In the 911 call, Brandon Williamson describes how he shot his friend Shane Huber and apologized repeatedly as Huber sat or stood near him for 8 minutes before deputies and paramedics arrived.
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The FBI’s Palm Coast Visit and Jim Landon’s Accuracy Problem
Palm Coast City Manager Jim Landon Tuesday accused local media of mis-characterizing the FBI’s recent interview of two city officials, but it was Landon who distorted the record and derided the local press in a way he never would dare—or that council members should never tolerate—if he were referring to any other local business.
18-Year-Old Shot With AK-47 In House Across From Wadsworth Elementary in Apparent Accident
18-year-old Shane Huber of Palm Coast was shot in the chest with an AK-47 Tuesday afternoon at a house on Parkview Drive, across the street from Wadsworth Elementary. The school by then had let out.
Judge Orders Dennis McDonald and Attorney to Pay Palm Coast $15,900 Over Frivolous Suit
Circuit Judge Michael Orfinger’s order calls for the sum to be paid equally by McDonald and his attorney. The decision signals to local anti-government activists that governments will not leave certain attacks unanswered.
Florida Lawmaker Proposes Capping All State and Local Testing at 5% of School Time
The bill would authorize districts to use something other than tests to assess students in some courses, revamp laws tying teachers’ evaluations and pay more closely to student performance.
Sheriff’s Deputy Erik Pedersen Reconnects 94-Year-Old Mondex Woman To the World
When Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy Erik Pedersen discovered that 94-year-old Ann Parker was without a phone in her Mondex home, he bought her one and refused payment.
Not So Good For Jeb: Hillary Would Tie Him in Florida, Easily Beat Him in Other Swings
Hillary Clinton is ahead of Jeb Bush by a statistically insignificant 1 point in Florida but beats him or Chris Christie handily in Ohio and Pennsylvania in a prospective contest for the presidency.
83-Year-Old Palm Coast Woman Seriously Hurt in Rear-End Collision on US1
Both US1’s southbound lanes south of the White Eagle Lounge in Korona closed for 90 minutes Tuesday morning after Palm Coast’s Olivia Braxton was seriously injured in a rear-end collision.
County Approves Salamander’s Bid For 198-Room Hotel, With Conditions and Donations
The Flagler County Commission’s verdict, just before 2 a.m. Tuesday, includes some last-minute promises of land and dollars from Salamander, and a four-year deadline to build the $72 million project.
Still Under Fire, Gov. Scott’s Office Attempts To Deflect Criticism Over FDLE Chief’s Firing
The ouster of Bailey has become a major controversy for Scott, who contended last month that commissioner resigned from the post. Bailey, who has only publicly commented to the Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee bureau, has said, “I did not voluntarily do anything.”
Testily, Commissioner George Hanns Brings Notice to His VFW Certificate of Appreciation
Commissioner George Hanns was not happy that what he referred to as a news release about his VFW plaque had not been run by local papers, though the papers may not have received the release to start with.
For Democrat Adam Morley, Steep Challenges In Bid For State House Against Paul Renner
Lack of money aside, Adam Morley’s candidacy appears to lack coherence and strategy, neither of which he could formulate when he met with Flagler County’s leading Democrats Monday.
Palm Coast Mother Charged With Child Abuse For Tasing Her 15-Year-Old Son
Rhonda Gulsen, a 54-year-old resident of Fairfax Court in Palm Coast, before allegedly tasing her son, had egged on a relative who was beating on the 15-year-old boy.
Flagler Commission Approves $18 Million Jail Expansion, Tripling Capacity to 404 Beds
The expansion of the jail will cost the sheriff and the county more to run. Those annual costs, drawn from property tax revenue, have not yet been provided.
Nuclear Power’s Last Tango: Industry’s Promise Fails to Outrun Crippling Costs
If you like the U.S. nuclear power industry, it’s a Michael Jordan-type gallant return. If you don’t like nukes, it’s more of a Gloria Swanson gruesome comeback in Sunset Boulevard.
Salamander’s Hammock Beach Hotel: An Invitation to Future Prosperity in Flagler
Tim hale, a Palm Coast business owner and Hammock resident, argues that Flagler County’s economic future is intertwined with Salamander’s proposed 198-room hotel at Hammock Beach.
Glitches Fixed, Flagler’s Upgraded 911 System Readies For Launch, With Text-to-911 Next
The $266,000 upgrade enables dispatchers to more quickly and accurately zero in on cell callers’ location. In the near future, text-to-911 capabilities will make it easier for the deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired to use 911.
Inmate Asks Florida Justices to Block Execution Pending Supremes’ Ruling on Lethal Injection
Attorneys for condemned killer Jerry William Correll filed an emergency petition as the U.S. Supreme Court considers the constitutionality of a sedative that is the first drug administered during a three-step process in executions.
13-Year-Old Girl Walking Home From Indian Trails Was Molested, Incident Report Shows
The subject is described as a white male, 30-40 years of age, large build with brown hair (possibly balding) and brown eyes.
What’s the Definition of Sexual Intercourse? Florida Supreme Court Justices Will Decide.
The question stems from charges filed in 2011 against Gary Debaun under a law that requires HIV-infected people to inform potential sexual partners about the disease before having sexual intercourse. Debaun was accused of not providing the information to a male sexual partner.
Sheriff Manfre Will Ask For 5% Pay Raise For Ranks, First Substantial Increase in 6 Years
Flagler Sheriff’s deputies finally got a 1 percent raise promised them since October but embargoed for disputed reasons as Sheriff Jim Manfre on Thursday said he’d move forward with a request for the first substantial raises in six years come budget season.
Ex-Felon Arrested in Palm Coast’s P-Section For Owning Assault Rifle and Selling Pot
Anthony DiBella, 55, of 23 Pilgrim Drive in Palm Coast, was arrested this morning for selling marijuana out of his garage and owning an assault rifle despite a felony conviction for robbery in 1980.
Previously Accused of Bigamy, Palm Coast Man Is Arrested on Child Porn Possession Charges
Paul Wayne Stout, a 47-year-old resident of Patchogue Place in Palm Coast, was arrested Wednesday after an FDLE investigation dating back to last summer.
Experts Were Wrong on Oil Prices. They’re Just As Wrong to Deride Solar Energy’s Viability.
Researchers mistakenly said that solar and wind power wouldn’t be competitive with dirty-energy options by now, just as predictions of peak oil or high oil prices proved wrong, writes Emily Schwartz.
Hearing to Decide Fate of Salamander’s 198-Room Hotel in the Hammock Set for Monday
But the county administration has asked for a delay in a hearing, originally scheduled for the same day, on a proposed short-term ordinance that has also divided the Hammock community.
Without Evidence, Bondi Blames Governor’s Staff For FDLE Chief’s Firing as Scott Calls Bailey a Liar
Bondi acknowledged she had no proof to back her opinion and had not discussed the matter with Scott on a controversy that has inundated the governor’s administration as Scott begins his second term.
For Flagler and Palm Coast Officials, Mandatory Ethics Class Puts Primer on Common Sense
The session produced discussion, questions and derision that revealed the gulf between what the law requires and what officials tend to know, with lacking agreement on what even common sense might mean.
State Ethics Panel Ratifies $2,500 Fine on Flagler Commissioner Revels Over 2 Violations
The Florida Commission on Ethics Friday unanimously approved a $2,500 fine on Flagler County Commissioner Barbara Revels over two violations of the state ethics law, stemming from Revels’s role in the county’s purchase of the old Memorial hospital in Bunnell.
More States Lean Toward Medicaid Expansion, But Florida Remains a Holdout
The biggest nonexpansion states are Florida and Texas, where expansion would add a total of 2.6 million uninsured residents to the Medicaid rolls. But both the Florida and Texas legislatures are dominated by Republicans, and expansion remains a long shot.
For Black Students in Flagler Schools, Some Progress But “Systemic Bias” and Startling Disparities Persist
Amir Whitaker, a staff attorney with the Southern Poverty Law Center, presented a report card on the school district’s treatment of black students, acknowledging some progress but pointing out enduring racism, especially in suspensions.
GOP Primary: Paul Renner Wins For House, Travis Hutson Wins For Senate
Paul Renner beat REonald Sanchez and Danielle Anderson in the House race, Hutson beat Ronald Doc Renuart and Dennis McDonald in the Senate race.
Flagler’s 911 System Goes Dark For 24 Minutes Tuesday as Back-Up Also Fails, Missing 10 Calls
Flagler County’s 911 system failed at 11:30 Tuesday morning and the back-up didn’t kick-in as technicians were working on a major upgrade of the system at the county’s Emergency Operations Center.
FPL Reports 2014 Profits of $1.52 Billion as It Announces Solar Power Expansion
FPL, which provides electricity to most residences and businesses in Palm Coast and Flagler County, reported net income, or profits, last year of $1.52 billion, or $3.45 a share, up from $1.35 billion, or $3.16 a share, in 2013.
Ray Peter Takes Over for Joe Roy at Palm Coast’s Business Assistance Center
Raymond Peter, 68, a consultant and certified business analyst at the Palm Coast office, takes over region’s management of the Florida Small Business Development Center at UCF. Roy remains in a diminished capacity.
An Election For Republicans Only That Will Likely Decide Flagler’s House and Senate Seats
The election is nevertheless likely to decide Flagler’s representation in both chambers of the Legislature, as the winners are facing relatively weak candidates in the April 7 general election.
Florida Republican Files Bill to Extend Medical Pot Access to AIDS, Cancer and Other Ills
The proposal (SB 528), filed by Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, includes a detailed regulatory structure that would place requirements on patients, doctors, growers and retail stores. Patients could only get “medical-grade” marijuana if their physicians sign off on the need.
70-Year-Old Palm Coast Man Critical After His Car Overturns Into Ditch on Belle Terre
Victor Jesus Ortiz, 70, of Palm Coast, was in critical condition Monday evening after he lost control of his car, swerved, and overturned in shallow ditch on Belle Terre Parkway, just south of the Palm Coast Fire Department’s Station 25.
For Palm Coast, Florida Park Drive’s Heavy Traffic Is an Old Bane Without Ready Solutions
Residents along Florida Park Drive have complained year after year about the heavy traffic, the noise and the pollution, but Palm Coast officials say there’s little they can do legally to alleviate an old ITT mistake.
Palm Coast’s Holland Park Closing For Rest of the Year For Major Reconstruction
the $4.28 million project will take 15 months and will result in better lit courts, a bigger playground, new restrooms, a refurbished dog park, a new loop road to exit the park and a perimeter trail, among other improvements.
Heroin Overdoses Spike After Florida
Cracks Down on Prescription Pill Abuse
Five years ago, Florida was the prescription drug capital of the U.S. Seven people died every day from overdoses. The state cracked down, but this year, heroin overdose deaths are expected to be double those number four years before.
No Surprise: Florida’s Economic Development Agency Wants Tax Subsidies for Daytona Speedway, Jaguars and 2 Other Sports Venues
Daytona International Speedway is seeking $3 million a year for 30 years to subsidize its operations, the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars have asked for $1 million a year for three decades.
FBI Agents Interview 2 Palm Coast Employees In Inquiry Over Tony Capela Issues
Palm Coast officials downplayed a 90-minute interview by two FBI agents of a public works division manager Wednesday and a briefer interview with the public works director, saying it’s related to settled matters in connection with ex-streets superintendent Tony Capela.
Flagler Unemployment Falls to 7.6%, Lowest Since April 2008, as State and Nation Improve
Flagler County’s better numbers in December are clouded by the fact that they are not do to healthier job creation, but rather to a decreasing in the county’s labor force.
Second Armed Robbery in 2 Days Hits Palm Coast Store, This Time at 7-11 Near Starbucks
Thursday evening’s robbery took place at the Mobil station and 7-11 convenience store on Palm Coast Parkway, near Starbucks and Old Kings Road. No one was hurt. The robber escaped with about $94 in cash.
11 Deputies, Several of Them Military Veterans, Join Flagler Sheriff’s Office
The 10 men and one woman, all starting at $33,012 a year, include a retired police chief, four veterans of the U.S. military, and several deputies with college degrees.
Flagler Youth Orchestra Returns to United Methodist Church’s Concert Series Saturday
The Flagler Youth Orchestra’s 30-piece Harmony ensemble return for their annual performance in the Palm Coast United Methodist Church’s Concert Series Saturday, Jan. 24, at 4 p.m.
Isolating Scott, Florida Cabinet May Seek Investigation of FDLE Chief’s Abrupt Exit
Longtime Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey left his job abruptly in December. The departure touched off a controversy this month after Bailey disclosed that he was forced out of the job and made potentially damaging allegations about the actions of Scott and the governor’s aides.
Publix at Palm Coast’s Town Center Is Target of an Armed Robbery Wednesday Evening
The Publix store at Palm Coast’s Town Center was robbed late Wednesday evening by a man claiming to be dying of AIDS and feared to be armed. No one was injured, but the robber got away and has not been located.
Teen Who Twice Fled Home Returns; Stepfather Opts to Drop Charge Against Him
Dawson Blaine King, a 15-year-old resident of 47 Westmount Lane in Palm Coast who’d gone missing on Jan. 15, was brought home only to get into a fight with his parents and run away again late Tuesday night.
Last of Seven Bridges on County Road 305 Is Completed and Re-Opens to Traffic
Construction began on the bridge June 23, 2014. The total cost of construction is approximately $2.5 million paid for by a State Department of Transportation grant.