Jasper Guard Took Bribes Inmate Complained Deal Wasn’T Honored
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A3 I-75 crash slows 2A traffic THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2018 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | $1.00 Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM FDOC: Skeleton krewe Jasper guard took bribes Inmate complained deal wasn’t honored. By CARL MCKINNEY [email protected] Ray Ryan Cone went from being a guard at the Hamilton Correctional Institution work camp to an inmate at Hamilton County Jail. Cone, 22, was arrest- ed Feb. 6 on bribery Cone charges and posted bond later that day. According to the arrest warrant, Cone made a deal with inmate Jamie Martinez in October to smuggle ciga- rettes into the facility. Photos by STEVEN CULOTTI/FGC Martinez wired $100 to Cone on Oct. 14 and again on Oct. 22. The Florida Department of Corrections Office of Inspector General launched an investigation into Cone Mardi Gras at FGC on Nov. 14, after author- ities received information from “inmate and civilian TOP: Florida Gateway College welcomes the sources” concerning the walking dead during its Mardi Gras celebration introduction of contraband Tuesday. RIGHT: FGC students peruse a selection into the prison, according of masks. Masks have been part of Mardi Gras to an arrest affidavit from celebrations in New Orleans since the early the Third Circuit State 1700s, but were forbidden from the 1780s until Attorney’s Office. 1827. They traditionally feature three colors: gold, An inmate whose name was redacted in the affida- green and purple. vit told prison staff about an agreement he had with GUARD continued on 2A Affordable housing: 56-unit apartment complex coming Davis Street to be site plagued Columbia County for years, City CDC executive director, said the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and What but at least some relief is on the way. units will be constructed for blue collar has been providing affordable housing of $7.5 million project. The Greater Community workers, single parents and small fami- in Lake City since 2001. The organi- do you Development Corporation, which pro- lies that need a place to live. zation has built four homes and one think? By TONY BRITT vides local affordable housing, plans to McKellum said the office fields at duplex in town. The organization has n Let us [email protected] construct a $7.5 million, 56-unit apart- least three calls weekly from local qualified for federal and local funds for know in a Letter to ment complex to address local needs. residents seeking affordable housing. the Editor. An affordable housing shortage has Lester McKellum, Greater Lake The Greater Lake City CDC is a HOUSING continued on 2A See 4A. Vol. 143, No. 229 CALL US: TODAY’S WEATHER (386) 752-1293 Opinion . 4A Obituaries . 5A SUBSCRIBE TO STUDENT FOCUS THE REPORTER: 81 56 TV guide . 2B Meet Jordan Smith, 6A. Voice: 755-5445 Advice & Comics . 3B Fax: 752-9400 Partly cloudy Lake City’s #1 Volume * NOW HIRING! New Car Dealer! Join a Winning Team at Rountree Moore Toyota • No experience necessary. Will train. • Two months’ guaranteed training salary. 2 017 T • Apply in person at dealership or email 7 he ES BESToff tth B R resume to [email protected]. E E A I C D O E R S ’ C H VOTED BEST IMPORT DEALER IN LAKE CITY! 1232 W HWY 90, LAKE CITY, FL • 386-269-9044 *Based on unit sales report, July 2017. www.RountreeMooreToyota.com A2 2A THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2018 DAILY BRIEFING LAKE CITY REPORTER QUICK HITS Scripture of the Day "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." — Galatians 6:7 (KJV) Thought for Today Press on. Obstacles are seldom the same size tomorrow as they are today. — Robert Schuller Winning Lottery Numbers Pick 3: (Wednesday midday) 4-2-4 Pick 4: (Wednesday midday) 2-5-9-9 Pick 5: (Wednesday midday) 9-6-1-7-1 See an error? The Lake City Reporter corrects errors of fact in news TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter items. If you have a concern, question, or suggestion, 18-wheeler overturns on I-75 please call the editor. Corrections and clarications will run in this space. Thanks for reading. An 18-wheeler hauling raw materials rests on its side Wednesday evening on I-75 South near mile marker 437, about 2 miles south of SR 136. It was unclear at press time what caused the accident or if anyone was hurt. Submissions The Lake City Reporter accepts photographs and caption information to run at the discretion of the editor. If you would Tax plan stirs controversy over schools, airports like to see your organization in the newspaper, send the picture and information to associate editor Justin Caudell at By JIM TURNER speeding within 30 mph Program and the Florida the proposal a “giveaway.” [email protected]. The News Service of Florida over the posted limit — if Tax Credit Scholarship “To me this is the Titanic motorists attend driver-im- Program. approach to funding educa- TALLAHASSEE — Over provement school. “This is going to explode, tion,” Geller said. “It has a Lake City Reporter objections that more money The Senate is working on sending our traditional pub- few people that may get to HOW TO REACH US BUSINESS..............754-0419 would flow away from pub- a package that is expected lic-school students into pri- be put into a lifeboat, but Main number ........(386) 752-1293 CIRCULATION lic schools and that airport to include portions of the vate institutions,” said Rep. at the expense of all of our Fax number ..............752-9400 Circulation ...............755-5445 Home delivery of the Lake City Reporter projects could be grounded, House measure. Joseph Abruzzo, a Boynton students who rely upon pub- Online ... www.lakecityreporter.com should be completed by 6:30 a.m. the House Ways & Means The House vote came Beach Democrat who also lic education dollars. And The Lake City Reporter, an affiliate Tuesday through Friday, and by 7:30 Committee on Wednesday after the committee added objected to part of the pack- there will never be enough of Community Newspapers Inc., is a.m. on Sunday. published Tuesday through Friday and Please call 386-755-5445 to report any approved a nearly $350 mil- a provision, opposed by air- age that would require the lifeboats.” Sunday at 180 E. Duval St., Lake City, problems with your delivery service. lion tax package that would port officials throughout the Department of Revenue to Committee Chairman FL 32055. Periodical postage paid at Lake City, FL, Member Audit Bureau of In Columbia County, customers should help farmers impacted by state, that would reduce the disclose to scholarship-fund- Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, Circulation and The Associated Press. call before 10:30 a.m. to report a service error for same day re-delivery. Hurricane Irma and lower a aviation fuel tax next year to ing organizations a list of defended the tax-credit pro- All material herein is property of the Lake City Reporter. Reproduction in After 10:30 a.m., next day re-delivery lease tax on businesses. $2.85 a gallon. The rate is the 200 taxpayers with the gram and the list as ways to whole or in part is forbidden without the or service related credits will be issued. In a 14-6 vote along currently scheduled to go greatest corporate income- open the funding to more permission of the publisher. U.S. Postal In all other counties where home delivery party lines, the Republican- down from $6.90 to $4.27 a tax liability during the previ- companies and to help the Service No. 310-880. is available, next day re-delivery or POSTMASTER: Send address changes service related credits will be issued. dominated committee gallon next year. ous calendar year. scholarship-funding organi- to Lake City Reporter, P.O. Box 1709, approved the package (PCB The committee, mean- “Why attach such a divi- zations, or SFOs, which play Lake City, FL 32056. Circulation ...............755-5445 ([email protected]) WMC 18-03), which also while, rejected an attempt sive measure to such good a key role in administering Publisher Todd Wilson .....754-0418 includes a series of sales by Democrats to separate policy?” Abruzzo asked. scholarships. ([email protected]) Home delivery rates (Tuesday–Friday and Sunday) tax “holidays’ on back-to- part of the package that Rep. Loranne Ausley, “We have thousands and NEWS 12 Weeks................... $26.32 school items and hurricane calls for $154 million in D-Tallahassee, warned the thousands of companies that Editor Robert Bridges .....754-0428 24 Weeks...................$48.79 ([email protected]) supplies and offers an 18 sales-tax credits that busi- expansion of the tax cred- are subject to the tax that do 52 Weeks...................$83.46 Rates include 7% sales tax. percent reduction in pen- nesses could take to fund its would “cripple” public not pay the tax, and many ADVERTISING .........752-1293 ([email protected]) Mail rates alties for non-criminal traf- voucher-like scholarships schools, while Rep. Joe others who have no liability 12 Weeks................... $41.40 fic infractions — such as in the Gardiner Scholarship Geller, D-Aventura, called under the tax,” Renner said. CLASSIFIED 24 Weeks...................$82.80 To place a classified ad......755-5440 52 Weeks..................$179.40 having any connection with the guard, GUARD according to the affidavit. Continued From 1A Cortes admitted the other inmate’s sis- THE WEATHER ter sent money to his family members, THU FRI SAT SUN MON Cone. who would hide cigarettes at work sites, 15 16 17 18 19 The inmate had family members wire according to the affidavit. Partly Partly Partly Partly Slight money to different people at Cone’s Another inmate said Cone himself told cloudy cloudy cloudy cloudy chance Light of rain request in exchange for a transfer closer him whom to send the money transfers wind showers to home.