A3 SATURDAY/SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1-2, 2020 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | $2 WEEKEND EDITION Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM >> HOOPS SEE BELOW SUNDAY + PLUS LIFE/1D Courthouse Tigers rumors visit 1D fly Santa Fe Sean of the South Opinion/4A Travel Tales: 2020 destinations SPORTS/1B New Roadhouse coming IMPEACHMENT TRIAL Acquittal ensured/3A 3 GUNMEN Sock it to me CORONAVIRUS Internet Chinese casino hit by bug has armed locals robbers Patrons forced to give on alert up wallets, cellphones. One has friend in By TONY BRITT China who isn’t [email protected] allowed to leave. Three armed men robbed the patrons at a By CARL MCKINNEY local casino and internet [email protected] cafe Friday morning, mak- Mary Kay Balzell has ing off with the wallets and been worrying about her cellphones of gamers at the missionary friend stuck in establishment. the quarantined Chinese The robbery occurred city of Wuhan amid the at James Treasure House, coronavirus outbreak. 13403 US Hwy. 441, just Her friend, Priscilla after 5:20 a.m., with one COURTESY Dickey, tried to leave just suspect carrying a bag and Columbia City Elementary School celebrated literacy this past week, with guest readers, a Bingo chal- before the quarantine handgun while the other took effect, but Chinese two were armed with long lenge, theme days, and more. Seen here are Kelly Willis’ second-graders showing off their wacky socks they wore Thursday for “Crazy About Reading Day.” authorities stopped them, rifles. said Balzell, who recently Murray Smith, Columbia moved from Lake City County Sheriff’s Office to St. Augustine but still public information officer, works with the local VFW. said it’s not clear whether New Texas Roadhouse on the way Dickey has an 8-year-old the robbers were able to daughter, Hermoine, who get any of the establish- came with her to China. ment’s cash during the Hotel, fast food joint in the works as well. “There’s a lot of fear heist. right now,” Balzell said. “All I was told was that By CARL MCKINNEY “We have a lot of mission- all (the robbers) got were aries, a lot of military mem- [email protected] the wallets from the four bers, a lot of people who customers and some cell- Lake City’s Texas Roadhouse take jobs overseas, and I phones,” he said. is getting a brand new location think that the [American] Smith said no one was closer to Interstate 75, and that’s government should do injured during the incident. just the beginning of what’s in everything they can to “My understanding is store for a slice of land near the assist them in getting out there were four people of the country safely.” inside the building — four U.S. Highway 90 ramp, a local real estate broker says. The United States on customers and there may Friday declared a public A development known as the have been a staff member health emergency and Corner at Commerce Boulevard there,” Smith said. announced significant According to Columbia is set to be the restaurant chain’s COURTESY entry restrictions because County Sheriff’s Office new home, while a hotel group Charlie Sparks promotes a new development off I-75 and U.S. 90. of the virus, which has reports, deputies responded and a fast food brand have also spread from China to other to the address in reference signed on to purchase land there. than five acres of land at the for- “It’s going to be a very signif- The Corner at Commerce mer site of the Knights Inn off ROBBERY continued on 2A Boulevard occupies a little more U.S. 90. HOTEL continued on 2A VIRUS continued on 2A Even our regular includes a premium. GW HUNTER 1130 WEST US 90 386-752-5890 VISIT YOUR LOCAL CHEVRON STATION Vol. 145, No. 232 CALL US: TODAY’S WEATHER Obituaries. 3A (386) 752-1293 Opinion . 4A SUBSCRIBE TO Sports . 1B THE REPORTER: 62 41 Classifieds. 5B Voice: 755-5445 Fax: 752-9400 A few showers, 2A Business . 1C WWWWW 2A SATURDAY/SUNday, FEBRUARY 1-2, 2020 LOCAL LAKE CITY REPORTER will also start funneling ed it with the response to The announcement VIRUS all flights to the U.S. from recent outbreaks of Ebola, came hours after the State QUICK HITS Continued From 1A China to seven major air- which can’t be spread Department issued a level ports where passengers unless someone is very ill. 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory, Scripture of the Day countries. can be screened for illness. At the same time, federal the highest grade of warn- Health and Human The virus has infected health authorities were ing, and told Americans in almost 10,000 people glob- recognizing that the test China to consider depart- “For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; Services Secretary Alex and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call Azar, who is coordinat- ally in just two months, they’re using to detect the ing using commercial upon thee.” — Psalm 86:5 (KJV) ing the federal response, a troublesome sign that virus isn’t always depend- means. “Travelers should announced that President prompted the World Health able. Redfield said when be prepared for travel Donald Trump has signed Organization to declare the it was used on some of restrictions to be put into an order that will temporar- outbreak a global emergen- the people currently in effect with little or no Thought for Today ily bar entry to the U.S. of cy. The death toll stood at isolation, they’d test posi- advance notice,” the adviso- 213, including 43 new fatali- tive one day and negative ry said. Color television! Bah, I won’t believe it until I see it foreign nationals believed in black and white. — Samuel Goldwyn, 1882-1974, to be a risk of transmitting ties, all in China. another. Hours later, Delta the virus. The new restric- Robert Redfield, director Of the six U.S. patients Air Lines and American U.S. movie producer tions take effect at 5 p.m. of the Centers for Disease so far, airport screening Airlines announced they EST on Sunday. Control and Prevention, detected only one. “Astute were suspending all flights “The risk of infection for also said the risk to the doctors” caught four others, between the U.S. and Winning Lottery Numbers American public currently after the people sought care China, joining several inter- Americans remains low and Pick 3: (Thursday p.m.) 8-3-9 with these and our previ- is low. He added: “I want to and revealed that they’d national carriers that have emphasize that this is a sig- traveled to China, Redfield stopped flying to China as Pick 4: (Thursday p.m.) 3-3-1-2 ous actions we are working Fantasy 5: (Thursday) 1-13-14-16-18 to keep the risk low,” Azar nificant global situation and said. And the CDC diag- the virus outbreak contin- said. it continues to involve.” nosed the most recent case, ues to spread. Americans returning There are six cases of the spouse of one of those Meanwhile, U.S. health See an error? from China will be allowed this virus in the U.S. and earlier cases, who was officials issued a two-week 191 individuals are being being closely monitored. quarantine order for the The Lake City Reporter corrects errors of fact in news into the country, but will items. If you have a concern, question, or suggestion, face screening at select monitored, Redfield said. Lawrence Gostin, a 195 Americans evacuated ports of entry and required Dr. Anthony Fauci, Georgetown University earlier this week from the please call the editor. Corrections and clarifications will to undertake 14 days of infectious diseases chief expert on public health law, Chinese city of Wuhan, run in this space. Thanks for reading. self-screening to ensure at the National Institutes said putting a large number provincial capital of Hubei they don’t pose a health of Health, said one reason of people under quarantine province. Submissions risk. Those returning from the U.S. stepped up its “is virtually unprecedented It was the first time a fed- quarantine measures was in modern American his- eral quarantine has been The Lake City Reporter accepts photographs and caption Hubei province, the center information to run at the discretion of the editor. If you would of the outbreak, will be an alarming report from tory.” ordered since the 1960s, Germany that a traveler “But I think it’s justified,” when one was enacted over like to see your organization in the newspaper, send the picture subject to up to 14 days of and information to [email protected]. mandatory quarantine. from China had spread the he said, noting the evacuees concern about the potential On Sunday, the U.S. virus despite showing no had been in a hot zone for spread of smallpox, the symptoms. Fauci contrast- the virus for a long time. CDC said. Lake City Reporter HOW TO REACH US ADVERTISING t the word ou Main number ....... (386) 752-1293 Director Chris Ratliff Ge t! Fax number ............ 752-9400 (386) 754-0417 Circulation............. 755-5445 ([email protected]) Online .... www.lakecityreporter.com The Lake City Reporter, an affiliate CLASSIFIED of Community Newspapers Inc., Kym Harrison is published Tuesday through (386) 755-5440 Saturday/Sunday at 180 E. Duval ([email protected]) St., Lake City, FL 32055. Periodical postage paid at Lake City, Florida, BUSINESS OFFICE Member of The Associated Press Vickie Busscher and the Florida Press Association.