Jean Geral Isenader, 23, of Sergeant Court in Palm Coast, was shot in the abdomen after 1 a.m. on June 25 during a large party at the Espanola Community Center. No suspects was found.
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Raul Zambrano, Redoubtable Alumni of Flagler Bench, Will Be 7th Circuit’s Chief Judge
Feared and respected, and a former felony court judge in Flagler, Circuit Judge Raul Zambrano was elected Chief Judge of the 7th Judicial Circuit, which includes Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns and Volusia counties.
Monday Briefing: Bunnell’s Old Brick Road, Palm Harbor Bids, Command and Control, Trump Snubs Ramadan, Teen Suicide
Palm Coast studies bids for management and concessions operations at Palm Harbor Golf Club, the Bunnell commission considers protecting a historic road, Trump refuses to uphold a Ramadan tradition.
The GOP Senate Bill’s Hollow Promise To Protect Coverage For Preexisting Conditions
Built into the bill are loopholes for states to bypass protections and erode coverage for preexisting conditions, so insurers could cover chronically ill people but not the diseases they suffer from.
Man Is Killed as Car Fishtails and Crashes Through Guardrail on I-95, South of SR 100
A man was killed early Saturday morning when his car veered off I-95, crashed through the guardrail, and rolled into a ditch between the southbound and northbound lanes.
Sheriff’s Deputies Looking For Palm Coast Man Who Ran Over Deputy’s Foot and Fled Traffic Stop
Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies are looking for Jimmie Lee Belle III, a 24-year-old resident of 30 Ryker Lane in Palm Coast, after he ran over a deputy’s foot and fled during a traffic stop Saturday (June 24).
19-Year-Old Shot In Palm Coast’s F Section, Suspect Caught After Chase in R-Section
The suspect, Levi Evan Ovenshire, 19, fled in a car after the shooting at 12 Fulton Place, and was apprehended after 21-minute a chase through the R Section.
First Cast, In Full Glory
Flagler Beach photographer and attorney Scott Spradley was by the Pier at dawn this morning to capture images of fishermen’s first cast. He did, superbly, and tells the story of the picture.
Coming to Flagler Beach: No-Parking Barriers and Silt Mounds to Stop A1A Washouts
The city and the state transportation department will block off portions of A1A to parking and build silt mounds to soak up water, though some commissioners are skeptical of silt’s effectiveness.
Brandon Hubbert Acquitted of Armed Robbery at Palm Coast Staples as Evidence Falters
A jury took barely 20 minutes to acquit Brandon J. Hubbert of Bunnell, who’d faced between 10 years and life in prison had he been found guilty of a 2015 armed robbery at Staples off Old Kings Road.
It’s Field Day for Ham Radio Operators at Flagler Beach’s Fire Station This Weekend
Ham radio operators join thousands of other amateur radio operators nationally to show their emergency communications skills for 24 hours beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Weekend Briefing: Pier Reopening, Golf Croquet, Ham Radio Field Day, What NASA Wants Aliens To See, GOP Unhealth
The pier reopens in Flagler Beach, the Senate GOP unleashes its demolition of Obamacare, Miami attorney Michael Higer is sworn in as president of The Florida Bar, Voyager’s payload to aliens.
637-Ft. Flagler Beach Pier Re-Opens Saturday, 8 Months After Hurricane Matthew Lobotomy
The Flagler Beach Pier will reopen Saturday as emergency repairs end, to the joys of a city that’s lived without its iconic amenity since Hurricane Matthew sheared 163 feet from its end and made it unstable.
6-Hour Manhunt Ends On Palm Coast Parkway As Felon, Just Out of Prison, Is Caught
The man had just served 96 months in prison, and was heard saying he doesn’t want to go back. The crash with the deputy was not serious, but he later crashed his truck more severely.
In Rare Joint Appearance, Flagler’s 3 Judges Speak Candidly About the Job’s Challenges On and Off Bench
Circuit Court judges Dennis Craig and R. Lee Smith and County Court Melissa Moore-Stens spoke of personal and professional challenges and addressed the Flagler bench’s workload.
Citizens’ Review Panel May Not Force Testimony From Cops, Florida Supreme Court Rules
The case stemmed from a complaint filed in 2009 alleging misconduct by a cop during a traffic stop. The Miami police department’s internal affairs division found insufficient evidence of misconduct.
Thursday Briefing: Breakfast With Flagler’s 3 Judges, Heat Index 101-105, Live Bombing, Sean Monti Sentencing, Sklar
Flagler County’s three judges appear before a Chamber of Commerce audience, the Flagler Beach Commission again considers a settlement with Howard Sklar’s marina, Sean Monti is sentenced, Varlam Shalamov on supervisors’ power.
Flagler’s Oddly Sunny Hurricane Matthew After-Action Report Draws Criticism From Its Own Emergency Staff
The much-anticipated report was written by the administration, not the emergency management staff, and conveys more of an error-prone, fluffy public relations approach than rigorous and factual analysis.
Rainy Season Douses Fiery Florida and Soaks Flagler, Where Drought Index Is Down to 72
After months of drought conditions that helped fuel nearly 2,500 wildfires across the state (but only a handful in Flagler), Florida has quickly moved deep into its rainy season.
Same Driver, 2 Successive Hit-and-Run Crashes on Palm Coast Parkway
Daniel Reyes, 27, ran into the woods after a second crash that caused his Chevrolet to roll over off Palm Coast Parkway on Monday afternoon.
Where It’s Legal, Pot Leads To Fewer Traffic Stops, But Racial Disparities Remain
The drop means fewer interactions between police and drivers, potentially limiting dangerous clashes. But black and Hispanic drivers are still searched at higher rates than white motorists.
Wednesday Briefing: Contractor Review Board, Bohemian Rhapsody, Wildfires, Summer Solstice
A quiet summer solstice day in Flagler as the county’s technical review committee and its contractor review board meet, it’s Greenland Day (before it melts), and Bohemian Rhapsofy as you’ve never heard it.
Flagler School Board Apprehensive of Changes in Law Affecting Charters, Recess and Religion
One law is altering the relationship between the district and its charter schools and imposing new requirements on eligibility for Bright Futures, and other laws will have broad impacts.
Court Allows ACLU’s Public Record Fight Over Police Tracking of Cell Phones
The ACLU requested the records from Jackson as part of a broader inquiry in 2014 into the Sarasota Police Department’s use of what are known as “Stingray” tracking devices.
FPC’s Anna Crawford Is Wasdworth’s New Principal, Volusia’s Reeves Takes Matanzas
Anna Crawford had been assistant principal at Flagler Palm Coast High School and Belle Terre Elementary, Jeff Reaves is a Volusia County import.
Divided Palm Coast Council Sticks With Controversial FPL Path in F-Section, But Alternatives Still Possible
The 3-2 vote to stick with the FPL path leading to Matanzas High School doesn’t yet kill alternatives, including the possibility of a temporary footpath along Old Kings Road, the city manager pledged.
Tuesday Briefing: Education Funding Fallout, FPL Footpath Rethink, Women in Politics, World Refugee Day
Palm Coast council members may rethink the FPL footpath through the F Section, the Bunnell Planning Board considers transitional housing for women and children, 60 million refugees in 2017.
Felony Charge Against Palm Coast Man Accused of Ordering Dog to Brutalize a Neighbor
John A. Benedetto, 37, was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon–his dog–after allegedly ordering it to attack his neighbor, who was trying to stop Benedetto’s argument with two women.
Thirty Months Later, Holland Park Re-Opens To Cheers, and Echoes of a Brooklyn Basketball
The $4.3 million reconstruction project at the 27-acre park became a $4.7 million project and took exactly twice as long to complete as projected, but its re-dedication drew scores of children who could care less: they just wanted to play.
What Financial Constraints? Flagler Government Prepares to Spend $1.8 Million On Document-Management System
The new system would make many parts of government paperless, but it’s not yet clear how the county will pay for it even as it strains from Hurricane Matthew-related expenses.
Florida Health Officials Move Ahead With Medical Pot Rules Approved in Special Session
The just-passed bill addressed major issues, such as how many companies will receive marijuana licenses and how many retail outlets they can run.
Behind Closed Doors: 5 Things Being Weighed In Secret Health Bill Also Weigh It Down
As 13 GOP senators continue to secretly craft a health care bill, some of the policies under consideration have slipped out, and pressure points of the debate are fairly clear.
Monday Briefing: Teddy Bears Against Violence, Voting Precincts, Medical Pot Moratorium, Down in the River to Pray
The County Commission is expected to extend the medical pot moratorium on new businesses through mid-September, teddy bears donated to fight domestic violence, Vidal-Buckley ’68.
In 1st Joint Forum of 2018 Race for Governor, Three Democrats Try To Lift Profile Above Trump Din
Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, former Congresswoman Gwen Graham and businessman Chris King did not clash much on the issues so much as present an opening salvo in the 2018 race for governor.
Trump Administration Quietly Rolls Back Civil Rights Efforts Across Federal Government
Previously unannounced directives will limit the Department of Justice’s use of a storied civil rights enforcement tool, and loosen the Department of Education’s requirements on investigations.
More Washouts Plague Flagler Beach’s A1A as Commissioners Wonder: Another Year and Half Of This?
Heavy rains caused more washouts of the low dunes and rock revetments along State Road A1A this afternoon in what is becoming a recurring problem with almost every heavy rain event.
Flagler Sheriff Arrests 5 Unlicensed Contractors in Sting Operation, Files Charges On 5 More
The Sheriff’s Office set up a sting operation at a house in Palm Coast’s C-Section, where the five contractors had come back to collect their deposits. Volusia County conducted a similar sting.
Flagler’s Unemployment Stays at 4.5% as Number of People With Jobs Hits Record 44,000
The number of unemployed persons–2,065–was essentially unchanged compared with April, but it’s down by 250 people from a year ago. The Florida unemployment rate fell to 4.3 percent.
Weekend Briefing: PCAF Art Collection, Holland Park’s Belated Re-Opening, Fitness Challenges, A-Bomb
Holland Park finally reopens Friday evening, the Sheriff talks domestic violence on WNZF, the fire chief and a council member offer a fitness challenge, the Palm Coast Arts Foundation does arts.
How the Education Bill Scott Signed Thursday Will Hurt Flagler Schools, Favoring Charters
The Flagler school district is now 64th out of 67 in per-pupil funding, and the bill Gov. Scott signed today will force the district to turn over more money to charter schools.
Man Provokes Head-On Collision Then Stabs Himself in Suicide Attempt on Flagler Beach’s A1A
Keefe Crawford, 37, intentionally plowed his SUV into a car driven by Lisa Osborne, with passenger Michael Osborne, before Crawford then stabbed himself several times. All survived.
Ex-Elections Supervisor Kim Weeks Rejects Plea Deal as Lawyer, Her 4th, Sets for Trial
The deal would have spared Kimberle Weeks prison on felony charges that she illegally recorded conversations, but would have meant probation, according to Kevin Kulik, her latest lawyer.
Gov. Scott Vetoes Higher Education Bill, Citing Cuts to State Colleges and Caps on Enrollment
Scott objected to an enrollment cap on baccalaureate degrees for the 28 state colleges and cutting college’s budget by $25 million, while substantially increasing spending on state universities.
Thursday Briefing: Weeks Back in Court, Magna Carta’s Birthday, Aaron Bean in Jacksonville, Kenzaburo Oe on Suicide
Former Elections Supervisor Kimberle Weeks is due in court for her latest pre-trial, this time with a new set of attorneys, Magna Carta was chartered 802 years ago, Neil Patrick Harris 44 years ago.
The Problem with Dividing
‘Good Muslims’ from ‘Bad Muslims’
The “good Muslims” support those “war on terror” policies that result in the expansion of violence against mostly innocent people. The “bad ones” don’t — and are called terrorists.
Flagler-Palm Coast’s Crime Rate Falls Modestly in 2016, But Domestic Violence Up 8.1%
The crime rate has been relatively flat for the past three years, and significantly down from previous years even as the county has been growing by about 2,000 people a year since the end of the recession.
Controversial FPL Footpath Through F Section Back on Agenda as 2 Council Members Demand Options
F-Section residents are incensed at a planned path they rejected in 2008, but City Manager Jim Landon, who knows the volatile history of the path, shifted the blame for the controversy onto the city council.
Jody Hyde Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison in DUI Death of 2 Women on County Road 304
Jody Allen Hyde, 28, had originally pleaded not guilty in the drunk-driving deaths of Elizabeth Jean Alley, 45, and Vada Stafford Delk, 72, on County Road 304 the night of October 20, 2014.
Both Sides Pressuring Scott on School Bill That Drew Protest Firestorm from Education Leaders
The bill’s passage infuriated school boards, superintendents, the state’s main teachers and other education advocates. Scott hinted that he was considering a veto at the time.
Wednesday Briefing: Sessions Time-Out, National Guard Progress, Ivanka and Marco’s Family Leave, Mohsin Hamid
The Florida Chamber’s education summit in Orlando, Marco Rubio and Ivanka Trump may have family leave in common, Sigmund Freud on our self-destructive selves, Mohsin Hamid.