Flagler County’s vacation-rental regulations currently in place would be preserved according to a new version of a Senate bill the county had been fighting before. And a House bill may be dead.
James Taylor Trial: A History of Violence and Rapes of Women and Children, But Jury Won’t Hear It
The single charge of molestation James A. Taylor faces as he went on trial in Flagler County today is deceptive: the sex offender has a history of brutality, rapes and assaults involving women and children, but it’s all off limits.
Governments Mull Way To Fight Prescription-Drug Crisis That Worked With Tobacco: Taxes
California, Alaska and the US Congress are considering taxing prescription drugs to raise money for treatment and discourage their use, but the amounts of the taxes would be relatively small.
Monday Briefing: Retiring K-9s, James Taylor Trial, Legal Clinics, Flagler History on TV
James Taylor, a sexual offender again accused of molesting children, goes on trial after a mistrial earlier this month, Sheriff Staly recognizes two retiring K-9s, Flagler history on television: a preview.
Two Killed, One Critical in Single-Vehicle Crash On Hammock Dunes Parkway
An elderly couple was killed and a man, Arthur Thornton, was in critical condition after a single-vehicle crash on Hammock Dunes Parkway just after 6 p.m. Easter Sunday evening.
Google’s Links to Flagler Sheriff’s Office Hacked By Malware, Porn and Clickbait
Users trying to reach the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office through Google are being redirected to pornographic websites, malware and dangerously infected links. Other search engines are not affected, nor is the sheriff’s site itself.
A Suicide By Gunshot Jolts 911 Call as Sheriff Observes Flagler’s Dispatch Center in Action
A gunshot suicide took place live as a 911 dispatcher was on the phone Wednesday, while Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly sat in as a “trainee” to mark National Public Safety Telecommunications Week.
Carrabba’s on Palm Coast’s Cypress Edge Drive Is Target of a Bomb Threat
A bomb threat was called into Carrabba’s restaurant on Cypress Edge in Palm Coast late this afternoon with a “pretty straight-forward” threat by the caller, according to the sheriff’s office.
UPS Truck Driver Trapped 4 Hours in Crashed Cab On I-95; Brittany Fortner, 24, Killed 30 Miles North
Two separate, serious crashes involving three tractor trailers and a car, injuring a driver and killing Brittany Fortner, 24, of St. Augustine, unfolded in Flagler and St. John’s portions of I-95, within 14 minutes and 30 miles of each other Thursday night.
Florida Supreme Court Upholds Taxing Satellite TV at Nearly Twice the Rate of Cable
Under state law, cable services are taxed at 4.92 percent, while satellite services are taxed at 9.07 percent, according to the Supreme Court ruling, which upheld the different rates.
Goons With Guns, Sheriff Edition
A Florida sheriff’s ISIS-like video warning to drug dealers and the brutalizing of Dr. David Dao on a United flight in the same week are no coincidence, but symptoms of a re-emerging authoritarianism.
2 Teens Face Felonies For Firing BB Gun at Full School Bus and Vehicles on Belle Terre
There were 40 students returning from Bunnell Elementary when the school bus was the target of boys allegedly firing a BB and an air soft gun at the vehicle on Belle Terre Boulevard Wednesday afternoon.
With Rising Death Toll From Opioids, Florida Still Gropes For Effective Answers
State officials have few responses as the death rate from synthetic opioids other than methadone increased 72.2 percent from 2014 to 2015, to 3,228 deaths by overdose in Florida.
Thursday Briefing: Protesting Home Rule Violations, G.W. Carver Auction, Wetlands in Flagler Beach, Taxes
Hammock residents plan a protest of their own Senator (Travis Hutson’s) position on home rule, the Carver Center Foundation holds an arts auction at Hammock Dunes Creek Club.
In Unprecedented Flagler Beach Town Hall, Old Kings Elementary Students Become All Stars of Ideas
Mayor Linda Provencher’s Kids Town Hall drew a standing-room-only crowd, almost the entire city commission and the city’s top staff for a lively hour of ideas and suggestions from Old Kings Elementary students.
Charles Singer Was Murdered, Sheriff’s Office Says After ID of West Flagler Man Missing 2 Months
Nobody is in custody at the moment, though several individuals have been interviewed in connection with the discxovery. Singer was found buried in his backyard at 80 Pine Tree Lane in West Flagler last week.
With 3 Large Flagler Fires in 2 Months and 107 Burning in the State, Scott Declares Emergency
Gov. Scott’s declaration of a wildfire emergency comes in the wake of several large fires in Flagler County and more than 100 ongoing fires elsewhere. It will allow for swifter sharing of firefighting resources, including the use of the National Guard.
Wednesday Briefing: Matanzas Construction Tech Program, Kids’ Town Hall With Provencher, Staly as a 911 Dispatcher
The sheriff marks his 100 days in office by being a 911 dispatcher for four hours, Flagler Beach Mayor Linda Provencher holds a kids’ town hall, builders inaugurate a program at Matanzas.
As One More Name Drops Out, Board Settles On 4 Candidates For Superintendent Interviews
James Tager, the principal at Atlantic High School in Volusia County, is the front-runner, getting all five board members’ nod, in an otherwise more fractured field as yet another top candidate dropped out.
Joseph Bova, Accused Killer of Store Clerk, Again Declared Incompetent In Threatening Court Appearance
Joseph Bova, accused killer of store clerk Zuheili Roman Rosado in Palm Coast in 2013, threatened that the judge and four others would die in “seconds” during an appearance before Judge Craig this afternoon.
Eyes on International Prizes, Flagler’s Problem Solvers Launch Flocking Fund-Raising Season
Two mayors, two county commissioners and a school board member gathered Monday for the launch of Flagler Schools’ Future Problem Solvers’ fund-raising season to help send 51 students to international competition in Wisconsin in June.
Another Bear Hunt? Florida Fish and Wildlife Readies to Look at Latest Numbers
Florida game officials are getting an update on the state’s growing black bear population, a discussion animal-rights supporters contend is a first step toward holding a hunt later this year.
Tuesday Briefing: Funnels Over Flagler, Bova Back in Court, Superintendent Search, Underground Railroad
The school board draws up the list of those to be interviewed for superintendent, Joseph Bova, accused of murdering a woman at the Mobil station on SR100 in 2013, is back in court, Colson Whitehead wins the Pulitzer for “Underground Railroad.”
Sowell Sworn-In as Bunnell Commission’s Latest Rookie; Rogers, Almost Forgotten, Begins 3rd Term
Newly elected City Commissioner John Sowell, a largely unknown entity, and third-term Commissioner John Rogers were sworn-in in a brief ceremony in Bunnell this evening.
Sheriff Will Ask Palm Coast to Pay for 5 More Cops, a 21% Increase of City’s Policing Budget
Sheriff Staly wants to double Palm Coast’s traffic unit, but five more cops would cost close to $600,000 on top of the city’s current $2.6 million budget. Mayor Milissa Holland signals some push-back.
As Washington Piddles, Liberal California Forges Ahead With Universal Health Care Ideas
Organized labor and two lawmakers are leading the charge for a single, government-financed program for everyone in the state. Another legislator wants to create a commission that would weigh the best options for a system to cover everyone.
Detectives Arrest Man, 23, In Connection With Armed Robbery and Shooting Near Rymfire
Edward Leroy Stark Jr. is charged him with four felonies in connection with the Feb. 12 alleged armed robbery and shooting near Rymfire Elementary in Palm Coast, during a drug deal gone bad.
Florida House and Senate In Duel Over Shifting Stand Your Ground Burden to Prosecution
The two chambers have approved different versions of a proposal (SB 128) intended to shift a key burden of proof in “stand your ground” cases from defendants to prosecutors in pre-trial hearings.
Monday Briefing: Rogers and Sowell Sworn-In, AARP Tax Help, Dan Rather on “Presidential” Trump, Cannibalism
Bunnell City Commissioner John Rogers, no longer a rookie, and John Sowell, will be sworn-in, Dan Rather takes on journalists who think Trump was “presidential” for firing missiles, Elgra romances.
Trump Steps Up Bombing in Iraq, Civilians Die
More U.S. coalition strikes are now causing civilian casualties than strikes by Russia, which was loudly and appropriately accused of war crimes for its bombing of Aleppo, Syria last year.
Florida Senate Wants 81% Increase in Aid for Poorer College Students, and Boost For 1st-Gen
Florida student assistance grants would grow by $121 million. Senators also want to double the state’s matching grants for “first generation” college and university students to a total of $10.6 million.
Fatal Irresponsibility:
How Palm Coast Willfully Ignored Street Lights And Sidewalks For 10 Years
Palm Coast’s government’s claim that it didn’t have the money to build sidewalks and street lights is a cynical lie: as people died, the city put luxury ahead of necessity, from city hall to expensive beautification and plenty more.
Cops Out in Force on I-95 Over the Weekend as Part of Drive to Save Lives Campaign
Be warned: cops from Florida to Maine are out in force this weekend (April 8 and 9), pulling over, warning and ticketing speeders, careless, reckless and distracted drivers.
Daytona State College’s Center for Women and Men Kicks Off 41st Year and Fund-Raiser Challenge
For decades the center’s focus was on helping displaced homemakers with little-to-no work experience, women who because of divorce, widowhood or other circumstances would come to learn new life skills, gain self-confidence and train for employment.
2017 Flagler Jail Bookings and Sheriff’s Crime and Incident Reports (Archived)
Archived 2017 Flagler County jail bookings, day and night shift commanders’ crime and incident reports investigated by Sheriff’s deputies and archive.
State Transportation Department Asks Flagler Beach Police to Crack Down on A1A Rock Art
Flagler Beach City Manager Larry Newsom said police officers will not suddenly arrest people who build rock structures on A1A, but will use a more friendly, educational approach.
Allen Adams Charged With DUI Manslaughter in Death of Brittany Pitt, 26, On Old Dixie
Allen David Adams, 26, was booked at the Flagler County jail this afternoon on $102,500 bond on a manslaughter-drunk driving charge and a DUI-property damage charge in the death of his girlfriend last May.
Dead Body Found in “Suspicious” Circumstances at Property of Man Missing 2 Months
Charles Singer last week was reported him missing two months from his west-Flagler home. Today, a body was found at the property after detectives and homicide investigators served a search warrant there.
Weekend Briefing: County Fair, Bird Walk, Turtle Fest, Plant Sale, Barrels for Boobs, Easter Bunny, Elgar’s Salut
Another busy weekend with the county fair, surfers raising money for breast cancer, turtle fest in Flagler beach, plant sales, a bird walk at Princess Place, breakfast with the Easter Bunny.
New Starbucks Location Brewing Next to Aldi in the Shoppes of Palm Coast on SR100
A 2,200-square-foot Starbucks just got a development order and will soon rise next to Aldi, Gate gas station and Tractor Supply Co at Belle Terre and SR100.
Florida Colleges Decry Legislature’s Budget Cuts of Up to $85 Million
The Senate budget includes a $55 million reduction in remedial education funding and suspends $30 million in performance funding for the colleges. The House cuts similar amounts to other programs.
Man Who Fled From Deputy at Traffic Stop Near Old Kings Elementary Turns Himself In
The search for an individual who fled the stop caused a partial lock-down at Old Kings Elementary and required the involvement of a K-9 unit and Flagler County Fire Flight, the emergency helicopter.
Palm Coast Man Arrested at “Stash House” and Connected to Tuesday’s P-Section Shooting
Sheriff Rick Staly said the P-Section shooting Tuesday was likely gang- or turf-related, with Wednesday’s arrest of Wilbert Hough at a “stash house” suggesting he had been the target of the shooting.
Thursday Briefing: The Fair, Classroom to Careers, Holocaust Memorial Lecture, Brigham Young’s Last Marriage
A classroom-to-careers symposium featuring local business at FPC, Democrats’ meeting at AACS, the county fair continues, a Holocaust memorial lecture at Statson.
Education, Medical Pot, Guns, Death Penalty and Budget: Legislature Hedged at Midpoint
Halfway through Florida’s 60-day legislative session, almost all major issues remain unresolved. That’s not unusual, but lawmakers are not going at a pace that suggests they’ll be done by the scheduled end of the session on May 5.
Storm Damages Newly Repaired Dune Areas Along A1A, Stressing Urgency of Permanent Fix
Tuesday’s storm left various parts of A1A’s dunes–what’s left of them–damaged, but from an unexpected direction: officials have been fearing a breach from the ocean. The problem this time was rainwater pushing out.
Charges Against Ex-Elections Supervisor Weeks Reduced to Five, But Warrant Stands
In almost two years of wrangling ex-Elections Supervisor Kim Weeks’s lawyers have reduced the 12 felony counts against her to five, but there appears little room left before either a trial or an out-of-court settlement.
Burglar Surprises Woman in Home on Palm Coast’s Boston Lane, Prompts Air Search
A woman came out of her bathroom at her home on Boston Lane Tuesday evening to find a man standing in her house. The alleged burglary triggered a search, but the man was not found.
Wednesday Briefing: Near-Record Breaking Heat, County Fair, Musical Menopause, O’Reilly’s Fall
The county fair begins today and for the rest of the week, “Menopause: the Musical,” is at the Auditorium, a history of sexual harassment spells Bill O’Reilly’s fall, Matt Taibi on Trump.
Matanzas Students Win Pledge for More Street Lights and Sidewalks From Palm Coast Council
Students who formed the Matanzas School Safety Committee in the wake of recent fellow-students killed by cars on dark Palm Coast streets submitted research and suggestions to the city council Tuesday evening.