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Posted May 24, 2013 08:55 am | Part II
The Generator Shop. The insert shows the
combined cost of the lots to be $710,000.
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – The May 13th Lake Shore
Hospital Authority meeting
continued to bring up many issues that had been
brewing since the uncontrolled and ill fated
real-estate buying spree orchestrated and begun
in 2006 by then Authority Board member Jackson
P. "Jack" Berry. Today, real-estate values have
plummeted. Jack Berry went from Authority Board
Chairman, no pay, to General Manager of the
Authority, a job which pays almost $100,000 a
year. Stuck with a portfolio of property the
Authority can't give away, Manager Berry is now
claiming his plan less buying spree was urban
renewal, and he is looking to convince the
Authority Board to build doctor's offices on
spec with county resident's tax dollars.
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Posted May 22, 2013 08:05 am | Part I
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL –
Columbia County's Lake Shore Hospital Authority,
one of the special purpose hospital districts
that Governor Scott was thinking about
eliminating after he was elected, lingers on as
former republican political operative and
quintessential public figure, Hospital Authority
Manager Jackson P. "Jack" Berry, finally took
some heat from the Governor appointed board
after claiming he failed to get a recent
appraisal on the Shipp property purchased in a
wild property buying spree in 2006.
(File Photo: Jackson P. Berry)
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Posted May 17, 2013 04:50 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – In 2007, Columbia County
ended its automatic aid agreement with the City
of High Springs Fire Department. The result: the
shortsightedness of Columbia County's County
Commission left 532 families along the Columbia
County - High Springs-Alachua County border
under protected, under-served, and paying 40%
more a year for fire insurance, because there
wasn't a fire station within five miles. The
lack of an agreement cost Columbia County's
south end residents in the neighborhood of a
million dollars in increased fire insurance
premiums.
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Posted May 16, 2013 04:55 am | Part XLI
 BRADFORD
COUNTY, FL – The saga of the North Florida
Broadband Authority, the Obama Stimulus funded
broadband government consortium, which has
squandered millions in cost overruns and falsely
claims it is a public utility, was once 14
member counties strong. It has now dwindled down
to seven (see
map). After losing the trust of over half
the elected public officials in its consortium,
the NFBA is fighting back. Funded by the
American People, the NFBA has taken on the
financially strapped Bradford County School
District.
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Posted May 13, 2013 08:53 am | Public News Service
TALLAHASSEE, FL – When it comes to the potential
risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome from a
mother sharing her bed with her baby, there is a
push to change the message from "just don't do
it" to "here is how it's done most safely." The
shift is needed because co-sleeping will never
be eliminated and not all forms are equal,
according to Dr. James McKenna. For example,
McKenna said, associated risks are nearly
eliminated by breastfeeding.
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Posted May 10, 2013 07:25 am | Public News Service
TALLAHASSEE, FL – When a fertility clinic and
all else fails, adoption can seem like the
answer. Except it's not in many cases. Adoption
is an expensive and lengthy process. It can take
from $30-to-50,000 and two years or more.
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Posted May 9, 2013 10:25 am | Public News Service
MIAMI - Workers at one of Florida's largest
airports are announcing federal complaints
today, alleging unsafe conditions, including
exposure to sometimes-hazardous bodily fluids.
Wheelchair attendants at Fort
Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport are
calling on both the Department of Transportation
and OSHA to investigate what they call unsafe
working conditions, according to Eric Brakken,
Florida District Director for Service Employees
Union local 32BJ.
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Posted May 7, 2013 09:15 am
LAKE CITY, FL – Last night, the City
Council reviewed the four election districts
within its boundaries, an act required once
every five years by the City Charter. City Clerk
Audrey Sikes presented the current and proposed
boundaries, the changes of which were to insure
that each district had approximately the same
number of registered voters. Hundreds of hours
were spent redrawing the districts and the maps.
Three people showed up for the special
redistricting meeting. (Photo: Three people
showed up for the special
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 Lake
Shore Hosp Auth: More Abbott and Costello, Who's
on First? Now it’s Jack Berry's cell phone.
Posted May 6, 2013 06:55 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – The Lake Shore Hospital
Authority has been one of Columbia County’s best
kept secrets for years. It is an independent
taxing district, run by a governor appointed
board, which is not answerable to the Columbia
County residents and businesses that pay the
taxes and the bills, one of which is the almost
$100,000 a year that goes to former Republican
Chieftain and Hospital Authority Manager,
Jackson P. “Jack” Berry. Another is Mr. Berry’s
cell phone and phone plan, which was supposed to
have been approved by the governor appointed
board. It wasn’t. Financial hocus-pocus is
nothing new at the Lake Shore Hospital
Authority. (Photo:
Jack Berry 2009)
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Posted May 4, 2013 02:40 pm
Updated May 5, 2013 07:54 pm
LAKE CITY, FL –
This Monday night at 5:30 pm, May 6, 2013, Lake
City is presenting its new proposed
redistricting maps to the public for the first
time. The meeting, originally scheduled for May
2, was rescheduled by Lake City Mayor Steve
Witt, after it was discovered that the special
meeting was in conflict with the County
Commission meeting, which was scheduled for the
same time. Mayor Witt told the Observer, "As
Mayor of all the people of Lake City, who are
also residents of Columbia County, I wanted to
give everyone the opportunity to attend the
redistricting special meeting so that they could
participate and be heard."
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 Sheriff
Hunter Rescues County Commission:
At budget time, will he be standing in front of the
Board for overdue raises for his road deputies?
Posted May 3, 2013 10:30 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Last night at the County
Commission, Columbia County's popular 2nd term Sheriff,
Mark Hunter, came to the microphone as a private citizen
and ran cover for his friends on the County Commission,
who couldn't answer three simple questions: Who went to
Tallahassee in April during legislative week? What did
they accomplish? How much did they spend?
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 Lake
City Reporter: Shamed to speak up by former Marine,
editorial is half baked and uninformed
Posted May 2, 2013 01:59 pm | From the Publisher
(2
comments)
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – For years Columbia
County's newspaper of record, the Lake City
Reporter (LCR), has turned a blind eye on the
constant abuse of Columbia County citizens by
its infamous good ole boy County Commission.
Known throughout the years as the Lake City
Distorter, the Lake City Repeater, and the
mullet wrapper, an insult to the mullet, the LCR
president, Dink NeSmith, was recently contacted
by County resident and former Marine, L.J.
Johnson. Mr. Johnson finally had enough of
watching Columbia County residents being shut
out of the decision making process and picked up
the phone and called the Lake City Reporter’s
boss.
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 Kirby
DUI: Arraignment took under one minute. "Not
guilty" plea already filed
Posted May 1, 2013 07:25 am | updated May 1, 2013
09:41 pm (1
comment)
 COLUMBIA
COUNTY, FL – The Kevin Kirby DUI incident arrived in the
Misdemeanor and Traffic Arraignments courtroom of County
Court Judge Tom Coleman early yesterday morning. On
April 19, 2013, the plea of not guilty was filed with
the court by one of Mr. Kirby's attorneys of record,
Lake City attorney Travis Koon. While the court docket
is not clear regarding when Mr. Koon entered the case,
Judge Coleman made it clear from the bench when Mr.
Kirby's attorney, Jimmy Hunt of Lake City, withdrew from
the case.
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Posted April 30, 2013 07:24 am | Public News
Service
GAINESVILLE, FL - Across the state, Florida workers say
they are being denied pay or being asked to work off the
clock by their employers. Currently, state lawmakers are
considering a "wage-theft" bill, but it would require
that any cases be filed in court. ¶ Melissa Elliott is
one of an estimated 1800 victims of wage theft in
Alachua County alone. Last year she worked for tips
only, at the request of a downtown Gainesville
restaurant. She estimates losing at least $8000 in
income, in addition to the issues she had with filing
her taxes properly and being eligible for the accurate
amount of unemployment benefits when she was laid off.
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Posted April 29, 2013 08:40 am | Public New
Service
TALLAHASSEE, FL - People convicted of animal
abuse in Florida will face more charges and
likely tougher penalties if a new Animal Cruelty
Bill is signed into law. Late Friday the state
Senate voted unanimously to strengthen the
current animal cruelty law, including its animal
fighting provisions. The House had already
passed the bill unanimously.
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April 29, County Manager
Dale Williams Responds
Posted April 27, 2013 01:10 pm (1
comment)
Updated April 29, 2013 03:20 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – While many communities in
Florida and around the country take DUI's very
seriously, the alleged DUI of Columbia County's
number two man, Kevin Kirby is getting the
silent treatment from the county's management.
Unanswered questions are leading many to believe
that the fix is in and Mr. Kirby is going to get
a free pass for the event of April 14th, when he
drove off the road, sideswiped a tree, hit
another tree, rolled his truck, and then
received a tickets for a DUI, careless driving,
and possession of an open container of alcohol
in his vehicle.
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Posted April 27, 2013 12:59 pm
The Observer has received many calls and has
been asked many times what happens with a DUI.
Here is the answer through the arraignment,
which is scheduled for April 30th at 08:30 am in
front of County Judge Tom Coleman.
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 FL
Legislature Sends Ethics Reform to Governor: Does this
give you more confidence?
Posted April 25, 2013 07:55 am
TALLAHASSEE, FL – After a 36 year drought,
Florida's legislators were all puffed up
yesterday, smiling and patting themselves on the
back for a job well done. After
leading America in federal indictments in
what seems like forever; given a C- in a
national
State Integrity Investigation and with the
nudging of public interest groups like
Integrity Florida,
The
First Amendment Foundation,
Common Cause Florida and others; and with
state and national press coverage of their
shenanigans that goes back to the time of the
Marx Brothers, the folks in Tallahassee finally
heard the music and did something. Yesterday
they passed ethics and campaign reform and sent
the bills along to the Governor for his
signature.
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 Obama
Broadband Grant Recipient, FRBA, Sued by Tampa Based
Internet Company, Rapid Systems, Inc. for $25,000,000
Posted April 23, 2013 07:35 am
TAMPA, FL – On Friday, April 19, 2013, Rapid
Systems, Inc., a leader in the field of wireless
middle and last mile broadband internet
networks, filed a $25 million lawsuit against
the Florida Rural Broadband Alliance (FRBA) LLC.
Several alleged accomplices were also named in
the lawsuit. ¶ FRBA was one of the two winners
of the Obama Stimulus funded Broadband
Opportunities Grants awarded in Florida. The
other was the now infamous North Florida
Broadband Authority (NFBA). FRBA received a
grant award of $23,693,665. The NFBA grant award
was $30,142,676. While Rapid Systems was hired
after a competitive procurement process to do
engineering services on the NFBA project, the
FRBA project was different.
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Posted April 22, 2013 02:20 pm | commentary
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Lake Shore Hospital
Authority's (LSHA) Jackson P. "Jack" Berry is
North Florida's quintessential public figure and
public official. He is known far and wide
through political and public careers that span
almost four decades. Jack Berry has failed in
quests for public office multiple times. After
being fired he sued the Columbia County Sheriff
in Federal Court for violating his civil rights
and lost. During the presidential campaign of
George W. Bush he bullied two little old ladies
because they didn't agree with him. (File photo:
Jack Berry)
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Posted April 21, 2012 09:55 amte-top-6-bot-6">On
April 22, 2013, Girl Scouts will honor their volunteers
on Girl Scout Leader Appreciation Day during National
Volunteer Week. Our dedicated leaders give of their time
on a weekly basis to plan and lead fun, educational Girl
Scout troop meetings and field trips. Girl Scout leaders
teach the girls about health and wellness. They take
them on a caving expeditions or to the stables to learn
to ride. They go to international fairs to experience
different cultures and teach them to create a space
rocket out of paper, a film canister and Alka-Seltzer.
Girl Scout leaders have creative minds and caring hearts
to share with the girls. They dedicate themselves
year-round to helping girls grow into confident,
resourceful young women.
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Posted January 28, 2011 011:55 pm | 30 day post |
Special to the Observer
 LuLucas
puts his arm around his best friend Juno, a
rescued Belgian Malinoises. A combination of
prayer and persistence led Lucas' dad Chester to
Juno. “I came across a posting about her on a
rescue group’s website,” he says. “I had the
feeling in my gut that I had to go see this
dog.” The whole family made the two-hour trip to
meet Juno, who was being held at an east
Tennessee shelter. “She was emaciated, and was
days away from being euthanized,” Chester says.
“She had been surrendered to the shelter because
her previous owners didn’t understand the
Belgian Malinois.” Click the headline to read
the rest of the story. (Photo: Hembree family)
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Fight for "Compassionate" Immigration Reform in
Florida
Posted May 17, 2013 06:15 pm
Public News Service
ORLANDO, FL -
Immigration advocates are turning up the heat on
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., asking him to stand
strong in his support of what they call
"compassionate" immigration reform.
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Posted May 9, 2013 009:30 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – On Wednesday, May 8, 2013,
at approximately 11:50 pm, deputies with the
Columbia County Multi-Jurisdictional Task Force
were involved in a confrontation while Task
Force deputies were conducting a narcotics
investigation at a home on 611 NW Bronco
Terrace.
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P osted
March 15, 2013 07:15 am |
Public News
Service
TALLAHASSEE, FL
The Florida economy may be showing some signs of
improvement, but that recovery has yet to
trickle down to those who need it the most.
Florida ranks 12th on a list of states where
people say they didn't always have enough money
to put food on the table in the last year.
That's more than 21 percent of the
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Lake Shore Hosp Auth: $4,000,000 spent in real-estate
spending spree - still no plan
Columbia County & High Springs Fire Chiefs Working
Toward Automatic Aid Agreement
Sudden
Infant Death Syndrome: Bed Sharing Safely. Breastfeeding
Significantly Reduces Risk
Making
Mother’s Day, By Making Adoption Affordable
Wheelchair
Attendants Exposed to Blood, Body Fluids: Complaint
Filed - Unsafe Conditions
Lake
City: Redistricting On Tap Monday Night
Florida
Workers Fight Back Against Wage Theft
Lake
Shore Hosp Auth: Jackson P. "Jack" Berry. A public
official who can't take the heat.
Girl
Scouts: Build girls of courage, confidence, and
character who make the world a better place
Posted May
21, 2013 07:35 am | Public News Service
