A1 + PLUS >> Cops: Woman battered girlfriend with ashtray, Story below. SPORTS SPORTS CHS swimmer SEC hoops of the year preview See Page 1B See Page 1B WEEKEND EDITION FRIDAY & SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29 & 30, 2017 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | $1.00 Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM YEAR IN REVIEW MAULING After 2 A hurricane, attacks, Today dog to ‘Baby & Me’ an eclipse “Baby & Me,” a library program for parents and stay put babies, is held on Fridays at 11 a.m. at the main branch of the Columbia County and chaos Won’t be confiscated Public Library, 308 NW unless owner refuses Columbia Ave. in downtown to follow new rules. Lake City. For more infor- mation about the library’s By CARL MCKINNEY at City Hall FILE PHOTOS children’s programs, call [email protected] 386-758-2101. The owner of a dog that Library book sale Part 3: July-Sept. mauled a young child in The Columbia County Columbia County and later Public Library West Branch Wind, rain and awe; bit a man in Suwannee (435 NW Hall of Fame plus council suffers County can Drive, Lake City) is holding public meltdown. keep the a special holiday book sale What canine if he until Saturday. Patrons can do you follows certain fill a bag with books for $3. Editor’s note: Our look think? rules, an offi- For more information, call back at 2017 continues nLet us cial said. 386-758-1321. today, with a nod to the big know in a Animal con- stories from July through Letter to trol officers No dinner and dancing September, and ends the Editor. are moving The Lifestyle Enrichment Sunday. Your comments — See 4A. to hold a dan- Center’s Friday night danc- either on what we picked gerous-dog es are postponed until or what we didn’t — are hearing for Pigtail, said Friday, Jan. 5. always welcome. Send them Suwannee County Sheriff’s to P.O. Box 1709, Lake City, Office Lt. Wayne Musgrove, Saturday FL 32056; drop them off at who oversees the division. 180 E. Duval St.; or email If a judge declares the ani- Farmers market them to rbridges@lake TOP: The mal dangerous, Bencivenga The Lake DeSoto cityreporter.com. sun as must house Pigtail in an Farmers Market is open seen in enclosure approved by every Saturday in the park- Irma arrives downtown local authorities and sub- ing lot at Marion Avenue and Lake City mit to periodic inspections, Duval Street, across from No lives were reported at 2:40 Musgrove said. the Courthouse Annex. lost during Hurricane Irma p.m. on The dog would have to Hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. when it struck Columbia Monday, be chained when inside the Visitors will find vegetables, County on Monday, Sept. 11. Aug. 21. kennel and can only leave if dairy products, eggs and But it was close. Here’s a ABOVE: muzzled and on a leash. baked goods. In most cases, story from our Wednesday, Damage Bencivenga would also produce is locally grown in Sept. 13 edition that shows from be required to post visi- small gardens with no pes- just how close, for one family. Hurricane ble warning signs at every ticides or chemical fertiliz- Irma. LEFT: entry point to his property. ers. The farmers market is They were supposed to Chasteen’s a project of the Lake City be right there. Downtown DOG continued on 2A Community Redevelopment Carole Strickland had closed its Agency. For more informa- told her parents’ guests doors on tion, call 386-719-5766 or how to get into the house, Friday, visit market.lcfla.com. where to find water and tea Aug. 14. Woman hit in the refrigerator, to bring BELOW: Potluck dinner flashlights just in case. Two klans- girlfriend A potluck dinner at 7 The family of Strickland’s men, for- p.m. and dancing from 7:30 mother’s home health mer prison with ashtray, to 10:30 p.m. occurs each aide lives in a mobile guards, Saturday at either Lake home. They wanted to go were con- police say Butler Elementary School somewhere safer before victed on or Lake Butler Social Club. Hurricane Irma passed Aug. 11 of By CARL MCKINNEY Dress code is casual dressy through. They figured the conspiracy [email protected] and special occasion. house on Arredondo Place to murder Admission is $10 for club would meet their needs. a former A Lake City woman beat members or $12 for guests. They planned to set up inmate. her girlfriend with an ash- To confirm dancing loca- shop in the den in the mid- tray Wednesday night, then tion or for more, call Sharon dle of the house, the area tried to choke a witness Davis at 813-679-5390. that is supposed to be saf- who came est during the storm. to inves- Sunday By the time they got tigate the organized Sunday night, altercation, Bingo games though, the power was according Bingo games are offered out all over town, and they to reports. every Sunday, Monday and decided to ride out the Jamie Thursday at 6:45 p.m. at the storm. Starling Irene American Legion Post 57, At some point during Starling, 2602 SW Main Blvd. in Lake the night, an oak tree fell 34, of Southwest Theresa City. There are three $250 onto the house where they Court, faces domestic vio- jackpots each night. Quarter had planned to stay, split- lence and battery charges games are played at 3 p.m. ting it in two. after the Lake City Police Refreshments are available “They were supposed to Department responded to a at reasonable prices. For more, call 386-752-7776. 2017 continued on 3A BATTERY continued on 2A Vol. 143, No. 190 CALL US: TODAY’S WEATHER Opinion . 4A (386) 752-1293 Faith & Values . 5-6A FAITH AND VALUES SUBSCRIBE TO TV guide . 2B THE REPORTER: 56 36 Evaluate 2017 to prepare for 2018, 5A. Voice: 755-5445 Decreasing clouds, 2A Advice & Comics . 3-4B Fax: 752-9400 A3 2A FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2017 DAILY BRIEFING LAKE CITY REPORTER Health care spending, regulations QUICK HITS confront Florida lawmakers in ’18 Scripture of the Day “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy larger than anticipated pop- who, quoting Sen. Lizbeth on new funding requests By CHRISTINE SEXTON laden, and I will give you rest.” The News Service of Florida ulation, to the implicit costs Benacquisto, notes that the during the 60-day session, — Matthew 11:28 (KJV) of things like the overtime average Medicaid-funded which starts Jan. 9. TALLAHASSEE — paid to our (state employ- nursing home resident in “You have to make dif- Battles over health care ees) who are in charge of Florida is an 85-year-old ficult decisions,” Negron Thought for Today spending and regulation of registering and providing woman. said of crafting the state Florida’s vast health care (benefits) to all those new “These are the women budget. “That’s why I think Change, like sunshine, can be a friend or a foe, a industry are likely to com- enrollees, all of those costs who shaped our communi- the budget process is fasci- blessing or a curse, a dawn or a dusk. mand a great deal of time must be paid for before we ties. We have a responsibil- nating.” — William Arthur Ward and attention when the can start looking at new ity to give them the highest While the annual bud- Florida Legislature con- programs,” he said. level of care,” Negron said. get is the only bill the venes in January for its Nevertheless, Brodeur The Stuart Republican Legislature is required to Winning Lottery Numbers annual session. said members have filed also said he would like to pass when it meets, it isn’t Lawmakers are again more than 200 requests to help the industry offset the the only piece of health care Pick 3: (Thursday midday) 6-7-9 expected to engage in a fund local projects “which is costs of generators that Gov. legislation that members Pick 4: (Thursday midday) 6-4-8-3 tug-of-war about what type the exact opposite of `small Rick Scott has mandated for will focus on. Pick 5: (Thursday midday) 0-4-9-7-3 of regulations should be in government.’” nursing homes after deaths Indeed, there are hun- place for health care facili- During the 2017 session, at a Broward County nurs- dreds of bills filed for con- ties, but a main focus will be legislators agreed ing home following sideration, from requiring See an error? on Florida’s strained safe- to change how the Hurricane Irma. birth centers to report The Lake City Reporter corrects errors of fact in news ty-net health program at a state pays nursing Negron predicted adverse events to state items. If you have a concern, question, or suggestion, time of tight state finances. homes to provide that the generators health care regulators (SB please call the editor. Corrections and clarications will Florida’s Medicaid pro- care for the poor “will ultimately be 510 and HB 673) to autho- run in this space. Thanks for reading. gram already costs $26 bil- and seniors who a shared endeavor rizing new needle-exchange lion and covers an estimat- rely on Medicaid. between the state programs to try to prevent ed 4 million people. Lawmakers decid- and the industry.” the spread of infectious dis- Brodeur Submissions A July snapshot by the ed to scrap a long- But Negron’s eases (SB 800 and 579).