Bruce Hunter Rohr, 22, of Palm Coast, faces an aggravated battery charge, a felony, after a bruising confrontation with a 53-year-old man at the Circle K on Palm Coast Parkway Tuesday night. But there may not be surveillance video of the a crucial part of the fight: who threw the first punch.
Cops/Courts
Flagler Sheriff’s Deputy Saves 3-Year-Old Boy as he Hid from Flames and Alarms in W-Section Kitchen Fire
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office’s Marcus Dawson, first at the scene of a W-Section fire in Palm Coast Sunday evening, entered the smoke-filled house and found a 3-year-old boy hiding under a cover in a bedroom. The fire was contained to the kitchen.
Do Unbiased Jurors Exist in Social Media Age Anymore?
It’s a fundamental question for this era: Is it possible to find unbiased citizens to serve on a jury in high-profile cases during an age of ubiquitous social media? The dilemma facing the Supreme Court is how prescriptive they want the voir dire process to be. It could issue an opinion requiring lower courts to ask jurors more penetrating questions about their exposure to media accounts in high-profile cases.
Flagler’s 1st Domestic Violence Conference Confronts Myths and Silences Often Complicit With Abusers
Panels at the conference, called Rise Up 2021, was organized by Daytona State College and the Flagler County Domestic Violence Task Force, delved into religious organizations’ silence toward or complicit enabling of domestic violence, the mechanics of stalking, trauma on children and other prevalent but rarely discussed fallout from a widespread problem.
Palm Coast Man, 63, With Recent History of Domestic Violence, Faces 1st-Degree Attempted Murder Charge Over Roommate Attack
Steven Schneider, on probation over a stalking charge, was charged with attempted first-degree murder after allegedly attacking his 29-year-old roommate with a hammer and a knife and repeatedly stabbing him. The roommate survived. the incident was witnessed by the roommate’s mother.
Panel Discusses Eliminating Flagler Beach’s July 4 Parade, or at Least Significantly Scaling It Back
Flagler Beach City Manager William Whitson suggested doing away with the Independence Day parade, an idea that gained little traction among July 4 committee members today, but there was more unanimity about significantly scaling back the parade and eliminating politicians and most businesses from participation.
State Attorney Drops Felony Charge Against Mom in Indian Trails Incident With Boys But Files Misdemeanor Battery
Ruffin, 31, of Palm Coast’s R-Section, drew as much mainstream and social media attention a month ago from an allegation that she had assaulted a juvenile boy as she did from a 15-minute video of herself indignantly countering the charge and describing her role as an instance of instinctive protection of her son, who she said had been targeted by others.
A Buddy Taylor Middle Student Is Arrested for Making Threats to Kill at School, Adding Misogyny to Insults
A 13-year-old student at Buddy Taylor Middle School was charged with two felony counts of making threats to kill after he allegedly threatened his teacher and a classmate at school on Tuesday. It is the second instance of a student arrest for making threats at school since school resumed on Aug. 10, the third involving a child making such threats on or off campus.
U.S. School Boards Association Asks Biden for Better Security at Meetings. Florida Association Says Count Us Out.
The Florida School Boards Association is refusing to pay membership dues to the National School Boards Association after the Washington, D.C.-based organization wrote in a letter to President Joe Biden’s administration that the country’s “public schools and its education leaders are under an immediate threat.”
Throwing Sledge Hammer, Tool Box and Other Items at Cops from Bed of Truck, Man and Woman Are Arrested After Chase
One man is being held on $278,000 bond, a woman is being held on $152,000 bond after the two combined for 34 criminal charges in a chase through Bunnell that included throwing heavy tools and a tool box from the bed of the stolen truck at chasing cops.
Sheriff Staly Elected Chairman of State Board that Sets Policing Standards Across Florida
Law enforcement accreditation by the legislatively-created state organization is both a sign of distinction among law enforcement agencies and of reassurance to the public:, while Sheriff Rick Staly’s election as its chairman “speaks very clearly about how trusted and respected Sheriff Staly is here and across the State of Florida,” in a former agency director’s words.
Florida Marks 30 Years of Silver Alerts
October 8 marked the thirteenth anniversary of Florida’s Silver Alert program. Since the program’s inception in 2008, 2,721 Silver Alerts have been issued, and Florida’s Silver Alert program has been directly responsible for 268 recoveries of missing senior citizens.
A Matanzas High School Football Player Shoots and Wounds Another With BB Gun, and Faces Felony Charges
A 14-year-old student at Matanzas High School, faces two felony charges after allegedly shooting a BB gun and wounding a fellow-student early Thursday evening in Palm Coast’s F Section. The incident was preceded by a case of bullying and sexual humiliation that had originated earlier in the day at the school, though authorities say no connection was established between the bullying and the shooting.
Doctor Recommends Sending Man Who Killed His Father Back to State Hospital. Defense Wants 2nd Opinion.
Dunn, 60, killed and mutilated his elderly father in Palm Coast 15 years ago. He was close to regaining his full freedom this summer when he started exhibiting strange behavior and violated his probation, landing him back in jail for the first time in eight years. A doctor is recommending that he be returned to a state psychiatric hospital.
Ruth Rupprecht, Owner of Animal Rescue Operation with Checkered History, Faces 17 Animal Cruelty and Drug Charges
Ruth Rupprecht, accused of using her animal rescue operation as a front for selling drugs, has run the organization known as Saffari since 2012, and surrendered numerous animals to the Humane Society in 2016. A search of her property in September revealed deplorable conditions–and drugs–and she surrendered 46 animals before being charged.
49-Year-Old Bunnell Man in Mental Crisis Decapitates Family Parrot of 48 Years and Faces Animal Cruelty Charge
A 49-year-old Bunnell man with a recent history of mental disabilities faces a felony charge of animal cruelty after killing a parrot that had been in his family for 48 years, and threatening to do harm to other pets and family members in the household.
James Egan Jr., 64, a Flagler School Bus Driver, Is Killed in Motorcycle Wreck on Belle Terre and Ponce de Leon
James Egan Jr., a 64-year-old Palm Coast resident and school bus driver with the Flagler County school district since 2016, was killed in a motorcycle crash at Belle Terre Parkway and Ponce De Leon Drive Tuesday evening.
Flagler Beach Golf Club’s Terry McManus Is Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison on DUI, After Snubbing 2-Year Deal Hours Earlier
Terry McManus, who owns the company running the Ocean Palms Golf Club for Flagler Beach government, had snubbed a plea offer of two years in prison, setting two separate cases. He got sentenced to four years in prison in one case, and now still has to deal with another case where he may yet get more prison time.
Michael McIntyre, 35, Is Latest Flagler Resident Indicted for Murder in Overdose Death of a Client–Chelsea Price, 33
Chelsea Price of Palm Coast died of a fentanyl overdose on Aug. 11, 2020. Michael G. McIntyre, who has a history of drug trafficking, allegedly sold or gave Price the fentanyl that killed her. He was in jail on a charge of selling meth when he was served the grand jury’s indictment for murder, a capital felony.
In Prison on Another Charge, Angelo Antolino, 31, Is Booked at County Jail on DUI Manslaughter and Homicide
Angelo Michael Antolino, a 31-year-old resident of Commerce Avenue in Deltona, a state prison inmate, was booked at the Flagler County jail on Friday on charges of vehicular homicide and DUI manslaughter as a result of a 2020 crash on U.S. 1 that took the life of 59-year-old Indiana Kern and gravely injured William M. Kerns, 62.
Sex Trafficking Isn’t What You Think: 4 Myths Debunked
Law enforcement, medical providers, case managers, victim advocates and immigration lawyers inconsistently define and apply the label “trafficking victim” – especially when it comes to sex trafficking. That makes it harder for these professionals to get trafficked people the help they request.
Supreme Court’s Docket: Guns, Abortion, Religion
The biggest case this year is a challenge to abortion rights. Several states are asking the justices to reconsider Roe v. Wade – the landmark 1973 ruling that established the constitutional right for a woman to terminate a pregnancy, regardless of the moral beliefs of other citizens.
Court Will Consider Returning Richard Dunn, Father’s Killer, to Psychiatric Hospital After Alarming Behavior
Richard Dunn, the now-60-year-old man who stabbed his father to death in Palm Coast in 2006 and spent years in a psychiatric hospital, may be re-committed there just as he was approaching regaining his full freedom. A psychologist retained by Flagler County Circuit Court is recommending that he be re-committed involuntarily for further treatment.
Brooke Lorenzen, 19, Charged With DUI Manslaughter in Death of Mario Bizier, 56; She’d Been ‘Distracted By Her Phone’
Brooke Anna Lorenzen, 19, of Palm Coast, faces charges of DUI manslaughter and DUI with property damage in the 2020 crash that killed Mario Joseph Bizier, 56, on I-95. Lorenzen, who was to turn herself in at the jail today–and who had won a scholarship to an SEC university–told an investigator she had been distracted by her phone, and her blood-alcohol level registered 0.111.
Angered by Dean’s Office Visit, 12-Year-Old Girl at Buddy Taylor Middle Threatens to Shoot Classmates in Violent Language
A 12-year-old Buddy Taylor Middle School student was arrested and charged with sending written threats to kill, a second-degree felony, after her teacher overheard her say she was going to “shoot up the school” at around 1 p.m. Thursday afternoon.
Flagler County Fire Rescue Saves a Man from Rip Currents Near Hammock Beach Resort
Flagler County Fire Rescue’s Marine Unit saves a man from drowning shortly before noon on Wednesday from the beach near the Hammock Resort, the county’s public information office said this afternoon.
Jury Rapidly Finds Josh Carver Guilty in Hit-and-Run Death of Jonathan Rogers; He Faces up to 30 Years in Prison
Joshua Carver, 36, who claimed not to have known that he’d struck Johnathan Rogers, 29, as Rogers walked on State Road 100 in February 2020, was found guilty of the first-degree felony in less than 30 minutes by a jury Wednesday, ending a three-day trial.
In Flagler Beach, Cop Pulls Gun on Once and Future Commissioner Who’d Called in Assault Claim
Wayne L. Herboldt, a 66-year-old resident of Flagler Beach, was arrested on a charge of aggravated assault after a confrontation with his neighbor, Doug “Bruno” O’Connor, the former Beverly Beach city commissioner who has spoken of his intentions to run for Flagler Beach City Commission.
The Supreme Court’s Immense Power May Be Its Achilles’ Heel
That immense power of the Supreme Court has arguably made the court a leading player in enacting policy in the U.S. It may also cause the loss of the court’s legitimacy, which can be defined as popular acceptance of a government, political regime or system of governance.
Prosecution Draws ‘Unspeakable’ Motives Behind Hit-and-Run That Left a Man Dead and Another Facing 30 Years in Prison
Joshua Carver, 36, faces up to 30 years in prison if found guilty of the hit-and-run collision that killed Jonathan R. Rogers as he walked on State Road 100 a year and a half ago. The case the prosecution built today–and isn’t finished building–left little room for doubt that Carver knew he’d been in a grave collision that required him at least to pull over and call authorities, which he never did.
The Sharpest Murder Spike in 61 Years of Record-Keeping: What Happened?
Homicides in the U.S. spiked by almost 30% in 2020. The fact that big cities, small cities, suburbs and rural areas – in both blue and red states – experienced similar increases in homicides suggests that nationwide events or trends were behind the rise. what happened in 2020 was a confluence of events that created the perfect conditions for a spike in murders.
Seven Flagler County Fire Rescue FireFlight Medics Complete Shallow Water Egress Training (SWET)
All seven Flagler County Fire Rescue FireFlight medics trained September 18 to complete their Shallow Water Egress Training (SWET) to ensure they can escape from the helicopter’s cockpit should an accident leave it and its crew upside down in the water.
Deputies Break-Up Underage House Party of Over 30 People on Selden Court, Arresting 50-Year-Old Woman
Some 33 people were counted at the house by the time the questioning was done, and the owner, 50–year-old Christan L. Myers, was under arrest on a county of holding an open-house party with alcohol and a count of causing the delinquency of a minor.
Richard Dunn, Who Killed His Father in 2006, Back in Jail as ‘Bizarre’ Behavior Raises Concerns of More Violence
Richard Dunn, 60, was found not guilty by reason of insanity following the 2006 killing of his 87-year-old father, the famed Dr. Jack Dunn, in Palm Coast. Dunn had been inching his way back to full freedom without court supervision–until a series of weird and at times disturbing behavior in the last few months, including a probation violation, put a pause on all possibilities of full freedom.
Joshua Carver Goes on Trial on 1st Degree Felony Hit-and-Run Charge in Death of Jonathan Rogers on SR100
Jonathan Raymond Rogers was less than two weeks shy of his 30th birthday when he was killed as he walked on SR100, when Joshua Charles Carver’s van swerved and struck him. Carver kept going, claiming he though he’d just hit debris from a truck ahead.
Palm Coast Fire Department Honor Guard Presents Colors on House Floor at Rep. Renner’s Invitation
Florida State Representative Paul Renner invited the Palm Coast Fire Department Honor Guard to present the Nations Colors on the House Floor at the Speaker Designee Ceremony in Tallahassee on Tuesday.
Palm Coast’s Brittany Myers, a NICU Nurse, Arrested for Aggravated Child Abuse; 4 Children Describe Chronic Beatings
Brittany Myers, a 38-year-old mother of five and a nurse at an AdventHealth newborn intensive care unit, was arrested on a charge of aggravated child abuse after her 16-year-old daughter took video of her mother brutalizing her 14-year-old brother on Tuesday evening at their P-Section home in Palm Coast.
47 Million Americans Think Biden Is ‘Illegitimate.’ 21 Support Violence to ‘Restore’ Trump
The survey found that many of these 21 million people with insurrectionist sentiments have the capacity for violent mobilization. At least 7 million of them already own a gun, and at least 3 million have served in the U.S. military and so have lethal skills. Of those 21 million, 6 million said they supported right-wing militias and extremist groups, and 1 million said they are themselves or personally know a member of such a group, including the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys.
Another Juvenile Is Arrested at Indian Trails Complex For Illegally possessing 2 Guns, One of Them Stolen
Amarilis Merino, a 17-year-old resident of a group home on Burgundy Place in Palm Coast, and Justin Brown, 19, of Lake Gray Blvd. in Jacksonville, were arrested at the Indian Trails Sports Complex after a deputy’s search uncovered two guns and drugs.
Gov. DeSantis Reshaped Florida’s Appeals Courts. It Seems to Be Working Out for Him
The question is whether the conservative monoculture DeSantis and his predecessors have built within the judicial branch is willing to check excesses committed by the executive and legislative branches, which the Republican Party has dominated for decades. The question is being answered in the negative.
County Approves $16 Million for Next Phase on Sheriff’s HQ Construction, and October 2022 Move-In
The project’s “substantial completion date” of the 51,615 square-foot, two-story, $23 million building is now slated for Oct. 10, 2022, almost a year later than projected last December. But there have been no further delays since June.
“I Was Threatened With Death”: School Board’s Janet McDonald Re-Writes History With Fabrication
Flagler County School Board member Janet McDonald at a public workshop of the board last week falsely accused Randy Bertrand, the parent of a student in the district who often addressed the school board, of charging the dais and threatening her life, and accused the board of doing nothing–all proven false by video of the June 2020 meeting.
Flagler Sheriff’s Office Thanks Community for Support for Fallen Hero Detention Deputy Paul Luciano’s Family
The Flagler Sheriff’s Employee Assistance Trust (F.S.E.A.T.) established a GoFundMe account to support DFC Luciano’s family in his line-of-duty death from complications of COVID-19 and the community graciously donated $7,655.
Illegal Images Lead to Allegations that 29-Year-Old Palm Coast Man Was Sexually Victimizing a Child
The case started only as one of possession of illegal images, but took an unexpected turn when some of the illegal images turned out to have been produced by him, involving a child victim. The child and objects in the background were traced to Steven J. Card’s whereabouts at one of two locations.
The Gardens Development Wins Key Battle as Court Finds County Commission Acted Properly in Clearing Project
Preserve Flagler Beach, the grass-roots group opposing The Gardens development on John Anderson highway, had sued the county commission and the developer, charging that the commission’s Nov. 16 decision clearing the way for the development was illegal. Circuit Judge Terence Perkins disagreed.
A 4-Year-Old Child Is Catapulted Out of a U-Turning Car. His Mother Was Oblivious. The Car Kept Going.
A Flagler Beach resident going to work this morning saw a 4-year-old child catapulted out of the back seat of a car that was making a U-turn on State Road 100 and Old Kings Road. The car kept going. The child suffered minor scratches. The child’s mother and his uncle face felony child neglect charges and drug charges.
Assailant of Armed Robbery at GameStop Had Left FPC Campus, and Was Returning There After Heist
GameStop, the store along the Target shopping center adjacent to Kay Jewelers, was the target of a robbery by a student in an alternative program on the campus of Flagler Palm Coast High School. He’d left campus–and was returning there immediately after stealing over $300. A School Resource Officer apprehended him.
L’Darius Smith Is Sentenced to a Year in Jail Over Baseball Bat Incident, Ending Latest But Not Last Court Odyssey
The long, convoluted, at times controversial case of L’Darius Smith ended Friday with his sentencing to a year in jail for aggravated assault, burglary, theft, battery and the improper exhibition of a weapon in a pair of incidents that go back to early 2020 in Palm Coast, that touched on claims of racial prejudice and involved a stand your ground hearing that Smith lost.
17-Year-Old Boy Arrested After Report of a Firearm Pointed Out of a Car at Indian Trails Sports Complex
The report was called in by a juvenile who was at the complex, according to the Sheriff’s Office. The juvenile claimed the incident took place around 3 p.m. and that the Nissan in question was being driven by a juvenile.
A Survivor Tree Grows in Palm Coast: 9/11 Ceremony at Heroes Park Dedicates Sapling From Ground Zero
Saturday evening in Palm Coast, in a 9/11 memorial ceremony organized by Patrick Juliano and the Palm Coast Fire Department, a sapling from the Survivor Tree was dedicated at Heroes Park.