Jaime Hutcherson, a 23-year-old resident of Palm Coast, was killed following a wreck on U.S. 1 Saturday night after Hutcherson, riding his motorcycle, violently struck an SUV from behind, just past the Hess station and convenience store.
Cops/Courts
Flagler County Fire Flight Knocks Down Brush Blaze Within Yards of Plantation Bay Homes
A brush fire broke out just after noon today in a wooded area immediately behind a line of houses in Plantation Bay. The fire, within some 20 yards of the houses, was quickly put out by Flagler County Fire Flight and Volusia County Fire Rescue crews.
Crime in Flagler County Declines Again, Adding Another Wrinkle to Sheriff’s Race
Flagler County Sheriff Don Fleming was quick to tout the 6.2 percent crime rate decline in the first six months of 2012 as vindication of his policies, while his opponent, Jim Manfre, a former sheriff, pointed out that crime was lower during his tenure.
To Reduce Jail Overcrowding, Civil Citations Are Advocated For Lesser Offenders
Florida’s criminal justice system has seen some success with using alternatives to lock-ups for juvenile offenders. It’s been so successful that there’s a burgeoning movement to increase the use of non-jail diversion programs with non-violent adult offenders, which could have significant impact in Flagler County.
Van Carrying 75 Car Batteries Overturns on 95 Near SR100, Spilling Acid and Causing Delays
A van transporting some 75 vehicle batteries and traveling north on I-95, just north of State Road 100 in Palm Coast, lost control from a tire blow-out and overturned into the southbound lanes, spilling batteries, acid and candy. The driver was evacuated to Halifax with traumatic injuries.
Blaze at Woodstone Lane House With Troubled History Termed “Absolutely” Suspicious
A fire that broke out late Tuesday night at 20 Woodstone Lane in Palm Coast is the latest in a series of incidents that have involved homeowners Harold and Karen Pizzetta since September.
Three Men Stabbed at Hammock Community Center Party; No One Is Talking
The Halloween party took place at the Hammock Community Center on Malacompra Road Friday night and broke up after a big fight early Saturday morning, but the victims would not speak, and most witnesses had scattered before cops were able to investigate. The investigation is ongoing.
Another Feather in Bird’s Cap as Fire Flight Rescues 2 Mud Muckers Lost Overnight
Wayne Oley, 30, and Brigett Madorma, 24, lost their ATV in the wilds of Mud Muckers’s 19,000 acres Sunday night, and were lost after that, until Fire Flight spotted them Monday morning, shivering from a cold night but otherwise fine.
William Merrill, Who Shot and Killed His Wife With an AK-47, Is Sentenced to 25 Years
William Carson Merrill, who shot his wife with an AK-47 in their Palm Coast home in February as she gave their daughter a bath and he played with the assault rifle, faced a maximum of 30 years for manslaughter–almost what Judge Raul Zambrano handed down in a full courtroom Monday afternoon.
County Line Bar in The Mondex Burns in Mysterious Morning Fire; No Injuries
The County Line Bar in Daytona North, or the Mondex, went up in flames Monday morning just after 11 a.m. for unknown reasons. The fire was still burning at noon.