WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, 2012 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | 75¢ Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM Beryl: The perfect storm? County Beryl not a gets a solid, ‘drought- soaking rain. buster.’ By LAURA HAMPSON From staff reports [email protected] Local officials called it the per- Three days of rain from a tropi- fect storm. cal storm is not enough to over- Not much wind to speak of, a come 80-year records for low rain- drenching rain, but not enough to fall, officials said. cause flooding issues as Tropical Although the area’s rainfall Storm Beryl camped over deficit is still about a foot, the Columbia County Monday. tropical storm helped lessen Official rain totals from the drought conditions, said Jon National Weather Service, Dinges, Suwannee River Water which monitors three gauges in Management District director of Columbia County — at Alligator water supply and resource man- Lake, Ichetucknee Springs, and agement. “Beryl was a gift,” he at the Florida Forestry district said. office — 6 inches or so fell on The average rainfall deficit in Sunday and Monday. the district’s 15-county area is The Alligator Lake gauge about 17.1 inches from May 2011 recorded 6.22 inches of rain; to April 2012, according to the Ichetucknee collected 5.98 inch- district. Rainfall from that period es and the forestry office gauge JASON MATTHEW WALKER/Lake City Reporter is the lowest based on records showed a reading of 5.16 inches. Storm clouds linger Tuesday morning after inches of rainfall are dumped on the previously dry Alligator Lake. The beginning in 1932. “We saw some reports from lake is usually so dry that people are able to walk from one side to the other without running into any major body Weekend rainfall amounts var- Lafayette County of more than of water. ied throughout the district, from 1 8 inches and in some areas of in overnight Sunday. By Monday Working over the Memorial Day Kirby said county public works 1/2 to 10 inches, Dinges said. Columbia County, I’m certain morning, the storm was a rain holiday, the crew picked up fallen said nuisance flooding--described Between Sunday and Tuesday, there were pockets of heavier event and the winds ceased. trees, removed organic material as pools of standing water in Lake City received over 6 inches rain, but the reports of 10 inches Two small trees were cut up and pumped water from low lying yards, was an issue. Kirby said of rainfall, according to the dis- in Columbia County, I’m skepti- and dragged off of roads by areas. all water that could cause poten- trict. cal of, after the National Weather Lake City Public Works after the There were no reports of flood- tial structural damage has been In the meantime, cutting back Service collected more readings,” storm. ing in Columbia County, Morgan contained. water usage will help stretch our said Shayne Morgan, Columbia Director of Lake City Public said. All roads remained open. Henry reported minor flooding groundwater resources for as County Emergency Management Works Thomas Henry said his During a period of heavy down- over Faith Road for around five long as we can, he said. “If you Service director. staff hauled away around five pours, Morgan said the crews hours. The road was closed tem- don’t need to irrigate, don’t. That Morgan said the storm brought truckloads of tree debris through- had to partially barricade areas of porarily until the water drained will really help,” he said. a solid, soaking rain. There were out the day. a couple roads, but the water had down. The district issued a Modified isolated incidents where trees fell, The crew from Columbia County subsided and the barricades were Overall Henry said there were Phase Three Water Shortage but overall, there was very little Public Works began cleaning up removed by daylight Monday. wind damage as the storm moved after the effects of Beryl on Sunday. Operations Manager Kevin BERYL continued on 6A DROUGHT continued on 6A Tougher water measures to take effect By LAURA HAMPSON lished lawns and landscapes on planting, residents must follow Outside and inside aesthetic [email protected] designated days from 10 p.m. established lawn and landscap- uses of water are prohibited, to 6 a.m. using sprinklers and ing rules. such as fountains. Despite Tropical Storm irrigations systems. Watering Watering-in of insecticides, Car washing by individu- Beryl’s drenching rains, using a hose with a nozzle is fungicides and herbicides may als and businesses is limited the Suwannee River Water limited to 4 p.m. to 10 a.m., said be performed as required by to once per week on the des- Management District govern- Megan Wetherington, district the manufacturer, or by fed- ignated watering day for the ing board voted Tuesday to senior professional engineer. eral, state or local law, but shall location. Fundraising and com- limit lawn and landscape irriga- Addresses ending in 0 or 1 be limited to the minimum vol- mercial car washes, including tion to once per week. may only water on Monday. ume necessary and must occur mobile detail businesses may The Modified Phase III Water Those ending in 2 or 3 can between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. operate on any day. Shortage Order will go into water on Tuesday; 4 or If not for the shortage order, There are also restrictions effect June 13 for all users in the 5 on Wednesday; 6 or 7 on homeowners could water two for commercial and agricultur- district’s 15-county area. A hom- Thursday; and 8 or 9 on Friday. days per week during Daylight al water users. eowner’s address determines Community common areas and Savings Time, not between 10 County and city officials and which day he or she can water. other areas without an address a.m. and 4 p.m. law enforcement authorities The water shortage plan can also water on Friday. Washing or cleaning streets, are charged with enforcing contains a residential irrigation Home vegetable gardens are driveways, or sidewalks with the shortage order, which will schedule designed to reduce exempt from the restrictions. water is prohibited except to remain in effect until Sept. 30. evaporation and to ensure New lawns and landscapes meet federal, state, or local For more information on that demand for water doesn’t can be watered from 4 p.m. health or safety standards. restrictions visit www.srwmd. TODD WILSON/Lake City Reporter exceed delivery capacity on to 10 p.m. to the minimum Outside pressure cleaning is state.fl.us and click on water The Suwannee River, seen here near White any given day. amount required to establish restricted to only low-volume shortage order under the head- Springs, is at near historically-low levels. Residents can water estab- the plants. Sixty days after methods. er Permits and Rules. Sheriff commends deputy for medical emergency response From staff reports until emergency services could arrive. Cpl. Jason Langston, “Without Cpl. Langston’s Columbia County Sheriff’s quick and decisive actions, Office deputy, was awarded the injuries to the inmate a Medal of Commendation may have been more Tuesday for actions he took severe and/or life threat- following a recent medical ening,” said Mark Hunter, incident at the Columbia Columbia County Sheriff, County Detention Facility. in a prepared statement. According to sheriff’s “Langston epitomizes the office reports, Langston professionalism of the staff discovered May 20 that an at the Columbia County inmate in a holding cell Detention Facility. They had a self-inflicted injury. work tirelessly to ensure Locks of Love TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter Langston acted immediate- that all of the inmates, staff ly and without hesitation to and visitors to the deten- Bonita Hadwin, 68, shows off a bundle of her hair that was provide emergency first aid tion facility are in a safe trimmed by Candace Masters, a stylist at Southern Exposure to the inmate. environment. We would Boutique and Salon, for the Locks of Love Program. Hadwin Langston was able to like to extend our sincer- said she plans to send the hair to the Locks of Love program use parts of the inmate’s est gratitude to Langston by the end of the week. “I know there are a lot of people who COURTESY uniform to form a tourni- and congratulate him for have hair loss when they have cancer and they take treat- Deputy Jason Langston, left, receives a Medal of quet to control bleeding the receiving the Medal of ments,” Hadwin said. “I just think it’s a good thing to do.” Commendation from Columbia County Sheriff Mark Hunter. inmate was experiencing Commendation.” Vol. 138, No. 90 CALL US: Opinion . 4A TODAY IN COMING (386) 752-1293 People. 2A SUBSCRIBE TO T-Storm94 Chance69 Obituaries . 5A PEOPLE THURSDAY THE REPORTER: Advice & Comics . 4B Travis says ex Local news Voice: 755-5445 Fax: 752-9400 WEATHER, 2A Puzzles . 2B betrayed him. roundup. 2AWEATHER 2A LAKE CITY REPORTER DAILY BRIEFING WEDNESDay, MAY 30, 2012 Page Editor: Rick Burnham, 754-0424 Celebrity Birthdays Tuesday: Tuesday: n Football player Gale n Baseball player Manny Afternoon: 6-7-4 Afternoon: 2-7-3-5 Monday: Sayers is 69. Ramirez is 40. Evening: N/A Evening: N/A 4-13-17-20-28 n Actor Ted McGinley n Football player Je’Rod is 54. Cherry is 39. n Actress Lisa Welchel n Greek football player PEOPLE IN THE NEWS is 49. Konstantinos Chalkias is 38. n Singer Wynonna Judd n Swedish tennis player is 48. Magnus Norman is 36.