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Stew Lilker’s

Columbia County Observer

Real news from Florida for working families since 2007

Lake City News
Index
2017-2016-2015

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2014-20132012-20112010-2009

 Lake City News 2017 (scroll down)

Councilman Hill Stands Tough Against the Tide
City Manager Johnson Heaped With Praise

"Lie of Omission": City Manager Johnson Fires Back at Lake City Reporter Editor, Robert Bridges

Stormwater Fee Ordinance Adopted
Working Mom Waits for Stormwater Vote

Blanche: After a Vote of No Confidence Redevelopment Options Unwrapped, But Not Public

Blanche: One by One They Came to the Mic, But the Deal to "Walk it Back" Was Cut Before the Meeting

Columbia Cnty's Mainstream Media & the Blanche: Twisted Facts, False Praise (Part II)

Columbia County's Mainstream Media and the Blanche: Fake News, Twisted Facts, False Praise

Blanche Update: Lease Cost Up $1.7 Million, City Manager Johnson, "That's not unusual"

Lake City to Internet Cafe Owners: You Are Guilty Until You Prove Yourself Innocent

Blanche Delayed Again: How Much Is the Move? Cnclman Hill Calls for Workshop - Ward Votes No

Investigation of Complaint Against City Manager Johnson Cost $11,893: Consultant Clears Johnson

More Econ Dev Turmoil: FSU's Scholz Complains About City Manager Wendell Johnson's Behavior

Reversal of Plans, City Man Scrambling, Says Council Mbrs Won't Attend Spec Chamber Meeting

The Blanche: Time for Straight Talking in the Sunlight by City Manager Johnson & IDP

Unequal Opportunity for Big Money CRA Grants - Councilman Jake Hill Votes "No"

Unequal Opportunity the Hallmark  Downtown Redevelopment Big Money CRA Grants

Lake City CRA Tables $45,000 Facade Grant Request

Jack Berry Hwy Moves to Lake City, City Has No Plan or Funding Plan, Bogus Info Sent to FDOT

 Lake City News 2016 (scroll down)

LC Tables Medical Marijuana Moratorium

9 Month Medical Marijuana Moratorium on the Lake City Docket Monday Night

Lake City Picks Interim Logo – Councilwoman Moses Ready to Move Without Public Input

Lake City Tonight, Buried in the Agenda, A New City Logo

The Come-Back Kid: Jake Hill, After a 4 yr Absence, Took His Seat on the City Council

City Meeting Calendar Wrong Again
City Manager Unable to Fix Continuing Problem

City Manager Johnson Updates the City on the $15,000,000+ Blanche Project: 'Ready for Takeoff'

Lake City Keeping the Public in the Dark
12th hr. Notice Not a New Event for City Manager

Dig These Girls Thursday Night in Pink. It's the Annual Col v. Suw High Girls Volley Ball Shoot Out
Supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Month

School District Warns: Don't Drink the Water
4 Hrs Later, Lake City PD Sends an Email

Court Moderates Canvassing Bd Record Inspection Dispute, Election May Be Contested

New City Atny Fred Koberlein: What Did He Say?
Mayor Steve Witt:  We Will Get a Transcript

City Attorney Interviews – Flatlined – Completely Inaudible: City Violates Statute

Blanche Renovation Should Begin by Christmas, IRS Blamed for Construction Delays

City Atny Slot Goes to Koberlein, Councilman Elect Hill Ignored, Public Records Issue

Scheduling Difficulties Keep Public Off-Balance
City Dropping the Ball: "That's the way it goes"

Lake DeSoto Deforestation Complete, "Chainsaw" Jack & Gov Scott's Hosp Auth Bd Silent

Hutton Dev Scores: City Council Approves 10yr $440,00 Tax Abatement & $340k in Cash

City Manager Johnson Brings Clarity to Lake DeSoto Trees and the "Jack Berry Highway"

"Chain Saw Jack" Berry & Gov's LSHA Board Vote to Cut Down Lake DeSoto Trees

City Approves $1,635,307 Park Renovation - City Manager & Council Leave Public Out of Process

 Lake City News 2015 (scroll down)

Million Dollar Plus LC Waterfront Redevelopment Back to the Drawing Board, Again (Pt II)

Million Dollar Plus LC Waterfront Redevelopment Back to the Drawing Board (Pt I - Background)

Johnson Backs Down Again: Outsourcing City Utility Division Workers Put on Hold Indefinitely

LCPD's Marshall Sova: Exceptional Service

Lake City Waterfront Redevelopment Tonight:
Will the Public Be Shutout Again?

City Manager Backs Down on Outsourcing: Workers Safe Through Christmas

City Manager Looking Into Gutting City Workers Packed Utility Committee to hear Last Minute Info

The Blanche: Economic Development for the Developer Puts City Taxpayers on the Hook

Wendell Johnson's IDP Blanche Legacy Project:
Top Secret Before it Should Have Been

Blanche on Lake City Docket: City Manager Johnson Fails to post Council agenda – Leaves public in dark

Lake City Votes to Sanitize Its Logo: American and Confederate Flags Coming Down

City Slides Confederate Battle Flag  Onto Monday Night's Agenda 

Lake City Reporter Gets It Wrong on the Stars & Bars: What was it thinking?

Stars & Bars – the Conversation Continues
Mayor Witt, "I don't want a knee jerk reaction"

Monday's Lake City Agenda Still a Question
Stars & Bars, City Manager & Council Go Sub Rosa

Lake City Logo: The Discussion Began With City Manager Johnson & City Council in Stone Silence

Lake City Logo: Fair, Balanced, Symbol of Hate? Last Night in City Hall, the Discussion Began

Lake City Proposed Tax Increase Negligible:    $6.93 projected on a $100,000 home appraisal

Lake City, Columbia County
Florida's Gateway to the Past

Lake City Tries Again for $750,000 Parking Lot Grant: Will the 4th Time Be a Charm?

Threatening To Blow Up Bank: Not a Good Idea
You Will Be Arrested

Fire At the Health Department: Lake City Fire Department Arrives at Scene in Two Minutes

Blanche Million $ Loan Goes Down 3-2
Next Up: City Manager Johnson's Fall Back Plan

The Blanche – The County Million $ – The County 5 Tonight: "To be or not to be? That is the question"

The Great Lake Shore Hosp Auth Land Give-a-way. Financed by Columbia Cnty Tax Payers, City Scores

Blanche Redevelopment Confusion: Com. Nash, "Everybody should get in a room and air it out"

Lake City: Looking for a Consultant for its Downtown Community Redevelopment Area

City Manager Johnson's Thursday Appearance At the County 5: It was not to address the Board

Frisina Swings the Vote, Blanche Ducks a TKO
Lake City, County, Developer Regrouping

The Blanche Ducks a TKO
Lake City, County, Developer Regrouping

The Blanche Tonight:  Will Wendell Johnson's $17 mil Lake City Legacy Survive the County 5?

COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Tonight, after multitudinous meetings with the Assistant County Manager, Ben Scott, and County Economic Development Director, Glenn Hunter, Columbia County's infamous County 5 will decide whether or not to front Lake City at least a million dollars on the derelict Blanche Hotel. Secrecy and secret finances were a hallmark of City Manager Wendell Johnson's time at the now mostly defunct dismal failure, the $30 mil North Florida Broadband Authority, of which he was one of the financial kingpins. Johnson now is the driving force in Lake City's Blanche project, one that has ballooned from $13.5 mil to $17 mil in seven months.

Lake City's Gulf Coast Financial Awarded Small Business of the Year

Posted April 25, 2015  12:01 am

LAKE CITY, FL –  Local financial practice, Gulf Coast Financial Services, Inc. (Gulf Coast), was recently awarded Small Business of the Year by the Lake City-Columbia County Chamber of Commerce.

Blanche Hotel Developer Equity Skyrockets 850%: What is The Real Investment?

Johnson's Legacy Inflating: Blanche Price Tag Now $17,000,000 from $13,675,000

LSHA's Berry and LC's Johnson Ignoring the Needs of the Handicapped on the Authority Campus

Blanche Hotel: 6 Months & Counting – $14,000,000 Letter of Intent May Be Next Month

Blanche Hotel Train of Advisors Pulled into City Hall Last Night: Lots of Pictures - Not Much New

Blanche Saga Continues Monday Night: $14,000,000 financing remains unexplained

City Ramping Up for $1.2mil Downtown Improvement Loan

Blanche $15 mil Renovation: CM Johnson Playing it Close to the Vest, "You'll know when I know"

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