Today's News

“If you like to see children read – there’s something you can do to help,” Mayor Sue Colson said Tuesday night at the close of the city budget workshop.

The middle school library is in need of a full set of the 15 Sunshine State Readers books, Colson said. “The school has two sets, but if you have 10 kids that want to read the same book, they can’t,” she said. “I want that taken care of.”

After nearly two months of budget workshops – some contentious, some congenial – Cedar Key commissioners adopted a tentative millage and $1.4 million budget this week.

With approximately $200,000 cut from last year’s operating budget, commissioners decided they would not need to raise the millage. It will remain the same – 3.1355.

“And that’s no raise in taxes,” said Commissioner Gene Hodges. “That’s exactly what it was last year.”

Around 1 p.m. on Sept. 16, Angelica Doty, 25, of Cedar Key, was driving her 2007 Nissan mini van on Hwy 24 eastbound out of town when she spilled her drink, according to police reports.

Not wanting the mess, Doty reached for the cup, inadvertently pulling the steering wheel with her, police reported. The van ended up in the gulf, 25 feet from the southbound side of the road, about 150 feet from the wooden bridge, and almost completely submerged. “It was an unusually high tide that day,” said Corporal David Perry.

Christmas has come a little early to Cedar Key and the state Department of Transportation is the Santa bringing three new bridges to town, replacing older, worn bridges considered dangerous and beyond their time. A fourth bridge in the county will also be replaced.  The good news came during the first meeting of the Levy County Board of Commissioners for the fiscal year that started Oct. 1.