Nathaniel Juratovac, a 40-year-old former Flagler Beach police officer, is at the St. Johns County jail today following his arrest on an attempted murder charge after he allegedly shot Flagler County Fire Rescue firefighter Jared Parkey Friday night on U.S. 1.
Cops/Courts
Murders, Errant Planes, Firings, Crashing Deputies: Sheriff Eulogizes 78-Day Mark
Flagler County Sheriff Jim Manfre hasn’t closed out his first 100 days on the job. In appearances before local groups, he’s explained his department’s new direction, spoken of the murders on his watch, and taken a candid stance on gun control.
Jury in 12 Minutes Convicts Angela Wray of Embezzling Celico Auto; She Faces 30 Years
Wray faces up to 30 years in prison for embezzling $58,964 from Celico Auto Body, where she worked as a bookkeeper from June 2007 to February 2010. Wray before the trial had turned down a plea deal that would have had her serve five years in prison, with probation afterward.
Wildfires Damage 2 Beverly Beach Homes and Jump A1A Before They Are Fiercely Put Down
A fire broke out at 2:25 this afternoon in the 3800 block of North Ocean Shore Boulevard in Beverly Beach, consuming parts of a beach-front house.
Flagler Sheriff’s Corrections Deputy Deemed At Fault in T-Bone Crash on US1 and SR100
Sandy Gay, a corrections deputy with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, was on her way to work Thursday morning when, according to police and a witness at the scene, she blew a red light at the intersection of State Road 100 and U.S. 1 and slammed into a two-door Ford driven by Paul Salvador, a local wrecker company’s employee. Gay and Salvador were taken to Florida Hospital Flagler.
On Trial for Embezzling Celico Auto, Angela Wray’s Defense Tries Shifting Blame
Angela Wray, who is married to a Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy, is accused of embezzling almost $60,000 from 2007 to 2010 from Celico Auto in Bunnell, much the same way she did in New Jersey, where she was convicted of a felony.
Michael Cona Found Not Guilty in Hancock Bank Robbery
Michael Cona was facing an armed robbery charge for the 2011 Hancock Bank robbery at Palm Harbor in Palm Coast. His brother Shawn pleaded no contest and served a year in jail on a similar charge.
P-Section Brushfire Near Homes on Pacific Drive a Reminder of Brittle Conditions
The fire in an empty lot at the corner of Parish Place and Pacific Drive in Palm Coast Wednesday afternoon had homes on either side, but they were never threatened as a Palm Coast Fire Department engine was at the scene within moments of a 911 call.
In a Decision With Local Sway, Federal Court Upholds Prayers Before Government Meetings
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which has jurisdiction over all of Florida, ruled that the Lakeland City Commission’s custom of opening meetings with a prayer was constitutional, though the court sidestepped the city’s focus on Christian prayers, and its closed door to atheists, agnostics, humanists or other non-clergy representatives.
Flagler 911: Mystery Beating on Hickory Street, an Arrest for Highway Racing
Three teens are arrested for allegedly puncturing the tires on a car and pouring sugar in a gas tank; a motorcyclist is arrested for racing around Hargrove Grade. A man with a broken arm refuses to give details of a beating on Hickory Street.
In Florida Case, U.S. Supremes Strike Down Drug-Sniffing Cop Dogs Outside of Home
The U.S. Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling in Florida v. Jardines is the second out of the state dealing with how search and seizure limits under the U.S. Constitution affect the ability of police to use sniffer dogs to find drugs.
No Drones Over Flagler, Sheriff Pledges, as He Details 16 Arrests from Latest Drug Sweep
Sheriff Jim Manfre said he won’t seek to arm the Flagler Sheriff’s Office with surveillance drones, remarks he made in the context of a sweep of drug-dealing suspects arrested Tuesday following a two-month investigation based on surveillance and residents’ tips.
Flagler 911: Trouble on Wood Arbor Lane; FPC Class Rings Targeted
Christopher Heath, 30, of Palm Coast, is arrested for the 10th time in five years after a violent disturbance on Wood Arbor Lane; thieves allegedly swipe two Flagler Palm Coast High School class rings and a promise ring, the lot valued at over $1,300, on Coconut Blvd. in Bunnell.
Exonerated Death Row Inmates Tell Flagler Beach Group of an Enduring Florida Injustice
In turns moving, startling and informative, a day-long workshop on the death penalty in Flagler Beach, featuring two exonerated men, urged an assembly of 60 to more actively get involved in a movement to abolish capital punishment in Florida.
Murder Victim’s Family Denied Up to $150,000 Over Station Owner’s Workers’ Comp Lapse
Following Zuheily Roman Rosado’s murder at the Mobil station in Palm Coast on Feb. 21, the state Division of Insurance Fraud filed a third-degree felony charge against the station owner when an investigation revealed no workers’ compensation coverage, which would have provided Rosado’s family funeral and other death benefits.
10 Unlicensed Contractors, 8 from Flagler, Arrested in a Sting Operation
The unlicensed contractor would come in to a house and agree to install plumbing lines, shampoo bowl sinks or light fixtures, never knowing he was talking to an undercover agent.
Veteran Flagler Fireman’s Home Burns in Rima Ridge, at County’s South End
Ron Walker spent his life fighting fires and protecting other people’s homes and properties. He retired from the Volusia County Fire Department, and has been a Flagler County volunteer fireman. On Thursday afternoon, the house he built burned for unknown reasons.
St. Johns Sting Operation Leads to 15 Arrests of Men Solicting Underage Sex
The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office arrested 15 men in five days last week in a sting operation targeting individuals soliciting minors for sex. The operation was called “Operation No Soliciting. Arrests included one suspect from Flagler County, Vyacheslav Azarov, 43, from Palm Coast.
“Rising Star” Paul Bovino Is Appointed Commander of Flagler Sheriff’s Patrol Division
Paul Bovino was appointed permanent commander of the Neighborhood Services Division, formerly known as the patrol division, in place of David O’Brien, who was given the choice of either being fired or retiring in the messy culmination of a re-organization that had initially cast O’Brien among the management team.
Mystery Man Flown to Halifax After Suicide Attempt Off Flagler Beach Bridge Fails
A man in his early 50s who would only say that his name is “Jim” jumped from the Flagler Beach bridge after 9 p.m. Tuesday evening, but was rescued by a fisherman who jumped after him. The man had been riding an unmarked motorcycle with a shaved off VIN number.
Flagler Beach Cyclist Frederick J. Martinez Is Killed in Collision With a Work Van on SR100
Frederick J. Martinez, a 51-year-old Flagler Beach resident, was violently struck and killed by a work van as he rode his bike east on State Road 100 Tuesday afternoon, a little less than a mile from Old Kings Road.
Ronn Rauber, 20-Year Flagler Sheriff’s Veteran, Arrested on Domestic Battery Charge
Ron Rauber, 42, was arrested by a fellow-deputy Sunday evening after his ex-wife Amanda Kaznocha said he’d pinned her to the wall during an argument in front of the couple’s three young children.
Grand Cherokee Rolls Over on Rymfire, Injuring One; FHP Calls It Alcohol-Related
A Jeep Grand Cherokee rolled over on Rymfire in Palm Coast just before 2:30 p.m. Sunday, injuring the driver, who was taken to Florida Hospital Flagler.
Five Missing Aboard Drifting Boat Are Rescued After 1 a.m. on Intracoastal Near Marineland
The Palm Coast boat owner, Danilo Gomez, 43, explained that he, three family members and a teen-age friend were heading home from St. Augustine when they experienced engine problems.
18-Year-Old Faces First-Degree Felony Battery Charge Over Grandmother’s Accusations
Mary Lee, 80, claims her 18-year-old granddaughter, Jestina, pushed her over a chair, a claim Jestina denies, though the 18-year-old is in jail on $1,000 bond.
Responding to ACLU, Manfre Restores His Own More Permissive Jail Mail Policy
Flagler County Sheriff Jim Manfre has rescinded a policy that for the last two years, under Sheriff Don Fleming, prohibited inmates at the county jail from receiving letters at all, or writing letters longer than two pages.
Back from a Limb, Ray Stevens “Distances” Himself from November’s Manfre Endorsement
Republican Ray Stevens says he would not have endorsed Democrat Jim Manfre in November had he known that firings were on the way. Manfre himself defended his actions as necessary, while thanking Stevens for his opinions.
Proposed Law to End Red-Light Camera Ticketing of Right Turns Advances
If they become law, the restrictions would seriously crimp the use of red-light cameras as revenue generators, as is the case in Palm Coast, where up to 52 such cameras are in place–at least for the companies operating the cameras, since Palm Coast is guaranteed revenue regardless of the number of tickets issued.
Beyond Sheriff Joe’s Tactics: Looking at Prison Reform in Florida With Fresh Eyes
Analyzing Florida’s prisons and jails is a revelation of unsustainable incarceration rates and prison-building, argues Milissa Holland, who explores more logical alternatives to end the vicious cycle of punishment and recidivism.
Instructor-Pilot Lands Stalled Single Engine Plane Safely on Palm Coast Parkway
A single-engine Cessna carrying two people that developed engine trouble landed safely at 6:45 p.m. on Palm Coast Parkway, just west of Belle Terre. The plane is sitting on the road at the moment, as authorities investigate. No one was hurt.
Lt. Gov. Carroll Resigns as Internet Cafe Scandal Sweeps Florida–and Palm Coast
As Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies were serving a search warrant on the Internet Cafe in the Home Depot shopping center, Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll was resigning in connection with the scandal, which has led to Allied officials’ arrests.
Gary Pearson, 54-Year-Old Motorcyclist, Killed in Collision at Matanzas Woods and U.S. 1
Gary Pearson, 54, of Jacksonville, was killed as he rode his motorcycle north on U.S. 1, before 8 a.m. Wednesday, when a car pulled out of Matanzas Woods to take U.S. 1 south, and failed to see the motorcyclist.
Trailer Hauling Tons of Cantaloupe Catches Fire on I-95; No One Hurt
The trailer of a Pittsburgh-based driver hauling cantaloupe from South Florida caught fire some six miles north of Palm Coast Parkway Tuesday afternoon, reducing the northbound lanes to one for more than two hours. There were no injuries.
Abuse of Dispatch: When Calling 911 (Five Times) Lands You at the Flagler County Jail
Palm Coast’s Wesley Jackson, 26, called 911 to report property damage Saturday night, but allegedly kept calling, cussing out the dispatcher and the cop who showed up, and ended up arrested on a charge of abusing 911, a misdemeanor.
Bike Week Claims First Serious Accident Victim in Flagler, in I-95 Wreck
Dana Marie Oleske, 35, was riding her 2004 Honda Shadow north on I-95, in Palm Coast, when she crashed in the emergency median after attempting a passing maneuver. She is in critical condition.
Sheriff’s Ex-PIO Files Sex Discrimination Grievance Over 35% Pay Cut and Demotion
Sheriff Manfre had hired Debra Johnson as his public information officer in 2001, only to demote her to assistant PIO and cut her pay in January, triggering one in a series of grievances in a mounting backlash against the new sheriff’s aggressive remaking of the agency.
Sheriff Manfre Fires David O’Brien 2 Months After Short-Listing Him for Undersheriff
The latest of numerous shocks to roil the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office in the last two months was also a stunning turnaround for O’Brien, 49, who was appointed Manfre’s chief deputy during Manfre’s first tenure as Flagler County Sheriff a decade ago.
Car Overturns on U.S. 1 South of Belle Terre Blvd., Sending 2 to Hospital
A single-car wreck closed U.S. 1’s southbound lanes south of Belle Terre Boulevard for an hour after 4 p.m. this afternoon, and sent Flagler County residents Antoinettte Nikas and Shane Miller to Florida Hospital Flagler.
Bill Would Require Warrant for Now-Routine Cell Phone Searches and Electronic Tracking
Currently, police can search the possessions – including the contents of a personal electronic device – of someone who is arrested. The bill would require a warrant except under certain circumstances, including scenarios related to national security and missing children.
Not a Word on Fire Department’s Unraveling or Future As Flagler Beach Commission Meets
Business droned on as usual at the Flagler Beach City Commission meeting on February 28, with near total silence about an alcohol scandal that gutted this quaint oceanside city’s Fire Department. Neither city staff, nor elected officials talked about the firing of five Fire Department personnel after an independent investigation.
Florida Posts 32% Drop in Youth Lock-Up Rate Since 1997, In Line With U.S. Numbers
The peak nationally came in 1995, with 107,637 juveniles incarcerated on a single day, and dropped to 70,792 on a single day in 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. During that time, the overall incarceration rate dropped by 41 percent.
Jamesine Fischer Pleads Guilty in Hit-and-Run, Will Serve 21 to 36 Months in State Prison
Jamesine Fischer Thursday morning pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident with a death, in the hit-and-run killing of 76-year-old Francoise Pecqueur in Palm Coast in November 2011.
Between Firings and Wrist-Slaps: How the Flagler Beach Fire Department Was Gutted
Flagler Beach City Manager Bruce Campbell fired the fire chief and four others while retaining Acting Fire Chief Bobby Pace, who falsified records, after a three-day suspension. Volunteer firefighters were hired in the others’ place to ensure that the city remains protected.
32-Year-Old Palm Coast Store Clerk Is Killed in Apparent Hit; Assailant Still at Large
32-year-old Zuheily Roan Rosado was shot and killed shortly after 10 p.m. at the Mobil gas station and convenience store on State Road 100. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has no suspect in sight.
Flagler’s West Side, Tired of Black Sheep Label, Wants Better Fire-Rescue Services
Response time to emergencies in Western Flagler County can be very long, prompting west side residents to urge county officials to set up a more permanent rescue station there. Officials have been listening, and may soon have a plan.
ACLU Sues Sheriff Manfre Over Jail Policy Restricting Incoming Mail to Postcards
Beginning in January 2011 under Sheriff Don Fleming, inmates at the Flagler County jail have been forbidden from receiving mail other than small postcards, or from writing letters longer than two pages. Judges have generally not endorsed the restrictions, which also apply to inmates awaiting trial, who are presumed innocent.
Using Underage Volunteers in Sting, Sheriff Cites 4 of 22 Stores That Sold Tobacco Illegally
Four Flagler County store clerks face misdemeanor charges of illegal sale of tobacco to minors after the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office completed a sting operation Monday.
Sheriff Seeking Help Identifying Man Suspected of Multiple Burglaries in the Hammock
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s help in identifying a man believed to be responsible for several residential and vehicle burglaries in the area of North Oceanshore Boulevard in the Hammock.
Early Morning Shooting in Palm Coast’s P-Section Sends One Man to Hospital
A man was shot in the chin in Palm Coast’s P-Section, on Pine Hill Lane, early Sunday morning at the end of what had reportedly been a loud party. The shooter is still at large. The victim, Johnnie Thomas Jr., 19, of Bunnell, went with friends to Florida Hospital Flagler. This is the same Johnnie […]
At Investiture of County Judge Melissa Moore Stens, A Few Tears, Some Advice and Pride
Melissa Moore-Stens, Flagler County’s first county judge not named Atack in 34 years, marked her investiture at the Flagler Auditorium Friday with family, friends and the counsel of judges, now her equal colleagues, including a few words on the etiquette of peeing as a judge.