Stacy Culotta is the 36-year-old Palm Coast P-Section woman who last September was at the center of an attempted suicide-by-cop. She’ll serve probation and forfeit all weapons but serve no jail time.
Vandalism Blamed for Emptying Plantation Bay’s Water Supply, Leaving Customers Dry
The 1,600-odd customers of the Flagler County-owned Plantation Bay water utility woke up to dry faucets today as vandals were believed to have emptied the subdivision’s water tanks overnight.
Starting With $8.50 Increase Next Year, FPL Seeks Monthly Rate Increase of $14 By 2020
The proposal would help cover the nearly $16 billion that the power company has been investing since 2014 to improve its electricity service.
At Salvo Art Project:
Rachel Thompson, Artist of the Year
“I am just art, I am art, I was born that way,” Thompson says. An opening reception sponsored by the Gargiulo Art Foundation at Salvo Art Gallery marks Thompson’s Artist of the Year honor Saturday.
In City Rep’s “Working,” A Job Becomes a Musical
“Working,” the musical based on Studs Terkel’s 1974 best-selling book on the American workplace, takes the stage at Palm Coast’s City Repertory Theatre Jan. 15 through 24.
Florida House May Back Scott’s $1 Billion Tax Cut, With Minor Differences
The House intends to offer a $1 billion tax-cut package that includes Gov. Rick Scott’s call to reduce a tax on commercial leases and holding a back-to-school sales tax “holiday.”
Weekend Briefing: “Working” at City Rep, Rachel Thompson at Salvo, Water Circus in Town Center, Film Festival at Hilton
An extremely busy weekend in Palm Coast includes a new plat at City Rep Theatre, a water circus in Town Center, the third annual Flagler Film Festival at the Hilton Garden Inn, and plenty more.
Flagler Sheriff’s Deputy and SWAT Member Jonathon Duenas Escapes Blazing Patrol Car on CR35
Deputy Jonathon Duenas was driving on CR 35 (off of SR 100), on the Westside of the county when a fire started in his patrol car’s trunk and quickly engulfed the vehicle. Duenas escaped with minor injuries.
Worrisome Numbers for Black Students Behind Flagler School District’s “Touting” of Graduation Rates
The graduation rate for black students has taken a nosedive, with just 63.3 percent of black students are graduating, down 4.6% in 3 years. The numbers are especially bad at Flagler Palm Coast High School.
Couple on Palm Coast Parkway Threatened With Handgun in Apparent Road Rage Incident
A 61-year-old Palm Coast resident and his wife were allegedly threatened with a gun in the culmination of an apparent road rage incident on Palm Coast Parkway Monday. Aggravated assault and battery charges are pending, but the perpetrator got away.
Taking the Pulse of Crazy: The Election Season on Eve of Iowa and New Hampshire
The electorate is angrier and more fearful than in recent presidential contests, and both Trump and Cruz are capitalizing on it, but as the field narrows, Trump’s appeal may not be as lasting.
Nurseries Will Start Growing Pot Despite Legal Challenges Threatening Their Licenses
Five dispensing organizations selected by state officials promised lawmakers Wednesday they would meet a deadline next month to get medical-marijuana production off the ground, despite legal challenges that could threaten their licenses.
Bunnell Mayor Robinson Again Re-Elected Unopposed; 3 Vie for 2 Commission Seats
Bunnell Mayor Catherine Robinson was reelected without opposition for the third straight time. Incumbents Elbert Tucker and Bill Baxley will be joined by Jan Reeger for the March 15 contest. Two of the three will win election.
Flagler School District Earns Apple’s Distinguished Program Award
Flagler Schools was recently named as a Distinguished Program by Apple for the Digital Learning Movement in place across all district schools. Representatives from the company were at the last School Board meeting on Jan. 5 to make the announcement.
Thursday Briefing: Tourist Council Rediscovers Ethics, Newsom Begins in Flagler Beach, Relay For Life
Flagler County’s Tourist Development Council will take re-votes on a series of decisions to eliminate what had been conflicts of interest in previous votes. Larry Newsom starts as city manager in Flagler Beach.
Florida House Wants to Prohibit Immigrants’ “Sanctuary” Communities
Despite emotional pleas from immigrant advocates, state House members Wednesday moved forward with measures aimed at cracking down on cities and counties that provide “sanctuary” for undocumented immigrants and increasing penalties for people who defy deportation orders.
Flagler Film Festival, Drawing on Works Near and Far, Flicks On For 3rd Year Friday
The Flagler Film Festival’s third edition features 47 films from 150 submissions this year, and starts Friday at Palm Coast’s Hilton Garden Inn, running through Sunday.
Kim Weeks (No, Not That One) Is Flagler’s Teacher of the Year, DeAndre Harris Takes Employee Honor
Kim Weeks is a media specialist at Old Kings Elementary School for 11 years, DeAndre Harris is a paraprofessional at Indian Trails Middle School where he works with Exceptional Student Education (ESE).
Wednesday Briefing: Trump in Florida, Mayor Netts at Neighborhood Watch, Obama’s Union
Donald Trump campaigns in Pensacola this evening, Mayor Jon Netts speaks at an Indian Trails neighborhood watch meeting at the public library, the legislature has too many meetings to mention.
Familiar Priorities In Scott State of the State: Tax Cuts and Spending on Business Incentives
The governor has essentially staked his legislative session on the success of two initiatives: A $1 billion tax cut and devoting $250 million to a new “Florida Enterprise Fund” to help lure employers to the Sunshine State.
Jacqueline Costa, 49, Is Struck and Killed By an SUV on Mahogany Blvd. in The Mondex
Jacqueline Costa, a 49-year-old resident of western Flagler County, was struck and killed this evening as she was crossing Mahogany Blvd. near her home in the Mondex.
Flagler County Revises Vacation-Rental Rules as Lawmakers Propose Yet More Changes
The county commission’s authority is limited but it plans to stiffen fines against vacation-rental rule violators. Lawmakers meanwhile, catching on to the controversy, may revert more regulatory authority to local governments.
Five New Flagler County Fire Rescue Firefighters Complete Orientation as Department Grows
New firefighters – Thomas Cope, Cory Sattar, Michael Beaulieu and Andy Thomas, all hired in December, along with Marianne Huston, who was hired in September – were put through their paces last week, the first full week of the new year.
Losses at Palm Coast’s Golf and Tennis Clubs Mount to Record $431,000; City Council Shrugs
Palm Coast’s Palm Harbor Golf Club and its Tennis center have together lost more money in 2014 than in any year since 2009 under contractor KemperSports’ management, yet council members raised few questions about the operations during a presentation Tuesday.
U.S. Supreme Court Declares Florida’s Death Penalty Scheme Unconstitutional
The United States Supreme Court, in an emphatic ruling Tuesday, declared Florida’s death penalty sentencing scheme to be a violation of the Sixth Amendment.
Tuesday Briefing: Palm Coast Golf Course Examined, Schools’ Teacher and Employee of the Year Crowned, State of the State
The Palm Coast City Council hears an update on its KemperSports-run golf and tennis course, which have been losing money for five years, the school district’s teacher and employee of the year are crowned this evening at the Auditorium.
In a Civilized State Without Stand Your Ground, Jordan Davis Would Still Be Alive
The covenant of civilized living demands that we work to defuse conflicts, not escalate them. It demands that we look at each other face to face, and not through the divisive lens of stereotype.
Palm Coast Physical Therapy Center Offers Free General Health and Wellness Seminar Jan. 26
Topics include ways to monitor your health, techniques for fall prevention, explanation of the holistic triad, including proper breathing techniques, tips for good posture, and some great fitness exercises.
Association of Supervisors of Elections Offers Three $1,200 Scholarships to College-Bound Seniors
Each year the Florida State Association of Supervisors of Elections awards three $1,200 scholarships to Florida students statewide. The association is doing so again this year. The deadline is March 14.
In Setback, Sun Sets on Solar Initiative for 2016 Ballot; Organizers Will Look to 2018
“Floridians for Solar Choice,” which wants to expand who can provide solar energy, fell behind in qualifying for the November 2016 ballot and remains in the midst of a contract dispute with a petition-gathering firm.
Palm Coast Couple Arrested for Sex in Joanne King Park After 12 Year Old Spots Them
A 12-year-old boy told police he saw William J. Murphy, 37, and Connie Whitaker-Roberts, 33, having sex against a park bench at Joanne B. King Park in Bunnell Sunday afternoon. It is illegal to have sex in the park.
In Case Against Kimberle Weeks, Tactical Motions Lead to Likely Turning Point in March
Ex-Elections Supervisor Kim Weeks’s attorney wants three separate trials on 12 felony counts, and to suppress a search warrant–a motion which, if granted, would unravel the case against Weeks.
Monday Briefing: Honoring Judge Walsh, Family Life Center Golf Tournament, Lake Disston Land
The county commission honors Circuit Judge J. David Walsh, who retires next month. The Land Acquisition Committee again discusses possibly acquiring a parcel of land off Lake Disston.
Mokonzy Computer Club Hosts Facebook Training Workshop With Cindi Dalecki Jan. 15th
Cindy Dalecki, owner of Marketing 2 Go, a five-year-old social media and marketing company headquartered in Flagler County, will lead a workshop on how to best use Facebook for business.
2 Killed, 2 from Palm Coast and Bunnell Injured in 2-Vehicle Wreck in Flagler Estates
Katie Stecker, 19, of St. Augustine, and Victoria Sutton, 20, were killed, Dalton Edwards, 20, of Bunnell, was critically burned, Alexander Koufodontis, 21, of Palm Coast, sustained lesser injuries.
Two Sweeping Supreme Court Cases Set to Redefine Abortion and Contraceptive Rights
As devastating to abortion rights as 2015 proved to be in state legislatures, 2016 is shaping up to be even more turbulent — perhaps the most momentous year for reproductive issues in a generation.
Sexual Predator With History of Exhibitionism to Minors Moves Into Palm Coast’s U-Section
Robert S. Hampton was arrested for masturbating in front of middle school children and later imprisoned for trying to lure an 11-year-old girl to his SUV, with his pants unzipped.
Evocations of Dali, Darkness and the Familiar in Art League’s Juried Photography Show
Of the exhibit’s 85 pieces, only 16 include people, and only five comprise the portrait category in the Flagler County Art League’s annual juried photography show, which opens Saturday evening.
Economy Adds 292,000 Jobs in December for a 1990s-Like Total of 2.65 Million Over the Year
The seven years of Obama’s presidency have netted 8.3 million jobs, after accounting for the millions of jobs lost in the housing crash, but warning signs abound.
Menopause: The Musical–and a Worthy Workshop For Men–at Flagler Auditorium
“Menopause: The Musical,” by Jeanie Linders, will be staged twice Sunday at the Flagler Auditorium, with $2 of every ticket going to the Susan Komen foundation.
Weekend Briefing: The Public Library’s 16th Anniversary, Menopause at the Auditorium, JetBlue’s and Frontier’s New Routes
The Flagler County Public Library celebrates its 16th anniversary Friday afternoon, JetBlue begins New York-Daytona Beach route, Frontier adds flights to St. Augustine, Jam at Gamble Rogers.
Forbes Magazine Lands Alec Manfre, a 2007 Graduate of FPC, on Its 30 Under 30 List of Energy Trailblazers
Forbes chose Alec Manfre, CEO of Bractlet, for his company’s innovative ability to yield huge energy savings to massive buildings. Manfre, 26, credits his teachers at FPC for his start.
Oscar Ray Bolin Jr., To Be Killed Tonight, Is 23rd Execution on Gov. Scott’s Watch
Bolin was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of Teri Lynn Matthews, whose body was discovered on Dec. 5, 1986, near the side of a road in rural Pasco County.
Scott’s Proposed Billion-Dollar Tax Cut and $250 Million For Job Subsidies Sets Up a Fight
An election-year budget that includes huge tax cuts, record funding for public schools and a new initiative to bring jobs to Florida might be good politics for lawmakers. The question is whether they can afford it.
Thursday Briefing: Grand Landings’ Problem With Blacks, Romeo and Juliet at Flagler Auditorium, Rubio’s Surge
The Observer runs the disturbing account of a former Miss Amrica describing the profiling of her son in Grand Landings, Rubio surges to second place in new Hampshire.
The Palm Coast Fraternal Order of Police Furthers a Lie in a Protest at Epic Theaters
The FOP’s protest was triggered by false claims that filmmaker Quentin Tarantino had called cops “murderers.” The lie didn’t stop FOP organizers from going ahead with their plans or standing by their protest even when shown Tarantino’s actual words.
Just Short of Endorsing, Gov. Scott Says Trump “Is Capturing Frustration of Many Americans”
Scott’s pro-Trump position contrasts with that of many state Republican leaders, who have lined up in the presidential campaign behind former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush or U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida.
Belle Terre Swim Club 161 Members Short of Goal as Drop-Dead Decision Time Nears
Though making progress, the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club now has 239 annual members, still short of the 400 it must have by the first week of February, when the school board will decide the club’s fate for good.
Wednesday Briefing: Volusia’s Sheriff Johnson Retires, Cops Protest Tarantino at Palm Coast’s Epic, Science’s Gettysburg
The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #171 of Palm Coast, still misquoting Quentin Tarantino, plans a protest of the filmmaker at Epic Theaters, Volusia County’s four-term sheriff announces his retirement.
Billboard Aims to Stoke New Leads Into Suspicious Vanishing in May of George Contos
Foul play is now suspected in the disappearance of Bunnell’s George Contos, 59, in May, as a billboard was unveiled by the sheriff’s office and Crime Stoppers to aid in tracking down his whereabouts.