Small Business Saturday is a day to help the little guys. Many Lake City businesses are offering doorbuster deals on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday — Nov. 24 and 25 — encouraging residents to shop local rather than spend their money at big chain stores.

With Hurricane Irma rapidly approaching Florida, it was all hands on deck at the Lake City Public Works headquarters on Friday as local residents rushed to fill sandbags in preparation for the storm. As people shoveled sand into burlap sacks and loaded their cars, it wasn’t just adults jumping into action. Several Lake City children showed up with their parents, ready to pick up a shovel and help get ready for the hurricane.

As Hurricane Irma makes its way towards Florida, local government officials are bracing themselves for a potential impact and making plans for residents. Columbia County Emergency Management has been working with its partner agencies to look at different options for the county, according to Emergency Management Director Shayne Morgan. “It’s a guessing game at this point with us not knowing where the storm is turning,” Morgan said. “We’re trying to make smart, informed decisions based on the information we have."

Incumbent Terry Huddleston and Lex Carswell and L.C. Bradley, who are vying to replace him as superintendent of schools, have similar goals for the district, but different plans on how to achieve them.

Business owners on U.S. 90 West have complained for years that ongoing construction has hindered commerce and kept customers out of their stores. Now, other store owners are saying the damage will be permanent because of a concrete median that has cut them off from commuters and customers.

WELLBORN — An ATV accident early Monday took the lives of two Lake City women who were soon to be sisters-in-law, one an engaged mother of three, the other a pharmacist celebrating her birthday.

LIVE OAK — An Austrian company that promised to bring growth and prosperity to North Florida with its Suwannee County sawmill is being sued by a former employee for lying to the federal government and misusing millions of dollars in local, state and federal funds, court records show.

Watching the Thomas family smiling and chatting in their Lake City home Wednesday morning, you would never know there was a giant oak tree lying in the middle of their bedroom.

Law enforcement officers and first responders stood in the middle of downtown Lake City on Friday afternoon, the citizens they serve encircling them in a show of love and support.

School Board Chairman Steve Nelson is determined to get a STEM coordinator position established for the district. However, the rest of the board isn’t yet convinced.

The Columbia County Tourist Development Council is struggling to rebuild its sports program after more than a third of its scheduled tournaments were canceled this year, resulting in a $3 million loss of revenue.

It isn't often that federally-funded food programs are associated with fresh, local produce. However, with the Florida Department of Health WIC Program’s newly-established farmers market in Columbia County, families on WIC government assistance will have access to fresh fruits and vegetables from local farms.

On Mother’s Day in 2002, Renne Napier had all four of her children with her. However, one of them was in a coffin, and only there in spirit. That was the day of her daughter Meagan’s visitation. It was the day before they would bury the 20-year-old college student. The day before a mother would see her baby for the last time. “I can’t even describe to you the horrible sound that came out of my soul,” Napier said.