1 TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2013 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | 75¢ Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM HOME INVASION ROBBERY THWARTED Women’s story travels far and wide a masked gunman was pub- women from a jewelry party they won’t soon Guests at jewelry party lished in Sunday’s edition forget, shared the story at their churches. How not to repelled would-be armed of the Lake City Reporter. Friday night, a masked gunman entred She said she’s received Hagler’s home where she was hosting a robber with words. hundreds of Facebook jewelry party for 17 of her friends. When the be a victim comments, and that nearly man to a gun to the head of one of the guests By DEREK GILLIAM 100 websites have picked and demanded the women’s money, Hagler The Lake City Police [email protected] up the story, along with told him to “Get out, in the name of Jesus.” Department says there are Hagler regional TV stations. The women then began repeating “Jesus” things that can be done to lessen Jacquie Hagler said her phone has been “The response has been off the charts,” until the untruder turned and fled. the likelihood of being robbed. “ringing off the hook” since the story about she said. her invoking the Lord’s name in confronting On Sunday, Hagler, along with four other STORY continued on 3A PREVENTION continued on 3A 2 slain in Laying the blame in Brazil Suwannee shooting Brothers killed with high-powered rifle after fight at cookout. From staff reports DOWLING PARK-Two broth- ers were shot dead following a fight at a cookout at a Suwannee County home Saturday night, according to sheriff’s reports. The home- owner, Marcus Nathaniel Cole, 40, has been jailed on two counts of first Cole degree murder. Dead are Abram Williams, 41, and Michael Williams, 46, both of the Dowling Park area. According to Suwannee County sheriff’s reports, the Williams brothers and nine other people had gathered at Cole’s Dowling Park home when a verbal alterca- tion broke out among six of them and escalated into a fight, during which an unidentified man was stabbed. As the fight was breaking up, Cole entered him home and retrieved a .30-06 rifle. ASSOCIATED PRESS Suwannee County Sheriff Tony A crowd stands outside the Kiss nightclub during a fire inside the club in Santa Maria city, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil on Sunday. A blaze Cameron said Abram Williams raced through the crowded nightclub in southern Brazil early Sunday, killing 231 people as the air filled with deadly smoke and panicked party- was in the driver’s seat of his goers stampeded toward the exits, police and witnesses said. It appeared to be the world’s deadliest nightclub fire in more than a decade. truck preparing to leave when Funerals began on Monday, as reports continued to emerge about the accumulation of neglect and errors at the packed night spot. Cole shot him in the head. Abram SHOOTING continued on 3A Tommy Witt remembered fondly Fugitives in By DEREK GILLIAM his older brother. College before moving on to the University $100K theft [email protected] “He was probably the of Florida where he obtained a degree in oldest and best longtime journalism in 1969. Leither Thomas “Tommy” Witt died friend I have ever had,” Witt had a successful career as the vice caught here Sunday after more than two years fighting Brannon said. president of Columbia County Bank, where chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He Witt was a great athlete he worked for 25 years. By DEREK GILLIAM was 67. and lettered in football, “He was very good at anything he did,” [email protected] George Brannon can remember Witt as Witt baseball and basketball Brannon said. “I can’t tell you the impact far back as 55 years ago when he was 5 at Columbia High School, that he’s had on me. He will be missed.” The Lake City Police years old. Witt was 7 years older than Brannon said. Witt received a scholarship Department arrested two Indiana Brannon, and Brannon said Witt was like to play basketball at Lake City Community WITT continued on 3A fugitives accused of stealing a gold and silver coin collection worth more than RV fire slows traffic $100,000 from FGC will explore a man who was helping them after a Indiana $10,000 degrees church asked him to give the Russell-Smith homeless cou- From staff reports explore the possibility of offer- ple a place to ing a four-year program that stay. They were Florida Gateway College will falls under Scott’s criteria. on the run for explore developing a bache- “Florida Gateway College more than two lor’s degree program that costs continues to explore the pos- months. students no more than $10,000, sibility of joining Governor Daniel C. school officials said Monday. Scott’s $10K challenge,” he Wimmer, 35, and This comes in response to said. “We believe that we all Rhonda M. Lee Wimmer Gov. Rick Scott’s challenge to should continue to work toward Russell-Smith, community and state colleges lowering costs for students 47, were arrested Sunday morn- to develop a low-cost bacca- across the state. However, ing at the Gateway Inn, 3783 NW laureate program in a high- we want to make sure cut- STAFF/Lake City Reporter US 90. After preliminary court demand field. ting costs does not mean Traffic on East Duval Street was slowed briefly Monday morning when proceedings in Columbia County, FGC President Chuck Hall the engine of this RV caught fire. The fire was quickly extinguished by said FGC will continue to FGC continued on 3A the Lake City Fire Department and no injuries were reported. FUGITIVES continued on 3A Vol. 138, No. 260 Opinion . 4A CALL US: TODAY IN COMING (386) 752-1293 80 58 People. 2A PEOPLE WEDNESDAY SUBSCRIBE TO Partly cloudy Obituaries . 5A THE REPORTER: Advice & Comics . 4B Rapper crashes Local news Voice: 755-5445 Fax: 752-9400 WEATHER, 2A Puzzles . 3B Rolls after shots. roundup. 2AWEATHER 2A LAKE CITY REPORTER DAILY BRIEFING TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2013 Page Editor: Jim Barr, 754-0424 Celebrity Birthdays Sunday: Monday: Monday: n Actor-singer Noel Harrison Winfrey is 59. Country singer 3-4-5-38-39-41 Afternoon: 0-7-8 Afternoon: 3-9-1-9 Saturday: is 79. Irlene Mandrell is 57. x5 Evening: N/A Evening: N/A 10-11-13-20-35 n Actress Katharine Ross is n Actress Diane Delano 73. (“The Ellen Show,” ‘’Northern n Actor Tom Selleck is 68. Exposure”) is 56. n Singer Bettye LaVette is n Actress Judy Norton Taylor PEOPLE IN THE NEWS 67. (“The Waltons”) is 55. n Actress Ann Jillian is 63. n Guitarist Johnny n Drummer Tommy Ramone Spampinato of NRBQ is 54. of The Ramones is 61. n Drummer David Baynton- n Drummer Louie Perez of Power of James is 52. Rapper Ross crashes Rolls after shots Los Lobos is 60. n Bassist Eddie Jackson of n Singer Charlie Wilson of Queensryche is 52. FORT LAUDERDALE The Gap Band is 60. n Actor Nicholas Turturro is olice in South Florida say n Talk-show host Oprah 51. rapper Rick Ross crashed his Rolls Royce into a building after hearing shots fired nearby. Daily Scripture PFort Lauderdale police say Ross and a female companion reported “God is spirit, and his worship- hearing multiple shots fired in their direction at around 5:00 a.m. ers must worship in the Spirit Monday. Police say Ross lost control and in truth.” of the silver Rolls and crashed into an apartment building. — John 4:24 Neither Ross nor his passenger was injured and police say it did not appear that any bullets struck the Rolls. Lake City Reporter The police report uses Ross’s HOW TO REACH US BUSINESS real name, William L. Roberts. Ross Main number . .(386) 752-1293 turned 37 years old Monday. Fax number . .752-9400 Controller Sue Brannon. .754-0419 Authorities say unknown suspects Circulation“ . .755-5445 ([email protected]) Online . www.lakecityreporter.com fled before police arrived. TV news CIRCULATION The Lake City Reporter, an affiliate of footage showed a bullet hole in the Community Newspapers Inc., is pub- Home delivery of the Lake City Reporter lished Tuesday through Friday and should be completed” by 6:30 a.m. window of a nearby restaurant. Sunday at 180 E. Duval St., Lake City, Tuesday through Friday, and by 7:30 Fla. 32055. Periodical postage paid at a.m. on Sunday. Randy Travis to enter ASSOCIATED PRESS Lake City, Fla. Member Audit Bureau of Please call 386-755-5445 to report any Police in South Florida say rapper Rick Ross crashed his Rolls Royce into a build- Circulation and The Associated Press. problems with your delivery service. drunken-driving plea ing after hearing shots fired nearby. Police say Ross lost control of the silver Rolls All material herein is property of the Lake In Columbia County, customers should City Reporter. Reproduction in whole or call before 10:30 a.m. to report a ser- SHERMAN, Texas — A prosecu- and crashed into an apartment building. Neither Ross nor his passenger was in part is forbidden without the permis- vice error for same day re-delivery. After sion of the publisher. U.S. Postal Service 10:30 a.m., next day re-delivery or ser- tor says country music star Randy injured and police say it did not appear that any bullets struck the Rolls. No. 310-880. vice related credits will be issued.