A3 LOCAL NEWS DAILY! PRINT AND DIGITAL NEW or CURRENT SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR $ CALL: 386-752-1293 13 WEEKS ONLY 13 EMAIL: [email protected] ALSO SERVING LIVE OAK, SUWANNEE & HAMILTON COUNTIES (Must be paid in advance. No refunds. Expires October 2, 2020) HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL NFL Fort White looks to Jaguars showing improve on opener offensive creativity See Page 10A See Page 10A TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | $1.00 Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM West side getting fire station Reduced response backyard. lined with restaurants, hotels and tion in their backyard,” LCFD We feel like we’ll be able to get times expected; station The city has earmarked $1.7 other businesses. Chief Randy Burnham said. “I’ve to accidents quicker and other ready to open in a year. million in its 2020-21 fiscal budget “They pay a spoken with several of the hote- responses. for construction of a west side fire large portion of liers who are really excited about “Right now, the response time By TONY BRITT station, which will be built on Hall the fire assess- being able to tell their insurance due to traffic, month by month, [email protected] of Fame Drive. The new station ment and they’ve companies they have a fire station it increases,” he said. “Every will help reduce response times not really had in their backyard. They also agree year we see an addition to our The west side of Lake City will as well as better cover the U.S. the benefit of having a station out there is going soon have a fire station in its own Highway 90 business corridor Burnham having a fire sta- to cut back on our response time. STATION continued on 3A Hoagie City to annex Alligator Lake hoax suspect sought Police search for sandwich saboteur. By TONY BRITT [email protected] Law enforcement investigators con- tinue searching for the sandwich con- noisseur who favors extra wires on his or her foot-long sub. The Lake City Mall was evacuated for more than an hour Sunday after Lake City police officers — responding to a report of a suspicious item — found a cylindrical-shaped object with wires protruding from it near a concrete pillar TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter by a fire hydrant. Alligator Lake Recreation Area may soon become city property as the council unanimously approved the first reading of an Taking caution, the mall was evacuat- ordinance to annex the land into the city limits. ed, as well as a large portion of the park- ing lot, while the area was secured with assistance from the Columbia County City takes first step in obtaining county park Sheriff’s Office and Florida Highway Patrol. By TODD WILSON side, plus a recreation area and park that Monday night through a virtual Zoom With the Lake City Fire Department [email protected] includes a covered playground, several pic- meeting. and Century Ambulance Service on nic pavilions and several miles of walking “We’re expanding the city limits for standby, officials made a closer inspec- Alligator Lake Recreation Area, a trails that circle the lake on a berm. economic development purposes,” City tion of the object and discovered it was Columbia County owned park off Country The city council approved the first read- Manager Joe Helfenberger said. a sub sandwich. Club Road in Lake City, may soon fall ing of the annexation of the Alligator Lake Columbia County now owns the lake “This is the first time we’ve had a inside Lake City’s contiguous city limits area with a unanimous 5-0 vote. Annexation and park area. The county will still sub sandwich that was used in a bomb if the Lake City Council proceeds with its requires two readings and approval of the maintain the upkeep of the recreational hoax,” said Sgt. Mike Lee, Lake City plan of friendly annexation. proposed ordinance. facilities at the location, including the Police Department public information The approximate 730-acre site, which No council member offered any com- playground area and the trail mowing. includes the surface water of the popu- ments about the annexation for the viewing SUB continued on 2A lar fishing lake on the city’s southeast audience as city business was conducted ALLIGATOR continued on 3A LSHA board approves minimal tax Property owners to In a meeting that lasted less millage rate which will generate “We’re really adopting a bud- pay around $300 total than 15 minutes, where no one about $300 countywide. get that for all practical pur- for hospital funding. from the public made any com- “The purpose of the levy is poses does not have millage,” ments, the Lake Shore Hospital to maintain the legal standing said Dale Williams, Hospital By TONY BRITT Authority Board approved its of the Lake Shore Hospital Authority executive director. [email protected] proposed $28,423,765 total bud- Authority as a taxing author- Williams said the budget is COURTESY get. The budget includes $7.5 ity,” said Brandon Beil, Lake also different because in the The Lake City Mall was evacuated Over almost before it began, million that Community Heath Shore Hospital Authority chair- coming year officials know they Sunday after a suspicious object was the Lake Shore Hospital Systems paid to the Authority man before opening the public are going to have different oper- found with wires hanging out of it. It Authority board approved as part of its lease buyout to hearing. ations, compared to the past, as was later determined the object was its budget in a brief meeting operate the hospital. The budget takes effect Oct. a sub sandwich. Monday. The board plans to levy a .0001 1 and expires Sept. 30, 2021. LSHA continued on 2A Vol. 146, No. 133 Opinion . 4A CALL US: TODAY’S WEATHER (386) 752-1293 Advice & Comics . 5A SUBSCRIBE TO Classified . 6A-7A THE REPORTER: 81 63 Obituaries . 8A Voice: 755-5445 Fax: 752-9400 Mostly cloudy, 2A Sports . 10A 2A TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020 LOCAL LAKE CITY REPORTER ing that as we developed a budget, we were adopted for the budget, which LSHA would present it and have it adopted includes the primary care program. Continued From 1A by the trustees and it could simply There were no increases taken in any be amended into the budget that you of those expenses other than where QUICK HITS it relates to Lake Shore Hospital. adopt tonight,” Williams explained increases were needed to be aligned to He said since the Hospital Authority to board members. “There is a com- Florida Retirement contribution rates. Scripture of the Day Board is not sure what type of changes ponent which is not included and it “We don’t anticipate increasing “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love lie ahead, the board proposed a bud- will be included once we know the expenses for the coming year in of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, get that didn’t include any operational appropriate expenses to submit to you those areas, so we did not propose an expense for Lake Shore Hospital. for approval.” increase,” he said. be with you all. Amen.” “We decided at the first budget Williams said the operational parts The Hospital Authority Board unan- — 2 Corinthians 13:14 (KJV) hearing and a previous trustee meet- of the budget that are still in place imously adopted the budget. Thought for Today “I ran to it (store) and it was collected as evi- tious when responding to Give me the luxuries of life and I will willingly do with- SUB helped the girls close,” dence and businesses were this type of threat.” out the necessities. she said, in a text message allowed to resume services. Florida Law defines a Continued From 1A — Frank Lloyd Wright, 1867-1959, American architect Sunday. “I got my girls out The investigation into the “hoax bomb” as any object officer, during a telephone and told them to leave the sandwich’s origin is ongo- that by its design appears to interview Monday night. property.” ing. be a destructive device, but Wrapped in paper, the Dowling initially said she “We greatly appreciate is, in fact, an inoperative fac- hoagie was then wrapped was uncertain what hap- the swift cooperation and simile or imitation. Placing Winning Lottery Numbers with wires in a way to make pened to force the evacu- patience of those who were a “hoax bomb” in public Pick 3: (Sunday p.m.) 9-0-0 it appear as if it was an ation. affected by the evacuation,” view is a second degree fel- Pick 4: (Sunday p.m.) 7-6-9-0 explosive device. “They made us leave,” Argatha Gilmore, Lake City ony. Fantasy 5: (Sunday) 4-15-16-18-19 Linda Dowling, manager she said. “Only cars near Police Chief said in a pre- Anyone with information at Chastain Jewelers, said the package had to stay. We pared statement. “While it regarding the incident is See an error? she was shopping in the heard bomb threat, then a turns out this object was asked to contact the Lake The Lake City Reporter corrects errors of fact in news mall when she received a suspicious package…” most likely intended only City Police Department at items. If you have a concern, question, or suggestion, call from the store about the Once authorities con- to cause fear, or as a prank, (386) 752-4343. please call the editor. Corrections and clarifications will bomb threat. firmed the object was inert, it is always best to be cau- run in this space.