Ichetucknee Is Latest Spring Break Hot Spot
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SUNDAY, MAY 3, 2015 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | $1.50 Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM SUNDAY >> On + PLUS your EDITION One hurt in marks Saturday crash Get Fit on I-75, 5A. Lake City Column: 2015 finale drew quite a crowd; So long, named contest Outdoors Coach D winners. going online 1D SEE SPORTS,1B 6A Road work Ichetucknee is latest to be done by mid-July, spring break hot spot says FDOT College kids flocked to the river in Park manager, said gate sales for March totaled March, say local tourism officials. more than $15,000 com- pared with March 2014, By TONY BRITT dents. which saw about $6,500. [email protected] Tourist activity at The park system was Ichetucknee State Park unable able to provide the The cool waters of the nearly tripled in March, total number of visitors Ichetucknee River are according to park officials. because it has changed its Visitors descend the stairs to tube down the Ichetucknee becoming a spring break Mebane Cory-Ogburn, River in this September file photo. hot spot for college stu- Ichetucknee Springs State SPRINGS continued on 7A NICK ROLLISON/Special to the Reporter BRANFORD | PROCKO SKATE PARK The $3 million project will completely revamp the Interstate 75/US 90 interchange, state department of transportation plans indicate. Crowd came to Progress continues, though work is a little ‘carve’ for a cure behind schedule. By NICK ROLLISON Special to the Reporter Construction continues at the Nick Wallace, 16, of Dunnellon, performs a backside overcrook while practicing on Saturday. Interstate 75 and US 90 interchange Contestants were to be judged on the difficulty, technicality and aggression of their tricks. Each in an effort to improve traffic flow by contestant had two 45-second runs. ‘I’m just trying to land some tricks and not fall,’ Wallace said. adding turn lanes on I-75 off ramps and extending turn lanes from US 90 to I-75. “It’s going pretty well,” said Gina Busscher, District 2 Florida Department of Transportation public information officer. The $3 million project, which start- ed in January, is scheduled to be completed by mid-July, but could be pushed further back, depending on weather conditions. The shadow of Palmetto resident Brody Outlined in late January by FDOT, Boggs, 10, is cast as he warms up. the main improvements are the addi- tion of left turn lanes on both the northbound and southbound exit ramps. Other changes include the widening of the southbound ramp by about 500 feet back from US 90’s inter- section. A total of three lanes with two Pro skater Buck Smith, 47, of Jacksonville, loosens left turn lanes and one right turn lane Photos by JASON MATTHEW WALKER/Lake City Reporter up while performing a carve grind at the Procko will be added to the southbound ramp. Live Oak resident Juan Campos, 17, practices in the pool during the Carve State Park. Viewers and participants had the chance The northbound off-ramp is also to Cure Duchenne Burger Bowl Jam Skateboarding Tournament at Procko to pledge $5 to fight Duchenne muscular dystro- being widened to provide an extra left State Park in Branford Saturday afternoon. At least 25 skateboarders phy every time a skateboarder performed a carve. Skaters wait their turn to warm up in turn and an additional right turn lane, participated in the event. All of the money raised will go to Duchenne ‘That’s why we came here, to support a good cause,’ the pool at Procko Skate Park Saturday muscular dystrophy research. Smith said. ‘There’s a good scene out here.’ afternoon. ROAD WORK continued on 3A DERBY DASH CAR & TRUCK SHOW Chrome, leather, history all on display It was all for a good cause: hospice and vets. attractions at the Sixth Annual Derby Dash Car and Truck Show. By TONY BRITT by the public. Sherman Stanley, president of the [email protected] Trucks with their hoods raised Southern Nights Car Club and Robert showing off chrome engine parts, Kopp, president of the Suwannee Brightly-colored custom cars, cars with their doors opened inviting River Region Antique Automobile trucks and motorcycles, antique viewers to look at (but not touch) Club of America, who are both on the TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter as well as modern, were arrayed at custom leather seats and motorcy- Derby Dash board, said the weather Nick Copeland (from left), shows his award-winning truck, a 1954 Chevy Darby Pavilion like wildflowers in a cles used in World War II with their 3100, to Shannon Elixson and Jeffrey Elixson during Saturday’s Sixth field on Saturday — all to be enjoyed military weaponry, were the main DERBY continued on 6A Annual Derby Dash Car and Truck Show. Vol. 141, No. 64 Opinion . 4A CALL US: TODAY’S WEATHER LOCAL CHS SPORTS (386) 752-1293 Business . 1C Obituaries . 5A CDC thanks part- Wrestler Josh SUBSCRIBE TO ners for help with Walker signs to THE REPORTER: 82 56 Advice & Comics . 3D Voice: 755-5445 Puzzles . 2B new house, 2A. college, 1B. Fax: 752-9400 Mostly sunny, 8A 2A SUNDAY, MAY 3, 2015 DAILY BRIEFING LAKE CITY REPORTER Page Editor: Emily Lawson, 754-0424 AROUND FLORIDA Rep. Porter will speak at NFCC commencement MADISON Committee, and served as ity to share water quality data alike have shown great interest of community crisis or natural orth Florida Community Chair of the Suwannee Valley with the public through this in the water data. We are pleased disaster. College commencement Transit Authority-Transportation springs dashboard. The new to be able to share data with National Hospital Week, N ceremony will be May Disadvantaged Commission and Ichetucknee Springs Dashboard the public,” said Ann Shortelle, established in 1953 and cele- 5 at Van H. Priest Auditorium. the 2006 United Way Campaign. offers users water flow and water District Executive Director. brated this year from May 10 This year’s commencement “We are honored to have quality data being collected and The dashboards have inter- through May 16, honors the speaker, offering the keynote Representative Porter as our monitored by a collaboration active maps, continuous water dedication of all the men and address to graduates during this commencement speaker,” of the District, US Geological level and discharge as well as women who deliver and support special moment in their educa- said NFCC President John Survey (USGS) and Florida water quality data. Visitors may the care provided in hospitals. tional journey, is Representative Grosskopf. “Her dedication to Department of Environmental explore land uses within the The dates overlap those for Elizabeth Porter. education, public service and Protection. springshed and see the mapped Nurses Week (May 6 to 12 this Representative Porter was the community, and her words The springs dashboards offer extent of cave systems for some year) and were chosen to coin- first elected to the Florida House of wisdom in these areas, will users a nearly continuous view springs. Additional first magni- cide with Florence Nightingale’s of Representatives in 2010, and surely inspire our graduates in of the hydrology and water qual- tude springs will be added to birthday in recognition of her subsequently re-elected in 2014. whatever path they choose after ity of springs. At Ichetucknee the dashboard throughout the efforts to revolutionize the She specifically serves District graduation.” Springs, data are collected from coming year. way hospitals were run in the 10 including part of Alachua Representative Porter is Blue Hole and the head spring United States. Although much and all of Baker, Columbia, active in a number of profession- and updated daily on the dash- Shands honors own has changed in healthcare since Hamilton and Suwannee al and civic organizations and board. Visitors to the site will be during Nurses Week the mid- to late-1800s when Counties. Representative Porter has received numerous awards able to access both historic and Nightingale cared for patients, also serves as the House of and recognitions for her dedica- current data. The dashboards LAKE CITY — Most people one thing has remained con- Representatives Chair of the tion to education and the com- can be viewed at http://www. only visit hospitals occasion- stant: hospitals are foundations Higher Education & Workforce munity. In 2014, She received mysuwanneeriver.org/dash- ally, when a loved one is sick of their communities, nurturing Committee. the Florida Farm Bureau 2014 boards/index.html . or a friend is having a baby. and caring for individuals from Prior to being elected in Champion for Agriculture Ichetucknee Springs is a first Employees at Shands Lake all walks of life. 2010, Representative Porter award and was named the 2014 magnitude spring group, and Shore Regional Medical Center This Hospital Week, Shands served on the Columbia County Rural Economic Development one of five springs where the are different in this regard. Each Lake Shore Regional Medical Commission representing Champion by the North Florida District began collecting contin- day, dozens of employees come Center is pleased to recognize District Five and as Chair of the Rural Economic Development uous real-time water quality data to the hospital to provide com- our associates and other health- commission. She was appointed Partnership. last year. Over the next several passionate, personalized care care providers for their ongoing by Governor Bush to the 3rd months the District and USGS for friends, neighbors and those commitment to the community Judicial Circuit Nominating Ichetucknee Springs will be instrumenting addition- they do not know. Providers at and thank them for tireless ded- Commission and has served on al springs, such as Peacock Shands work together around ication to the well-being of our the Florida Medical Examiners Dashboard launched Springs, Lafayette Blue Springs, the clock, seven days a week to neighbors.