A3 + PLUS >> Judge rejects Brown’s bid to remain free pending appeal, Story below LOCAL SPORTS Christmas You never get worldwide tired of tennis See Page 6A See Page 1B THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2017 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | $1.00 Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM DUI ALLEGED DUNN: Kids in Bad info car for mom’s distorted arrest view of Took a cab to get her SUV, tells cops. tax bill By CARL MCKINNEY Says voters will soon [email protected] realize benefits of bill. A Branford woman faces charges for driving under By CARL MCKINNEY the influence with two small [email protected] children in the car, accord- ing to reports. Republicans on Capitol Hill were Siobhan Margaret in a state of euphoria following the Mitzel, 33, faces one count House and Senate’s legislative victo- of felony child neglect and ry in passing a sweeping tax reform a misdemeanor DUI charge package this week, and the mid- after failing ‘Not guilty,’ dle class will soon a series of share that feeling, field sobri- said Lake City’s ety tests congressman. in a liquor Rep. Neal Dunn, store park- R-Panama City, ing lot on whose district West U.S. h includes most of Mitzel says coac Dunn Highway Columbia County, 90, according to a Lake City said the public’s negativity toward Police Department report. Appears in court for the GOP plan will quickly die out Officers responded to second time since once the economic benefits become ABC Liquor around 7:40 apparent. p.m. Saturday, where an his return from N.Y. “I think this is the most positive employee had called about thing we could have ever done,” a woman “looking lost” in By CARL MCKINNEY Dunn told the Lake City Reporter the parking lot. [email protected] after the House passed the bill prior The employee said she to the Senate vote. “Now we need to could smell the strong odor The former Fort White High turn around and do the same thing of alcohol on the woman School soccer coach who faces with health care.” when she walked into the two felony charges for his Nearly every working American store and asked to borrow cross-country trip with 17-year- can expect to take home a bigger the phone, according to the old student Caitlyn Morgan paycheck when the tax cuts kick in, report. Frisina has pleaded not guilty to the lawmaker said. After learning there were both counts. Describing it as the “single two young children in the Rian Rodriguez, 27, appeared most important bill” he will ever car, the worker grew con- before Judge David Fina for his cerned and called author- arraignment Wednesday after- DUNN continued on 2A ities. noon at the Columbia County Photos by CARL MCKINNEY/Lake City Reporter Upon arriving at the Courthouse. TOP: Rodriguez listens as his attorney, Rod Smith, addresses the Holding his head low, judge. ABOVE: The former soccer coach awaits his turn in court. MITZEL continued on 2A Rodriguez stood silent and Judge rejects motionless as his attorney, Rod Carolina, Virginia and other before a judge the next day. Smith of Gainesville, confirmed locations Rodriguez and Caitlyn After Caitlyn’s Nov. 26 disap- Brown’s bid a plea of not guilty on his behalf, passed through on their jour- pearance gained national media Thought then spoke with the prosecutor ney from Columbia County to attention, a major crimes inves- to remain free and judge about the schedule for Syracuse, New York, officials tigator with the New York State girl was 16, upcoming proceedings. said. Police found her with Rodriguez during appeal The Third Circuit State A pre-trial status conference is on Dec. 1. man tells Attorney’s Office charged set for 9 a.m. Jan. 26. The officer, Todd Grant, had By JIM SAUNDERS Rodriguez with interfering with The Columbia County been searching the central part The News Service of Florida police the custody of a minor and Sheriff’s Office took Rodriguez of the state after hearing reports unlawful sex with a minor. into custody Dec. 14, following of the pair possibly being in the TALLAHASSEE — A feder- By CARL MCKINNEY The state has roughly 25 his extradition from Syracuse. al judge Wednesday rejected a [email protected] witnesses, mostly from South He made his first appearance COACH continued on 2A request by former Congresswoman Corrine Brown to stay out of prison A 19-year-old Lake City while she appeals a conviction for man and the partially nude her role in a charity scam. 15-year-old girl in his car U.S. District Judge Timothy claimed they were “just Corrigan ordered Brown, who talking” received a five- when police year sentence this caught month, to report them to prison Jan. 29 together unless she can late Sunday convince the 11th morning, U.S. District Court according of Appeals to allow Morris Brown to reports. her to remain free Tyler Jordan Morris, 19, during the appeal. of 212th Street, was arrest- CARL MCKINNEY/Lake City Reporter “Ms. Brown has been accorded ed on a charge of sexual all the consideration she is due, she assault without force on a Highway safety for the holidays has not met the standard to remain minor over the age of 12 Representatives from law enforcement, the Florida Department of Transportation, county on release pending appeal, and it government and other community groups gather in front of the Lake City Mall recently for an MORRIS continued on 2A annual press conference about the personal and societal costs of drunk driving. BROWN continued on 2A Vol. 143, No. 189 CALL US: TODAY’S WEATHER Opinion . 4A (386) 752-1293 Obituaries . 5A Aces all SUBSCRIBE TO TV guide . 2B Perfect scores THE REPORTER: 74 54 Voice: 755-5445 Advice & Comics . 3B on FSA, 5A. Fax: 752-9400 Partly cloudy, 2A A3 2A THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2017 DAILY BRIEFING LAKE CITY REPORTER DUNN QUICK HITS Continued From 1A see in his career, Dunn said the Scripture of the Day Republican plan will lead to better “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, wages and more jobs, ushering in a that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and continuation of the Reagan era. having done all, to stand.” — Ephesians 6:13 (KJV) “You will love the way the economy feels in another year,” he said. Addressing the overwhelming pub- Thought for Today lic opposition to the tax reform pack- age, Dunn said rampant misinforma- Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of tion is to blame. them are dirt. “The polls that you’re looking at — John Muir reflect people being misled by an awful lot of mudslinging on this bill that has no basis in truth,” he said. Winning Lottery Numbers One example, he said, is a new analysis from the Tax Policy Center, Pick 3: (Wednesday midday) 0-8-5 a nonpartisan think-tank based in Pick 4: (Wednesday midday) 2-9-3-8 Washington D.C., which found that Pick 5: (Wednesday midday) 8-7-6-4-9 53 percent of taxpayers will see a hike by 2027 under the GOP plan, while 83 percent of the benefits will go to the See an error? wealthiest 1 percent of Americans. OLIVIER DOULIERY/Tribune News Service The Lake City Reporter corrects errors of fact in news “This is exactly the kind of mud- President Donald Trump shakes hands with House Speaker Paul Ryan items. If you have a concern, question, or suggestion, slinging that makes people arrive at as they celebrate the tax bill’s passage with members of the House and please call the editor. Corrections and clarifications will false conclusions,” he said. “You have Senate on Wednesday during an event on the South Portico of the White run in this space. Thanks for reading. to look at things in a much more intel- House in Washington, D.C. ligent fashion.” The numbers are misleading Historically, tax cuts have strength- Dunn said the public will see Submissions because the study looks at the abso- ened the economy, Dunn said, adding through the myths and view the bill The Lake City Reporter accepts photographs and caption lute monetary value of the tax cuts, that there’s no reason to believe the in a more positive light within the next information to run at the discretion of the editor. If you would ignoring one key factor, Dunn said. results will be different in this case. several months. like to see your organization in the newspaper, send the picture “If you’re playing with statistics, “They gave us growth that real- Republican lawmakers should do and information to associate editor Justin Caudell at you can make a lot of things look ly made America the leader of the more to communicate the benefits of [email protected]. true,” he said. world,” he said. the tax plan to constituents, he said. When the benefits are measured as The legislation will encourage U.S. “We need to counter the negative a percentage of income, Dunn said, companies, which have been driven messaging that has been so rampant,” Lake City Reporter it’s clear that the middle class is the overseas by a high corporate tax rate, Dunn said. HOW TO REACH US BUSINESS.............. 754-0419 biggest winner. to reinvest in domestic manufactur- Town halls won’t likely be a part of Main number ........ (386) 752-1293 Fax number .............. 752-9400 CIRCULATION “The rich, by far, get the smaller tax ing, Dunn said.