A3 SATURDAY/SUNDAY, FEB. 29-MARCH 1, 2020 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | $2 WEEKEND EDITION Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM >> TRAVEL SUNDAY + PLUS TALES Sandy READY visits Sea 1D TO SOAR Island Sean of the South Opinion/4A MISS FORT WHITE PAGEANT/6A LIFE/1D CORONAVIRUS LAKE CITY GATEWAY Feeling AIRPORT ill? Don’t FINAL 4 Regional come to TIGERS SEAL FIRST BERTH SINCE ’68 hub could school be coming Local district taking precautionary steps just in case. sooner than By CARL MCKINNEY [email protected] As world leaders try to you think contain the outbreak, local school officials are com- municating with the county City Manager Helfenberger has health department to for- a 5-year plan to make it happen. mulate a plan should the coronavirus strike Florida. By CARL MCKINNEY Though there are not [email protected] yet any known cases of the virus in the Sunshine As a major trucking company prepares State, Columbia County to set up shop on Bell Road and a project Superintendent Lex is underway to install a rail spur at the Carswell sent a memo to North Florida Mega Industrial Park east all the School District’s of town, the city’s top appointed officials principals Friday urging plan to transform Lake City Gateway precaution. The novel coro- Airport into a cargo shipping hub. navirus, dubbed COVID-19, Lake City Manager Joe Helfenberger met has an average mortality with state and federal officials earlier in the rate of about one in fifty, week to discuss grants that can fund the according to the best infor- infrastructure upgrades mation currently available needed to help the airport to health officials. attract and accommodate cargo businesses such as SICK continued on 3A Amazon or FedEx. “Our airport can be a game-changer,” Helfenberger said. “My Helfenberger vision for the airport is to Ready create a regional hub.” The city is developing a five-year plan that includes new-hangar construction for dog- and other improvements. Larger metropolitan airports are inter- friendly ested in diverting cargo service else- where to make room for more lucrative commercial flights. Miami International, dining? for instance, routes overflow cargo to a smaller facility in South Florida. By CARL MCKINNEY “The Lake City airport is poised to do a [email protected] BRENT KUYKENDALL/Lake City Reporter similar thing,” Helfenberger said. The Columbia High Tigers are going to the Final Four after a 70-65 win over Mainland Werner Trucking, a major player in the Dog owners and foodies Friday night in Lake City. It’s the first time a CHS hoops team has gotten that far in the transportation industry, is already poised rejoice. to set up shop on Bell Road and a project The Lake City Council state playoffs in 52 years. Here, shooting guard Jordan Smith is carried on the shoul- ders of students who rushed the court at the buzzer. Read all about it in Sports, 1B. is ongoing to build a rail spur connecting on Monday will hold the North Florida Mega Industrial Park to cit- final reading of an ordi- ies throughout the region. nance that will allow dogs “Given that I-75 and I-10 intersect here, in outdoor dining areas of you have railroads and you’ve got the air- local restaurants. Early voting for primary starts next Sat. port — we’ve got all the major transpor- State law allows the tation advantages to create a cargo hub city to adopt a local lots from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 The ballot will also feature By TONY BRITT here,” Helfenberger said. exemption from certain p.m.at the Columbia County three referendum questions [email protected] If a company such as FedEx could be FDA regulations. In Supervisor of Elections regarding future City of office, 971 W. Duval St. Lake City elections. convinced to set up a ground service hub this case, the ordinance Early voting in Columbia on Bell Road, that could evolve into air would require the restau- County for the 2020 Suite 102 or in Fort White Liz P. Horne, Columbia County Supervisor of service, he said. The airport could also rants to get a permit to Presidential Preference at 17579 SW State Road 47. handle overflow from the industrial park. allow patrons’ dogs on Primary will begin Saturday, The sites will be open daily Elections, said Florida is a closed primary state and vot- “There would be good synergy,” their properties. March 7. for early voting from March Helfenberger said. Voters can cast their bal- 7-March 14. EARLY continued on 3A DOGS continued on 3A AIRPORT continued on 3A CORRECTION Hospitals’ assets will be sold before facilities themselves and North Florida Regional pitals’ assets will be sold off to would dissolve the assets after facilities, but before turning By ROBERT BRIDGES Medical Center in Gainesville, facilities in HCA Healthcare’s the transaction is complete. them over to HCA. [email protected] is going to buy Shands Live North Florida Division, and In fact, Community Health “We are pleased to acquire We goofed, folks. Oak and Shands Starke, as will then function as emergen- Systems Inc., current owner these facilities and provide Or rather, I did. we reported on Friday’s front cy rooms only. of Shands Live Oak and exceptional 24/7 emergency Hospital Corporation of page. Due to an editing error in Shands Starke, will sell off care to the residents of Live America, parent company of Before the transaction is Friday’s paper, a front-page most non-ER assets after ceas- Lake City Medical Center complete, the bulk of both hos- story made it sound like HCA ing in-patient services at both HOSPITALS continued on 2A Naegler Vol. 145, No. 252 Obituaries . 3A CALL US: TODAY’S WEATHER (386) 752-1293 Opinion . 4A SUBSCRIBE TO Sports . 1B THE REPORTER: 63 31 Classifieds. 5B Voice: 755-5445 Fax: 752-9400 Sunny, 2A Business . 1C WWWWW 2A SATURDAY/SUNday, FEB. 29-MARCH 1, 2020 LOCAL LAKE CITY REPORTER LAKE CITY GARDEN CLUB QUICK HITS Scripture of the Day “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” Scrabble winners — 2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV) Thought for Today The Lake City You can never plan the future by the past. Garden Club held — Edmund Burke, 1729-1797, Irish statesman its sixth annual Scrabble tourna- ment fundraiser Thursday night Winning Lottery Numbers at The Clubhouse Pick 3: (Thursday p.m.) 4-2-2 with 23 teams Pick 4: (Thursday p.m.) 3-4-0-8 competing. The Fantasy 5: (Thursday) 1-2-10-18-30 winning team was CrossFit 1075, which See an error? consisted of The Lake City Reporter corrects errors of fact in news Sheila Sparks items. If you have a concern, question, or suggestion, (left), owner of please call the editor. Corrections and clarifications will CrossFit, and run in this space. Thanks for reading. her sister, Alisha Cady. This was Submissions their first year The Lake City Reporter accepts photographs and caption playing. Proceeds information to run at the discretion of the editor. If you would raised during like to see your organization in the newspaper, send the picture the event go and information to [email protected]. to upkeep and maintenance of The Clubhouse. Lake City Reporter HOW TO REACH US ADVERTISING Main number ....... (386) 752-1293 Director Chris Ratliff Fax number ............ 752-9400 (386) 754-0417 Circulation............. 755-5445 ([email protected]) Online .... www.lakecityreporter.com The Lake City Reporter, an affiliate CLASSIFIED COURTESY of Community Newspapers Inc., Kym Harrison is published Tuesday through (386) 755-5440 Saturday/Sunday at 180 E. Duval ([email protected]) St., Lake City, FL 32055. Periodical postage paid at Lake City, Florida, BUSINESS OFFICE Member of The Associated Press Vickie Busscher and the Florida Press Association. (386) 754-0419 Assets will be sold before hospitals themselves All material herein is property of ([email protected]) the Lake City Reporter. No part of the contents of this publication may CIRCULATION Medical Center and Lake facilities. Recruitment and City Medical Center have a be reproduced in whole or in part Director Sara Mercer City Medical Center are human resources per- long-standing relationship without written permission of the (386) 754-0408 HOSPITALS publisher. ([email protected]) doing all they can to assist sonnel from HCA will be to caring, treating and sup- Continued From 1A U.S. Postal Service No. 310-880. The Lake City Reporter is home employees impacted on-site at Shands Live Oak porting patients in these POSTMASTER: Send address delivered Tuesday through Saturday, at Starke and Live Oak on Monday from 8 a.m. to communities. We look for- changes to Lake City Reporter, P.O. except on postal holidays, via U.S. Oak, Starke and the sur- Box 1709, Lake City, FL 32056. Postal Service. Please call 386-755- by providing applicants 5 p.m. and Shands Starke ward to continuing to serve 5445 to report any problems with rounding communities,” PUBLISHER Lake City Medical Center with career resources on Tuesday from 8 a.m. to the residents in these com- your delivery service. (circulation@ and job opportunities for 4 p.m. munities.” Publisher Todd Wilson lakecityreporter.com) CEO Rick Naegler said (386) 754-0418 in a written statement. employment at nearby “North Florida Regional ([email protected]) Home delivery rates HCA Healthcare affiliated Medical Center and Lake (Tuesday–Saturday/Sunday) “North Florida Regional NEWS 4 Weeks ...............................$10.70 Editor Robert Bridges 12 Weeks ............................$31.70 (386) 754-0428 24 Weeks ............................$54.15 ([email protected]) 52 Weeks ...........................