1 TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2014 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | 75¢ Lake City Reporter TODAY INSIDE LAKECITYREPORTER.COM Will North Florida see snow? See 3A. Court OKs medical Daughter makes a deal Discount Beverage that resulted before fleeing on foot, investiga- marijuana Sheena Grandison to testify against dad, in owner Rajni Patel’s death at tors said. husband in 2012 murder of store owner. the hands of her father, Ernest Although Third Circuit State for ballot Larry Grandison, 43, and hus- Attorney Jeff Siegmeister said By STEVEN RICHMOND band James Leonard Johnson, he wasn’t a fan of making plea By BRENDAN FARRINGTON [email protected] es against 24. deals, he felt it was essential Associated Press Sheena Marie According to investiga- to securing convictions for A local woman involved in the G r a n d i s o n , tors, Sheena Grandison drove Grandison Sr. and Johnson. TALLAHASSEE — A proposed 2012 murder of a Lake City store 24, were Johnson to A&M just before “I would put her father and constitutional amendment to allow owner will receive probation for d r o p p e d 1:30 p.m., the time of the shoot- Johnson as the most culpable of all the medical use of marijuana her role in the crime, avoiding as she was ing, and left the scene without the defendants,” Siegmeister said. will go before Florida voters in first degree murder charges as allowed to Johnson or Grandison Sr. in her “Grandison is the shooter and Mr. November after the state Supreme part of a plea deal to convict plead guilty vehicle. Johnson was involved in the armed Grandison Court narrowly approved the bal- those “most culpable” for the to a charge of The two men robbed the con- robbery that led to his death.” lot language Monday. crime. aiding and abetting the April 27, venience store at gunpoint with The 4-3 decision is a victory First degree murder charg- 2012 armed robbery of A&M Grandison fatally shooting Patel GRANDISON continued on 3A for personal injury lawyer John Morgan, who spent $4 million on a medi- n See local c a l m a r - reaction, 3A. i j u a n a p e t i t i o n drive, and a defeat for Republican Attorney General Pam Bondi, who A man remembered fought to keep the question off the ballot. Patrick Smith, best-selling author of The decision comes three days ‘A Land Remembered,’ has died at 87. By AMANDA WILLIAMSON after Morgan secured enough [email protected] voter signatures to make the bal- Beloved author Patrick Smith immortalized a wild lot. He made a massive push in Florida and the plucky MacIvey family that sought to December and January to beat the tame the swamp-ladden lands of the Sunshine State’s Feb. 1 deadline instead of waiting past. Now, after Smith’s death on Sunday, his heavy for the Supreme Court decision words will be remembered by Lake City residents far — a gamble that has now paid off. into the future. “In our businesses, our cases Author of best-selling “A Land Remembered,” Smith are against the tobacco industries, died at the age of 87 in a nursing home on Merritt pharmaceutical industries, big Island. For several years, he had been battling pros car companies, so we’re used to gambles, but we take calculated tate cancer and emphysema. His family has not yet - gambles,” Morgan said. “We like released details about a memorial service. to win and we don’t just go down Born in Mendenhall, Miss., Smith wrote seven a rat hole unless we think we can novels — “The River is Home,” “The Beginning,” win.” “Forever Island,” “Angel City,” “Allapattah,” “A Land Bondi said the matter is now up Remembered” and “The Seas That Mourn.” to voters. Smith’s most famous novel, “A Land Remembered,” “I encourage every Floridian to detailed the struggles of an early pioneer family as read the full amendment in order to understand the impact it could t h e y abandoned their homeland in have on Floridians,” she said in a Georgia and battled nature statement issued by her office. to settle in the North Gov. Rick Scott, who is the for- /Courtesy Florida wilderness. mer CEO of the Columbia/HCA hospital chain, House Speaker Will The family endured Weatherford and Senate President hunger pangs, wild Don Gaetz — all Republicans — backed Bondi’s effort to keep the patricksmithonline SMITH continued on 3A question of the ballot. “I have a great deal of empathy RGBSTOCK/Courtesy for people battling difficult dis- eases and I understand arguments in favor of this initia- ‘This is not about EDUCATION tive,” Scott said in a compassionate statement medical r e l e a s e d Scott seeks by his marijuana. This o f f i c e . is about the “But hav- big increase ing seen Coloradofication the terri- of Florida, where ble effects the end game of alcohol in funding and drug is a pot shop a b u s e on every street By BRANDON LARRABEE first-hand, The News Service of Florida I cannot corner.’ e n d o r s e TALLAHASSEE — Continuing to roll out an — Will Weatherford, s e n d i n g election-year budget full of politically popular House Speaker F l o r i d a spending ideas, Gov. Rick Scott on Monday down this proposed boosting education path and I would personally vote funding by more than half a against it. No matter my personal billion dollars in the fiscal year beliefs, however, a ballot initia- that begins July 1. tive would be up to the voters to “We need to provide the decide.” tools, training and funding Weatherford said he hopes vot- to give our students the best ers reject the idea. STEVEN RICHMOND/Lake City Reporter chance for success,” Scott said “I have faith they will do their Scott in a statement from his office. homework and understand the Procko Skate Park already a hit The bulk of the new spending -- $542 million impact of this truly radical pro- Columbia High School Skate Club President Nick Blatherwick, 16, performs a grab as he -- would go to public schools. posal. Make no mistake: this is launches off a quarter pipe section of the newly-opened Procko Skate Park in Branford While that is far lower than not about compassionate medi- Saturday morning. the approximately $1 billion cal marijuana. This is about the increases Scott sought in each Coloradofication of Florida, where of the last two years, his office the end game is a pot shop on touted the fact that it would every street corner,” Weatherford bring spending on education said in a statement issued through Jan. 7 house fire victim ID’d to the highest level in state his- a spokesman. Hudson tory in terms of raw dollars. Gaetz’ office said he had no By STEVEN RICHMOND burned to the ground inconclusive due to the Local reaction was cautious but optimistic. comment. [email protected] around 4:10 a.m., a CCSO damaged caused by the “I hope we realize money from that locally,” “The people of Florida don’t press release said. blaze. Columbia County School Board chairman Keith like when their vote is tried to The Columbia County According to CCSO “They are still waiting Hudson said. “I hope it doesn’t come in ear- be suppressed,” Morgan said. Sheriff’s Office released Public Information Officer on DNA [results] for 100 marked specifically for one area, and instead just “Unfortunately there’s some politi- the identity of the victim Murray Smith, the medical percent identification,” comes to increase our general fund balance.” cians in the state who did not want of a fatal house fire earlier examiners in Jacksonville Smith said. “However, the According to Hudson, the board would first the people to have the say and this month. had difficulty identifying medical examiner signed have to see how much money the district acquires they forgot that the power is in the George Tipping Jr., 62, Tipping Jr. as the victim— a circumstantial affida- above its normal funding, then a priority list would died Jan. 7 as his home on convential means, includ- vit saying the victim was BALLOT continued on 3A SE Alfred Markham Street ing dental analysis, were George Tipping Jr., 62.” FUNDING continued on 3A Vol. 139, No. 255 Opinion . 4A CALL US: TODAY’S WEATHER SCHOOLS IN PICTURES (386) 752-1293 Schools . 5A Fort White More Chamber Ball SUBSCRIBE TO Obituaries . 3A THE REPORTER: 54 36 Advice & Comics . 3B student focus: pictures on 2A Voice: 755-5445 Fax: 752-9400 Chance of rain, 2A Puzzles . 2B Briley Larsen, 5A. and 6A. 2AWEATHER 2A LAKE CITY REPORTER DAILY BRIEFING TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2014 Page Editor: Emily Lawson, 754-0424 People in the News Scripture of the Day “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiri- tual wickedness in high places.” — Eph. 6:12 Thought for Today The most effective way to do it, is to do it. — Amelia Earhart, female aviator (1897-1937) Celebrity Birthdays Celebrity Birthdays can now be found on the Advice & Puzzles page. Today that’s Page 3B. Winning Lottery Numbers Cash 3: (Monday) 8-9-2 Play 4: (Monday) 5-3-4-2 Fantazy 5: (Sunday) 1-5-19-30-35 Correction Tom Ricketson’s name was spelled incorrectly in the Sunday Sports section. If you have a con- cern about an error in the paper, please call the editor.