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Columbia County News
Index of Stories
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Columbia County, FL (Posted
July 27,
2010 03:30 pm)
On Thursday
evening, July 29th, Neighbors Equine Assistance
Team, "NEAT", is sponsoring a Candidate Forum
for County Commission Candidates from Districts
2 and 4 at the Fort White Community Center...
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Columbia County, FL
(Posted July 18, 2010 02:10 pm)
The Library
developed a Florida Author Series during our
year-long 50th Anniversary Celebration in
2008-2009. The series became very popular and we
have continued it with usually one program per
month... It was fun to see her four year old
daughter respond with expertise when asked,
"Which fork do you use for salads?" (Click the
title to read the story.)
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Columbia County, FL (posted July 15, 2010 09:25 am)
It is unknown if the latest initiative in the
Lake City Hood is going to continue to gain
traction even though funding at any level is
uncertain. For months, a group of local
government officials from various local
governmental agencies, collectively calling
itself Weed and Seed, after the terminated
federal program of the same name, has been
meeting monthly to develop a strategy to clean
up the Lake City Hood. (click title to go to
story)
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Columbia County, FL (posted July 13, 2010 10:30 am)
The Columbia County Federated Republican Women
held a candidate forum last night for the
candidates of House District 11, a seat now held
by Debbie Boyd. Moderator Sherryl Huseonica
asked the candidates a handful of questions,
which unsurprisingly had mainly to do with the
dire economic conditions in which the state now
finds itself...
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Columbia County, FL
(posted July 06, 2010 07:30 am)
The North Central Florida 9-12 Project
invites you to join them at 7:00
p.m. on July 8, 2010 to hear and ask questions of local
and state candidates. Columbia County Commission
candidates Toby Witt, Mark Kazmierski and Stew Lilker
are scheduled to attend. Also on the 9-12 docket are
Alex Snitker, Libertarian Candidate for the U.S. Senate
and Steve Nelson, candidate for Columbia County School
Board.
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Columbia County, FL
(posted July 5, 2010)
Columbia County's Chamber of Commerce, the Lake
City Reporter and the TDC's Harvey Campbell
worked hard ensuring a memorable Independence
Day celebration for the families and residents
of Columbia County and the surrounding counties
of north central Florida.
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Columbia County, FL
(posted June 28, 2010 11:30 am)
The State operated Driver License office located in
the Florida Highway Patrol building at 1350 W. US Hwy 90
in Lake City is now the West Branch office of the Tax
Collector’s office. All duties relating to the issuance of a Florida
Driver's License or Florida ID card will fall under the
direction of my office at our new West Branch office.
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Columbia County, FL
(posted June 02, 2010 06:35 am)
On Thursday
morning May 27th, at 8:30 am, the biggest dog
and pony show in the history of Florida's
Columbia County took place at the Richardson
Community Center in Lake City. Every past and
present local politician and wannabe showed up
to see, be seen and rub flesh with their
brethren, bringing to mind Rodney King's famous
refrain, "Why can't we all just get along."
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Columbia County, FL (Posted April 24, 2010 12:35 pm)
Walking in
the footsteps of giants in the history of the
NAACP and America, the 28th annual Columbia
County Branch NAACP Freedom Fund Luncheon went
off without a hitch this past Saturday.
(Photo: These two
youngsters, are looking at a different future, thanks to
those who came before them. Observer Photo)
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Columbia County, FL
(posted April 21, 2010 09:03 am)
Over a year
after Columbia County Commissioner Jody DuPree
tried to wreck the Florida Crown Work Force
Board, the Florida Crown Affair dragged on
yesterday afternoon, this time in the lap of
outgoing Columbia County Commissioner, Dewey
Weaver, who came to yesterday's meeting
unprepared to divulge Columbia County's issues,
SOP in almost everything in which the good
old boys of Columbia County get involved.
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Columbia County, FL
(posted April 16, 2010 11:45 am)
The unemployment rate in the
Florida Crown Workforce region (Columbia, Dixie,
Gilchrist, and Union Counties) was 11.2 percent
in March 2010. This was an increase of 3.1
percentage points from the region’s year ago...
(1 comment)
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Columbia County, FL
(posted April 14, 2010 08:30 am)
Florida
Crown, one of the highest performing
workforce boards in Florida, has been chosen as
one of the two organizations in Florida to
assist youth with disabilities in preparing for
their future and assisting them in securing
meaningful employment... (1
comment)
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Columbia County, FL
(posted April 8, 2010 04:20 am) (From the
Lake City
Reporter)
Almost two dozen Lake City
residents, living both inside and outside the
Ellisville Utility service area, met Tuesday
night at the Mason City Community Center. Their
stated intention was to form a political action
committee against the county's mandatory
connection ordinance for the Ellisville Utility.
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Columbia County, FL
(posted March 30, 2010 09:45 am)
Late yesterday afternoon the City/County EMS RFP
Review Committee met to approve an RFP (request for
proposal) which would have gone a long way in providing
answers to the long simmering questions between Columbia
County and Lake City regarding the outstanding $750,000
bill and $250,000 yearly payment that the County claims the City owes for EMS
services. The County torpedoed the plan.
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Columbia County, FL
(posted March 19, 2010 11:50 pm)
At last night's Columbia County Commission meeting it
was apparent once again that Columbia County is being
left behind in the dust trails of yesteryear, as even
the most simple forms of governance leave long time
county commissioner and current Board Chairman, Ronald
Williams, confused and unable to effectively govern,
demonstrating once again that good government has no
place in...
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Columbia County, FL (posted
March 15, 2010, at 07:55am)
Ms. Langford told the
Observer, "It is my hope and I believe that I
can speak for the rest of the consortium
members, that Columbia County will return to
become a member of the consortium -- I just hope
that they will." ... This Thursday evening, the
Columbia County Commission is scheduled to meet
...
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Columbia County, FL (posted
February 10, 2010, at 04:30am)
 On
Monday morning, February 8, 2010, at 10:00am, County
Manager Dale Williams and City Manager Wendell Johnson
met in the Courthouse Annex conference room to work out
a plan to resolve the longstanding City-County EMS
debate. After some small talk about the weekend's Super
Bowl, they got right
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Columbia
County, FL (Posted Feb 6, 2010 at 02:30pm)
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Columbia County, FL (posted
February 3, 2010, at 01:45pm)
 Tuesday
morning, February 2, 2010, may mark the end game in a
city – county controversy that has been stretched out
for years. At 10 am in the county annex, County Manager
Dale Williams, City Manager Wendell Johnson and their
respective attorneys met for a preliminary sit down in
what
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Columbia County, FL (posted
February 2, 2010, at 04:30pm)
For years, Columbia County's Industrial Development
Authority (IDA), an arm of the "good ole boys" of
Columbia County, operated in complete contravention of
Florida's Sunshine Laws. The IDA met in people's homes
and did the bidding of the wheeling and dealing of "Mr.
Columbia County," (photo -
IDA Vice Chair - Suzanne Norris)
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Columbia County, FL (posted
January 8, 2010)
Columbia County Florida's local newspaper, the Lake
City Reporter, has violated basic journalistic ethical
standards by accepting a free trip to North Carolina,
paid for by the taxes of the working families of
Columbia County, sacrificing his
independence and questioning his integrity.
(Photo - Todd Wilson, LC Reporter
publisher)
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Columbia County, FL (posted
Dec 18, 2009)
 For
the past 18 months the Columbia County Commission has
had the opportunity to hold public hearings for fact
finding into the proposed Federal Prison for Columbia
County. Once again, the "good ole boys" have fallen down
on the job, this time leaving it up to the Chamber of
Commerce to get answers to questions that concern the
public. Stew Lilker - Pub/ed
(Go to the
LCR article)
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Columbia County, FL (posted
Dec 15,
2009)
 State
Assemblywoman Debbie Boyd, in a hastily called meeting
at Columbia County IDA headquarters, went on a prison
fact finding mission yesterday morning. In an effort to
get everyone at all levels of government on the same
page regarding the proposed federal prison, Ms. Boyd
invited representatives from the Federal level to the
local level to attend this fact
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Columbia County, FL (posted
Dec 2, 2009)
Now that the truth be
known, the county may wish to change its logo to
read, "Providing Advanced Life Support to
Columbia County for all
residents
and visitors."
For years Columbia County has threatened the City of
Lake City with the elimination of EMS service within the
city limits. Columbia County has bullied and cajoled
both the city and county residents with the threat of
the elimination of these emergency services. Many people
have believed that Columbia County will or has withdrawn
the requirement that the county EMS respond inside the
city limits.
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Columbia County, FL (posted
Dec 1,
2009)
Because good government is everybody's business,
the Columbia County Observer is pleased to announce
its new agenda service... Now, always to be found on
the home page on the top right, in boxes with a
green outline will be meeting dates and links to the
agendas of the meetings that will be of interest to
you.
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Columbia County, FL (posted
November 26,
2009)
By Stew Lilker
The executive director's presentation laid it all out.
The November 17, 2009
Florida Crown Workforce Board meeting looked back at
the previous year's facts and figures; looked forward
into the year ahead; appointed new board members from
the four counties it serves and saw the Consortium
approve the revised budget without the distraction of
Columbia County, who, after months of distraction,
voluntarily withdrew its membership earlier this year.
Part of the mission of Florida Crown is to act as the
state unemployment office for the four county region.
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Columbia County, FL (posted
November 20,
2009)
 By
the conclusion of the November 18th city/county
sit-down, it was clear that after four months on the
job, Lake City's new straight talking City Manager,
Wendell Johnson has found his sea legs, proven that he
is a quick study and shown that he is a manager who can
and will take advantage of the talents of his staff. At
Wednesday night's city/county sit down, it was the City
Manager who took center stage.
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Columbia County, FL (posted
November 17,
2009)
By Jeannie Carr
(special to the Observer)
 Florida
Crown Workforce Board, Inc is sponsoring a Stand Down
for Homeless Veterans on Friday 11/20/09 from 9:00 am to
3:00pm at the Lake City National Guard Armory located at
490 NW Lake Jeffery Rd, Lake City, Florida.
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Columbia County, FL (posted
November 02,
2009)
By Stew Lilker
It was obvious that County
Manager Williams was looking to score Mr. Manning
some cash.
Columbia County's County Manager, Dale Williams, is
flying by the seat of his pants, once again. In another
ploy to part the working families of Columbia County of
their hard earned tax dollars, the County has violated
plain common sense by scheming to pay a county employee
$75.00 an hour as an outside contractor to do the job he
has always done as a regular county employee.
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Columbia County, FL (posted
October 29,
2009)
By Stew Lilker
The Old Tobacco Barn welcomes one into the hood in
Commissioner Ronald Williams' District I. The graffiti
has been on this building for years -- tolerated in the
hood and announcing to all "need drugs -- welcome." A
car from the understaffed Sheriff's patrol division
rolls by the welcome sign.
The Observer spoke with many folks who lived in hood
and some that have moved out.
Escapee: It
is a problem that nothing can be done about. When you
arrest the ones that are out there, it seems there are
more to take their place. The thing is they don't ever
arrest the people that supply it. They get the people
that are out on the street, but that's not where it is
coming from. They are not the source.
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Columbia County, FL (posted
October 28, 2009)
By Stew Lilker
Florida Crown Workforce Board (FCWB), one of
the top performing workforce boards in Florida,
has been awarded a $402,000 Wings Grant. This
grant, funded through
ARRA will help move the rural North
Florida counties of region seven into the 21st
century.
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Columbia County, FL (posted
October 27,
2009)
Com DuPree and Councilman Jake Hill show the strain
of dealing with the long running drug problems in
the Lake City community.
On Monday morning, October 26th, Columbia County
district III Commissioner, Jody DuPree, convened a
hastily called summit to discuss the ever-present
and continuing drug and related problems in the Lake
City area...
Com DuPree said, "I've been gettin a lot of calls
and complaints about drug activity, prostitution and
all kinds of stuff over here. It's gettin to where
it's gettin to be a pretty serious thing.
The State Attorney was not invited.
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Columbia County, FL (posted
August 20,
2009)
By Stew Lilker
 It appeared that no one from the
County had ever seen a city budget. If they had -- they
weren't talking.
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Columbia County, FL (posted
August 17,
2009)
Go here for savings.
Columbia County’s Tax Collector, Ronnie Brannon has
been working in the tax collector’s office since 1986.
Before that he had twenty three years experience in
retail, which explains his and his staff’s concentration
on service.
Mr. Brannon explained his success in the Tax
Collector’s Office this way. “You have to have a staff
dedicated to serving the public and I have a good one.”
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Columbia County, FL (posted July 29,
2009)
The
July 23, 2009
North Central Florida 9-12 meeting began
with another packed house as President Tawnya
Means spoke about Thomas Jefferson and the
Founding Fathers. Ms. Means told the group,
“It’s up to us to become an educated
electorate.”
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Columbia County, FL (posted July 2,
2009) Part II
By Stew Lilker
The Bureau's Issac Gaston address the small crowd as the hearing
began. Columbia County's Good Old Boy effort to keep the meeting
under wraps paid off as only a few of the over 70,000 residents
showed up for the meeting. Those that did attend stated that
next time they would be there with their friends.
The June 30, 2009, public meeting sponsored by the US
Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons
(“Bureau”) ran without a hitch. Mr. Issac Gaston from
Bureau’s Site Selection and Environmental Review Branch
welcomed everyone to the meeting and explained the site
review process. Mr. Gaston said that the Bureau welcomed
everyone’s comments and encouraged folks to participate
in the Environmental Impact Statement (“EIS”) process.
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Columbia County, FL (posted
June 30, 2009 at 2:31 p.m.) Part I
Part II
By Stew Lilker
Florida’s most secretive County
Government remained true to form in doing what it does
best -- keeping the public in the dark. For a year,
County Manager Dale Williams and the County Commission
have been involved in discussions with a specialty
investment-banking firm that specializes in providing
long-term financing to its clients through the issuance
of municipal bonds.
Columbia County wants to
house 2500 illegal aliens in the County. It is
impossible to know when they were going to tell you.
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Columbia County, FL (posted
June 18, 2009)
By Stew Lilker
The legendary Dixie County
Commissioner and FCWB member, Ralph Tyre, attempts to
get
some answers from Columbia County's Consortium delegate,
Commissioner Stephen Bailey.
Columbia County was still playing it close to the
vest as Mr. Tyre continued to search for answers from
Columbia County.
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Columbia County, FL (posted June 17,
2009)
By Stew Lilker
The June 15th FCWB meeting
played to a packed house. In the right
foreground is vice chair, Alonzo Philmore.
The June 15, 2009 Florida Crown Workforce Board
“FCWB” meeting played to a full house, but the real
action occurred during the Consortium meeting which
followed.
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Chairman Bailey reads from a
prepared script.
Columbia County, FL (posted
May 26, 2009)
By Stew Lilker
The Florida Crown Affair took another twist in
Columbia County at the May 21, 2009 County Commission
meeting. Operating on the fringes or outside the law is
nothing new for Columbia County and they did not
disappoint at the May 21st commission meeting, proving
once again that operating in the shadows and surprising
the public is what they do best.
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Columbia County, FL (posted May 20,
2009)
By Kari Doro ((Special to the Observer)
A highlight of the recent 25th Annual Florida
Literacy Conference was the presentation of the Florida
Literacy Awards given annually to outstanding
individuals, businesses and organizations making
significant contributions to adult and family literacy.
Kaye Johnson accepted the award for Florida Crown
Workforce Board.
The Conference was sponsored by the
Florida Literacy
Coalition, Florida’s Adult and Family Literacy Resource
Center. The May 7th Awards Banquet was held at the Belleview
Biltmore Hotel in Clearwater.
The Florida Literacy Coalition recognized Lake City based
Florida Crown Workforce Board
as the recipient of the Outstanding Business Partner
Award. This award honors a company or business partner
for leadership or significant contributions in support
of literacy at the local, regional or state level.
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Columbia County, FL (posted
May 4, 2009)
By Stew Lilker
The Friday night, May 1st
9-12 Project monthly meeting played to a full house
at the Vineyard Church in Lake City. Over a hundred
people attended the meeting with folks coming from
Alachua, Suwannee and Gilchrest counties, as well as
Columbia County. Those in attendance came from all walks
of life and varying educational backgrounds: air
conditioning mechanics, school teachers, salesman,
professionals, retired folks and even a former Wisconsin
Magistrate.
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Columbia County, FL (posted
April 16, 2009)
By Stew Lilker
County Manager (“CM”) Dale Williams explained some of
the Columbia
 County
Commission issues with the FCWB:
Does my board have some issues?
Absolutely. Are they adamant in their issues?
Absolutely. They’ve got some things that even I don’t
know. We are not so bad that we will not take your
money. When you talk about the money that you do have
some latitude in distribution, they believe they have a
legal right to help determine how that money is
distributed. They believe that the budgets are supposed
to be approved in a certain legal fashion and currently
they are not.
Someone asked the County Manager, “In what way are
they not being legally approved?”
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Columbia County, FL (posted
April 15, 2009)
By Stew Lilker
The Columbia County Commission, long known for among
other things, rudeness and flying by the seat of its
pants was dealt a blow by long time constitutional
officer, Clerk of the Courts, the Honorable P. DeWitt
Cason, when he refused to sign two ordinances which were
not available for public inspection for the time
required by the Florida Statutes.
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Columbia County, FL (posted
April 15, 2009)
Part II • The Columbia County Position • (coming tomorrow -
April 16th)
By Stew Lilker
The Florida Crown Workforce Board
packed their board room in preparation of a joint
meeting with the County Commission, which was once again
cancelled at the 12th hour.
On Thursday, April 9th, Florida Crown Workforce Board
(“FCWB”) Chairman, Larry Thompson, opened what was
scheduled to be the planning session for the 6 p.m.
joint Columbia County -- FCWB meeting.
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Columbia County, FL (posted
March 23, 2009)
By Stew Lilker
Photo: Florida Crown meets
for its quarterly meeting. At the end of the table are
Executive Director,
John Chastain (left) and Larry Thompson (right) Chairman
of the Board.
This past Thursday, March 19th at 4:00pm,
Florida Crown
Workforce Board met for their quarterly meeting at
their headquarters in Lake City. The presentation of the
annual independent audit report gave the Workforce Board
a clean bill of health and the Executive Director’s
report was packed with information. At the end of the
meeting, Board Chairman Larry Thompson went over the
issue that is on everybody’s mind, the Columbia County
Board of Commissioners.
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Boyd challengers quizzed by
opens new office
today
Florida
Crown on top again
