+ PLUS >> Career academies key to the future, Opinion 4A. COMMUNITY LOCAL SPORTS A tour of Blackwater Tigers open peanuts at Music Fest season at twilight a big draw Gainesville See Page 8A See Page 8A See results, 1B WEEKEND EDITION FRIDAY & SATURDAY, AUGUST 29-30, 2014 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | $1.00 Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM ‘B-Dubs’ may be coming Sports bar franchise Buffalo Wild Buffalo Wild Wings Grill and Bar representatives are Aug. 29 Wings is looking to open in mall. considering Lake City as their newest location. Farmers Market By TONY BRITT the three things tied to the City growth management The Live Oak farmers [email protected] Buffalo Wild Wings fran- department officials said market is now open Fridays chise may take on a dif- TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter from 12-6 p.m. at John H Wings. Beer. Sports — ferent meaning now that BUFFALO continued on 3A Proposed site of Buffalo Wild Wings, next to T.J. Maxx in the mall. Hale Park, 215 NE Duval Street. CRASH ON US 41 INJURES TWO PINEMOUNT Sept. 2 SAR Meeting Teacher The Lake City Chapter of The Sons of The American Revolution will appeals hold its monthly meeting on Tuesday, September 2 at 6 p.m. at the Old Times firing Country Buffet in the Lake City Mall. The September Kindergarten meeting will include a teacher allegedly Reunion Presentation for beat students. the Sons of the American Revolution, featuring leg- By SARAH LOFTUS endary banjo player Skip [email protected] Johns and his band. The group has appeared on the Mary Lee Rachal, the Grand Ole Opry, and have Pinemount Elementary kin- opened for many country dergarten teacher fired on and bluegrass legends, Aug. 12 for reportedly beat- including Johnny Cash. A ing her students, will have a special feature of the eve- formal hearing to challenge ning entertainment will be the school’s board decision Dueling Banjos. For more to terminate her. information call Jim Craig Photos by SARAH LOFTUS/Lake City Reporter After the reports that at 386-752-0015, or Ray Rachal was beating her Millican at 386-963-2264. A two-vehicle crash on U.S. 41 students surfaced, the sent both drivers to the hospital Columbia County Sheriff’s Sept. 3 Thursday. A silver Hyundai Accent Office investigated the mat- was heading north around 3:15 ter and said child cruelty Soil testing p.m. when it T-boned a blue Kia and battery charges were Columbia County Master Sedona just north of where U.S. warranted. The report said Gardeners will do free soil 441 splits off, Lake City Police she struck, paddled and pH testing each Wednesday Department Officer Marc Hardison pinched at least seven of at the Columbia County said. The crash closed down her students. According to Extension Office’s new northbound lanes of the highway the report, she would take location, 971 W. Duval St. for just under an hour. The driver students into the closet (U.S. 90), Suite 170. Drop of the silver Hyundai Accent was in her classroom and hit off soil samples at the office airlifted to Shands Hospital at them. After beating them, any week day during busi- UF, and the driver of the blue Kia she would give them treats ness hours. Also, please Sedona was taken to Lake City to bribe them not to tell gather any pots you are Medical Center, Hardison said. anyone, parents said. not using and bring them LCPD did not released the names However, Third Circuit in on Sept. 3 or 4 for the of the drivers. The Columbia County State Attorney Jeff Siegmeister “Pot Recycle.” For more Sheriff’s Office and Lake City Fire did not file charges against information, call 752-5384. Department also responded. See another photo, 3A. RACHAL continued on 3A Newcomer Luncheon Lake City Newcomers and friends will meet on Sept. 3 for a Friendship Lunch at Mike’s Cafe and TDC’s Lord retires Grill, 426 SW Commerce Dr., near Cracker Barrel. The luncheon will begin at today after 19 years 11:30 a.m. Call Rose Taylor at 755-2175 for more. Marketing director continue to stay active in the shares memories Florida Suwannee River Valley Sept. 6 organization, a tri-county tour- of time on the job. ism group made up of volun- Healing Arts Festival teers from Columbia, Hamilton The Stephen Foster Folk By EMILY BUCHANAN and Suwannee counties. Culture Center State park [email protected] Lord said she moved from will host a “Come to the South Florida to Lake City in River Healing Arts” festi- A mentor and friend to the 1982 to be closer to her family val on Saturday, Sept. 6. community retires today after and take care of her parents. Vendors and crafters will working 19 years as the mar- “And I’ve never regretted it — I fill the Craft Square from keting director of the Columbia love it here,” Lord said. “I’m 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The 5K County Tourist Development fortunate enough to have gotten run/walk will begin at 7 Council. a job like this where it’s fun all a.m. Call the gift shop Paulette Lord, marketing the time. I’ve been able to meet EMILY BUCHANAN/Lake City Reporter at 386-397-1920 for more director at TDC, said while she Paulette Lord, marketing director at the Tourist Development Council, retires information. is leaving the TDC, she will LORD continued on 3A today after 19 years at the TDC. Vol. 140, No. 148 Opinion . 4A CALL US: TODAY’S WEATHER FAITH SPORTS (386) 752-1293 Faith . 6A Calendar . 5A Pretty Hat Tea Indians kick off SUBSCRIBE TO coming up season against THE REPORTER: 92 72 Advice & Comics . 4B Voice: 755-5445 Puzzles . 5B Saturday, 7A. Trojans, 1B. Fax: 752-9400 Storm chance, 2A 2A LAKE CITY REPORTER DAILY BRIEFING FRIDAY & SATURDAY, AUGUST 29-30, 2014 Page Editor: Emily Lawson, 754-0424 Teachers union, others sue voucher program TALLAHASSEE school boards and school association, careless action could have terrible conse- program that is the target of the lawsuit. aying it has reached a “tipping argued that the program was draining quences on the lives of Florida’s poorest It allows businesses to get credits on their point,” Florida’s teacher union money away from existing public schools children, who with the help of this pro- state tax bills if they donate to an organiza- S along with other groups filed a law- and the children that attend them. gram have a chance to escape poverty.” tion that hands out private school vouch- suit Thursday aimed at ending one of the “The public school system has been Then-Gov. Jeb Bush Florida set up ers to children in low-income families. nation’s largest private school voucher decimated,” said Dale Landry, citing the first program that awarded vouchers Since 2001, the Legislature has expand- programs. cutbacks in the number of hours that to children attending low-performing ed the program several times, including The lawsuit filed in Leon County con- children spend inside a classroom. “We schools. The state Supreme Court ulti- this past year when it expanded the tends that a program that serves 60,000 need to go back and reinvest in our public mately declared it unconstitutional, say- income eligibility standards. Starting in students primarily from low-income fam- school system.” ing it violated a requirement that the state 2016, middle income families may also ilies violates the state’s constitution by Backers of the popular program, as had a “paramount duty” to have a uniform qualify. creating a parallel education system and well as prominent Republicans who have and high quality system of “free public Ron Meyer, a lawyer representing by directing tax money to religious insti- supported its expansion, decried the law- schools.” A lower court had also ruled it the FEA, said many people were willing tutions. Most of the schools that utilize suit and its potential impact on the fami- unconstitutional on the grounds it violat- to accept the program when it was an the vouchers in the nearly $300 million lies who rely on it. ed a provision that says “no aid” may be “experiment” but its continued expansion program are religious. “It is unconscionable that trial lawyers given by the state to religious institutions. has prompted groups to act. Those involved in the lawsuit, including and unions have ganged up to use these But Bush and the GOP-controlled The FEA and other groups announced the Florida Education Association, the children as a political ploy,” said Gov. Rick Legislature created other voucher pro- their lawsuit from the union’s Tallahassee NAACP, and the groups that represent Scott in a statement. “Quite simply, this grams, including the tax credit scholarship headquarters. QUICK HITS Scripture of the Day Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” — John 6:28-29 Thought for Today Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least. — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German writer and statesman (17-49-1832) Winning Lottery Numbers Cash 3: (Thursday) 7-9-8 Play 4: (Thursday) 9-0-8-3 Fantasy 5: (Wednesday) 3-5-20-24-28 See an error? The Lake City Reporter corrects errors of fact in news items. If you have a concern, question, or sug- gestion, please call the editor.