Circuit Court Judge Chris France, applying an extremely broad definition of terrorism, today found a 17-year-old former Flagler Palm Coast High School student guilty of threatening to kill her teacher through written messages to a fellow-student a year ago.
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Johnnie Thomas Jr. Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for ‘Cold-Blooded’ Killing of Robert Emmanuel
Johnnie Spydale Thomas Jr., a 26-year-old Bunnell resident with a long record of crime and incarceration, was sentenced to 25 years in prison this morning for bludgeoning 60-year-old Robert Emmanuel during a crack deal outside Emmanuel’s Bunnell home two years ago.
Weekend Briefing: Starlight Parade, ‘Actually’ and Weird ‘X-mas Carol’ on Stage, Coffee With Cops, LGBT Gathering
Palm Coast’s Starlight Parade on Saturday, plays and concerts at CRT, the Playhouse, the Auditorium and Matanzas High, Coffee with a Cop, the David Snelgrove death penalty case, and much more.
$600,000 Sought to Help Pulse Massacre Survivors
Two House Democrats want the Legislature to set aside nearly $600,000 to keep open the doors of a center that helps survivors of the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando.
Florida House Revives Controversial College Survey That Would Undermine Intellectual Freedom
During the final hours of the 2019 legislative session, Senate Appropriations Chairman Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, warned senators the so-called intellectual freedom survey would “keep coming up again” and urged the Senate to block it from passing every time.
Palm Coast Starlight Parade Traffic and Parking Information for Dec. 14
To improve traffic flow into and out of this Saturday’s Starlight Parade, the City of Palm Coast is planning several strategies related to traffic flow, temporary road closures and parking.
Watch The Station Sparkle: Palm Coast Firefighters Release Another Fire Truck Light Show
This is the second year in the row the Palm Coast Fire Department released a holiday entertainment video to help create a larger audience for their general messages of community involvement and Fire safety around the holidays.
FWC Approves Changes to Spotted Seatrout Rules
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved several rule changes for spotted seatrout. Spotted seatrout are one of Florida’s most popular inshore fisheries.
Bistro Café and Mr. Pancho Mexican Grill on Palm Coast’s Utility Drive Targets of Overnight Burglaries
The burglars stole some $4,000 in cash from one business and $150 from another, causing about $600 in damage along the way and the loss of about $500 worth of food that had been stored in a fridge they’d left open. The burglars are at large.
Man and Woman Severely Injured in T-Bone Crash at Bulldog Drive and SR100; No Students Involved
Two people were severely injured in a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of State Road 100 and Bulldog Drive–or Aviation Way, the road that leads to the county airport–at 1:41 this afternoon.
3 New Cell Towers in Palm Coast Now Beaming AT&T’s Signal in Previously Dead Zones
Two cell towers recently built in Palm Coast went live with AT&T’s signal in the last eight days, and a third had gone live in September, significantly reducing dead cell zones in town.
Thursday Briefing: ‘Actually’ at CRT, Mediation for Captain’s BBQ, ‘A Christmas Carol’ at Playhouse, Madrigal Dinner
Lots of shows this evening: City Rep’s “Actually,” the Playhouse’s sort of “Christmas Carol,” Matanzas High’s Madrigal show, plus a Whitney lecture on the dramatic impacts of global warming on the Antarctic.
Amicus Curiae: The 16-Year-Old FPC Girl Was Racist. She Was Stupid. She Was Not Criminal.
In the case of an FPC girl who wrote bigoted threats about her teacher last December, the prosecution is making outlandish claims that it was act of terrorism, stretching the meaning of a 2018 law passed after the Parkland massacre. The law does not apply, as even the prosecution acknowledged the case’s weaknesses.
Physician Assistants and Certain Nurses Could Practice Independent of Doctors Under Proposed Law
Bill sponsor Cary Pigman, R-Avon Park, said the proposal (HB 607) would go a long way toward improving patients’ access to primary-care providers, especially in medically underserved areas of the state.
Ex-Palm Coast Deputy Manager Beau Falgout Lands Similar Job in Mooresville, N.C.
Beau Falgout, who resigned as deputy manager in Palm Coast in mid-October, six months after being passed over for the manager’s job in favor of Matt Morton, was named assistant town manager in Mooresville, N.C., on Tuesday.
City Rep’s ‘Actually,’ a #MeToo Whodunit Treading the Blurry Lines of Consent, Assault and Guilt
“Actually,” the newest production at Palm Coast’s City Repertopry Theatre opening this weekend, tells the tale of two Ivy League freshmen – a young black man and a young white woman — who become mired in a he said/she said, was-it-date-rape scenario.
250 Journalists Imprisoned Globally in 2019, Including Spike of 30 on ‘Fake News’ Allegations
The number of journalists imprisoned for their reporting globally reached at least 250 for the fourth consecutive year, with China and Turkey topping the list of the world’s leading jailers, the Committee to Protect Journalists found.
Wednesday Briefing: SuperWash’s $13,300 Donation to AdventHealth, Dinner With Santa at FPC, Rising Seas
SuperWash Express donates more than $13,000 to AdventHealth to support breast cancer care funds, FPC’s SGA’s annual Dinner With Santa, the dislocations of rising seas, freedom of speech.
DeSantis Orders All High School Seniors to Take Civics Exam Similar to Immigrants’ Citizenship Test
Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday his administration will require all high school seniors in Florida to take a civics exam, similar to the one taken by people who want to become naturalized U.S. citizens.
God, Homosexuality and Government Intrusion Frame Senate Panel’s Push For Abortion Restrictions
The 6-3 vote by the Senate Health Policy Committee followed a hearing that lasted more than 90 minutes as Chairwoman Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart, tried to balance testimony between people on both sides.
A Plea From the Middle, Against Extremism
No matter what side Americans fall on politically, most hold many common beliefs and convictions in common, placing them far closer to a shared middle than the extremes of our current political discourse, argues former sheriff Jim Manfre.
For Public, Diversity and Technology Don’t Rate as High as District’s Priorities in Superintendent Search
Inspirational, trustworthy and innovative. On top of current educational issues. Financially savvy. Good listener. Familiar with Flagler schools. Those are the top qualities unidentified respondents want in the next Flagler County school superintendent, according to a school district online survey.
Flagler Beach and Bunnell Will Split $1 Million in Grants To Reduce Sewer Pipe Pollution
Bunnell and Flagler Beach will each receive $500,000 for pollution-reducing sewer-pipe improvements thanks to a pair of grants from the St. Johns River Water Management District Governing Board. The district board approved the two grants at its monthly meeting in Palatka earlier today.
Bunnell Mayor Slaps Down Latest Attempt to Fire City Manager Jackson, Silencing Commissioner
Bunnell City Commissioner Jan Reeger didn’t get far as fellow-Commissioner John Rogers then Mayor Catherine Robinson shut down Reeger’s latest attempt to fire City Manager Alvin Jackson Monday evening, using questionable tactics.
Tuesday Briefing: Marion Gavins Jr. in Court, Affordable Housing, Cordone & Kilgore, FPC Band Benefit, Print’s Decline
Marion Gavins Jr., accused of first-degree murder in the shooting death of Curtis Grey last April, is scheduled for a pre-trial, FPC’s band has a benefit concert, Cordone & Kilgore’s show at the Palm Coast Community Center.
Lunatic Conspiracy Theories Are Corroding Today’s GOP
How do the horrific events of Charlottesville, the shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, and a similar hate crime in California directly relate to the eye-rolling pronouncements by Devin Nunes, Rudy Giuliani, and other Republicans in defense of President Donald Trump?
School Deputies Now Equipped With Ankle First Aid Kits and Bullet-Proof Rifle Plates
The Flagler County Sheriff’s school resource deputies are now all equipped with rescue tactical ankle medical kits and rifle plates in case of traumatic incidents. The ankle kits were acquired through a grant, the plates through sheriff’s funds.
13 Florida Cities and Gun-Control Groups Counter NRA Claims and Push for Assault-Weapons Ban
The political committee Ban Assault Weapons NOW, the gun-control group Brady and a coalition of 13 cities filed briefs Friday saying that the proposal meets legal tests to go before voters.
Federal Judge Refuses to Dismiss Lawsuit Challenging Juvenile Solitary Confinement
Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker issued a 21-page order Friday that cleared the way for the case to continue. Walker wrote that the plaintiffs have “alleged sufficient facts” to bring the lawsuit.
Flagler Beach Officers Punch and Tase Man To Subdue Him During Domestic Violence Incident
The incident with the 26-year-old Flagler Beach resident was a culmination of loosely related altercations involving Hobbie that had progressively become more violent. He’s being held at the county jail on $120,000 bond.
Flagler Humane Society Volunteer Injured and Hospitalized After Attack by Pitbull Terrier
A dog at the Flagler Humane Society attacked a volunteer on Thursday (Dec. 5), severely injuring the volunteer, who was hospitalized at Halifax hospital in Daytona Beach. The dog, a pit bull terrier mix, was euthanized.
Monday Briefing: Debating Alvin Jackson, Caroling for Seniors, FPC Band Benefit Concert, Might Is Wrong
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is the winner of the Northeast Florida Regional Leadership Award for Excellence in Public Safety, Commissioner Jan Reeger again discusses the fate of Bunnell manager Alvin jackson, FPC’s band holds a benefit concert at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church.
700,000 Poorer People Could Lose Food Stamps Under Tighter Trump Work Requirements
The finalized rule just announced by the Trump administration, which will take effect in April, will make it harder for states to exempt adults without dependents from work requirements.
Bunnell Man Shoots Dog In Front of Its Teen Owners After Dog Had Mauled His Cat; No Charges
Nickolas B. Monroe, a 26-year-old resident of Walnut Avenue in Bunnell’s Mondex neighborhood, fired at and killed the animal as its owners, a 15-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy, had just been looking for it.
School Boards and Superintendents Back DeSantis Pay Raise Plan
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ proposal to set a minimum $47,500 salary for public-school teachers received a boost Thursday when it was backed by the Florida School Boards Association and the Florida Association of District School Superintendents.
Flagler County receives Critical Event Management Impact Award
Flagler County Emergency Management was awarded the Critical Event Management Impact Award by Everbridge Inc. – the platform locally referred to as ALERTFlagler – for “unique, innovative and inspiring use of the (company’s platform) to support life safety, global security, organizational resiliency and business continuity.” Flagler County was recognized for successfully streamlining its special needs […]
Daytona Beach Police Chief Craig Capri Honored with LeRoy Collins Hometown Hero Award by Association of Florida Colleges
Craig Capri, a 1989 graduate of Daytona State College’s Law Enforcement Academy and current Daytona Beach Police Chief, has been honored as the 2019 LeRoy Collins Hometown Hero Award winner presented by the Association of Florida Colleges (AFC).
Flagler Health Department Promotes Dawn Kamen to New Supervisory Nursing Position
Over the past five years, Kamen has focused on providing immunizations for infants, children, adolescents, adult and travel customers, while also branching out to support clinic efforts that include Family Planning, prenatal care and sexually transmitted disease testing/treatment.
Inside the Cell Where a Sick 16-Year-Old Boy Died in Border Patrol Care
Video obtained by ProPublica shows the Border Patrol held a sick teen in a concrete cell without proper medical attention and did not discover his body until his cellmate alerted guards. The video doesn’t match the Border Patrol’s account of his death.
Saudi Military Trainee Kills 3 and Wounds 8 in Shooting at Pensacola Navy Air Station
DeSantis, a former Navy attorney who is a close ally of Trump’s, said the gunman’s nationality will likely add an additional layer to federal authorities’ probe into the shooting.
Girl Who Made Bigoted Death Threats About English Teacher at FPC Is Tried, But Judge To Rule Later
A circuit judge this afternoon tried a white, 17-year-old former Flagler Palm Coast High School student accused of making death threats laced in bigoted language against her black English teacher a year ago.
First of Two Christmas With a Deputy Events Tonight as Cops Donate Record $19,000 for Kids
For the 12th year of the event, there will be two Christmas with a Deputy in Flagler County, thanks to a Walmart grant and a record fund-raising drive by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office’s employees.
Cordone and Kilgore ‘Swing in the Holidays’ in Jazzy, Witty Palm Coast Show Dec. 10
Natalie Cordone and Shawn Kilgore bring their jazzy blend of wit, pop and vocal standards to the Palm Coast Community Center for one show only on Dec. 10. They’ve been touring nationally and internationally for five years.
Weekend Briefing: Community Cats Auction, Chorus, DSC Enrollment, Sip Festival, Holiday and Boat Parades
An endless parade of holiday-themed events, from the Holiday parade in Flagler Beach, the boat parade in Palm Coast, the Messiah and other holiday concerts, the inaugural Sip festival at the Ag Museum, and plenty more.
Proposed 300-Home Development in Place of Matanzas Golf Course Draws Public Doubt and Ire
A neighborhood meeting about the planned developer of some 300 homes along the disused Matanzas golf course drew considerable protests and doubt from some 200 people Thursday evening.
Aimee Stafford Takes Over as Flagler Chamber President, Bringing Energetic and Laureled Experience to Burdened Organization
Aimee Stafford is a veteran in leadership of chambers and non-profits, especially in Kentucky, but with long-established established ties in Florida and Ormond Beach, where she’s lived since May.
Flagler Government Will Conduct Second Pay Study in Two Years, Though Turnover Rate Is Not Unusual
Flagler County government is planning a second pay study in two years after discovering that the first one was not fully implemented, though questions were raised about how dire the county’s turnover rate really is.
Thursday Briefing: Great Kids, FPC Ring Ceremony, Quit Tobacco, Pianist Maria Dolores, Jouissance
Flagler Palm Coast High School’s annual Class Ring ceremony is this evening, a quit-tobacco seminar at AdventHealth Palm Coast, Pianist Maria Dolores Gaitán at the Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach.
Is Marijuana a Gateway Drug?
Like nearly all Americans of a certain age, we were told in school that tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana are gateway drugs — and that is why marijuana should remain illegal. The myth bears closer examination.
NRA and Local Governments Square Off Over Gun Law Silencing Home Rule
Florida since 1987 has barred cities and counties from passing regulations that are stricter than state firearms laws, and the penalties in the 2011 law were designed to strengthen that “preemption.”