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County News 2026
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July 21, 2026 9:25 pm
Fort White, FL – The Fort White Town Council, in a
3-2 vote, prioritized immediate action over standard
bureaucracy. The Town appointed government veteran and
businessman Glenn Hunter as Interim Town Clerk.
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July 10, 2026 3:45 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – The North Florida Water Utility
Authority (NFWUA) took center stage during the July 2
meeting of the County Commission (Columbia County 5 or
The 5). The 5 rejected its two most credentialed
Authority board applicants, instead appointing local
developer Jock Phelps and electrical contractor Walt
Graham.
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July 2, 2026 7:55 am | 4 min read
FORT WHITE, FL – Sometime on June 26, Fort White Town
Manager Joe Helfenberger resigned, resulting in the
continuance of the chaos and dysfunction of Fort White,
since the election of
George Thomas as its mayor in November 2024.
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June 24, 2026 1:03 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – County EMS ambulance
service again took center stage at the Columbia
County 5 during last week’s meeting of the
County Commission. (“The 5” or the “County 5).
With no plan, Commissioner Rocky Ford wanted to
purchase three ambulances, while County Chairman
Tim Murphy pushed back on moving too quickly
without a sustainable funding plan.
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June 14, 2026 7:50 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – The County EMS
ambulance service special meeting a bust. The
meeting was scheduled to give the County 5
information on EMS, particularly how to pay for
it. The agenda item was three words: “Emergency
Medical Services.” Instead of an improved
emergency ambulance service, the public got an
overdose of an out-of-control County 5.
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June 8, 2026 12:20 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – If you need an
ambulance in Columbia County, it’s best to drive
across the County border – then dial 911. The
Columbia County 5 (the County Commission or “The
5”) finally came to grips with a severely
failing EMS system during its June 4 morning
meeting.
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May 21, 2026 11:25 am
SUWANNEE COUNTY, FL – The North Florida Water Utility
Authority met at 9:30 am Monday in Live Oak. The
helter-skelter utility authority is composed of two
county commissioners, each from Suwannee and Columbia
Counties, and one citizen member. Pre- and post-meeting
issues, while out of the public eye, highlight the
Authority's core trust and transparency issues.
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May 9, 2026 11:59 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Clint Pittman’s resignation to
run for County Commissioner (Dist. 2) came after months of
the usual Columbia County good ole’ boy backroom dealing
and intrigue.
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May 7, 2026 8:00 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – County Commission Chairman Tim
Murphy approved the matter of most public interest to be
right at the end of this morning’s agenda: The Clint
Pittman request for unpaid leave to run for County
Commissioner.
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April 15, 2026 9:20 pm
FORT WHITE, FL – Circuit Court Judge Fred Koberlein,
Jr., ruled from the bench late Monday afternoon that the
recall election scheduled in Fort White for the next day
(April 15) was not going to happen.
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April 13, 2026 9:45 am
FORT WHITE, FL – The helter-skelter world of Fort
White, FL moves into a virtual courtroom this afternoon
at 4 pm for an accelerated hearing regarding the recall
election of Town Councilman Lonnie Harrell.
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March 14, 2026 11:45 am
FORT WHITE, FL – Wednesday’s (March 11) “water system
operation transition” plan workshop got off to a good
start with Utility Engineer Mike New of
Woodard & Curran making a presentation to
transition the Fort White Water Plant back into
operation, control, and provide water to the residents
of Fort White. This was the purpose of the workshop.
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March 5, 2026 8:00 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Water First North Florida, the
controversial plan to pump 40 million gallons a day of
Jacksonville’s treated wastewater into the Suwannee
River Basin, will be getting a closer look by the
Columbia County 5 this morning.
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February 21, 2026 7:30 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Water First North Florida made
its first Columbia County appearance. It was a tough
sell for the Suwannee River Water Management District –
No one was buying.
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February 19, 2026 12:30 pm
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January 23, 2026 9:10 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Former County Commissioner Jody
DuPree is running against incumbent Rocky Ford in
District 2. Mr. DuPree, last elected in 2008 and losing
in the primary in 2012, is giving it another shot. He
turned in his paperwork to the Supervisor of Elections
Office last Friday.
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Dec. 17, 2025 11:10 pm |
8 min read
FORT WHITE, FL – Town Attorney Rhett Bullard quit at
just about the halfway point of Monday’s Fort White Town
Council meeting, telling the Council, “I’m done, and I
tell you what you can do. Come January, I won’t be here.
This is my last meeting.” He stayed until the meeting’s
conclusion.
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