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SUNDAY, APRIL 15, 2012 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | $1.00 Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM Mochi brings frozen yogurt Chances for Children SUNDAY EDITION to Lake City. center helping local 1C families. 1D Stand Your Ground under major scrutiny Law not a factor in could not use force to pro- tect yourself out on the 2011 shooting here, street,” said Skip Jarvis, says state attorney. Third Circuit State attor- ney. “It simply said if you could retreat, you were By TONY BRITT required to do so before [email protected] resorting to deadly force.” Florida’s Stand Your Ground law – and simiar George Zimmerman, statutes in 24 other states the 28-year-old community – states a person need not watch captain who fatally retreat, and may take the shot Trayvon Martin in fight to the aggressor. late February, has been “The state attorneys, arrested and charged with as a group, opposed the second-degree murder. passage of the Stand Your Zimmerman, a neigh- Ground Law because borhood watch volunteer TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter they feared exactly what in Sanford, told police he Luke Smith plays catch with his mother Meagan Smith Saturday during the March of Dimes annual March for Babies fund- the argument is today,” shot 17-year-old Martin raiser. Teams raised more than $100,000 during this year’s event. Jarvis said. “The argument after Martin punched today is the Stand Your him in the nose, knocked Ground law is being used him down and repeatedly to allow people who go to slammed his head against far to provide them with a a sidewalk. defense, even though they For weeks Zimmerman go beyond what’s reason- was not arrested or On the March able.” charged in the shoot- Last year a Columbia ing. Many legal experts Luke was sent to Shands at the In addition to the outstanding turn- County shooting on Parnell cited Florida’s Stand Your $100K raised during University of Florida Neonatal out, Trent said the teams raised over Road brought some of Ground law as a reason Intensive Care Unit where he spent $100,000. these questions into play. this year’s March of Zimmerman had not been 10 days where he was diagnosed with “This is the most Lake City has During that incident, a charged in the case. Dimes event here. a form of congenital heart disease raised in over five years with the father and his daughter The Stand Your Ground called Ebstein’s Anomaly. most number of walkers,” she said. were shot multiple times law has come under fire By TONY BRITT “The March of Dimes really was “We’re just excited for the outstand- after someone in their with Martin case and some [email protected] great at that time just providing fam- ing support that Lake City, Live Oak, party pulled a shotgun and are questioning the valid- ily support,” Smith said. “Now he is Columbia, Suwannee County and threatened the other party, ity of the law. perfectly healthy. He still have heart Hamilton County have come out today who had a rifle in his truck. Luke Smith snacked on an ani- Stand Your Ground was disease, but we see a cardiologist to help save babies.” The shooter in the incident mal cracker and played catch with born of Florida’s Castle regularly and he’s doing very well. Walk chairs for the 2012 March for was not charged. his parents, Lucas and Megan Smith, Doctrine. Under the Castle He’s doing really well for what he has Babies were Dr. Chuck Hall, president “We declined prosecu- as hundreds of walkers and runners Doctrine, when an inhabit- so we’re really happy.” of Florida Gateway College and his tion in that case and prob- made their way down Marion Avenue ant of a home is threatened Luke is now 18 months old and wife, Dr. Robin Hall, president of St. ably would have declined during the March of Dimes Walk For with death or great bodily was one of several guests of honor Leo University on the FGC campus. prosecution in that case Babies Saturday. harm, there is no duty to during Saturday’s March of Dimes “They raised over $12,000 and it’s even without having the Luke was on “Ambassador Avenue,” retreat. The person can fundraiser, where hundreds of people the first year FGC has participated Stand Your Ground law,” an area walk organizers set up for the resort to force, including filled Olustee Park in an effort to raise as an official team,” Trent said. “We Jarvis said. event’s ambassadors — children who deadly force, if reasonable, money for children born with a vari- really appreciate the leadership that The shooting took place were helped by the March of Dimes. to protect himself or some- ety of illnesses. the Halls gave to the overall March on a public road. However, When Luke was born his parents one else in that home. Organizers said Saturday’s event for Babies in Suwannee Valley as well one of those wounded told were told he was healthy, but after his The Castle Doctrine rivaled the record for attendance in as the leadership they gave to FGC.” the Lake City Reporter the first six hours, he started turning blue applied in the home, but the annual fundraiser. Smith said she was happy so many shooter only fired after pull- and was having trouble breathing. out on the street there had “This is an outstanding march for people decided to participate in ing into the other party’s “He was taken to the special care been a duty to retreat to babies. This year we have well over Saturday’s fundraiser. driveway sometime after nursery were they discovered he was safety, if possible. 500 walkers,” said Betsy Trent, March having distress and having trouble “The law didn’t say you continued on 3A of Dimes executive director. SCRUTINY breathing,” Meagan Smith said. MARCH continued on 7A Fire in Sports Foundation mop-up estimate turned stage out ‘conservative’ BY HANNAH O. BROWN to the economic effect of Diminished winds [email protected] Columbia County’s sports industry such as the key mean blaze is 60 venues, current inventory percent contained. The Florida Sports and TDC staff. Foundation has confirmed It also conducted an the Tourism Development analysis of the current By TONY BRITT Council’s economic impact calculations of economic [email protected] report was based on “very impact generated through conservative” assumptions sport tourism. concerning the effect of The County Line fire, The foundation said sports tourism on the local there was room for having burned approxi- economy. mately 34,936 acres, is now improvement in tracking Photo courtesy U.S. Forest Service Their support echoed economic data, saying, 60 percent contained, offi- An aerial photo taken earlier this week shows where the County Line Fire has burned through TDC director Harvey cials said Saturday. “Though the use of Florida portions of Pinhook Swamp. Campbell’s earlier report Sports economic impact Regardless, foresters that $5.5 million was a still have concerns about calculators are correct, off and are ready to fall Officials said the initial a Southern Area Type 2 “conservative estimate” there are assumptions the fire. of the economic impact “We’re in the mop- over, we’re worried about goal was to have a 50-foot Incident Management made that could be better stump holes, a hole filled wide fuel-free zone on the Team public informa- of direct spending from quantified in the future.” up mode trying to rein- sports tourism in 2011. force the lines,” said with hot embers and that inside of the control lines tion officer, in a prepared The report suggested could also restart the fire. and eventually expand the statement. “This allowed County commissioner formalizing the processes John Bearer, Southern Rusty DePratter had ques- Area Type 2 Incident We’re also worried about zone to 200 feet. firefighters to focus their that track the economic wildlife in new areas look- “Primarily because the efforts on strengthening tioned Campbell’s estimate climate of the industry Management Team public saying, “Harvey’s report information officer for the ing for water.” winds had died down, and widening the contain- to improve the validity of Operations are now fire activity continued ment lines.” waters it all down.” assumptions made by the U.S. Forest Service. “We’re The Florida Sports paying special attention to focused on cleaning up to be mostly in the inte- Smoke is expected data. In other words, do unburned fuels on the rior portions of the fire,” to drift to the northwest Foundation investigated standing trees that may the factors contributing SPORTS continued on 3A have their roots burned inside of the control lines. said Bonnie Strawser, through today. Vol. 138 No. 58 CALL US: Opinion ................ 4A TODAY IN COMING (386) 752-1293 83 57 Business ................ 1C PEOPLE TUESDAY SUBSCRIBE TO Partly Cloudy Obituaries .............. 5A THE REPORTER: Advice.................. 5D Bee Gee Robin City council Voice: 755-5445 Fax: 752-9400 WEATHER, 8A Puzzles ................. 2B Gibb gravely ill coverage. 2A LAKE CITY REPORTER SUNDAY REPORT SUNDAY, APRIL 15, 2012 Friday: Friday: Saturday: Saturday: Saturday: Saturday: 33-34-35-38 22 1-18-19-25-34 Afternoon: 3-8-8 Afternoon: 4-7-7-8 N/A N/A Evening: 1-7-7 Evening: 3-7-7-0 AROUND FLORIDA Crayon drawings inspire story about homelessness FORT WALTON BEACH After more than a day vacant land now called the – Most children know of public viewing at the “Little River Pocket Park” exactly where they will Shrine of Our Lady of from homeowners con- sleep and when their next Charity in Miami, Roman’s cerned about a dozen sex- meal will be.