A3 + PLUS >> Sheriff’s report: Rant over ATV ride lands woman in jail, Story below LOCAL LOCAL DAR gets UWSV marks new member 50th anniversary See Page 5A See Page 6A TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2018 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | $1.00 Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM BOCC MANAGER CANDIDATES Opioid lawyer City can’t trim field yet to pitch 2 council members didn’t complete rankings By TONY BRITT lawsuit [email protected] City officials, hoping to narrow the field of 54 County could recoup city manager applicants to costs of addiction, 10, were unable to do so says Gainesville atty. Monday night By CARL MCKINNEY when two [email protected] council members A plan to calculate how failed to much taxpayers have spent turn in combating the opioid crisis Jeerson their top- and sue manufacturers, dis- 10 lists tributors or of candi- any other dates. potentially During liable party Monday is set to go night’s city before the council Columbia meeting, Moses Foreman County city offi- Commission on Thursday. cials spent more than 30 Gainesville-based attor- minutes discussing how ney Rod Smith of Avera & they wanted to handle the Smith, part of a larger coa- process of selecting the lition that has been pitch- next city manager. TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter ing similar lawsuits to local Last week council mem- Michele Greene, the city’s director of human resources, hands out forms on which council members were governments throughout bers were asked to bring to list their top-10 candidates at City Hall Monday night. Eugene Jefferson, left, and Melinda Moses, second the East Coast, will make a list of their top 10 can- from left, had not ranked the candidates and did not complete their forms. the case for mounting a law- didates to Monday’s meet- suit over the public cost of ing, but council member prescription opioid abuse, Eugene Jefferson said he Three council members Joseph Helfenberger of St. All three are current or the second, nine points, said County Attorney Joel didn’t have his list and — Mayor Stephen Witt, Cloud and Dannielle Judd former city administrators. etc. She will tabulate the Foreman. Melinda Moses said she Jake Hill and George Ward of Green Cove Springs, Michele Greene, the points and provide a top- “The theory of the case had not ranked 10 candi- — did present their rank- each of whom received 19 city’s director of human 10 list for the council. The is that, on an industry level, dates. Jefferson and Moses ings Monday. points. Third was Glenn resources, said the top- list will be used to deter- the medications that were both said they would turn Cumulatively, their top A. Irby of Umatilla with 16 ranked candidate on each prescribed their rankings in today. pick was a tie between points. list was to get 10 points, CITY continued on 5A over the What course of the do you last several years were think? prescribed n Let us for more con- know in a ditions than Letter to Strange Days the Editor. they should See 4A. have been,” Infinity Con, called Lake City’s Comic Con, held its Foreman fifth annual event over the weekend. Scores of comic said. “They were prescribed book, graphic novel, anime and manga fans, fueled by a for long-term pain manage- uniting fandom and decked in elaborate cosplay walked ment, which resulted in the corridors of the Lake City armory full of vendors. addiction.” Outside, several re-enactments were staged by groups As a result, Columbia performing live scenes of Comic Con favorites. County saw an influx of opioid use that required RIGHT: Elle Reed and Fred government intervention, Reed said they were pre- whether by law enforce- miering at the event as ment or emergency medical characters from the game services. Warhammer 40K. LEFT: “And all of that costs the The Last Council Saber taxpayers money,” Foreman Academy’s Galaxy theme said. cosplay performers pose The targets of the lawsuit in costume as Feanix Nacil would be up to the County and Jib Qa’nen. OPIOIDS continued on 5A Photos by COREY ARWOOD/Lake City Reporter Sheriff’s report: Rant over ATV ride lands woman in jail Husband was drunk dispute later a stun gun was turbing the peace and obstruc- Road for a civil dispute. said. “I was eventually able to and took daughter for pulled and the Department tion of justice without violence “While attempting to gather obtain that Jessica’s boyfriend a ride, she told CCSO. of Child and Families was after her exchange with a information from Jessica about ... took their daughter ... for a called on a Lake City woman Columbia County Sheriff’s what was occurring she con- ride on his four wheeler with- By COREY ARWOOD who was later placed in jail, a deputy. tinuously screamed at me to out her permission.” [email protected] CCSO report shows. The deputy’s probable find her daughter. I attempted She said her boy- Jessica Marie Sturgeon, cause statement in the CCSO several times to calm Jessica friend was out with their A nighttime four wheeler 30, was placed in Columbia arrest report said he respond- down to which she would ride, alcohol and one civil County Jail on $2,000 for dis- ed to the 300 block of Little not,” the deputy’s statement ATV continued on 2A Sturgeon Vol. 143, No. 272 CALL US: TODAY’S WEATHER Obituaries . 3A (386) 752-1293 Opinion . 4A CHS TENNIS SUBSCRIBE TO Puzzles . 2B THE REPORTER: 74 47 Boys advance, 1B. 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