Regional

Festival of Lessons and Carols coming to Live Oak

LIVE OAK — A choir of 20-plus individuals from North Florida will be featured this weekend in a Festival of Lessons and Carols. The festival will be performed Sunday at 6 p.m. at Covenant First Presbyterian Church, 421 White Ave. in Live Oak.

Lawmakers seek study of EV impacts

TALLAHASSEE — With concerns raised about a proposed annual registration fee on electric vehicles amounting to a “double tax,” House members want a study about impacts of the increased number of electric vehicles on Florida roads.
Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gestures during a Republican presidential primary debate hosted by NewsNation on Wednesday at the Moody Music Hall at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (GERALD HERBERT/Associated Press)

Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gestures during a Republican presidential primary debate hosted by NewsNation on Wednesday at the Moody Music Hall at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (GERALD HERBERT/Associated Press)

GOP rivals take aim at Haley

With the Iowa caucuses rapidly approaching, a shrinking field of Republican White House hopefuls gathered Wednesday in Alabama for the fourth presidential debate. As usual, former President Donald Trump, who is dominating the GOP primary, didn’t appear. Instead, Florida Gov.
The Grinch made an appearance Saturday at the Suwannee County Toys for Tots’ ‘Stuff The Bus’ toy drive at Walmart in Live Oak. (COURTESY)

The Grinch made an appearance Saturday at the Suwannee County Toys for Tots’ ‘Stuff The Bus’ toy drive at Walmart in Live Oak. (COURTESY)

Suwannee Toys for Tots in ‘desperate need’ of girls toys

LIVE OAK — The Suwannee County Toys for Tots program is hoping area residents can make the difference in the lives of local children who benefit from the program, by donating toys for girls to the agency. “We’re in desperate need of girl toys, for girls aged 0-18.

DeSantis pitches $114.4B state budget

TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday pitched a $114.4 billion budget for next fiscal year that includes a variety of tax cuts and spending on such things as teacher salary increases and police recruitment bonuses.
Republican presidential candidates former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis participate in a debate Sept. 27 in Simi Valley, California. (JUSTIN SULLIVAN/Getty Images/TNS)

Republican presidential candidates former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis participate in a debate Sept. 27 in Simi Valley, California. (JUSTIN SULLIVAN/Getty Images/TNS)

What to look for in fourth GOP debate

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The number of candidates on stage is shrinking, but the fundamentals of Wednesday’s Republican presidential debate may be familiar to anyone who has watched the previous three meetings.

LO man charged with dog abuse

LIVE OAK — A Suwannee County man was arrested last week after a dog was found on his property emaciated and injured earlier this fall.