A3 + PLUS >> The birth of Christ, Page 4A TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2019 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | $1.00 Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM Amy Fraddosio Mystery kid out to holds up a simple — but powerful — message given to her by a child offer holiday cheer at work earlier this month. She Identity unknown, he made With the holiday rush in full force, a was wrapping one local retail worker’s day. constant stream of customers had the up a long shift at 31-year-old Walmart employee exhaust- Walmart when a ed and stressed out when she entered boy about 8 years By CARL MCKINNEY the final stretch of her shift at the Lake [email protected] old presented her City store on Dec. 14. Shoppers get with a note and It wasn’t a grand gesture, but it didn’t anxious that close to Christmas, and a few will inevitably take their frustration a candy cane as need to be. The kind words and candy tokens of holiday cane were exactly what Amy Fraddosio good will. needed then and there. CHEER continued on 3A CARL MCKINNEY/Lake City Reporter CCSO SAYS: A visit with Santa and the Mrs. VETERAN PROSECUTOR $99K Phelps takes scam the helm as ends Third Circuit in jail state attorney By CARL MCKINNEY [email protected] Sworn in as provisional interim after Jeff Siegmeister’s departure. A retirement account once worth well over By ROBERT BRIDGES $100,000 plummeted to [email protected] almost nothing in the The elite of Columbia County had wake of a relative-on-rela- gathered at the courthouse Monday tive fraud scheme that left to witness a somber ceremony, Third the victim Circuit Chief Judge Mark Feagle owing hefty observed. penalties The sudden resignation of State to the IRS, Attorney Jeff Siegmeister created an Columbia “unprecedented and undesirable situ- County ation,” he told a crowd of about 100 in tiny Courtroom 1. deputies Still, there was “reason to celebrate,” Hullett say. More Feagle said: a capable and highly-re- than two spected public servant, Dave Phelps, years later, following devel- had agreed to take the post at least until opments in a separate civil Photos by MICHAEL PHILIPS/Lake City Reporter the governor named a more permanent case, an arrest has been replacement. made. Phelps was sworn in by Feagle at 9 Michael Wayne Hullett, a.m. before a throng of judges, attorneys 39, of Wellborn, was booked Historic home site of LO fest PHELPS continued on 2A into Columbia County jail Saturday on larceny and Christmas at Heritage fraud charges, concluding Park is a new tradition. an investigation opened Canadian By MICHAEL PHILIPS $99K continued on 9A [email protected] woman dies Children seem to run on bot- tomless energy, but there were in I-75 crash Remember, several exhausted kids spotted at the Christmas at Heritage By TONY BRITT no paper on Park festival in Live Oak. With [email protected] so much to do and see, it’s no Christmas wonder. A 62-year-old Ontario, Canada, There were train rides and woman was killed and three others Just a friendly reminder horseback rides, games and seriously injured Monday when the crafts. Santa Claus and the Mrs. that the Lake City Reporter car they were in hit a guard rail, over- now comes by U.S. Mail, were on hand too for those kids turned and came to rest on its roof in and since there’s no mail who wanted to make last-min- on Christmas, there’s no ute additions to their Christmas the center median of Interstate 75. Wednesday Reporter this wish lists. And of course, one Olga Konchikov, 62, of Richmond week, either. lucky attendee would win the TOP: Kendall Griffin, 2, visits with Santa and Mrs. Hill, died in the single vehicle crash, Have a Merry Christmas annual $500 raffle. Claus Satirday during Christmas at Heritage Park while the other three passengers — and we’ll see you again on in Live Oak. ABOVE: Kids have fun making crafts Thursday. FEST continued on 9A at the Suwannee County Public Library tent. CRASH continued on 2A The king of all Christmas classics: Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus The response to 8-year-old Dear Editor: I am 8 years Virginia, great universe of ours man is abound and give to your life its Virginia O’Hanlon’s Sept. 21, old. a mere insect, an ant, in his highest beauty and joy. Alas! 1897, letter to the editor of the New Some of my little friends say Your little friends are wrong. intellect, as compared with the how dreary would be the world York’s Sun is a Christmas classic. there is no Santa Claus. They have been affected by the boundless world about him, as if there were no Santa Claus. It Francis Pharcellus Church, the Papa says, ‘If you see it in The skepticism of a skeptical age. measured by the intelligence would be as dreary as if there man behind the unsigned editorial, Sun it’s so.’ They do not believe except they capable of grasping the whole of were no Virginias. There would authored what may be history’s Please tell me the truth; is see. They think that nothing can truth and knowledge. be no childlike faith then, no most celebrated such dispatch. As there a Santa Claus? be which is not comprehensible Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa poetry, no romance to make tol- per our own holiday tradition, we by their little minds. All minds, Claus. He exists as certainly as erable this existence. We should offer it here to you. Virginia O’Hanlon Virginia, whether they be men’s love and generosity and devotion — Editor 115 W. 95th Street or children’s, are little. In this exist, and you know that they VIRGINIA continued on 3A Vol. 145, No. 203 Obituaries . 2A CALL US: TODAY’S WEATHER (386) 752-1293 Opinion . 4A Sports . 5A SUBSCRIBE TO THE REPORTER: 67 50 Advice & Comics . 7A Voice: 755-5445 Mostly cloudy, 2A Classifieds . 8A-9A Fax: 752-9400 2A TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2019 LOCAL LAKE CITY REPORTER STATE ATTORNEY’S OFFICE CRASH Continued From 1A QUICK HITS two of which were under Phelps takes the helm the age of 16 — were Scripture of the Day seriously hurt. The driv- er suffered minor inju- “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall PHELPS ries. bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Continued From 1A The wreck occurred Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God around 2:05 p.m. in the with us.” — Matthew 1:23 (KJV) and numerous county offi- southbound lanes of I-75 cials, then mingled with roughly a mile before the well-wishers. I-10 interchange. Thought for Today “It’s a real honor,” he According to Florida A diplomat is a man who always remembers a told the Lake City Reporter Highway Patrol reports, woman’s birthday but never remembers her age. of taking the interim post. Vera Mogilevskaya, — 1874-1963, U.S. poet Robert Frost Phelps, a veteran pros- 45, was driving a 2002 ecutor, spent 35 years in Toyota Camry south the Third Circuit State on I-75 with Konstantin Attorney’s office as an Winning Lottery Numbers assistant state attorney. Konchikov, 41, Aleksey Konchikov, 15, Daniel Pick 3: (Sunday p.m.) 8-1-7 He retired in 2013 Pick 4: (Sunday p.m.) 7-7-0-4 as chief assistant to Konchikov, 6 and Olga Konchikov, 62, all of Fantasy 5: (Sunday) 7-14-22-29-31 Siegmeister. Photos by ROBERT BRIDGES/Lake City Reporter As chief judge, Feagle Richmond Hill, Ontario, appointed Phelps to the Canada, as her passen- See an error? post, but he will be dis- gers. The Lake City Reporter corrects errors of fact in news placed when Governor For unknown reasons, items. If you have a concern, question, or suggestion, Ron DeSantis makes his the car veered onto the please call the editor. Corrections and clarifications will pick to finish the final inside shoulder and hit year of Siegmeister’s run in this space. Thanks for reading. the guardrail, FHP said. term. That’s fine with Phelps, The vehicle over- turned after colliding Submissions who said he’s “not planning The Lake City Reporter accepts photographs and caption on applying” for the perma- with the guardrail and came to rest in the center information to run at the discretion of the editor. If you would nent interim post. like to see your organization in the newspaper, send the picture of the median on its roof. As for 2020, that’s out, and information to the editor: [email protected]. too. Mogilevskaya suffered “I’m no politician,” he minor injuries in the laughed. crash and was taken to Siegmeister’s sudden TOP: Dave Phelps, right, is sworn into office by Third Lake City Medical Center Lake City Reporter departure on Monday, for treatment, along with December 16, remains Circuit Chief Judge Mark Feagle. Holding the Bible is HOW TO REACH US BUSINESS ........... 754-0419 Konstantin Konchikov Main number ....... (386) 752-1293 something of a mystery. assistant state attorney Jamie Tyndal. ABOVE: Feagle CIRCULATION and Daniel Konchikov, Fax number ............ 752-9400 The Lake City Reporter and Phelps are seen after the ceremony. Circulation............. 755-5445 Home delivery of the Lake City Reporter requested a copy of his who both suffered seri- Online .... www.lakecityreporter.com should be completed by 6:30 a.m. letter of resignation from Siegmeister’s attorney theory, telling the Lake ous injuries in the wreck.