There is data on where and how armed personnel are used in school districts across the nation. There is less data on how effective that armed presence has been. That’s not a result of partisanship but simply a matter of fact: little systematic and peer-reviewed research has been carried out on the subject, and what little there is tends to lack the sort of rigor that can be the basis for sound conclusions one way or the other.
Cops/Courts
3 Months in Jail for Travis Smith, Who’d Drunkenly Assaulted and Spat on Lyft Driver
Travis Schriever Smith, the 38-year-old Palm Coast resident a jury in May found guilty of assaulting a Lyft driver in his car and by the side of a road in 2020, was sentenced to three months in jail and six months on probation today by Circuit Judge Terence Perkins. The jury had acquitted him of a felony burglary charge that could have exposed Smith to prison time.
3 Arrested, 4th Sought in Murders of Noah Smith and Keymarion Hall by ‘Wannabe Badasses’
In a major break in two related murder cases, Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly today announced the arrests of three of four individuals in the shooting deaths earlier this year of Noah Smith and Keymarion Hall, both 16, both in South Bunnell, both in drivebys resulting from a simmering feud between wannabe gangs in Bunnell and Palm Coast.
As Sheriff Staly Asks for 10 More Deputies from City and County, Alfin Floats Impact Fee Budget Model
Sheriff Rick Staly is asking for 10 more deputies from Palm Coast and the county and renewed focus on better salaries. Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin is proposing to shift law enforcement budgeting to an impact fee model, thus having new development shoulder a substantial part of the cost.
Arrested for Driving School Bus Severely Drunk, He’s Back in Jail for Showing Up to Court Drunk
Mark McNeill, 60, was arrested in February for driving severely drunk with 40 Buddy Taylor Middle School students aboard. He appeared before a judge on Monday for a plea deal. He was drunk. The judge sent him back to jail. The plea deal is in doubt.
Pro Wrestler Jeff Hardy, in ‘Stupor,’ Arrested on Felony DUI and Driving on Suspended License
Jeff Hardy, the 44-year-old professional wrestler and musician with a storied career and a few previous arrests was arrested again today on a felony charge of drunk driving and driving on a revoked license. He was on I-95 in Volusia County when Florida Highway Patrol trooper Zach Steiner pulled him over.
Larry Cavallaro, 75, Says He’s Guilty of Raping Flagler Woman, But Evades Prison Time in Plea
Larry Cavallaro, 75, a former gallery owner in Flagler Beach, pleaded guilty today to raping a woman at his home in Beverly Beach in December 2017, but was sentenced only to two years’ house arrest and eight years of sex offender probation.
Armed Car Jacker Who Stole Pick-Up in Daytona Beach Is Chased in P-Section, and Apprehended
An alleged car-jacker who’d stolen a work truck in Daytona Beach before dawn was apprehended after a two-hour search in Palm Coast’s P-Section, including the assistance of an emergency helicopter.
Prison ‘Gain Time’ Case Roils Court as Sexual Offender Is Deemed Eligible for Early Release
Rejecting longstanding legal precedent, a state appeals court said Friday that a man convicted of attempted sexual battery on a child is eligible to be considered for early release from prison.
For Emma Stanford, an Odyssey on Behalf of K-9s Leads to Bill-Signing in Bunnell With Gov. DeSantis
Emma Stanford, 14, a Flagler County resident, has been advocating and fund-raising for local sheriff’s K-9 units for years. Today, she stood alongside Gov. Ron DeSantis at the signing of a bill at the Flagler County courthouse that will ensure the payment of medical expenses for retired K9s across the state.
In Flagler, Red-Flag Law and Therapy Dogs Begin to Impact Response to Domestic Violence and Other Crimes
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly hosted the latest domestic violence summit today at the Hilton garden Inn, where much of the discussion centered on changes that have taken place since 2016, and more especially since 2018: how the so-called red-flag law now plays a role in the gravest domestic violence cases, and how therapy dogs can be the difference between a witness cooperating, or opening up, and not.
Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly Elected President of Florida Deputy Sheriffs Association
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly is honored to have been elected as the President of the Florida Deputy Sheriffs Association (FDSA) with his term beginning in July 2022. Sheriff Staly previously was the Vice President for FDSA for two years.
A 45-Year-Old Woman Is Killed in 2-Vehicle Crash at U.S. 1 and Whiteview Parkway
A 45-year-old Palm Coast woman was killed Wednesday evening in a t-bone crash at the intersection of U.S. 1 and Whiteview Parkway. The crash resulted in the 16th fatality of the year on Flagler roads.
Fourth Grade Survivor of Uvalde Shooting Tells Congress: ‘I Don’t Want It to Happen Again’
11-year-old Miah Cerrillo, a fourth grader who survived the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting where 19 students and two teachers were murdered told lawmakers Wednesday that she is afraid to go back to school.
The Live Profile | Raise High the Roof Beam: Kyle Berryhill Is Palm Coast’s New Fire Chief
Kyle Berryhill, 42, was named Palm Coast’s next fire chief when Jerry Forte officially retires on Oct. 14, though Berryhill has been gradually taking the reins for months. It is the culmination of a career that started in 2005 with his first job as a firefighter-EMT in Palm Coast, and that’s been defined by a combination of command and humility both as a union leader and a manager.
15 Years in Prison for Angelo Antolino, 31, for Killing Indiana Kerns, 59, in Drunk Driving Crash
Angelo Antolino, a 31-year-old resident of Commerce Avenue in Deltona, was sentenced to 15 years in prison today for the death of Indiana Kerns, 59, in a head-on crash caused by Antolino’s drunk driving on U.S. 1 early the morning of April 1, 2020.
How Mud Muckers in West Flagler Bogged Down in Its Own Lawsuit and Wetlands Violations, and Lost
Mud Muckers for many years operated as a huge ATV park southwest of Bunnell, until it was found to be violating wetlands rules and required to move. Mud Muckers sued its landlord, and today lost its final appeal, four years after it said–inaccurately–that it had been unceremoniously shut down.
Judge Won’t Revoke or Reduce $500,000 Bond on 16-Year-old Damari Barnes After Jail Incident
Damari Barnes is being held on $500,000 bond in the shooting death of 19-year-old Jamey Bennett. The prosecution wanted his bond revoked following an jail incident in which Barnes allegedly attacked another inmate and forced him to drink urine. The defense wanted the bond reduced to $100,000, so Barnes could go home. The judge denied both.
Trial Diary: A Journalist Sits on a Baltimore Jury
Could 12 strangers agree on justice in Baltimore, a city riddled with killings and distrust of the police, in a shooting case where the victim was an actor on the legendary drama “The Wire”?
Florida’s Relatively New Red-Flag Law Emerging as Model for Other States in Gun Debate
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.
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.