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County News 2022
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Jim Hodges gives the
"skinny" on his arrest
November 9, 2022 11:25
am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – On November 1, 2022,
one day after receiving the body cam footage of
his detention and arrest from the Columbia
County Sheriff’s Office, James Hodges posted the
body cam footage on Facebook. It wasn’t pretty.
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October 29, 2022
6:50 pm | updated November 8, 2022 06:45 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Way at the end of
this year's County Ballot is a “yes” or “no”
vote for a half-cent sales tax surcharge for
school improvements. It is ill-thought-out,
lacks specific detail, and includes patently
wrong and misleading statements.
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October 31,
2022 09:45 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Florida gas prices
are set to rise 25 cents a gallon on
Tuesday. Florida's Motor Fuel Tax Relief
Act of 2022 suspended the state's 25.3
cent gas tax on October 1 for a
month-long gas tax holiday. Tomorrow,
Tuesday, the tax expires at midnight.
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October 29, 2022
6:50 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Way at the end of
this year's County Ballot is a “yes” or “no”
vote for a half-cent sales tax surcharge for
school improvements. It is ill-thought-out,
lacks specific detail, and includes patently
wrong and misleading statements.
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October 25,
2022 10:00 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – With the 2022
midterm elections fast approaching, it
is time to put on your thinking cap,
learn about the candidates and the
issues, and prepare to vote. Ballotpedia
and the Columbia County Supervisor of
Elections give you a leg up.
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October 18, 2022
12:50 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – On Monday, October
17, 2022, former Columbia County Deputy
Clerk Katrina Vercher was found guilty by
Judge Leandra Johnson in a Columbia County
courtroom. She was sentenced to five years
probation and ordered to pay $27,600 in
restitution within the next 45 days.
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October 8, 2022
08:35 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL –
Living in travel trailers, RVs, or
campers may come to pass if one member
of the Columbia County 5 can convince
the rest of the County Commission that
this is a good idea.
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October 5, 2022
10:20 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Tuesday evening,
Richardson Community Center was the main
event at a special meeting of Columbia
County's infamous Columbia County 5 (County
Commission). Once again they demonstrated
that they needed to take sensitivity
training and some history lessons.
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October 4, 2022
1:15 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Tonight, the
Columbia County 5 (County Commission)
will talk about the iconic Richardson
Community Center. The legal status of
the Center is not clear. County Attorney
Joel Foreman is supposed to make a
presentation this evening to clarify its
status between Lake City and County.
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Clay has 18,088 Columbia County
Customers
September 28, 2022
07:20 am
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No One Knows How Much This Really Will
Cost
September 16, 2022
05:18 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Wednesday’s mid-day
TDC meeting to discuss an estimated $100 mil
park project was done the Columbia County
way: scheduled so that the working families
of Columbia County, those that pay the
taxes, wouldn’t be able to attend.
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September 14, 2022
07:05 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – TDC Director Paula
Vann has had problems releasing public
records in the past. The hot-off-the-press
$330,000 Master Plan for the controversial
500 acre park and recreational facility purchased by the County has been
ready for a while. Ms. Vann has stalled its
release.
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August 31, 2022
07:55pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Tuesday, August 30,
the Columbia County 5 met to discuss and
take some budgetary actions. One of those
actions was to review the proposed new fire
assessment.
.
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August 26, 2022
02:00 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Six of Columbia
County’s finest anglers (three teams of
two from the FGC bass fishing team) will
compete against the best college anglers
in the country during the Labor Day
weekend.
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August 24, 2022
08:00 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Last night, after
the polls closed, all county eyes were on
the race between former County Commissioner
Everett Phillips and the man who beat him
four years ago, Toby Witt. By the end of the
evening, Everett Phillips did what few
thought he would do: he was reelected to his
old District 4 seat.
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August 23, 2022
10:15 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Those who work with youths, teachers,
caregivers, pastoral staff members, and others
are invited to attend a free youth mental health
workshop. The workshop is sponsored by the Saint
Leo University Lake City Education Center and
Suwannee River Area Health Education Center.
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August 19, 2022
03:15 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Last night’s
meeting of the County 5 demonstrated once
again that when it comes to respecting
access and the need to inform the County’s
residents, The 5 falls short. Commissioner
Murphy wants a change.
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August 10, 2022
08:20 pm
LIVE
OAK, FL – Suwannee Valley
Electric Cooperative (SVEC) is offering two
lineworker Program Scholarships for those
interested in a career high off the ground.
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Posted July 29, 2022 01:30 pm
LIVE OAK, FL - Suwannee Valley Electric
Cooperative (SVEC) recognized the handicap
that most of its 28,000 consumers face,
being on the short side of the digital
divide, by not having access to reliable
high-speed internet.
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Posted July 22, 2022 11:15 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Yesterday, between
8:30 am and 5 pm, Florida Gateway College
(FGC) held its second One Stop Enrollment
Day. Anyone who wanted to enroll or learn
about courses or financial assistance was
welcome. Current students could re-register.
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Posted July 19, 2022
08:10 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Hot real estate
markets in Florida have Columbia County
Property Appraiser Jeff Hampton and Florida
Property Appraisers reaching out to the
public with reminders and explanations as
tax time approaches.
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Posted July 16, 2022
11:45 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – On July 14, 2022,
at 2:25 pm, Circuit Court Judge Leandra
Johnson signed an arrest warrant for 21-year
veteran deputy clerk Katrina Vercher. The
charges were one count of a scheme to
defraud and three counts of official
misconduct.
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Posted July 15, 2022 07:15 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – After an extensive,
nationwide search, Florida Gateway College
has selected Chris Hackett as the new FGC
Athletic Director. Hackett comes to FGC from
Frank Phillips College, an NJCAA school
in Borger, TX. There, he served as
athletic director since 2020 and head
men's basketball coach since 2011.
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Posted July 1, 2022 06:25 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Yesterday morning,
a crowd of approximately 300 gathered in the
heart of Florida Gateway College's main
campus to witness the ribbon cutting and
dedication of the new Quinn & Keith
Leibfried STEM building.
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Posted June
2, 2022 11:55 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Yesterday at high
noon, and about $150,000 later, Columbia
County Tourist Development Council (TDC)
Director Paula Vann revealed the TDC’s
new logo and marketing scheme.
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Posted May
20, 2022 008:45 am
LAKE
CITY, FL – The
sideways procurement of its headhunter,
the enhanced level of secrecy encouraged
by the City Attorney, and the general
incompetence of the City Council have
left Lake City reeling, dysfunctional,
and unable to find a city manager.
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Posted May
7, 2022 03:43 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – This past Thursday’s
County 5 meeting wrapped up its printed agenda
in a world record thirty-eight minutes. It
looked like everyone was going home early. Then,
The 5 decided to have an impromptu mowing
workshop and a discussion about a City Utility
Project which included a contractor cutting up County roads.
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April 10, 2022 07:00 pm | Part I
–
Part II
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – This past Thursday
morning, Veteran County Commissioner Ronald
Williams led the County charge to disengage from
the City Utility Advisory Committee. Only
Commissioner Toby Witt bucked up against the
idea, but in the end, he voted along with the
herd.
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Posted
April 7, 2022 08:00 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – County Manager David
Kraus, having already resigned from the City
Utility Advisory Committee, is asking for
official action from the County 5 to remove both
himself and Economic Development Director Glenn
Hunter. Today's meeting begins at 9:30 am.
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Posted
March 16, 2022 11:30 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Last night, the
Columbia County Broadband Committee met for what
may have been its third time. Months ago,
Commissioner Toby Witt was appointed by the
County 5 to chair the Committee as the Board's
representative. The Committee keeps no minutes,
does not make agendas or distribute information,
and put its meetings on the County calendar for
the first time on Monday.
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Posted
February 26, 2022 09:10 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – After the recent gun
incident at the City Council, the Observer
reached out to the City, County, School
District, Florida Gateway College, and the Lake
Shore Hospital Authority for an update on their
gun policies and signage.
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Posted
February 17, 2022 10:15 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Recent news in the
County's mainstream media and reportedly on
social media had the Humane Society’s Lake City
thrift store in survival limbo. “The Thrift
store is operating, taking donations, and will
be around for a long time,” said Keith Williams,
President of the Humane Society Board.
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County News 2021
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Posted
December 31, 2021 07:15 pm.
LAKE CITY, FL – As 2021 fades into the
sunset, the number one story in Columbia County
was its County Seat – Lake City. While most
folks may have never heard of Columbia
County, everyone recognizes Lake City as
one of the most recoginzed geographical
locations in the state.
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Posted
December 7, 2021 08:05 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Last Thursday’s meeting
of the Columbia County 5 brought no surprise and
a big surprise. With the meeting four minutes
old, Commissioner Robby Hollingsworth (no
surprise) was voted Chairman. Then, without any
warning and any public input, The 5 changed its
first monthly meeting time to 9:30 am.
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Posted
September 23, 2021 11:45 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Relations between what
used to be called Lake City Community College,
now Gateway College, and the City and County,
have not always been cordial. On Tuesday
evening, at the invitation of College President
Larry Barrett, the three bodies meet in the same
room for the first time.
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Posted
September 7, 2021 09:15 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – The Columbia
County Legislative Delegation will meet
at 1 pm this afternoon in the School
District Administrative Complex
auditorium on U.S. 90. The delegation
includes Senator Jennifer Bradley
(R-Fleming Island) and Representative
Chuck Brannan (R-Macclenny). The next
Regular Session of the Florida
Legislature will convene on January 11,
2022, in Tallahassee.
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Posted
September 3, 2021 10:55 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Last night, tacked on
to the end of the County’s agenda, was a request
by Florida Gateway College President Dr. Larry
Barrett for a joint City-County-FGC meeting to
discuss seven items of concern.
.
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Posted
August 23, 2021 10:25 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Columbia County’s
infamous County 5 outdid itself last Thursday
afternoon when it, along with Florida’s only
elected County Attorney, shucked-and-jived
through two illegal meetings. Commenting on the
screw-up, legendary County Commissioner Ronald
Williams said, “That's bullsh!t, ya’all.”
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Posted
August 11, 2021 05:30 pm
COLUMBIA, HAMILTON, SUWANNEE COUNTIES, FL – Monday
night, the Board of the Suwannee Valley Transit
Authority (SVTA or the Authority) met in the Suwannee
County Courthouse Annex and approved its FY2022 annual
budget during the Authority’s quarterly meeting.
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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
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
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
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 6, 2021 08:25 am
UMBIA
COUNTY, FL – The infamous Columbia
County 5 has on its docket tonight
Building & Zoning fee increases. Some
rates are up in the thousands and well
over 100%. Troy Crews, the former
building official of Lake City and the
now director of the Columbia County
Building Department, is proposing the
increases.
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Posted
April 19, 2021 04:00 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Thursday, April 15, the
Columbia County 5 met. On its agenda was an item
called "Olustee Park." There was not a scintilla of pre-meeting backup
information outlining the evening’s discussion.
As of Wednesday evening, April 14, the County
Manager claimed there was no material to go with
the agenda item "Olustee Park." The public was
left in the dark.
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Posted
April 12, 2021 10:00 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Following
the recent unveiling of construction to
expand Lake City Medical Center, the
hospital announced that it had added
another $1.6 million in technology in
the form of a da Vinci Xi Surgical Robot
by Intuitive Surgical.
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Posted
April 7, 2021 10:59 am
LAKE CITY, COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – The Olustee
Park - Monument controversy, now in the lap of
the Columbia County 5 (the County Commission),
had Columbia County’s newest commissioner, Robby
Hollingsworth, signing up to speak at Monday’s
City Council meeting. Why? Olustee – Second
thoughts.
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Posted
April 5, 2021 07:30 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Thursday's April 1
meeting of the Columbia County 5 put the issue
of Lake City's downtown Olustee Park and its
namesake monument square in the County
Commission's lap. They and thirteen folks from
in and out of town shared their views on who
should keep the Park and control the fate of the
Olustee monument.
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Posted
March 26, 2021 09:28 am
LAKE
CITY, COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – The North Florida Mega
Industrial Park needs a gas supply. Lake City
Utilities are the County gas experts. Yesterday,
the County and City sat down to discuss gas, a
necessity for industrial economic development.
They met in the County Economic Development
Office.
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Posted
March 18, 2021 11:55 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Thursday’s March 18,
2021, meeting of the County 5 was just about
wound out when at 2 hours and 29 minutes
Commissioner Ron Williams and County Attorney
Joel Foreman both brought up the ownership of
Olustee Park.
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Posted
March 18, 2021 11:01 am
LAKE CITY, COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL –
On Monday night, March 15, 2021, during
a 12th-hour walk-on by City Manager Joel
Helfenberger, he announced that a legal
opinion solicited by the City stated
that Columbia County owns Olustee Park.
The Park is home to a Confederate
Monument.
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Posted
February 26, 2021 06:45 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL –
Werner
Enterprises (NASDAQ: WERN), one of America’s
premier transportation and logistics providers,
announces the opening of its Lake City terminal.
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Pt I – The Fort White
Columbia County Connection
Posted
February 24, 2021 07:04 am
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Part II – Plus,
Serious Attorney Ethics Problem
Posted
February 24, 2021 07:04 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Part I ended with
Fort White Mayor Ronnie Frazier ignoring Lake
City’s offer to present a utility proposal to
the Town of Fort White. Town Councilman Bishop,
Columbia County Commissioner Ford’s
son-in-law, wanted to move full speed ahead
with the County.
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Posted
February 21, 2021 06:50 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL –
Chief Judge Mark E. Feagle was
unanimously elected to a second two-year
term by the Judges of the Third Judicial
Circuit on Friday.
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Posted
January 22, 2021 03:40 pm
OLUMBIA
COUNTY, FL – Last night, Lake
City's Vice Mayor / City Utility
Advisory Committee Chair, Chris Greene,
made a surprise visit to the County 5.
Despite Mr. Greene's announced
closed-mindedness, the County agreed to
join Councilman Sampson's reconstituted
City Utility Advisory Committee.
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Posted
January 20, 2021 02:25 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – As the curtain drew
down on yesterday's legislative delegation
meeting, the environment, a bellwether issue for
Florida, was brought front and center by
environmentalist and springs protector Merrillee
Malwitz-Jipson. Strikingly, she let everybody
know that bottling Florida's spring water is
also about the bottles.
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Posted
January 18, 2021 06:07 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Representative Chuck
Brannan (R-Macclenny) and Senator Jennifer
Bradley (R-Flemming Island) will be on-hand in
Columbia County tomorrow afternoon at the annual
legislative delegation hearing.
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Posted
December 29, 2020 11:58 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Last Tuesday,
Columbia County's Economic Development Advisory
Board, after only 11 minutes and six seconds of
discussion about the Niagara Bottling Project,
moved to "not to enter into a contract with the
company." The decision by the EDAB is advisory
only.
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Today Is Election
Day – Don't Forget to Vote
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Compliance Issues Continue to Plague the
SVTA: Following the
law and its own rules continues to be
problematic
Columbia County Residents
About to Get Slammed: Building Permit Fees
Headed Skyward – But First The County 5 Must Follow
the Law
Olustee the Monument, April
15: A Dance by Columbia County To Deny Its Real
Plan, To Wash Its Hands of the Monument
Lake
City Medical Center: $1.6 Mil Investment In
Robotic Surgery
Olustee - ‘Second Thoughts’:
Commissioner Robby Hollingsworth Shows Up At
City Council, “It’s kinda’ strange, but here I
am.”
Olustee, the Monument That
Keeps on Giving, Now in the Hands of the
Columbia County 5
Lake City – Columbia County,
Utility Progress: While They Met About Gas – The
Theme Was Cooperation
Olustee Park & Monument:
County Attorney Foreman Says, “‘Give (Lake) City a
deed,’ and make them say no.”
Lake
City Legal Opinion: Olustee Park – Home of
Confederate Monument – Owned By Columbia County
Werner Enterprises Opens in
Columbia County: New Lake City Terminal Goes
On-Line
Town of Fort White Utility
Slam-Dunk Foiled: Lake City and Private Utility
Rain on Fort White - Columbia County Parade
Town of Fort White Utility
Slam-Dunk Foiled: Pushback --The Rest of the
Story
Chief
Judge Feagle’s Term Unanimously Extended,
Judge’s Updated Court COVID-19 Plan Released
Lake City Vice Mayor Appears Before the County 5
to Discuss City Utility Policy & the City
Budget: His Appearance Not Sanctioned by the
City Council
Columbia
County's Legislative Delegation Gets a Visual:
Bottled Water Is Also About the Bottles
Columbia
County Legislative Delegation On-Tap for Tuesday
at 2 pm
Columbia County Econ Dev:
Niagara Gets Thumbs Down – County Could Lose 150
Potential Jobs