Lake City Reporter

SUNDAY, JULY 27, 2014 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | $1.50 Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM Reaching Sales tax Infinity Con SUNDAY out to holiday draws EDITION teach 1D coming 1C 200+ 7A Hotel owners: Fire fee undue burden Say 71% hike should at least be put on hold. By TONY BRITT [email protected] Local hotel owners are questioning a proposed 71 percent fire assessment rate hike and urging city officials to postpone the increase. The proposed rates would jump from $.0758 per square foot to $.1293 per square foot. Local hotel owners Nick Patel and PJ Patel, who are also business partners, said they can’t understand how the 71 percent rate hike was determined. “We have not received the data yet,” Nick Patel said. “We requested the data, hopefully we’ll get the data to analyze it further. We were shocked to see that hotels are going to have to bear the brunt of the increase when everyone [else] is going down.” The proposed assessment for commercial estab- lishments decreased about 10 percent, and the proposed rate for industrial/ warehouse space dropped 42 percent. City officials said the study was done scientifi- cally, and in a fair manner. They say there is little to no flexibility now to reduce the proposed rates. PHOTOS COURTESY | PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY EMILY LAWSON “The purpose of the fire BACKGROUND: Stories in 1927 and 1928 editions of the Lake City Reporter describe an unusual archaeological find alongside U.S. 41; CENTER: The assessment study is to site’s purported discoverer and his two sons; LEFT, RIGHT: An admission ticket to the site; FOREGROUND: Supposed mummified human remains. assure equitable distribu- tion of the costs through- Folks still recall supposed archaeological discovery along US 41 in 1927 out the categories of property owners in the city,” said Grayson Cason, Lake City’s assistant city manager. “Every property owner Secret of the tombs lives on category is paying their fair share of the cost.” By SARAH LOFTUS l Lake City Reporter Nick Patel said since commercial space increased by approximate- ack in the 1920s, U.S. Highway 41 hurry. Instead of rushing to their juice stands, things that probably looked nothing like it does today. destinations, people stopped to see could’ve been found on any Florida ly 500,000 square feet from It was the road everyone things as they traveled. highway. 2009 - 2014, the years cov- took into Lake City — and Along U.S. 41 in Lake City were But there was also something ered in the study, officials B beyond. Interstates didn’t exist, all kinds of tourist attractions — a and people weren’t in as much of a small zoo, fresh fruit markets and TOMBS continued on 6A RATE HIKE continued on 7A Governor has financial stake in natural gas pipeline Owns shares in the company hired to build behind construction of Florida governor wasn’t aware of the investments “are a matter Power & Light’s 474-mile Sabal investment because it was part of public record,” as the state pipeline, which will cross beneath Santa Fe. Trail Transmission Pipeline, of a blind trust, which means he law “is trumped by the public which will run from Alabama to had no knowledge or influence reporting requirements of the By MEGAN REEVES the project financially as well. Florida, crossing through neigh- over the funds being spent. U.S. Securities and Exchange [email protected] According to BrowardBulldog. boring Suwannee County along However, BrowardBulldog.org Commission.” org, Scott invested millions in the way. Scott’s stake in Spectra reports that Florida’s blind trust The pipeline was first proposed Gov. Rick Scott not only offered “more than two dozen entities was reported to be $53,000. law is ineffective at veiling public by an official of FP&L appointed political support for construction that produce and/or transport Representatives of the officials’ investments. to Scott’s transition team in 2010, of a major natural gas pipeline to natural gas,” including Spectra Scott administration told In fact, the online newspa- run through Florida, but backed Energy Corp., the company BrowardBulldog.org that the per reports, the governor’s SCOTT continued on 3A Vol. 140, No. 124 Opinion . 4A CALL US: TODAY’S WEATHER LOCAL SPORTS (386) 752-1293 Local . 6A Obituaries . 5A Former city Football camp SUBSCRIBE TO THE REPORTER: 95 74 Advice & Comics . 3D utilities chief preps future Voice: 755-5445 Chance of showers, 8A Puzzles . 4B dies, 3A. Tigers, 1B. Fax: 752-9400 2A LAKE CITY REPORTER DAILY BRIEFING SUNDAY, JULY 27, 2014 Page Editor: Emily Lawson, 754-0424 Scripture of the Day Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. — Psalm 51:1-2 Thought for Today Perhaps they are not stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy. — Eskimo Proverb Winning Lottery Numbers TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter Cash 3: (Saturday) Unavailable as of press time Play 4: (Saturday) Unavailable as of press time Ice cream for breakfast Fantasy 5: (Friday) Unavailable as of press time Cierra Bryant (clockwise), Sophia Butler, Kylie Smith, Ria Patel and Esha Patel get ice cream from Tim Van-Skyhawk and Florida Lotto: (Wednesday) 16-32-36-44-48-52-x3 Mike Mershon during Saturday’s Ice Cream for Breakfast “Scoops of Hope” event at the Holiday Inn and Suites. PowerBall: (Wednesday) 4-10-12-22-31-3-x5 AROUND FLORIDA Naked thieves take burgers from SW Fla. eatery BONITA SPRINGS The geese — who residents the house or outside. They defense and civil litigation before totally, totally shocked over what southwest Florida wait- have named Lucy and Rickey — released a photo of a vehicle of joining the Florida State law happened,” said Adelson’s law- ress has dubbed the trio apparently love the swimming interest, but wouldn’t confirm school as a faculty member in yer, Jimmy Judkins. “Gone from A of naked hamburger pool. While residents would exactly where the car was seen 2005. He was tenured in 2010. having children with two parents thieves who broke into an eatery prefer the geese to stay on the or even the make and model. Bob Jarvis, a Nova to children with one parent with “dumb, dumber and dumbest.” lake, they’ve gotten used to it. But they have made one detail Southeastern University law pro- no warning. Waitress Nancy Sansevieri But Tuesday someone picked up perfectly clear: Whoever did it fessor, said there are numerous was still laughing after police the female goose and took her to wanted Markel dead. reasons police withhold crime Trapper called to released surveillance video an area near the Merritt Island Last Friday’s shooting of the details from the public, even Wednesday showing the col- National Wildlife Refuse. popular lawyer has stunned his when seeking tips. Prosecutors town over wild hogs lege-aged men — two naked and The Daytona Beach News- friends, colleagues and residents worry about affecting the jury LAKEWOOD RANCH — After one clad in underwear — steal- Journal reports Lucy returned to of his well-to-do community pool, and police are always con- wild hogs spent months tearing ing 60 hamburgers from Doc’s Hacienda Del Rio on Wednesday, in Florida’s state capital, who cerned with false confessions through lawns and common Beach House in Bonita Beach. flying some nine miles. demanded to know whether and copycat criminals, he said. areas, costing homeowners hun- Police say the men broke in Wildlife officials say it’s a fed- Markel had surprised an armed “It’s a way to test anybody dreds of dollars, some southwest early Sunday and left a trail of eral offense to drop an animal burglar or robber. No, Police who’s either making a confes- Florida officials have hired a red peppers on the beach. in the refuge. And it’s against Chief Michael DeLeo said - this sion, who’s trying to pin the trapper to remediate the hog Doc’s general manager Lou state laws to release any animal was a premeditated murder. blame on somebody else,” Jarvis havoc. Bangert told the News-Press into the wild that’s not native to Tallahassee police spokes- said. “It’s a truth-telling test. About five homes and sev- of Fort Myers that he’s never Florida. man David Northway released “You don’t want confusion. If eral common areas in the witnessed such a crime in the Residents say Lucy and Ricky photos of a vehicle of interest there’s something unique about Lakewood Ranch community restaurant’s 27-year history. may eventually go to a wildlife Wednesday and asked for any- the killer or the killer’s M.O., near Bradenton have been hit by Thieves have broken in and rehabilitation center. one with surveillance in the you’d like to keep that under hogs in the last few weeks. taken money from the cash area to contact police. The car wraps.” Danny Young, who runs register, but he says no one has Slaying of law prof appears to be a silver or light Markel finalized a contentious Sarasota-based Caught Hog ever slammed through a door green Toyota Prius, though divorce from his ex-wife, Wendi Hunting and Trapping, has cap- completely naked looking for a seeming mystery police will not confirm that. Adelson, in 2013. The two had tured 16 hogs since he was hired beef.

Load more