Keeping Streets Safe for Holidays a Christmas Worth Remembering For
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1A WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2013 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | 75¢ Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM Keeping SCOTT STOPS BY streets safe for holidays Law enforcement coalition to target impaired drivers. By TONY BRITT [email protected] ‘Reports show Local law enforcement agencies that when a have vowed to make area roadways as safe as possible for the 2013 holi- governor of one party day season. wins the state, there’s an 80 Tuesday afternoon members of the percent chance the president Columbia Traffic Safety Team held the organization’s Celebrate Safely of the same party will win press conference at the Lake City the state.’ Gateway Airport promoting safety on the roads during this year’s holiday — Governor Rick Scott period. Representatives from the Florida Highway Patrol and the Lake City Police Department said their agen- cies would have additional person- nel on the road looking for impaired drivers. Florida Highway Patrol Maj. Gene Spaulding said FHP is participating in the national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign through the remainder of the year. “Remember: Driving buzzed is driv- ing drunk,” he said. Spaulding also spoke about the haz- Photos by JASON MATTHEW WALKER/Lake City Reporter ards of distracting driving and urged Gov. Rick Scott spoke at the Republican Party of Florida luncheon held at the Florida Gateway College Howard Conference Center while motorists to avoid using cell phones, passing through Lake City on Tuesday. State Rep. Elizabeth Porter, R-Lake City, and retired Judge E. Vernon Douglas spoke before intro- programming GPS units, adjusting ducing Scott to the crowd of hundreds of dignitaries and business owners. the radio, eating or drinking. Lake City Police Department chief Argatha Gilmore said the effort is Governor makes campaign appearance at FGC dedicated to taking impaired drivers off the road. By STEVEN RICHMOND “It was just a matter of how hard did you ernors couldn’t reach a consensus. “LCPD will have units on patrol to [email protected] want to work for it.” Despite his confidence in his first term, specifically target drunk drivers,” she For much of his speech, Scott argued Scott said he was tracking the days (321 Governor Rick Scott stopped by Lake that fewer regulations and lower taxes on as of today) until the next election. SAFETY continued on 3A City Tuesday afternoon, touting his accom- state business owners were responsible “This is going to be the most important plishments as head of state at an invita- for much of Florida’s growth during his race next year,” Scott said. “Reports show tion-only luncheon at Florida Gateway first term in office. that when a governor of one party wins College organized by the Republican He said he and his administration put a state, there’s an 80 percent chance the SAC proposes Party of Florida. Florida in the position to pay down $3.6 president of the same party will win the State representatives Elizabeth Porter billion of the state’s debt, as well as state.” tobacco ban (R-Lake City), and Charles Van Zant (R- an additional $3.5 billion owed to the According to polls conducted by Keystone Heights) and former Third federal government for unemployment Quinnipiac, Saint Leo University, Gravis By STEVEN RICHMOND Circuit Judge Vernon Douglas spoke insurance. Marketing, and various other academic [email protected] briefly during Scott’s introduction to a He also strongly encouraged tourism and political institutions, Scott trails for- roughly 400-person crowd filled with local as a driving force of Florida’s economy, mer governor Charlie Crist, running as The Sports Advisory Council community and business leaders. citing 22.9 million visitors in third quarter a Democrat in 2014, by an average of five approved a recommendation to ban Scott began by retelling his childhood 2013—the largest quarter of tourist influx to 10 points. all tobacco products at Southside story about growing up in public housing in the state’s history. Regardless of what the future holds, Recreation Complex during their with a single mother caring for five chil- He also told the story of a lightheart- Scott said he was pleased with Florida’s monthly meeting Tuesday evening. dren, who encouraged Scott at a young ed fishing competition between him, progress since his election in 2010. In order to take effect, the recom- age to regularly attend Methodist church, Texas Governor Rick Perry and teams of “I’ve seen a dramatic turnaround... way mendation would have to pass a major- become an Eagle Scout and earn straight wounded warriors shortly after Scott was ahead of where I thought we’d be,” he ity vote from the Columbia County A’s in school. elected. said, closing his speech. “We should be Board of County Commissioners. “Anything was possible,” Scott said. Who was the best angler? The two gov- the place where people come to get a job.” Jessica Langley, President of Lake City Columbia County Youth Baseball, proposed the idea. “If we’re really dealing with the youth out here, we need it banned A Christmas worth remembering from the area,” Langley said. “I just see too many people smoking freely around our kids. It’s ridiculous to for Summers Elementary students see people in the bleachers smoking around everybody else.” Clothes, toys and “We used that money to pur- The SAC voted unanimously in chase coats, shoes and toys for favor of Langley’s motion to establish more distributed to 16 students here at Summers Southside as a tobacco-free facility. local students in need. Elementary,” she said. County attorney Marlin Feagle, Amy Stanton, Summers who was in attendance during the By TONY BRITT Elementary School principal, [email protected] said she often greets the stu- SAC continued on 3A dents as they get off the school Close to 20 Summers buses in the mornings or sees Elementary School students them around campus and she had their Christmas secured has noticed that several need THIS WEEK through a joint project with coats and warmer clothing. the school’s Parent Teacher “Many of the students that Book & Gift Event Organization and Columbia are getting off the bus and oth- Bank. ers do not have proper ward- The Shands Lakeshore RMC, Auxiliary Gift Shop will hold its annual Book & Gift The “Christmas For The robe for this climate — they do Event on Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. Less Fortunate” program not have jackets,” Stanton said. 18 and 19 in the Café of the Hospital from provided more than $1,000 in “Some in fact, if they have jack- 7 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Benefits will be for clothes, toys, school supplies ets, the jackets are pretty tat- Continuing Education in Health fields and shoes for some of the tered. Not only to get a jacket, TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter for staff and local scholarships to high Amy Stanton (from left), Summers Elementary School principal, stands school students. These items are 30-70% school’s needy children. but get a name brand jacket ... off retail prices. Come in and shop just in Kellie Brown, Summers and I know for our older chil- with Connie Anderson, Columbia Bank corporate trainer, Kellie Brown time for last minute Christmas gifts. Elementary School PTO dren that’s a little bit important Summers Elementary School PTO president and Jennifer Freeman, president, said Columbia for them.” PTO president-elect, as they show items purchased for the school’s Olustee planning meeting Bank donated $500 to four In addition to the gifts, the Christmas For The Less Fortunate program. The Blue Grey Army will have a plan- select schools and Summers students are being treated to ning meeting for the 2014 Olustee Festival Elementary school was able to lunch at Ken’s Bar-B-Que. get to leave campus,” Stanton of us.” on Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 5:30 p.m. in the Columbia County School District Central raise $1,400 to purchase items “It’s a celebration with a said. “The students get to have Building, Room 153, at 409 SW St. Johns for the children. lunch, gifts and the students a Christmas time with just all SUMMERS continued on 3A St. The festival will be Feb. 14-16. For information, call 755-1097. Vol. 139, No. 226 TODAY’S WEATHER Opinion . 4A CALL US: TODAY IN TODAY IN (386) 752-1293 Health . 6A Obituaries . 5A HEALTH SUBSCRIBE TO SPORTS THE REPORTER: 65 34 Advice & Comics . 3B Lake City’s Jernigan Natural remedies for Voice: 755-5445 Sunny, 2A Puzzles . 4B Fax: 752-9400 named All-American. holiday headaches, 6A. 2AWEATHER 2A LAKE CITY REPORTER DAILY BRIEFING WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2013 Page Editor: Emily Lawson, 754-0424 NEWS FROM AROUND THE NATION Knox in email: ‘I didn’t kill Meredith’ FLORENCE, Italy — Amanda Knox declared her innocence in her roommate’s 2007 murder in a highly unusual email Tuesday to the Italian court hearing the case against her. The former U.S. exchange student also said she was staying away from the trial out of fear of being wrongly convicted. “I didn’t kill. I didn’t rape. I didn’t rob. I didn’t plot. I didn’t instigate. I didn’t kill Meredith,” Knox wrote. Knox, now 26, spent four years in jail in Italy. She was permitted to return to the United States in 2011 after she was acquitted on appeal — a decision overturned in March by Italy’s highest court, which sent it back for a second appeals trial. Prosecutors are seeking a 26-year sentence against both Knox and Rafael Sollecito for the murder, and an addi- tional year added to Knox’s three-year slander conviction — which stands — for wrongly accusing a bar owner of the AMANDA WILLIAMSON/Lake City Reporter murder.