A3 SATURDAY/SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3/4, 2020 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | $2 WEEKEND EDITION Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM SUNDAY + PLUS >> FOOTBALL FOOTBALL ‘Faigued’ Columbia Indians’ Trump tests falls to 0-2 miscues for first time prove positive for since 2011 costly 6B covid-19 Sean of the South BELOW SEE 12A SEE 12A Covid Saving St. Margarets present in area schools ‘Incomplete’ state report includes 13 Columbia schools, 6 in Suwannee. By JAMIE WACHTER [email protected] Covid-19 is present in at least 19 area schools, according to a report issued earlier this week by the state. The report released Tuesday by the Florida Department of Health listed positive cases in students, teach- ers and staff in individual schools across the state for a three-week period in September, end- ing Sept. 26. That TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter Carswell Bill Fish (from left), Tyler Todd and Cody Pridgeon stand atop a monitoring area for the aeration basin tanks at the St. Margarets list included six Wastewater Treatment Facility on Friday morning. The aeration basin tanks will be upgraded as part of a $6.1 million project at schools in Suwannee County and 13 the facility. in Columbia County. “It appears to be incomplete data,” Columbia County Superintendent City sewage plant set for $6.1M upgrade to avoid ‘disaster’ Lex Carswell said in a text message, declining further comment. By TONY BRITT “disaster.” “We have no replacement focus on reconstructing aera- According to the report, there [email protected] The facility, which serves the parts and we have no backup tion basins at the facility, which were 20 positive cases — 16 in sewage treatment needs of near- plan and if it should fail, it would treats the raw sewage by intro- students — in Columbia County With no replacement parts ly every home and business on be a disaster,” City Manager Joe ducing micro-organisms to it in schools from Sept. 6-26. Columbia and no backup plan, Lake City the east side of Interstate 75, Helfenberger said. “It handles those basins. High School had five cases, all in officials had no choice. is more than 30 years old and a vast majority of the sewage Pridgeon said other phases students, according to the state’s With the St. Margarets waste- hasn’t had major upgrades since in the city and by doing it now, of the project include a clarifi- report, while Epiphany Catholic water treatment facility aging the 1980s, according to Cody you’re preventing sewer backup er upgrade, painting, repairing was listed with seven positive cases, and in need of repairs, the city Pridgeon, the city’s wastewater in numerous buildings and resi- wall cracks on several tanks and including four students. has earmarked roughly $6.1 mil- director. dences.” work on the effluent pump at the Carswell said as of Wednesday, lion for a rehabilitation project That has put the city in a bad To prevent that disaster, the at the facility that will help avoid spot. city’s renovations will mainly UPGRADE continued on 6A SCHOOLS continued on 2A ‘Fatigued’ Trump Medical marijuana coming positive for covid President spending presidential suite, which is Just a month before ‘few days’ at Walter equipped to allow him to the presidential election, Reed as precaution. continue his official duties. Trump’s revelation that he “President Trump was positive for the virus Associated Press remains in good spirts, has came by tweet about 1 a.m. mild symp- after he had returned from WASHINGTON — toms, and an afternoon political fund- President Donald Trump has been raiser. He had gone ahead, will spend a “few days” at a working saying nothing to the crowd military hospital after con- throughout though knowing he had tracting covid-19, the White the day,” been exposed to an aide House said Friday, as the said press with the disease that has virus that has killed more Trump secretary infected millions in America than 205,000 Americans Kayleigh McEnany. “Out of and killed more than a mil- spread to the highest reach- an abundance of caution, lion people worldwide. es of the U.S. government. and at the recommendation First lady Melania Trump Trump “remains fatigued,” of his physician and medical also tested positive, the pres- his doctor said. experts, the president will ident said, and several oth- Trump was to depart the be working from the pres- ers in the White House have, White House by helicopter idential offices at Walter too, prompting concern that TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter late Friday for Walter Reed Reed for the next few days.” the White House or even Signs were recently added to a former bank building indicating Liberty Health National Military Medical Earlier Friday the White Trump himself might have Sciences Cannabis Dispensary would be moving into the building at 1720 Center. The White House House said Trump had spread the virus further. U.S. Highway 90. A company spokesperson had no information about when said the visit was precau- been injected with an exper- Trump has spent much of the business would be opening, or who would be in charge of the local store. tionary and that he would imental antibody cocktail by According to information from its website, Liberty Health Sciences has more work from the hospital’s the White House physician. TRUMP continued on 6A than 20 dispensaries across the state. Vol. 146, No. 142 Obituaries . 2A CALL US: TODAY’S WEATHER (386) 752-1293 Opinion . 4A Classifieds . 5A-6A SUBSCRIBE TO 77 63 THE REPORTER: Sports . 12A Voice: 755-5445 Mostly cloudy, 2A Fax: 752-9400 Business . 1B 2A SATURDAY/SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3/4, 2020 LOCAL LAKE CITY REPORTER City looks to address flooding issues QUICK HITS By TONY BRITT [email protected] Scripture of the Day “The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso The city plans to address putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.” the flooding and drainage — Proverbs 29:25 (KJV) issues that plague certain areas of town. City Manager Joe Helfenberger and Thomas Thought for Today Henry, public works Just because something doesn’t do what you department director, trav- planned it to do doesn’t mean it’s useless. eled around to three local — Thomas A. Edison, 1847-2931, American inventor neighborhoods last week accompanied by represen- tatives from the Suwannee Winning Lottery Numbers River Water Management Pick 3: (Thursday p.m.) 2-5-5 District, discussing possible Pick 4: (Thursday p.m.) 2-1-8-3 solutions for the drainage Fantasy 5: (Thursday) 12-13-23-29-34 problems. City officials and water See an error? management district repre- TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter sentatives visited sites on The Lake City Reporter corrects errors of fact in news Thomas Henry (clockwise from left), Lake City Public Works Department Director; items. If you have a concern, question, or suggestion, State Road 100, Halpatter Leroy Marshall, Suwannee River Water Management District Chief Professional Park and Jackson Avenue. please call the editor. Corrections and clarifications will Engineer; Tim Beach, Suwannee River Water Management District Environmental run in this space. Thanks for reading. “District staff met with Scientist II; and Joe Helfenberger, city manager, talk to Adee Farmer about drain- the City of Lake City and age issues near a canal near Richardson Community Center. members of the public to Submissions view issues related to cul- Helfenberger said he Several of neighborhoods potentially be the massive The Lake City Reporter accepts photographs and caption vert and ditch maintenance was looking at establishing that Helfenberger visited planning for stormwater information to run at the discretion of the editor. If you would as well as flooding for resi- a timeline with the public were on the north side of drainage. like to see your organization in the newspaper, send the picture and information to [email protected]. dents near the Richardson works department to begin town that have experienced “It may be that we have Community Center,” said addressing some of the drainage problems for to do the countywide plan Lindsey Garland, Suwannee issues. years. in order to qualify for feder- Lake City Reporter River Water Management “A lot of these things are “We’ve got to look at the al funding,” he said. “That HOW TO REACH US ADVERTISING District public communi- going to be long term solu- whole city, too,” he said. is very involved, it takes a Main number .......(386) 752-1293 Director Chris Ratliff cations coordinator. “The tions,” he said. “Getting rid “Whatever is going to do long time, but when you’re Fax number ............ 752-9400 (386) 754-0417 Circulation............. 755-5445 ([email protected]) district will discuss specific of the bottle necks in the the most bang for the buck, done you’ll have a road map Online ....www.lakecityreporter.com CLASSIFIED activities that are proposed drainage system will help we’re going to do first.” of exactly what to do in The Lake City Reporter, an affiliate of Community Newspapers Inc., Kym Harrison by the city to determine if the whole system. It will Helfenberger said the each neighborhood to cor- is published Tuesday through (386) 755-5440 Saturday/Sunday at 180 E. Duval (classifi[email protected]) there is a need for permit- help a number of proper- biggest cost associated rect these sites for the long St., Lake City, FL 32055. Periodical ting.” ties.” with any of the projects will term.” postage paid at Lake City, Florida, BUSINESS OFFICE Member of The Associated Press Vickie Busscher and the Florida Press Association. (386) 754-0419 All material herein is property of ([email protected]) the Lake City Reporter.