Local

County Attorney Joel Foreman, left, reads the county charter off his phone Thursday after officials were informed their meetings in Fort White may be in violation. County Commissioners Tim Murphy, center, and Rocky Ford listen. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

County Attorney Joel Foreman, left, reads the county charter off his phone Thursday after officials were informed their meetings in Fort White may be in violation. County Commissioners Tim Murphy, center, and Rocky Ford listen. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Advertising snafu nixes workshop

TONY BRITT
Thursday, August 19, 2021
FORT WHITE — A Columbia County budget workshop ended almost before it began Thursday afternoon. County officials had scheduled a tripleheader of meetings at the Fort White Community Center on Thursday, but to avoid a possible charter violation, county officials only held their 3:30 p.m.
Kurt Spitzer (left) gives a presentation about building redistricting maps Wednesday afternoon. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Kurt Spitzer (left) gives a presentation about building redistricting maps Wednesday afternoon. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Redistricting deadline looms for committee

TONY BRITT
Wednesday, August 18, 2021
Facing time constraints to present new redistricting maps to county officials, the Columbia County Citizen Redistricting Committee has already started that mission based on the latest census information.
Clayton Flemming poses in his Young Marines uniform. (COURTESY)

Clayton Flemming poses in his Young Marines uniform. (COURTESY)

Fort White Young Marine earns national honor

NEWS STAFF
Wednesday, August 18, 2021
FORT WHITE — A North Central Florida Young Marine was recently named a Top 10 graduate of the Young Marines’ National Leadership Academy in Warrenton, Oregion.
Lake City Council member Chris Greene holds a copy of his notice of proposed tax bill up during the council’s meeting Tuesday. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Lake City Council member Chris Greene holds a copy of his notice of proposed tax bill up during the council’s meeting Tuesday. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Budget backlash: Council delays budget workshop, directs staff to wipe out tax increase.

TONY BRITT
Tuesday, August 17, 2021
The Lake City Council sent city staff back to the drawing board Tuesday, scrapping the city’s first budget workshop in the process. The proposed 2021-22 budget presented to the council included a 6% tax increase from the rollback rate - 5.2209 mills - instead of the current 4.900 millage rate.

Woman arrested after throwing stick at officer

NEWS STAFF
Tuesday, August 17, 2021
A Lake City woman tried to beat her situation Monday night with a stick. Literally. When a Florida Fish and Wildlife officer passed by Amber Lawrence, 42, on NE Gum Swamp Road around 7 p.m. Monday, the woman began chasing after his pickup.
Columbia County Health Department Administrator Tom Moffses (right) speaks to the Kiwanis Club of Lake City on Tuesday. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Columbia County Health Department Administrator Tom Moffses (right) speaks to the Kiwanis Club of Lake City on Tuesday. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Moffses ready for covid ‘to be over’

TONY BRITT
Tuesday, August 17, 2021
Columbia County’s soaring covid-19 infection rate, which was the highest in the state, is one that local officials expect to last for another month.

Cops: Teen abducted, sexually assaulted

NEWS STAFF
Tuesday, August 17, 2021
Abducted and sexually assaulted, a teen helped Lake City police catch her captor early Sunday morning. According to a Lake City Police Department report, the teen used coded messages with Lake City Dispatch at 2:25 a.m. Sunday to find her without Larry Eady Jr.
A pickup truck and a sedan collided around 3:42 p.m. on Monday afternoon on State Road 47, causing the death of a 65-year-old High Springs woman. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

A pickup truck and a sedan collided around 3:42 p.m. on Monday afternoon on State Road 47, causing the death of a 65-year-old High Springs woman. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Fort White fatality: 65-year-old woman killed in wreck Monday

NEWS STAFF
Monday, August 16, 2021
FORT WHITE — A 65-year-old High Springs woman was killed and the 67-year-old man riding in the car was seriously injured when their vehicle was struck by a pickup truck while they were attempting a U-turn on State Road 47 Monday afternoon.