1A SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2013 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | $1.00 Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM SUNDAY All-American Ousted NAACP EDITION Tunsil reacts to president breaks Parade honor. 1B her silence. 4A Teacher Murder of Year CAR RAMS HOUSE hopefuls trial set ready to begin 14 educators vie for district-wide Man set fire that killed honors on Weds. his live-in girlfriend in 2009, say prosecutors. From staff reports From staff reports Fourteen local educators will represent their schools The murder trial of a man accused at the District Teacher of of setting a June 2009 house fire that the Year ceremonies at First killed his live-in girlfriend starts Presbyterian Church on Monday at the Columbia County Wednesday. Courthouse. The guest speaker will According to prosecutors, be Alexandre Lopes, 2013 Kenneth Allen Florida Teacher of the Ford, 46, set fire to Year and Christa McAuliffe his 238 NW Bagel Ambassador for Education. Court mobile The program is set for 4 home the morn- p.m., with a reception to fol- ing of Sunday, low at 5. June 7, 2009. The 14 teachers of the The body of year were chosen by their Kristy L. Whatley Ford peers at the schools where DEREK GILLIAM/Lake City Reporter was found inside they teach. Cory Russell and Alfred Johnson survey the damage caused by a car crashing into a house off Greg Place in the home later “They are representative Lake City. Johnson was sleeping on a coach when he heard the sound of the car smashing its way through that morning. of the high qualities of all the wall. Russell said he was in the living room when he when he heard a boom. The fire was deemed suspicious teachers in our district,” early on, and Ford, apprehended said Dorothy S. Spradley, in Polk County, was identified as a district volunteer/education person of interest and transferred marketing coordinator. “It Woman said to be angry at boyfriend to the Columbia County jail. is most important to have The fire was reported to authori- this recognition program to She reportedly hit part of a wood- knew Mixon was angry because ties at 8:30 that morning by a neigh- showcase our nominees and en fence and her boyfriend had reportedly bor. all teachers and to let them house, then chased s i d e s w i p i n g cheated on her. Johnson said he Ford was indicted by a Columbia know how much we truly him in her car. a car parked was shocked that she crashed County grand jury in September appreciate their many con- behind the her car into the house. 2009 on charges of arson and first- tributions, hard work, dedi- By DEREK GILLIAM house. After Mixon chased her boy- degree murder. cation, creativity, selfless- [email protected] Mixon faces friend around the house, Russell Ford had been arrested in May ness and care they give the charges of Mixon said, she stopped at the front 2009 in Columbia County on kid- students in our schools.” As a car crashed into the a g g r a v a t e d of the house, windshield spider- napping and other charges. He had house and the tires smoked assault with a weapon and two webbed, and started yelling at been released on $5,000 bond and TEACHERS continued on 3A white, Alfred Johnson woke up counts of damage to property. the man she had been chasing. was required to maintain electronic and at first thought it was a Cory Russell was at the house Then she sped down the street a monitoring, but reportedly fled the tornado. The wall was bowed in when the rampage started. He few houses before sheriff’s depu- jurisdiction. and the 50-inch television had heard a boom while he was in The murder trial begins at 9 a.m. ties cut her off and stopped her. Pair mark slid near where he lay sleeping the living room. Russell and his and will be presided over by Circuit Russell said the destruc- on the couch, but there was no friend, who he said had been Judge Paul Bryan. tion was over in about three 35 years in wind. dating Mixon for the past two When the car backed up and years, went outside to see what minutes. restaurant rammed the house a second made the sound. The man chased by Mixon in time, he knew it wasn’t a storm. “Her foot was on the gas, and the car left the property when Plum Creek business Allegedly, 22-year-old Alexis white smoke was coming out police arrived and was not avail- Shemeka Mixon repeatedly of the tires, then she backed able for comment. Contact infor- has a new crashed her car into the house up and ran into it at least two mation was left with Russell and By DEREK GILLIAM on Greg Place off Llewellyn more times,” Russell said. “Then Johnson, but the alleged victim [email protected] Avenue in Lake City about 10 she backed up and tried to run had not contacted the Lake City partner for a.m. Friday. According to wit- over my friend who was running Reporter by Saturday night. When the Chasteens nesses, she rammed the house around the house trying to get The Columbia County development opened their first resturant of her 18-year-old boyfriend away from her.” Sheriff’s Office had not released in 1978, they wanted to then chased him with her vehi- Johnson said the two had the arrest report by press time By DEREK GILLIAM serve home-style cooking cle around the home, destroying recently had an argument. He Saturday night. [email protected] that would pack the house seven days a week. The for- The North Florida Intermodal mer owner of the property Park has a new partner after Plum told them they wouldn’t last Black History Month under way Creek Timber Company and The three months. Rockefeller Group signed an agree- “He said we wouldn’t ment to pursue a joint-venture devel- make a living serving opment project at the 2,622-acre site collard greens,” Robert near Lake City. Chasteen said. “So needless Plum Creek, the largest landown- to say, we’re here still — 35 er in the United States, currently years later.” owns the land at the intermodal The Chasteens celebrat- park. ed their 35th anniversary as Plans for the intermodal park restaurateurs on Friday, and include developing the area into although they moved loca- a hub of commercial and indus- tions and changed names, trial activity. According to a news the couple still prides them- release, the joint venture will look at selves on their attention to developing manufacturing and dis- detail and commitment to tribution centers as well developing hard work. an inland port and office buildings. Through all 35 years, The site is on the south side of U.S. Emmie and Robert 90 on the east side of town. Chasteen have worked side In the beginning of January, by side. workers started clearing the land to “He’s still my best friend,” make the project “shovel ready” for Emmie Chasteen said. business prospects. It’s a family business and The area where the joint venture all three of their daughters is planned would also include the put in time at the restaurant. 500-acre parcel known as the cata- They started out across lyst site. from the airport in 1978 at a At the last stakeholder meet- place called Robert’s Dock. JASON MATTHEW WALKER/Lake City Reporter ing held on Jan. 14, Rick Moore, Members of The Baby Hines Singers & Cedar Park Community Crew perform at the kickoff of Black History CHASTEEN’S continued on 3A Month at the Richardson Community Center on Friday. See more photos, Page 7A. PLUM CREEK continued on 3A Vol. 138, No. 264 Opinion . 4A CALL US: TODAY IN COMING (386) 752-1293 Business . 1C5A 9167 6433 Obituaries . 5A PEOPLE TUESDAY SUBSCRIBE TO SunnyT-Storm and Chance breezy Obituaries . 6A THE REPORTER: Advice.Advice & . .Comics . .. 5D8B Washington tops City council Voice: 755-5445 Puzzles . 5B Fax: 752-9400 WEATHER, 2A8A Puzzles . 2B NAACP awards. coverage. 2A 2A LAKE CITY REPORTER SUNDAY REPORT SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2013 Page Editor: Jim Barr, 754-0424 Friday: Friday: Saturday: Saturday: Saturday: Saturday: 4-15-26-40 21 1-9-15-32-35 Afternoon: 3-4-1 Afternoon: 4-6-0-8 1-9-15-32-35 7-9-10-42-45-49 Evening: N/A Evening: N/A x3 AROUND FLORIDA Legislature puts employee salaries online TALLAHASSEE — to reduce early voting in a screened patio area, Floridians will finally get from 14 to eight days was and the other was in the a chance on their own to discriminatory because kitchen. find out how much people blacks vote early in higher Both boys had been are getting paid to work percentages. strangled with a rope, for the Florida Legislature. Corrigan ordered pre- Slater said. The two Republican trial disclosures and inter- Zavala was discovered leaders of the Florida views to begin on Feb. 22 in the kitchen with a self- House and Florida Senate and be completed by Sept. inflicted gunshot wound. quietly this week added 6. No trial date yet has He had shot Mario several links on legislative web- been set. times before turning the sites that allow people gun on himself, Slater said. to look up legislative The couple also has a employee salaries. The two Man kills sons, 19-year-old son, who does chambers are also posting then himself not live at the home.