Local

City raising fire protection assessment 43%

MORGAN MCMULLEN
Saturday, September 6, 2025
Local residents packed Lake City Hall Wednesday night, all with a common refrain: don’t raise taxes or fees. But facing calls to add more positions to the fire department, Lake City Councilors relented. The council voted unanimously to institute a 43% increase in annual fire assessments.
Columbia County Attorney Joel Foreman said Thursday the county needed to officially dissolve the Industrial Development Authority in order to help settle a state enforcement action for not reporting financial details on the independent district. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

Columbia County Attorney Joel Foreman said Thursday the county needed to officially dissolve the Industrial Development Authority in order to help settle a state enforcement action for not reporting financial details on the independent district. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

Commission officially dissolves IDA 14 years later

JAMIE WACHTER
Saturday, September 6, 2025
Fourteen years after it stopped using its Industrial Development Authority, Columbia County officially dissolved its previous development arm. At Thursday’s meeting, the Columbia County Commission unanimously voted to dissolve the IDA and hope that action prevents state discipline.
Columbia County Commissioner Robby Hollingsworth said that the county wasn’t increasing the tax rate, so any increases were due to rising property values. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

Columbia County Commissioner Robby Hollingsworth said that the county wasn’t increasing the tax rate, so any increases were due to rising property values. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)

County millage approved 6.37% above rollback rate

JAMIE WACHTER
Saturday, September 6, 2025
As Columbia County’s Board of County Commissioners heard during a public hearing Thursday night that its proposed millage rate was set to remain the same for the next fiscal year, a simple question was asked. After hearing that the county wasn’t raising taxes — but the 7.815-mill rate is 6.
U.S. Rep. Cory Mills sits on the witness stand at the Columbia County Courthouse on Friday during a hearing over a request for an injunction of protection of dating violence from his former girlfriend, Miss United States Lindsey Langston. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

U.S. Rep. Cory Mills sits on the witness stand at the Columbia County Courthouse on Friday during a hearing over a request for an injunction of protection of dating violence from his former girlfriend, Miss United States Lindsey Langston. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Miss United States, U.S. Rep. hearing continued

NEWS STAFF
Friday, September 5, 2025
Close to two hours of court proceedings did not provide enough time for Third Judicial Circuit Judge Fred Koberlein to determine whether a U.S. Congressman would be strapped with a restraining order by his  former girlfriend, a beauty queen.
Construction crews continue progressing with the work at the new Eastside Elementary Schools with concrete walls for the first floor of the new building lifted into place this week. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Construction crews continue progressing with the work at the new Eastside Elementary Schools with concrete walls for the first floor of the new building lifted into place this week. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Eastside on schedule

TONY BRITT
Wednesday, September 3, 2025
Gilbane construction crews are continuing their feverish pace as they build the new Eastside Elementary School. Construction crews erected walls on the building in the past few days as they look to complete the new school by August 2026.
Booey, Steve Johnson’s dog, was injured Sunday on the Santa Fe River when struck by a boat propeller. (COURTESY STEVE JOHNSON)

Booey, Steve Johnson’s dog, was injured Sunday on the Santa Fe River when struck by a boat propeller. (COURTESY STEVE JOHNSON)

FWC officers save Stevie D’s dog Booey

NEWS STAFF
Wednesday, September 3, 2025
A pair of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers helped save a dog this weekend on the Santa Fe River. On Aug.
Columbia County Schools Superintendent Keith Couey said the district needs to begin planning for a replacement for Columbia High School in the near future. The school was opened in 1975 and is the second oldest in the district. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Columbia County Schools Superintendent Keith Couey said the district needs to begin planning for a replacement for Columbia High School in the near future. The school was opened in 1975 and is the second oldest in the district. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

District eyes options for building new $150M CHS

JAMIE WACHTER
Tuesday, September 2, 2025
Even with its second new elementary school under construction in two years, the Columbia County School District continues to look ahead.

DUI checkpoint leads to two arrests

NEWS STAFF
Tuesday, September 2, 2025
The Lake City Police Department led a multi-agency DUI checkpoint Friday night as part of the national “Drive Sober of Get Pulled Over” campaign for Labor Day weekend. During the 5 1/2-hour checkpoint operation on U.S. Highway 90 between NW Gwen Lake Ave. and NW Ridgewood Ave.