Fluoride Question Could Go to Referendum
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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2017 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | $1.50 Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM SUNDAY >> EDITION + PLUS Tired of Trip of a waiting, Kvistad lifetime Gwen Local ready couple Lake visits family to rock Antarctica. takes Tweet was ‘Super’ action, at UF 1D Page 3A 5A SEE SPORTS,1B City: Fluoride question could go to referendum sion on water fluoridation in citizens’ hands going to have a widespread effect over a If council can’t decide at TAYLOR GAINES/Lake City Reporter if the council sees fit following Monday’s large population.” Monday hearing, that is. public hearing, City Manager Wendell The council will meet at 6 p.m. at City An adult consoles a child on Saturday Johnson said. Hall to consider acceptance of a Florida at Florida Gateway College. Thirty- By TAYLOR GAINES “If they don’t decide ... they’re going Department of Health grant that would two students and adults fell ill from [email protected] to have to let the public decide,” Johnson help install a city water fluoridation sys- a food-borne illness at the North said. “The council does what the majority Florida Regional Science Olympiad. The city may consider putting the deci- of our citizens want, especially when it’s CITY continued on 2A 32 fall ill Raid nets at FGC; drugs, lunch to swag blame SCSO: Loot from Youngsters, adults taken Columbia County to area hospitals; health burglary found. department investigating. By TAYLOR GAINES By TAYLOR GAINES [email protected] [email protected] Five suspects were arrest- A food-borne illness threw the North ed in Suwannee County on Florida Regional Science Olympiad at Friday as the result of a Florida Gateway College into chaos on drug bust by the Suwannee Saturday, cutting the event short and County Drug Task Force, sending at least 32 people to the hospi- SCSO said. tal, officials said. The task force execut- According to Emergency ed a search warrant on Management Director Shayne Morgan, the 21200 block of 25th food was cooked on-site and served Road near State Road 247 around 11:30 a.m. Students — middle- in response to an ongoing TOP: The and high-schoolers — began falling ill investigation into the sale of Suwannee around 2:30 p.m. methamphetamine. County Drug It is unclear who prepared the food Shelley Gayle Whitehead, Task Force exe- and many students brought their own 37, faces charges for 23 drug cuted a search lunch to the event, according to FGC sale and possession crimes. warrant on Executive Director of Media and Public Alphansa/Alphonsa Griffin, Friday on the Information Mike McKee. 60, faces charges for four 21200 block of The food was not prepared by the oxycodone and drug pos- 25th Road near college or its catering service. session crimes. State Road 247. Columbia County Health Department Dustin Ray Morrison, 29, Five suspects Administrator Mark Lander said the faces charges of fentanyl were arrested on Department of Health took samples of and drug paraphernalia pos- various drug-re- food on-site at the college and would session. Christopher Ernes lated charges. need several days to determine which Murphy, 40, faces a charge FAR LEFT: food caused the illness. He said they of cocaine possession Shelley were confident based off symptoms that with intent to sell. Joe Lee Whitehead, 37, it was a food-borne illness. Williams, 61, faces charges is taken away in Columbia County Fire Rescue said for possession of cannabis handcuffs. in a Facebook post that 40 people were and drug paraphernalia, LEFT: Dustin treated for food poisoning symptoms. according to SCSO. Morrison, 29, was Lander said his list showed 32 people, The drug task force was also arrested in although he wouldn’t be surprised if the raid. there was change as things developed. BUST continued on 2A PHOTOS COURTESY SCSO “I would expect it to get larger,” he said. According to Morgan, all of the sick individuals were transported to Lake Former City Attorney Darby to be honored City Medical and Lake Shore Hospital. Numerous first responders from mul- Served for more than 60 There will be a reception at 4 p.m. rec- mentor to many attorneys throughout his tiple city and county agencies reported ognizing his years of service at the First career.” to the scene. years before retiring in ‘16. Baptist Church Reception Darby, 96, graduated from law school The Science Olympiad is a compe- Hall and 182 NE Justice St. at the University of Florida in 1949 and tition for elementary, middle and high By TAYLOR GAINES A special presentation will opened a law office in Lake City. school students that organizes regional [email protected] take place at 5:15 p.m. Darby was first appointed interim city and state competitions for students to “He has been an icon in attorney in 1952 and took the job on per- engage in hands-on, interactive, inqui- Florida’s longest-tenured city attorney the legal community since manently in 1955. In total, he spent about ry-based activities that are lab-based, is back. way before I got into poli- 64 years in the position. The city nominat- research-based or prebuilt, according to On Monday, the city will honor former Darby tics,” said Mayor Stephen ed him for Attorney of the Year in 2005. the competition’s website. City Attorney Herbert Darby, who served Witt, himself an attorney. He has served in many civic and religious McKee said the schools attending the in the position for more than 60 years “He’s just highly respected throughout before retiring in October 2016. Lake City and the state, and he’s been a DARBY continued on 2A ILLNESS continued on 2A Vol. 142, No. 265 CALL US: TODAY’S WEATHER Opinion . 4A (386) 752-1293 Sports . 1B SCHOOLS SUBSCRIBE TO Business . 1C District volunteers THE REPORTER: 72 47 recognized, 6A. Voice: 755-5445 Advice & Comics . 3D Fax: 752-9400 Partly cloudy, 2A 2A SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2017 DAILY BRIEFING LAKE CITY REPORTER than half the installation to Columbia County Health The city also has to take QUICK HITS CITY costs. After a delay due to Department Administrator into account the risks of Continued From 1A legal and budgetary issues, Mark Lander. accidents with the system the city reached a tenta- He said the authors of the and effects it might have Scripture of the Day tem. The project appeared tive agreement with the study have even emailed a on workers if there were “I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my to be moving along steadily DOH on the project’s state- city in Wyoming warning an accident, Johnson said. rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my after a meeting last month ment of work last month them against using their Overall, though, the most strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the but has run into what one and announced a new June study as a reference for important thing for Johnson horn of my salvation, and my high tower.” city councilman called a 30 completion date for the deciding whether to fluori- is to look out for the citizens — Psalm 18:1-2 “groundswell” of opposi- project. date or not. of Lake City. tion, giving the city cause to “If there’s any delay, it “It’s an emotional “I’ve always worked to do hear from its citizens. would probably be in order- debate,” said Chaffin, who the best for the most people Thought for Today Water fluoridation has ing the parts,” Johnson told now works at a dental insur- most of the time,” Johnson I spit into the face of time that has transfigured me. been shown by numerous the Lake City Reporter at ance company in Iowa. said. William Butler Yeats, 1865-1939, Irish poet. scientific studies to help the time. “And people unfortunately City council members reduce tooth decay and However, since the meet- don’t stick to the facts and would not disclose which was named by the Centers ing, the city has seen what the science.” way they were leaning for Disease Control and Councilman George Ward Lander said for every with the fluoridation vote, Winning Lottery Numbers Prevention one of the 10 called a “groundswell” of dollar of fluoridation costs, although conversations Pick 3: (Friday p.m.) 4-0-1 greatest public health people that don’t want their the public will save about indicated varying levels of Pick 4: (Friday p.m.) 1-5-3-6 achievements of the 20th water fluoridated. $38 in dental costs. He also familiarity with the issue. Fantasy 5: (Friday) 1-2-22-25-33 century. However, opposi- “There’s some publicity pointed out that the 0.7 level Councilwoman Melinda tion to fluoridation has hard- that it’s more damaging has been determined by the Moses said that although ened in recent years due to than good,” Ward said. “It’s Department of Health and she had not seen Monday’s See an error? a small minority that has an expensive and danger- Human Services to be a agenda yet, she believed The Lake City Reporter corrects errors of fact in news exhibited concerns about ous system to operate.” safe amount to ingest with- an affirmative decision on items. If you have a concern, question, or suggestion, overexposure to fluoride. Water fluoridation would out harmful effects. the fluoridation system had please call the editor. Corrections and clarications will Fluoridating the city raise the city’s fluoride “We have no indications already been made.