The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office warns the public to think twice before responding to unsolicited text messages or phone calls after a local resident received a text message and subsequent phone call on May 20 from an individual posing as a Flagler County Sheriff’s Office employee who claimed the victim had an active misdemeanor arrest warrant for Failure to Appear.
Cops/Courts
Pasco Sheriff Ordered to Pay Legal Fees After Suppressing Public Records
A three-judge panel of the 2nd District Court of Appeal sided with the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Florida, which filed a lawsuit in September 2022 seeking to force the sheriff’s office to provide records related to what was known as the “Intelligence Led Policing” program. The program included analyzing various types of information and compiling lists of “problem people” and “at-risk youths” who would get increased law-enforcement attention, according to Wednesday’s ruling.
State Attorney Investigating Records Linked to Casey DeSantis’ Hope Florida
Records related to a state House probe of a nonprofit linked to First Lady Casey DeSantis’ signature Hope Florida assistance program are part of an “open” investigation, Leon County State Attorney Jack Campbell’s office said Tuesday. House Health Care Budget Chairman Alex Andrade, R-Pensacola, submitted records to Campbell’s office late last month after concluding a House inquiry into the Hope Florida Foundation, a nonprofit linked to the Hope Florida program.
Flagler Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord Warns of a Different Disaster Ahead: the Vanishing of FEMA Money
With or without FEMA, Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord cautioned, local governments must be prepared to assume more costs of recovery than they have in the past, especially if the federal government declares fewer disasters, as appears to be the plan. Fewer declarations will mean far less reimbursements and far fewer grants for innumerable projects and services local governments depend on in the recovery phase of what are becoming routine climate disasters.
Judge Lauren Blocker’s Elevation and Judge Stasia Warren’s Retirement Open 2 More Seats on 7th Circuit Bench
With the retirement of Circuit Judge Stacia Warren and the elevation to Circuit Court of County Judge Lauren Blocker, the Judicial Nominating Commission for the circuit will conduct a new round of interviews for candidates looking to fill the two vacancies. Applications are due by June 23.
Palm Coast Man, 26, Charged with Making Lewd Selfie Video While Holding 8-Month-Old Daughter
Timothy Wiliams IV, a Daytona Beach transient who shares custody of a Palm Coast toddler, is at the Flagler County jail on a second-degree felony charge of lewd exhibitionism in his daughter’s presence. According to law enforcement, Williams, 26, uploaded a 12-second video clip of himself nude, holding his daughter and masturbating when she was 8 months old. She is a little older now.
NRA, Raging That 18 Year Olds Can’t Buy Rifles in Florida, Appeals to US Supreme Court
Calling split appellate-court decisions “intolerable,” the National Rifle Association on Friday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to take up a challenge to a Florida law that raised the minimum age to purchase rifles and other long guns from 18 to 21. Friday’s move was the latest in seven years of legal wrangling over the law passed after a February 2018 mass shooting at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that killed 17 students and faculty members.
The Annual Memorial to Fallen Officers Is a Near-Daily Ritual for Sheriff Rick Staly
When he took office as Flagler County Sheriff in January 2017, Rick Staly started a ritual. Every time a law enforcement officer’s life was lost in the line of duty, he’d write two cards: one to the agency that lost the officer, and one to the family of the fallen.
Court Sets Arguments for July 3 on Legitimacy of Charles Gambaro’s Palm Coast Council Seat
A July 3 hearing is set before Flagler County Circuit Judge Chris France to determine the validity of Palm Coast Mayor Norris’s lawsuit claiming that Council member Charles Gambaro was appointed to fill out a two-year term last October in violation of the city charter. Norris contends the council should have held a special election for the District 4 seat, and Gambaro should not have continued past Election Day in November.
Broward County Circuit Judge Gary Farmer Indefinitely Suspended Over ‘Pervasive’ Behavior Unfit for the Bench
The Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday indefinitely suspended Broward County Circuit Judge Gary Farmer, a former Senate Democratic leader, after an investigative panel accused him of “pervasive and extensive” behavior demonstrating “unfitness to hold office.” Farmer was elected as a judge in Broward County’s 17th Judicial Circuit in 2022 after six years in the Florida Senate. He served as minority leader during the 2021 legislative session but was ousted after a vote of no confidence by fellow Democrats.
Children May Attend Drag Shows, Court Rules, Striking Down Florida Law
Describing the law as “substantially overbroad,” a federal appeals court Tuesday upheld a preliminary injunction blocking a 2023 Florida law aimed at preventing children from attending drag shows. The 2-1 majority opinion said that “by providing only vague guidance as to which performances it prohibits, the act (the law) wields a shotgun when the First Amendment allows a scalpel at most.” The decision by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals backed the Central Florida venue Hamburger Mary’s in a First Amendment challenge to the law.
County Judge Lauren Peffer Faces Charges Over Fabricated Phone Call
A judicial panel filed a “notice of formal charges” against Broward County Judge Lauren Peffer, who used a deepfake phone call, fabricated with artificial intelligence, to claim that the judiciary was in crisis. She did not verify the recording before using it during her campaign.
Bill to Help Domestic Violence Victims Dies
Legislation that aimed to provide more resources to domestic violence victims was permanently shelved this Regular Session after failing to progress through its assigned committees. The legislation would have established an app that allows a victim to reach law enforcement without alerting the perpetrator. Boynton Beach Democratic Sen. Lori Berman sponsored the measure (SB 240).
Black Bear Kills Man 100 Yards from His Home, 1st Ever Fatal Attack in Florida
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has concluded its initial investigation into what is confirmed to be the first fatal Florida black bear attack in state history this week in Jerome, Florida.
Young Boy in Cardiac Arrest Saved by Flagler County 911 Team, Deputies and Paramedics
On the afternoon of May 8, deputies, firefighters, and paramedics responded to a 911 call in the F-Section of Palm Coast after a young boy had stopped breathing. Together, they worked to save the child’s life.
Mayor Mike Norris’s Lawsuit Against Palm Coast Has Merit. And Limits.
It is one of the mocking ironies of the Palm Coast reality show known as America’s Next Top Mayor that the same man found to have violated the city charter is now invoking it to boot fellow Councilman Charles Gambaro off the island. Yet the lawsuit Norris filed against the city this week, arguing that the council violated the charter when it appointed Gambaro last October, has merit. The strict wording of the charter, poorly written though it is, is on Norris’s side. But a less fundamentalist interpretation of the charter is not.
Metronet Contractor Punctures Flagler Beach Water Main for 2nd Time in 24 Hours, Again Affecting City’s Water
A contractor for the high-speed internet company Metronet whose boring machine punctured Flagler Beach’s main water line Wednesday morning, cutting off water to the city, did so again this morning, 100 yards west of yesterday’s mistake. The puncture again sent potable water gushing into a ditch, forcing the city to shut down service to enable repairs.
DeSantis Stands By Attorney General’s Defiance of Federal Court Order Halting Cops’ Arrests of Migrants
Gov. Ron DeSantis is standing by Attorney General James Uthmeier’s open defiance of a federal court order requiring law enforcement agencies in Florida to halt immigration arrests under a new state immigration law. Talking with reporters in Tampa, the governor said the episode raises a “larger issue” of who can enact public policy in the United States.
Judge Gary Farmer, ‘Discriminatory, Offensive, Sexually Charged, and Demeaning,’ Fights Suspension
Arguing he has “learned his lesson,” Broward County Circuit Judge Gary Farmer, a former Senate Democratic leader, this week urged the Florida Supreme Court to reject a recommendation that he be immediately suspended after an investigative panel accused him of “pervasive and extensive” behavior demonstrating “unfitness to hold office.” Farmer was elected as a judge in Broward County’s 17th Judicial Circuit in 2022 after six years in the Senate. He served as Senate minority leader during the 2021 legislative session but was ousted after a vote of no confidence by fellow Democrats.
Palm Coast and Flagler County Burn Ban Issued in April Is Extended Through May 14 Despite Rain
The Flagler County burn declared on April 23 and in effect countywide has been extended through May 14, the county announced today even though some areas of Flagler County started receiving rain Wednesday.
Sheriff Staly Cautions Palm Coast Mayor Norris on Mystery Claims: ‘We Just Don’t Go on Witch Hunts and Innuendoes’
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said today that Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris is welcome to report an allegation of a “quid pro quo” involving him and suggesting an attempted bribe from a developer, but cautions that “we just don’t go on witch hunts and innuendoes,” or “fishing expeditions,” and that in any case the way Norris has handled the matter so far has likely undermined any effective investigation.
Broadband Company’s Contractor Severs Flagler Beach’s Main Water Line on SR100, Cutting Off City’s Supply
A contractor laying down broadband cables for Metronet, the Evansville, Ind.-based high-speed internet company, struck Flagler Beach’s main water line on State Road 100 late this morning, cutting off supply to the city.
3-Judge Panel of Fifth District Court of Appeal Hears Arguments at Flagler County Courthouse for 1st Time
For the first time in recent memory, and perhaps ever, a panel of the Fifth District Court of Appeal held oral arguments at the Flagler County courthouse this morning, hearing three cases, none local. One of the three cases centered on the meaning of theft, and whether a defendant had in fact committed a crime–grand theft–when she diverted business from her employer, even though she did not steal products.
Palm Coast Mayor Norris Sues Palm Coast, Seeking Councilman Gambaro Booted and Special Election Held
Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris today filed an emergency suit against Palm Coast government and Council member Charles Gambaro, charging that Gambaro’s appointment last fall violated the charter. The suit seeks to have Gambaro removed through “a judgment of ouster” and a special election declared for the District 4 seat. Norris has been claiming that Gambaro’s appointment was illegal since soon after he was sworn-in late last November. The lawsuit was filed days after Gambaro made an unsuccessful motion for the council to ask Gov. Ron DeSantis to remove Norris from the council.
State Prison Inmate on a Work Crew in Palm Coast Is Arrested for Burglary
An inmate from the Putnam Correctional Institution, assigned to a prison inmate work crew contracted by the City of Palm Coast, faces charges of burglary stemming from when he was working in a Palm Coast neighborhood. He had previously been convicted on burglary- and theft-related charges and sentenced by a court to state prison.
Jeffrey Hutchinson Killed for the 1998 Murders of His Girlfriend’s Three Children
After the U.S. Supreme Court rejected his final appeals, Jeffrey Hutchinson was executed Thursday night at Florida State Prison for the 1998 murders of his girlfriend’s three children in Okaloosa County, according to the state Department of Corrections.
How Probation Fuels Mass Incarceration
On any given day, 1.9 million people are incarcerated in more than 6,000 federal, state and local facilities. Another 3.7 million remain under what scholars call “correctional control” through probation or parole supervision. That means one out of every 60 Americans is entangled in the system — one of the highest rates globally. Yet despite its vast reach, the criminal justice system often fails at its most basic goal: preventing people from being rearrested, reconvicted or reincarcerated.
Need To Be Background-Checked? Flagler Sheriff Offers Service for $60 to $105
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is now offering comprehensive, nationwide background check services to Flagler County residents through ACCESS Background Check Services.
Stephen Cox, 15-Year Veteran of Flagler Beach Fire Department and Leader Before His Time, Is Named City’s Fire Chief
Stephen Cox, a nearly 15-year veteran of the Flagler Beach Fire Department who’s long represented its new generation, was appointed its fire chief earlier this month, from a pool of 15 candidates. He replaces Bobby Pace, who’d retired in February from the post he’d held for 12 years.
32-Year-Old Maine Resident Accused of Using Xbox to Threaten Palm Coast Boy’s Life and Family
James M. Maynard, a 32-year-old resident of a Bunnell-size town in inland Maine that gave birth to two of that state’s governors, was arrested and jailed there on a Flagler County warrant after a local investigation determined he was the alleged source of continuous death threats against a Palm Coast boy and his family through Xbox, the networked video game console.
Seaplane on Student Flight from Flagler Airport Flips and Crashes in Crescent Lake; No Injuries
A flight-school seaplane reported to have taken off from Flagler County Executive Airport this morning flipped and crashed in Crescent Lake, according to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office. There were no injuries. The crash took place as a groundbreaking ceremony was unfolding at the Flagler airport.
2025 Tunnel to Towers 5K Raises Over $15,000 For 1st Responders and Troops
The City of Palm Coast proudly hosted the 4th Annual Tunnel to Towers 5K on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at Central Park in Town Center, marking its largest turnout yet. With over 500 registered participants ranging in age from 4 to 89, the event brought the community together in a powerful show of support for the Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s mission to honor first responders and military service members.
Flagler County Assist, the County’s Unique Emergency Management Support Organization, Marks 40th Year
Flagler County Assist (FCA) is celebrating 40 years of service to the people of Flagler County. Since 1985 Flagler County Assist has supported numerous events and provided assistance during emergencies including wildfires, hurricanes, storms small and large public events as the 4th of July in Flagler Beach and the annual Pink on Parade 5 K race.
Sheriff’s Court and Detention Division Chief Engert Graduates from Florida Health Policy Leadership Academy
On April 25, Court and Detention Services Chief Daniel Engert graduated from the Florida Health Policy Leadership Academy during a ceremony at the University of Florida/Institute of Food Agricultural Sciences extension in Bunnell.
Brendan Depa Appeal: Court Abused Its Discretion By Imposing State Prison Instead of Juvenile Sanctions
The long-expected appeal in the case of Brendan Depa argues that Circuit Judge Terence Perkins abused the court’s discretion last summer when he imposed a five-year, adult prison sentence and 15 years of probation rather than what would have amounted to two years in a juvenile prison. Depa, who will be 20 in August, was a 17-year-old Matanzas High School special education student when he attacked then-teacher aide Joan Naydich after he got angry for being disciplined over the use of a Nintendo game. Surveillance video of the attack circulated around the globe, turbocharging the case’s visibility.
Cowpen Fire in West Flagler Jumps to 250 Acres in Hours Before Firefighters Contain 90%
A fire that started about 3 p.m. Thursday (April 24) on the west side of Flagler County quickly grew from 7 to 250 acres in a matter of hours, reflecting the brittle conditions resulting from increasingly dry ground. The blaze, identified as the Cowpen 2 fire, is still burning but is 90 percent contained this morning.
No Plea Offers in Jermaine Williams’s Death-Penalty Trial for Murder of His Wife, Yolonda Williams, in Bunnell
The death penalty case against Jermaine Williams, the 52-year-old Bunnell resident accused of stabbing his 50-year-old wife Yolonda Williams in the couple’s South Pine Street driveway last August, will not be tried until fall or perhaps next year, Assistant State Attorney Jason Lewis told the court today. The defense told the court that numerous depositions have been conducted, and numerous depositions still remain. The prosecution and the defense have not discussed a plea. That remains a possibility, though anything less than life in prison is unlikely.
Florida Sues Snapchat, Alleging Social Media Platform Is Not Blocking Minors
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has filed a lawsuit alleging that the operator of Snapchat is violating a high-profile 2024 law aimed at keeping children off some social-media platforms. The lawsuit, filed Monday in Santa Rosa County circuit court, came after a federal judge last month rejected a request by tech-industry groups for an injunction to block the law. In a federal-court filing Monday, attorneys for the state said Uthmeier “expects that additional investigations and enforcement actions will commence soon.”
46-Year-Old Woman Faces Arson Charge After Allegedly Torching Husband’s Girlfriend’s Car
Ebony Chevonne Williams, a 46-year-old resident of Central Landings apartments in Palm Coast’s Town Center, is facing a pair of felony charges, including second-degree arson, after allegedly torching a car when she got angry about her then-husband’s supposed acts of infidelity.
(Located Safe) Public’s Help Sought Finding Autistic Child Missing in Palm Coast’s P Section
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in finding 8-year-old David Zuniga, an autistic child and resident of Poppy Lane in Palm Coast, who went missing this morning.
20-Year-Old Student Kills 2, Injures 6 in Shooting at Florida State University
Two people were killed and six others were injured Thursday after a shooter, the son of a Leon County sheriff’s deputy, opened fire around lunchtime at Florida State University. The shooter, 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, also was shot after confronting police officers, authorities said during a late-afternoon news conference. News reports identified Ikner as an FSU student. Ikner is accused of using a handgun that was an old service weapon of his mother, a school-resource officer.
Palm Coast Bans Homeless From Sleeping on Public Grounds and Will Seek Potential Alternatives with County
The Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday approved an ordinance aligning the city with a state law that prohibits local governments from allowing the homeless to sleep or encamp on any public grounds, including parks, public buildings and rights of way. Flagler County enacted a similar ordinance last November. The bill, signed by the governor in March 2024, allows local governments to designate certain grounds as encampments. But that process is onerous and expensive. The city will look for alternatives with the county.
Cop’s Son Pleads to Hit-and-Run Death of Shaunta Cain and Could Face Little or No Prison
Jayden Jackson, 22, pleaded today to the hit-and-run death of Shaunta Cain, 51, in November 2022 on U.S. 1. When he is sentenced in May, he could also end up being sentenced as a youthful offender, and if the prosecution fails to prove that alcohol was involved in the crash, he could face less than four years in prison and possibly to no prison time at all, but a combination of house arrest and probation.
Michael Jennelle, 53, Is Sentenced to ‘Lifetime in Prison for the Lifetime of Memories He’s Left Us’
Michael Jennelle, the 53-year-old former resident of Palm Coast convicted in a March trial on seven counts of raping and molesting his granddaughter over several years, when she was between 7 and 9, was sentenced to life in prison today. One of his two victims described it as “his lifetime in prison for the lifetime of our memories that he’s left us.”
Shrimp Boat That Ran Aground in Beverly Beach Is Towed as Appeal for Help Is Issued
The term “mayday” (as in “mayday! mayday!) comes from the French for m’aider–help me. That’s what Capt. Corey Thomas is pleading since his shrimp boat, the Miss Montie, ran aground in Flagler Beach Sunday. The 50-foot steel-hull boat broke down, lost its anchor and drifted 20 miles north before beaching in the sands near the Si Como No Inn, just south of Osprey Drive.
Released from Prison Weeks Ago, Felon Is Arrested After Causing I-95 Crash with 3rd DUI
Released from sate prison weeks earlier and driving on a suspended license, Ryann Rae Davis, a 38-year-old resident of Whitehall Drive in Palm Coast and a convicted felon, faces two new felonies following an alleged drunk-driving crash involving two other vehicles on I-95 last Thursday. She’s now being held on $100,000 bond.
Florida Bill to Prevent Anonymous Complaints Against Cops Divides Law Enforcement
A bill that would withdraw citizens’ ability to lodge anonymous complaints against law enforcement officers sparked sharp disagreement between department leaders and rank-and-file officers. The bill (HB 317), sponsored by Miami-Dade Republican Tom Fabricio, is supported by groups representing law enforcement officers, such as the Fraternal Order of Police. Two of the most powerful lobbyist organizations in Tallahassee — the Florida Sheriffs Association and the Florida Police Chiefs Association — are firmly opposed.
American Rendition: Rümeysa Öztürk’s Journey From Ph.D. Scholar to Trump Target Languishing in Louisiana Cell
30-year-old Turkish national Rümeysa Öztürk is a former Fulbright scholar in a doctoral program at Tufts University. Here’s how, though charged with no crime, she ended up in a crowded cell in Louisiana, part of a sprawling, opaque apparatus designed to deport the maximum number of people with minimum accountability. Her lawyers describe it as the story of a Trump-era rendition, a callback to the post-9/11 practice of grabbing Muslim individuals off the street and taking them to locations known for harsh conditions and shoddy oversight.
Palm Coast Man, 34, Arrested Over the Death of a Cat
On March 7, Atticus Robert, a 34-year-old resident of Pittston Lane in Palm Coast, was arrested on a third-degree felony charge of false imprisonment following a heated argument with his live-in girlfriend of three years. On Tuesday, Robert was re-arrested, this time in DeSoto County, and charged with aggravated animal cruelty over the death of his girlfriend’s cat.
2 Matanzas High School Students Accused of Burglarizing Cars on Campus
On April 9, Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested two Matanzas High School students, MLR, 15, of Palm Coast, and AO, 14, of Palm Coast, for burglarizing vehicles on the school campus.