A4 + PLUS >> REC candidate rally slated for fairgrounds, 3A MLB COLLEGE FOOTBALL Playoffs expanding Fans are key to from 10 to 16 teams Atlanta games See Page 12A See Page 12A FRIDAY EDITION FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2020 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | $1.00 Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM Masks on the table for students Board members dodge board members dodged potentially be extended to masks for grades three wary of publicly calling for trying to get me to say,” questions of support questions on whether students. and under a mask requirement. Smith said. “I’m not going for mask mandate. they’d support such a rule. “It’s under consider- would Board member Narrie to say we have to do this or Brick-and-mortar cam- ation,” said Superintendent “just be an Smith said she “would like we have to do that.” By CARL MCKINNEY puses are expected to Lex Carswell. “And the clos- unbearable for them to wear a mask,” Board member Dana [email protected] reopen when classes start er we get toward school task for a but declined to give an Brady-Giddens also Aug. 13. Masks are already starting, the more it is teacher,” answer for whether she declined to give her posi- A mask mandate is on mandatory for school staff- under consideration.” Carswell would support a mandate. tion. the table for older Columbia ers in situations where A student mask mandate Carswell said. “You’re trying to get me “I don’t choose to give County public school stu- social distancing is not pos- would likely cover grades School to say something, but I’m dents, but individual school sible, a policy that could four through 12. Enforcing board members have been not going to say what you’re MASKS continued on 2A Trump puts Woman’s nix to GOP best convention in Florida friend Associated Press WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s hopes to salvage a four-night celebration for his reelection campaign have been thwarted by spiking corona- virus cases across the Sun Belt, with the president announcing Thursday that he was calling off the public events of the Republican National Convention scheduled to be held in Florida. Trump had already moved the con- vention from North Carolina and dra- matically scaled back its programming and attendance in Jacksonville in an effort to keep it on track. TRUMP continued on 3A Covid-19 case surge continues at Columbia CI TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter By JAMIE WACHTER Brenda Brickel, a local registered nurse, holds Teddy Weddy Bear, her eight-pound Pomeranian that woke her Tuesday night [email protected] when she feel asleep while cooking chicken wings. Brickel credits the dog with saving her life. LAKE CITY — Columbia Correctional Institution continues to be a covid-19 hot spot. According to data from the Florida Nurse credits pet Pomeranian with saving her life Department of Corrections, nearly By TONY BRITT While Brickel works in a chicken wings for dinner. Weddy Bear was running back 1,000 inmates at the prison had test- [email protected] life-saving job as a registered She was supposed to turn the and forth on the perimeter of ed positive for the virus as of noon nurse, it was her 12-year-old pet chicken wings over in about 20 the bed. Thursday. The DOC’s dashboard Through the years, Brenda who she credits with saving her minutes after starting them, but The dog was jumping up look- showed 973 positive inmates at CCI along with 43 staff members. Brickel and “Teddy Weddy life earlier this week. she went and got into bed while ing at her, as well as running According to The News Service of Bear,” her eight-pound The pint-sized dog added to the wings were still in the oven. back and forth in the hallway Florida, that was an increase of 399 Pomeranian, have formed an their precious bond when he “I fell asleep,” Brickel said. leading to the mobile home’s cases from Wednesday’s report and emotional bond. was able to wake Brickel on “I thought I was dreaming kitchen. that three inmates at the prison have Teddy Weddy Bear has been Tuesday to find smoke pouring but I heard this bark and it’s “I didn’t know if there was died in the past week from complica- by Brickel’s side through happy from her oven after she fell not his typical bark. It was a someone in the house, I did not tions with the disease. The Florida times and some not-so-good asleep while cooking. Pomeranian, but it was not his know if my fiancé got home — I Department of Health in Columbia times as she recovered from It was around 10:30 p.m. bark — it was different.” didn’t know anything,” she said. County announced Thursday that a life-threatening illness years Tuesday when Brickel decided When Brickel sat up in the it had received confirmation of 268 ago. she was going to cook some bed, she noticed that Teddy LIFE continued on 2A SURGE continued on 2A Even our regular 1130 WEST US 90 includes a premium. GW386-752-5890 HUNTER GW HUNTER 1130 WEST US 90 386-752-5890 VISIT YOUR LOCAL CHEVRON STATION VISIT YOUR LOCAL CHEVRON STATION Vol. 145, No. 356 Opinion . 4A CALL US: TODAY’S WEATHER Faith & Values . 5A (386) 752-1293 Advice & Comics . 6A-7A SUBSCRIBE TO Classifieds . 8A-10A THE REPORTER: 93 73 Obituaries. 11A Voice: 755-5445 Fax: 752-9400 Scattered storms, 2A Sports . 12A 2A FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2020 LOCAL LAKE CITY REPORTER dents to do the same. When with this covid-19 is fluid required his attention. MASKS asked whether he believed and it changes daily,” The Lake City Reporter Continued From 1A students should be required Hudson said. called back later in the after- to wear masks, he said “not Board member Steve noon, but Nelson declined any comment,” she said. right now” because the Nelson answered his phone to comment for this story. QUICK HITS Board member Keith county is “not a hot spot like on Thursday afternoon, “If you could do it without Hudson said he supports some places in the state.” but ended the conversation me, thank you,” Nelson said. Scripture of the Day making staffers wear masks However, Hudson said he immediately after being Stephanie Johns, former- in situations where they wouldn’t rule out consider- asked about his views on ly Stephanie Finnell, did not “The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire.” cannot social distance, and ing a hard rule in the future. a mask mandate, citing an return repeated calls seek- — Psalm 29:7 (KJV) “highly encourages” stu- “Everything we decide urgent business matter that ing comment. Thought for Today According to Jennings an We first make our habits, and then our habits make “emergency meal plan” has LIFE SURGE us. Continued From 1A Continued From 1A also been implemented, the NSF reported, which includes — John Dryden, 1631-1700, English poet “I said, ‘What is going on Teddy Bear’ and he new cases, most linked to the peanut butter and jelly sand- was going crazy…. just barking that bark.” prison. Overall, the county wiches and an apple for lunch now has 1,792 known cases. and bologna sandwiches for Concerned, Brickel got out bed and went into Winning Lottery Numbers Based on the DOC data, 56.7% dinner. Pick 3: (Wednesday p.m.) 3-9-9 the kitchen. of those are staff or inmates “I mean, what can they do? “Sure enough, you could just feel the heat,” at CCI. They don’t have the inmates Pick 4: (Wednesday p.m.) 4-6-2-0 she said. “Then I could see black smoke coming Health department officials to make the meals because Fantasy 5: (Wednesday) 3-18-19-23-33 from underneath the oven. I knew then, that’s said the county’s cases are everyone’s sick. The staff are XXXXX what he was alerting me to.” not representative of a com- helping make the meals, and Continued From 1A Brickel then opened the windows and doors munity outbreak in the gen- they are underpopulated,” See an error? to let the smoke escape from her home. eral population of Columbia Jennings said. The Lake City Reporter corrects errors of fact in news She said she never called the fire department. County. The Columbia County items. If you have a concern, question, or suggestion, XXXXX After allowing the mobile home to air out, “This is a total nightmare,” Health Department also please call the editor. Corrections and clarifications will Continued From 1A Brickel noticed that the chicken wings had been Audrey Jennings Hudgins, announced Thursday a run in this space. Thanks for reading. the mother of an inmate at seventh death in a covid-19 cooking in the oven for about three hours and CCI, told The News Service of positive patient, a 77-year-old twenty minutes while she slept. Florida on Thursday. man that had been hospital- Submissions XXXXX “If I had not had him, what would have Her son, William Jennings, ized. The Lake City Reporter accepts photographs and caption Continued From 1A happened?” she asked, noting that she could is one of the 2,271 inmates “We are saddened to information to run at the discretion of the editor. If you have died from smoke inhalation had it not at the facility that have been learn of the passing of a would like to see your organization in the newspaper, send been for the efforts of Teddy Weddy Bear.