Regional

At the age of 62, Lake City native Erma Harris-Morris reached her longtime goal of earning a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Thomas University this month. (COURTESY)

At the age of 62, Lake City native Erma Harris-Morris reached her longtime goal of earning a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Thomas University this month. (COURTESY)

Harris-Morris, CHS Class of 77 alumna, earns BA at 62

NEWS STAFF
Friday, May 20, 2022
MONTICELLO — College graduation is a milestone for anyone, but for Columbia High Class of 1977 alumna Erma Harris-Morris, earning her bachelor’s degree this May was especially significant.

DeSantis’ congressional map reinstated by court

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Friday, May 20, 2022
TALLAHASSEE — A new congressional map drawn by Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ staff that could diminish the state’s Black representation in Washington was reinstated by an appeals court Friday, a week after a lower court judge said the map was unconstitutional.

Jobless rate drops to 3%

NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
Friday, May 20, 2022
TALLAHASSEE — Florida’s unemployment rate dropped to 3% in April, while Governor Ron DeSantis continues to warn about high gasoline prices and a potential recession that he blames on federal economic policies.
COURTESY The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement arrested a Michigan man Wednesday for transporting 1,900 pounds of marijuana on Interstate 10 in Suwannee County. (COURTESY)

COURTESY The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement arrested a Michigan man Wednesday for transporting 1,900 pounds of marijuana on Interstate 10 in Suwannee County. (COURTESY)

Jail time for Michigan man transporting pot

NEWS STAFF
Thursday, May 19, 2022
LIVE OAK — It wasn’t 16 tons, but a Michigan man has learned what you get for transporting nearly a ton of marijuana: jail time.

Brown agrees to time served in deal

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Wednesday, May 18, 2022
A criminal case against former U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, one of the first Black representatives elected to Congress from Florida after Reconstruction, ended Wednesday with her guilty plea to a tax charge in a charity fraud case.

1 killed in Suwannee crash

NEWS STAFF
Wednesday, May 18, 2022
BEACHVILLE — A Branford woman was killed Wednesday morning when her SUV was hit by a tractor trailer in southeastern Suwannee County. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the woman, 66, failed to stop at the stop sign on County Road 248 as she attempted to cross County Road 49 around 10:20 a.m.
Carl and Joan Allison (center), of Columbia County, were recognized by the Florida Farm Bureau’s County Allicance for Responsible Environmental Stewardship (CARES) program on May 5. Joining the Allisons are Suwannee River Water Management Director Hugh Thomas (from left), Florida Farm Bureau President Jeb S. Smith and Andra Johnson, the UF/IFAS dean of extension and director of the Florida Cooperative Extension Service. (Photos by ROB WOLFE/Special to the Reporter)

Carl and Joan Allison (center), of Columbia County, were recognized by the Florida Farm Bureau’s County Allicance for Responsible Environmental Stewardship (CARES) program on May 5. Joining the Allisons are Suwannee River Water Management Director Hugh Thomas (from left), Florida Farm Bureau President Jeb S. Smith and Andra Johnson, the UF/IFAS dean of extension and director of the Florida Cooperative Extension Service. (Photos by ROB WOLFE/Special to the Reporter)

Local farms recognized for conservation efforts

NEWS STAFF
Wednesday, May 18, 2022
LIVE OAK — Eight farmers and ranchers — including one each from Columbia, Lafayette and Suwannee counties — were honored recently for their natural resource conservation.

Brown pleading guilty in fraud case

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tuesday, May 17, 2022
JACKSONVILLE — Former U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, whose initial conviction in a charity and tax fraud case was tossed out by an appeals court, will plead guilty before a second trial, according to court documents filed Tuesday. U.S.