A1 + PLUS >> Get along — but don’t compromise, Opinion/4A MUSIC FHP Pam Tillis joins Troopers get Jam lineup promotions See Below See Page 3A WEEKEND EDITION FRIDAY & SATURDAY, MARCH 2 & 3, 2018 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | $1.00 Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM SCHOOL SAFETY 911 split on hold Scott Let’s all just get along, says county. 2A makes Saturday ‘Race the Tortoise 5K’ a push The ninth annual Race the Tortoise 5K at O’Leno Sizing up the ecosystem State Park (410 SE O’Leno as plan Park Road, High Springs) will start at 8 a.m. All lev- els of ability welcome. falters Registration begins at 6:45 a.m. and ends at 7:30 a.m. Registration details at Faces resistance from www.FriendsOfOleno.org. both sides of the aisle. Proceeds go to O’Leno’s Nature Center. The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Car show Accompanied by the father Racing for a Cure 2018 — and brother of a student slain the 10th annual Fort White during last month’s mass Car Show for cystic fibro- shooting in sis — will be held from 9 Parkland, a.m. to 2 p.m. at Fort White Gov. Rick Community Center, 17579 Scott made a State Road 47, Fort White. rare appear- Email cbrownsracing@aol. ance before com for more or to register. the House and Senate Scott Chili cook-off/car show on Thursday The American Legion to urge lawmakers to pass Riders of American Legion a sweeping measure aimed Post 57 will hold its fourth at making schools safer and annual chili cook-off and clas- keeping guns out of the hands sic car show from 11 a.m. of mentally ill people. to 2 p.m. at 2602 SW Main The governor’s direct Blvd. Admission is $5, which message to the Legislature, includes a wristband for a Photos by TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter with the aid of grieving par- spoon of unlimited sampling Braxton Dukes (in no particular order), Tyler-Clayton Griffis, Ryan Hardin, Hayden Johnson and Katie ent Ryan Petty, came as the of chili. Hot dogs, chips and Caren, all of Union County, examine a tree as they try to determine its circumference and what the House earlier in the day put sodas/water available. Draft wood would be used for commercially during the Suwannee Regional Envirothon Thursday at FGC. a school-safety plan on hold. beer, $1. A portion of the Republican leaders acknowl- proceeds will benefit the edged the plan — opposed by Double Six Service Dog the National Rifle Association, Organization. Area students hone their skills Envirothon draws teams SCOTT continued on 2A Bowl-a-thon from Branford, SHS and CARC — Advocates for Citizens with Disabilities, Union Co. high schools. Inc. will host its 25th annu- By TONY BRITT OPIOID SUIT al bowl-a-thon at Lake City [email protected] Bowl (347 SW State Road 247, Lake City) with ses- From identifying animal skulls County sions at 1 and 3 p.m. Team and tracks to distinguishing registration is $50 for a team types of soil, 10 high school will hear of five people, which covers teams put their knowledge of two games of bowling and environmental science, biolo- shoe rental. All proceeds gy and chemistry to the test pitch from will go to CARC. For more Thursday at the Suwannee information or to register, Regional Envirothon at Florida attorneys call 386-752-1800 and ask Gateway College. for Kathy. Three schools competed: By CARL MCKINNEY Branford High, Suwannee High [email protected] Miss Fort White and Union County High. The Miss Fort White Union County students Baylor Burch (from left), Logan Martin, Columbia County commis- and Junior Miss Fort White FGC continued on 2A Joey Layton and Jordan Esco examine a skull during the event. sioners on Thursday said they Pageant will be held at 6 p.m. were willing to hear out a law in the Fort White Elementary firm’s proposal to sue opioid Auditorium. Tickets at the manufacturers and distribu- door, $5 for adults and $2 for Pam Tillis added to Jam lineup tors for their financial impact students. Flowers and con- to taxpayers, but the plan has cessions will be available. Two-time Grammy winner bringing already encountered some unique style to Spirit of Suwannee. resistance. Acoustic jam County Attorney Joel The March gathering From staff reports Foreman asked the commis- of the SongFarmers of the Country legend Pam Tillis has been added sion if it would hear a presen- Suwannee River Valley will to the lineup for the Suwannee River Jam at the tation from Avera & Smith, be held from 7 to 9 p.m. at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park May 2-5. part of a coalition of law firms St. James Episcopal Church, The child of country music royalty, Tillis was that is encouraging munici- 2423 SW Bascom Norris determined from a young age to find her own palities throughout the East Drive, Lake City. Acoustic way in music as a singer and songwriter. Coast to file suits to recover jam format. Musicians, She has had six number ones, 14 top 10 money the opioid crisis forced friends and families wel- singles, more than 30 singles charting on U.S. governments to spend on come. No charge. For more, Billboard charts and selling more than seven treatment, law enforcement call Skip Johns at 386-344- COURTESY 2906. TILLIS continued on 2A Pam Tillis. PITCH continued on 2A Vol. 143, No. 240 Obituary . 3A CALL US: TODAY’S WEATHER (386) 752-1293 Opinion . 4A Faith & Values . 5-6A FAITH AND VALUES SUBSCRIBE TO What is Joy Behar hearing? 5A. THE REPORTER: 74 43 TV guide . 2B Voice: 755-5445 Mostly sunny, 2A Advice & Comics . 3-4B Fax: 752-9400 A2 2A FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2018 DAILY BRIEFING LAKE CITY REPORTER 911 call center split on hold QUICK HITS Scripture of the Day By CARL MCKINNEY minute, when he received an email ommends and has worked with the [email protected] from County Manager Ben Scott Sheriff’s Office to address its issues. "Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest outlining Scott’s analysis of how Hunter and the county couldn’t not what a day may bring forth." Instead of a divorce, the Columbia personnel and funds could be split come to terms with how the funds — Proverbs 27:1 (KJV) County Sheriff’s Office and the between the county and Sheriff’s and personnel should be split if County Commission-controlled 911 Office. the Sheriff’s Office took over law call center will seek counseling. Hunter said he is responsible for enforcement dispatch. Thought for Today During a Thursday workshop ensuring the securi- Hunter proposed a 50/50 split, but focused on Sheriff Mark Hunter’s ty of the law enforce- Scott said that plan would require People with real power never fear of losing it. People proposal to take over the law ment dispatch sys- the county to cut expenses else- with control think of little else. enforcement dispatch side of the tem, but yet he has where in its budget. — Joss Whedon operation and keep it separate from no control over it. Commissioner Rusty DePratter fire and ambulance services, the He alluded to an suggested Hunter and Brazil work commission voted to put the plan incident in which a together to fix problems with the on hold and instead form a working 911 center employee 911 center instead of separating it Winning Lottery Numbers Hunter group to address Hunter’s frustra- might have posted into two entities. Pick 3: (Thursday midday) 1-7-0 tions with the 911 center. confidential informa- “I’m just not ready to break up Pick 4: (Thursday midday) 8-0-1-0 “If we can make it work as is, I’m tion on social media, yet,” DePratter said. Pick 5: (Thursday midday) 4-9-1-8-8 OK with that,” Hunter told the com- another issue involv- DePratter made a motion to mission. ing an unauthorized, form a working group consisting of Prior to the vote, Hunter out- unsecured router Hunter, Brazil and Commissioner See an error? lined the main areas of concern that being connected to Bucky Nash, which will look into The Lake City Reporter corrects errors of fact in news prompted him to ask for the split. a 911 center system, issues with the 911 center and come items. If you have a concern, question, or suggestion, The 911 center was placed under and said he wasn’t DePratter back to the commission with a rec- please call the editor. Corrections and clarications will the commission’s control around consulted when a ommendation in two months. run in this space. Thanks for reading. 2009. camera with remote-access capabil- Scott supported the idea. Hunter said he was a major advo- ities was installed in the facility. “To me, that should be your start- cate for the move at the time, but “I think it’s our collective respon- ing point,” Scott said. Submissions has constantly been left out of the sibility to set this thing up for suc- Commissioners voted unanimous- The Lake City Reporter accepts photographs and caption information to run at the discretion of the editor. If you would loop with regard to the facility. cess,” he said. ly in favor of the motion. like to see your organization in the newspaper, send the picture He said he wasn’t even aware The 911 center’s director, Tom “It’s too early in the game to and information to associate editor Justin Caudell at there was a workshop scheduled Brazil, said he is willing to consider throw in the towel,” said County [email protected].