1 TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | 75¢ Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM School grading system debated Superintendents Monday to consider limiting how put together at sor, Gerard Robinson, resigned tricts have entire departments much school grades will drop the request of shortly after a botched release of devoted to the testing and assess- pushing for stable this year. the State Board school grades last year, though ment, and superintendents of report card rules. Curbing the possible declines of Education. Robinson said he was leaving to those districts found problems in school scores — which would Bennett is set spend more time with his family. with the way the state was grad- By BRANDON LARRABEE essentially continue a policy from to report his Columbia County School ing schools. The News Service of Florida last year allowing the marks to findings back to Superintendent Terry Huddleston He said they estimated there drop no more than a letter grade Huddleston the board, likely attended a meeting two weeks would be more than a 500 per- TALLAHASSEE — at each school — was one of in mid-July, to ago in Tampa where Bennett was cent increase in schools receiv- Superintendents from across several recommendations the help limit the fallout when the questioned about how the state ing ‘F’ grades next year. the state pressed Education superintendents made during a next round of school report cards computes school grades. Commissioner Tony Bennett on meeting of a task force Bennett is rolled out. Bennett’s predeces- He said some large school dis- SCHOOLS continued on 3A ARTISTS IN THE MAKING No tax hike seen for city Manager says new estimates of revenue OK. By DEREK GILLIAM [email protected] City Manager Wendell Johnson indicated at Monday night’s council meeting the city property tax rate will stay the same as this year. Currently, the real estate tax rate is 3.9816 mills, which means in the city, a $100,000 home pays property taxes of $398.16. Johnson said the city’s tax- able value decreased by about $5 million, and that amount of a decrease will have little affect on the amount of taxes collected. Also, he provided an updat- ed budget workshop schedule. Budget workshops are where council members hammer out the details of how the city plans to spend tax money. The city council will hold budget workshops on August 5, August 6 and August 8. Photos by AMANDA WILLIAMSON/Lake City Reporter Johnson said he will offi- Jean Kunnemann creates a tree by placing watercolor on yupo, a synethic paper, and blowing the paint across the page with a straw, during the cially provide his recommen- Monday art class at Gateway Art Gallery, 461 SW Main Blvd. The classes are the first for the gallery, which opened in April. dation to the council at the July 15 meeting. The council could approve the property tax rate at that meeting. His recom- mendation will be to keep the property tax rate the same, he said. Council members have water concerns By DEREK GILLIAM [email protected] Lake City city council members expressed con- cerns about the future of local springs and rivers at Monday Marsha Hardy works her watercolor. Marie Brown teaches the class, Marie Brown, the instructor for “Tips, Tricks and Techniques,” dem- night’s coun- labeled “Tips, Tricks and Techniques,” which offers a collection of unique onstrates for her students how to use plastic wrap to create a unique cil meeting. ideas to use while painting. “grass-like” effect. Various classes will now be offered at the gallery. “It’s scary, it’s depress- ing that we may lose (our rivers and Stormy weather should ease off by Thursday springs) ... unless we do Moses By AMANDA WILLIAMSON producing heavy rain, the areas in the region will weather service said. of precipitation falls to 50 something,” [email protected] weather service office in see a thunderstorm before The Lake City percent, the weather ser- Councilwoman Melinda Jacksonville says. midnight. Independence Day cel- vice sad. Moses said. Thunderstorms are The Suwannee River On Wednesday, county ebration scheduled for The day should be “I didn’t know our rivers forecast to soak Columbia Valley is likely to see the residents can expect to Thursday should be able mostly sunny, with a high were in that bad of shape,” County for the rest of the largest amount of rain in see a partly sunny sky, to go on as planned at near 92 degrees. Councilman Eugene Jefferson week, but the National North Florida, reaching with thunderstorms likely the Columbia County Decker expects the rain said. “I think we need to do Weather Service says the approximately 3 inches by after noon. Fairgrounds, said to clear up before the 9:20 everything we can to protect worst should be over after Thursday night. The chance of rain will Dennille Decker, Lake p.m. fireworks launch. them.” today. The chance of precipi- continue to be 60 percent City-Columbia County However, if lightning dis- “(It’s) something that Showers and thunder- tation is predicted to fall during the day, but will Chamber of Commerce rupts the event, the fire- is very significant for our storms are likely after from 70 percent today to decline to 30 percent by executive director. works will be held Friday, noon today, with some 60 percent tonight. Most Wednesday night, the By Thursday, the chance she said. WATER continued on 3A Vol. 138, No. 370 People . 2A CALL US: TODAY IN COMING (386) 752-1293 86 72 Opinion . 4A PEOPLE WEDNESDAY SUBSCRIBE TO Thunderstorms Obituaries . 5A THE REPORTER: Advice & Comics . 3B Snorkeling Local news Voice: 755-5445 Fax: 752-9400 WEATHER, 2A Puzzles . 2B in the spring. roundup. 2AWEATHER 2A LAKE CITY REPORTER DAILY BRIEFING TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013 Page Editor: Jim Barr 754-0424 Celebrity Birthdays Saturday: Monday: Monday: n Actress Polly Holliday 52. 1-3-5-14-28-32 Afternoon: 4-8-1 Afternoon: 6-2-8-6 Sunday: (“Alice”) is 76. n Bassist Dave Parsons of x3 Evening: N/A Evening: N/A 3-13-17-25-36 n Writer-director Larry David Bush is 48. is 66. n Actress Yancy Butler n Keyboardist Roy Bittan of (“Witchblade”) is 43. PEOPLE IN THE NEWS the E Street Band is 64. n Singer Michelle Branch is n Model-actress Jerry Hall 30. is 57. n Actress Lindsay Lohan is n Actor Jimmy McNichol is 27. Jessica Simpson gives birth to son Daily Scripture NEW YORK essica Simpson’s daughter For by the grace given me I has a new playmate — a baby say to every one of you: Do not brother named Ace. think of yourself more highly Simpson’s rep confirmed that the entertainer gave birth than you ought, but rather Jto Ace Knute in Los Angeles think of yourself with sober on Sunday via planned C-sec- tion. The details were first reported judgment, in accordance with by Us Weekly. the faith God has distributed to This is the second child for Simpson and her fiance, Eric each of you. Johnson. Simpson gave birth to daughter Maxwell last year. “ — Romans 12:3 Simpson, who got her start as a singer and has a successful apparel and accessories line, most recently Lake City Reporter appeared on NBC’s “Fashion Star.” HOW TO REACH US Main number . .(386) 752-1293 BUSINESS Fax number . .752-9400 Controller Sue Brannon. .754-0419 Carrie Underwood gets Circulation . .755-5445 ([email protected]) Online . www.lakecityreporter.com CIRCULATION political on Twitter The Lake City Reporter, an affiliate of JASON MATTHEW WALKER/Lake City Reporter Community Newspapers Inc., is pub- Home delivery of the Lake City Reporter NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Carrie should be completed by 6:30 a.m. lished Tuesday through Friday and ” Underwood has found her voice on Snorkling the spring Sunday at 180 E. Duval St., Lake City, Tuesday through Friday, and by 7:30 Twitter. Fla. 32055. Periodical postage paid at a.m. on Sunday. Lake City, Fla. Member Audit Bureau of The country music star and Devon Dean, 13, of Albany, Ga., swims through the Ichetucknee Springs head. Please call 386-755-5445 to report any Circulation and The Associated Press. problems with your delivery service. former “American Idol” champion All material herein is property of the Lake In Columbia County, customers should admitted 3½ years ago she was City Reporter. Reproduction in whole or call before 10:30 a.m. to report a ser- in a recent interview. “So it’s kind of and no one was injured. in part is forbidden without the permis- afraid to join Twitter, but since vice error for same day re-delivery. After sion of the publisher. U.S. Postal Service neat that (tweet) led to that, which Lebanon fire chief Jason Lee says 10:30 a.m., next day re-delivery or ser- deciding to take the leap in 2011 No. 310-880. was really cool.” the bus was taking crew members vice related credits will be issued. she’s embraced the social media POSTMASTER: Send address changes Dave Smith, spokesman for to Nashville, Tenn., after a Sunday In all other counties where home delivery tool in ways that go beyond fan to Lake City Reporter, P.O. Box 1709, is available, next day re-delivery or ser- Tennessee’s Republican governor, concert in Chicago when the driver Lake City, Fla. 32056. engagement. Recently she used vice related credits will be issued. Twitter to oppose the “Ag Gag” bill said Haslam spoke to people on both spotted the flames around 4:45 a.m.