at Columbia High School. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Trent Linn (from left), Lake City Correctional Facility Core Civic business manager, Daniel Taylor, Columbia High School principal Trey Hosford and Sonical Mitchell, local “baskets of love” onto trailers Thursday morning at Columbia High School. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

CHS seniors showered with ‘Baskets of Love’

A group of Columbia High School seniors received an early graduation present Thursday. The 20 students, selected by school officials, were each given a “Basket of Love” to begin their college career in upcoming weeks.
Columbia County School District employees peruse the 500 items in the district auditorium as part of the Employee Appreciation Extravaganza. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Columbia County School District employees peruse the 500 items in the district auditorium as part of the Employee Appreciation Extravaganza. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Christmas comes early for CCS employees

The Columbia School Board Administrative Auditorium looked like a Christmas storage warehouse Thursday afternoon. There were bicycles, television sets, kayaks, outdoor furniture and a variety of several hundred other items adorning the auditorium.
Corie Register, an employee at Ichetucknee Springs State Park, tells Niblack Elementary School students about the American Lion Skull display at the park’s education center Wednesday morning. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Corie Register, an employee at Ichetucknee Springs State Park, tells Niblack Elementary School students about the American Lion Skull display at the park’s education center Wednesday morning. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Learning from nature: Children taught about water quality, conservation

The headspring at Ichetucknee Springs State Park, which generates roughly 96 million gallons of water daily, proved to be an unforgettable classroom scene for a group of Niblack Elementary School kindergarten students Wednesday morning.