Local

SunStop celebrating Truck Driver Week

NEWS STAFF
Wednesday, September 10, 2025
SunStop has a special celebration in store for National Truck Driver Appreciate Week. In honor of the hard-working men and women that keep the country’s economy running, SunStop stores will recognize them with a weeklong event from Sept. 14-20.
Columbia County Public Library Programming Specialist Emma Chieuw arranges art pieces ahead of the library's 2025 Youth Art Contest. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Columbia County Public Library Programming Specialist Emma Chieuw arranges art pieces ahead of the library's 2025 Youth Art Contest. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Library hosting Youth Art Contest

TONY BRITT
Tuesday, September 9, 2025
The Columbia County Public Library’s main branch has a new art exhibit featuring an insight into the imaginations of local children who love art.
Lake City Manager Don Rosenthal (left) responds to a question during Monday’s Lake Shore Hospital Authority meeting. Rosenthal pitched the city’s plan for 12 vacant lots the Authority is looking to donate. (MORGAN MCMULLEN/Lake City Reporter)

Lake City Manager Don Rosenthal (left) responds to a question during Monday’s Lake Shore Hospital Authority meeting. Rosenthal pitched the city’s plan for 12 vacant lots the Authority is looking to donate. (MORGAN MCMULLEN/Lake City Reporter)

City makes pitch for LSHA lots

MORGAN MCMULLEN
Tuesday, September 9, 2025
After considering ideas from Florida Gateway College, the Lake Shore Hospital Authority heard from the City of Lake City at its Monday meeting regarding a dozen available plots of land.

Lake City man charged with arson

NEWS STAFF
Tuesday, September 9, 2025
A Lake City man was arrested on Monday after setting fire to a residence a month earlier. Damien Morgan, 33, was arrested by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office on Monday on a warrant for arson, following an Aug. 8 incident on SE Monroe Street.

Teen arrested for child porn possession

NEWS STAFF
Tuesday, September 9, 2025
A Columbia County teenager has been arrested for sharing child pornography online last month. Garrison Lee Wheeler, 16, was arrested Friday by the Lake City Police Department after initially receiving a CyberTip on Aug.
Lake Shore Hospital Authority Attorney Todd Kennon said the City of Lake City is waiting to hear from Meridian Healthcare regarding changes made to the agreement to occupy the LSHA’s main hospital building. (MORGAN MCMULLEN/Lake City Reporter)

Lake Shore Hospital Authority Attorney Todd Kennon said the City of Lake City is waiting to hear from Meridian Healthcare regarding changes made to the agreement to occupy the LSHA’s main hospital building. (MORGAN MCMULLEN/Lake City Reporter)

LSHA loads up on late September agenda items

MORGAN MCMULLEN
Tuesday, September 9, 2025
The showdown between the Lake Shore Hospital Authority and the City of Lake City regarding zoning on LSHA’s main hospital building is finally winding down.
Miss United States Lindsey Langston, a Columbia County resident, sits on the witness stand in a hearing Friday morning at the Columbia County Courthouse. Langston is seeking an injunction for protection from stalking against U.S. Rep. Cory Mills, her former boyfriend. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Miss United States Lindsey Langston, a Columbia County resident, sits on the witness stand in a hearing Friday morning at the Columbia County Courthouse. Langston is seeking an injunction for protection from stalking against U.S. Rep. Cory Mills, her former boyfriend. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

U.S. Rep. stalking hearing continued

TONY BRITT
Saturday, September 6, 2025
Close to two hours of court proceedings did not provide enough time for Third Judicial Circuit Judge Fred Koberlein to determine whether a standing U.S. Congressman would be strapped with a restraining order by his former girlfriend, who is a beauty queen.
Lake City Councilwoman Chevella Young called out the City Clerk’s office during Wednesday’s budget talks for a lack of help given to other departments. (MORGAN MCMULLEN/Lake City Reporter)

Lake City Councilwoman Chevella Young called out the City Clerk’s office during Wednesday’s budget talks for a lack of help given to other departments. (MORGAN MCMULLEN/Lake City Reporter)

City backs millage 4.63% above rollback

MORGAN MCMULLEN
Saturday, September 6, 2025
A messy beginning to Wednesday’s budget talks — including a brief recess for the council to bring itself back to order — didn’t deter the Lake City Council from unanimously passing its tentative millage rate and budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

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.