A plan to shutter up to four state prisons is alarming officials in Florida’s rural regions where correctional institutions have played an outsized role in providing jobs and supporting businesses for decades.
As Jury Trials Are Set To Finally Resume for Good in Flagler, Judge Perkins Sends Reassurances to the Covid Leery
Potential jurors being are being reassured by Circuit Judge Terence Perkins, the senior and administrative judge in the county, that “every court process and procedure” has been reviewed “to ensure that your jury service is safe.”
Matanzas Student Who Wrote Song Threatening Dean’s Life Pleads to Deal That May Erase the Charge
Joseph Washington, 18, was arrested in January after Matanzas High faculty learned of a song he’d uploaded, threatening Tom Wooleyhan, a dean, by name. He was sentenced to 18 months’ probation on a third-degree felony charge, a plea deal the judge found surprising for its leniency. The charge will be dropped if Washington fulfills its terms over the next 18 months.
A Carefully Contrite Kim Weeks Offers $20,000 Settlement, But Commissioners Don’t Buy the Act–or the Trifle
Facing a judgment of well over $130,000 owed Flagler County government in reimbursements over her reckless ethics complaints, ex-Elections Supervisor Kim Weeks offered a $20,000 settlement, only to hear commissioners ridicule the offer and the sincerity of her contriteness, and reject it unanimously.
Backed by Millions in Public and Private Cash, Rapid Covid Tests Are Coming to Stores Near You
Scientists and lawmakers agree that over-the-counter covid tests could allow desk workers to settle back into their cubicles and make it easier to reopen schools and travel, though screening accuracy varies, as does the way consumers get results.
Measure Forcing Colleges and Universities to Survey Students’ Ideological Viewpoints Set to Pass
The proposal also would prevent colleges and universities from “shielding” students, faculty and staff from any kind of speech. Opponents have argued the provision would allow groups like the Ku Klux Klan to come to campuses.
Aaron Thayer, Son of Man Vanished 6 Years Ago, Arrested on Attempted Murder Charge Involving Girlfriend
Aaron Thayer, 39, of Apricot Avenue in Daytona North–the son of George Contos, his father, whom he reported missing six years ago in suspicious circumstances–was arrested as he was allegedly chasing after his girlfriend with a gun in his waistband, after sending her written death threats.
Manslaughter Charge for Daughter Accused of Leaving Mom to Die Like a ‘Prisoner in a Concentration Camp’
Kim King Zaheer, 64, of Palm Coast, was booked at the Flagler jail on a first-degree felony manslaughter charge at the conclusion of a more-than two-year investigation in the death of her mother, Frances Hildegard King, who was found to have died of abuse, malnutrition and neglect in December 2018.
For Waste Pro in Palm Coast, Trashy Service Piles Up Complaints and Fines Again As City Nears New Bid
Waste Pro since March 2018 has accumulated $112,500 in fines over shoddy service. It had a good 2020, but the first three months of 2021 have been increasingly poor, and just as the city is preparing to bid out the contract, which expires in 2022. The company again blames a driver shortage. The city wants Waste Pro to live up to its contractual obligations.
Car Burglary at Washington Oaks Targeting Tourists Leads to Felon Wanted in 2 Other States
Caisy Frank, 40, arrested on March 31 in connection with thefts of a gun and credit cards at a state park in Flagler County, has a long criminal history in at least four states, including a history in Flagler dating back to 2013.
Electric Power Bills Will Increase $48 a Year For Typical Customer; FPL Blames Higher Fuel Costs
The state Public Service Commission on Thursday approved a request by FPL to collect $302.5 million from customers to cover additional costs of fuel for power plants. FPL customers who use 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity a month will see their bills increase from the current $99.05 a month to $103.02 in May. The additional charges will continue through December.
Powered by Restaurants and Tourism, Economy Adds 916,000 Jobs, Lowering Unemployment to 6%
The national economy added 916,000 jobs in March, with big gains in restaurant, bar and tourism, construction and government jobs and strong gains in almost all other sectors, sending the unemployment rate down to 6 percent, the lowest rate in a year: the rate was 4.4 percent and rising 12 months ago as the coronavirus pandemic was sweeping in.
Affordable Housing Under Attack: Flagler Realtors Join Opposition to Decimation of Housing Trust Fund
Flagler County Realtors are joining forces with state counterparts to oppose a proposal that would gut the amount of money the state will spend on affordable housing, by limiting Sadowski trust fund expenditures to that end to 33 percent of the fund’s total.
Unlike Many Republican Leaders, Gov. DeSantis Says Yes to Getting Vaccinated
According to one survey in 22 states, Republicans were being vaccinated at a little more than half the rate for Democrats. The governor is 42, and so is included among the latest cohort to become eligible.
Aggravated Stalking of Ex-Girlfriend Leads to Felony Charges Against Flagler Beach’s Robert Isenhour Jr.
Robert C. Isenhour Jr., 18, allegedly ridiculed his 18-year-old ex-girlfriend when she was in the process of filing an injunction against him, saying no judge or police would believe her. He was arrested after a incident of alleged stalking near the Golden Lion, the culmination of a month-long series of intimidating and threatening acts, according to police.
With Warning to the Gullible, a Bouncy Sheriff’s Office Launches Deputies on New Transportation Unit
On April 1, 2021, Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) launched the newest Transportation Unit (T.U.), enabling officers to jump higher and help the community faster.
Florida House Targets School Board Salaries, But Senate Does Not
A proposed constitutional amendment aimed at eliminating salaries for county school board members was approved by a House panel Thursday, with opponents warning it could make boards less diverse. But without a companion bill making it through the Senate, the matter may be moot again this year.
Flagler Beach’s Iconic A-Frame Is Getting a Make-Over for First Time in 24 Years
The Flagler Beach Pier’s A-frame is getting its first re-shingling in 24 years, a $9,360 job and the fourth in the last four years on different parts of the pier and its restaurant, ahead of the city’s upcoming centennial.
I Want Civil Rights. They Want to Talk About Sports.
The Equality Act would extend basic civil rights protections to Queer people in housing, employment, education, and other arenas. Support tops 70 percent. Many people assume a federal law like this already exists. But in dozens of states, it’s perfectly legal to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Florida Lawmakers Want Their Home Addresses and Phone Numbers Kept Secret
The House and Senate are advancing proposals that would create a public-records exemption for information about lawmakers, including their home addresses and phone numbers, but opponents question how the measures would interact with a requirement that lawmakers live in their districts.
Judge Rules Against Excluding Key Interview with Detectives in Larry Cavallaro Rape Case as Details Emerge
Cavallaro, a former gallery owner in Flagler Beach who divided his time between Winter Park and the beach town, was arrested on June 12, 2019, on a first-degree felony rape charge stemming from an allegation that he drugged and raped 40-year-old woman who had gone to visit him there with a friend. He’s been free on $100,000 bond.
Palm Coast Aquatics Center–the Frieda Zamba Pool– Reopens April 5 After Year-Long Closure
The municipal pool, which is heated, is located at 339 Parkview Drive and will be open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday only from April 5 to May 28. Hours will extend starting May 29 to Aug. 8.
Palm Coast Student Elliott Bertrand Accuses Senate Panel of ‘Prejudice’ Before 6-4 Vote on Transgender Sports Ban
The Florida Senate Health Policy Committee today approved a bill that would scrap existing policy and ban transgender women from participating in competitive high school and college sports absent testosterone testing that might clear them to play. Elliott Bertrand, a student at Flagler Palm Coast High School, was among the many opponents of the bill who addressed the panel in Tallahassee.
Most Government Offices and Court System Will Close for Good Friday, April 2, But Schools Remain Open
Almost all local government offices, with the exception of public schools, will be closed April 2 in observance of Good Friday.
Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz Under Federal Investigation Over Allegation of Relationship With Minor Girl
Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz is under Justice Department investigation over a possible sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl, The New York Times reported Tuesday evening.
Dog Found Agonizing in a Ditch, Possibly Victimized as Bait Dog, Has Died; Answers Sought and Reward Offered
Grace, a 7 or 8-year-old pit bull, was discovered Sunday in a ditch in Espanola in agony and bearing signs of being a bait dog. By Monday morning she had died, but galvanized efforts to find her abusers. A fundraiser before she died raised $8,000 for her care.
Sheriff’s Detectives Had Friday Shooting Suspect Brenan Hill, a Fugitive, in Custody Within Hours
Brenan Robert Hill, 32, wanted on felony charges from Pennsylvania, was the man who drove the woman who was shot Friday near the Microtel in Palm Coast, and is a suspect in the shooting, though the Sheriff’s Office is not yet saying so.
Bike Week, Spring Break and Doffed Masks Blamed for Latest ‘Worrisome’ Covid Spike Even as Vaccinations Spread
Local public health officials and physicians are imploring residents not to relax their covid-safety measures and warning of stubbornly persistent infections even as vaccinations have made large inroads in the local population.
Among Stingiest in the Nation for Years, Florida’s Unemployment Benefits Could Rise $100 a Week
The proposal (SB 1906), which cleared the Commerce and Tourism Committee, would lead to a range of unemployment benefits of $100 to $375 a week. That would be up from the current range of $32 to $275 a week.
Calling Mullins ‘Pied Piper of Hate, Deception and Fraud,’ School Board’s Conklin Rips His Latest Attack on LGBTQ and GOP
Joe Mullins combined attacks on transgender people and local Republicans in an extended screed filled with falsehoods and mischaracterizations as he spoke to a local far-right Republican group, prompting the School Board’s Colleen Conklin to issue a severe condemnation and called him a “narcissistic beast.”
Anti-Asian Hate, Enduring and Violent
As our nation grapples with its legacy of anti-Asian racism, it’s important to consider the subtler forms of racism too. Racism occurs on a spectrum, from social degradation all the way to — as we saw recently in Atlanta — mass murder.
Joe Mullins Falsehoods, Mischaracterizations, Misleading and Baseless Statements: A Fact-Check
Joe Mullins’s problem with facts is not new, pre-dating his election. We fact-checked his latest statements from that March 25 appearance point by point as he discussed Flagler schools’ transgender students, local Republicans allegiances, the massage parlor murders, immigration, why people move to Flagler, guns and other matters.
Deputies Respond to Rash of False Claims of Shootings in Latest Round of Resource-Wasting ‘Swatting’
Deputies responded to three crank, or “swatting,” calls alleging murder, one of them involving a C-Section address previously and repeatedly targeted by such calls. In every case, deputies responded as they would to any emergency, scrambling resources.
In Florida, Companies Will Be Shielded from Covid Lawsuits, Leaving Frontline Workers to Fend for Themselves
Opponents of the bill heading for Gov. DeSantis’s signature warn it will protect corporations more than people and offers no protections for front-line workers who contracted the virus while on the job. Employees are required to use the workers’ compensation insurance system for on-the-job injuries, but claims often are getting denied.
Ask the Doctor: Covid and the Russian Flu, Vaccines, Allergy Shots and Colonoscopies, Future Booster Shots
In this latest installment of FlaglerLive’s “Ask the Doctor” column by Dr. Stephen Bickel, the medical director at the Flagler and Volusia Counties Health Departments, the doctor takes on an intriguing question about covid and the Russian flu of the late 1970s, whether booster vaccine shots will be needed, how allergy shots or colonoscopies affect vaccination, and so on.
Florida House Passes Controversial Bill Criminalizing Or Increasing Penalties for Some Acts at Protests
The sweeping bill would, among other things, create a new crime of “mob intimidation” and stiffen penalties for injuring police officers during protests that become violent. Also, it would establish an “affirmative defense” for defendants in civil lawsuits involving deaths, injuries or property damage if the injuries or damages were sustained while plaintiffs were participating “in furtherance of a riot.”
Shooting In Area of Palm Coast’s Microtel Leaves Woman in Critical Condition, No Assailant in Custody
A shooting in the area of Palm Coast’s Microtel on Kingswood Drive, off Old Kings Road, left a woman in critical condition and mobilized a large number of Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies, detectives and crime scene investigators, who are hunting for clues about the incident. No assailant is in custody.
Ex Palm Coast Gang Leader Brandon Washington Gets Another Chance to Contest 4 Life Sentences
The Fifth District Court of Appeal today ruled in favor of Brandon Washington’s appeal on three grounds, among them that his attorney did not present evidence or a witness who could have provided an alibi, undermining the state’s claim that Washington was at the scene of the 2007 home invasion and murder that led to his trial and conviction.
Flagler Beach Library Will Reopen Its Doors to In-Person Browsers After 322-Day Covidian Hiatus
Starting Tuesday, the 20,000-volume Flagler Beach Public Library at 312 South 7th Street will reopen again to in-person browsing and computer use, at least for four hours a day, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Capacity will be limited to 10 patrons at a time.
Flagler Beach Again Cancels July 4 Parade and Fireworks, Wrapping Hopes for a Big Event Around Christmas
For the second year in a row, Flagler Beach will not host its traditional July 4 parade and fireworks, the city commission decided tonight, nor will the event be postponed to Labor Day. Doing so would be too “risky,” the commission agreed with Flagler Health Department Chief Bob Snyder. Commissioners are placing their hopes on a big event and parade around Christmas, including fireworks.
All Floridians 40 and Older May Be Vaccinated Starting Monday, and All Adults Starting April 5
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday announced that all Floridians ages 40 and older will be able to receive Covid-19 vaccinations starting Monday and that all adults will be eligible on April 5.
No, Self-Driving Tesla Was Not on Autopilot When It Took Wrong Turn or Backed Into Flagler Sheriff’s Patrol Car
Contrary to a sheriff’s release disseminated to media today, a Tesla could not have been on autopilot when it mildly crashed into a patrol deputy’s car during a traffic stop, nor could the Tesla have taken a wrong turn out of Wawa, since the self-driving vehicles’ capabilities are limited in city driving. But misconceptions about increasingly popular self-driving cars are common.
Stabbings and Shooting Land Man and Woman in Jail in Bizarre Toaster of Conflict in Mondex
Dwayne Troy Dameron, a 51-year-old resident of County Road 75 in Bunnell, and Nichole M. Beard, a 40-year-old resident of Nutwood Avenue in the Mondex, or Daytona North, were both jailed Wednesday in connection with the stabbing and shooting of Jesse William Kumpf, Beard’s 39-year-old boyfriend and neighbor.
Recalling Unhappy History, Water Leaks at City Hall Again Cause Some of Bunnell’s City Offices to Relocate
Twelve years ago Bunnell evacuated its city hall due to water leaks. Later this month it will evacuate some of its city offices at its City Hall to a strip mall due to water intrusion. The move will cost the city $800 a month and is indefinite.
Flagler Health Department and AdventHealth Palm Coast to Co-Host Covid Vaccination Event April 8
The event is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 12 noon on Thursday, April 8 at AdventHealth Palm Coast hospital at 60 Memorial Medical Parkway in Palm Coast. Those interested in receiving the Moderna vaccine must preregister with DOH-Flagler’s Diabetes Education Center.
The Worst Attack on Voting Rights Since Jim Crow
Expanded voting by mail, no-excuse absentee voting, curbside voting, and early voting made the ballot box more accessible. But now, Republican lawmakers in 43 states are introducing hundreds of restrictive “voting rights” bills to roll back these measures.
Hutson-Sponsored Bill to Regulate Vaping Clears House Panel, Without Ban on Flavored Products
More than two years after the U.S. surgeon general declared youth vaping an epidemic, Florida lawmakers again are working on an effort to regulate the sale of electronic cigarettes and raise the age to use tobacco and vaping products from 18 to 21.
Sheriff Staly Honored as Golden Eagle by Boy Scouts of America on May 12
The Flagler County Golden Eagle Event, hosted by the Central Florida Council Boy Scouts of America. The Golden Eagle Dinner event brings together Flagler County’s top corporate and community leaders each year to honor an outstanding member of the community.
Anti-Maskers Subject Flagler School Board to Drizzle of Disinformation in Latest Attempt to Lift Mask Rules
The emergence of those anti-masking voices, while restricted to a very small but shrill handful, points to the sort of ideological talking points the board may have to contend with over the next weeks or months, which would be a distraction from the more pragmatic and busy agenda set out by Mittelstadt and the board.
It’s Back to the Ocean Center for FPC and Matanzas Graduations This June, But With Limited Seating
The Flagler County School District is working on the assumption that Flagler Palm Coast High’s and Matanzas High School’s graduations will return to the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, and will take place on June 2.