Pointing to “serious doubts” about the lawsuit, an appeals court Friday put on hold a circuit judge’s ruling that said Gov. Ron DeSantis overstepped his constitutional authority in a July 30 executive order aimed at preventing school mask mandates.
Cops/Courts
Federal Judge Issues Injunction Against Florida’s Protest Law, Calling It ‘Vague and Overbroad’
Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker on Thursday blocked a controversial state law that enhances penalties and creates new crimes in protests that turn violent. Walker, who has frequently clashed with the DeSantis administration and the GOP-controlled Legislature, granted the plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction blocking DeSantis and three sheriffs from enforcing the law.
Palm Coast Policing Budget Will Jump 42% with 10 New Deputies, Tax Rate Will Dip a Smidge, but at Reserves’ Expense
The Palm Coast City Council Thursday evening ended weeks of wrangling over its budget and tax rate and voted 3-2 to approve awarding the sheriff all 10 requested additional deputies and reduce the tax rate enough to save the average homesteaded homeowner about $11, while using $530,000 from city reserves to make the numbers work.
27-Year-Old Man Arrested for Child Kidnapping and Grand Theft
Andrew T. Allen is a 27-year-old transient. Wednesday night, he was arrested and charged with kidnapping of a minor, a first-degree felony, grand theft and battery as a result of an incident that began at the Circle K at 890 Palm Coast Parkway.
Stay on Mask Ruling Is Lifted, Enabling Local School Boards to Impose Mandate–Until the Next Ruling
Leon County Circuit Judge John C. Cooper today lifted the stay on his own ruling that declared illegal Gov. Ron DeSantis’s executive order banning mask mandates in schools. That opens the way for school districts to impose mandates if they wish–at least until the next step in the case’s legal journey.
Flagler Tiger Bay Club’s Free 9/11 Program Features Ex-Chief of Border Patrol Michael Fisher
The Flagler Tiger Bay Club welcomes Chief Michael Fisher for a 9/11 Commemorative 20th Anniversary public program at 4 p.,. at the Flagler Auditorium.
Bob Newsholme, In Apparent Attempted Suicide 2 Weeks Ago, Investigated for Fraud in Tax Business
Flagler Sheriff’s and IRS agents served a search warrant on Robert “Bob” Newsholme’s Flagler Tax Services business in Bunnell two weeks after Newsholme shot himself at his home in an apparent but failed suicide attempt. He faces at least a dozen investigations for fraud.
An Arsonist’s Redemption: How Daniel Da Costa Avoided 35 Years in Prison on the Strength of His Own Recovery
Daniel Soares Da Costa, now 27, was facing 35 years in prison for setting fires outside a Publix off Belle Terre Parkway in Palm Coast 16 months ago. The story behind Da Costa’s act–his addiction, the loss of his father, and his recovery since his arrest all played into the prosecution’s and the judge’s leniency in a case illustrative of the judicial system’s rehabilitative side.
Prank 911 Call Claiming School Shooting at Rymfire Elementary Nets 2 Felony Charges for 11-Year-Old Girl
An 11-year-old girl was booked at the Flagler County jail on two felony and a misdemeanor charge after allegedly placing a 911 call on Thursday claiming there was an ongoing shooting at Rymfire Elementary, the school she attends.
‘Our Darkest Hour’: Flagler County Sheriff Eulogizes Deputy Paul ‘Looch’ Luciano, ‘Invisible Hero’ Felled by Pandemic
“This is a tough day for all of us. And, we begin this service doing the same thing we have been doing for the last 7 days, wondering why Paul lost his life serving and protecting our community. We may never know that answer,” Sheriff Rick Staly said today in his eulogy of Corrections Deputy Paul Luciano, the jail’s first line-of-duty death in the department’s history.
Flagler Sheriff’s Ex-Counsel Says She Was ‘Forced to Resign’ Over Tactless Opinions; Rick Staly Responds
On Aug. 25, the News-Journal’s Frank Fernandez reported on the resignation of Theresa Pontieri, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office’s recently hired general counsel, after the News-Journal had inquired about inflammatory videos she had posted on a conservative social media platform.
Limited Public Opposition to New Fire Truck Weighs In as Flagler Beach Commission Reasserts Need and Support
A town hall-like workshop to give the public a chance to weigh in on Flagler Beach’s proposed purchase of a new fire truck did not change dynamics: a commission largely supportive of the purchase, and a small minority strongly opposed.
LPR ‘Hit’ Leads to Felony Traffic Stop in WNZF’s Parking Lot, But Fugitive Is Not on Board
A minor bit of news unfolded in WNZF Newsradio’s parking lot Tuesday afternoon as Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies, guns drawn, pulled over the occupants of a vehicle registered to a person with a felony warrant. The incident was resolved with one arrest, but not of the person sought.
Lawmaker and Non-Profit Sue Department of Health Over Its Refusal to Release Previously Available Covid Data
The Florida Center for Government Accountability and House Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, an Orlando Democrat, late Monday sued the Florida Department of Health and Surgeon General Scott Rivkees over the department’s refusal to provide Covid-related statistical records it used to make public daily.
Flagler County FireFlight and Paramedics Practice Marine Rescue Techniques in Intracoastal
Flagler County Fire Rescue Marine Rescue Team and FireFlight last week (August 25) practiced marine rescue techniques on the Intracoastal Waterway to hone their skills should they be called out to save a swimmer or boater. Would-be rescuers also used the county’s jet ski as part of the training exercise.
Is It a Crime to Forge a Vaccine Card?
When people are caught knowingly buying, selling or using false cards, the proof of guilt will often be clear. The real question is about the appropriate punishment. The law gives prosecutors and judges huge discretion on how to charge and sentence offenders.
Federal Judge Tangles with DeSantis Administration Lawyer Over ‘Rabbit Hole’ Protest Law
The Dream Defenders, the Florida State Conference of the NAACP and other organizations allege in a lawsuit that the measure, approved by Republican legislators and signed by DeSantis this spring, is unconstitutionally vague, has a “chilling” effect on First Amendment rights and gives local police too much power.
Family Dollar Arsonist Pleads to Probation, New Sentencing Trial for Death-Row Inmate Cornelius Baker in Spring
Tonya Bennett had faced up to 30 years in prison fora first-degree felony arson charge. She will serve 10 years’ probation if the judge agrees to the plea terms. Cornelius Baker, sentenced to die for the murder of Elizabeth Uptagrafft in 2007, will get a new sentencing-phase trial sometime in spring.
Flagler County Fire Rescue’s Jake Gonzalez, Jon Moscowitz, and Dylan Pontorno Promoted to Lieutenant
Three of Flagler County’s firefighters have been promoted to the rank of lieutenant after distinguishing themselves within their former roles, extensive education and training, and comprehensive testing. Jake Gonzalez, Jon Moscowitz, and Dylan Pontorno were promoted out of the 13 applicants who tested.
Palm Coast Council Has Votes to Increase Deputies By More than 6 and Lower Tax Rate Symbolically
The Palm Coast City Council is in a 3-2 split that would approve lowering the property tax rate symbolically and increase the number of deputies the sheriff is requesting to police the city by more than the six the administration had been prepared to award.
Fallen Deputy’s Daughter’s Anguish: ‘This Virus Has Come Home, It’s Everywhere and It’s Killing the People We Love’
Tina Luciano, the 30-year-old daughter of Paul Luciano, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Corrections Deputy who died on Thursday of covid complications, had written of witnessing her father’s struggle three weeks ago, and wrote again after losing him on Thursday, both times voicing her grief–and both times urging people to get vaccinated.
Covid’s Casualties: Sheriff’s Deputy Paul Luciano Dies in Flagler, Circuit Judge Steven Henderson Dies in Volusia
Flagler County Sheriff’s Correction Deputy Paul Luciano was 60. Volusia County Circuit Judge Steven Henderson was 49. Both were still in their prime, at work as professionals and at home as family men. Neither fit the profile of Covid casualties, at least not of previous covid waves. Henderson died of the disease on Thursday at a hospital in Volusia County. Luciano died the same day at AdventHealth Palm Coast.
Judge Rules DeSantis Had No Authority to Ban School Mask Mandates or Punish School Boards That Adopt Masking
Judge John Cooper of the 2nd Judicial Circuit Court of Florida ruled today that Gov. Ron DeSantis had no legal authority under the recently-enacted Parental Bill of Rights to prohibit local school boards from adopting mask mandates that did not include opt-out provisions. The judge found DeSantis’s order “capricious” and not based in evidence, but rather based on an incomplete reading of the Bill of Rights.
Half of Florida’s Students Now in Districts Defying DeSantis Ban on Mask Mandates as Judge Readies to Rule
Circuit Judge John Cooper said he was “still wrestling” with the “sophisticated legal issues” presented in the case and promised to issue a verbal decision at 10 a.m. Friday. DeSantis on Thursday promised to appeal if Cooper does not side with the state.
Bob Newsholme of Flagler Tax Service Shoots Himself in the Chest, and Tells His Son 10 Hours Later
Robert “Bob” Newsholme, a Palm Coast resident and the long-time owner of Flagler Tax Service in Bunnell was trauma-evacuated to a hospital in Daytona Beach Tuesday 10 hours after he revealed to his family that he’d shot himself.
As 8 School Districts Approve Mask Mandates, DeSantis Administration Argues in Court Against Them
As the legal battle plays out, eight school districts as of Tuesday afternoon had voted to require masks for students, with exceptions only for students whose parents submit doctors’ notes. The mask mandates in the eight counties cover an estimated 1.23 million students, based on state enrollment data from the 2020-2021 school year.
Target of an Injunction and Embroiled in Domestic Violence Allegation, Flagler Sheriff’s Deputy Lentino Resigns
Robert Lentino, the 26-year-old Palm Coast resident suspended from his job as a Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy in early July over allegations of domestic violence, resigned today. His ex-girlfriend alleges he physically abused her and misused his patrol car to intimidate her.
Gunnar Galambos, 27, Faces Felony Charges After Violent Weekend Incident Involving 3 Victims at Johnny D’s
Gunnar Joseph Galambos, 27, is accused of violently assaulting Johnny D’s manager and pulling a gun on two patrons, and was seen striking his girlfriend, who did not want to pursue charges as the other alleged victims are. The Saturday incident drew a large police response including a helicopter and a K-9 unit as cops searched for Galambos, eventually finding him in Palm Coast.
In a Victory for Public Beach Access, Federal Court Rules in Favor of ‘Customary Use’ of Sands on Private Portions
Flagler County in 2018 passed an ordinance similar to the town ordinance the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld today. The court’s decision backed the county over property owners who argued a 2018 Florida law gave them the right to exclude beach-goers from the dry portions of privately owned beach.
A 13-Year-Old Mondex Girl Faces Felony Charge Over Threatening Video and Texts
On the fourth day of the new schoolyear, a 13-year-old Bunnell girl became the first student to be arrested on a felony charge that has sent dozens of students through the judicial system since 2018: making written threats to kill.
County’s Budget Agreement Nets Sheriff 10 of 15 Requested Deputies and $400,000 Mobile Command Vehicle
The Flagler County Commission this afternoon agreed to lower the county’s property tax by a symbolic decimal point next year, though county revenue will still grow by nearly $6 million and the sheriff will get an additional $2.2 million, ensuring the addition of 10 new deputies and a $400,000 mobile command center.
Two Palm Coast Men and Girl, 17, Accused of Smashing Spree and Burglary at Old Dixie Motel Eyesore
The trio claimed friends told them the old Country Hearth Inn on Old Dixie Highway was a fun place to go to smash things. The long-disused motel was acquired by a company in May and was ostensibly undergoing renovations.
Flagler’s Prescribed Fire Program Supervisor Assigned to Northern California’s “Monument Fire”
Flagler County Prescribed Fire Program Supervisor Michael Orlando has been assigned to the Monument Fire in Northern California’s Shasta-Trinity National Forest, well north of Sacramento.
Nysean D. Giddens, 23, Charged With Manslaughter in Overdose Death of Shaun Callahan
Nysean Giddens is the fifth Flagler County resident criminally charged in the death of another person after an overdose. The four previous indictments were on first-degree felony charges. Two of the four have have been convicted.
Palm Coast and Flagler at Risk of Overfunding Police
Policing in Flagler has never been at risk of “defunding,” nor have relations between police and the community lacked for cohesion and respect. But Sheriff Staly’s request for 25 additional deputies from Palm Coast and the county overplay a hand, while both governments are teetering on going along with what would be overfunding police, at the expense of other needs.
Palm Coast Man Accused of Shooting Into a Neighbor’s House Wants to Go Home. Judge Swiftly Says No.
The swiftness of Circuit Judge Terence Perkins’s decision, paired with the brief but wrenching testimony of one of the victims, was a passing illustration of how the casualness of gun wielding in a county where almost a fifth of adult residents have a concealed weapon permit at times results in severe consequences–and potentially deadly incidents, with continuing ramifications for all involved.
Man Who Killed Flagler Sheriff’s Deputy Chuck Sease in 2003 Wants Clemency, Half-Way of 35-Year Prison Sentence
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly and State Attorney R.J. Larizza have written the state clemency board stern letters opposing any commutation of sentence for Bruce Grove, the now-46-year-old former Palm Coast resident serving 35 years in prison for the killing of Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy Charles “Chuck” Sease in 2003 as Grove was eluding other deputies in a chase.
Judge Will Weigh DeSantis Order Banning Mask Mandates in Schools
A Leon County circuit judge has scheduled a hearing Friday in a lawsuit filed by parents challenging an executive order by Gov. Ron DeSantis that seeks to prevent school districts from requiring students to wear masks during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Flagler Commissioners Want to Cut Tax Rate, Give Sheriff 15 Deputies And Force Staff to Cut $2 Million in County Services
A majority of Flagler county commissioners ignored their administrator’s and finance director’s numbers and proposals today and told their staff to find ways to cut $2 million from the county’s own budget while ensuring that the sheriff and other constitutional officers, such as the clerk of court and supervisor of elections, get all the budget increases they’re asking for.
A Trip Between ‘Friends’ Through Palm Coast Turns Into a Carjacking, and an Arrest on 1st Degree Felony Charge
Stephen Morel, 36, was driving with a friend through Palm Coast when the car overheated, and Morel got upset that the driver pulled over, so Morel allegedly carjacked the vehicle, and was soon afteward arrested at the Flagler-St. Johns County line.
A Flagler Beach Man Is Accused of Statutory Rape of a Minor Visiting Flagler
Justin M. Wallace, a 21-year-old new Flagler resident, from Massachusetts, faces three second-degree felony counts involving a minor who’d been visiting Flagler Beach with her parents.
Flagler County Fire Rescue Lt. Andrew Keppler of Storied Local Family of Firefighters Retires
Fire Rescue Lt. Andrew Keppler recently retired after a 28-year career that began in 1993 with the St. John’s Park Volunteer Fire Department, which is now Flagler County Station 71.
Sheriff’s Office Seeks Public’s Help Locating Fugitive in Grand Theft Case
The FCSO General Assignment Unit obtained an arrest warrant for Gonzalez-Merlo. Gonzalez- Merlo has a criminal history in Duval County. He’s been previously charged with Grand Theft of a Motor Vehicle and Resisting Officer Without Violence.
Robert Batie, Accused Rapist of 16-Year-Old Patient, Was Employed By Practice Working With Flagler Schools
Therapist Robert Batie was arrested on four charges of molesting and raping a 16-year-old patient at his office on Hargrove Grade in Palm Coast. He had worked with Palm Coast Counseling, engaged by Flagler schools since 2020 to provide mental health services to students at the practice or elsewhere.
James Harris of Jimmy’s Hang 10 Will Remain in Jail Pending Trial as Judge Denies Motion for Bond
Circuit Judge Terence Perkins this afternoon denied a motion by James Harris’s attorney to release Harris from jail, on bond, pending trial on three charges of molestation involving his stepdaughter over what she says is a period of five years. She is 14. Harris is the 61-year-old owner of Jimmy’s Hang 10, the Flagler Beach restaurant, who was arrested on July 2.
A Man Is Killed in 2-Car Crash on Royal Palms Parkway at Point Pleasant Drive
A two-vehicle crash just past midday at Royal Palms Parkway and Point Pleasant Drive in Palm Coast resulted in the death of one of the drivers, according to authorities. The Palm Coast Fire Police shut down Royal Palms Parkway at Belle Terre Parkway to the west and Town Center Boulevard to the east.
Crisis at the Border: Sheriff Staly’s On-the-Ground Report on a ‘Failed Immigration Policy’ Affecting All Communities
Earlier this month Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly took part in a fact-finding trip along the Texas side of the border with Mexico with several other law enforcement officials and U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla. “The border crisis,” he argues, “is coming to you whether you like it or not.”
Changing Crime Reporting Practices to Do Less Harm
Acknowledging that journalism can inflict wounds unnecessarily, AP will no longer name those arrested for minor crimes when the news service is unlikely to cover the story’s subsequent developments. Often, such stories’ publication hinges on an odd or entertaining quirk, and the names are irrelevant. Yet, the ramifications can loom large and be long-lasting for the persons named.
Sheriff’s K-9 Unit Named Trailing Team of the Year For 2nd Year in a Row
K-9 Holmes joined the FCSO in April of 2018 and began working with Commander Gimbel. The K-9 Unit made national news after FCSO requested the help of the community in naming the first bloodhound the Agency has had in decades.
63-Year-Old Palm Coast Man Dies in 2-Vehicle Crash at West Hampton Drive and Pine Lakes Parkway
A 63-year-old Palm Coast resident died in a two-vehicle car crash at West Hampton Drive and Pine Lakes Parkway just past 3 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The death, however, appears to have been the result of a heart attack.