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Columbia County News
Beginning in 2013 County & County
Commission News will be here. Earlier
years will be found in either County News or County
Commission indexes
2013
Index of Stories •
2017 •
2016-2015 •
2014 •
2013 •
2012-2009
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County News 2013
(scroll down)
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Karl Burkhardt's Lake City Journal - An Era Ends
Posted December
31, 2013 08:10 am
LAKE
CITY/COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Today, December 31,
2013, Karl Burkhardt's Lake City Journal, an
online news outlet goes off the air. For ten
years, Mr. Burkhardt has been bringing Lake City
and Columbia County the "good" news of the area,
along with traffic reports, legal notices, DOT
road closings, reports on flowers, and the press
releases of various governmental agencies.
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Posted December 20, 2013 10:20 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Last night, Columbia
County Sheriff Mark Hunter got another free
pass, in a long line of free passes from The
County 5, when The 5 rubber stamped a budget
transfer of almost a quarter million dollars in
the Sheriff's Office. Sheriff Hunter, who won
reelection last year with over 80% of the vote,
no longer gives any explanations to the public
regarding his $11,000,000 budget. The 5, whose
job it is to collect, approve, and monitor the
Sheriff's budget, deals with him in the back
rooms, where most of the County's business is
transacted.
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Posted December 19, 2013 08:30 am |
news/commentary
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Tonight, the Columbia
County 5 (The 5), Florida's back room rubber
stamp homeless County Commission, makes it clear
why public meetings and Florida's Sunshine Law
are no impediment to the out of control spending
ways of this legendary and unaccountable bunch
of elected officials. On tap tonight is $283,539
of unbudgeted expenses buried in the Consent
Agenda and $1,087,064 of money transfers and
questionable purchasing practices, which
includes a $223,597 money transfer by Columbia
County Sheriff Hunter and Public Works again
calling reserve funds "budgeted money."
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Posted December 15, 2013 12:55 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – According to a 1985-2010 study
done by the CDC, Florida’s overweight and obesity rates
are increasing alarmingly, and Columbia County is no
exception. According to the statistics, ignoring obesity will be
costly. Columbia County has a greater than 70% combined
overweight and obesity population and overweight/obesity
rates in Columbia County schools are similar.
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Kirby recommends 37% pay raise for employee who
has given 2 week notice
Posted December 5, 2013 08:45 news/commentary
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – The legendary Columbia
County 5 (The 5), Florida's infamous good ole'
boy, backroom rubber stamp, never saw a deal we
couldn't make, Board of County Commissioners is
up to its old tricks. Tonight at 5:30 pm, The 5
will demonstrate to Tallahassee and the US
Congress that when it comes to moving money
around, taking care of their friends and picking
the public's pockets, The 5 are the act to
beat.
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Posted November
22, 2013 07:48 am
Being a Sheriff's Deputy in a rural county
requires more than just a love of money, as
Columbia County's road deputies are some of the
poorest paid in Florida. There is more to the
job than guns and glory. The Deputies that
patrol the highway and byways are your
neighbors, highly trained and dedicated
professionals. When Deputies Clay and Staley
gave emergency medical treatment to keep a young
mother from bleeding to death after she had cut
her jugular vein in an apparent suicide attempt
it wasn't for any glory. It is what they do.
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Posted November 08, 2013 10:40 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Last night's County Commission
meeting went as planned. The 5's restrictive public
comment rules enacted under the Reign of Terror kept
anyone from asking questions before the legendary 5's
backroom deals got publically rubber stamped. After the
gavel dropped, The 5 awarded road builders, Anderson Columbia, another
$466,623 with up to an estimated $500,000 more on the
way for dirt.
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The training ground for what is wrong with
Washington
Posted November 07, 2013 08:26 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – The Columbia County 5 are
meeting at 3 pm today, rather than 5:30 pm in an
early afternoon County Commission meeting. The
Commissioners want to attend the County Fair.
Hidden away on The 5's docket this afternoon are
hundreds of thousands of dollars of unbudgeted
expenditures; an interlocal agreement which if
approved will give $100,000 to the SRWMD;
$80,000 for lobbying; and what confidential
sources have claimed is an over $1,000,000 issue
with the Bascom Norris Bypass, Columbia County's
own Big Dig.
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Posted October 23, 2013 01:59 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Florida's Workforce Boards are
some of the state's most difficult organizations to run.
There are multiple revenue streams and a multitude of
federal and state rules and regulations. Regional
Workforce Boards are the employment agencies of Florida.
They do job training, welfare transition, resume
assistance, and skills assessment. From factory workers
to executives, Florida Crown has been serving Columbia,
Dixie, Gilchrist, and Union counties since 2000.
Recently, Columbia County native son, Robert Jones, has
risen to the top to become Florida Crown's Executive
Director.
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Posted October 18, 2013 08:16 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL –
Columbia County's workers, the ones that work directly
for the County 5 (the County Commission) haven't
received a real raise since 2008. The County 5 discussed
this a couple of times during the recent 2014 budget
cycle, but as usually happens with The 5, nothing
happened that anybody could see. Last night, after the
Observer asked what happened with the salary study, it
was revealed that The 5 had planned a workshop.
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Posted October 4, 2013 07:35 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Last night Columbia
County's infamous County 5, the County
Commission that decides just about everything in
the back room, didn't disappoint as without one
word of discussion they breezed through another
consent agenda in record time. The 5 continued
to side step meaningful countywide salary review
by spending $179,000 in unbudgeted funds for a
$350 bonus for each County employee. But the
real action was another slick, sweetheart,
unspoken deal
between The 5 and Lifeguard Ambulance.
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Sheriff makes unscheduled appearance at microphone
Posted September 10, 2013 11:35 am
COLUMBIA
COUNTY, FL –
Last night, the County's first FY 2014 budget
hearing went off without a hitch as the County 5
(County Commission) approved the $39,432,968
budget without a single question. County Manager
Dale Williams explained that the restricted and
unrestricted County reserves were down $5
million to $24 million due to Hurricane Debbie.
He explained that the cash balance forward was
about $20 million. (Photo: County Manager Dale
Williams)
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Posted September 9, 2013 11:15 am
COLUMBIA
COUNTY, FL –
Tonight, the Columbia County 5 will rubber stamp
the FY 2014 County budget. Mostly all of the discussions
regarding the budget were done in the shadows. The
County's budget workshops earlier this year's were
mostly useless exercises in evasion, with virtually no
substantive questions asked by the County 5. The County
continues with an internal auditor who does not use a
computer. Its long time financial consultant continues
as the external auditor and budget consultant. If one is
looking for County presentations that present trends
over time, charts, or other things that are presented in
the civilized world during budget presentations, the
County 5 has seen that is not going to happen.
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Posted September 6, 2013 07:58 am | (1
comment)
COLUMBIA
COUNTY, FL –
Columbia County's legendary County Manager, Dale
Williams, pulled a rabbit out of his hat last night
when, just after the County Commission rejected a
proposal to reduce the proposed 138% increased Fire
Assessment Fee for one year (2 for – 3 against), he came
up with an epiphany, a way to have all of Columbia
County's taxpayers pay for a reduction in the fire
assessment for a few apartment owners.
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Posted September 4, 2013 07:35 am
LAKE CITY /
COLUMBIA
COUNTY, FL –
In 2006, then Columbia County Sheriff, Bill Gootee
began the task of combining the County's
dispatch services: fire, sheriff, and EMS. At
that time Sheriff Gootee told the County, "The
more public safety and public service users are
on the same system means better public safety
for all." Seven years later, the clashing of
heads between Lake City and Columbia County
continued with nobody listening, as the Columbia
County/Lake City combined dispatch concept is
headed for the scrap heap. Last night, Lake City
continued on its course to go it alone, once
they upgrade their fire dispatch so they can.
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Posted September 3, 2013 04:50 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – At 10 am today the 911
Combined Communications Center Working Group met
at the call center. Absent from the meeting was
any representative from Lake City. The County
invited the City to this meeting, as well as to
rejoin and participate in the Combined Dispatch
Center. Will Lake City continue down the path to
becoming an island? The City Council meets at 7
pm this evening. This question is on their
agenda.
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Posted September 1, 2013 05:20 pm
COLUMBIA
COUNTY, FL –
Thursday evening in Fort White about 50 people
showed up for the last stop in the County's Fire
Assessment Info-Show. Three of the County 5 showed up to
listen to presentations by Fire Chief David Boozer,
Safety Manager David Kraus, and comments from the
public. A retired Lake City Fire Battalion Chief was the
only person in favor of the County 5's proposed hike
which will drive rates from $77 to $183 a year for a
family.
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Posted August 28, 2013 12:55 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL –
Doyle Crews, Columbia County's popular long time
Property Appraiser updated the Property
Appraiser's website yesterday afternoon adding
links on the home page regarding TRIM Notices
and exemptions...
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Posted August 22, 2013 8:45:am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Just days away from jury
selection and a full blown trial and a week
after County Court Judge William F. Williams,
III denied Mr. Kirby's motions to dismiss the
charges against him and suppress the testimony
of one of the State's key witnesses, Columbia County's
number two, Kevin Kirby, had a change of heart.
Tuesday afternoon at about 2:30 pm, in a
hastily arranged court appearance, Mr. Kirby
agreed to take the standard first time offender
DUI plea agreement and pled guilty to driving
under the influence. Mr. Kirby's license remains
suspended. He is on supervised probation.
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Posted August 20, 2013 12:35 am | Part II
COLUMBIA COUNTY/LAKE CITY, FL –
Historically, economic development is something
that happened in other places like Gainesville and
Ocala, and minimally in Columbia County. The last
meeting of the Economic Development Advisory Board is an
indication why as the Board discussed the paving of
county road, Bell Road. Lake City, City Manager Wendell
Johnson commented on the County 5's (County Commission)
prospect of spending millions of dollars to pave a dirt
road that goes through the woods, "So we invest millions
of dollars to pave a road to nowhere."
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Posted August 20, 2013 12:35 am | Part II
COLUMBIA COUNTY/LAKE CITY, FL – Historically,
economic development is something that happened
in other places like Gainesville and Ocala, and
minimally in Columbia County. The last meeting
of the Economic Development Advisory Board is an
indication why as the Board discussed the paving
of county road, Bell Road. Lake City, City
Manager Wendell Johnson commented on the County
5's (County Commission) prospect of spending
millions of dollars to pave a dirt road that
goes through the woods, "So we invest millions
of dollars to pave a road
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Posted August 19, 2013 3:55 pm | Part I
COLUMBIA COUNTY/LAKE CITY, FL – Historically,
not counting restaurants and motels close to
Interstate 75, economic development is something
that happened in other places like the cities of
Gainesville and Ocala, and minimally in Columbia
County/Lake City. The last meeting of the
Economic Development Advisory Board is an
indication why, as downtown business owner and
Board member Marc Vann commented that downtown
Lake City looks worse today
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Posted August 16, 2013 07:20 am | (1
comment)
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – In June 2009 Columbia
County, Lake City, and the Sheriff signed an
interlocal agreement to establish and maintain a
Combined Communications Center from which all
emergency communication was to be handled for
law enforcement, fire and EMS. The agreement
called for an activation date of October 1,
2009. Four years later, the City and County are
still at each other's throats and the Combined
Communications Center concept is a bust. Last
month, under the leadership of Lake City
Manager, Wendell Johnson, Lake City decided to
pull its fire dispatch from the Combined Center
and go its own way.
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Posted August 2, 2013 09:45 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Last night's County
Commission meeting provided no surprises as the
County 5 approved every dime of the over
$1,000,000 of unbudgeted expenditures on the
consent agenda; approved a sky high trash
collection assessment – once again without any
provisions for recycling; and gave their
approval to homeowner fire assessments that have
drifted into the stratosphere, up 137% over last
year. The County 5 proved once again that all
meaningful discussion in Columbia County goes on
behind closed doors when, after over an hour of
presentations by County Manager Dale Williams,
they approved everything without of
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Posted August
1, 2013 07:45 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – The legendary Columbia
County 5 begins a new era at tonight's County
Commission meeting – Budgeting by Suggestion.
The County 5 already famous for their bucket
theory of economics and back room dealing has
found another way to be unaccountable to its
taxpaying citizens, when, for the first time
tonight at approximately 5:30 pm, the County 5
will be voting on items totaling $619,988 in the
new category of Budgeting by Suggestion. The
items can be found on the "rubber stamp" consent
agenda.
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Posted July
31, 2013 08:30 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – The July 26, 2013 meeting of
the Local Transportation Disadvantaged Board of North
Central Florida navigated choppy waters under the
leadership of Columbia County's Bucky Nash. Chairman
Nash listened to everyone and steadied a sometimes rocky
and contentious ship. Chairman Nash made the Suwannee
Valley Transit Authority management issues secondary to
the purpose of the program: seeing that the people who
need transportation services are receiving them.
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Posted July 23, 2013 08:55 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL –
Yesterday morning in an unannounced and barely
publicized workshop the Columbia County 5 tentatively
approved a residential fire rate assessment increase of
137% with total expenditures increasing 91%. If the
commissioners don't' back off, the assessment for a
single family home in the unincorporated area of the
County will go from $77 to $183. Trash rates for
residential customers will be going down a few dollars,
while business and industrial customers will see an
increase.
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Posted July 22, 2013 07:35 am | updated 3:24 pm |
(1
comment)
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL –
Last Thursday night Columbia County's good ole' boy
County Commission proved once again that when it comes
to skimming the cream out of the taxpayer's pockets the
Columbia County 5 takes a back seat to no one. Chamber
President Joel Foreman, who was not on the County's
agenda, came to ask the County 5 to fund a retail
analysis for the Chamber of Commerce by an Alabama firm.
Cost to the deep pocketed Columbia County's taxpayers,
$80,000. The vast majority of the County's retail
business is located within Lake City. No procurement
policy was followed. It was not clear from what bucket
the money was coming. The $80,000 was not budgeted.
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Posted July 18, 2013 09:10 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – It has been almost seven weeks
since the Observer's last article in the saga of the
Kirby DUI. Kevin Kirby, the Columbia County Public Works/Operations Director rolled his truck over at
about 1:45 am on April, 14, 2013. Both on the scene and
when he was booked into the County Jail, Mr. Kirby
refused to take a blood alcohol test (refused to blow)
despite numerous warnings of the consequence. Columbia
County's infamous good ole' boy County Commission has
been silent despite Mr. Kirby's violation of the
County's Personnel Policy & Procedures Manual. Refusing
to blow automatically suspends one's license for a year.
Mr. Kirby is on call 24/7.
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Posted June 21,
2013 08:18 am
COLUMBIA
COUNTY, FL – Last night's County Commission
meeting brought no surprises as the County
Commission finally KO'd the Columbia County/Lake
City 911 Combined Communications Center.
Commissioner Stephen Bailey said it was
unfortunate "that we are in the situation that
we are in with the relationship between the City
and the County as it comes to dispatch."
Commissioner Ronald Williams said, "I thought it
was a good gesture of this Board to sit down at
the table with everybody involved... I cannot
see why when everything was solidified with a
City Manager and a Chief of Police – why the
deal was so bad and we
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Posted June 20, 2013 12:20 pm
COLUMBIA
COUNTY, FL – Columbia County's 911 communications has
been broken for decades and has become the poster child
for what can go wrong at every level of a dispatch
center. The County Commission took over the total
operation of 911 communications in 2008. Political
maneuvering, a lack of supervision, revolving door
communications center directors, broken equipment,
dueling dispatches, wrong addresses, and an emergency
backup center housed in a utility trailer at the County
jail, plugged into nothing and inoperable, are just
some of the conditions that have been the hallmark of
County controlled 911 communications in recent times.
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Posted
June 17, 2013 01:59 pm
COLUMBIA
COUNTY, FL – At its beginnings in 2008, the main purpose
of the creation of the Columbia County Combined
911 Communications Center was to take the
dispatch center away from then Sheriff Bill
Gootee and discredit him enough to cost him the
election against challenger and Columbia County
good ole' boy, Mark Hunter. It worked. Bill
Gootee was defeated and it looks like, unless
there is some intervention by the folks elected
to represent the people of Columbia County/Lake
City, Sheriff Mark Hunter is going to be getting
the 911 dispatch center back and Lake City is
going to go it alone because the County can't
get its act
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Free Foreclosure Defense Program Extended To
July 31st
Posted June 13, 2013 04:55 pm
JACKSONVILLE, FL - Three Rivers Legal Services’
foreclosure assistance program – which has
assisted over two hundred homeowners with their
housing issues since the program began in March
– has been extended through the end of July
2013.
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Posted June 7, 2013 09:30 am (1
comment)
COLUMBIA
COUNTY, FL – On tap during last night's County
Commission meeting was an ordinance to extend the
ability of bars and restaurants to sell alcoholic
beverages from 1 am to 2 am. A sister ordinance,
allowing mixed drinks to be sold in restaurants on
Sundays had recently been turned down by the Commission
on a split vote. Last night's result was no different.
On a 3-2 vote, the Commission voted to continue to
restrict the open hours of alcoholic beverage sales to 1
am, leaving Columbia County surrounded by two counties
which allow bars and restaurants to serve until 2 am.
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CCSO: Ft White man arrested on drug charges.
Meth lab found
Posted
June 5, 2013 05:45 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – On Monday, June 3, 2013, a
Ft. White man was arrested on narcotics charges
after deputies discovered a methamphetamine
laboratory in his home.
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Posted May 31, 2013 03:00 am
COLUMBIA
COUNTY, FL – The Kevin Kirby DUI arrest has been a topic
of conversation among County employees and others since
April 14th, when at approximately 1:30 Sunday morning,
he rolled his truck on a dark country road just .6 mile
from his driveway and his sleeping wife and baby
daughter. Today, the Third
Circuit's State Attorney, Jeff Siegmeister, who
campaigned against the good ole' boy cronyism that has
been a hallmark of Columbia County forever, squashed
that rumor. He told the Observer, "It's a trialable case
and if Mr. Kirby wants his day in court, I am going to
give it to him."
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Posted May 17, 2013 04:50 pm
COLUMBIA
COUNTY, FL – In 2007, Columbia County ended its
automatic aid agreement with the City of High
Springs Fire Department. The result: the
shortsightedness of Columbia County's County
Commission left 532 families along the Columbia
County - High Springs-Alachua County border
under protected, under-served, and paying 40%
more a year for fire insurance, because there
wasn't a fire station within five miles. The
lack of an agreement cost Columbia County's
south end residents in the neighborhood of a
million dollars in increased fire insurance
premiums.
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Posted May 9, 2013 009:30 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – On Wednesday, May 8, 2013,
at approximately 11:50 pm, deputies with the
Columbia County Multi-Jurisdictional Task Force
were involved in a confrontation while Task
Force deputies were conducting a narcotics
investigation at a home on 611 NW Bronco
Terrace.
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Posted May
3, 2013 10:30 am
COLUMBIA
COUNTY, FL – Last night at the County Commission,
Columbia County's popular 2nd term Sheriff, Mark Hunter,
came to the microphone as a private citizen and ran
cover for his friends on the County Commission, who
couldn't answer three simple questions: Who went to
Tallahassee in April during legislative week? What did
they accomplish? How much did they spend?
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Posted May 1, 2013 07:25 am | updated May 1, 2013
09:41 pm (1
comment)
COLUMBIA
COUNTY, FL – The Kevin Kirby DUI incident arrived in the
Misdemeanor and Traffic Arraignments courtroom of County
Court Judge Tom Coleman early yesterday morning. On
April 19, 2013, the plea of not guilty was filed with
the court by one of Mr. Kirby's attorneys of record,
Lake City attorney Travis Koon. While the court docket
is not clear regarding when Mr. Koon entered the case,
Judge Coleman made it clear from the bench when Mr.
Kirby's attorney, Jimmy Hunt of Lake City, withdrew from
the case.
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April 29, County Manager
Dale Williams Responds
Posted April 27, 2013 01:10 pm (1 comment)
Updated April 29, 2013 03:20 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – While many communities in Florida
and around the country take DUI's very seriously, the
alleged DUI of Columbia County's number two man, Kevin
Kirby is getting the silent treatment from the county's
management. Unanswered questions are leading many to
believe that the fix is in and Mr. Kirby is going to get
a free pass for the event of April 14th, when he drove
off the road, sideswiped a tree, hit another tree,
rolled his truck, and then received a tickets for a DUI,
careless driving, and possession of an open container of
alcohol in his vehicle.
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Posted April 27, 2013 12:59 pm
The Observer has received many calls and has been asked
many times what happens with a DUI. Here is the answer
through the arraignment, which is scheduled for April
30th at 08:30 am in front of County Judge Tom Coleman.
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Posted April
19, 2013 07:32 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Squandering the public's
money is nothing new in Columbia County as last
night the County Commission jettisoned two
ongoing projects, the ill-conceived Events
Center, known as the Boondoggle in the
Boondocks; FLOW (Florida Leaders Organized for
Water); and with barely a word of explanation
turned down an ordinance that would have allowed
the Sunday sale of mixed drinks in restaurants.
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Posted April
18, 2013 02:59 pm
COLUMBIA
COUNTY, FL – The recent DUI incident involving Columbia
County's number two man, Public Works
Director/Operations Manager, Kevin Kirby, has county
workers in a buzz wondering what is going to happen
next. While county management has been tightlipped,
there are questions concerning the Sheriff's Office
withholding of public documents about the incident,
most notably, the Florida Highway Patrol Arrest Report.
This record is a public document. (File Photo: Sheriff
Mark Hunter)
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Posted April
17, 2013 07:10 pm
COLUMBIA
COUNTY, FL – In a report released from the Columbia
County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) this morning,
Public Information Officer Ed Seifert reported
on an apparent suicide intervention which
occurred over the weekend. He reported, "The
negotiators talked with the man for a few hours,
trying to convince him to surrender to deputies
peacefully."
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Posted April
15, 2013 08:24 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Last week the Columbia County,
County Commission, along with veteran Commissioner
Ronald Williams and the recently defeated Jody DuPree,
was served with a federal lawsuit claiming that the two
commissioners and the County Commission violated citizen
Barbara Lemley's First Amendment rights at two County
Commission meetings in 2011. Ronald Williams and Jody
DuPree are being sued individually.
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Posted April 14, 2013 03:20 pm
COLUMBIA
COUNTY, FL – Early this Sunday morning was not a good
morning for Columbia County's Public Works Director,
Kevin Kirby. At 03:01:57 am he was booked into the
county jail. Mr. Kirby was charged under what some folks
call the Florida Drunk Driving Law, Florida Statute
316.193(1). Mr. Kirby was released from the county jail
on $1,000 bond.
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Posted April 12, 2013 08:55 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – On December 1, 2011, the future
seemed bright for what was to become Florida Leaders
Organized for Water (FLOW). Reacting to the May 10, 2011
decision by the St. Johns River Water Management
District to award a 20 year, 155,000,000 gal per
day Consumptive Use Permit to the Jacksonville
Electric Authority (JEA), Columbia County
organized the first meetings of what was to
become FLOW.
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Posted
April 3, 2013 08:25 am
COLUMBIA
COUNTY, FL – Columbia County's County Commission heard
from Haven Hospice's Administrator Polly Tyler
last night where she delivered a very important
message to the County and all of North Florida.
She told the Commission, "I challenge all of you
to appoint a health care surrogate." Ms. Tyler
announced that April 16 is
National Healthcare Decisions Day. Haven
Hospice has facilities in 18 Florida counties
and cares for 700 to 800 patients at a time and
is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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Posted March 14, 2013 07:35 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – This past Monday night FLOW
(Florida Leaders Organized for Water) met for the 15th
time since its
first beginnings in December of 2011. Comprised of
various leaders from counties and cities across northern
Florida that draw their water from the Floridian
Aquifer, the seed for FLOW was planted in 2011 when the
St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD)
granted JEA a permit to draw up to 155 million gallons
of fresh clean drinking water a day from the
shrinking aquifer.
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Posted February 22, 2013 09:05 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Last night Florida's
legendary good ole boy County Commission handed
out a County tax exemption to United States Cold
Storage to create 15 jobs at an annual cost to
the County tax payers of $8,122 per job or
$1,121,828 over ten years at the present tax
rate. Then the Commission approved a 1% hike in
the hotel
Bed Tax to promote tourism in the County.
The
County recently approved $3,000,000 to
improve the sports complex without any future
plans to build the special purpose handicapped
accessible Field of Dreams. The Observer asked
the Commission to
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Posted February 21, 2013 07:45 am
COLUMBIA
COUNTY, FL – Tonight, beginning at its new 5:30
pm time, Columbia County's legendary County
Commission is scheduled to vote on raises for
three county employees in three rearranged job
titles. Collectively, the average raise is 20.5%
not including the cost of benefits. The County's
Director of Public Works (now the Operations
Manager) is on tap to receive a $22,108.53
raise; the Senior Staff Assistant (now the
Safety Manager) $17,489.99; and the Assistant
County Manager (new title unclear) $9.483.92.
These amounts include the almost $7,000 cost of
additional benefits. If approved, the pay raises
will be retroactive to
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Posted February 14, 2013 07:10 pm
DENVER, CO / COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Air
Methods Corporation (NASDAQ: AIRM), the global
leader in air medical transportation, announced
today it has entered into agreements with HCA
MidAmerica and North Florida Divisions. Air
Methods will provide medical communication
services through its DirectCall Transfer Center
for the MidAmerica Division, and has established
a preferred provider agreement with the North
Florida Division for air medical transport
services.
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Posted February 12, 2013 07:35 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Last night Florida Leaders
Organized for Water (FLOW) met in the Columbia
County School Board Administrative Complex
Auditorium. FLOW is represented by many
communities of North Central Florida and while
the rush of the public has dwindled to a
trickle, the group has come up with a draft
strategic plan and a draft position paper
called, "Florida's Water Future." Unfortunately,
none of this was available to the public before
the meeting, nor was it posted on the Columbia
County or the FLOW website. FLOW has a staff
member on the payroll to take care of this.
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Posted February 8, 2013 07:15 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Last night the County
Commission was again presented with a dilemma:
Pull the plug on the $28,000,000 Jody DuPree
Boondoggle in the Boondocks or squander more tax
payer dollars on lawyers and staff fees. An ill
prepared County Commission needed County Manager
Dale Williams to put his spin on what's been
going on. While always literate and articulate,
last night the County's legendary County Manager
was put in a tight spot trying to weave his
Board out of something they couldn't, or
wouldn't do on their own.
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Posted February 7, 2013 08:15 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Florida's infamous good
ole boy rubber stamp County Commission is
looking to set a consent agenda record tonight
by rubber stamping over $8,000,000 in a single
vote. Many items are non budgeted items and one
contract on tap with Anderson Columbia for
$1,495,699.99 may be the only bid, the lowest
bid, or the highest bid. The only thing the
public knows is the amount and that $375,699.99
is coming out of cash reserves to make up for
the difference that the grant does not finance.
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Posted January 21, 2013 01:00 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – The Columbia County Branch
of the NAACP celebrated for the 29th time the
life of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. The
gathering was sparse as Evangelist Brooksene
Smith ended her invocation saying, "Bless the
local NAACP officers, because Lord, they have a
long ways to go... Bless each and every one
that's assembled here this afternoon... We ask
that you continue to look around Lake City. We
need you Lord like we never needed you before...
Amen.
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Posted
January 17, 2013 07:30 am
LAKE CITY, FL – On January 16, 2013 at
approximately 5:27 a.m., Mr. Enrique R. Cutts,
27, was sitting in a vehicle and was approached
by Mr. Cory M. Douglas, 28, and shot in the face
with a flare gun. Mr. Douglas fled the scene but
was later located and arrested. Mr. Douglas was
transported to Gainesville for medical
treatment.
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Posted January 15, 2013 07:30 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Columbia County’s homeless
County Commission has residents jumping through hoops
and driving for miles and miles to attend meetings which
are getting further from the south end of the county.
Today's meeting between the County Commission and the
Tourist Development Council (TDC) is being held at
Gateway Community College at 7 pm. For some residents
with an interest in sports and who want to be involved,
the round trip can total over 70 miles. Yesterday,
Florida had the 12th highest gas price in the
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Posted January 14, 2013 04:35 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL –
On Sunday, January 13, 2013, Columbia County Sheriff's
Office deputies discovered a clandestine methamphetamine
laboratory. At approximately 8:50 pm., Deputies Brian
Lucas and Chad Guerry were conducting a neighborhood
patrol when they observed a suspicious vehicle parked at
317 NE Double Run Rd. While investigating the vehicle,
the Deputies could smell a chemical odor in the area.
The chemical odor was consistent with the illegal
manufacture of methamphetamine.
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Posted January 11, 2013 11:59 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL –
The saga of the $28,000,000 Boondoggle in the
Boondocks, which began its life in July of 2011 as the
Columbia County Assembly/Events Building, continued
yesterday evening at 6 PM to a full house at the Lake
Shore Hospital Authority building. Former County
Commissioner Jodi DuPree's handpicked Events Center
committee was almost all present as Commissioner Ronald
Williams gaveled the meeting to order. Committee (1
comment)
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