As a national debate rages over gun laws after last month’s mass shooting at a Texas elementary school, proponents of “red-flag” policies point to a Florida law as a model for states seeking to strip deadly weapons from people who could cause harm.
Cops/Courts
Travis Smith, Convicted in Lyft Driver Attack, Wants a New Trial and to Be Let Out of Jail
Travis Smith, the 38-year-old Palm Coast resident convicted of battery by a jury last week for attacking a Lyft driver, has filed for a new trial. Smith is challenging the jury’s findings. He has also filed a motion to get out of jail, challenging the judge’s decision to revoke his $5,000 bond immediately after the May 25 verdict.
Yet Another Felony Charge for Moultrie as He Awaits Trials on Rape and Murder Accusations
Kwentel Moultrie was charged with assaulting another inmate, adding a third-degree felony to a rap sheet that also includes a first-degree felony rape charge and a life-felony murder charge from separate incidents.
‘Shocking’ Ages: 4 Children, Youngest 12, Arrested on Felony Theft and Burglary After Joyride
Four Palm Coast children–12, 14, 15 and 17–with the 15 year old at the wheel, were arrested at gunpoint after allegedly stealing a Palm Coast resident’s car and joyriding through Flagler Beach and Palm Coast.
Bunnell City Commission Recognizes Matanzas Senior and Gold Award Winner Kadance Nickmeyer
The Bunnell City Commission last week formally recognized Kadance Nickmeyer, the Matanzas High School junior who won an essay contest sponsored by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office and the Girl Scouts’ highest award for a domestic-violence initiative she launched.
Person Killed in T-Bone Crash at Cody’s Corner, Where DOT Renounced Building Roundabout
A 32-year-old woman was killed in a two-vehicle, t-bone crash at the intersection of State Road 11 and County Road 304, also known as Cody’s Corner, south of Bunnell this afternoon.
Another Unprovoked Attack at a Local Business Lands 35-Year-Old Palm Coast Man in Jail
Dustin M. Patrick, a 35-year-old resident of Breeze Hill Lane in Palm Coast, was booked at the Flagler County jail on a felony child abuse charge after allegedly attacking a teen employee Friday at Red Crab in Palm Coast. It was the second unprovoked attack by a stranger against another in six days at different Palm Coast businesses, in front of others.
5th District’s Judge Meredith Sasso Among Applicants to Florida Supreme Court Vacancy
After reshaping the Florida Supreme Court to reflect his legal and political ideology, Gov. Ron DeSantis is poised to pick a new justice who will give him four appointees on the state’s highest court. Judge Sasso is a member of the American Enterprise Institute Leadership Network and the ultra-conservative Federalist Society, whose faculty advisors included Robert Bork and Antonin Scalia.
Apparently Unprovoked, Palm Coast Man Throws Coffee and a Punch at 76-Year-Old Customer
Flagler county Sheriff’s deputies arrested Sean Michael Ruel, a 39-year-old Palm Coast man, for what appears to be a brazen, unprovoked attack on a 76-year-old man at a convenience store four days before.
Stand-Off With Armed Individual Ends Near 8-Hour Mark With Arrest
What started as a potential domestic violence situation at 6 Welling Place in Palm Coast in mid-afternoon today turned into a nearly 8-hour stand-off between 51-year-old Mark Francioni, who had barricaded himself in his house, with firearms, and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office’s Crisis Negotiating Team.
New Law Would Require State, Not Local School Board, to Set Emergency Drill Guidelines
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday formally received nine bills from the Legislature, including a school-safety bill that would direct the State Board of Education to develop rules for school emergency drills.
Travis Smith Found Guilty of Battery In Lyft Driver Attack, But Acquitted Of Felony Charge
Travis Schriever Smith, the 38-year-old Palm Coast resident who assaulted a Lyft driver in an unprovoked and drunken attack in the early days of the pandemic, was found guilty of battery, a misdemeanor, but not guilty of burglary at the end of a three-day trial in Circuit Court in Bunnell this evening.
Two Jacksonville Motorcyclist, 22 and 29, Are Killed on I-95 at Old Kings Road Overpass
A group of four Jacksonville motorcyclists who had been at a bike meet in Palm Coast crashed on I-95 near the Old Kings Road overpass as they were riding home Tuesday evening. They were each on his or her own motorcycle. All four were ejected. Two of the four riders were killed.
In Trial of Lyft Driver’s Attacker, Dramatic Moments for Prosecution Yield to Lapses by Alleged Victim
The prosecution and defense traded successes today in the trial of Travis Smith, the 38-year-old Palm Coast resident accused of violently attacking a 49-year-old Palm Coast Lyft driver unprovoked and spitting on him during Covid’s early days in 2020. Smith faces from 21 months to 17 years in prison if convicted.
At His Sentencing, Another Aggrieved Weeks Duels With a Judge: ‘This Isn’t Going to Work For Me’
Duane Weeks Jr., son of ex-Elections Supervisor Kim Weeks and a repeat offender, was sentenced to prison Monday but took on his plea deal and the judge over a no-contact order with his victim, once he’s released from prison.
Palm Coast Fire Department Dedicates New Fire Engine to Cpl. John T. Schmidt III, Felled in Iraq War
The Palm Coast Fire Department hosted a Gold Star Dedication ceremony in which they dedicated a new Fire Engine in memory of Marine Lance Corporal John T. Schmidt III on this past weekend. The ceremony took place at Fire Station 21 with the family and friends of Lance Corporal Schmidt, Gold Star Families, and Fire Department personnel.
3 Republican-Appointed Judges Call DeSantis-Inspired Law Targeting Social Media Unconstitutional
Dealing a major setback to Gov. Ron DeSantis, a three-judge federal appellate panel of judges appointed by Republican presidents, including Donald Trump, on Monday ruled that a 2021 Florida law targeting social-media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter unconstitutionally restricts the companies’ First Amendment rights.
Palm Coast Man Accused of Strangling Cat Is Sentenced to House Arrest and Probation
Darren Kuback, the Palm Coast resident charged with a felony count of animal cruelty in the death by strangulation of a cat, pleaded to the charge today and was sentenced to two years of house arrest followed by three years of probation. His trial was scheduled to start this morning.
Trial Begins for Lyft Rider Accused of Attacking and Spitting on Palm Coast Driver in Early Days of Pandemic
Travis Smith, 38, faces up to 17 years in prison if convicted of assaulting a Palm Coast Lyft driver. Smith turned down a plea deal that would have had him serve 180 days in jail and two years of house arrest, but no felony conviction. The driver, an American citizen of Turkish descent and a Palm Coast resident of many years, claims Smith called him a “terrorist.”
77-Year-Old Woman Dies After Driving Her SUV Into a Pond at Grand Reserve in Bunnell
Linda Schoenholz, a 77-year-old Bunnell resident, died late Saturday night after driving her car into a retention pond off the Grand Reserve golf club in Bunnell, police report. Schoenholz was a resident of Grand Reserve since 2020.
2nd Judicial Circuit Judge Barbara Hobbs Hit With 60-Day Suspension and $30,000 Fine
The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that a Tallahassee-area circuit judge should receive a 60-day suspension and pay a $30,000 fine after she acted as an attorney for her son following his arrest in a shooting incident.
Jury Finds Ian Davis of Palm Coast Guilty of Molesting His 14-Year-Old Niece
The verdict Friday followed a four-day trial, including jury selection, before Circuit Judge Terence Perkins. Each of the second-degree felony charges carry a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison when Davis, formerly of Seabreeze Trail in Palm Coast, is to be sentenced on July 18.
Sharply Rising Property Values Could Net $12.3 Million for County Government, But Commissioners Want Prudence
Flagler County Administrator Heidi Petito projects a windfall of $12.3 million in addition to current revenue, yielding $7.5 million in new revenue for county government operations, $3.7 million for the Sheriff’s Office, and a little over $1 million between the other constitutional offices. Again, that’s assuming the county commission does not lower the property tax rate to account for the new revenue.
Sheriff’s Contingent Escorts Families of Fallen Deputies Luciano and Celico at National Police Week in D.C.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) Honor Guard, Motors Unit and dedicated family escorts accompanied the families of two of FCSO’s fallen heroes during National Police Week ceremonies in Washington, D.C. this past weekend.
Knife Pulled, Then Swung, Then a Gun Is Drawn in Road Rage Incident in Palm Coast’s W Section
Tuesday afternoon, Rafael Vincent Rivera, 50, and G.P., also 50, were involved in a road rage incident on Pine Lakes Parkway in Palm Coast that escalated, with a knife getting pulled, then swung, then a gun getting drawn, and Rivera getting arrested and facing a felony aggravated assault charge.
Palm Coast Resident, 72, Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison After ‘Gygabites’ of Child Abuse Materials Found
John Ridgley Gardner Jr., a 72-year-old resident of Zonal Geranium Court in Palm Coast, was sentenced this morning to five years in prison followed by 10 years in probation on 13 second-degree felony counts of possession of sexual abuse video and images of minors.
Flagler County Will Take $1.2 million Out of Reserves to Pay for 2 New Firetrucks in Unbudgeted Spree
The Flagler County Commission approved spending $1.24 million out of reserves to buy two firetrucks in one fell swoop, thus replacing half of Flagler County Fire Rescue’s four front-line fire trucks when the two new engines are delivered in about 14 months. The proposal is to address an ageing fleet and was approved unanimously after little discussion.
DeSantis Signs New Law Banning Protests Outside Private or Elected Officials’ Homes
Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed legislation providing for jail terms of up to 60 days and $500 fines for protesting outside the homes of public officials and private citizens — like what’s been happening to U.S. Supreme Court justices since the leak of a draft opinion reversing Roe v. Wade.
A Month Out from Sentencing on Felony DUI Conviction, Dan Priotti Is Back in Jail on Domestic Charge
The latest incident is the result of an alleged confrontation between Dan Priotti and his ex-girlfriend, less than a week after a judge ruled against his lawyer’s motion for a mistrial in the DUI conviction. Priotti had been out on bond pending sentencing on May 17. The prosecution may now use the incident as a further argument against leniency.
Flagler’s Inimitable Bob Pickering Earns Distinguished Service Award at Governor’s Hurricane Conference
Emergency Management Specialist Bob Pickering received the Distinguished Service Award Thursday at the Governor’s Hurricane Conference in south Florida for being a jack of all trades within his department.
Felon and Alleged Gang Member Earnest Watson Arrested in Connection With Monday Shooting in Bunnell
Earnest Lee Watson III, a 26-year-old resident of 200 Knox Jones Road in Bunnell, was arrested on Thursday and charged in connection with a shooting on East Booe Street in Bunnell on Monday, and a gang link noted.
Road Rage Incident on Belle Terre Parkway Lands a Man in Jail on felony Child Abuse Charge
Richard M. Oloughlin, a 36-year-old resident of Winchester Lane in Palm Coast, faces two felony charges following a road-rage incident in which Oloughlin was recorded by a 17-year-old boy allegedly assaulting the boy and damaging his car on Palm Coast Parkway Wednesday evening.
77-Year-Old Patient Beaten and Choked to Death at Assisted Living Facility in Palm Coast
A 77-year-old woman who’d been a patient at Gold Choice Assisted Living and Memory Care in Palm Coast was beaten and choked to death by another patient overnight, and was only discovered by a staffer during rounds early this morning.
Fentanyl: What is It, and Why Buying Any Street Drug Is Now Russian Roulette
Buying drugs on the street is a game of Russian roulette. From Xanax to cocaine, drugs or counterfeit pills purchased in nonmedical settings may contain life-threatening amounts of fentanyl.
Another Shooting in Bunnell, But No Reported Injuries
Five or six shots were reported in the area of East Booe Street and South Cherry Street in South Bunnell just before 12:30 p.m. today, leaving behind an abandoned bicycle in the road, a bag of pot and shell casings, but no apparent injuries.
Flagler Sheriff’s Employee Adopts Rocky, the Dog Shot in the Face by Previous Owner
Rocky suffered a bullet through his snout and bottom lip, into his neck and shoulder area, and through his left front leg, after Jamier T. Lee-Bright, 25, of Palm Coast, shot him allegedly out of anger in early April. The dog has been adopted and is recovering.
Back in Court, Wife’s Murderer Says She Was Equally to Blame for Her Own Death
A lengthy court hearing Friday was the first time that Michael Cummings, now 50, spoke openly about the details of killing his wife at their home on Point Pleasant in Palm Coast, at least as he remembered them. He put much of the blame for that night on her, blamed his defense attorneys, and disputed his designation as a murderer.
600-Day Retirement Clock Ticking for Judges Terence Perkins, Raul Zambrano and James Clayton
Circuit Judge Terence Perkins has been the senior judge in Flagler County since 2018, taking over a courthouse in slight turmoil and returning it to a no-drama zone of docket workhorses. He will retire at the end of 2023, along with Judge Raul Zambrano, who had been a felony judge in Flagler previously, and James Clayton, currently the circuit’s chief judge.
Abortion’s Last Stand: A Post-Roe Future Is Already Happening in Florida
Reports of harassment, disturbance and violence outside the state’s clinics are skyrocketing, while the federal law meant to protect clinics doesn’t cover the kind of tactics common today.
3 Trump-Appointed Judges Reverse Obama-Appointee’s Ruling Against Florida’s Restrictive Voting Law
Calling it flawed, a three-judge appellate panel made up entirely of Trump appointees on Friday put a hold on an Obama-appointed federal judge’s ruling that said a 2021 Florida elections law was unconstitutionally intended to discriminate against Black voters.
Sheriff Connects Smith and Hall Shootings as Man Linked to 1st Is Arrested and $15,000 Reward Offered
Sheriff Rick Staly today said the January killing of 16-year-old Noah Smith and this week’s killing of 16-year-old Keymarion Hall are related, and that Terrell Anthony Sampson, 18, of 404 Church Street in Bunnell, was arrested in connection with Smith’s killing. Sampson faces an unrelated charge of possessing a weapon as a delinquent. CrimeStoppers is offering a $15,000 reward in information leading to an arrest in the Smith killing.
Philip Martin Is Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Massaging Young Girl as Judge Notes Excess
Circuit Judge Terence Perkins sentenced former Palm Coast resident 56-year-old Philip Martin to 25 years in prison for rubbing, caressing and massaging various body parts of a girl who’d been in his trust when she was 9, 10 and 11. But the judge acknowledged that he would have imposed a lesser sentence had he not been bound by minimum-mandatory requirements.
Palm Coast Fire Department’s Battalion Chief Sean Major Retires After 31 years
In 1991, Sean Major was working at a Lawn & Landscape with then-Lieutenant Mike Beadle. He was encouraged to check out the fire department as a volunteer. Lieutenant Beadle’s encouragement would lead to a 31 year career of service to the citizens of Palm Coast.
Sheriff’s Office Hosts 2022 Fallen Officers Memorial Ceremony
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) hosted the 2022 Fallen Officer Memorial and Candlelight Vigil just outside of the Flagler County Courthouse Thursday. Supporters and participants were able to observe the service and help us honor our fallen brothers and sisters.
For the Mother of Curtis Gray, Lost to Gunfire, Keymarion Hall’s Death Triggers Grief and Impulses to Help
Carmen Gray, the mother of Curtis Gray, murdered three years ago when he was 18, had been preparing for Saturday’s Rise Above the Violence “Mindfulness Event” at Washington Oaks State Park when she learned of the shooting death of Keymarion Hall. She talks about her reaction, her PTSD and the goals of Saturday’s event.
Fugitive Sex Offender Who’d Been Working as Tattoo Artist in Flagler Beach is Arrested
Chase Graham Quirona, 31, of Palm Coast and Louisiana, was booked without bond at the Flagler County jail after a deputy uncovered his fugitive status for failing to register as a sex offender even as he’d been working as a tattoo artist at a parlor in Flagler Beach.
Flagler County Judge Totten Elected Without Opposition, as Are Seven Circuit Judges
Formerly appointed Flagler County Court Judge Andrea Totten was elected without opposition to a six-year term, as were Circuit Judges Dennis Craig, Matt Foxman, Kenny Janesk, Howard O. McGillin Jr., A. Kathleen McNeilly, Dawn D. Nichols and Stasia Warren.
Dyllan Lemoine, 21, Arrested on Sex Charge After Video Circulates in an Elementary School
A video circulating through a local elementary school depicting sexual acts involving 21-year-old Dyllan Lemoine and a female child at Hidden Lake Park in west Flagler resulted in Lemoine’s arrest on Tuesday.
Keymarion Hall, 10th Grader at Flagler Palm Coast High School, Is Shot and Killed, 24 Year Old Wounded
Keymarion Hall, a 10th grader at Flagler Palm Coast High School, was shot and killed on a street in Bunnell late Tuesday night and 24-year-old Nysean Giddens, who was fleeing with others in a vehicle, was wounded and apprehended.
Ex-Jimmy’s Hang Ten Owner James Harris Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison in Lewd Filming of Daughter
James Harris, the 61-year-old former owner of Jimmy’s Hang Ten in Flagler Beach, pleaded guilty today to three counts of sexually abusing his step-daughter and was sentenced to 15 years in prison followed by 15 years on probation.