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1 TUESDAY, JUNE 26, 2012 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | 75¢ Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM Flood warnings posted Fe River at Fort White and the Suwannee Governor declares River at White Springs. At 3 p.m. Monday, the Suwannee River state of emergency had reached 55.73 feet. Rainfall from Debby will bring the Suwannee River for Tropical Storm. above flood stage, 77 feet, on Wednesday By LAURA HAMPSON and continue to rise to nearly 79.3 feet by [email protected] Thursday morning, according to the NWS. The river will fall below flood stage by Tropical Storm Debby’s drenching rains Friday morning. continued Monday across North Florida When the Suwannee reaches 80 feet as the storm lingered off the Gulf coast. water begins to enter homes and secondary Flooding is expected by Tuesday and roads become flooded, according to histor- Wednesday through- ical levels from the out the region with NWS. At 81 feet the 10 to 15 inches of Suwannee Valley is rain and some areas inundated and sec- getting as much as ondary roads are 25 inches. closed. At 88 feet A flood watch is Interstate 75 will be in effect for much closed, according to of North Florida, the NWS. including Columbia Heavy rainfall County, through from Debby will JASON MATTHEW WALKER/Lake City Reporter Wednesday. cause the Santa Fe Wellborn resident Jeff Ellis wades in flood water near his home on Monday left by the outer About 6 inches fell River to rise above bands of tropical storm Debby. Area forecasters expect the storm to dump multiple inches of on the area Sunday flood stage, 24 feet, Slow-moving Tropical Storm Debby was fore- rain on the Lake City area in the coming days. and Monday, accord- cast to make its way across the state as the by early Tuesday ing to rainfall data week progresses. afternoon and con- from the Suwannee tinue to rise to near River Water Management District. 25.9 feet by Friday morning, according to The county did not experience power the NWS. At 2 p.m. Monday the Santa Fe Debby will help drought outages, tornados or structural damage as had reached 21.41 feet at Fort White. of Monday afternoon, said Shayne Morgan, Meanwhile the Santa Fe at Three River By LAURA HAMPSON June 1 to June 24, the the surf in Alabama. State county emergency management director. Estates was measured at 8.89 feet Monday [email protected] Lake City/Alligator Lake officials estimated at least Gov. Rick Scott declared a statewide and is expected to rise to 20.6 feet on area received 7.22 inches, 35,000 homes and busi- emergency Monday afternoon, a usual Saturday with flood stage beginning at 19 Despite the soaking rain, according to the Suwannee nesses were without power occurrence with storms affecting so many feet. officials said it is still too River Water Management Monday. counties, Morgan said. At 24 feet minor damage to buildings is early to know the impact District. As of Sunday, 23 percent Eight to 12 inches of rain is expected possible due to boat wash, based on his- Debby will have on the Residents should use of oil and gas production locally between Monday and Saturday, toric levels. At 26 feet damage to homes at region’s drought. extreme caution while in the region had been with most of the rain falling today through low elevation is likely, as well as basement “This is much needed driving this week and stay suspended, according to Thursday, said Andrew Shashy, meteorolo- areas under homes on stilts. relief for drought condi- updated on storm condi- a government hurricane gist for the National Weather Service in Residents and those with interests along tions,” said Shayne Morgan, tions, Morgan said. response team. Employees Jacksonville. the rivers should take action to protect county emergency manage- An isolated tornado from have been evacuated from threatened property, according to the ment director. the storm killed one per- 13 drilling rigs and 61 pro- Flooding is expected weather service. Columbia County’s rain- son and authorities are con- duction platforms in the fall deficit was 12.11 inches tinuing to look for another NWS issued flood warnings for the Santa DEBBY continued on 3A at the end of May. From person who disappeared in DROUGHT continued on 3A Man jailed after Budget cuts force clerk attempt to stab to change office hours sons with knife By TONY BRITT get is $1,316,090. The 2012-13 were considering allowing the [email protected] budget, which begins July 1, will clerks to keep $29.5 million collect- By LAURA HAMPSON yard of the home and tried to hit be $1,230,842, which includes ed for fines and fees to go towards [email protected] the son with a lawn chair, accord- The Columbia County Clerk of the seven percent budget reduc- their budgets. However, Cason said ing to police. Court office plans to change its tion by the Florida Legislature. the group never approved a meet- A Columbia County man was Graham then tried to stab his office hours because of recent The reduction equals just over ing agenda and he is uncertain arrested Saturday after trying to son with pocket knife, reports legislative budget cuts. $85,000, or 2.5 positions. whether they are going to meet. stab his two adult sons with a pock- said, though the According to information from “The reason we reduced the “We’re just going ahead with et knife, say police. son was able to the clerk’s office, the new office hours is because I had to shift our plan to accept the reduction,” Christopher Gene Graham, 54, get away. hours for court-related services some people and [might have to] Cason said. was arrested on charges of aggra- Seeing the will be 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday - let a person go and that’s going However, he said there is talk the vated battery, aggravated assault, fight, Graham’s Friday. The new office hours will to make them more short-hand- Legislative Budget Commission battery, assault and making a false other adult son become effective Monday, July 2. ed than they are,” said Columbia could meet early in July and report to law enforcement, accord- tried to get in Office hours for recording, County Clerk of Court, P. Dewitt approve giving the clerks the $29.5 ing to a press release. between his marriage and passports will Cason. “It will allow them to have million. At about 5:45 a.m, Columbia father and broth- remain the same, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., some uninterrupted time during “At this point in time we have to Graham County Sheriff’s Office deputies er. Graham then Monday - Friday. the work day to keep the paper- prepare for the July 1 fiscal year responded to call for an injured attacked the second son with the The change in office hours is work up for the courts.” and that’s why I have to make person on S.W. Santos Terrace. knife and slashed him across the result of budget cuts by the The local clerk’s office is broken these changes at this time,” Cason There Graham told deputies he the forehead, cheek and chest, state legislature. Florida lawmak- up into two divisions — courts said. was attacked by two unknown peo- according to reports. ers have controlled the overall and non-courts. Non courts duties Although the clerk’s office hours ple, according to police. Graham Both sons were able to pin budget of the clerks since 2009, include recording of public docu- are being altered, Cason said he had an injury to his head and was Graham on the ground outside even though the clerks are elect- ments, paying the county’s bills and doesn’t know whether that altera- bleeding. He was transported to a the home. They refused medical ed officials. This year clerks’ total making investments. The courts tion alone will prevent layoffs. medical facility for treatment. treatment. budget statewide was cut by $30 side has administrative duties of “At the very most I may be able After investigating, police Graham was arrested after million and may result in up to keeping court records and court to go with the current staff until learned Graham was not attacked receiving medical treatment and 900 clerks office employees los- evidence storage. about August then I’m going to as he previously reported. booked into the Columbia County ing their jobs statewide. The budget cuts have occurred have to re-evaluate whether I’m Graham was intoxicated and con- Detention Facility on $72,000 The Columbia County Clerk of on the court’s side. going to have to lay some people fronted his adult son in the front bond. Courts 2011-12 fiscal year bud- Last week Florida lawmakers off.” Top court won’t hear tri-state water dispute By RAY HENRY that Atlanta takes too much water from Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal called the address all the issues in a long-running Associated Press Lake Lanier, a federal reservoir on the Supreme Court’s decision a victory for his dispute that dates to 1990. Chattahoochee River, leaving too little state. The dispute centers on how much ATLANTA — The U.S. Supreme Court downstream for wildlife, industry and “We can now move forward with this water Atlanta can take from Lake Lanier. refused Monday to intervene in a water drinking water systems. issue behind us, have the governors The city never contributed to the cost of dispute between Alabama, Florida and The Chattahoochee flows south from work together and come to a long-term building the dam, which was completed Georgia that until a year ago threatened Atlanta, forming part of the border agreement that will provide for the water around 1960, because city officials did to severely restrict metro Atlanta’s main between Alabama and Georgia.

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