SUNDAY, JUNE 29, 2014 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | $1.50 Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM Serious injuries in FHP’s Powell NFL stars SUNDAY Wellborn will lead host EDITION crash. 3A Troop B. 1D camp. 1B City stumped by tree question Johnson says he didn’t OK their removal Neighbor: But public works director says he was tor over who authorized the Beginnings Restoration work, which would have cost Church’s property in late ordered to do so by the city manager. thousands of dollars had it May. The trees were growing Now my land been performed by a private near the property line the By EMILY STANTON trees from the grounds of contractor. church shares with Garden [email protected] a Lake City church in May City workers uprooted of Rest Cemetery, which city will flood has the city manager at odds and disposed of trees esti- The removal of 40 or more with his public works direc- mated at 40 feet tall on New TREES continued on 6A See story, Page 6A. Union: LCPD Textbook officer wasn’t bill: Burden fired or blessing? Chief lacked District says parental involvement authority to do means money they just don’t have. so, says FOP. By MEGAN REEVES By TONY BRITT [email protected] [email protected] Local control is something school districts Former LCPD officer generally covet, but this year Tallahassee may Staci Brownfield, terminat- have given them more than they wanted. ed Monday A new law, SB 864, gives districts — and parents — follow- greater say in textbook selection than in previous years. ing a DUI District officials say it is just another unfunded mandate arrest last that will cost thousands to implement and create possible November, logistical nightmares to boot. hasn’t A local legislator who supported the bill says their fears actually are unfounded. Brownfield been fired, The bill, which takes effect Tuesday, according to her union rep- was sparked by complaints from crit- resentative. ics who objected to certain instruc- An LCPD press release tional materials used in public school Wednesday said Brownfield classrooms. was terminated by Chief Earlier this year, the Palm Beach Argatha Gilmore. County School District asked “In this case (Gilmore) Prentice Hall to alter certain pas- sages of a world history textbook UNION continued on 8A to avoid a supposed bias toward the Muslim faith. The chairman of the Marion County Republican Party called the textbook “propagative” mate- County’s rial, and a local man raised similar concerns before the Columbia County School Board. No action was taken locally gains in on his objections. Previously, teaching materials could only be challenged once they were already in use. Now, parents will be part of the census process at the outset, allowing them to stop these materials from hitting the shelves in the first place. update? “It reinforces the long standing situation that ultimately the school administration and school board have the final say so Eleven in the educational materials that are used in the school system,” said state Rep. Elizabeth Porter, R-Lake City, By EMILY STANTON Florida House Education Committee vice chair. “But [email protected] it also puts in place a process where members of the public can access those materials online and see what As Florida’s popula- their children will be learning. If they have a problem tion continues to swell, with it, they can fill out a form and protest.” Columbia County remains Columbia County Superintendent of Schools Terry relatively unchanged, Huddleston said it’s not that simple. according to census data. “It’s always good to have parent input. However, the The county’s population textbook adoption process is a huge undertaking,” he only grew by 11 people — said. 67,532 to 67,543 — from Under the new law, teams made up of school officials and 2010 to 2013. The state’s parents will act as a review committee for K-12 instruction- total population grew by al materials. 750,170 people and had The cost to the district will be tremendous, Huddleston about 19.5 million resi- said. dents as of July 2013. “For example, if math is up for adoption this year, that Columbia County is TEXTBOOK continued on 9A CENSUS continued on 9A MICROSOFT CLIP ART Vol. 140, No. 104 Opinion . 4A CALL US: TODAY’S WEATHER LOCAL SPORTS (386) 752-1293 Local . 6A Obituaries . 5A Purple Heart Challenges SUBSCRIBE TO THE REPORTER: 94 74 Advice & Comics . 3D presentation at ahead for Fort Voice: 755-5445 Puzzles . 2B the VA, 5A. White, 1B. Fax: 752-9400 Storm chance, 10A 2A LAKE CITY REPORTER DAILY BRIEFING SUNDAY, JUNE 29, 2014 Page Editor: Emily Lawson, 754-0424 Scripture of the Day “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” — 2 Peter 3:8-9 Thought for Today Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. — Robert Heinlein, American science fiction writer (1907-1988) PATRICK SCOTT/Special to the Reporter Four-vehicle crash on US 90 Winning Lottery Numbers Cash 3: (Saturday) 8-2-5 Emergency responders are pictured at the scene of a four-vehicle crash Thursday afternoon on US Hwy 90 west near Play 4: (Saturday) 2-6-7-7 I-75. According to authorities on scene, the driver of a Toyota Corolla (far left) rear-ended a Toyota Camry, causing a chain reaction collision. The Camry then hit a Ford Fiesta, which then struck a GMC Envoy. A female passenger in the Camry Fantasy 5: (Friday) 2-9-15-16-24 was taken to a nearby hospital after the crash by a friend. The crash occurred just after 3 p.m. and backed up traffic jam for Florida Lotto: (Wednesday) 2-9-21-36-39-48-x3 more than a mile in the westbound lanes of US 90 as a lane was closed for an hour. PowerBall: (Wednesday) 10-20-25-50-53-35-x4 AROUND FLORIDA Former Miss Florida says officials did the right thing ORLANDO Wednesday. Miss America pag- Chief Judge John Harris said Detectives go to La. Parish jail and also faces charges day after a vote tabu- eant rules require contestants Friday that the reassignment that include attempted murder lation error took away to be between 17 and 24, and isn’t a form of discipline. to interview teen and unlawful sexual activity. her Miss Florida crown, Longacre will turn 25 on Oct. 22, He says Murphy has been A TAMPA — Florida detectives It’s unclear when Myers will be the former pageant winner says before year’s end. receiving anger management are heading to Louisiana to transferred from Louisiana to she’s devastated about losing the Fechtel said she realizes that counseling since the altercation interview a missing teenage girl face charges in Florida. title, but believes officials did the the rules couldn’t be overlooked earlier this month. who was found traveling with a Family and neighbors started right thing. in her case, or in the instance of Murphy allegedly hit assis- registered sex offender. social media campaigns, passed Elizabeth Fechtel, who won Longacre. tant public defender Andrew The two were found earlier out fliers, and contacted the the crown last week before being “I’m the one who’s receiving Weinstock outside a courtroom media after the girl went missing reduced to runner-up on Friday, the bad end of the stick, but I after the two exchanged words last week after a sighting by a Louisiana truck stop cashier from her Tampa area home on told The Associated Press on still agree with what they did,” over whether his client could June 11. Saturday that she believes that Fechtel said. “They couldn’t have a speedy trial. triggered a lengthy police chase “it’s fair that they go back and make an exception for Miss where authorities threw down Shot fired during initially play by the rules.” Delaware, therefore they USF transfers land spike strips to blow out the tires Miss Florida Executive couldn’t make an exception for on Steven Myers’ truck. Officials fight at university to children’s hospital say Myers stabbed the 16-year- Director Mary Sullivan said me, and they won’t do the same CORAL GABLES — Police Friday that the error was noticed for any other state. And I think ST. PETERSBURG — The old girl and then himself before being subdued. say a suspect is in custody after during a routine recount and it’s fair that they go back and ini- University of South Florida is an attempted shooting at the that a mark on one judge’s ballot tially play by the rules.” transferring 1.4 acres of land to The teen wasn’t kidnapped, but 41-year-old Myers had University of Miami. was inadvertently overlooked. All Children’s Hospital Johns Coral Gables police say a The ballots were retabulated by Judge who punched Hopkins Medicine. manipulated her to go with him, authorities said. woman entered the School of an independent auditor, and the The university says the deci- Communications building Friday contestants were notified of the attorney returns sion symbolizes its commitment Hillsborough County sheriff’s detectives said Friday they will morning and got into a fight correct results. VIERA — A Florida judge to continuing the training of with a man in the equipment The woman who’d come accused of punching an assistant medical students at the hospital.