Retired Florida resident James O’Gara sent a postcard to Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, saying simply, “You lack values.” Soon after the postcard, two guys in armored vests emblazoned “POLICE” showed up at the O’Gara home and asked if James O’Gara had mailed that little missive to Tallahassee. They didn’t identify themselves, but the O’Garas checked with Largo police and found out the men were from the Department of Financial Services’ investigations unit.
Cops/Courts
At His Memorial, Sheriff’s K9 Kyro ‘Nubs’ Is Remembered for His Fierce Loyalty and Love of Challenges
First Baptist Church of Bunnell was the site of two funerals for law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in 2021. Today, the church was against the site of a memorial for a fallen officer. For the first time in Flagler County’s history, it was for a K9, a police dog, the first to lose his life in the line of duty: K9 Kyro, nicknamed “nubs” for the tail that had to be amputated from his tendency to be overexcited, died from an undetected heart ailment on Oct. 14.
Critical After February Crash, Daniel Waterman, 22, Died on Oct. 8. His Pregnant Girlfriend Is Accused of Causing the Crash.
Last Super Bowl Sunday, the day Leigha Mumby, 24, discovered she was pregnant by her boyfriend, Daniel M. Waterman, 22, Mumby drove her Honda into a tree on I-95 in Palm Coast, seriously injuring herself and critically injuring Waterman, who was hospitalized since and who died on Oct. 8. Mumby was charged with a second-degree felony when an FHP investigation determined she had intentionally caused the crash. The charge may be aggravated, now that Waterman has died. His family is seeking custody of the child.
Flagler Fire Rescue Deputy Chief Percy Sayles Named as County Administrator Petito’s Deputy in Place of Salinas
Flagler County Administrator Heidi Peito has named Deputy Fire Chief Percy Sayles deputy county administrator, replacing Jorge Salinas, who died in a car crash on Oct. 4. Petito informed county commissioners of her decision in individual meetings on Monday, and announced the decision publicly this morning in a release. Flagler County Fire Rescue Chief Michael Tucker appointed Sayles his deputy in December 2021.
DeSantis Signs 17th Death Warrant of the Year, More than 6 States Combined, Including Texas
In what could be Florida’s 17th execution this year, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday signed a death warrant for Richard Barry Randolph, convicted of raping and murdering Putnam County convenience-store manager Minnie Ruth McCollum in 1988. The 17 death warrants are more than the number of executions in six states combined, including Texas, which has the second-most executions so far this year, with five, and Alabama, third-most with four.
Judge Rejects Wife-Murderer’s Claim that Stand Your Ground Would Have Exonerated Him
No Stand Your Ground defense would have been valid, no ineffective representation was provided, no appeal for a new trial was granted. That’s the summary of a 24-page order a judge filed in Keith Johansen’s claim that he was poorly represented at his murder trial four years ago and should get a new one. Johansen is the 43-year-old former Palm Coast resident serving a life sentence for killing his wife Brandi Celenza at their F-Section home in 2018, after nights of demeaning her, humiliating her and threatening her, at times with a gun.
Court Increases Legal Fees Owed ‘Conversion Therapists’ to Nearly $900,000
Palm Beach County and Boca Raton governments are required to pay about $885,000 in attorney fees and other legal costs after a battle about bans on the controversial practice known as “conversion therapy,” a federal appeals court ruled Monday.
County Votes 5-0 to Rename Operations Center Sheriff Rick Staly Law Enforcement Center
The Flagler County Commission on Monday approved renaming the two-year-old Sheriff’s Operations Center off Commerce Parkway after Sheriff Rick Staly. The complex, officially at 61 Sheriff E.W. Johnston Drive, will be known as the Sheriff Rick Staly Law Enforcement Center. Chief Mark Strobridge initiated the proposal in recognition of Staly marking 50 years in law enforcement–a celebration is schedule for Nov. 4–and Commissioner Leann Pennington fronted the renaming at the commission two weeks ago. Commissioners voted 5-0.
Teacher and Counselor Detail Sexual Abuse Stepfather Is Alleged to Have Inflicted on Girl Since She Was 9
Ahead of 47-year-old Palm Coast resident Kristopher Henriqson’s December trial, a teacher and a counselor at a local middle school testified in a court hearing today to the details of the abuse and rapes a 6th grader said she endured at Henriqson’s hand. A judge ruled the teacher’s and counselor’s testimonies admissible, as will be a forensic interview of the child, now 12, with with a member of the Child Protection Team.
Cops Charge Woman Over Inflated Weenie
Jeana Renea Gamble, 61, was charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct for wearing an inflatable penis costume at a No Kings demonstration. Video of the arrest posted to Bluesky showed three officers holding her to the ground amid criticism from spectators. The video went viral over the weekend and led to widespread criticism of the officers.
Jermaine Williams Loses Two Dozen Motions Contesting His Death-Penalty Trial for Killing of Wife Yolonda
Jermaine Williams Sr, 53, is to be tried early next year for the stabbing death of his wife Yolonda Williams in the couple’s driveway in Bunnell 14 months ago. The defense team today argued 26 motions, lost 25, many of them arguing the constitutionality of the death penalty or death penalty trial procedures such as victim impact statements, or even whether Williams should wear restraints at his trial. Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols said the challenges were to settled law.
Millions Protest Trump Authoritarianism: A Roundup from Around the Country
Millions of Americans packed streets, parks and town squares across the United States Saturday for No Kings day, according to the organizers of the massive day of demonstrations protesting President Donald Trump’s administration — from his deployment of troops to cities to his targeting of political opponents. They showed up at more than 2,600 events for the second organized No Kings day in America’s largest cities like Atlanta, New York City and Chicago, to smaller metro areas and towns including Greensburg, Pennsylvania; Bismarck, North Dakota; Palm Coast, Florida; and Hammond, Louisiana.
At ‘No Kings’ Protests in Palm Coast and Flagler Beach, Cheer, Energy and Defiance in Throngs, But Effects Elusive
What there was more than anything at today’s trio of “No Kings” demonstrations in Palm Coast and Flagler Beach, where many hundreds gathered and protested as millions did across the country, was cheer and charm as much as challenge and conviction, making you wonder where all that energy was as Trump’s opponents floundered in gloomy defeat a mere 11 months ago. It made you wonder where all that energy is even now, especially now, as his political opposition continues to grope for relevance.
75-Year-Old Retired Cop Shoots Himself in the Leg During Training Hosted by Flagler Sheriff’s Office
Charles Dee Rowsell, a 75-year-old Palm Coast resident and retired law enforcement officer, was participating in a firearms qualification course hosted by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office when he shot himself in the leg while holstering his gun this afternoon, according to a sheriff’s report. He was airlifted to Halifax hospital. The incident took place shortly after noon the Flagler Gun and Archery Club on County Road 90, which also hosts the sheriff’s gun range.
Florida Prisons Chief Wants ‘Staggering’ Half a Billion Dollars Next Year Just for Operations, Not Salaries
Sounding as desperate as he ever has since being appointed four years ago, Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) Secretary Ricky Dixon asked a panel of state lawmakers Wednesday for more than $512 million for next fiscal year to maintain the prison system. “It is a staggering amount of money that we’re asking for. I’m aware of that,” Dixon told the Senate Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice. Adding to the scale of the needs, he said that amount did not include funding for salaries of correction officers, which he said rank among the lowest for its size in the country.
FBI Was in Mondex Today Investigating Sheriff’s Deputy’s Property Involved in Accidental AR-15 Shooting of Boy
The FBI joined Flagler County Sheriff’s investigators today at the Daytona North property of a sheriff’s deputy at the center of a shooting that injured an 11-year-old boy on a neighboring property the evening of Aug. 27. Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy Bryan “Scotty” Jackson and his daughter, a new recruit with the agency, were target-shooting in the backyard with an AR-15 that the new recruit had just received from the agency when a bullet Jackson says he fired traveled halfway up the block to the property at 1288 Hazelnut Street and struck the boy, who was in his room.
Jury Exonerates Palm Coast’s Kevin Cichowski in 2-Day Trial
A Flagler County jury on Tuesday exonerated 45-year-old Kevin Kevin J. Cichowski of three domestic violence charges, two of them felonies, stemming from an incident involving his wife at their C-Section house in September 2024. Cichowski was briefly a candidate for Palm Coast mayor in the special election of 2021. He cited a family member’s health as the reason for dropping out.
Flagler Sheriff’s K-9 Kyro, Almost 3, Dies from Unknown Medical Episode
Late Tuesday evening, Sheriff Rick Staly and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office announced in a release the death of K-9 Kyro due to an unknown medical issue. Kyro died on Tuesday (Oct. 14). He would have been 3 this December.
Students Protesting Gaza Genocide File Lawsuit Against USF, Alleging Violations of Constitutional Rights
Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society, a group protesting in support of Palestinian rights, filed suit last week against the University of South Florida, claiming the university violated members’ constitutional rights after expelling one student and disciplining others.
80-Year-Old Woman Dies Following Crash on Belle Terre Parkway Triggered by Medical Episode
An 80-year-old Palm Coast woman lost her life in a crash on Belle Terre Parkway that appears to have been triggered by a medical episode Monday afternoon. The victim veered off the southbound lanes of Belle Terre into the northbound lanes, and crashed on the shoulder. It was the 17th road fatality of the year in the county.
Only 3 States Passed License Plate Reader Laws This Year Despite Concerns
Lawmakers in at least 16 states this year introduced bills to regulate the use of automated license plate readers responsible for collecting large amounts of data on drivers across the country. But just three states — Arkansas, Idaho and Virginia — enacted laws this session that establish or amend rules for law enforcement agencies using the high-tech camera systems and the manner in which license plate data should be stored. And this month, California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have restricted use of such data.
DSC Offering Full EMT Certificate Program at Flagler/Palm Coast Campus Starting in January
Daytona State College will begin offering the full Emergency Medical Technician Certificate program at its Flagler/Palm Coast Campus beginning in January 2026 and is now taking applications for the program.
DeSantis Signs Warrant to Kill Bryan Jennings, Murderer of 6-Year-Old Girl, for 16th Execution of the Year
Bryan Frederick Jennings, 66, is scheduled to be executed Nov. 13 and could be a record 16th inmate put to death by lethal injection this year in Florida. The state has carried out 13 executions and is slated to put to death Samuel Smithers on Tuesday and Norman Grim on Oct. 28. Jennings was convicted of murdering Rebecca Kunash on May 11, 1979, in Merritt Island.
Celebration of Life and Other Services Scheduled in Memory of Jorge and Nancy Salinas
The family of Jorge Salinas and his wife Nancy Salinas have scheduled a celebration of life in honor of the couple’s memory at 2 p.m. at the Palm Coast Community Center on Sunday. It is the first of a week of services. Salinas, the deputy Flagler County administrator since 2020, and his wife lost their lives on Oct. 4 in a hit-and-run crash on I-4 that took the life of a third person as well.
Palm Coast Man Neglects to Take Infant Daughter to Hospital After She Ingested Edibles, Attending Football Game Instead
Kajuan Arthur Harris, a 29-year-old resident of Wheatfield Drive in Palm Coast, faces a charge of child neglect with great bodily harm, a second-degree felony, following the second hospitalization of his 5-year-old autistic daughter after she ingested a large quantity of marijuana edibles while she was in Harris’s care. He refused to take the child to the hospital, going to a football game instead and urging the child’s mother to let the child “sleep it off.”
Palm Coast’s Ebike Ordinance in Effect: Limits Speeds, Restricts Riders’ Age to 11 and Up and Requires Photo ID
Palm Coast’s ebike ordinance is now in effect following the Palm Coast City Council’s approval Tuesday of a measure that sets speed limits at between 20 and 28 mph, depending on the bike, restricts riders to age 11 and up, and requires riders to carry government-issued identification at all times.
Sheriff’s Operations Center May Be Renamed for Rick Staly in Recognition of His 50 Years in Policing
The Flagler County Commission is considering–and will likely approve–renaming the Sheriff’s Operations Center in Bunnell as the Sheriff Rick Staly Law Enforcement Center in recognition of Staly’s 50 years of service in law enforcement. Sheriff’s Chief Mark Strobridge, a colleague and friend of Staly’s going back to their many years together at the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, conceived and proposed the idea. Commissioner Leann Pennington is championing it, if with some policy-related pause from Commission Chair Andy Dance and Commissioner Greg Hansen.
Derek Barrs Is Finally Confirmed as Administrator of Motor Carrier Safety Administration After Fractious Senate Maneuvers
The U.S. Senate in a strict party-line 51-47 vote Tuesday night confirmed Derek Barrs, the former Flagler County school board member, administrator of the federal Transportation Department’s Motor Carrier Safety Administration, seven months after President Trump nominated Barrs to the post.
Jorge Salinas, Flagler County’s Steadying Deputy Administrator Since 2020, and His Wife, Are Killed in Crash
Jorge Salinas, Flagler County’s deputy administrator since 2020, a steadying voice of the county administration and one of the more beloved people at the Government Services Building, was killed late Sunday night in a four-vehicle hit-and-run car crash on I-4, as was his wife and an unrelated motorcyclist.
Do ‘Conversion Therapy’ Bans Violate Free Speech?
The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on Tuesday in a challenge to Colorado’s ban on “conversion therapy” – treatment intended to change a client’s sexual orientation or gender identity – for young people. Kaley Chiles, a therapist in Colorado Springs and a practicing Christian, argues that the ban violates her right to free speech because it imposes “a gag order on counselors.” Colorado counters that the ban merely regulates the treatments that mental health professionals can provide because conversion therapy has been found to be “unsafe and ineffective.”
Keith Johansen, Serving Life for Murdering His Wife, Now Claims Stand Your Ground Would Have Exonerated Him
Former Palm Coast resident Keith Johansen, 43, who shot and killed his wife Brandi Celenza at their F-Section home in 2018, now claims a Stand Your Ground motion would have exonerated him and made trial unnecessary. Four years ago this month a jury found Johansen guilty of murdering Brandi, 25, in their home on Felter Lane while Brandi’s young son was in another room, waiting to go to the county fair.
Loving Penguins Lose as Federal Judge Backs School Board’s Ban of ‘And Tango Makes Three’
A federal judge this week rejected a challenge to a 2023 decision by the Escambia County School Board to remove the book “And Tango Makes Three” from school libraries, ruling the move did not violate First Amendment rights. “And Tango Makes Three,” which tells the story of two male penguins who raised a penguin chick at New York’s Central Park Zoo, has become a prominent part of a debate in recent years about removing or restricting access to books at Florida schools. The Escambia County lawsuit alleged the book was targeted for its depictions of same-sex parents raising a child.
Flagler County Home Builders Sue Palm Coast Over Impact Fees, Seeking Immediate Invalidation of Sharp Increases
The Flagler County Home Builders Association (HBA), five local builders and an individual jointly filed the 69-page, four-count suit in Flagler County Circuit Court late Wednesday afternoon. The suit challenges the City Council’s unanimous adoption last June of sharply higher impact fees for fire services, parks and transportation. The lawsuit is not seeking damages, monetary or otherwise. It is seeking the immediate and permanent invalidation of the ordinances that enacted the higher impact fees. It is an extraordinary challenge. It is neither unprecedented nor unheeded, though with extreme rarity.
Bunnell Maid on Probation for Theft Accused of Defrauding and Stealing from Clients in C-Section
Kayla Conner, 38, of Bunnell, was on probation for a 2024 conviction for felony theft when she was arrested again last week on accusations that, as a housekeeper, she defrauded her employer of $776 for cash, or to pay her wireless fees, or to pay for pet supplies, and stole a Pandora bracelet worth up to $800, and pawned off numerous jewelry items for cash.
Cops May No Longer Search Your Car Based on Pot Smell Alone, Court Rules
Florida’s 2nd District Court of Appeal’s main opinion said that for “generations, cannabis was illegal in all forms — thereby rendering its distinct odor immediately indicative of criminal activity.” But the opinion said legislative changes have “fundamentally changed its definition and regulation” and made cannabis legal to possess in multiple forms.
Open-Carry Leaves Flagler County’s Government Attorneys Grappling with Ruling’s Application to Public Spaces
A Sept. 10 appeals court ruling that made it legal to openly carrying guns in Florida has created some confusion for Flagler County’s local government attorneys on the law’s applicability in certain public places such as government buildings and parks in light of a loophole in law that appears to leave long guns unregulated, and the permissibility of carrying guns in certain public spaces unclear.
FWC Employee Fired Over Charlie Kirk Instagram Post Sues Accuses Agency of 1st Amendment Violation in Lawsuit
A biologist has filed a federal lawsuit challenging her firing by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission because of a post on a personal social-media account after the murder of Charlie Kirk. Brittney Brown, who worked for the commission studying shorebirds and seabirds in the area of Tyndall Air Force Base in the Panhandle, alleges in the lawsuit that her firing on Sept. 15 — five days after Kirk was shot during an appearance at a Utah university — violated her First Amendment rights.
Battalion Chief in Lee County Faces 31 Charges, from Embezzlement to Voyeurism and Stalking
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) arrested Albert “Shane” Sibert, 54, of North Fort Myers, a Battalion Chief with the Estero Fire Rescue department in lee County, on one count, each, of a scheme to defraud, grand theft, official misconduct, digital voyeurism dissemination, unlawful use of a tracking device, aggravated stalking, violation of injunction for protection against stalking, battery and money laundering. Sibert is also charged with 16 counts of unlawful interception of wire or oral communications and six counts of video voyeurism.
12-Year-Old Indian Trails Middle School Boy Arrested on Felony Charge After Threatening to Stab a Student
On September 15, it was an 11-year-old boy at Rymfire Elementary. On Sept. 25, it was a 12-year-old at Indian Trails Middle School: same method–threats made in a group chat away from school, images of weaponry sent to make the point–same result: an arrest and a felony charge. The two boys had been arguing in the chat that afternoon. Then NG sent the picture of a box of 15 knives and a brass knuckle and made threatening statements
Teachers Must Now Self-Report When Arrested for Numerous Crimes
Florida law now requires educators to self-report to their employers within 48 hours an arrest for a felony or certain misdemeanors. The list of offenses ranges from sexual misconduct with mental health patients, felony fraud, murder, aggravated assault, human trafficking, weapons on school grounds, prostitution, felony voyeurism, threats to kill, and more.
Sheriff’s Office Gets $90,000 Grant for Motorcycle Safety Awareness
The grant will primarily be used to provide funding for overtime for the FCSO Traffic Enforcement Unit to conduct enforcement and driver education focusing on motorcycle safety. These measures aim to strategically target unsafe driving behaviors from both motorcyclists and vehicle drivers who show a lack of awareness to motorcycles.
Flagler County Government Prepares to Settle 4-Year-Old Lawsuit Over Sears Building, But Won’t Recover All Losses
Flagler County government is nearing a final settlement of a four-year-old lawsuit it filed against several parties after its ill-fated $1.125 million purchase of what was then known as the Sears building on Palm Coast Parkway. The county previously settled with two of the four parties, recouping $900,000 (or $843,000, depending on which document you consult). The pending settlement would recoup an additional $125,000, netting a loss of $100,000 (or $157,000).
Pinning Ceremony Marks Several Promotions and New Hires at Palm Coast Fire Department
Leading the list of promotions, Patrick Juliano has been elevated to the rank of Battalion Chief in recognition of his outstanding leadership and longstanding service to the community. Advancing to the rank of Lieutenant are Dylan Mulligan and Brandon Davis, while Caleb Dann and Gunner Pemberton have earned promotion to Driver Engineer.
Ex-Flagler County Paramedic Facing Rape Charge Claims Penetrating Patient Was ‘Medically Necessary’
James Melady, the former Flagler County Fire Rescue paramedic facing a rape charge involving an unconscious patient in his care during an ambulance ride, claimed today through his attorney that what he was doing to the patient was medically necessary, and therefore not actionable under Florida law. Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols was skeptical, and pressed him to seek a plea or potentially face up to life in prison.
Man, 76, Killed in Head-On Crash Going Wrong Way on U.S. 1, 3rd Local Road Death in 4 Days
A 76-year-old man lost his life late Tuesday night (Sept. 23) in a head-on collision on U.S. 1 south of Seminole Woods in Palm Coast. He is the third person killed in a crash on Flagler County roads in the last four days.
18-Year-Old Motorcyclist Dies on SR100 After Deer Strike Throws Him Off the Bike, and a Car Hits Him
An 18-year-old Palm Coast motorcyclist was killed Monday night after he was thrown from his Motorcycle in a collision with a deer, then was run over by a car on State Road 100 just west of Belle Terre Parkway.
30 New Laws Go In Effect Next Week, Including Steeper Penalties for Several Crimes and End of Business Rent Tax
The elimination of the business rent tax is projected to collectively save businesses–and cost the state–nearly $1.15 billion during the current fiscal year, which will run through June 30. That amount is projected to increase to $1.53 billion next fiscal year. Other laws include harsher penalties for people who flee police, harass utility workers and kill someone while driving drunk.
71-Year-Old Woman Dies, 61-Year-Old Man Injured in Head-On Collision on SR11 South of Cody’s Corner
A 71-year-old South Daytona woman lost her life in a head-on collision Saturday morning on State Road 11, south of County Road 304–also known as Cody’s Corner–in Flagler County. According to the Florida Highway Patrol and Flagler County 911’s dispatch notes, the woman was driving an SUV north on 11 when she “failed to maintain her lane” and swerved into the oncoming lane.
At Charlie Kirk Vigil on Courthouse Steps, Calls for Unity and Healing ‘Deep Divide in Our Country’
Well over a thousand people gathered in Bunnell on Wednesday to attend a candlelight vigil for the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The event was held outside the Kim C. Hammond Justice Center, with attendance high enough that sheriff’s deputies had to direct traffic in and out. Sheriff Rick Staly called for healing wounds, grief and “the deep divide in our country.”
It’s a World of Fraud and You’d Better Be Vigilant, Ex-US Prosecutor Roger Handberg Tells Flagler Tiger Bay
When Roger Handberg asked the capacity crowd at Flagler Tiger Bay Club’s season-opening lunch Wednesday for a show of hands from those who’ve been victims of a fraud or who knew someone who had, almost every hand went up. That was his point. “These schemes are all over the place,” he said. They indiscriminately target the vulnerable and those who think they’re untouchable. Handberg, until recently the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida, gave the audience a tutorial on the psychology and variety of fraudsters, and on how to try to stay a step ahead of them.
