A4 + PLUS >> Chamber, Troopers endorse Brannan for state rep, Story below FORT WHITE COLUMBIA Indians host Tigers look Taylor’s ‘Dogs to tear up Lee See Page 1B See Page 1B WEEKEND EDITION FRIDAY & SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 & 15, 2018 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | $1.00 Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM Branford student Second faces sex charges shooting leaves 1 Saturday Cops say he, 2 others coerced young girls at BHS into sex. Take Time to be Kind 2A wounded Literacy Day will take place Saturday, September 15, from 9 a.m.- 2 p.m, at Also, suspect named in O’leno State Park, 410 SE Monday shooting near O’leno Park Road in High Melrose Park Elementary. Springs. Entry is free with SOAKING UP SUN a new or gently used chil- dren’s book or library card. By COREY ARWOOD Come join us on to celebrate [email protected] “Take Time To Be Kind,” a day of reading and fun for Police have released few details into children of all ages! a shooting that wounded a man on All donated books will Wednesday, but they have identified the go to support the Gentle suspect in an incident Monday that sent a Carousel Miniature man to the hospital with Therapy Horses and will a gunshot wound to the be redistributed to children shoulder. in other programs. Booths Around 5:30 p.m. will be set up by High Wednesday Lake City Springs and Columbia Police responded to calls County libraries. that someone had been There will be entertain- Witt shot around the 600 ment aplenty - storytelling, block of Putnam Street, children’s activities and a Public Information Officer Mike Lee said. ranger led river walk. Hot He said the victim was in stable condi- dogs and burgers will be tion, but further information would only available for purchase. be available later as the investigation Also featured will progressed. be Sunrise Wildlife “As of right this moment (it’s) still Rehabilitation, Opossum under investigation,” Lee said Thursday Trivia featuring “Nova” the Virginia opossum, and SUSPECT continued on 2A storytelling, an antique toy demonstration, arts and crafts by the Dudley Farm Staff. The Gentle Carousel COPS: BAD Miniature Therapy Horses will begin at noon with Photos by CARL MCKINNEY/Lake City Reporter BATCH OF K2 Ranger Scout and others. These solar panels will be one of the first things visitors to Florida see when they’re pass- For more information ing through Columbia County on Interstate 10. Florida Power and Light, which expects to MAKING THE contact James South at 386- open the solar plant next year, says it’ll show out-of-state visitors that the “Sunshine State” 454-0723. moniker is more than just a slogan. ROUNDS Smart Driver course From staff reports The AARP Smart Solar farm a sight Driver course will be held Lake City Police said Thursday they from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. to behold — with had responded to “numeous .... med- on Saturday, Sept. 15, at ical issues” in recent days involving Lake City Medical Center. lots more to come synthetic marijuana. Refresh your driving skills The drug, also known as K2 or and know the new rules of By CARL MCKINNEY Spice, is a lab-made cannabinoid made the road. Learn research- [email protected] from dried plant materials that have based driving strategies to been treated with mind-altering chem- help you stay safe behind For a community that has embraced icals, LCPD said in a news release. the wheel. Receive a three- being the Sunshine State’s gateway, it will Once sold in convenience stores, it is year auto insurance dis- be a worthy first impression, says one of now illegal. count (call your insurance Florida’s largest power companies. The chemicla compounds used from agent for details). Plus, Travelers passing through Columbia one manufacturer of K@ to another there are no tests to pass. County on Interstate 10 already have a varies widely, making the drug “dan- Register by calling 352-226- preview — about 30,000 solar panels near gerously unreliable,” the release said. 6540. the interchange with I-75. That’s nothing Police said anyone who consumes Sunday compared to the roughly 330,000 panels About 30,000 solar panels are already up at the the drug and experiences unexpected plant, located near the I-10/I-75 Interchange. side effects should seek medical atten- Growing daylilies SOLAR continued on 3A The final count will be 10 times that number. tion immediately. Anyone interested in knowing more about grow- ing daylilies is invited to attend a meeting on Chamber, Troopers endorse Brannan for state rep Sunday, September 16 beginning at 2 p.m. at the From staff reports his community and refusing to ever be Brannan was endorsed for his strong Columbia County Library complacent when it comes to the fami- pro-jobs, pro-business commitment to downtown. A program will The Florida Chamber of Commerce lies and businesses of Florida,” Marian helping create jobs and moving Florida be presented by Jeff and and Florida State Troopers have Johnson, Senior Vice President of in the right direction. Elizabeth Salter on their endorsed Republican Chuck Brannan for Political Strategy at the Florida Chamber “I look forward to working with Florida latest Daylily introductions. Florida House District 10. of Commerce, said Thursday. “The businesses to help keep government in The public is invited to “Chuck Brannan is a candidate dedi- Florida Chamber is proud to endorse attend. cated to making a difference by serving Chuck Brannan for the Florida House.” BRANNAN continued on 2A Brannan Vol. 143, No. 380 Obituaries . 3A CALL US: TODAY’S WEATHER (386) 752-1293 Opinion . 4A Faith & Values . 5-6A FAITH AND VALUES SUBSCRIBE TO Kamala Harris v. Brett Kavanaugh, 5A THE REPORTER: 92 72 TV guide . 2B Voice: 755-5445 Chance of storms, 2A Advice & Comics . 3-4B Fax: 752-9400 2A FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2018 D AILY BRIEFING LAKE CITY REPORTER BHS students coerced young QUICK HITS Scripture of the Day girls at school into sex: Cops “Thou makest us a byword among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people.” — Psalm 44:14 (KJV) Three boys allegedly be returned to Suwannee as a juvenile, but it is up to shared them over social County, where he faces a the court whether he will be media. involved; only one charge of sexual battery tried as an adult. Law enforcement became faces charges so far. from the State Attorney’s Testimony found in the involved when reports Thought for Today Office. SCSO reports includes began circulating the By COREY ARWOOD At least two underage instances dating back to school. If you can’t convince them, confuse them. [email protected] girls accused Walden of April of this year. “(Walden) did have sex- Harry S Truman, 1884-1972, 33rd U.S. President rape and told officers they In the reports, a deputy ual intercourse with a fif- (1945-1953) A Branford High student knew of other girls as paraphrased one victim’s teen-year-old female while is facing felony charges young 14 he’d description of he was seventeen years of after deputies uncovered had sex with the assaults age,” the probable cause Winning Lottery Numbers At least two Pick 3: (Wednesday p.m.) 3-4-9 an alleged pattern of coer- when he was as, “a rou- statement reads. “There underage girls Pick 4: (Wednesday p.m.) 6-6-6-9 cion and video recordings 17. tine occur- were two other male sub- Fantasy 5: (Wednesday) 14-15-22-29-36 of male stu- One girl accused Walden rence with jects in the vehicle at the dents and said she was of rape and told the group of time and one of the male underage raped by officers they male subjects subjects recorded the sex- See an error? girls at the Walden at 15, knew of other and various ual acts and transmitted it The Lake City Reporter corrects errors of fact in news school hav- and anoth- girls.” to the other juvenile indi- items. If you have a concern, question, or suggestion, ing sex. er account girls as young Testimony viduals.” please call the editor. Corrections and clarifications will Austin emerged sep- 14 he’d had sex from several According to SCSO, the run in this space. Thanks for reading. Walden Cole arately from female vic- various interviews and alle- Walden, 18, a student with when he tims gath- gations date back to May of Mayo, was booked into who said she was 17. ered over and were recently con- Suwannee County Jail on was raped by nearly six solidated when the same Submissions Sept. 5 then transferred to a Walden in his truck. months by three deputies names, including Walden’s, The Lake City Reporter accepts photographs and caption information to run at the discretion of the editor. If you juvenile detention facility in Walden was 17 at the depict a group of three kept coming up. would like to see your organization in the newspaper, send Alachua County, Suwannee time of most of the reported male students at Branford Several case files devel- the picture and information to Robert Bridges at rbridges@ County Sheriff Sam St. John instances. High School who allegedly oped by independent inves- lakecityreporter.com. said. Walden is expected to “He’s at that magic age coerced girls, some under tigators in the SCSO began remain in Alachua County of 18 but all this occurred the influence of drugs to point to Walden as a for up to 20 days on pre- when he was 17,” St.