1A SUNDAY, MARCH 3, 2013 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | $1.00 Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM LCMS team Local fifth-grader SUNDAY EDITION hopes to ‘flush picked to sing away cancer.’ 1C at national event. 1D Federal spending cuts take effect President, congressional refused Saturday to concede any culpabil- an agreement. prevented progress on a deal to find a way ity for failing to stave off what both parties Even as they pledged out: Republicans refusing any deal with Republicans blame each acknowledged was a foolhardy way to a renewed effort to retro- more tax revenue and Democrats snub- other for failure to act. slash $85 billion in federal spending. actively undo the spend- bing any deal without it. The still-fragile economy braced itself ing cuts, both parties said “None of this is necessary,” Obama By JOSH LEDERMAN for the gradual but potentially grave the blame rests squarely said in his weekly radio and Internet Associated Press impact of the across-the-board cuts, on the other for any dam- address Saturday. “It’s happening because which took effect Friday night at the Obama age the cuts might inflict. Republicans in Congress chose this out- WASHINGTON — Severe spending cuts stroke of Obama’s pen. Hours earlier, There were no indica- come over closing a single wasteful tax now the law of the land, President Barack he and congressional leaders emerged tions that either side was wavering from Obama and congressional Republicans from a White House meeting no closer to entrenched positions that for weeks had CUTS continued on 3A Convict’s murder Wreck injures six trial set for June Killing of prison guard could result in death penalty. By TONY BRITT [email protected] Convicted murderer Richard Franklin is scheduled to be tried in June for the March 2012 stabbing death of a Columbia County correc- tions officer. Sgt. Ruben Thomas Jr., 24, of Lake City, was killed in the attack on March 18, 2012, at the C o l u m b i a Correctional Institution. T h o m a s was stabbed in the neck by Franklin Franklin with a homemade w e a p o n , according to prison officials. JASON MATTHEW WALKER/Lake City Reporter Corrections Officer William A mangled Nissan Altima sits on a wrecker after being involved in a three-vehicle crash on U.S. 41 Friday. An tractor-trailer rig slammed into the back Brewer, 54, also was assaulted of the car, forcing it into a stopped Columbia County school bus (at right). Two adults and four children were taken to the hospitals with minor injuries. in the incident. According to reports , Thomas was checking on an inmate in one of the pris- Rig slams into car, pushes it into school bus on’s dorms when Franklin attacked him. Department of Corrections officials said a tractor-trailer and a Columbia Witt, 16, a student at Columbia back of the bus. Thomas was in one of the FHP: Four students, County School District bus about High School, was driving a 2012 The drivers of the school bus wings of a dorm checking two drivers treated 4 p.m. Friday on U.S. 41 north of Nissan Altima and stopped behind and car were transported to on an inmate when a con- Lake City. the bus. Shands at Lake Shore in Lake trol room officer saw Franklin for minor injuries. The school bus was taking The driver of a 2010 Mack City with minor injuries, accord- chase and then stab Thomas By DEREK GILLIAM home students from Richardson tractor-trailer saw the bus and ing to a Florida Highway Patrol several times in the neck. [email protected] Middle School and Columbia the car stop in front of him and news release. Franklin, who already is High School when it stopped to “pulled the wheel to the left in an The students were taken serving a life sentence for Four school students and two let off some passengers, accord- attempt to avoid a collision with” to local hospitals with minor drivers were taken to the hospi- ing to a Florida Highway Patrol the Nissan, FHP said, but hit the TRIAL continued on 5A tal after a crash involving a car, news release. Caitlyn Danielle car anyway, pushing it into the CRASH continued on 5A Home show crowd good despite cold 10th annual exhibition Austin Seay, chairman of the Rotary local plumber who had not had work Club of Lake City Downtown, estimat- for about a week, now has two weeks will continue today ed between 3,000 and 5,000 people bun- of business scheduled, he said. at county fairgrounds. dled up and turned out at the Columbia The Rotary Club organizes the show, County Fairgrounds on Saturday. and any money the club raises goes By DEREK GILLIAM “Overall, I would say the first day toward its charity efforts, he said. [email protected] was very successful,” he said. “We had “Every single nickel goes back into a steady flow of people all day.” the community,” Seay said. Despite cold and windy weather, The show will continue from 10 a.m. Kelley Frazier, of Lake City, said thousands turned out for the 10th to 4 p.m. today. she came because her home needed a annual North Florida Home and Patio Seay said every vendor he spoke to new metal roof, and she wants to refin- DEREK GILLIAM/Lake City Reporter Show, according to one of the cooridna- had either made a sale or had generat- Sally Billiter, of Lake City, takes a look at cookware on display tors of the event. ed leads with potential customers. One SHOW continued on 5A by vendor David Knight. See another photo, Page 2A. Vol. 138, No. 284 Opinion . 4A CALL US: TODAY IN COMING (386) 752-1293 BusinessCalendar. 5A6A 9156 6428 Obituaries . 5A PEOPLE TUESDAY SUBSCRIBE TO T-StormBreezy, Chance chilly Obituaries . 6A THE REPORTER: AdviceAdvice. & . .Comics . 5D8B Rapper’s tour bus City council Voice: 755-5445 Puzzles . 3B, 5B Fax: 752-9400 WEATHER, 2A8A Puzzles . 2B fired on; one dead. coverage. Columbia County Fairgrounds Saturday, March 2nd 9am - 5pm HOMENORTH FLORIDA FREE PATIO Sunday, March 3rd ADMISSION &SHOW PRESENTED BY 10am - 4pm ROTARY CLUB OF LAKE CITY DOWNTOWN 2A 2A LAKE CITY REPORTER SUNDAY REPORT SUNDAY, MARCH 3, 2013 Page Editor: Jim Barr, 754-0424 Friday: Friday: Saturday: Saturday: Wednesday: Wednesday: 17-22-25-33 9 13-16-23-25-27 Afternoon: 8-0-9 Afternoon: 4-1-8-4 15-28-34-40-48-50 3-14-20-34-48 Evening: N/A Evening: N/A x2 PB 21 AROUND FLORIDA Pentagon warns Scott about budget cuts TALLAHASSEE tory disorders and other by a suspected drunken — Hours before a loom- problems in infected driver. ing deadline for automatic horses. Florida Highway Patrol federal budget cuts, the reports that 47-year-old Pentagon sent a blunt Randall Kerley was driving warning to Florida Gov. 4 arrested in a pickup truck in Osceola Rick Scott that spells out grow house bust County Thursday night the likely impact on his when he turned left at an state. FORT MYERS —Having intersection in front of an Ashton Carter, a deputy air conditioners running oncoming car. The car hit secretary of defense, wrote on a cool day led Lee the right side of Kerley’s to Scott and the governors County authorities to truck then hit an SUV that of nine states likely to be arrest four men for alleg- was stopped at the inter- hit hardest by defense- edly operating a marijuana section and caught fire. related cuts that are part grow house. The car’s driver, 18- of $85 billion in govern- Acting on a complaint, year-old Rachel Price, and ment-wide cuts that were detectives with the her passenger, 19-year-old to take effect at midnight sheriff’s office narcot- Jamaree Cook, were killed Friday. ics unit went to a Fort in the blaze. No injuries Scott, in Jacksonville on Myers home this week. were reported to Kerley or Friday night, told report- Authorities found water the SUV driver. ers that the cutbacks were hoses and pipes on the Kerley was arrested at “infuriating.” walls in the back of the the scene and charged “In Washington they home and three air condi- with two counts of DUI are playing politics, they tioners hooked up to the manslaughter. are playing politics with pipes. families’ lives and jobs in DEREK GILLIAM/Lake City Reporter After obtaining a search our state,” the Republican warrant, four men were Governor signs governor said. Home and Patio Show under way arrested on Friday on mar- death warrant Carter said in his let- ijuana trafficking charges. The 10th Annual North Florida Home and Patio Show kicked off Saturday at the Columbia TALLAHASSEE — Gov. ter that up to 31,000 A fifth person was also County Fairgrounds. Area residents turned out to see a variety of vendors’ exhibits, from hot Rick Scott has signed a civilian employees who charged with possession tubs to lawn mowers. The show continues today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. death warrant for a man work for the Department of weapons by a convicted convicted of kidnapping a of Defense could be fur- to the Air Force bases in virus is spread through felon. loughed up to 22 days girl on her way to school Florida at $37 million. More horse respiratory secretions Several guns were found each over the next seven and killing her more than Scott said Friday that and via contaminated feed in the house.