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Local elementary school students meet Bellamy Beaver during a water conservation and quality event at Ichetucknee Springs State Park on Thursday morning. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Local elementary school students meet Bellamy Beaver during a water conservation and quality event at Ichetucknee Springs State Park on Thursday morning. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Soaking up water education: Bellamy teaches hands-on lessons at Ichetucknee

TONY BRITT
Friday, April 24, 2026
FORT WHITE — More than 200 local elementary school children from three schools gathered at Ichetucknee Springs State Park’s south entrance Thursday morning and served as educational sponges, learning ways to improve water conservation and water quality.
Columbia County Commissioners and North Florida Water Utilities Authority members Tim Murphy and Rocky Ford argue on the county’s sale of the sewer plant at the North Florida Mega Industrial Park to the City of Lake City during the board’s Monday meeting. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

Columbia County Commissioners and North Florida Water Utilities Authority members Tim Murphy and Rocky Ford argue on the county’s sale of the sewer plant at the North Florida Mega Industrial Park to the City of Lake City during the board’s Monday meeting. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

Perturbed utility group wants more discussion on sewer sale

JAMIE WACHTER
Friday, April 24, 2026
Questions that arose at the end of the North Florida Water Utilities Authority meeting about the sale of an asset have not subsided.
Lauren Book, a survivor and the founder of Lauren’s Kids, completes a walk at one of the stops during last year’s Lauren’s Kids Walk, along with a pair of children and her father, Ron. (COURTESY)

Lauren Book, a survivor and the founder of Lauren’s Kids, completes a walk at one of the stops during last year’s Lauren’s Kids Walk, along with a pair of children and her father, Ron. (COURTESY)

Lauren’s Kids Walk coming to Lake City

NEWS STAFF
Friday, April 24, 2026
The statewide Lauren’s Kids Walk will be trekking through Lake City next week.The 11th annual Lauren’s Kids Walk, a statewide initiative dedicated to raising awareness about child sexual abuse and promoting prevention education, will start locally at 9 a.m.

Gateway Art Gallery hosting ‘Hats Off To Mom’

TONY BRITT
Friday, April 24, 2026
A local organization will be celebrating mothers and what their contributions mean to their families and community next week during an annual celebration.The Gateway Art Gallery is hosting its sixth annual “Hats Off To Mom” Mothers Day Event on Saturday, May 2, at the gallery, 168 N.