Flagler Beach City Manager Bruce Campbell on Friday told his staff he was resigning after three years on the job. He did not give any reasons.
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Creekside Festival Celebrates 10th Year Saturday and Sunday at Princess Place Preserve
Drawing upwards of 15,000 guests each year, the Chamber of Commerce-managed two-day festival offers exhibits and activities to appeal to all tastes. This year’s event is set for Saturday, Oct. 11 and Sunday, Oct. 12.
Why Malala Yousafzai Should Have
Won The Nobel Peace Prize
Malala Yousafzai is the 17-year-old Pakistani girl and activist for girls’ education who in 2012 was shot in the head by a shaking, demented terrorist whose allegiance to the Taliban tells us all we need to know about the lethality of religious fundamentalism. Any kind of fundamentalism, really.
I’m 67 Years Old. I Smoke Pot. And It’s Time to Make It Legal, Period.
If anyone thinks that passing Amendment 2 is not a step toward legalizing recreational marijuana, then you’re been ingesting too much of the wrong kind of drugs, argues Thomas O’Hara, who is voting for Amendment 2 because it’s a step toward full marijuana legalization.
A1A Pride Votes 7-3 to Reject Salamander Plan for 198-Room Hotel at Hammock Beach
Today’s vote is only advisory ahead of action before the county’s planning board and the County Commission. But A1A’s membership represents a powerful constituency in the Hammock, as its previous displays of political muscle indicate.
“A Fitting Conclusion”: Family Speaks of Pilot Ray Miller’s Life of Adventure Before Crash
Raymond Miller, the 77-year-old Palm Coast resident who crashed his plane in Pellicer Creek last week, had retired from the CIA but had never ended a life of globe-trotting adventure in which his age was a mere number. His family said his last flight was a fitting way to end a life.
Flagler Students’ SAT Scores Fall to 10-Year Low; ACT Scores Modestly More Encouraging
The drop was especially pronounced at Flagler Palm Coast High School, where this year’s 259 seniors who took the test scored seven points lower than last year in both reading and writing, and 14 points lower in math. Over five years, FPC’s math score has tumbled 39 points, its reading score 27 points, its writing score 21 points.
Miami Herald’s Ex-Editor Disputes Matt Bai’s Charge that Reporting Gary Hart’s Affair Was Unethical
Doug Clifton, the former editor of the Miami Herald who played a part in uncovering Gary Hart’s affair in 1987, defends the Herald’s reporting against Matt Bai’s charge that the reporting was unethical and tabloid-oriented.
Joseph Bova, Found Incompetent to Stand Trial for Mobil Murder, Is Committed to State Hospital
Joseph Bova, the inscrutable and unnerving suspect accused of murdering Zuheily Roman Rosado in an execution-style shooting at the Mobil Mart in February 2013, will be committed to a state hospital.
Advocates Call for DCF to Give Up Child Safety Oversight to Local Cops After Mass Murders
Roy Miller, spokesman for the Children’s Lobby, said last month’s mass murder-suicide involving six children in Gilchrist County amounted to the last straw in the department’s response to a series of child deaths stretching back many years.
Past Day 5 of Crashed-Plane Recovery Efforts, a Barge Will Attempt Wreckage Excavation From 9 Feet of Muck
Several attempts to recover Ray Miller;’s crashed plane have failed because of challenging conditions and the plane’s location, but a barge is on its way to conduct a salvaging operation starting this evening as officials hope to have plane and body recovered by Thursday.
Pro Sports Plus on Palm Coast Parkway Closing After 17 Years
After 30 years in the sporting goods industry, Bo Ankrom has decided to close the doors of his sporting goods store, Pro Sports Plus that has been in Palm Coast since 1997.
Inmate Dies in a Florida Prison Less Than a Day After Family Questioned Safety; Federal Probe Sought
Latandra Ellington, 36, died Wednesday at Lowell Correctional Institution in Ocala, less than 24 hours after her family called prison officials to express concerns about her safety.
Joseph Delarosby, Recently Retired Flagler Sheriff’s Deputy, Takes His Life at Palm Coast’s Heroes Park
Joseph Delarosby, who’d served nearly 20 years as a Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy and bailiff, committed suicide this morning at Heroes Park in Palm Coast. He had retired from the force only recently.
Florida Hospital Flagler To See Medicare Payments Reduced 0.37% Per Patient, one of 148 Penalized in State
The penalty is intended to jolt hospitals to pay attention to what happens to their patients after they leave and reduce the rate of readmission of Medicare patients.
Florida’s Gay-Marriage Ban Teetering as U.S. Supreme Court Clears Way to Equality in 11 More States
With the U.S. Supreme Court clearing the way for same-sex marriages in 11 other states, gay-rights supporters said Monday they will ask a federal judge to follow suit in Florida.
Robbery at Palm Coast Target Pharmacy Leads to Chase and Arrest at Integra Woods
Michael Shudy, 34, of Palm Coast, was arrested on two robbery charges and a count of fleeing and eluding police after ordering a store clerk at Target’s pharmacy to hand over methadone.
Richard Mathews, Accused of Mercy Killing in Mother’s Death, Sentenced to Two Years
Mary Shaw Mathews, 88, was found to have died by strangulation and over-medication on Feb. 21 at her Palm Coast home. Her son Richard told detectives that she had asked him to end her life as she had been suffering and declining fast. Today’s outcome reflected a judicial system grappling with the gray area between mercy killing, which is not allowed by law, and a form of induced death.
Pink Army’s Cancer-Whipping Flags Rise Over Flagler as Awareness Campaign Broadens
At a flag-raising ceremony this morning, elected officials and Florida Hospital Flagler CEO Ken Mattison spoke of cancer’s toll and improvements in life expectancy thanks to awareness and early detection.
Flagler Beach Police Seeking Help Identifying Publix Liquor Thief
The suspect stole some $400 worth of liquor from the Publix at 414 Beach Village Drive in Flagler Beach and drove off in a white hatchback vehicle of unknown make.
Recovery of Crashed Plane Again Suspended as Tides Interfere; Raymond Miller, Presumed Dead, Still Not Positively Identified
Raymond A. Miller, 77, of Palm Coast, took off from Flagler County Airport in a Northeasterly direction Friday morning and never returned. Authorities are seeking the public’s help in any sighting as the search continues.
Canceled Health Insurance: Round 2 Approaching, And It’ll Cost You More
Thousands of consumers who were granted a reprieve to keep insurance plans that don’t meet the federal health law’s standards are now learning those plans will be discontinued at year’s end, and they’ll have to choose a new policy, which may cost more.
One More Time: What Opponents of Amendment 2 on Medical Pot Get Wrong
Opponents of Amendment 2, the proposal to legalize medical marijuana in Florida, have been spreading false information, exaggerations and scare-mongering. Ben Pollara, the campaign manager for United for Care, which is pushing the amendment, counters those arguments.
Weekly Roundup: Redistricting Fight Continues, Utility Customers Bilked Again, DCF’s Woes
With Gov. Rick Scott, the entire Cabinet and many of the state’s 160 lawmakers out on the stump campaigning for re-election, the news about government in Florida has largely moved elsewhere.
County Road 305 Culvert Replacements Will Not Be Completed Until 2015
One culvert has been delayed by heavy rains and won’t be finished until October, two more won’t be done until January 2015, the county administration said.
Sheriff’s Apperson Honored for School Cop Services; Three Are Promoted
Don Apperson, just reassigned, had served as the supervisor of the sheriff’s school cops for 13 years. Jen Taylor, Bernie Woodward and Laura Pazarena were all promoted.
Palm Coast City Manager Jim Landon Credentialed by Management Association
Jim Landon is one of more than 1,300 local government management professionals currently credentialed through the ICMA Voluntary Credentialing Program.
When a Mother’s Right to See Her Child’s Teacher Is Not an Absolute, Even With Medical Concerns
A parent at Old Kings Elementary was denied immediate access to her child’s teacher to deal with a medical matter Wednesday, and was subsequently given wrong information about access. The district says it was not quite an emergency, and that with some patience and a better understanding of the rules the matter would have been resolved.
FDLE Serves Search Warrant as Supervisor of Elections Weeks Is Now Formally Under Investigation
Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents this morning served a search warrant at Flagler County Supervisor of Elections Kimberle Weeks’s office. Agents were there several hours today.
Flagler Sheriff’s Deputy Tasers 80-Year-Old Man With Dementia: He Was Wielding a Knife
A Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy on Thursday used his Taser stun gun against an 80-year-old man suffering from dementia as the man refused to put down a butcher knife as he sat in his back porch. The man had earlier allegedly threatened members of his family.
In Sgt. Frank Celico’s Memory: 3rd Annual Ride to Remember Scheduled for Oct. 25
The Ride to Remember gathers bikers for a long ride through the county to commemorate Celico’s memory and raise funds for the foundation, which provides bike helmets and bikes to Flagler children.
Colossal Waste: U.S. Aid to Afghanistan Now Exceeds Marshall Plan, With Little Return
Adjusted for inflation, U.S. appropriations for the reconstruction of Afghanistan exceed the funds committed to the Marshall Plan, the U.S. aid program that delivered billions of dollars between 1948 and 1952 to help 16 European countries recover in the aftermath of World War II.
Unemployment Falls to 5.9% as Economy Adds 248,000 Jobs, Brightening Outlook
After nine months in the 6 percent range, the national unemployment rate in September fell to 5.9 percent, reaching a level last seen in July 2008, when it was rising fast.
A Cat in Flagler Beach Cashes in One of Nine Lives In Freakish Hitch With Garage Door
Flagler Beach Police Sgt. David Arcieri noticed most of the cat screaming as it hung between a garage door and a house frame Wednesday afternoon. Arcieri initiated the rescue. The cat is back to its normal self, lording it over the block.
U.S. Supreme Court Takes Up Florida Lawyer’s Appeal of Ban on Judicial Candidates’ Campaign Solicitations
Lanell Williams-Yulee was disciplined by the Florida Bar for violating a rule barring judicial candidates from soliciting money when running for judgeships. The U.S. Supreme Court may reverse that rule, affecting 30 states where similar bans are in place.
Everybody Needs a Little Raciness: City Rep Theatre Launches 4th Season With Joyful, Raunchy “Avenue Q”
Nominated for six Tony awards and winner of three, “Avenue Q,” for the first time in Palm Coast, is a hilarious send-up of Seasame Street by way of hard-edged themes–racism, porn, suckiness–featuring puppets and songs. It’s all laughs.
Despite 18 Investigations, DCF Claims Man’s 7 Murders in Bell Couldn’t Have Been Foreseen
The murders drew national attention to the small town of Bell and led to questions about whether the Department of Children and Families could have done more to protect the children. The department and the Gilchrist County Sheriff’s Office visited the family’s home as recently as Sept. 2.
A Car Wreck at Publix Escalates Into Battery On a Cop and Hostility at Hospital’s ER
Richard Westervelt, a 23-year-old ex-felon–he was released from state prison two years ago–ran from the scene after a car wreck near Publix Tuesday night, then continued battling a cop at the scene and at the hospital before he was restrained in irons and arrested.
Lockheed’s F-35 Stealth Fighter: A $1.5 Trillion Waste of Tax Dollars
With a projected eye-popping price tag of up to $344.8 million each, the F-35 is almost 8 years behind schedule, billions over budget and not yet combat-ready. And it’s bleeding the Treasury.
Michael Dunn Is Guilty of First-Degree Murder in Shooting of Jordan Davis as Jury Rejects Self-Defense Claim
Michael Dunn murdered 17-year-old Jordan Davis at a gas station in Jacksonville the day after Thanksgiving 2012, in a case that again put the focus on Florida’s Stand Your Ground law and racial implications.
Flooding Damage to 36 Homeowners Totals $380,000 as Calm Returns to Region
After two days of torrential rain in places and a maximum-recorded reading of 16 inches in central Palm Coast, two days of calm have restored normalcy to the city’s sewer system, lifting restrictions on water usage and ending cases of isolated flooding.
39-Year-Old Palm Coast Man Accused of Raping “Physically Impaired” Woman, 21
The case rests on DNA evidence tying Gavin to semen from a rape kit the alleged Palm Coast victim completed two days after the incident, the details of which she does not recall.
Flagler Beach Attorney Scott Spradley Marks 25th Year With Pier-Timbred Gift to City Commission
Flagler Beach attorney Scott Spradley will present a 6 foot by 3 foot photograph on canvass of the pier, which he took, to the City Commission on Oct. 9 as a gift marking his 25 years as a member of the Florida Bar.
FPL’s $13-a-Month Surcharge on Customers Who Refuse Smart Meters Draws Challenges
The dispute involves only a fraction of FPL’s customers, but it is part of a broader controversy in which critics say they worry the new meter technology could pose threats to their privacy or health.
Citing Racism, Ex-Manager Armando Martinez Files Discrimination Charge Against Bunnell
Armando Martinez charges that when Bunnell Commissioner Elbert Tucker spoke of not wanting another manager from Miami, he was discriminating against Martinez’s Cuban heritage. Tucker says he was merely opposing hiring another big-city manager.
More Land For Pops as City Embraces Partnership With Palm Coast Arts Foundation
The city has agreed to lease the foundation–which is set to raise its first physical structure–even more land than it had before in Town Center and increasing the arts group’s space by about a third, and doubling the length of the $1-year-lease to 10 years.
Sheriff Don Eslinger, “Don’t Let Florida Go to Pot” Chief, Defines Opposition to Amendment 2
Seminole County Sheriff Don Eslinger has been leading the campaign against Amendment 2, the proposal to legalize medical marijuana in Florida. He calls it “flawed.”
Keith Olbermann, Derek Jeter, John Thrasher and the Artlessness of Rants
Ed Moore delivers a rant of his own about Keith Olbermann’s rant denigrating Derek Jeter, and compares that opinion to the unfriendly reception John Thrasher got from FSU faculty and staff.
“Sexsomnia” Case: Man Convicted of Molesting 7-Year-Old Girl Is Sentenced to 30 Years
Caleb Ruh, a 29-year-old Flagler County man accused two years ago of molesting a 7-year-old girl in his care, claimed he was asleep at the time. He faces life in prison when sentenmced on Sept. 29.
Palm Coast Man Accused of Kicking and Killing Playful Puppy For Interrupting Masturbation
Wesley Jackson, 28, who has a history of abuse and criminal charges, was at his girlfriend’s empty house trying to pleasure himself at the computer when Little Man, the puppy, kept jumping on his leg, trying to be playful. It was the dog’s last leap.