A4 + PLUS >> Sales tax holidays OK’d by lawmakers, Story below LCMS BASEBALL CHS FOOTBALL Falcons, 12-0, Umstead an continue run FSU walk-on See Page 1B See Page 1B WEEKEND EDITION FRIDAY & SATURDAY, APRIL 12 & 13, 2019 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | $1.00 Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM DOWNTOWN Why are LC drivers Partial so accident-prone? 3A Blanche Friday TORCH RUN/6A opening Organ concert The Friends of Music Concert Series concludes in June? its 2018 – 2019 season with a concert by Thomas D. Huffman, concert organist. Redevelopment project The concert will be today now to be completed in at 7:30 p.m., at Covenant 3 stages, developer says. First Presbyterian Church, 421 White Avenue, in Live By CARL MCKINNEY Oak. Admission is free with [email protected] a reception to follow. The Blanche Hotel renovation Relay for Life project appears poised to drag on The American Cancer about 60 to 90 days longer than Society’s Relay for Life is hoped, the develop- tonight at the Columbia er says. High School’s track. Faced with con- Survivors and Caregivers struction delays, are the heart and soul of the Blanche’s open- this event. Relay for Life ing has been split honors their strength and into three phases courage with every step Decker and pushed back they take. It doesn’t matter if into the summer, you were diagnosed 10 days said Integrity Development Partners ago or 10 years ago, you can Photos by TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter spokesperson Dennille Decker. Terry Prescott, Columbia County Director for Special Olympics, carries the banner walk while everyone gath- Work on the historic building was and Jeremy Roy an LED torch during the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special ers together to cheer you originally expected to wrap up all at Olympics Florida on Thursday. BELOW LEFT: Columbia County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. on. The opening ceremony once in May. Clint Dicks holds the Special Olympics torch after it was lit by Javier Mier. Story, 6A. is at 6 p.m. The Survivor/ “I’m still cautious about giving Caregiver Walk sets off definitive dates, but things are now at 6:30, followed by the moving rapidly,” Decker said. Survivors dinner. At 9 p.m., The north wing facing Veterans a Luminaria Ceremony will continued on 3A be held to represent every- BLANCHE one touched by cancer. The evening concludes with the closing ceremony at 10:45. Shoplift bust Fri./Sat. for ‘high risk’ Legends show One of your favorite RIGHT: Sgt. Quentin Frye, a Florida sex offender shows at the Spirit of the Department of Corrections offi- Suwannee Music Park in cer, holds the torch for the Law By CARL MCKINNEY Live Oak kicks off tonight Enforcement Torch Run for Special [email protected] and continues tomorrow. Olympics Florida as he prepares to Ted “TeddyMac” Elvis run with the DOC participants. A registered sex offender partic- McMullen’s Legends Show ipated in a dollar store shoplifting is scheduled for the Music spree Wednesday Hall. You can purchase LEGISLATURE night, Columbia advance tickets today until County deputies noon at the SOSMP office. say. Tickets are $11 per person Sales tax holidays OK’d by lawmakers Convicted in per night at the door or $17 By JIM TURNER leases dominated a package through local referendums. 2005 for lewd and in advance gets you in both News Service of Florida that advanced Thursday out The $102.4 million pack- lascivious battery nights. For tickets, email of a key House committee. age (PCB WMC 19-02) was Knight against a victim [email protected], TALLAHASSEE --- A But Democrats raised approved 14-2 by the Ways under 16, he was call 386-364-1683 or come to pair of sales-tax “holidays” questions about part of & Means Committee. The serving probation for failure to reg- SOSMP. for storm preparation and the proposal dealing with package is being set up for ister as a sex offender in 2016. back-to-school shopping charter schools and money WEEKEND continued on 3A and a tax cut on commercial raised by school districts HOLIDAYS continued on 2A Avila BUST continued on 2A Vol. 145, No. 20 CALL US: TODAY’S WEATHER (386) 752-1293 Obituaries . 3A Opinion . 4A FAITH AND VALUES SUBSCRIBE TO THE REPORTER: 87 65 Faith & Values . 5-6A Bought with a price, 5A Voice: 755-5445 Moatly cloudy, 2A Advice & Comics . 3-4B Fax: 752-9400 GW HUNTER 1130 WEST US 90 386-752-5890 VISIT YOUR LOCAL CHEVRON STATION 2A FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 2019 LOCAL LAKE CITY REPORTER Audubon holds 10th Spring Fest QUICK HITS By TONY BRITT [email protected] Scripture of the Day Bird watching, a fishing, kayaking — all are activi- “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” ties people can take up to — Amos 3:3 (KJV) become outdoor enthusi- asts. This weekend those activities, plus so much Thought for Today more, will be featured at a local festival where people I used to jog but the ice cubes kept falling out of my can commune with nature. Four Rivers Audubon has glass. — David Lee Roth, born 1954, U.S. musician gone all out for Saturday’s 10th annual Alligator Lake Spring Festival at Winning Lottery Numbers the Alligator Lake Public Recreation Area, 420 SE Pick 3: (Wednesday p.m.) 6-4-7 Alligator Glen. Pick 4: (Wednesday p.m.) 2-2-0-4 While the festival doesn’t FILE PHOTOS Fantasy 5: (Wednesday) 5-13-17-28-35 officially begin until 10 ABOVE: Two girls look at the hawks soon to take flight at last year’s Alligator Lake a.m., bird watchers will Spring Festival. BELOW: Two brave siblings handle a snake last year at the festival. set out at 8 a.m. for a stroll See an error? around Alligator Lake on The Lake City Reporter corrects errors of fact in news a guided tour led by Jerry items. If you have a concern, question, or suggestion, Krummrich. please call the editor. Corrections and clarifications will “It will be good for peo- run in this space. Thanks for reading. ple to come out early and enjoy the cool morning,” said Jacqui Sulek, Four Submissions Rivers Audubon president. The Lake City Reporter accepts photographs and caption The Alligator Lake information to run at the discretion of the editor. If you Public Recreation Area, would like to see your organization in the newspaper, send which is the headwaters the picture and information to Michael Philips at mphilips@ of the Ichetucknee River, lakecityreporter.com. is also a site on the Great Florida Birding Trail, pro- viding an opportunity for Lake City Reporter plenty of bird watching. With the event celebrat- HOW TO REACH US BUSINESS ........... 754-0419 Main number ....... (386) 752-1293 ing its 10th anniversary, Fax number ............ 752-9400 CIRCULATION organizers have planned a Circulation............. 755-5445 Home delivery of the Lake City Reporter bevy of new festivities to Online .... www.lakecityreporter.com should be completed by 6:30 a.m. The Lake City Reporter, an affiliate Tuesday through Friday, and by 7:30 commemorate the occa- a.m. on Sunday. sion, and the Florida Fish of Community Newspapers Inc., is published Tuesday through Friday and Please call 386-755-5445 to report any and Wildlife Conservation Sunday at 180 E. Duval St., Lake City, problems with your delivery service. Commission will have a FL 32055. Periodical postage paid at Lake City, FL, Member Audit Bureau of In Columbia County, customers should huge presence at the event. Circulation and The Associated Press. call before 10:30 a.m. to report a The FWC has stocked All material herein is property of the service error for same day re-delivery. Ponderosa Pond for a chil- Lake City Reporter. Reproduction in After 10:30 a.m., next day re-delivery or service related credits will be issued. dren’s catch-and-release whole or in part is forbidden without the permission of the publisher. In all other counties where home delivery U.S. Postal Service No. 310-880. fishing derby (equipment is available, next day re-delivery or and bait will be provided), POSTMASTER: Send address changes service related credits will be issued. to Lake City Reporter, P.O. Box 1709, is bringing 14 kayaks for Lake City, FL 32056. Circulation............. 755-5445 rides and demonstrations, sponsored activities, this bird study merit badge we have here in Columbia ([email protected]) Publisher Todd Wilson ... 754-0418 will hold a K-9 demonstra- year’s festival will feature a workshop, food, music and County. This is public ([email protected]) Home delivery rates tion, and have its wildlife live falconry show, “Birds more than 40 vendors sell- land. We want people (Tuesday–Friday and Sunday) NEWS trailer on hand with dis- of the Gauntlet,” and Marc ing their wares. to enjoy it, use it and to 4 Weeks . $10.70 Minno will lead two butter- “It’s a community cel- share it with the birds and Editor Robert Bridges ... 754-0428 12 Weeks . $31.67 plays of native birds and ([email protected]) fly walks during the day. ebration of nature in the all the other critters at 24 Weeks . .$54.14 other animals. 52 Weeks . .$88.81 ADVERTISING “This has been designed There will also be displays park,” Sulek. “It’s some- Alligator Lake.” Rates include 7% sales tax. to be a community event,” showing reptiles, mam- thing that we try to get Go to www.fourriver- Ad. Dir. Chris Ratliff ..... 754-0417 ([email protected]) Mail rates Sulek said.