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County Commissioners Tim Murphy (from left), Rocky Ford and Toby Witt look at a word cloud of residents’ descriptions of Columbia County. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

County Commissioners Tim Murphy (from left), Rocky Ford and Toby Witt look at a word cloud of residents’ descriptions of Columbia County. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

TDC nets feedback on regional park

JAMIE WACHTER
Thursday, October 21, 2021
The Columbia County Regional Park may provide an identity to soccer in the community. The possibility that it could help pickleball grow and flourish was also discussed Thursday morning at a town hall meeting.
Columbia High School students preparing to pull trash from Lake DeSoto last Saturday as part of the Rotary Club of Lake City - Downtown’s Lake DeSoto Lake Clean-Up event. (COURTESY)

Columbia High School students preparing to pull trash from Lake DeSoto last Saturday as part of the Rotary Club of Lake City - Downtown’s Lake DeSoto Lake Clean-Up event. (COURTESY)

Downtown Rotary cleans Lake DeSoto

NEWS STAFF
Wednesday, October 20, 2021
Casting for trash, the Rotary Club of Lake City - Downtown reeled in some big ones from Lake DeSoto last weekend.
Ethan Humphries (center), a Branford High School student, uses gloves while getting tips from Eric Crawford, a Clay Electric line supervisor, during Wednesday’s Build My Future event. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Ethan Humphries (center), a Branford High School student, uses gloves while getting tips from Eric Crawford, a Clay Electric line supervisor, during Wednesday’s Build My Future event. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Building something more: Students get hands-on experiences in vocational trades

TONY BRITT
Wednesday, October 20, 2021
From nail guns to screw drivers, mini-excavators to mobile lifts — tools of the trade in the building and construction industry were on display and placed in the hands of area students for most of the day Wednesday.
Brantley Knight, 11 months, attempts to lift a pumpkin Monday afternoon while his family searched for pumpkins to purchase at the Columbia High School FFA Pumpkin Patch. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Brantley Knight, 11 months, attempts to lift a pumpkin Monday afternoon while his family searched for pumpkins to purchase at the Columbia High School FFA Pumpkin Patch. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Thousands of pumpkins available at FFA patch

TONY BRITT
Tuesday, October 19, 2021
A patch of property near the intersection of SW Bascom Norris Drive and SW Mary Ethel Lane has sprouted pumpkins. The 2,500 to 3,000 pumpkins are on site as part of the Columbia High FFA Pumpkin Patch Sale, which serves as an annual fundraiser for the program.

Council refers complaint to outside agency

TONY BRITT
Tuesday, October 19, 2021
City officials plan to enlist the aid of an outside legal team to conduct an investigation into a hostile work environment complaint against several city employees, including Interim City Manager Mike Williams.

TDC: Tell us what to include in park

JAMIE WACHTER
Tuesday, October 19, 2021
Flat fields will be part of the 500-acre Columbia County regional park property, that much is known. What else will be included in the park? The Columbia County Tourist Development Council wants to hear additional ideas and recommendations, hosting an 11 a.m.
Coker hand-delivered copies of the document to each city council representative as well as Fred Koberlein, city attorney, during Monday’s meeting. (FILE)

Coker hand-delivered copies of the document to each city council representative as well as Fred Koberlein, city attorney, during Monday’s meeting. (FILE)

Coker sues city over council seat

TONY BRITT
Monday, October 18, 2021
The Lake City Council is still not officially filled. Rather, the city is facing a lawsuit over the process used last week to choose a new councilor from District 14.
Columbia County had 132 reported deaths through Oct. 7, a rate of 185.2 per 100,000, according to a report from the Tampa Bay Times.

Columbia County had 132 reported deaths through Oct. 7, a rate of 185.2 per 100,000, according to a report from the Tampa Bay Times.

Columbia covid death rate among state’s worst

NEWS STAFF
Monday, October 18, 2021
Columbia County has one of the highest covid-19 death rates in Florida. According to a report released Sunday by the Tampa Bay Times, Columbia County’s death rate per capita is 10th highest overall since the pandemic began last year.

CHS teacher charged with felony DUI

JAMIE WACHTER
Monday, October 18, 2021
School district officials are “monitoring the situation” after a Columbia High School teacher was arrested early Saturday morning on DUI charges. Michael Reynolds, a 38-year-old social studies teacher at CHS, was arrested at 1:35 a.m.