Local

Robin Tobak Ward, the executive director of the Lake City-Columbia County Humane Society, holds a kitten in front of the material for the future James Montgomery Animal Wellness Center. Construction on the new building is expected to begin before the end of the month. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Robin Tobak Ward, the executive director of the Lake City-Columbia County Humane Society, holds a kitten in front of the material for the future James Montgomery Animal Wellness Center. Construction on the new building is expected to begin before the end of the month. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

New animal accommodations: Clinic hopefully can be occupied by Thanksgiving

TONY BRITT
Friday, September 11, 2020
The future is in sight for the Lake City-Columbia County Humane Society, even if right now, it appears in pieces. Currently, a scattered bunch of random building parts mark the path to excitement.
Daniel Dorn, a Lake City Fire Department driver/engineer, stands near a bell that was rung in honor of 9/11 terrorist attack victims Friday morning. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Daniel Dorn, a Lake City Fire Department driver/engineer, stands near a bell that was rung in honor of 9/11 terrorist attack victims Friday morning. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

First responders honor 9/11 victims in ceremony amid covid-19 pandemic

TONY BRITT
Friday, September 11, 2020
The overcast skies matched the solemn looks on the faces of local police officers and firefighters Friday morning. The city’s first responders honored the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks that occurred 19 years ago in New York and Washington.
A sign outside Shands Lake Shore Regional Medical Center shows that the hospital is closed after services were stopped Aug. 28. The Hospital Authority is now vetting proposals from companies interested in providing health care at the facility. (CARL MCKINNEY/Lake City Reporter)

A sign outside Shands Lake Shore Regional Medical Center shows that the hospital is closed after services were stopped Aug. 28. The Hospital Authority is now vetting proposals from companies interested in providing health care at the facility. (CARL MCKINNEY/Lake City Reporter)

Intensive care: LSHA takes detailed look at four proposals

TONY BRITT
Thursday, September 10, 2020
The Lake Shore Hospital Authority Board split request-for-proposal responses into two pools Thursday night and will first vet corporations which expressed an interest in running Shands at Lake Shore Regional Medical Center to provide hospital services in the community.
Possible routes for the Suncoast Parkway, a proposed toll road within the Multi-use Corridors of Regional Economic Significance program, is shown during a joint meeting of the County Commission and Tourist Development Council on Thursday as Ryan Asmus with the Florida Department of Transportation presents about the project’s impact on Columbia County. (CARL MCKINNEY/Lake City Reporter)

Possible routes for the Suncoast Parkway, a proposed toll road within the Multi-use Corridors of Regional Economic Significance program, is shown during a joint meeting of the County Commission and Tourist Development Council on Thursday as Ryan Asmus with the Florida Department of Transportation presents about the project’s impact on Columbia County. (CARL MCKINNEY/Lake City Reporter)

Proposed toll road carries high cost

CARL MCKINNEY
Thursday, September 10, 2020
A proposed toll road that would create a new transportation corridor between the Georgia line and the Tampa Bay area not only threatens local tourism revenue, officials say — it could also affect Columbia County’s prospects for economic development.

Columbia adds 4 covid-19 deaths

NEWS STAFF
Thursday, September 10, 2020
Four more Columbia County residents have passed away with the covid-19 coronavirus, the Columbia County Health Department announced Thursday. There have now been 43 deaths in the county linked to covid-19.

Local activists say: BLM rally fake news

CARL MCKINNEY
Wednesday, September 9, 2020
A weekend rally allegedly organized by Black Lives Matter and antifa groups, appear to be a hoax intended to stir chaos, local and regional activists say. A digital flyer that churned on social media claims BLM and antifa are holding a march in downtown Lake City on Saturday afternoon.
Construction workers erect erosion control black fencing around the Circle K store site at the intersection of U.S. Highway 90 and Baya Drive Wednesday morning. The store is expected to be completed within 22 weeks. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Construction workers erect erosion control black fencing around the Circle K store site at the intersection of U.S. Highway 90 and Baya Drive Wednesday morning. The store is expected to be completed within 22 weeks. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Site work begins for Circle K

TONY BRITT
Wednesday, September 9, 2020
Site preparation work for the new Circle K convenience store and gas station began Wednesday morning as construction crews installed erosion control black fencing around the site and began the preliminary work to demolish an abandoned house on the property.
Lake City friends Chris Charles, (from left) Blake Smith, Wil Porter and Scott Busby battled this 11-foot, nearly 400-pound gator for several hours during an all-night hunt recently on the lower Suwannee River in Dixie County. The reptile gave them a story to tell for a lifetime. (COURTESY)

Lake City friends Chris Charles, (from left) Blake Smith, Wil Porter and Scott Busby battled this 11-foot, nearly 400-pound gator for several hours during an all-night hunt recently on the lower Suwannee River in Dixie County. The reptile gave them a story to tell for a lifetime. (COURTESY)

The Jaws of Victory

NEWS STAFF
Tuesday, September 8, 2020
(EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is a first-person account of an all-night alligator hunt out of a boat last week on the lower Suwannee River. Chris Charles led the expedition and tells the story. He was with his friends Blake Smith, Wil Porter and Scott Busby.

Council, commission have nothing to talk about

CARL MCKINNEY
Tuesday, September 8, 2020
A joint city-county meeting was canceled last week because there was nothing to talk about, Lake City and Columbia County officials say. The main point of discussion at the meeting, which was scheduled for 6 p.m. Aug.