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Stew Lilker’s

Columbia County Observer

Real news for working families.  An online newspaper

Columbia County News
Beginning in 2013 County & County Commission News will be here. Earlier
years will be found in either County News or County Commission indexes
2013
Index of Stories  • 20172016-201520142013 2012-2009

County News 2013 (scroll down)

Karl Burkhardt's Lake City Journal - An Era Ends

Sheriff Mark HunterColumbia County Sheriff Mark Hunter Gets Another Free Pass From the County 5

The 5 Headed For Another Spending Spree: On the Consent Agenda $283,539 & a million more
The County Salary Study: mendacity reigns supreme

Columbia County Weighs In:
70% Are Overweight  According to CDC Stats

County 5 Reaching Deep Into Taxpayer's Pockets: $434,876 unbudgeted ready for the rubber stamp

Kirby recommends 37% pay raise for employee who has given 2 week notice

Columbia County's Road Deputies: More than glory and money keep them on the job

County 5 Slams Taxpayers: Rubber Stamps Possible $800,000 Cost Overrun Plus $100,000s More on Bascom Norris Bypass

Columbia County 5: 3 pm Today. Reaching Into Your Pockets to Spend $$ Hundreds of Thousands

The training ground for what is wrong with Washington

FL Crown Workforce Bd: New Executive Director a Native Son – Gives First Report to the Board

County Salary Study: County 5 Caught Flat Footed Coming up - A workshop "with different stuff"

County 5 Approve Another Sweetheart Deal for Lifeguard Ambulance Without Speaking One Word

$39,432,968 County Budget Gets Expected Stamp of Approval: Reserves may be more than budget

Sheriff makes unscheduled appearance at microphone

County 5 Budget Hearing Tonight  $39,432,968
Public being kept in dark about real spending

Back Room Politics Rule At Fire Assessment Hearing: County Manager has an epiphany

Columbia County / Lake City Combined Communications War Continues: The people lose

County 911 Communications: Will Lake City continue down the path to becoming an island?

County Residents Not Buying Into Sky High Fire Assessment Hike: Ft. White info-show falls flat

Property Appraiser Updates Website As Window Closes on Property Value Appeals

Kevin KirbyKevin Kirby Pleads Guilty to Drunk Driving: Forgoes Trial; On Probation; License Suspended; Fined

Columbia County Economic Development: "Millions of dollars to pave a road to nowhere"

Columbia County Economic Development: "Millions of dollars to pave a road to nowhere"

Columbia County/Lake City Strategic Plan: "Here goes $40,000 floatin' off in the sky"

Everybody Believes In Combined Communications. They Just Can't Do It. Here They Go Again.

County 5 approve every dime of over $1,000,000 of unbudgeted expenditures without one question

Columbia County 5 Begins New Era: Budgeting by Suggestion, tonight's suggestion a cool $619,998

Suwannee Valley Transit Authority (SVTA):
In 2014 it is estimated that 40% of the tri county SVTA population will be eligible for Transportation for the Disadvantaged.

County 5 Set Fire Rates On Fire:  Expenditures up 91%, Residential Fire Rates Up 137%

Columbia County 5 At It Again:  Skimming $80,000 of Cream Out of Taxpayer's Pockets

Kevin KirbyKirby DUI: Update and Videos
Finally a judge assigned. Kirby violated County Personnel Policy. County Commissioners remain silent.

Columbia County/Lake City Combined Communications: Down for the Count

Columbia County 911 Communications Broken: Where are the elected public officials?

Columbia County/Lake City Combined 911 Communications Center: Going the way of the Titanic?

Free Foreclosure Defense Program Extended To July 31st

Old Time BarCounty Commission 3-2: Puts the kibosh on extending bar hours 1 hour to 2 am

CCSO: Ft White man arrested on drug charges. Meth lab found

Kevin KirbyKirby DUI, "Taken Care Of?"
Rumors Squashed: State Attorney Siegmeister, "If Mr. Kirby wants his day in court, I am going to give it to him."

Fire trucks in front of High Springs Fire DepartmentColumbia County & High Springs Fire Chiefs Working Toward Automatic Aid Agreement

CCSO: Deputies involved in shooting

Sheriff Mark HunterSheriff Hunter Rescues County Commission:
At budget time, will he be standing in front of the Board for overdue raises for his road deputies?

Kevin KirbyKirby DUI: Arraignment took under one minute. "Not guilty" plea already filed

Kevin KirbyKirby DUI: Official wall of silence up around county. Questions go unanswered.

April 29, County Manager Dale Williams Responds

Kevin KirbyThe Kirby DUI Incident: The process to the arraignment

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. 

Prohibition era photoCounty Commission Deep Sixes Booze on Sunday; Boondoggle in the Boondocks; FLOW: $100,000's down the drain

Kevin KirbyColumbia County Sheriff's Office: Kirby DUI Incident - Was the Sheriff playing it straight when his office said there were no documents?

Col. Cnty Sheriff's Office Foils Potential Suicide

Barbara Lemley addresses the County CommissionCounty Commission, Along With Commissioners Williams and DuPree, Sued In Federal Ct. for Violating Citizen's 1st Amendment Rights

Kevin KirbyColumbia County Public Works Director Charged With Drunk Driving: "FHP plays no favorites"

FL Leaders Organized for Water (FLOW): Once a torrent, now  a drip. Saturday meeting cancelled.

Haven Hospice Challenges North FL: "I challenge all of you to appoint a health care surrogate."

FL Leaders Organized for Water (FLOW): "We’re gridlocked. We’re not gettin' anything done.”

County Commission Rules: Handicapped can wait. Field of Dreams put on hold again

County Rearranges Its Deck Chairs: 3 New Job Titles Equals Raises Averaging 20.5%

Air Methods Makes Agreement With HCA: State of the art EMS chopper coming to Lake City

FL Leaders Organized for Water (FLOW): After over a year of meetings, is the rush over FLOW now a trickle?

County Manager Dale WilliamsColumbia County's $28 mil Event Center: On life support, nobody wants to pull the plug

Columbia County to Set Record Tonight:  $8,000,000 plus to be rubber stamped on consent agenda

Judge Collins gives the key note addressColumbia County NAACP Celebrated the Life of One of the Greatest Human Beings of Modern Times, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King

Lake City Florida Man Shot In Face With Flare Gun

County Com Has Residents on the Run: $$$ Millions of improvements leave out ADA Miracle Field

Columbia County Sheriff Deputies Bust Meth Lab

Boondoggle in the Boondocks: Columbia County's Events Center, "Where's the thing gonna be?"

 
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