Local

Andy Bennett (from left), Westside Elementary School physical education teacher; stands with Darryl Thomas, Columbia High School welding teacher; Dennis Dotson, Westside Elementary School principal; and Trey Hosford, Columbia High School principal; during a brief presentation Wednesday morning where the Grayson Martin Memorial Welding Scholarship was established at the Columbia High School welding lab. Martin was killed in a wreck weeks earlier. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Andy Bennett (from left), Westside Elementary School physical education teacher; stands with Darryl Thomas, Columbia High School welding teacher; Dennis Dotson, Westside Elementary School principal; and Trey Hosford, Columbia High School principal; during a brief presentation Wednesday morning where the Grayson Martin Memorial Welding Scholarship was established at the Columbia High School welding lab. Martin was killed in a wreck weeks earlier. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Welding scholarship set up in Martin’s memory

TONY BRITT
Wednesday, March 17, 2021
Looking to preserve the memory of a Columbia High Class of 2020 graduate, family members and school officials have found a way to provide for the future.
Treasure Island (pictured above) and The Wild Cherry, two internet cafes along U.S. Highway 441 in Columbia County, are among a large number of internet cafes in Columbia County. County officials are scheduled to discuss possibly setting a hearing date for to implement a proposed ordinance that will be a temporary moratorium on all internet cafes in the unincorporated areas of the county. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Treasure Island (pictured above) and The Wild Cherry, two internet cafes along U.S. Highway 441 in Columbia County, are among a large number of internet cafes in Columbia County. County officials are scheduled to discuss possibly setting a hearing date for to implement a proposed ordinance that will be a temporary moratorium on all internet cafes in the unincorporated areas of the county. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Are all bets off? BOCC considering moratorium on internet cafes

TONY BRITT
Wednesday, March 17, 2021
Internet cafes are one of the fastest growing segments of local business establishments.  The problem is, the number of gaming sites in Columbia County is growing so fast that local officials can’t keep up, sparking consideration of imposing a temporary moratorium barring new establishments.
Olustee Park, the downtown Lake City home to the Battle of Olustee Confederate monument, is owned by Columbia County, according to a legal opinion received by city officials last week. (FILE)

Olustee Park, the downtown Lake City home to the Battle of Olustee Confederate monument, is owned by Columbia County, according to a legal opinion received by city officials last week. (FILE)

City: Olustee Park belongs to county

TONY BRITT
Tuesday, March 16, 2021
Downtown Lake City’s Olustee Park — and, perhaps, the Battle of Olustee Confederate monument — belongs to Columbia County, according to a legal opinion requested by Lake City officials.

Suspect avoids capture during manhunt

JAMIE WACHTER
Tuesday, March 16, 2021
FORT WHITE — A manhunt in southern Columbia County on Tuesday morning led to one arrest, but not the man authorities are searching for. Phillip Poppell, 40,was not located during the search or the area around Scout Glen and Old Wire Road, which lasted several hours Thursday.

Sunshine Week: Open government much better government

NEWS STAFF
Tuesday, March 16, 2021
Open government is good government or, at the very least, it is better government. In order for government to be of, by and for the people, it must always be out in front of the people. Government at all levels — local, state and federal — belongs to the governed not to the governing.

Sunshine Week: Free press vital to democracy

NEWS STAFF
Tuesday, March 16, 2021
There’s a reason we need a free press, despite its faults and foibles: Democracy won’t work without it. The grand experiment in self-governance that is the United States is  rooted in trust and confidence we all will work toward the greater good.

OUR OPINION: Sunshine Week helps freedom stand strong

NEWS STAFF
Tuesday, March 16, 2021
Freedom is under attack constantly and from all angles. A free society is a strong and powerful, living, breathing thing, but at times an uncomfortable wrestling match between the watchdogs and all levels of government must take place.