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New Lake City IT Director Matt Benedetti works on a desktop setup Wednesday. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

New Lake City IT Director Matt Benedetti works on a desktop setup Wednesday. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

City hires Benedetti as IT director

TONY BRITT
Wednesday, August 25, 2021
After posting the job on two occasions, the City of Lake City has finally hired a new IT director. Matt Benedetti was hired last week as the city’s new IT director and said he hopes to bring a lot of new ideas to the position. He began work Monday.
Parents and guardians drop off their children at the first day of school on Aug. 11 at Eastside Elementary. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Parents and guardians drop off their children at the first day of school on Aug. 11 at Eastside Elementary. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Declining enrollment: District sees 130 fewer students enrolled since last year

TONY BRITT
Tuesday, August 24, 2021
The Columbia County School District’s enrollment has dropped for the fourth consecutive year. According to school district student enrollment counts, there were 9,167 students enrolled for the first day of school on Aug.

BOCC to discuss millage Thursday

TONY BRITT
Tuesday, August 24, 2021
County officials are proposing to give residents a tax break by reducing the millage rate during a special county commission meeting Thursday morning. The meeting will take place 9 a.m. Thursday at the Columbia County School Board Administrative Complex Auditorium, 372 W. Duval St.
Lake City Hall’s customer service department has temporarily relocated to the city’s utility annex building. (FILE)

Lake City Hall’s customer service department has temporarily relocated to the city’s utility annex building. (FILE)

Mold found in city hall

TONY BRITT
Tuesday, August 24, 2021
Lake City Hall is still open, but the customer service department is on the move — temporarily. Mold was found in city hall on Monday, leading to the customer service department’s relocation to the city’s utility annex building on St. Margaret’s Street due to employee and public health concerns.

Man arrested after road rage incident

NEWS STAFF
Monday, August 23, 2021
ELLISVILLE — Not happy with being passed on U.S. Hwy. 441, a High Springs man fired back at the other driver. Literally. Robert Medlock, 28, was arrested Friday afternoon after chasing the other vehicle and allegedly firing five or six rounds at it as they raced up 441.
Clayon Wilson, Florida Gateway College volleyball coach, smiles as Dino Casterline draws her caricature during FGC’s first day of classes. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Clayon Wilson, Florida Gateway College volleyball coach, smiles as Dino Casterline draws her caricature during FGC’s first day of classes. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

FGC begins classes, kicks off 74th year with some fun

TONY BRITT
Monday, August 23, 2021
The Charles W. Hall student center on the Florida Gateway College campus was flowing with students throughout the day Monday.

Jailed CNA’s license pulled

JAMIE WACHTER
Monday, August 23, 2021
A certified nursing assistant at a Lake City nursing home had his license placed on emergency suspension last week following an arrest last month for battery. Timothy Harville, 54, of Jasper, was arrested by the Lake City Police Department on July 21 for felony battery on persons 65 or older.
The Lake City/Columbia County Habitat for Humanity recently completed its ninth home and the organization held an open house event Friday, showing off the new home. The house, on Early Street, is a two-bed, two-bath home. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

The Lake City/Columbia County Habitat for Humanity recently completed its ninth home and the organization held an open house event Friday, showing off the new home. The house, on Early Street, is a two-bed, two-bath home. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Habitat unveils ninth newly constructed house

TONY BRITT
Saturday, August 21, 2021
It was worth the wait. The unveiling of the latest Habitat for Humanity of Lake City/Columbia County house has been more than a year in the making. Construction on the two-bedroom, two-bath house took more than a year’s worth of time, primarily because of the covid-19 pandemic.
In data released Friday evening by the Florida Department of Health, there were 946 new cases from Aug. 13 through Thursday.

In data released Friday evening by the Florida Department of Health, there were 946 new cases from Aug. 13 through Thursday.

Columbia County still covid hotspot

JAMIE WACHTER
Friday, August 20, 2021
For the second straight week, Columbia County posted the highest rate of positive new covid-19 cases in Florida. But for the first time in about a month, the county had fewer new cases over a seven-day period than the previous week.