Local

James Smith (from left), stands with Al Williams, Chuck Denmark, Jordan Thrasher and Derek Smith around the headstone of Thomas C. Strange, a Columbia County resident who was reportedly the first Confederate soldier killed in Florida during the Civil War. The Smiths are descendants of Strange, while Williams, Denmark and Thrasher serve as trustees for the cemetery. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

James Smith (from left), stands with Al Williams, Chuck Denmark, Jordan Thrasher and Derek Smith around the headstone of Thomas C. Strange, a Columbia County resident who was reportedly the first Confederate soldier killed in Florida during the Civil War. The Smiths are descendants of Strange, while Williams, Denmark and Thrasher serve as trustees for the cemetery. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Historic headstone refurbished at Bethel United cemetery

TONY BRITT
Saturday, October 17, 2020
Trustees at the Bethel United Methodist cemetery, Chuck Denmark and Al Williams noticed a problem. A number of the headstones in the cemetery were in a state of disrepair. “Most of them didn’t even have names on them,” Denmark said. “They were from the Civil War era.

County utilizing FACM in manager search

JAMIE WACHTER
Saturday, October 17, 2020
Columbia County is turning over the reins its national search for a new county manager. At Thursday’s Board of County Commissioners meeting, Chairman Toby Witt suggested the board utilize the Florida Association of County Managers to conduct the search.
A firefighter uses a hose to douse flames coming from a window during a training session Friday. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

A firefighter uses a hose to douse flames coming from a window during a training session Friday. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

‘Burner’ provides fire training

TONY BRITT
Saturday, October 17, 2020
Smoke was everywhere — flames erupted through windows; firefighters exited structures head-first or crawled around spaces where the external temperature was recorded at 425 degrees, while a fire truck sat at the end of the road with all sorts of hoses attached leading in several different...

County OKs fix to CARES program

JAMIE WACHTER
Thursday, October 15, 2020
The Columbia County Board of County Commissioners gave Interim County Manager David Kraus “broad discretion” to “fix” the county’s financial assistance program for those affected by the covid-19 pandemic.

Walker sparks community cleanup event

NEWS STAFF
Thursday, October 15, 2020
A decluttering event set for Saturday is free to the public and will allow residents to discard unwanted items in temporary dumpsters set up in the downtown area. The event is set for 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Saturday.
Caryn Cooper, daughter of the late Robert Warren Cooper Jr., who was the owner of the Pizza Boy Pizza restaurant, looks at a bouquet of flowers on the restaurant’s counter Wednesday afternoon. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Caryn Cooper, daughter of the late Robert Warren Cooper Jr., who was the owner of the Pizza Boy Pizza restaurant, looks at a bouquet of flowers on the restaurant’s counter Wednesday afternoon. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Cooper’s love of Lake City, veterans remembered

TONY BRITT
Wednesday, October 14, 2020
The smell of pizza wafted through the air at the Pizza Boy Pizza restaurant Wednesday afternoon as the staff and employees cooked, undoubtedly, with heavy hearts. Robert Warren Cooper Jr.

Columbia adds two more covid deaths

NEWS STAFF
Wednesday, October 14, 2020
Columbia County has added two additional deaths linked to the covid-19 pandemic. The Columbia County Health Department announced the confirmation of the deaths of a 69-year-old man and a 73-year-old man Wednesday that died after previously contracting the disease.
Julia Fulton (from left), county extension service secretary specialist, gets jars of peanut butter from Garnet Dasher, county extension service secretary specialist, and Heather Janney, UF/IFAS Extension Columbia County Extension director and 4H agent, on Tuesday afternoon as they collect peanut butter for the Peanut Butter Challenge. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Julia Fulton (from left), county extension service secretary specialist, gets jars of peanut butter from Garnet Dasher, county extension service secretary specialist, and Heather Janney, UF/IFAS Extension Columbia County Extension director and 4H agent, on Tuesday afternoon as they collect peanut butter for the Peanut Butter Challenge. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Up to the challenge: Extension office collecting peanut butter for hungry families

TONY BRITT
Tuesday, October 13, 2020
Looking to spread a little food to those in need, the Columbia County Extension Service is taking on the challenge. The extension office has initiated a “Peanut Butter Challenge” where the agency is calling on the public to donate peanut butter for local food banks.