Regional

Covid-19 testing sites to also test for HIV

WellFlorida Council will be onsite at the Columbia County Health Department’s Southside Sports Complex covid-19 testing site to conduct the HIV testing to those who are interested.

Suwannee union chief under fire for video

LIVE OAK — Eric Rodriguez couldn’t believe his ears. The veteran Suwannee High School teacher and president of United Teachers of Suwannee County was told Wednesday that he was being placed on administrative leave by the Suwannee County School District.

Storms pose double threat to Gulf Coast

Two tropical systems could become almost simultaneous threats to the U.S. Gulf Coast early next week. They could even get sucked into an odd dance around each other. Or they could fall apart as they soak the Caribbean and Mexico this weekend.

Drowsy driver wrecks, closes I-75 for hours

Driving drowsy led to a truck overturning on Interstate 75, diverting southbound traffic for several hours Thursday.

Unemployment rate rises in July across the region

The jobless rate in Columbia and Suwannee counties jumped from 6.8% in June to just over 8% last month, according to figures released Friday by the state. The unemployment rate in Hamilton County rose from 8.4% to more than 10%. Statewide, more than 11% of Floridians lacked jobs.

Home invasion suspect caught after car crash

LIVE OAK — Multiple intruders broke into a Live Oak woman’s home Wednesday night and robbed her at gunpoint, making off with her phone, handgun and a large sum of cash, according to a Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office report.

Suwannee standoff ends tragically

O’BRIEN — After an eight-hour standoff with law enforcement, the suspect in an armed disturbance in Suwannee County took his own life on Thursday morning, deputies say. Around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a home off 256th Street near Ichetucknee Springs.

TS Genevieve whips Mexico’s Baja, new storms in Atlantic

CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico — Hurricane Genevieve weakened to a tropical storm Thursday after lashing Mexico's Los Cabos tourist resorts with hurricane-force gusts and heavy rains. And two new tropical depressions formed in the Atlantic Basin — both on potential tracks toward the United States.

Gamble wins Suwannee County property appraiser race

LIVE OAK — For the first time in 48 years, Suwannee County will have a new property appraiser. It will be a familiar face, though.

Improvements underway on I-75 weigh station

WHITE SPRINGS —The weigh stations on Interstate 75 in Hamilton County are undergoing a facelift from the Florida Department of Transportation. The DOT project will enhance lighting at the weigh stations near White Springs. Work is already begun on the improvements on the northbound weigh station.