A3 + PLUS >> Steady as she goes as City Hall, Opinion/4A TRACK FOOTBALL Collins signs ‘Don’t fear with UCF the Generals’ See Page 1B See Page 1B THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2019 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | $1.00 Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM LCMS Gwen Lake School fix won’t threats seen as 2A require hoax But deadly serious added fee to law enforcement; FILE probe continues. By CARL MCKINNEY STATE [email protected] Sheriff’s officials on Wednesday STACK acknowledged a mass shooting Senate threat uncovered last week at ’EM UP Lake City Middle School, spark- set to roll ing complaints from parents about being left in the Some dark for several on tax parents days. upset they Graffiti found holidays weren’t a girls bathroom disclosed Friday afternoon Huricane and back- sooner referenced plans to-school supplies to attack the school. The Columbia County will be covered. Sheriff’s Office is investigating the Tax breaks on hurricane incident, but does not believe the and back-to-school supplies, threat was credible, said CCSO expected to be in the mix for spokesperson Murray Smith. any tax package lawmakers “We don’t have any indication cook up during the 2020 leg- it’s anything more than a stu- islative session, have drawn dent either disgruntled or doing initial support in the Florida a prank,” Smith said. “But unfor- Senate. tunately, in today’s environment, The Commerce and we have to take these things seri- Tourism Committee backs ously.” separate measures that would offer a 10-day sales The threat didn’t cause class- tax “holiday” on school sup- es to be canceled Friday, but plies (SB continued on 2A 18-day 542) and HOAX and 10-day an 18-day tax breaks “disaster under prepared- Photos by TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter ness” Reporter consid- holiday eration, for items TOP: Helen Martinez, an respect- ranging 11-year-old fifth-grader switching ively from battery at Westside Elementary, packages practices stacking a to delivery and weather-band radios to 3-6-3 set of cups in impact-resistant windows the school cafeteria in and food storage coolers preparation for a com- by US Mail (SB 524). petition next month. Committee Chairman LEFT: Chloe Varnes, 10, Long-term home delivery Joe Gruters, a Sarasota watches a cup tumble Republican who is sponsor- problems spurred move, ing the disaster-prepared- while she and Mayson says paper’s publisher. ness measure, intends to Miller, 10, practice for continue advancing propos- next month’s competi- From staff reports als as separate bills before tion. they are ultimately com- The Lake City Reporter will bined in a tax package. change its home delivery method “As people are coming to U.S. Mail and adjust its publi- and talking of various tax cation cycle to Tuesday through things, I’m going to try to Saturday beginning with the run some of these items Tuesday, December 3 issue. as individual bills rather Cops: Stolen car no place to sober up The adjustment in delivery than having all be one method is necessary to bet- bill,” Gruters, who also is Fort White man jailed Office deputies spotted him in deputy responded to SW ter serve the subscribers of the chairman of the Republican a stolen vehicle. 538 Cooper Terrace to help daily newspaper, said Lake City Party of Florida, said after for grand theft auto. Mansfield, of Southwest the High Springs Police Reporter Publisher Todd Wilson. the meeting. “We’ll have a lot of different tax bills, but By TONY BRITT Woodland Department find a possible sto- “We have some of the best, ded- the final determination of [email protected] Avenue in Fort len vehicle. icated newspaper carriers on sev- who runs the tax package … White, was The vehicle was reported- eral of our routes, but for the past we’ll have to wait until later A Fort White man probably charged with ly taken just before 2 p.m. 12-18 months, we have had many on and see what transpires.” sobered up quicker than he grand theft of Tuesday and was described as delivery routes that we cannot During the 2019 session, intended when deputies caught a motor vehi- a 2015 Silver Chevrolet Tahoe. keep filled,” Wilson said. “This lawmakers compromised on him lounging in the front seat cle in connec- Authorities were able to track has led to a record number of ser- a $121 million tax package of a stolen car. Mansfield tion with the the vehicle because the owner vice-related complaints from our that included a seven-day Andrew Howland Mansfield, incident. He left her cellphone inside the subscribers. There are very few tax holiday ahead of the 51, who a witness said was was booked into the Columbia vehicle, reports said. parts of our coverage area that hurricane season and a five- looking for some place to hang Detention Facility on $10,000 While heading to the address, have not been affected at some day school tax holiday on clothes, supplies and com- out and sober up, was arrest- bond. Deputy Cody Crews noticed a point. I have listened to these ded- puters. ed Tuesday afternoon when According to CCSO reports, icated readers of our newspaper — News Service of Florida Columbia County Sheriff’s around 3:45 p.m. Tuesday a CAR continued on 2A MAIL continued on 2A Vol. 145, No. 175 CALL US: TODAY’S WEATHER Obituaries . 3A (386) 752-1293 Opinion . 4A Big weekend ahead SUBSCRIBE TO Sports . 1B THE REPORTER: 66 50 Advice & Comics . 3B Voice: 755-5445 Community calendar, 5A Fax: 752-9400 Cloudy Classified . .. 4B-5B 2A THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2019 LOCAL LAKE CITY REPORTER Now-defunct stormwater assessment QUICK HITS Scripture of the Day Gwen Lake fix won’t require fee “One generation shall praise thy works to anoth- er, and shall declare thy mighty acts.” Helf’s plan to resurrect — Psalm 145:4 (KJV) it without added burden to taxpayer is on track. Thought for Today By CARL MCKINNEY [email protected] It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. Used by the previous administration at Lake — Aristotle, 384 BC- 322 BC, Greek philosopher City Hall as one example to justify a controversial stormwater fee for property owners, the project to rein- Winning Lottery Numbers force Gwen Lake’s ability to Pick 3: (Tuesday p.m.) 4-6-2 contain runoff and mitigate Pick 4: (Tuesday p.m.) 3-4-1-2 flooding remains on track Fantasy 5: (Tuesday) 12-17-19-28-36 — without the fee. With a $200,000 grant from the Suwannee River See an error? Water Management The Lake City Reporter corrects errors of fact in news District, the city is almost items. If you have a concern, question, or suggestion, ready to begin work in earnest on the first phase please call the editor. Corrections and clarifications will FILE run in this space. Thanks for reading. of a six-part initiative to In this 2014 photo, Andrew Ensey skims a layer of algae off Gwen Lake, by then mitigate flooding in the area around Gwen Lake. shrunken in size and a shadow of its former self. Design work for the initial Submissions ter mitigation projects having to tax the public initial leg of the project, The Lake City Reporter accepts photographs and caption leg of the project is fin- without the additional with an additional fee,” Helfenberger said. It may ished, said City Manager information to run at the discretion of the editor. If you would revenue. The business Helfenberger said. be possible to pursue multi- like to see your organization in the newspaper, send the picture Joe Helfenberger, and the community had been up in Construction for phase ple phases at once later on construction work will be and information to Robert Bridges: rbridges@lakecityreporter. arms about the fee, which one of Gwen Lake, which down the line, he said. com. ready to go out to bid once Helfenberger believes was consists of building a In addition to easing water management offi- not needed. concrete sediment-con- problems with flooding, cials confirm that permit Helfenberger maintains trol structure, will likely the Gwen Lake project will requirements have been that the Gwen Lake project take about six months, stop or slow mudslides Lake City Reporter satisfied. and plans for similar initia- Helfenberger said. The that impact nearby homes, HOW TO REACH US BUSINESS ........... 754-0419 After Helfenberger took Main number ....... (386) 752-1293 tives can be accomplished total cost for this portion Helfenberger said. CIRCULATION office last year, the city through grant funding. is about $310,000. Much of “This project will Fax number ............ 752-9400 Circulation............. 755-5445 killed the stormwater fee “The time it takes to do the out-of-pocket costs not strengthen the neighbor- Home delivery of the Lake City Reporter approved — but never Online .... www.lakecityreporter.com should be completed by 6:30 a.m. the projects without just covered by the grant is in hood by helping to control Tuesday through Friday, and by 7:30 implemented — under the The Lake City Reporter, an affiliate paying cash upfront for the form of in-kind labor or runoff and provide more of Community Newspapers Inc., is a.m. on Sunday. direction of the previous everything is a little lon- supplies, he said. effective drainage in flood published Tuesday through Friday and Please call 386-755-5445 to report any city manager, who painted Sunday at 180 E. Duval St., Lake City, problems with your delivery service.