A3 SATURDAY/SUNDAY, JANUARY 25-26, 2020 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | $2 WEEKEND EDITION Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM >> TASTE SUNDAY + PLUS BUDDIES A gift right Super from the Bowl 1D heart feast Sean of the South Opinion/4A Two district titles for CHS/1B LIFE/1D Big blood shortage/3A ‘Get out in the name of Jesus’ CHARTER REVIEW Don’t nix Mystery unsolved districts, says CRC seven years later member Will countywide voting Armed robber ran into soon be on the ballot? something he didn’t By CARL MCKINNEY expect: Women of faith [email protected] who didn’t fear him A radical shakeup to the way Columbia County officials are elected may be in the works. A member of the board appointed to propose changes to the county charter says the controversial plan will dilute the political power of the black commu- nity. A charter review board is Bowden empaneled once every eight years to re-examine the document out- lining the structure and rules of county government. The board has an outside attorney looking into the possibility of switching to an at-large voting system for coun- ty commissioners, meaning they FILE PHOTOS CRC continued on 2A ABOVE: Jacquie Man falsely accused Hagler (pointing) tells a would-be armed robber to Jasper woman has been imprisoned “Get out in the name of Jesus” in faces charges in since for burglary this reenactment staged weeks By CARL MCKINNEY later by The 700 car theft case [email protected] Club for televi- Even seven years later, Jacquie sion. LEFT: Tyler By CARL MCKINNEY Hagler can hardly go a week with- Hagler, 23, Jacquie [email protected] out thinking about that night. News Hagler’s stepson, outlets around played the role of A Jasper woman was arrested for the world picked the gunman in the grand theft auto Thursday morn- up the story of an reenactment. ing after a vehicle reported stolen attempted jewelry from Hamilton County was sighted heist in little Lake on Southeast Nettles Drive in Lake City, thrusting her Hagler thinks he may actually Hagler thought it was a sales gim- City, according to the Columbia into a spotlight she have. mick thought up by the woman County Sheriff’s Office. says never went “He took nothing. Just grabbed who organized the gathering. Around 10:23 a.m., deputies Lee away. his little duffel bag and hightailed “He just came out of nowhere,” responded to Southeast Nettles People still reach it out of there. He didn’t even turn she said. Drive, where they found Erin out and ask for advice on how to around, just backed out facing It quickly became obvious that Thomas Simmons, 41. conquer their fears the way she us,” she said. “He saw an angel or it was no joke. That’s when Hagler A person at the home told dep- did, Hagler said. something — he may have even heard the words coming out of her uties that Simmons had been driv- The masked intruder was the seen Jesus.” mouth — words that would make ing the vehicle, according to a only one in the room with a gun, When the gunman came in international headlines. CCSO report. but he ran out like he’d seen the through a side door during a jew- face of God. elry party at her house in 2013, MYSTERY continued on 6A CAR continued on 6A Vol. 145, No. 227 CALL US: TODAY’S WEATHER Opinion . 4A (386) 752-1293 Obituaries. 5A SUBSCRIBE TO Sports . 1B THE REPORTER: 63 37 Classifieds. 5B Voice: 755-5445 Sunny, 2A Fax: 752-9400 Business . 1C WWWWW 2A SATURDAY/SUNday, JANUARY 25-26, 2020 LOCAL LAKE CITY REPORTER “Any attempt to go back voice to the minorities con- in District 1 decide who CRC to at-large voting is an centrated in District 1, rep- their county commissioner QUICK HITS Continued From 1A attempt to go back to the resented by Ron Williams, is going to be.” ‘good ole’ days’ where we the only black commis- Bowden, one of the Scripture of the Day would be chosen by voters didn’t have representation sioner in county history, plaintiffs in the 1980s law- countywide rather than dis- of our own Bowden suit that brought the court “For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is trict-by-district races. choosing,” ‘You’re spending said. ruling, believes the pro- Bowden countywide tax dollars, “You posal to go back to at-large the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.” Glenel Bowden, one of — Ecclesiastes 7:6 (KJV) the 15 members of the char- said. so why shouldn’t the can’t find voting will “definitely come ter board, says the move Prior citizens be able to vote nothing in up” before the charter would be a “nuclear bomb” to the 80s countywide?’ said CRC county his- board. He vowed to fight it targeting the black commu- court ruling, Chairman Robert Lane. tory where if that happens. Thought for Today nity, and it may fly in the Columbia a black “I think this is coming face of a still-binding federal County person won from people who want to Don’t think, just do. never had a black com- a countywide race,” he consolidate their power, I court ruling from the 1980s — Horace, 65 BC- 8 BC, Roman poet specifically forbidding the missioner due to the racial said. “Just like I don’t want think it’s people who don’t county and a handful of its demographics of the com- people in Miami and Fort have any respect for inclu- neighbors from adopting munity. Lauderdale deciding who sion,” he said. at-large voting. The switch to dis- my state representative is The charter board Winning Lottery Numbers trict-based voting gave a going to be, let the people can only make recom- mendations — it’s up to Pick 3: (Thursday p.m.) 0-2-7 the County Commission Pick 4: (Thursday p.m.) 2-2-1-7 whether to place those Fantasy 5: (Thursday) 13-15-16-21-35 recommendations on the ballot, and voters have the final say. See an error? Robert Lane, chairman The Lake City Reporter corrects errors of fact in news of the charter board, says items. If you have a concern, question, or suggestion, he supports going back to please call the editor. Corrections and clarifications will at-large voting. run in this space. Thanks for reading. “You’re spending county- wide tax dollars, so why shouldn’t the citizens be Submissions able to vote countywide?” The Lake City Reporter accepts photographs and caption he said. information to run at the discretion of the editor. If you would Lane said he doesn’t like to see your organization in the newspaper, send the picture believe an at-large voting and information to [email protected]. system will weaken the political power of the black community. Lake City Reporter “The dynamics in this HOW TO REACH US ADVERTISING county have changed Main number ....... (386) 752-1293 Director Chris Ratliff over the years to where I Fax number ............ 752-9400 (386) 754-0417 Circulation............. 755-5445 ([email protected]) really believe that it won’t Online .... www.lakecityreporter.com have an impact on the The Lake City Reporter, an affiliate CLASSIFIED diversity of this county,” of Community Newspapers Inc., Kym Harrison is published Tuesday through (386) 755-5440 Lane said. Saturday/Sunday at 180 E. Duval ([email protected]) Though the issue is St., Lake City, FL 32055. Periodical postage paid at Lake City, Florida, BUSINESS OFFICE not on the agenda for Member of The Associated Press Vickie Busscher the charter board’s next and the Florida Press Association. (386) 754-0419 meeting, which is set to All material herein is property of ([email protected]) the Lake City Reporter. No part of start at 6 p.m. on Jan. the contents of this publication may CIRCULATION 30 at the School Board be reproduced in whole or in part Director Sara Mercer without written permission of the (386) 754-0408 Administrative Complex, publisher. ([email protected]) 372 W. Duval St., Bowden U.S. Postal Service No. 310-880. The Lake City Reporter is home said he may bring it up. POSTMASTER: Send address delivered Tuesday through Saturday, changes to Lake City Reporter, P.O. except on postal holidays, via U.S. Box 1709, Lake City, FL 32056. Postal Service. Please call 386-755- 5445 to report any problems with PUBLISHER your delivery service. 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THE WEATHER 25 Sat 26 Sun 27 Mon 28 Tue 29 Wed Sunny Partly Mostly Sunny Cloudy Cloudy Cloudy HI 63 LO 37 HI 62 LO 42 HI 64 LO 39 HI 63 LO 40 HI 65 LO 43 REGIONAL FORECAST MAP for Saturday, Jan. 25 Saturday's highs/Saturday night's low Valdosta City Sunday Monday 60/38 Jacksonville 64/54/s 63/55/sh Tallahassee Lake City 65/42 Cape Canaveral 63/37 Daytona Beach 63/50/pc 60/51/sh 60/41 Gainesville Daytona Beach Fort Myers 70/57/s 66/53/sh Pensacola 72/64/s 74/60/sh Panama City 65/39 65/42 Ft.