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Posted
July 23, 2021 05:30 am
Photo: Duke
Energy | Columbia County
Observer Graphic
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Posted July
20, 2021 11:55 pm
LAKE CITY, FL – City Clerk Audrey Sikes, once
the apple of most folk’s eye in Lake City and
Columbia County, has come under heightened
scrutiny lately by her coworkers and the public.
The most recent issues: public records access
and City agenda preparation.
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Posted July
15, 2021 01:30 pm
LAKE CITY, FL – Monday’s City Council special
meeting had hidden deep in the agenda the
approval of the final resolution authorizing the
removal of City Manager Helfenberger from
suspension to the ranks of the unemployed.
Delays by City Attorney Fred Koberlein, Jr. and
the City Council cost thousands.
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Posted July
15, 2021 01:30 pm
AKE
CITY, FL – After
squandering over $10k due to delays
during the removal of City Manager Helfenberger,
three members of the City Council want to spend
another $10k plus on a head hunter to run an
advertisement and collect resumes to fill the
vacant City Manager position. Advertising for a
City Manager is something the City HR Department
should be able to do in its sleep.
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Posted July 12, 2021
03:55 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Seemingly
unknown to anybody in Lake City Government,
other than Mayor Witt, tonight’s soon-to-be
Ex-City Manager, Joe Helfenberger, met with
the Lake Shore Hospital Board members
privately to try and hammer out a deal.The subject: the property the Authority
donated to the City in February 2021 – they
want it back.
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Posted July
12, 2021 07:15 am | (1
comment)
LAKE
CITY, COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – On June 21,
2021, the City Council voted to suspend
its City Manager and install its just
terminated HR Director as Interim City
Manager. Tonight, the City Council will
discuss the process moving forward.
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Posted July
7, 2021 01:05 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL –
Columbia County residents should expect
the heaviest Storm Elsa impacts between
10:00 a.m. and 2:00p.m.today. Rainfall
in Columbia County is still estimated to
be between 4 to 6 inches and tropical
storm force wind gusts (55-60 mph) are
anticipated at various times throughout
the day.
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Posted July
6, 2021 09:34 am | updated 10:55 am
LAKE CITY, COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – A 2018
structural assessment of Lake City City Hall
lacks any mention of maximum wind forces that
the aging building can sustain. However, the
City has installed a net around the building to
catch falling bricks.
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Posted July
1, 2021 06:48 am
LAKE
CITY, COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL –
Tuesday
afternoon, June 29, City Manager Joe
Helfenberger responded, through his attorney, to
the City Council’s allegations which suspended
him for 45 days, pending a final resolution of
termination.
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Posted June
29, 2021 06:51 pm
LAKE CITY, COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – On June
21, the Lake City City Council voted to suspend
its City Manager Joe Helfenberger after City
Councilman Todd Sampson read a laundry list of
complaints from a statement.
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Posted
June 25, 2021 04:45 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Begun in 2006,
Plum Creek, now Weyerhaeuser, began the
plans for a super-duper mega industrial
park (Industrial Park) on East U.S. 90
in Columbia County. Fifteen years and millions of public funding
dollars later, there is still no water or sewer
at the 2,500-acre site.
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Posted June
23, 2021 09:35 am
LAKE CITY, COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL –
On Monday night, Lake City City Manager Joe
Helfenberger was suspended for 45 days, pending
a final resolution for his removal. City Manager
Helfenberger has the right to ask for a public
hearing. If he doesn’t, the City Council can
adopt a final resolution removing him.
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Posted June
18, 2021 10:25 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Columbia County is
rewarding the Town of Fort White with $75,000
over three years for the privilege of providing
Fort White residents with clean water. The
$75,000 is an infusion of cash into the town's
coffers as it tries to extricate itself from its
financial difficulties. It is not clear whose
idea the $75,000 payoff was.
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Posted June
15, 2021 09:40 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL –
Late yesterday morning, Third Circuit
Chief Judge Mark Feagle advised the
Circuit that based on the latest
Administrative Order by FL Supreme Court
Chief Justice Charles Canady, courts
would be resuming in-person court
proceedings.
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Posted June
14, 2021 09:55 am
LAKE CITY, COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL –
This past Thursday, June 10, on his third try,
City Manager Joe Helfenberger Terminated Ami
Fields, Lake City’s new HR Director. Mr.
Helfenberger gave this reason, “I…have
determined that you are not a good fit for our
City.”
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Posted June
9, 2021 07:30 am
LAKE CITY, COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL –
Monday night’s City Council meeting was
ill-attended; even the mainstream media didn’t
show up, although it attended virtually, along
with three other virtual attendees. The
performance of the City Council, City Manager,
City Attorney, and City Clerk over the last two
years is an indicator of the confidence in the
electorate and the performance of the public
body.
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Posted June
6, 2021 09:15 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – On February 4, 2021,
businessman and community activist Sylvester
Warren told the Columbia County 5, "There is a
huge disconnect and distrust between the black
community and law enforcement. I think everybody
should be in favor of the citizens' review
board." County Chairman Rocky Ford said, “I
don’t oppose it.” On Thursday evening, June 3,
things changed.
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Posted
June 2, 2021 11:15 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – With
over $10 million invested in the
facility over the previous six months to
upgrade surgical robotics, additional
inpatient imaging technology, and expand
the Medical Center's inpatient capacity,
the hospital is announcing an additional
$36 million for further growth.
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Posted
May 28, 2021 06:35 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – The Kayaktivism
event scheduled for Saturday, May 29, on
the Santa Fe River is the fourth
kayaktivist paddle that Our Santa Fe
River has staged on the iconic Santa Fe
River in front of the Ginnie Springs
Outdoors Campground.
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Posted July
9, 2021 07:00 am
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Posted
June 29, 2021 06:25 am
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Posted
june 28, 2021 09:45 am
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Posted
June 19, 2021 08:45 am
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Posted
June 11, 2021 05:30 am
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Posted
June 1, 2021 11:40 pm
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Posted June
1, 2021 07:39 am
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Posted
May 27, 2021 07:59 am
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Posted
May 26, 2021 07:30 am
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Posted
May 25, 2021 07:10 am
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Posted May
17, 2021 08:30 am
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Posted
May 20, 2021 07:15 am
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