A3 SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2019 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | $2 Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM + PLUS >> Zach chats with SUNDAY UF’s Mr. Reliable, TRAVEL TALES BBQ and Josh Hammond g Sean of Ridin 1D the South the rails Sean of the South Opinion/4A 1B LIFE/1D COUNTY God bless the tots $200K/ 150 riders on quest to month help kids adding By MICHAEL PHILIPS [email protected] The Suwannee River up fast Region of the Antique Automobile Club of American and the American Legion Post 57 for jail motorcy- Annual Toys cle riders for Tots event combined Latest estimate for new facility draws big forces now pegged at $34M in all. throng of Saturday, You can have your say Dec. 4. motorcycists with a cruise-in to drum up By CARL MCKINNEY support for and com- petition [email protected] USMC charity. and a Last December, an engineer told 53-mile county officials the total price tag to charity ride, to benefit the build a new jail was rising right before local Toys for Tots. their eyes, to the tune Toys for Tots of of about $200,000 for Columbia and Suwannee every month it took to Counties of North Florida get the project off the Coordinator Inga Dwyer, ground. By that point, ever the pessimist, was the estimated cost of blown away at the sheer construction alone number of participants. was already nearing “In the early days of Photos by RAY CARPENTER PHOTOGRAPHY/Special to the Reporter Scott $28 million, up from planning for this event, it the $25 million figure was just going to be the ABOVE: Participants in the American previously pitched to taxpayers. American Legion riders, Legion charity ride cross under an Now, the maximum cost of con- so I expected maybe there American flag hanging from a fire struction is expected to be roughly would be 20 motorcycles,” truck to mark the beginning of the $31.5 million, which would pay for Dwyer said. “But then a 364-bed facility. And that’s not the American Legion 53-mile trek. LEFT: Kickstands up! Riders set off on a winding path counting an additional $2.5 million in approached the car club architecture and engineering fees, or about coming out and through the county before reaching its the interest on loans to pay for the helping support the cause, destination, American Legion Post 57. endeavor. TOTS continued on 8A JAIL continued on 2A STATE Log splitters CHAMPS The Fort White Middle land Wellborn School FFA Forestry Team of Audrey Jones man in jail (from left), Bailey Ray, By MICHAEL PHILIPS Bailey Cupp and Gracie [email protected] Anderson took forst place at the State FFA Forestry A Wellborn man is out on bail after Contest in Perry earlier giving Tractor Supply in Lake City this month. Bailey Ray splitting headaches was the top individual in with a string of alleged the contest, while Gracie thefts, including that of Anderson placed fourth two log splitters. and Audrey Jones placed Joseph Lee Harmon, 5th overall. These young of Low Lake Road ladies competed against in Wellborn, faces 15 other middle school charges of dealing in teams from across the Harmon stolen property, a sec- state to win the title. COURTESY CCSO continued on 2A Vol. 145, No. 182 Opinion . 4A CALL US: TODAY’S WEATHER (386) 752-1293 Obituaries . 5A CATHOLIC CHARITIES Sports . 1B SUBSCRIBE TO 500-plus meals for the holiday, 3A THE REPORTER: 61 40 Classified . 5B Voice: 755-5445 Life . 1D Fax: 752-9400 Sunny, 2A CARPET CLEANING APPRECIATION SPECIAL CARPET CLEANING ROOMS ROOMSWhat are WE Thankful for? & A HALL 10% OFF ONLY $105 & A HALL FOR POLICE, FIRE FIGHTERS, EMT, 3 3 Expires 11/30/2019 Promo Code TURKEY $ TEACHERS AND MILITARY ONLY 105 y R t Ci ep e or APPRECIATION SPECIAL k t a e L r Expires: 12/31/2019 Promo Code: TURKEY Expires: 12/31/2019 Promo Code: TURKEY R • CARPET • TILE & GROUT • HARDWOOD • AREA RUG • UPHOLSTERY E E A C D OI ERS’ CH ™ 10% OFF FOR A CLEANER & HEALTHIER HOME FOR POLICE, FIRE FIGHTERS, EMT, TEACHERS AND MILITARY 1-800-STEEMER® | stanleysteemer.com Expires 11/30/2019 Promo Code TURKEY Minimum charges apply. Not valid in combination with other coupons or offers. Must present promo code at time of service. Valid at participation locations only. Residential only. Cannot be used for water emergency services. Combined living areas. L-shaped rooms and rooms over 300 sq.ft. are considered 2 areas. | Baths, halls, large walk-in closets and area rugs are priced separately. Offer does not include protector and deodorizer. 10% May not be used for Emergency or 386-755-1992 Air Duct Services. Must present work or military identification to receive discount. Certain restrictions may apply. Call for details. 2A SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2019 LOCAL LAKE CITY REPORTER Estimate’s been growing by $200K/month QUICK HITS Scripture of the Day “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, Jail may now cost $31.5M and bless his name.” — Psalm 100:4 (KJV) difficult to segregate juve- it off any longer,” he said. have reasonably done to Thought for Today JAIL nile and female offenders “One way or another, we’re speed up the project. Continued From 1A as required by law. going to solve this jail issue The main bottleneck in I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiv- Still, Murphy said those right now.” recent memory was waiting ing is perpetual. problems don’t make for as Officials say the project, on the architects to finish — Henry David Thoreau, 1817-1862, U.S. writer County commissioners good a pitch to taxpayers. if it goes through, would the drawings, Nash said. say they want to hear what On the other hand, be the largest financial “We were working on the public thinks about Murphy said the $31.5 undertaking the county has their timetable,” he said. those numbers at a Dec. million figure would be a signed up for in decades — Commissioner Rocky Winning Lottery Numbers 4 special meeting about hard pill for the public to possibly ever. Ford could not be reached Pick 3: (Friday) 9-7-1 the jail project. The com- swallow. The plan has been in the for comment, but the Pick 4: (Friday) 9-0-1-6 mission’s chairman, Ron “The people who are works for years. other four commissioners Fantasy 5: (Friday) 14-16-21-26-31 Williams, said the 364-bed going to be paying for this County Manager Ben said they were concerned plan, the most expensive facility do not use the jail, Scott said the increase with whether the financial option on the table, is a so they would much rather from a $25 million estimate obligations from the jail See an error? “complete nonstarter.” have their to roughly project would leave less The Lake City Reporter corrects errors of fact in news “Point-blank, I’m not tax dollars $31.5 million money for economic devel- items. If you have a concern, question, or suggestion, spending $32-plus-million go into an Officials say the is due in opment. please call the editor. Corrections and clarifications will on a new facility,” Williams asphalt road project, if it goes large part to Imagine a company was run in this space. Thanks for reading. said, using a rounded-up or incen- escalation, interested in relocating to price tag. “I didn’t want through, would be tivizing a the largest financial an industry the community and creat- to do any- major job term for ing 300 new jobs, Murphy Submissions thing over creator to undertaking the changes to said — officials would have $25 mil- The Lake City Reporter accepts photographs and caption come here,” county has signed up the market to seal the deal by offering information to run at the discretion of the editor. If you would lion.” Murphy rate of labor incentives and accommo- That’s for in decades — like to see your organization in the newspaper, send the picture said. and material dations, either through tax and information to [email protected]. what the “There’s possibly ever. expenses. breaks or commitments to total pack- got to be During a develop the infrastructure age was Hunter a happy medium in there December 2018 meeting, necessary for the business Lake City Reporter supposed somewhere,” he continued. Jim Beight, a represen- to set up shop. to be, engineering and The current jail, built tative of the Dewberry “We can’t put all our HOW TO REACH US BUSINESS ........... 754-0419 Main number ....... (386) 752-1293 architectural fees included, in the 1980s, might be engineering firm, told eggs in one basket and not CIRCULATION he said. Fax number ............ 752-9400 salvageable, Murphy said. officials that “time is be prepared to do some- Circulation............. 755-5445 Home delivery of the Lake City Reporter “We are way over The facility could be reno- money,” and every month thing for the community Online .... www.lakecityreporter.com should be completed by 6:30 a.m. that,” Williams said. “It’s vated and a modular hous- the project dragged on on the other side,” Murphy The Lake City Reporter, an affiliate Tuesday through Friday, and by 7:30 a.m. on Sunday. hard for me right now ing pod could be added to would result in the overall said. of Community Newspapers Inc., is to ask the taxpayers of published Tuesday through Friday and Please call 386-755-5445 to report any increase the bed count.