Regional

NFC names spring academic honorees

MADISON — More than 100 North Florida College Sentinels earned academic honors for the spring 2022 semester, including a number of students from Hamilton, Lafayette and Suwannee counties. Students earning President’s List honors are those full-time NFC students who earned a GPA of 3.

John Loughridge Endowment gift grants college access

MADISON — The NFC Foundation recently received an additional donation to the John Earl Loughridge Scholarship Endowment. Originally established in 1996 by his wife, Memorie, the Loughridge Endowment was designed to assist rural students who demonstrate promise in achieving higher education.

O’Steen’s bribery trial is underway

JACKSONVILLE — The extortion and bribery trial involving a Dixie County defense attorney is underway in federal court. Marion Michael O’Steen is on trial for his role in the federal extortion case that included former State Attorney Jeff Siegmeister.

School-safety changes signed by DeSantis

TALLAHASSEE — Two weeks after a deadly school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, reignited debates about gun violence and securing schools, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Tuesday that will require mental-health “crisis intervention” train- ing for on-campus officers.
Rob Dawson with the Wellborn Community Association watches over a batch of blueberry pancakes Saturday morning during the 29th annual Wellborn Blueberry Festival. (ROB WOLFE/Special to the Reporter)

Rob Dawson with the Wellborn Community Association watches over a batch of blueberry pancakes Saturday morning during the 29th annual Wellborn Blueberry Festival. (ROB WOLFE/Special to the Reporter)

Thousands jam into Wellborn for festival

WELLBORN — There was a touch of old and some new for the 29th annual Wellborn Blueberry Festival. It all added up to another sweet event for the Wellborn Community Association, which estimated around 10,000 visitors descending upon the eastern Suwannee County town on Saturday for the festival.

Fraud, scams heating up

Consumers and businesses alike need to be on the lookout for potential scams, according to law enforcement agencies. The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office warned residents to a handful of scams that its fraud detective has seen increased attempts from this year.
Reed & Jefferson

Reed & Jefferson

Live Oak early voting begins Monday

LIVE OAK – Voters in the City of Live Oak’s District 1 can begin heading to the polls Monday. Early voting for the District 1 runoff election begins Monday and runs through Saturday, June 11, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily at the Suwannee County Judicial Annex, 218 Parshley St. SW.

Pair injured after crash into tree

MAYO – A pair were seriously injured when their car struck a tree south of Mayo on Thursday. A 1999 green Honda Accord was traveling east on SW Van Buren Road around 6:19 p.m.