Local

Todd Sampson, waving to traffic along Duval Street on Tuesday afternoon, is headed to a runoff election for the City Council District 13 seat. (CARL MCKINNEY/Lake City Reporter)

Todd Sampson, waving to traffic along Duval Street on Tuesday afternoon, is headed to a runoff election for the City Council District 13 seat. (CARL MCKINNEY/Lake City Reporter)

Hill keeps his seat; Sampson, Crenshaw in runoff

TONY BRITT
Tuesday, August 18, 2020
Jake Hill won the City Council District 12 race against political newcomer Noah Walker by a scant 22 votes to claim his third term as a city councilman. The three-way race for the District 13 seat on the City Council — James Crenshaw, Alden Rosner and C.

Hudson wins 12th term on School Board

TONY BRITT
Tuesday, August 18, 2020
Incumbent school board member Keith Hudson, who was facing political first-timer Michael Jenkins, for the Columbia County School Board District 4 seat, earned another four-year term in Tuesday’s primary election. Hudson captured a lion-share of the vote with 1,450 votes, 66.
Kyle Keen hugs his wife, Brandi, Tuesday night outside the Supervisor of Elections office after winning the Tax Collector’s primary race. With the win, Keen advances to November’s general election. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

Kyle Keen hugs his wife, Brandi, Tuesday night outside the Supervisor of Elections office after winning the Tax Collector’s primary race. With the win, Keen advances to November’s general election. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

Keen wins round 1 for tax collector

JAMIE WACHTER
Tuesday, August 18, 2020
In a race full of experience, Republican voters chose Kyle Keen on Tuesday. Keen won the three-way Republican primary with 4,892 votes — 59.66% — to down Amy Overstreet (1,803 votes, 21.99%) and Marsha Moore (1,505 votes, 18.35%). “It feels good,” Keen said of the primary win.

Council accepts Blanche deal

CARL MCKINNEY
Monday, August 17, 2020
A $75,000 settlement deal between the developers of the Blanche Hotel, which was accused of failing to fulfill contractual obligations on time, was approved Monday night by the Lake City Council.

Voting precincts open today for primary election

TONY BRITT
Monday, August 17, 2020
Voters have until 7 p.m. today to cast their ballot, whether in person or through vote-by-mail. Residents who opted to use the vote-by-mail method for today’s general primary, must have their ballots back to the Supervisor of Elections office by 7 p.m.

Blanche settlement: $75K

ROBERT BRIDGES
Friday, August 14, 2020
A tentative deal that would pay the city $75,000 has been struck with developers of the Blanche Hotel over claims the contract wasn’t completed on time.  City Manager Joe Helfenberger will recommend the settlement to the Lake City Council at Monday’s virtual meeting.
The city is talking with five private groups about a new home for the Confederate monument. (FILE)

The city is talking with five private groups about a new home for the Confederate monument. (FILE)

City talking with five groups on monument

ROBERT BRIDGES
Friday, August 14, 2020
The city is negotiating with five private groups to provide a possible new home for the Confederate monument at Olustee Park. The Lake City-Columbia County Historical Museum is among them.

Local CPAs claim they never heard from county

JAMIE WACHTER
Friday, August 14, 2020
The phone never rang for at least a couple local CPA firms. According to Joy Lizotte with Aligned CPA and Harvest CPA’s Caleb Perla, Columbia County  officials never reached out to them about the Request for Proposals to handle the CARES Act funding for local businesses.
Jay Swisher, left, who will be sworn-in as the interim clerk of courts in a private ceremony today, reviews paperwork with Sgt. Mike Sweat of the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office Judicial Division. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Jay Swisher, left, who will be sworn-in as the interim clerk of courts in a private ceremony today, reviews paperwork with Sgt. Mike Sweat of the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office Judicial Division. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

'Ready to go': Swisher to be sworn in as interim clerk of courts

TONY BRITT
Thursday, August 13, 2020
Jay Swisher is getting a head start on his new job. Swisher, who ran unopposed for the Columbia County Clerk of Courts and Comptroller position, will be sworn-in today as the interim clerk of court in a private ceremony.