Bunnell’s new city manager, Lawrence Williams, will be paid $44,000 less than Armando Martinez, his predecessor, but Williams’s first meeting as manager Monday was heavy on rancor and sniping and light on olive branches as commissioners continued to parry over Williams’s contract and other matters, signaling no thaw in their cold war any time soon.
Bunnell
Charges of “Redneck” and “Cracker” Trigger Gunshots and Arrest Over a Truck’s Donuts
Joshua Spencer, a 43-year-old resident of the Mondex (Daytona North), was arrested Sunday evening after allegedly hitting a man and firing a .357-caliber gun at his truck after blaming the man of doing donuts on Spencer’s property.
Strife-Ridden Bunnell Cancels $75-a-Plate Centennial Gala to Hold a Barbecue Instead
Only 17 people had RSVP’s with payment for the Nob. 8 black-tie gala in a city more riven by conflict than buoyed by centennial celebration. The Bunnell City Commission voted to hold a barbecue at a later date, with cost and caterers yet to be determined, though two commissioners may volunteer for duty.
Ex-House Speaker Tom Feeney’s and Flagler Beach’s Firms Among 4 Vying for Bunnell Attorney Job
A law firm that includes Tom Feeney, the ex-Florida House speaker and congressman who landed on a watchdog’s list as one of the 20 most corrupt congressmen four years running, is among the candidates for Bunnell City Atttorney, as is the firm that has been representing Flagler Beach since 2008.
Arthur Jones, Former Bunnell Police Chief And Civic Activist, Is Dead at 61
Arthur Jones, Bunnell’s police chief for four years until 2012 and a founder of the Alliance of Involved Ministries who relished his role as a mentor to children and youth, has died. He was 61.
An Old House’s Fate Divides Bunnell as History, Character and Property Rights Clash
An old house hooked to a demolition order and the property it sits on at 401 East Moody Boulevard are suddenly at the center of a clash between a city commission and residents looking to preserve—if not define—the city’s character along its main east-west road on one hand, and the property rights of its residents on the other. That battle may be determined by how the issues surrounding the house and the property are resolved.
Bunnell Commission Votes 3-2 to Hire Larry Williams as Its Next Manager
The City Commission late Monday evening voted 3-2 to hire Lawrence J. Williams as its next city manager. It was the culmination of six months of change and turmoil in Bunnell government, ending the tenure of Armando Martinez.
Sticker Shock Part Deux: Bunnell Commission Hit With $35,000 Legal Bill for August
The attorney, Lonnie Groot, has resigned effective Oct. 1, in part because of the criticism leveled at him after he issued the first bill, for $24,000. The city had budgeted $60,000 for the entire year, and will have to find the balance of the money in its reserves.
Saturday Theater: Four Candidates Make Their Case for City Manager Before Bunnell City Commission
The Bunnell City Commission was interviewing four candidates for city manager Saturday afternoon and into early evening, devoting an hour to each. An analytical summary of each interview is included.
Bunnell Commission Narrows Manager “Crapshoot” to 5; Tucker Will Interview Secretly
Elbert Tucker’s decision to interview candidates individually aside, the Bunnell City Commission will interview the five candidates Saturday afternoon, by which time it will likely be clear who will be the city’s next manager, replacing Armando Martinez.
Weekend Violence: Gun-Brandishing on Oceanshore, a Blade at White Eagle Lounge
Gregory Thilesen and Ken Guarnieri were jailed on separate charges involving the allegedly threatening display of weapons, and a Medical Examiner investigator is arrested for allegedly robbing and pawning off possessions of the dead.
Unexpected Concord Between Foes on Bunnell Commission Favors 3 Manager Candidates
Three candidates have emerged out of 83 applicants as leading contenders to replace Armando Martinez as Bunnell city manager, if barely so: Judi Stetson, Judith Jankosky and Lawrence Williams, the latter two having served as city managers in small towns already.
Bunnell City Manager’s Job Draws 83 Applicants, Including Two of Its Own Directors
The 75,000 to $80,000 position to replace Armando Martinez was advertised barely two weeks, but it’s drawn 36 applicants from 26 states and the District of Columbia, with the balance—47 applicants—from Florida, a dozen of them from Flagler County.
Labor Day Weekend Violence: Pointing a Gun at a Stepson, Punching a Pregnant Woman
Charles Lockhart, 23, of Palm Coast was jailed after allegedly punching his girlfriend, 34 weeks pregnant, and threatening a murder suicide, and Robert Knoblaugh, 63, of Bunnell was jailed for threatening his stepson with a gun front of grandchildren.
Bunnell City Attorney Lonnie Groot Resigns Three Days After Commissioner’s Sideswipe
Bunnell City Attorney Lonnie Groot resigned barely two months into his tenure, hinting at a lack of “professional principles and conduct” after Commissioner Jenny Crain-Brady said she didn;t want him “running” the city. The resignation is the latest in a series of blights on the city’s and commission’s conduct.
Sticker Shock: How Bunnell Rang Up a $24,000 Legal Bill Its First Month With a New Attorney
The $24,000 July bill from City Attorney Lonnie Groot and his firm amounts to almost half the city’s entire annual budget for legal services. Groot and commissioners said the fee is the result of several high-profile cases, but commissioners and staff alone rang up $7,363 in billable hours.
“Podunk,” “Bad Faith” and Bigotry as Bunnell Votes 3-1 to Advertise for a New City Manager
Three Bunnell city commissioners would not give Manager Armando Martinez more than $80,000 a year. He would not accept less than $97,500. The difference was only one of the cleavers that produced another ugly, late-night wrangle on the commission, featuring offensive language and a commissioner walking out.
Cool to Sudden Roma Court Proposal, Flagler Sheriff Restates Preferences for Proximity
Flagler County Sheriff Jim Manfre was surprised by an unexpected proposal from the owner of Roma Court, the chronically vacant strip mall on Palm Coast Parkway, to lease the building to the county for sheriff’s operations, and cited several factors that fall outside his preferred options.
Man Drags Another With His Car in an Apparent Drug Deal Gone Bad. Both Are Arrested.
Corey Miller and John Stubbs, both of Bunnell, were arrested on Railroad Street Tuesday after Miller dragged Stubbs with his car following what appeared to be a deal for cocaine that cops may have interrupted. Both men have previous records, including four years in prison for Stubbs on a cocaine trafficking conviction.
Commissioner Frank Meeker: Why I Voted to Buy the Old Hospital Despite Reservations
“Honestly, I can’t help but feel I’m being led, at times by the nose, to a conclusion to support the hospital purchase,” Meeker writes. “But fortunately for me, I don’t mind researching issues on my own.” In a broad-ranging discussion, he provides a point-by-point defense of his decision.
Sold: County Commission Votes 4-1 To Buy $1.23 Million Hospital in Bunnell for Sheriff
After some anguish, a lot of analysis and, on Thursday, a pair of meetings adding up to nearly five hours, the Flagler County Commission approved buying the old 60,000 square foot Memorial hospital, ending four years of wrangling over where, when and how to move the sheriff to a more central location.
Eddie Johnson More Brawny Than Brilliant, But Helps US Win Gold Cup Anyway, 1-0
It was not a beautiful performance by either Eddie Johnson, who put in all 95 minutes, or the U.S. Team, and the last minutes were marred by a brawl Johnson triggered as he brought a little Bunnell to Soldier Field, but the U.S. won its fifth Gold Cup anyway.
Appraisals for Old Hospital Place Value at $1.5 Million as County Moves Toward Acquisition
The county wants to buy the old hospital in Bunnell for $1.23 million and use it as an HQ for the sheriff. Two independent appraisers have placed the market value of the old 81-bed hospital at $1.5 million, and an engineering firm that surveyed the hulking 60,000 square-foot property found no overt issues with the building aside from asbestos. A private consortium bought the building for $750,000 in 2003.
A Woman Is Jailed on Accusation of Aggravated Battery on a Pregnant 19-Year-Old
Ashley Shelby, a 23-year-old resident of Old Haw Creek Road in Bunnell, was arrested and charged with aggravated battery on a pregnant woman Wednesday, a second-degree felony that carries a maximum penalty of 15 years.
Dispelling Rumors, Bunnell’s Armando Martinez Says He’s Not Running for Sheriff Against Manfre
Both Flagler Sheriff Jim Manfre and Bunnell Manager Armando Martinez had heard the rumor that Martinez was preparing to run against Manfre, a friend, for sheriff come 2016. After a meeting with Manfre Wednesday, Martinez categorically said that will not happen.
Bunnell’s Martinez Won’t Be Fired After All: Baxley Shifts Again, Agreeing to Contract Talks
On a 3-2 vote, the commission agreed to negotiate a new contract for the manager it fired six weeks ago as Baxley’s move to appoint an interim fell flat and Mayor Robinson took advantage of an opening that Baxley himself had given here.
A Year After Armed Robbery, Flagler Sheriff Nabs Dane McReynolds In Brief Stand-Off
Adam Giddens confessed to the robbery of numerous weapons at a home in Bunnell a year ago, and implicated Dane McReynolds, who had fled to Arkansas until his capture Saturday at a house on County Road 304 in Bunnell. Giddens was sentenced to three years in prison in May.
Bunnell’s Eddie Johnson Shines in 5-1 Win Over El Salvador in Gold Cup Semi
Bunnell-born Eddie Johnson, the electrifying striker gunning for a spot on Team USA’s World Cup squad, scored immediately after coming into the quarterfinal Gold Cup match on a substitution Sunday, refreshing his Demolition Man moniker.
Home Invasion Suspect Who Bonded Out Days Ago Triggers Manhunt After Another Armed Robbery
Less than three weeks after Edmon Welch was charged with a home invasion in Bunnell, he was charged again with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon following a two-hour manhunt in the Mondex involving Flagler County Fire Flight, K-9 units, Bunnell police and Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies.
Bunnell’s Finance Director Resigns, Taking a Swipe at New Commission Majority
Bunnell Finance Director Cynthia Bertha–Cissy to friends and colleagues–blamed the new majority of the Bunnell City Commission for undoing City Manager Armando Martinez’s “hard work” as she explained her resignation. She is the third high-ranking administrator to either resign or be fired since that new majority took hold.
Broomstick Attack on Basketball Court Leads to Child Abuse Charges and Jail for 30-Year-Old
Several teenagers were playing basketball at the Espanola Community Center Monday evening when 30-year-old Anndra Macklin allegedly attacked one of the youths, and later got into a fight with another, a broomstick in one hand and a beer in the other.
Anxieties Over Profiling and Vigilantism as Bunnell Marchers Protest Zimmerman Verdict
Fewer than two dozen people gathered on South Bacher Street in Bunnell Sunday afternoon for a protest march following the not-guilty verdict in the George Zimmerman trial. The group turned its gathering march into an impromptu town hall on the trial, its meaning and its implications for blacks, whites and gun laws.
Downton Abbey Makes Room for Bunnell as City Celebrates Centennial in Lavish Style
Bunnell city commissioners dressed in period costumes, the commission reenacted the very first meeting of the Bunnell Town Council in 2013, and a time capsule was buried, not to be opened until 2063, as Bunnell marked its one hundredth anniversary under a sun borrowed from the days of Genesis.
Independence Day Weekend Ruffles Tricolor Blasts From Palm Coast to Flagler Beach
Palm Coast celebrated July 4 with a complete reading of the Declaration of Independence at Heroes Park before Flagler Beach let loose with its parade, its booze, food and fights, though only one person ended up incarcerated against his will, and mostly for his benefit.
Third Suspect Tied to Weekend Home Invasion Leads to Jailing on Different Charge
Julio Allen, a 24-year-old resident of Flagler Beach, was tied to a home invasion Saturday morning, along with Jody Medders and Edmon Welch, as details of the arrests emerged Monday, but only Welch was charged for the robbery. The two other men face different charges. The investigation continues.
Second Home Invasion Involving an Older Victim in 2 Days Leads to Arrest of 2 Suspects
Two men are at the Flagler County jail this morning in connection with a home invasion that took place before 2 a.m. on North Anderson Street Saturday. It’s not clear if the suspects have a connection to the home invasion in Bunnell the previous night.
Assailants Beat Disabled Man and Rob Him of Four Firearms in Espanola Home Invasion
Richard Allen Pettit, a 60-year-old resident of 164 Espanola Road in Bunnell, says that as he was watching television Thursday night, four men entered his house, pulled him out of his wheelchair, threw him to the ground, beat him and robbed him of four firearms and cash.
U.S. Supreme Court Will Decide Legality of Bunnell’s Government Prayers, Via Greece
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case from Greece, N.Y., where government meetings are started with distinctly Christian prayers, as they are at Bunnell City Commission meetings. The case is being taken to the court by Americans United for the Separation of Church and State.
Homelessness in Flagler Persists, But Minor Conflicts Cloud Accomplishments and Services
It’s not that there isn’t a homelessness problem in Flagler and Bunnell, but while numerous and at times generous services are being provided, minor conflicts targeting some homeless people in Bunnell are disproportionately affecting the debate, and draining attention from what’s being done to help.
Without Owner’s Consent, Code Enforcement Cleans Up a Property at Taxpayers’ Expense
It was a costly, day-long project involving personnel from four city departments, including police, on a house already facing a $50,000 lien, but officials defended forcibly cleaning up the property on Deen Road at taxpayers’ expense, saying it was a matter of maintaining property values. The case shows the extent–and limits–of code enforcement’s growing authority.
34-Year-Old Man Reports Being Robbed at Gunpoint and Ordered to Strip Off SR100
Shaun Williams, a resident of Holly Hill with a longish arrest record, claimed to Flagler County deputies on Friday that he was robbed at gunpoint in a cow pasture off State Road 100, and ordered to strip.
Bunnell Manager Armando Martinez Loses His Job, But Not Severance, in 3-2 Midnight Vote
Bunnell City Manager Armando Martinez ran out of lives late Monday night as the City Commission voted 3-2 not to renew his contract–essentially firing him–despite impassioned appeals by the mayor to retain him.
Bunnell Manager Martinez’s Fate Again Hangs By a Thread as Vote May End Tenure Tonight
Bunnell Commissioner Elbert Tucker will trigger another discussion against renewing Armando Martinez’s contract, with Commissioner Bill Baxley having already pledged during his campaign not to renew it as written, and Commissioner John Rogers long opposed to the manager, which suggests that tonight’s vote may end Martinez’s five-year tenure.
2 Children and 2 Teens Escape Injuries in 2-Car Wreck at Intersection of US1 and SR100
Kaenin Brinkley, 18, and Jasmine Lampley, 19, were driving their respective vehicles, Lampley with a 13-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy on board, when the two vehicles collided and one overturned, though no one was injured. Segments of U.S.1 and SR100 were briefly closed in mid-afternoon Tuesday.
Palm Coast Man Jailed After Feared Child Abduction at Bunnell Day Care Center
George Fredericks, a 63-year-old resident of Ridley Lane in Palm Coast, was charged with battery after witnesses said he shook a child’s arm at A Little Preschool House, a day care center in Bunnell, Thursday afternoon.
Blacks Charge Cop Harassment and Bullying As County Cancels Block Party in Bunnell
When Bunnell police alerted the county of a large block party for South Bunnell’s black community the county had previously permitted–as a “picnic/party”–to take place on county land near Carver Gym, the county cancelled it. Monday evening, several members of Bunnell’s black community complained to the city commission of chronic harassment and bullying by Bunnell police.
Its Value $26 Million in the Hole, Bunnell Rethinks Downtown Redevelopment Zone
Bunnell established its 800-acre downtown redevelopment zone in 2007, assuming that most tax revenue generated there could then be reinvested in the area to reinvigorate it. Instead, property values fell $26 million in the zone, forcing the city to rethink the CRA’s viability.
Pink Ladies in a Mud Run, On the Other Side of Flagler’s Beaches
Mud runs in Flagler County–such as Saturday’s FL.ROC Mud Run on Cemetery Road in Bunnell–are a mostly unknown sub-specialty of Flagler County special events. Casey Ryan takes you into the mud on her October run, as she prepares for Saturday’s.
Divided Flagler Commission Moves Ahead With $1.23 Million Option on Old Hospital
The vote to acquire the old 60,000-square-foot memorial hospital property in Bunnell followed a flash-lit tour of the building for the commissioners, but did not change the option agreement except to require an appraisal and extend the due diligence period to 90 days. The county would still be acquiring the building for $1.23 million, as is.
Sid Nowell Resigning as Bunnell City Attorney After 8 Years as Realignments Continue
Sid Nowell, citing health and other matters, will formalize his resignation at the Bunnell City Commission meeting Monday evening, giving Commissioner Eklbert Tucker a new opening to hire Lonnie Groot as his replacement–a move Tucker said he intends to make.
