Local

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.
Newsweek recently named First Federal Bank of Florida as the best small bank in the state for the second consecutive year. (FILE)

Newsweek recently named First Federal Bank of Florida as the best small bank in the state for the second consecutive year. (FILE)

FFB earns second consecutive bank honors

NEWS STAFF
Saturday, October 16, 2021
For the second year in a row, First Federal Bank was named by Newsweek as the Best Small Bank in Florida. The distinction comes in Newsweek’s annual Best Banks rankings. First Federal, which has 23 branches, is headquartered in Lake City.
A full load of overturned building trusses shut down a portion of Bascom Norris Drive on Friday afternoon after the load shifted on the trailer coming out of a turn. (RAY CARPENTER/Special to the Reporter)

A full load of overturned building trusses shut down a portion of Bascom Norris Drive on Friday afternoon after the load shifted on the trailer coming out of a turn. (RAY CARPENTER/Special to the Reporter)

Overturned load spills out onto Bascom Norris Dr.

TONY BRITT
Saturday, October 16, 2021
A tractor trailer, carrying a local of building trusses, had its load shift which resulted in the truck overturning a shutting down a portion of Bascom Norris Drive on Friday afternoon.