A3 + PLUS >> Robbery was 2nd in two days, Story below WORLD CUP SPORTS Heroes’ welcome FGC volleyball for US women schedule set See Page 5A See Page 5A THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2019 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | $1.00 Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM Big birds on the lam MAN SHOOTS SELF VA breaks silence on suicide try at hospital Courtesy FWC By ROBERT BRIDGES Ostriches roam the shoreline of Alligator Lake Tuesday morning near the Montgomery Trail. The creatures, which [email protected] belong on adjacent property on Old Country Club Road, may have walked away from their pens through an open gate, FWC officials said. The birds gave lake-goers quite a start. Story, 2A. A man who shot himself at the Lake City VA Medical Center on Sunday remains hospitalized at an area trauma center, local RENOVATION VA officials confirmed Wednesday. The man’s identity and Man took condition are unknown. firearm into Word of the shooting Blanche bathroom spread Sunday night but at Lake local VA officials would City facility not confirm or deny the opening Sunday. reports until Wednesday afternoon. backed An email from the Lake City Reporter to North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System Director Thomas Wisnieski up again on Wednesday brought a response from the Lake City VA public information officer New target date for later that day. opening of historic “A patient suffered a self-inflicted gun- structure is this fall. shot wound on the campus of the Lake City VA Medical Center Sunday afternoon,” By CARL MCKINNEY wrote Cindy Snook, Deputy Public Affairs [email protected] Officer, North Florida/South Georgia The Blanche Hotel restoration Veterans Health System. “VA staff respond- project, an initiative to convert the ed immediately and helped transport the historic downtown Lake City build- patient to a local non-VA hospital for trau- ing into a mixed-use residential ma care, which is ongoing.” and commercial site, has seen a second round of delays. VA continued on 3A The goalpost is now an August- September window, during which time the Valdosta-based develop- er, IDP, aims to have staggered openings for each of the Blanche’s Robbery three wings. “Construction-wise — as to be expected with a hundred-plus- second in year-old building — it hasn’t been easy,” said IDP spokesperson Dennille Decker. “The schedule two days has not gone our way, especially Photos by CARL MCKINNEY/Lake City Reporter because of some of the surprises By CARL MCKINNEY that you find.” [email protected] The work is expected to wrap up The Blanche Hotel res- within 18 to 19 months of the start toration project has hit Two armed robberies this week played of renovations, Decker said. more delays, the devel- “We would of course have liked out in a similar fashion within 25 hours of oper says, and is now each other, one at a local fast food restau- for it to have been sooner,” Decker expcted to open some- said. “The good news is we’re rant and another at a convenience store. In going to have an excellent product time this fall. Hurricane both cases, the gunmen made off with the in the end, and it’s going to be Michael is indirectly loot on foot. done right.” responsible, as FPL The Lake City Police Department is The latest holdup is mainly resources, needed here, searching for two unidentified black males because Florida Power and Light’s were stretched thin in who targeted the McDonald’s on South resources were stretched thin due the Panhandle, which Main Boulevard around 1:18 a.m. Monday. to the Panhandle hurricane recov- was devastated by the The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office is ery effort, Decker said, delaying storm last year. doing the same for two black males of medi- the installation of utility infrastruc- ture by several months. um height and a thin build who help up a cashier at the S&S on Lake City Avenue BLANCHE continued on 3A ROBBERIES continued on 2A MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR Girl, 5, looks to finance Disney trip with lemonade stand Editor’s note: Meet By CARL MCKINNEY 190 SW Montgomery Drive. While “Yes, I just really want to go Your Neighbor is an [email protected] waiting on a customer, the young there,” she said. “I just want to go occasional feature meant entrepreneur imagined what it’ll be there right now.” Five-year-old Ryley Olin has never like when she gets to enjoy the fruits A parched delivery driver in need to introduce readers to been to Disney World, and she’s interesting or notable of her labor. of refreshment approached the stand, been slinging lemonade all summer “I want to go on a lot of cool water snapping Ryley out of the Mickey local residents of any age to fix that. rides,” she said. “So they have Splash Mouse-induced trance. who might not otherwise Wednesday afternoon, Ryley CARL MCKINNEY/Lake City Reporter Mountain.” It was time to work. Ryley Olin, 5, is pictured find themselves in the leaned on the table at the refresh- Ryley closed her eyes a moment to public eye. ment stand she set up inside her fam- picture the theme park. at her lemonade stand ily business, Pete Olin Auto Parts at RYLEY continued on 3A Wednesday afternoon. Vol. 145, No. 85 CALL US: TODAY’S WEATHER (386) 752-1293 Obituaries . 3A SUBSCRIBE TO Sports . 5A WIMBLEDON THE REPORTER: 91 73 Advice & Comics . 7A Federer, Nadal will meet in semis, 5A Voice: 755-5445 Fax: 752-9400 A few showers 2A THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2019 LOCAL LAKE CITY REPORTER QUICK HITS Ostriches on the lam Scripture of the Day one in this area has a permit The officer “visited the “The ostriches were on “Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and Visitors to to own ostriches. However, owner who said he’d have the dike,” Parker said. “The depart from evil.” Alligator Lake if the ostriches are being his son make sure all the lake is drying up and they — Proverbs 3:7 (KJV) get a surprise. bred, no permit is required fencing was in order,” she were in a section where by the FWC and the ostrich- said. there was a huge beach. By TONY BRITT es are considered as domes- Parker said it was They weren’t in the water, Thought for Today [email protected] tic livestock. believed the ostriches they were eating grass.” The only question with wealth is, what do you do If any birdwatchers were with it? — John D. Rockefeller, 1839-1937, U.S. about near Alligator Lake industrialist and philanthropist on Tuesday, they may have found their surroundings a bit surreal. Winning Lottery Numbers Five ostriches walked away from their pens on a Pick 3: (Tuesday p.m.) 0-0-6 farm on Old Country Club Pick 4: (Tuesday p.m.) 6-0-0-5 Road and were spotted at Fantasy 5: (Tuesday) 22-26-28-29-36 the lake’s public recreation area Tuesday. Karen Parker, Florida See an error? Fish and Wildlife The Lake City Reporter corrects errors of fact in news Conservation Commission items. If you have a concern, question, or suggestion, public information coordi- please call the editor. Corrections and clarifications will nator, visited the lake after run in this space. Thanks for reading. seeing Facebook posts that Roseate Spoonbills were at the lake. The Roseate Submissions The Lake City Reporter accepts photographs and caption Spoonbills are rare to the information to run at the discretion of the editor. If you would area and Parker was hoping like to see your organization in the newspaper, send the picture to photograph a few while and information to Robert Bridges: rbridges@lakecityreporter. they were at the lake. com. However, when she got to the lake, she found another species she wasn’t expect- Lake City Reporter ing. HOW TO REACH US BUSINESS ........... 754-0419 “As I’m looking I’m see- Main number ....... (386) 752-1293 CIRCULATION ing a lot of wood storks, Fax number ............ 752-9400 Circulation............. 755-5445 Home delivery of the Lake City Reporter egrets and herrings then Online .... www.lakecityreporter.com should be completed by 6:30 a.m. when I look up through The Lake City Reporter, an affiliate Tuesday through Friday, and by 7:30 one of the clearings on Courtesy FWC of Community Newspapers Inc., is a.m. on Sunday. Montgomery Trail and I Ostriches invaded the public recreation area at Alligator Lake earlier this week. published Tuesday through Friday and Please call 386-755-5445 to report any Sunday at 180 E. Duval St., Lake City, problems with your delivery service. see these ostriches,” she They likely escaped through an open pen on adjacent property, officials said. FL 32055. Periodical postage paid at Lake City, FL, Member Audit Bureau of In Columbia County, customers should said. Circulation and The Associated Press. call before 10:30 a.m. to report a Parker said she saw an FWC investigators were were able to leave the farm The ostrich is the largest All material herein is property of the service error for same day re-delivery. adult male and adult female familiar with the ostrich and get to Alligator Lake bird in the world. A male Lake City Reporter. Reproduction in After 10:30 a.m., next day re-delivery whole or in part is forbidden without or service related credits will be issued. ostrich, as well as three owners, which were at the through a gate that was left ostrich can grow to a height the permission of the publisher.