A3 + PLUS >> Martin Luther King festivities set for Monday, Story below CHS HOOPS LOCAL Boys rise Realtor in rankings of the Year See Page 5A See Page 3A THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2020 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | $1.00 Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM LC a big draw for the doggie set Irma fraud alleged; charges Pooch lovers’ paradise filed One-fifth of visitors Suwannee woman faces to county bring their up to 30 years in prison. pets with, says TDC. By CARL MCKINNEY By CARL MCKINNEY [email protected] [email protected] In the wake of a disas- Local tourism officials ter-relief scam related hope to turn the dog days to Hurricane Irma, a of summer into — well, the Suwannee County woman dog days of summer. could spend up to 30 years Fresh data shows about in prison, one-fifth of people who visit according the area are pet owners to the U.S. who travel Department with their of Justice. animals, Deanna said Paula Jo White, Vann, exec- 39, has utive direc- White been indict- tor of the ed for fraudulently claiming Columbia FEMA benefits for Irma Vann County in 2017, justice officials Tourist announced in a statement Development Council. It’s Wednesday. an encouraging number, If convicted, White Vann said, representing an would also have to pay opportunity for the TDC to restitution to the federal tap into a potentially lucra- government. tive demographic. When White applied “Dogs love to be out- for assistance through doors and they love adven- the agency’s Individuals ture, just like people,” she and Households Program said. “So why not market FILE PHOTOS in September 2017, she ourselves to the animal falsified information about lovers and let them expe- her primary residence, rience some of our great TOP: Beverley Langer and Daisy, a shih according to the Justice Department. outdoor activities?” tzu, relax for a moment while other dogs Just before Christmas, the TDC got back the run wild during a canine social event at IRMA continued on 2A results of a profile study Halpatter Brewing Company last February. it commissioned earlier RIGHT: Phil Sirota comforts Brutus the chi- in the year from the firm huahua during the event, a fundraiser for Uber Media. Despite the Covenant Pet Trust. LEFT: A young girl keeps Semi, pickup data suggesting Lake City her pup close by as they navigate the event has become a popular vaca- with their family. joust in road- DOGS continued on 2A rage incident By CARL MCKINNEY [email protected] A road-rage-fueled Martin Luther King festivities set for Monday argument set a pickup truck from Lake City on Parade, church — parades, church services and Angela Woody, Northeast are descendants of Minnie Lee more. Florida Leadership Council Grooms-Thomas, sister-in-law a collision course with a services, more The tradition will continue in secretary, said there will be 75 of Abraham Scott, one of the semi in Alachua County on are all planned. 2020 as local organizations have to 100 entries in the parade, founders of the NFLC: Linda V. Wednesday morning, and the smaller vehicle came scheduled community events on including the Ribault High Thomas, Patricia Thomas Brady, out on top, according to By TONY BRITT Monday to pay homage to the School Marching Band from Lendrick Thomas, Pilar Evette slain civil rights leader. Jacksonville. a Florida Highway Patrol [email protected] Thomas Burrows and Tacoma The Northeast Florida The parade will begin at 10 a.m. report. During the past three decades, Leadership Council will host its and the parade lineup is set for Sharlene Thomas Robinson. A Ford pickup, driven by Columbia County residents have annual MLK Grand Parade on 9 a.m. on South Marion Avenue At 11 a.m., Passion Through a Lake City man, took on a made it a tradition to honor the Monday morning. The theme for adjacent to First United Methodist Action will host a Martin Luther semi-truck in a road-rage- legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King this year’s event is: “The Power Church and the DOT office. MLK continued on 2A WRECK continued on 2A Jr. with a variety of public events of One.” The parade grand marshals CENTS DOWN $ A MONTH OFFER 20 10 NO COMMITMENT ENDS ENDS JANUARY 16TH TODAY PLANETFITNESS.COM 2782 W. US HWY 90 • 386.3I9.7244 Vol. 145, No. 220 Obituaries . 3A CALL US: TODAY’S WEATHER (386) 752-1293 Opinion . 4A Sports . 5A SUBSCRIBE TO THE REPORTER: 80 53 Advice & Comics. 7A Voice: 755-5445 Classifieds . 8A-9A Fax: 752-9400 Cloudy, 2A 2A THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2020 LOCAL LAKE CITY REPORTER CANINE-FRIENDLY PLACE QUICK HITS Scripture of the Day “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall A dog’s adventure in Columbia make you free.” — John 8:32 (KJV) visitors coming from at trails and state parks. It’s mal companions, Vann said. DOGS least 50 miles outside the also easy to find a hotel in The marketing campaign Continued From 1A county, according to the town that welcomes pets, will focus on attractions Thought for Today TDC. Vann said. that welcome dogs — A song is anything that can walk by itself. tion spot for pet owners, This summer, the TDC The appeal extends Ichetucknee Springs State will launch an online ad beyond nature-oriented Park, the annual Olustee — Bob Dylan, born 1941, U.S. singer/songwriter there hasn’t been a market- (“Blonde on Blonde,” “Blood on the Tracks”). ing effort focused on ham- campaign to highlight the activities, she said. A festival and re-enactment mering that point home, community’s appeal for restaurant boom has seen in February and the Vann said. both two-legged and four- the arrival of businesses Wuffstock Festival the “That’s why we’re push- legged guests. such as Halpatter Brewing same month. Winning Lottery Numbers ing for it now,” she said. Lake City is a short Company, where patrons “It’ll tell the story of a About $177 million is drive away from the are frequently found dog’s adventure through Pick 3: (Tuesday p.m.) 7-4-9 injected into the local canine-friendly Ichetucknee unwinding in an outdoor Columbia County,” Vann Pick 4: (Tuesday p.m.) 8-2-8-3 economy every year by Springs, plus several hiking beer garden with their ani- said. Fantasy 5: (Tuesday) 5-10-17-20-22 theft, prison records show. on charges of fraud, illegal Streamline Marine & See an error? IRMA She was again sentenced in possession of a weapon and Airboats, a company not The Lake City Reporter corrects errors of fact in news Continued From 1A 2010 in Brevard County on use of a two-way communi- registered with the Florida items. If you have a concern, question, or suggestion, two counts of grand theft cation device to facilitate a Department of Revenue please call the editor. Corrections and clarifications will and multiple fraud charges, felony, Suwannee County and listed as inactive by run in this space. Thanks for reading. The case was investi- including credit-card fraud. jail logs show. the Florida Department gated by the Department White was released in That arrest stemmed of State, according to the of Homeland Security, 2014. from a fake airboat repair report. Suwannee County Sheriff’s Submissions She was sentenced to 18 service that skimmed The pair accepted The Lake City Reporter accepts photographs and caption Office and Gilchrist County months in prison in 2017 $21,400 from multiple money for work they never Sheriff’s Office. information to run at the discretion of the editor. If you would on three fraud charges in victims, according to a attempted to complete, like to see your organization in the newspaper, send the picture White was sentenced a Suwannee County case, Suwannee County Sheriff’s misleading their victims to prison in Indian River and information to Robert Bridges: rbridges@lakecityreporter. according to the Florida Office report. over the course of several com. County in 2009 for utter- Department of Corrections. White, alongside 43-year- months, according to the ing forged bills, multiple White was later arrested old Douglas V. Hamant, report. counts of fraud and grand in Suwannee County 2018 43, both of Branford, ran Lake City Reporter HOW TO REACH US ADVERTISING Main number ....... 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