1 TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2013 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | 75¢ Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM Housing market still trending up Most March real estate sales, median sale price and average sale site-built home. ing sales are up and the average number price last month compared to March 2012, Dan Gherna, executive vice presi- of days properties are on the market has figures indicate prices and according to data released by the Florida dent and CEO of the Lake City Board of decreased. “We’re still looking steady.” speed of sales improving. Realtors Association on Monday. Realtors, said in the Lake City and Live The report, indicates the number of new However, the number of closed sales Oak ]multiple listing service areas, there pending sales for March also was up com- By TONY BRITT dropped by 15.6 percent, with just 38 were 51 sales in March, compared to 59 pared to the same period last year — 63 [email protected] closed sales in March, compared to 45 sales in March last year, a drop of 13.6 new pending sales, compared to 45 new closed sales in March 2012. percent, but the Columbia County market pending sales in March 2012, a 40 percent Columbia County’s housing market con- Closed sales are when the transaction has seen steady improvements. increase. tinues to be strong and steady, showing is completed and the new owner takes “March of 2012, as I recall, was the best increases in the number of new pending possession of the home — a single-family, month in 2012,” Gherna said, noting pend- HOUSING continued on 3A Man grazed by gunshot Police seeking robbery leads Driver of red pickup who may have seen suspect of particular interest. By TONY BRITT [email protected] An investigation into the Friday night robbery in which a local woman was robbed at knifepoint while she used a bank’s automated teller machine con- tinues. Steve Shaw, Lake City Police Department public information officer, said no arrests have been made in the case and authorities are hoping to get help from the public. A red Nissan Titan pickup truck traveled north on Alachua Street near the First Federal Bank when the rob- bery was taking place and caused the suspect to flee on foot. Authorities are hoping for help from Photos by JASON MATTHEW WALKER/Lake City Reporter the Nissan’s driver. David Nickelson (left), of David’s Car Wash Mobile Auto Detailing, walks away with minor injuries after he was hit in the arm apparently by a “The biggest help is there was a red bullet while vacuuming a client’s pickup truck Monday. Nissan Titan that was in the area that drove by Alachua Street, basically at the time the robbery occurred,” he said. “If the driver of that vehicle would Bullet shatters truck windows, van mirror come forward and give us any informa- tion that would be great. Or if any one Victim suffers only the bullets grazed Nickelson’s else would come forward and give us a right arm. Possibly the same tip, that would be great.” minor injury when bullet continued though Anyone with information about the projectile hits arm. Nickelson’s work van’s side- crime should contact the police depart- view mirror, leaving a quarter- ment at 752-4344 or leave a tip anony- By DEREK GILLIAM sized hole and breaking out the mously at 719-2068. [email protected] glass. According to police reports, about Nickelson did not go to When David Nickelson the hospital, and the wound ROBBERY continued on 3A agreed to wash and clean appeared to be superficial. Aaron Simque’s pickup truck Simque was inside his for $50, he never expected to office, Aaron Simque Homes be grazed by a bullet, but that’s at Westfield Square, when what happened about 1 p.m. Nickelson was hit. Simque said Motel clerk Monday behind the shopping he heard a loud noise so he ran center at Westfield Square, 484 outside to see what happened. SW Commerce Drive. At first, Nickelson did not City police examine the shattered glass on a pickup truck after one charged in With both the back and front know he had been grazed by a or more bullets went through windows and the side mirror of a van passenger-side doors open, bullet, Nickelson said. parked behind it on Commerce Drive on Monday. theft case Nickelson was vacuuming the “He was shook up and grab- floorboards when at least two bing his ears yelling ‘your win- minutes, Simque said. police believe the shots came By DEREK GILLIAM shots blasted through the win- dow broke,’” Simque said. Steve Shaw, public informa- [email protected] dows of the open doors. One of City police responded within tion officer with LCPD, said SHOT continued on 3A An employee at the Angel Cove Motel was arrested after she pocketed cash from at least two customers and then charged the cost of the room to their Gov.’s proposed credit cards, according to a Columbia County Sheriff’s Office arrest report. teacher raises Rebecca Ruth Collins, 32, faces felo- ny charges of counterfeiting, illegal use of credit cards and lar- not guaranteed ceny, the report said. Odessa Green called By GARY FINEOUT the sheriff’s office at Associated Press about 7 p.m. Saturday after the manager of the TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Rick Scott had main- Angel Cove Motel told tained for weeks that legislators would “do the her Collins charged right thing” and agree to give every classroom her credit card despite teacher a $2,500 pay raise this year. the fact that Green paid Collins State legislative leaders had been just as insis- for the room with cash, tent, saying it was unlikely they would go along according to the report. with Scott’s proposal the way he wanted. Deputy Cody Alex McIntyre arrived On Sunday, House and Senate budget nego- JASON MATTHEW WALKER/Lake City Reporter at the motel, 5309 South U.S. 441, at tiators settled on setting aside nearly $480 million 7:21 p.m. and spoke with Green. Green that can be used to boost teacher pay. Enjoying Earth Day told him that she paid Collins cash for a But the proposal will require that some of the week’s stay on April 17. Motel manager money be tied to teacher performance instead William Sandler fishes for speckled perch from a pier at Alligator Lake on Joe Lowry told Green that Collins kept Monday. ‘I was born and raised in the country. I’ve always liked being out in RAISES continued on 3A nature,’ Sandler said. CLERK continued on 3A Vol. 138, No. 320 Opinion . 4A CALL US: TODAY IN COMING (386) 752-1293 81 52 People. 2A PEOPLE WEDNESDAY SUBSCRIBE TO Mostly sunny Obituaries . 5A THE REPORTER: Advice & Comics . 3B Witherspoon Local news Voice: 755-5445 Fax: 752-9400 WEATHER, 2A Puzzles . 2B ‘embarrassed.’ roundup. 2AWEATHER 2A LAKE CITY REPORTER DAILY BRIEFING TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2013 Page Editor: Jim Barr, 754-0424 Celebrity Birthdays Wednesday: Monday: Monday: n Actress-turned-diplomat 64. 7-8-33-35-39-40 Afternoon: 6-5-0 Afternoon: -0-9-9-7 Sunday: Shirley Temple Black is 85. n Actor James Russo is 60. x4 Evening: N/A Evening: N/A 1-5-7-16-32 n Actor Alan Oppenheimer n Filmmaker-author Michael is 83. Moore is 59. n Actor Lee Majors is 74. n Actress Judy Davis is 58. PEOPLE IN THE NEWS n Irish nationalist Bernadette n Actress Jan Hooks is 56. Devlin McAliskey is 66. n Actress Valerie Bertinelli n Actress Blair Brown is 65. is 53. n Writer-director Paul n Actor Craig Sheffer is 53. Brickman is 64. n Actor-comedian-talk show Witherspoon ‘embarrassed’ by arrest n Actress Joyce DeWitt is host George Lopez is 52. ATLANTA Daily Scripture A court hearing on a disorderly conduct charge has been resched- “For since the creation of the uled for actress Reese Witherspoon, who said she is “deeply embar- world God’s invisible qualities— rassed” by what she said to a state his eternal power and divine trooper during a traffic stop in Atlanta. nature—have been clearly seen, Witherspoon’s case was scheduled being understood from what for a Monday morning hearing, but has been made, so that people it was reset for May 22. She was arrested Friday. are without excuse.” The Oscar-winning actress — Romans 1:20 released a statement late Sunday apologizing for her behavior when her husband, Hollywood agent Jim “ Toth, was arrested and accused of Lake City Reporter HOW TO REACH US driving under the influence of alco- Main number . .(386) 752-1293 BUSINESS hol. Toth also had a hearing set for ASSOCIATED PRESS Fax number . .752-9400 Controller Sue Brannon. .754-0419 Monday, but it was rescheduled for Actress Reese Witherspoon and her husband, Jim Toth, were arrested in Georgia Circulation . .755-5445 ([email protected]) May 23. on Friday — he for driving while intoxicated and she for disorderly conduct for fail- Online . www.lakecityreporter.com CIRCULATION “Do you know my name?” The Lake City Reporter, an affiliate of ing to obey police orders while Toth was undergoing sobriety tests. Community Newspapers Inc., is pub- Home delivery of the” Lake City Reporter Witherspoon is quoted as saying lished Tuesday through Friday and should be completed by 6:30 a.m. in a state trooper’s report of the Sunday at 180 E. Duval St., Lake City, Tuesday through Friday, and by 7:30 early Friday incident. She also said: series, Kardashian will not be joining ning a DUI checkpoint witnessed Fla.