A4 + PLUS >> Cops: Fraud claims totaled $60K, Story below LOCAL NASCAR Flash of Young stars tire of freedom taking the heat See Below See Page 1B WEEKEND EDITION FRIDAY & SATURDAY, JULY 6 & 7, 2018 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | $1.00 Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM SCHOOL BOARD Campaign sign theft Friday Family Movie Night “Greater” will be hosted claim dismissed 2A by Project Ark and will take place from 7 to 10 p.m., Friday, July 6, at Lake City Christian Church at 2400 SW State Road 247, Lake FIREWORKS BLAMED SCSO: City. Popcorn and drinks — come one, come all! Saturday Boat- SongFarmers The July Gathering of repair the SongFarmers of the Suwannee River Valley will be Saturday, July 7, from 7-9 scam p.m., at St. James Episcopal Church, 2423 SW Bascom Norris Drive. This month also includes a special anni- nets versary performance and celebration of our two-year anniversary as a chapter. $21K We are also completing filming Saturday night for the Woodsongs PBS Branford couple documentary tentative- SUWANNEE COUNTY FIRE RESCUE bilked customers, ly scheduled to be aired Fire consumes a doublewide trailer in the McAlpin area Wednesday night. After the roof say deputies. this fall and sponsored by burnt away, wind blew through the home and further fueled the blaze, SCFR said. Martin Guitars and Deering By CARL MCKINNEY Banjos. Acoustic jam style [email protected] format. Musicians, friends and families welcome. No BRANFORD — A fake air- charge. For additional Celebration gone awry boat repair service skimmed information, contact Skip $21,400 Johns at 386-344-2906 or from multi- visit the Suwannee Valley likely cause of blaze ple victims, SongFarmers Facebook Suwannee page at https://www.face- County depu- book.com/songfarmersoft- SCFR: Fire probably started With the roof burnt away, wind freely rolling ties say. hesuwanneerivervalley/ on roof and spread quickly. into the home and sped up the fire. Douglas V. SCFR crews were in Live Oak when a pass- Hamant Hamant, 43, Farmers market erby reported the fire, but responded promptly, and Deanna The Lake DeSoto By CARL MCKINNEY Sommers said. Jo White, Farmers Market is open [email protected] Crews from four different stations arrived at 37, both of every Saturday in the park- the scene. Branford, ran ing lot at Marion Avenue An Independence Day celebration gone After a 30-minute battle, responders were Streamline and Duval Street, across wrong may have started a house fire in the able to put out the blaze while the homeowners Marine & from the Courthouse McAlpin area, according to Suwannee County were enjoying festivities in Live Oak, Sommers Airboats, a Annex. Hours are 9 a.m. to Fire Rescue. said. White company not 1 p.m. For more, call 386- Firefighters arrived at a fully enflamed dou- No injuries were reported. registered 719-5766 or visit market. blewide trailer around 9 p.m. near 111th Drive, An official cause is still undetermined, but with the Florida Department lcfla.com. finding the roof almost completely burnt away SCFR believes stray fireworks might be the of Revenue and listed as inac- as fireworks burst in the sky overhead, said culprit, Sommers said. tive by the Florida Department Sunday SCFR Chief James Sommers. On Facebook, SCFR originally reported the “That tells us the fire was probably started SCAM continued on 2A Camp Suwannee high,” Sommers said. FIRE continued on 2A Summer Camp for ages 13-18 begins 8 a.m. Sunday, July 8 and runs to 5 p.m., Saturday, July 14. Located Fraud claims on the expansive grounds of Advent Christian Village totaled $60K, is Camp Suwannee. Camp Flash of Suwannee is a year- round camp situated on freedom cops claim the lovely high banks of Here’s another the Suwannee River. The shot of Wednesday By CARL MCKINNEY rustic facilities are shad- night’s fireworks [email protected] ed by ancient oaks and show at the fair- hardwood trees. Camp grounds. A huge MAYO — A 30-year-old Suwannee is designed to crowd braved the Lafayette County man faces meet the needs of large intermittent rain a charge of scheming to and small groups with a and were rewarded. defraud for over $50,000 after maximum capacity of 160. See more he took advantage of his posi- 11057 Dowling Park Drive. photos, 3A. tion as a caretaker, according Call for availability. 386- to the Florida Department of 658-5200. http://www.acv- Law Enforcement. conference.net/facilities/ camp_suwannee.aspx COREY ARWOOD/Lake City Reporter FRAUD continued on 2A Vol. 143, No. 330 CALL US: TODAY’S WEATHER Obituaries . 3A (386) 752-1293 Opinion . 4A SUBSCRIBE TO Faith & Values . 5A FAITH AND VALUES THE REPORTER: 88 70 TV guide . 2B Should we call him, Father? 5A Voice: 755-5445 Chance of storms, 2A Fax: 752-9400 Advice & Comics . 3-4B 2A FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2018 D AILY BRIEFING LAKE CITY REPORTER QUICK HITS Sign-theft claim dismissed Scripture of the Day “And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the peo- in heated school board race ple, make mention that his name is exalted.” — Isaiah 12:4 (KJV) One of Finnell’s signs was Columbia County Sheriff’s he is about to remove anoth- No charges for uncle, placed in front of Earl Peeler’s Office report. er sign from the ground,” Thought for Today grandfather of Dist. 5 property along a public right- County ordinance prohib- the report states. candidates. of-way, in violation of county its putting any sort of sign Peeler told the Lake City I like long walks, especially when they are taken by regulations, Durrett wrote. on county property, political Reporter that the sign that people who annoy me. By CARL MCKINNEY But Peeler claimed it was on or otherwise. was already in his hand was — Fred Allen, 1894-1956, U.S. comedian [email protected] his property and he was only Every political candidate one for his grandson’s cam- relocating it. is given a packet explain- paign, and he only pulled Prosecutors won’t be Finnell’s son set up a ing the rules for campaign out one of Finnell’s signs. Winning Lottery Numbers Pick 3: (Wednesday p.m.) 1-1-7 pressing charges against game camera near the site signs. The deputy contacted Pick 4: (Wednesday p.m.) 9-8-4-5 the family member of and captured Peeler remov- When a sign is posted Peeler, who agreed to speak Fantasy 5: (Wednesday) 4-7-21-30-36 two competing Columbia ing a sign, but the camera on county property, the to law enforcement to “clear County School Board can- appears to proper pro- his name,” according to the didates over accusations of have been Peeler said he cedure is to report. See an error? stolen campaign signs. placed on inform code Peeler told the deputy he The Lake City Reporter corrects errors of fact in news School Board District 5 Peeler’s didn’t know enforce- moved the sign about 20 items. If you have a concern, question, or suggestion, candidate Stephanie Finnell property about the decision ment, which yards to the other side of please call the editor. Corrections and clarifications will noticed nine campaign signs without per- typically Covey Court, saying multi- run in this space. Thanks for reading. go missing near Sisters mission, until the Lake returns ple times he didn’t steal or Welcome Road over a three- meaning City Reporter them to the damage Finnell’s property. week period in May and the evi- candidate, a After the deputy filed a complaint against her dence was contacted him. deputy told explained that the proper Submissions The Lake City Reporter accepts photographs and caption uncle, Earl Peeler, who is obtained by “I just want it to Peeler. procedure for dealing signs information to run at the discretion of the editor. If you would also the grandfather of her trespassing. go away,” he said. Finnell on a county right-of-way like to see your organization in the newspaper, send the picture opponent, Hunter Peeler. Peeler originally was to inform code enforce- and information to Associate Editor Steve Wilson at The Third Circuit State said he didn’t want ment, Peeler said he would [email protected]. Attorney’s Office found that could push for trespassing to press charges against not touch any other signs no criminal charges could charges over the camera, Peeler, but later changed placed in front of his prop- be proven, according to a but has no intention of her mind, according to erty, as long as they were Lake City Reporter June 21 letter. Peeler said doing so. CCSO reports. on the county side. HOW TO REACH US BUSINESS.............. 754-0419 he didn’t know about the “It’s behind me,” he said Finnell’s son and her He stands by that. Main number ........ (386) 752-1293 CIRCULATION decision until the Lake City Thursday. campaign manager contact- “I’m not going to bother Fax number .............. 752-9400 Circulation ............... 755-5445 Home delivery of the Lake City Reporter Reporter contacted him. On May 24, the camera ed a deputy the day they her,” he told the Lake City Online ... www.lakecityreporter.com should be completed by 6:30 a.m. “I just want it to go away,” snapped a photo of some- discovered the photo. Reporter. “I’m not going to The Lake City Reporter, an affiliate Tuesday through Friday, and by 7:30 he said. one holding a sign in one They wanted to report touch her signs.” of Community Newspapers Inc., is a.m.