A3 + PLUS >> Grandfather says suspect ‘not right’ since wreck, Story below UF HOOPS CHS HOOPS Gators host Boys host Ole Miss St. Francis See Page 1B See Page 1B WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2020 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | $1.00 Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM 2A/LCPD REPORT: Patient steals, wrecks ambulance GUN SHOW LEGISLATIVE SESSION UNDERWAY ‘LOOPHOLE’ DeSantis 60-day sprint begins slams Senate gun bill House Speaker Jose Oliva also a skeptic. News Service of Florida A day after a committee unanimously signed off on one of Senate President Bill Galvano’s top pri- orities, Gov. Ron DeSantis and House Speaker Jose Oliva Galvano expressed skepticism Tuesday about the sweep- ing gun-control measure. The proposal (SB 7028) would close the gun-show STEVE CANNON/AP Photos “loophole,” create a record- Sen. Rob Bradley, the Fleming Island Republican who represents Columbia County in the Legislature, gives a thumbs up as he keeping system for private leads the Senate committee to the House for the start of a joint session on Tuesday. BELOW: The Capitol as seen early Tuesday. gun sales and set aside $5 million to establish a “state- wide strategy for violence prevention,” among other things. Teacher pay at the top of the list BILL continued on 2A E-verify plan on local lawmaker’s radar, too. Grandparents By CARL MCKINNEY [email protected] say suspect Poised to tackle a variety of issues from ‘not right’ teacher pay and healthcare to immigra- tion, lawmakers assembled in Tallahassee since wreck at the start of a new legislative session Tuesday. By CARL MCKINNEY State Rep. Chuck Brannan, a Maclenny- [email protected] based Republican whose district includes Columbia County, expects the An elderly couple Florida House and Senate reported their grandson will make headway for domestic violence after hashing out high-priority he shoved both of them proposals aiming to hike during an salaries for educators and argument Brannan prison guards, drive down Friday medical costs and curb the night, employment of undocumented workers. saying he Discussions on raising teachers’ pay will pay scale, Brannan said — long-time a big thing,” he said. “There’s so many of has shown take up much of Tallahassee’s attention teachers may resist the idea of compress- them in Florida.” concerning during the 60-day session, Brannan predict- ing the gap between veteran and rookie. Brannan said he’s keeping his eyes behavior Aust ed ahead of the legislative session conven- “The governor wants forty-seven-five, on a number of healthcare proposals as ever since a ing on Tuesday. Gov. Ron DeSantis wants but what’s the legislature gonna come well. There’s been talk of allowing nurse September crash — report- the legislature to set a minimum starting back with?” Brannan said. practitioners to do more tasks normally edly alcohol-related — left salary of $47,500 per year. In a similar vein, pay raises for correc- performed by a doctor, which could help him hospitalized in critical Even those who support the idea of tional officers will be another major point decrease medical costs. condition, deputies said. a raise have questions about how the of debate this session, the lawmaker said. SUSPECT continued on 3A money should be distributed across the “I’m all for that too, but it’s going to be SESSION continued on 3A Nash seeks nod for another term as county commissioner Economic opportunity County Commission says he’s seats on the board changed we are seeking, and I want to before, Nash said he can ahead, Dist. 3 rep says. not ready to leave office yet. hands in 2018 and another make sure that we can keep help the county safeguard its Bucky Nash, who has flipped in 2016, making Nash hammering down our debt, finances and ensure the cof- By CARL MCKINNEY represented District 3 since one of only two multi-term keep our taxes low and keep fers could weather the storm [email protected] 2012, is seeking a third term, commissioners. the community growing,” should another recession citing his experience with “And I’d like to do another Nash said. come. The second-longest serving the budget process as one of term, because there’s a lot Having gone through the member on the Columbia his major selling points. Two of economic opportunity that budget process seven times NASH continued on 2A Nash Vol. 145, No. 219 Obituaries . 3A CALL US: TODAY’S WEATHER (386) 752-1293 Opinion . 4A Sports . 1B SUBSCRIBE TO THE REPORTER: 81 60 Advice & Comics . 3B Voice: 755-5445 Classifieds . 4B-6B Fax: 752-9400 Moatly cloudy, 2A 2A WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2020 LOCAL/STATE LAKE CITY REPORTER Jasper sailor on duty in Arabian Sea QUICK HITS Scripture of the Day “The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.” — Psalm 92:12 (KJV) Thought for Today Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising. — Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens), 1835-1910, U.S. writer (“The Adventures of Huckle- berry Finn,” “Life on the Mississippi”) and newsman. Winning Lottery Numbers Pick 3: (Monday p.m.) 4-0-1 Pick 4: (Monday p.m.) 7-4-9-4 Fantasy 5: (Monday) 3-4-5-9-24 See an error? The Lake City Reporter corrects errors of fact in news items. If you have a concern, question, or suggestion, please call the editor. Corrections and clarifications will run in this space. Thanks for reading. Submissions SEAMAN DALTON LOWING/U.S. Navy photo The Lake City Reporter accepts photographs and caption Logistics Specialist 3rd Class Autumn Sanders, of Jasper, packages parts to be sent off ship in component con- information to run at the discretion of the editor. If you would trol section aboard the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) in the Arabian Sea on Friday. The Harry S. like to see your organization in the newspaper, send the picture and information to the editor: [email protected]. Truman Carrier Strike Group is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points. Lake City Reporter HOW TO REACH US BUSINESS ........... 754-0419 Main number ....... (386) 752-1293 Fax number ............ 752-9400 CIRCULATION LCPD: Patient steals, wrecks ambulance Circulation............. 755-5445 Home delivery of the Lake City Reporter Online .... www.lakecityreporter.com should be completed by 6:30 a.m. while arguing with the Northwest Fairway Drive. “The cooperation The Lake City Reporter, an affiliate Tuesday through Friday, and by 7:30 By CARL MCKINNEY of Community Newspapers Inc., is a.m. on Sunday. employees, then forced his When law enforcement between multiple agen- published Tuesday through Friday and [email protected] Please call 386-755-5445 to report any way through a door, offi- began closing in, the vehi- cies, including Lake City Sunday at 180 E. Duval St., Lake City, problems with your delivery service. cers say. cle suddenly accelerated Medical Center, enabled FL 32055. Periodical postage paid at Trading one set of sirens Lake City, FL, Member Audit Bureau of In Columbia County, customers should for another, a combat- Once toward an officer’s marked officers to quickly subdue Circulation and The Associated Press. call before 10:30 a.m. to report a ive patient at Lake City outside, patrol vehicle, according to the suspect and make All material herein is property of the service error for same day re-delivery. he jumped the statement. an arrest,” LCPD Chief Lake City Reporter. Reproduction in After 10:30 a.m., next day re-delivery Medical Center stole an or service related credits will be issued. into an The ambulance missed Argatha Gilmore said in whole or in part is forbidden without ambulance and crashed the permission of the publisher. In all other counties where home delivery U.S. Postal Service No. 310-880. the emergency vehicle ambulance the marked patrol vehicle, the statement. is available, next day re-delivery or before officers arrested and fled the veering off into the road- Woodard has a St. POSTMASTER: Send address changes service related credits will be issued. area in the way and over a mailbox. Augustine address, jail logs to Lake City Reporter, P.O. Box 1709, him Monday night, accord- Lake City, FL 32056. Circulation............. 755-5445 stolen vehi- Woodward overcorrected, show. ([email protected]) ing to the Lake City Police Publisher Todd Wilson ... 754-0418 Department. Woodard cle, accord- flipping the ambulance over. According to the Florida ([email protected]) Home delivery rates ing to the Woodward was detained Department of Corrections, (Tuesday–Friday and Sunday) Around 11:15 p.m. NEWS Monday, officers had to statement. The ambulance and transported back to the in 2014 Woodard was sen- 4 Weeks . $10.70 was at the facility to trans- Lake City Medical Center tenced by a court in St. Editor Robert Bridges ... 754-0428 12 Weeks . $31.67 deal with Tommie Lee ([email protected]) 24 Weeks . .$54.14 Woodard, 38, who was port a critically ill patient to for treatment. He was Johns County to serve six- 52 Weeks . .$88.81 ADVERTISING being hostile toward emer- Gainesville, officers say. then booked at Columbia and-a-half years in prison Rates include 7% sales tax. Police tracked down the County Jail on vehicle theft, for armed robbery with a Ad. Dir. Chris Ratliff ..... 754-0417 gency room staff, accord- ([email protected]) Mail rates ing to an LCPD statement.