After Funeral, Acts of Heroism Rial Service for Sgt
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SUNDAY, APRIL 1, 2012 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | $1.00 Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM Enjoy Spring Break without One more day to get leaving Columbia County. property taxes paid. 3A 7A After funeral, acts of heroism rial service for Sgt. Ruben Howard many.” overcorrected, causing the truck to On leaving services for Sgt. Ruben Thomas, Thomas III. While driving west on Interstate spin and overturn multiple times. Jackson County corrections officers render Sgt. Thomas of Lake City was 10, the officers came upon an acci- Both Richardson and Pinto were killed March 18 when he was dent just as the dust was settling. ejected before the truck came to a critical aid to Lake City man in I-10 crash. attacked by an inmate at Columbia Jacob Shane Richardson, 19, of rest on its roof. They were not wear- Correctional Institution. More than Lake City was driving east with his ing seat belts, according to police. help save the life of another Lake By LAURA HAMPSON 2,400 people, including law enforce- girlfriend, Rachel McKenzie Pinto, “It looked horrible,” Dolan said. City man. [email protected] ment officers from across the coun- 18, of Jacksonville. “We had to stop.” Lt. Georgiana Hand, Sgt. try, attended the funeral. For unknown reasons Several officers and motorists Six correctional officers from Terrence Speights, George Rogers, The ride back to Jackson County Richardson’s 1997 Toyota pickup went to help Pinto. On the other Jackson County loaded into a van Sheila Blount, Jan Holland and was a somber time, said Dolan, a exited the road onto the left shoulder side on the truck, Dolan and Sgt. March 23 and made their way to Christie Dolan, all of Apalachee correctional officer. at about 3 p.m. in Jefferson County, Speights attended to Richardson. Lake City. They made the two and Correctional Institution East, spent “I’ve attended many law enforce- according to Florida Highway Patrol a half hour trip to honor the life of a the morning in a tearful memo- ment funerals,” she said. “Too reports. Trying to regain control he fellow officer, unaware they would OFFICERS continued on 6A Jobless rate MADDFest makes its return plummets in county By LAURA HAMPSON reported rates higher than [email protected] the national average with 17 counties above 10 percent. Columbia County had the Unemployment in 43rd highest jobless rate in Columbia County fell to 8.5 the state. percent in February, down Flagler County report- half a percent from January. ed the highest number of The number of people with unemployed with 12.7 per- jobs in the county increased cent unemployment while by 206 to 28,764, according Monroe County in the Keys to a report released Friday and home to many govern- by the Florida Department ment jobs had the lowest at of Economic Opportunity. 5.4 percent. Statewide unemployment The jobless rate in dipped to 9.4 percent in Columbia County was 9.6 February, the lowest figure percent in February 2011, in three years. The state meaning 431 more people jobless rate was 9.6 percent have jobs here than last in January. year. Florida’s unemployment remains above the national average of 8.3 percent and The Associated Press also 47 of the state’s 67 counties contributed to this story Purple Pinkie has polio on the run By TONY BRITT The Gentian Violet dye, [email protected] which gives the purple pin- kie look, is used in other countries to identify chil- Some brought coins, dren who have been given others brought dollar bills, oral polio vaccines. but one thing every child “In the United States we brought to the Purple Pinkie give the children a purple Project fundraiser Friday pinkie when they’ve given was a desire to help keep a dollar to save a life,” said children around the world Lake City Rotarian John Photos by JASON MATTHEW WALKER/Lake City Reporter free of polio. Wheeler, who founded the Top, Leslie Encinosa draws a caricature Roughly 4,000 local Purple Pinkie Project. “It’s youths donated a dollar each of Joseph Jones Friday at the 4th annual the sign of a life saved from MADDFest Spring Arts Festival at Olustee Park to the Purple Pinkie project polio.” toward that goal. About 50 Polio Plus is the inter- downtown. Above, Colby Craig performs one Rotarians and 35 members national polio eradication of her songs. Left, Rick Ellis looks at a piece of the Interact Club from effort and the Purple Pinkie designed and made by Denise Garnett, of local high schools helped Project is the local project Morriston. dip donors’ pinkies in purple dye, signifying their gift. PINKIE continued on 6A Friends, family say goodbye to Earline Parker injured in a Parker, said Tom Brown, She served as chair of the Community Sept. 6 col- Lake City attorney and Columbia County Housing leader recalled in lision with Parker’s friend. She never Authority, was a charter a Lake just waited for something member of Suwannee Valley local service. City Police to happen, she made it hap- Community Foundation and Depart- pen, he said. board member of the Art By LAURA HAMPSON m e n t Earline Parker “It was difficult, if not League of North Florida. [email protected] c r u i s e r . impossible, to say no to Several family members She was in Earline,” he said. drove from Illinois for the severely declining health Parker was the founder memorial, including her Friends and family mem- until her death Feb. 14. and chairperson of Service sisters Georgia Palmer and bers gathered Saturday at Parker’s funeral was Corps of Retired Executives Barbara Jones, and brother the Lifestyle Enrichment Feb. 18 in Illinois, but local Chapter 685, former Daniel Llyod Wilson. TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter Center of Lake City to cele- friends organized a memo- executive director of the Palmer shared a journal Nevaeh Reed (left) a Melrose Park Elemetary School kinder- brate the life of a business- rial in the area Parker so Suwannee Valley United entry she wrote about her gartner in Michelle Hancock’s class holds up her hand after woman and active commu- greatly impacted. Way and member of the sister’s drive, which she Paula Coe (right) painted her pinkie purple during a Rotary nity member. The entire community Lake City-Columbia County Club fundraiser to help eradicate polio. Earline Parker, 87, was has lost a true fiend in Chamber of Commerce. PARKER continued on 6A Vol. 138 No. 48 CALL US: Opinion ................ 4A TODAY IN COMING (386) 752-1293 87 60 Business ................ 1C PEOPLE TUESDAY SUBSCRIBE TO Partly cloudy Obituaries .............. 5A THE REPORTER: Advice ................. 5D Humor can City Council Voice: 755-5445 Fax: 752-9400 WEATHER, 2A Puzzles .............. 2B, 5D help candidates. coverage. 2A LAKE CITY REPORTER SUNDAY REPORT SUNDAY, APRIL 1, 2012 Friday: Friday: Saturday: Saturday: Saturday: Saturday: 4-6-9-37 9 3-14-17-21-23 Afternoon: 2-1-4 Afternoon: 4-9-2-3 Not available. Not available. Evening: x-x-x Evening: x-x-x-x AROUND FLORIDA FAMU will make hazing committee meet in public TALLAHASSEE one. Police: 14 people shot daughter was scared, but sexual battery on a child. The Lee County Sheriff’s lorida A&M So a week ago the FAMU then saw blood coming Authorities believe there Office said Friday that University trust- Board of Trustees agreed outside funeral home from the girl’s pants and may be additional victims Patricia Mapes — accord- ees voted on to change the mission of MIAMI — Fourteen realized she’d been shot and encourage them to con- ing to her daughter — got Friday to change the school’s hazing advisory people were shot outside in the leg. The child was tact police at 813-276-3687. some unspecified bad news the mission once panel to a “fact finding” com- a Miami funeral when taken to Jackson Memorial earlier in the day and may Fagain of the school’s anti- mittee so it would be exempt gunmen opened fire on a Hospital’s Ryder Trauma FBI seeks robber after have been suicidal when hazing committee and force from state requirements. crowd of mourners, leaving Center and authorities said loot scattered on road she threatened deputies it to meet publicly. But Scott wrote a terse a scene that one witness Saturday she was in stable with a gun March 23. She The 8-2 vote came after letter to the board earlier described as “a war zone,” condition. MIAMI — The FBI is was shot and is in critical Gov. Rick Scott and others this week saying that he was authorities said Saturday. The names of the two looking for a bank robber condition at a hospital. had criticized school officials disappointed that the panel The shots were fired deceased adults have not who lost a great deal of The News-Press of Fort for initially deciding earlier could meet in private. That Friday at about 9:35 p.m. been released. his loot on Interstate 75 in Myers reports that deputies this month to allow the com- was echoed by Dean Colson, as services were taking A spokesman for the Broward County. were called to the residence mittee to sidestep Florida’s the head of the Board of place at the Funeraria police department did Investigators say the by Mapes’ daughter. They “sunshine law.” Governors, the state panel Latina Emanuel, about 10 not have any information robber rode a dark-colored announced their presence But the vote came after that oversees the state’s 11 miles north of the city’s on Marvin Andre or how motorcycle and had the before Mapes threatened a testy session where the public universities.