Local

Burney Ratliff, reacts to being named the 2022 Columbia County Teacher of the Year, during his Zoom computer connection as Glenn Palmer, Pathways Academy assistant principal, smiles and cheers in the background. (COURTESY)

Burney Ratliff, reacts to being named the 2022 Columbia County Teacher of the Year, during his Zoom computer connection as Glenn Palmer, Pathways Academy assistant principal, smiles and cheers in the background. (COURTESY)

Virtual disbelief: Quarantining Ratliff named Columbia County's top teacher

TONY BRITT
Friday, February 5, 2021
Lex Carswell’s message Thursday should been taken as a prophecy. “I don’t think anything summarizes covid like tonight,” said Carswell, the Columbia County Schools superintendent, as he addressed a crowd attending the 2021-22 Teacher of the year banquet in the Blanche Hotel ballroom.
Strawberry shortcake will be one of the many tasty treats served up at the Strawberry Fest Feb. 13-14 at the Suwannee County Fairgrounds. (COURTESY)

Strawberry shortcake will be one of the many tasty treats served up at the Strawberry Fest Feb. 13-14 at the Suwannee County Fairgrounds. (COURTESY)

Organizers plan sweet, fun Strawberry Fest

JAMIE WACHTER
Friday, February 5, 2021
LIVE OAK — Looking for a North Florida location, organizers are hopeful they found a sweet spot for their Strawberry Fest at the Suwannee County Fairgrounds. The festival will be held Feb. 13-14 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Admission is $6 with free parking. Children 2-and-under are free.
A practical nursing student from Riveroak Technical College assists checking in a patient for their covid-19 vaccine. Students from the college are helping the health departments in Suwannee and Lafayette counties with their vaccine events. (COURTESY)

A practical nursing student from Riveroak Technical College assists checking in a patient for their covid-19 vaccine. Students from the college are helping the health departments in Suwannee and Lafayette counties with their vaccine events. (COURTESY)

Riveroak nursing students aid in vaccine rollout

NEWS STAFF
Friday, February 5, 2021
LIVE OAK — In administering covid-19 vaccines, the health departments in Suwannee and Lafayette counties had a helping hand: nursing students.

County eyes utility authority

JAMIE WACHTER
Thursday, February 4, 2021
Looking for alternative ways to provide utility services throughout Columbia County, the Board of County Commissioners have their sights set on forming a utility authority.

Officers want to question teen on shooting

TONY BRITT
Thursday, February 4, 2021
Two days after a double shooting resulted in the death of 17-year-old dead and sent another 17-year-old to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries, authorities have zeroed-in on another teen they would like to interview.
Kim Estergren, Lake City-Columbia County Historical Museum president-elect, and Harry Joiner, past president, work on moving dresses for the museum’s dress sale fundraiser today and Saturday. The sale will last from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. both days at the museum, 157 SE Hernando Avenue. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Kim Estergren, Lake City-Columbia County Historical Museum president-elect, and Harry Joiner, past president, work on moving dresses for the museum’s dress sale fundraiser today and Saturday. The sale will last from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. both days at the museum, 157 SE Hernando Avenue. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Museum hosting dress sale fundraiser

TONY BRITT
Thursday, February 4, 2021
Visitors to the Lake City-Columbia County Historical Museum will find more than history today. They’ll also find a plethora of beautiful dresses.

BOCC approves manager contract with Kraus

JAMIE WACHTER
Thursday, February 4, 2021
After three months, David Kraus can say goodbye to the interim label. He is now Columbia County’s new county manager after the Board of County Commissioners approved his contract at Tuesday’s meeting by a 4-1 vote with Tim Murphy dissenting.
Don Meyer, a law enforcement officer and a concealed weapons instructor, won a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado in a registration contest from Legal Defense U.S. Law Shield. Meyer received the truck Wednesday at Rountree-Moore Chevrolet. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Don Meyer, a law enforcement officer and a concealed weapons instructor, won a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado in a registration contest from Legal Defense U.S. Law Shield. Meyer received the truck Wednesday at Rountree-Moore Chevrolet. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Local officer, trainer wins free truck

TONY BRITT
Wednesday, February 3, 2021
Don Meyer likes to joke he’s never won anything. That’s no longer the case. On Wednesday, Meyer was gifted a 2021, fully-loaded Chevrolet Silverado Z-71 through a contest.
Columbia County Sheriff’s Office investigators search the ground for evidence after deputies found two juveniles shot near the intersection of Southeast Lochlynn and Southeast Putnam Street Tuesday afternoon. No arrests have been made in the case. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Columbia County Sheriff’s Office investigators search the ground for evidence after deputies found two juveniles shot near the intersection of Southeast Lochlynn and Southeast Putnam Street Tuesday afternoon. No arrests have been made in the case. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Deadly shooting investigation continues

TONY BRITT
Wednesday, February 3, 2021
With one teen killed and another injured in a double shooting Tuesday afternoon, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the incident.