Regional

Emma Miles, Columbia County Library programs specialist, unpacks board and table-top games that will be featured in the library’s inaugural Teen Gaming League Night, set for 4-5 p.m. Wednesday. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Emma Miles, Columbia County Library programs specialist, unpacks board and table-top games that will be featured in the library’s inaugural Teen Gaming League Night, set for 4-5 p.m. Wednesday. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

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For gamers, place to be is the library

TONY BRITT
Sunday, February 23, 2020
Gone are the days when the public library was the quietest building on the block. The local library plans to wreak havoc on traditional library rules by adding a gaming program for area teens. The Columbia County Public Library main branch, 308 SW Columbia Ave.

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Census is coming in March

TONY BRITT
Sunday, February 23, 2020
Columbia County residents are being asked to take part in the 2020 Census so the county and state can get their fair share of federal dollars based on the local population.
Thomas Barritt, Lake City Humane Society facility manager, weighs a cat that is scheduled to have surgery today. LCHS is in the midst of a push to curb the local feral cat and wild dog population through an aggressive spay/neuter program. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Thomas Barritt, Lake City Humane Society facility manager, weighs a cat that is scheduled to have surgery today. LCHS is in the midst of a push to curb the local feral cat and wild dog population through an aggressive spay/neuter program. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

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Spay/neuter program a runaway success

TONY BRITT
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
The Lake City Humane Society’s push to curb the feral cat, community cat and wild dog population has resulted in nearly 300 animals getting spayed/neutered in less than six months.
Confederate and Union re-enactors went to war Sunday at the original Olustee battlefield in Baker County. True to history and form, the South won the battle, the biggest fought in Florida during the war. (RAY CARPENTER PHOTOGRAPHY/Special to the Reporter)

Confederate and Union re-enactors went to war Sunday at the original Olustee battlefield in Baker County. True to history and form, the South won the battle, the biggest fought in Florida during the war. (RAY CARPENTER PHOTOGRAPHY/Special to the Reporter)

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Another Olustee’s in the books

CARL MCKINNEY
Monday, February 17, 2020
Arts, crafts, entertainment, food and history — there was a little something for everyone.  Young and old alike came out in droves to the Olustee Battle Festival on Saturday, which marked the first time the event was held at the city’s new Wilson Park near Lake DeSoto.
Eastside Elementary School students Ryleigh Trespalacios (from left), Aunna Hartopp, Summer Bedenbaugh and Ariana French bring rolls of duct tape to the school library Thursday morning. The school hopes to set a world record for the largest ball of tape. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Eastside Elementary School students Ryleigh Trespalacios (from left), Aunna Hartopp, Summer Bedenbaugh and Ariana French bring rolls of duct tape to the school library Thursday morning. The school hopes to set a world record for the largest ball of tape. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

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Eastside students are out to set a world record for biggest ball of tape

TONY BRITT
Thursday, February 13, 2020
Eastside Elementary School students are looking to stick it to the world in their quest for fame. The students will soon launch an effort to create the biggest ball of tape ever made.
Mascots for Columbia High and Fort White High prepare for the “Battle of the Belts,” a friendly competition organized by FDOT. For its size, Columbia is the worst county in the state for seat-belt use, the agency says. (COURTESY)

Mascots for Columbia High and Fort White High prepare for the “Battle of the Belts,” a friendly competition organized by FDOT. For its size, Columbia is the worst county in the state for seat-belt use, the agency says. (COURTESY)

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A friendly competition between local high schools may encourage seat-belt use

CARL MCKINNEY
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Columbia County is No. 1 at something, but it’s not an honor to be proud of.  Among the 16 Florida counties with a population between 50,000 to 200,000, Columbia County ranks first for the number of people who don’t wear seatbelts.  “It’s the bad kind of No.
Some of the participants at the event. (COURTESY)

Some of the participants at the event. (COURTESY)

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Come Meet an American: Carver is the Father of Chemurgy

NEWS STAFF
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
On Saturday, along with a group of students and parents we set out to experience a Flight to Freedom reenactment at Ft. Mose State Park in St. Augustine. The group composition was diverse in age, gender, ethnicity, and background.
Mark Akers chops firewood at camp. Akers, an artillery coordinator for the Battle of Olustee re-enactment, has been camping at the battlegrounds for several days while he helps to organize one of North Florida’s biggest events. (CARL MCKINNEY/Lake City Reporter)

Mark Akers chops firewood at camp. Akers, an artillery coordinator for the Battle of Olustee re-enactment, has been camping at the battlegrounds for several days while he helps to organize one of North Florida’s biggest events. (CARL MCKINNEY/Lake City Reporter)

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Is it 1864 yet? Olustee regular can’t wait to get started

CARL MCKINNEY
Tuesday, February 11, 2020
Friends and family easily notice the change in his temperament. His hands tremble, his mind seems to be in another place and he can’t stop checking the calendar to satisfy the burning question in the back of his mind. “Is it 1864 yet?
COURTESY

COURTESY

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Saving horses from slaughter

MICHAEL PHILIPS
Monday, February 10, 2020
Kristine Wake described what generally happens when a horse is the victim of an illegal slaughter. “The horse isn’t typically slaughtered on the property he was stolen from. The person perpetrating the crime will find the easiest access point, a spot that isn’t visible from the house.