Commercial Truck Insurance in Lake City, FL

This marks three dog hoarding cases in Northeast Florida in March alone.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Three weeks – three dog rescue missions. Several nonprofits came together to save more than five dozen dogs from a Lake City home, marking the third dog hoarding case in Northeast Florida in March.

“Somebody saw something," said Papillon Pals Director Tami Steinley. "They wanted a dog, they went to somebody’s house, and they saw multiple of these.”

When that dog adopter saw the sheer amount of dogs at a Lake City home, they reached out to a rescue to let them know it seemed they weren’t in the best shape.

“Initially she went out there and pulled 15 dogs, which I took 4," said Steinley. "Then we went back two weeks later. She pulled 11. I pulled three. Then, we realized this was a little more than we’re capable of because we’re just small little rescues.”

All told, half a dozen shelters from Jacksonville, Gainesville, Titusville and Tampa got involved to help make sure the 61 dogs the breeder had were taken care of.

“They’re not socialized," said Steinley. "They’re very fearful. They’re unsure. They’re not used to being around people. We take them in, they’re not spayed or neutered. We spay and neuter them. We vet them.”

The Lake City dogs are just the latest in a series of hoarding cases this month.

More than 100 small dogs were rescued from an elderly woman in Putnam County and 120 great danes and bulldogs were retrieved from a breeder in Union County.

“Over and over again we see these breeders that lose control," said Florida Urgent Rescue Founder Mike Merrill. "The packs multiply. They never spay and neuter. It gets out of control and suddenly you have 50, 100, 200 dogs.”

Merrill is relieved the Lake City situation got on their radar before there were hundreds of dogs there.

With so many recent cases, Merrill thinks it may be time lawmakers get involved.

“I think we should take a page out of the books of Northern states where they have mandatory spay and neuter. In order for that work, there’s got to be free and discounted spay and neuter everywhere and there’s not right now," said Merrill. "That’s a big problem.”

The dogs will be distributed to seven different nonprofits. Anyone interested in adopting one after they are groomed and provided veterinary care can contact the rescues directly:

F.U.R. took in senior dogs in the worst condition, including a blind 17 year old dog who needed both eyes removed, and a 9 year old dog with numerous medical problems. Anyone who would like to help can visit here.

Big Chicken replacing Rib Crib at I-75, U.S. 90.

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Can you dig it?

It looks like one of Lake City’s newest restaurant’s, Big Chicken, will come to the area bearing connections with NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal.

According to its website, Big Chicken is backed by O’Neal, who is partnering with JRS Hospitality, a Las Vegas-based ownership group and Authentic Brands Group, a multi-national, brand development, marketing and entertainment company, for the eatery.

Big Chicken, which was founded in 2018, fuses O’Neal’s home-cooked childhood favorites with today’s trending flavors.

The restaurant’s menu will feature items from crispy chicken sandwiches and chicken tenders, as well as crusted macaroni and cheese and hand-crafted ice cream milkshakes.

The restaurant will be located in the Gateway Crossing commercial development, on NW Centurion Court at the Interstate 75 and U.S. Highway 90 interchange.

The building was initially constructed as a Rib Crib restaurant, but was later named as the site for Florida’s first Big Chicken. Panhandle Restaurant Group (PRG Brands), from Panama City, is the owner/franchisee of the Lake City Big Chicken location.

Troy Crews, Columbia County Building and Zoning Director, said the revised plans for the restaurant were approved on June 22, 2023. It was changed to a Big Chicken at the end of November.

Crews said he was not given any information regarding why the restaurant changed from a Rib Crib to Big Chicken.

“There were no major structural changes. These were mainly cosmetic — signage, seating, interior decorations and that sort of thing,” Crews said of the plan revisions. “I’ve had no plan about an opening date.”

While no opening date has been released for the eatery, the restaurant’s website indicates that the restaurant is is coming in early 2024, while two other locations, one in Orlando and the other in Doral, are scheduled to be opened by mid-year.

Big Chicken is currently located or has planned openings in 16 states, as well as on the Carnival Cruise Line.

The Big Chicken restaurant in Lake City will be a 3,409 square-foot structure and have 102 seats. The restaurant will offer eat-in or take-out services and its drive through will be located on the western side of the building.

The restaurant was under construction when Columbia County and the City of Lake City were sharing permitting duties. The county building and zoning department was only handling the permitting and inspections, while the site/zoning approval was completed by the city’s growth management department.

Anthony Wilkinson Construction is building the Big Chicken restaurant as well as the Sonic restaurant across the street from the site.

Crews noted he hasn’t seen work crews at either site recently. He said the Sonic restaurant is closer to being completed and was inspected on Dec. 13, but needs additional work for a permanent power inspection.

With no recent work at the Big Chicken site, Crews said the restaurant is facing a deadline.

“Unless they have an approved inspection, if it lies dormant as it is at the moment, their permit will expire on May 15,” he said, noting if they request inspections, when they get an approved inspection it extends the permit life by six months. “They are at the stage with the construction right now that they would probably have a permanent power inspection and then a final (inspection). They’re fairly close as far as the required inspections.”

If Big Chicken goes past the inspection deadline, they could reapply for another permit through the City of Lake City’s Building Department since the city has resumed responsibility of its jurisdiction for building permits.

Crews said it’s not a common thing to have a restaurant constructed and then it be swapped to become the building for another restaurant, which is the result of an ownership change.

“We’re not in contact with the actual owners. We have only dealt with the contractor,” he said.

The next inspection for Big Chicken would be its permanent power inspection, which has not yet been requested.

SAVANNAH, Ga., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Clearwave Fiber has made significant progress building a state-of-the art, all-Fiber Internet network in Lake City, Fla, with several thousand residents in the area now able to receive the most advanced internet technology available. This expansion is part of the company's effort to deliver Fiber Internet service to thousands of homes and businesses across the state.

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"We've now launched our services and installed many customers in Lake City, thanks to the efforts of our construction crews and the ease of working with local officials and businesses," said Clearwave Fiber's Southeast Region President Ashley Phillips. "We're excited to bring superior speed and reliability to Lake City on our 100% Fiber network, which is installed and serviced by our exceptional local customer support team. Featuring gigabit download and upload speeds, Clearwave Fiber is bringing 10 times more speed to consumer doorsteps at a time when fast, reliable Internet is critical to modern households and businesses. Remote work, streaming, gaming, smart home technology and multiple device connectivity all require robust, reliable connections. Clearwave Fiber is committed to providing a hassle-free, high-quality Fiber data connection to every location in its growing footprint.

Since breaking ground in Lake City, Clearwave Fiber has constructed 100% Fiber Internet to more than 4,000 homes and businesses in the area. When complete, the project will provide services in the region to more than twice that amount. Lake City residents can check the availability of Clearwave Fiber service at their address and schedule their conversion to Fiber Internet by calling 866-404-3751 or by visiting clearwavefiber.com.

Clearwave Fiber has also been involved with many organizations in the community. "Connecting our customers and communities is at the heart of everything we do. We are more than just an Internet provider; we believe in making an impact and giving back," said Phillips.

Clearwave Fiber has built almost 10,000 miles of Fiber in the Southeast and Midwest United States on its way to bringing the fastest and most advanced Internet to more than 500,000 homes and businesses by the end of 2026.

For more information, visit ClearwaveFiber.com.

About Clearwave FiberClearwave Fiber is an internet service provider that operates a more than 10,000 route-mile fiber network serving communities across the Midwest and Southeast regions of the United States. With an emphasis on exceptional customer care and community engagement, the fast-growing company delivers advanced telecommunications solutions, providing fiber to business, enterprise and residential customers in Florida, Georgia, Illinois and Kansas. Committed to deploying 100% fiber internet service to 500,000 homes and businesses across the country by 2026, Clearwave Fiber employs more than 400 and is based in Savannah, Ga. Learn more at ClearwaveFiber.com, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

We are committed to the communities we serve and are proud to participate in the Affordable Connectivity Program to help make Internet service more affordable and accessible. Clearwavefiber.com/ACP.

CONTACT: pr@clearwaveFiber.com

SOURCE Clearwave Fiber

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB/Florida Gray Capital Bureau) - Teenagers across Florida will be kicked off social media at the end of the year. Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill Monday banning kids under 16 from having social media accounts.

It comes as social media is becoming a larger part of many teenagers’ lives these days. A Gallop poll found that American teens spend more than four hours a day on social media.

Benny Burns just turned 14 and videos of him performing have millions of views on his TikTok account. The Lake City teen says social media launched his career at a young age.

“It is really starting out my career. I’ve always wanted to be famous, like musically when it first started and TikTok,” Benny said.

The law does have an opt-in option, which gives parents of 14 and 15 years old the authority to allow their kids on social media. Benny’s mom, Brandy, said she’s going to take advantage of that to keep her son on TikTok.

“Social media is woven into American culture. So to have that just taken away, I just think that’s simply unjust,” Brandy Burns said.

Several other states have passed similar laws but are struck down in court. Lawmakers are expecting a challenge here, but they are confident because Florida’s law is different by targeting addictive features, such as endless scrolling.

RELATED: ‘It’s unfair’: Lake City mother defends child’s use of social media pending statewide ban

“Trying to help parents navigate this very difficult terrain that we have now with raising,” Gov. DeSantis said during a news conference in Jacksonville Monday.

University of Florida social media professor Andrew Selepak said research shows social media was a factor in many mental health issues teens are facing. He said laws like this are aimed at reversing a trend.

“Back in the day, bullying occurred when you got on the school bus until you got off of the school bus. Now bullying is 24/7. Bullying is on social media all the time,” Selepak said.

For Benny social media is helping him live out his dreams.

“It’s always been my dream to be famous. I’ve always told my mom when I was little I will be famous one day,” Benny said.

Federal law already doesn’t allow kids under 13 to have social media accounts. Florida’s law takes effect January 1.

Attorney General Ashley Moody has filed several lawsuits against Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta over crimes related to human trafficking.

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