THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | 75¢ Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM Kohl’s looking at Lake City Kohl’s says its presence in the commu- was 100 percent behind the project, but Williams said. Retailer may seek nity will attract other nationally recognized cautioned the board that incentives are not “In the past, this is not the kind of thing financial incentive stores. ordinarily given to department stores. you would be considering, but this is a new With over 50 locations in Florida, Kohl’s EDAB member Glenn day,” Quillen said. to open store here. is looking to locate north of US 90, across Owens agreed that the According to Quillen, the EDAB has the from Home Depot. project should be pursued ability to consider and recommend non- By HANNAH O. BROWN “That piece of property is prime for carefully. recurring incentives for retail establish- [email protected] development,” Economic Development “I am all for looking at it, ments. Tax abatements and other recur- Advisory Board member Jeff Simmons but we do have to be cau- ring contributions are off-limits to the Kohl’s Department Stores has expressed said. tious,” Owens said. retail stores as defined by state law. interest in expanding to Columbia County, According to EDAB member Marc EDAB chairman Ron “This trend has surfaced a couple of but is looking for an incentive to make Vann, Kohl’s has considered bringing a Quillen Williams agreed that the years ago and it’s going to become more the area more attractive, according to location to Lake City in the past. project should be cautious- and more frequent,” Johnson said. Economic Development Director Jesse “They would have come five years ago if ly pursued, but said that the county should The board has not made a decision on Quillen. things wouldn’t have stopped,” Vann said. more aggressively explore retail opportuni- whether to offer incentives to the company The project would include a $3.5 million “Lake City has been their spot for a num- ties. at this point. capital investment and would provide over ber of years now.” “Retail makes a healthy community also, 100 new jobs to the area. City Manager Wendell Johnson said he just like industrial development does,” KOHL’S continued on 6A SVTA still under fire Board says it isn’t kept fully informed. By HANNAH O. BROWN [email protected] Members of the T r a n s p o r t a t i o n D i s a d v a n t a g e d Coordinating Board remain unsatisfied with a lack of data reported from the Suwannee Valley Transit LAURA HAMPSON/Lake City Reporter Authority. So long to a legend “This board hasn’t Terry Sloan of Charles Peeler Construction uses an excavator Wednesday morning to demolish the former Legends Lounge, 990 SW Main Blvd. Crews received anything that you should be finished with the demolition this week to make room for a Family Dollar Store to replace a nearby existing Family Dollar, said John Peeler. have completed those tasks except that you say you have,” Commissioner Rusty DePratter, chair of the TDCB, said at a Wednesday DOC sets new priorities, new goals meeting. Though board member Michelle Giannosa conced- By TONY BRITT offered at the facility. ed, “It’s more than we’ve [email protected] Don Davis, Columbia CI warden, gotten before. Let’s just said the meeting was the facility’s be grateful for what we’ve New priorities established by annual community partnership got.” Department of Corrections’ offi- meeting. The Florida Commission cials are aimed at increasing com- “We want the community to for the Transportation munity partnerships, reducing the know what we do, what we offer Disadvantaged provides number of criminals brought back and that we’re also working for funds to SVTA. for additional crimes and making them everyday and in turn, we After SVTA fell into deep the most of state funding in tough need their help,” he said. debt because of unpaid ven- budget years. State Rep. Elizabeth Porter, state dor costs, FCTD agreed to Wednesday morning more than Sen. Steve Oelrich and Department continue providing funds 40 community members, including of Corrections officials were in if several stipulations were state and local politicians, represen- attendance as well as facility ven- met by the deadline of June tatives from the business commu- dors who hire some former inmates 30. nity and residents, learned about through a work release program. The stipulations included services provided at Columbia “It’s important to get those peo- paying vendors, implement- Correctional Institution during a ple in here and tell them that, ing Medicaid training with community partnership meeting. ‘Without you, we don’t make it’,” vendors and having the The meeting, which was set to Davis said. “Without their assis- TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter vendors under contract. begin around 9:30 a.m. lasted past tance it doesn’t work.” Columbia Correctional Institution Sgt. Steven Esposito (far left), explains Director of SVTA 1 p.m. and featured a tour of the Columbia Correctional weapons and techniques used by the facility’s Designated Armed Response Gwendolyn Pra said all facility’s dorms, as well as a series Team during a demonstration Wednesday. More than 40 people attended the items have been met except of presentations detailing programs DOC continued on 3A meeting, which included a tour of the facility. for the formalizing for con- tracts with outside trans- portation vendors. Pra said she anticipated having the contracts com- Search nets pair of pleted by the June 30 dead- line. The Operations drug-related arrests Report for the Columbia County Transportation From staff reports drug parapher- Disadvantaged Service Plan nalia in an east- is also still being formu- Two area ern Columbia lated by SVTA. The initial r e s i d e n t s County mobile requirement by the state were arrest- home, accord- was to submit the report by ed Tuesday ing to authori- April 30. night when ties. “We have a consultant the Columbia Christopher planning service that has County Multi- Harper Connor Lee Harper, 31, been awarded to us by DOT COURTESY Jurisdictional 168 SE Faye for assistance in writing that Grand opening set Task Force served a search Lane, Lake City was charged with plan. We think it’s going to warrant and found methamphet- manufacture of methamphetamine, be extremely extensive,” The grand opening of the new terminal at Lake City Gateway Airport is set for amine, ingredients used to make this afternoon at 4:30 p.m. See full coverage in Friday’s Lake City Reporter. methamphetamine and other ARRESTS continued on 3A SVTA continued on 3A Vol. 138, No. 96 CALL US: Opinion . 4A TODAY IN COMING (386) 752-1293 People. 2A SUBSCRIBE TO T-Storm87 Chance66 Obituaries . 5A PEOPLE FRIDAY THE REPORTER: Advice & Comics . 3B Deeley to host Local news Voice: 755-5445 Fax: 752-9400 WEATHER, 2A Puzzles . 4B dating show. roundup. 2AWEATHER 2A LAKE CITY REPORTER DAILY BRIEFING THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012 Page Editor: Rick Burnham, 754-0424 Celebrity Birthdays Wednesday: Wednesday: n Singer Tom Jones is 72. Kaufman is 39. Afternoon: 9-8-7 Afternoon: 1-5-1-9 Tuesday: n Actor Liam Neeson is n Basketball player Allen Evening: x-x-x Evening: x-x-x-x 1-5-7-19-27 60. Iverson is 37. n Singer Prince is 59. n Rapper Necro is 36. n Actor Karl Urban is 50. n Actress Cassidy Rae is PEOPLE IN THE NEWS n Actress Kim Rhodes is 36. 43. n Tennis player Anna n Football player Terrell Kournikova is 31. Buckley is 41. n Actor Michael Cera is Deeley plays cupid on Fox show n Football player Napoleon 24. Daily Scripture NEW YORK — Cat For those who play Deeley is so convinced the popular, Scrabble- “So that Christ may dwell in your hearts that a love connection inspired game “Words through faith. And I pray that you, being could result from the new With Friends,” the latest Fox dating show “The title should feel familiar. rooted and established in love, may have Choice” that she jokes Instead of using letters to power, together with all the Lord’s holy she’s ready to buy a fancy form into words, though, people, to grasp how wide and long and hat to have on standby for players get groups of col- a wedding. orful blocks that they must high and deep is the love of Christ, and “We meet people in all match with blocks of the to know this love that surpasses knowl- different ways nowadays, same color. edge—that you may be filled to the mea- on the Internet, through The game is being sure of all the fullness of God.” friends ... there has to be released Wednesday for a possibility for something the iPhone and the iPad. - Ephesians 3:17-19 NIV to happen,” Deeley, an It will initially be avail- England native, said in a able only in Australia and recent interview. Canada. It will come to the “The Choice,” which U.S. and other countries in premieres Thursday at the coming weeks, though ASSOCIATED PRESS Lake City Reporter 9 p.m. Eastern time on Zynga Inc. isn’t giving HOW TO REACH US Fox, essentially pairs real Cat Deeley, host of “The Choice” and “So You Think You dates yet. Main number ....... .(386) 752-1293 BUSINESS people with celebrities. Can Dance” at the FOX network upfront presentation party Fax number ............. .752-9400 Controller Sue Brannon..