The severity of the punishment signals a turn-around for a court that had previously been willing to give Michael Stavris the benefit of the doubt and a chance at rehabilitation.
Cops/Courts
As Bunnell and Flagler Fight Over Sheriff’s HQ, Nassau County’s Example May Point The Way
As Bunnell serves notice to Flagler County that it intends to go ahead with its challenge of the county’s decision to build a sheriff’s district office in Palm Coast, the county is opening its own possibility of extending the county seat to Palm Coast to get around any constitutional issues.
Mark Radcliff, 56, of Palm Coast, Killed, Daniel Castilloveiti, 34, Hurt in Separate Motorcycle Crashes
Mark Radcliff, 56, of Palm Coast’s F Section, was killed when his motorcycle ran into an vehicle driven by a 17-year-old Matanzas High School student pulling out of the school’s parking lot Wednesday afternoon.
Deemed Competent, Joseph Bova Will Be Tried For 2013 Mobil Mart Murder–and Medicated By Force If Necessary
Joseph Bova is pleading insanity in the February 2013 murder of Zuheily Roman Rosado, a single mother of six. To keep him competent for trial the sheriff’s jail personnel is authorized to use force to keep him on his medications.
Morning House Fire in Bunnell Leaves 3 Homeless, With Red Cross Helping
The small house at 506 East Lambert Street was 82 years old, and was substantially rebuilt 60 years ago. This morning, the 840 square-foot house was heavily damaged and made unlivable in a fire that broke out at 8:15 a.m.
10 Dogs, 8 Cats Seized at Waste-Infested House on Palm Coast’s Waywood Place
Two women face a civil suit filed by Palm Coast to determine whether they “neglected and cruelly treated” the animals and whether they are fit to care for them, according to an animal control report.
Prosecution Drops Further Charges Against Michael Bowling as He Appeals 20-Year Sentence
Michael Bowling was sentenced to 20 years in prison for molesting a 15-year-old, and faced even more serious charges involving his own step-daughter. The state opted to drop those charges.
Ex-Palm Coast Boys and Girls Club Counselor Accused of Molesting Girl There in 2011-12
Dante Mobley’s alleged victim in this case was 8-9 years old. A sex offender, he was released from prison last year after serving five years on a statutory rape charge involving a 14-year-old girl. The present case pre-dates his incarceration.
At Memorial For Curtis Gray, A March Against Violence, Appeals For Conflict Resolution, and ‘Dedication’
Palm Coast’s mayor, school administrators and coaches spoke to hundreds of students and others gathered Sunday in Central Park in memory of Curtis Gray, the Flagler Palm Coast High students shot dead on April 13.
Free Community Emergency Response Team Training Begins May 14
Learn basic disaster response skills – such as fire safety and light search and rescue – at the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training program, which begins on May 14.
All FPC Students Directed to Stadium After School Officials Find Bomb Threat In Bathroom
All Flagler Palm Coast High School students–all 2,600 of them–were diverted to the school’s stadium this morning after a bomb threat was discovered in a school bathroom around 7 a.m.
A Courtroom for a Classroom, Built By Students, Gavels Matanzas High’s Law Flagship
Matanzas High School inaugurated its new courtroom, built by its own students for the school’s law and justice flagship, as the centerpiece of a program intended to develop future lawyers, paralegals and others interested in the law.
Joe Mullins Walks Back $2 Million Deal to Keep Sheriff’s Ops in Bunnell, But Calls for End to Bunnell Police Department
County Commissioner Joe Mullins says he still supports a sheriff’s district office for Bunnell–but also wants the Bunnell Police Department merged with the sheriff’s office, because the city has only a “ceremonial” department.
Agreeing to New Contract for Deputies in Schools, Board and Sheriff Discuss 128 Baker Acts in 2 Years
The school board’s share includes almost $100,000 for nine school crossing guards. It does not include about $110,000 that Palm Coast contributes for the school resource deputy program.
House Would Toughen Driving and Texting Law But Opposes Hands-Free Only Use of Devices
Police could pull over motorists texting and driving, under a House measure, but the House opposes a Senate proposal that would allow only hands-free use of cell phones while driving.
Special Needs School Bus Headed to Belle Terre Elementary With 9 Aboard in Minor Collision
A special needs Flagler County school bus was involved in a minor collision at Rymfire Drive and Rickenbacker Drive in Palm Coast just after 9 this morning. No one was injured.
Bunnell Condemns County’s Decision to Move Sheriff’s Building to Palm Coast, Threatening Lawsuit and Kindling Feud
The Bunnell City Commission approved an angry resolution against the county, instigating a feud that county officials say is misconstruing the county’s and sheriff’s intentions and missing the bigger picture.
Video Shows Shooting Outside Bunnell Circle K as Detectives Still Seek ID of Gunman
A weapon was recovered that may be tied to the shooting outside a Circle K store in Bunnell Sunday night–a shooting and the fight that preceded it captured by the store’s surveillance video.
Moments Before Trial, Jerald Medders Pleads to 15 Years in Prison On Charges of Raping 16 Year Old
Jerald Medders, the 53-year-old Palm Coast resident, faced a minimum of 30 years in prison and up to life if convicted by a jury, which had already been seated for the week-long trial, when Medders changed his mind and pleaded.
In Jerald Medders Trial, Alleged Sex Crimes Are Triggers to Several Jurors’ Previous Traumas
Several potential jurors were excused Monday during jury selection in the trial of Jerald Medders, 53, who is accused of unlawful sex with a minor, as the jurors spoke of their own traumas.
18-Year-Old Man Shot at Bunnell’s Circle K During an Argument, Suspect Sought
An 18-year-old man was shot in the back outside the Bunnell Circle K on State Road 100 shortly after 8 p.m. Sunday. The man survived. Authorities are looking for a suspect seen in surveillance video.
Sheriff Provides State of Policing in Flagler in 2nd ‘Fighting Crime Together’ Meeting
Sheriff Rick Staly held a public meeting on “Addressing Crime Together” at the Hilton Garden Inn in Palm Coast on Thursday afternoon to discuss crime trends, past and future initiatives.
An Unusual Re-Arrest of ‘Person of Interest’ in Curtis Gray Shooting on an Unrelated Charge
Teresa Salgado, wanted as a person of interest in the shooting death of Curtis Gray last Saturday, was arrested on an LSD possession charge from a January incident in which she had already been arrested and bonded out.
Hands-Free Cell Use In Car May Become Requirement in Florida Under Senate Plan
The House measure matches the Senate proposal in shifting texting while driving from a “secondary” offense to a “primary” offense, but it doesn’t impose a hands-free requirement.
Rumored Threat of Retaliation For Curtis Gray Killing ‘Unfounded’ as Security Is Beefed Up at FPC
The unfounded rumor about possible retaliation related to the shooting death of 18-year-old FPC student Curtis Gray reflects continuing concern by law enforcement and the school district over further consequences from the shooting.
Flagler Commission Will Build New, $12-15 Million Sheriff’s Operations Center by Palm Coast Library, Condemning ‘Mold Ops’
The Flagler County Commission this evening voted unanimously to build a new Flagler County Sheriff’s Operations Center–in Palm Coast, next to the county library on Palm Coast Parkway.
For Marion Gavins Jr., 17, Accused of Murdering Curtis Gray, a Life of Crime Since He Was 13
Marion Gavins’s arrest on a murder charge Sunday was the culmination of four years of run-ins with school authorities, suspensions, expulsions, run-ins with sheriff’s deputies, arrests, stints in the criminal justice system’s juvenile division, probation and house arrest.
Marion Leo Gavins Jr. Turns Himself In, Ending 36-Hour Search After Killing of Curtis Gray
Marion Leo Gavins Jr., the 17-year-old Palm Coast suspect wanted in the shooting of Curtis Gray, 18, early Saturday morning, turned himself in to Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies this afternoon.
Curtis Gray Murder Investigation: Sheriff Seeking Suspect Marion Leo Gavins Jr., 17
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s help in locating Marion Leo Gavins Jr., 17, of Palm Coast. He’s been charged in the shooting death of Curtis Gray, 18, Saturday morning.
FPC’s Curtis Gray, 18, Is Shot and Killed Outside Coin Laundry in Palm Coast
Curtis Gray, 18, a Flagler Palm Coast High School senior, was shot and killed outside a smoke shop and coin laundry off Belle Terre Parkway at 12:36 this morning, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said.
Calling Judge, Jury and Prosecution a ‘Travesty,’ Michael Bowling Is Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison in Sleep-Over Molestation
Michael Craig Bowling was sentenced to two consecutive terms totaling 20 years plus 10 years’ sex-offender probation after a conviction for molesting a 15-year-old girl visiting his step-daughter for a sleep-over.
A Palm Coast Man’s 5-Year Prison Sentence for Armed Robbery Exposes Intersection of Opioids, Suicide and Crime
Gary Wayne Hodges, 35, faced life in prison before his sentence for the armed robbery of a Dollar General in Bunnell last year. The judge was lenient, however, because of his history.
License Plate Readers and ID Technology Lead to Palm Coast Arrest of Long-Time Fugitive
Changa Bush is a 40-year-old transient and fugitive wanted in New York on a parole violation since 2016. License plate readers in St. Johns and Flagler led to his arrest in Bunnell this morning.
Between Batterers’ Classes and Ankle Monitors, A Few Strides Against Domestic Violence in Flagler
The latest update of the sheriff’s domestic violence task force pointed to a few gains but mostly through a more robust investigative and monitoring system, and the addition of anger management classes in Flagler.
AAA-Plus: Road Rangers Patrols Begin on I-95 in Flagler, Assisting Break-Downs, Free
Road Rangers assist motorists whose vehicles have become disabled, and provide assistance during traffic incidents with their flashing lights and other visual-lighted signage that urges drivers to give first responders safe space.
Deputies Seeking Public Help in 2nd Day Of Chasing Man Wanted On Multiple Charges
The suspect is Justin Tyler Blake, 24, described as having dark colored shaggy hair down to his shoulders, a full, dark-colored beard, and wearing wearing a black t-shirt and black pants. He’s wanted on felony eluding and assault charges, and on a domestic violence charge, among others.
In a First, FPC’s Bulldog Patrol Presents Safety Plan to Marjorie Stoneman Commission, Drawing Raves and Calls to Scale Statewide
A six-student team of problem solvers presented their student-centered safety plan to the state commission established after the Parkland school massacre, and were asked by several commission members to spread their plan statewide, including at the Broward school.
Renner’s Panel Goes Jekyll and Hyde on Felons, Easing Punishments But Not Voting Rights
The House Judiciary Committee Palm Coast’s Paul Renner chairs on Tuesday passed a crime bill that eases some punishments and makes it easier for felons to reintegrate society but also passed a restrictive interpretation of Amendment 4 and felons’ right to vote.
52-Year-Old Palm Coast Man Charged In Sexual Abuse of a Woman Since She Was 12
Leon Norman Wiley Jr., 52, is charged with sexual battery–or rape–of a custodian over a victim between the age of 12, a first degree felony with a potential for life in prison.
James McDevitt Back in Flagler This Week To Contest 40-Year Sentence and Rape Conviction
James McDevitt, the former Palm Coast resident serving 40 years on a 2015 conviction for rape, is alleging ineffective counsel by two successive lawyers.
Florida House Unanimously Approves Plan That Would Permanently Add a County Judge in Flagler
The Florida House on Thursday unanimously approved a plan to add two new county judges, one of them in Flagler, where County Judge Melissa Distler’s workload has long been among the heaviest in the state.
FPC Student Charged With Threatening School Shooting Was Twice Charged With Raping Young Children
James G. Cooke III, the 17-year-old Flagler Palm Coast High School student charged on Thursday night with a felony for allegedly making a video SnapChat threat of shooting up an unspecified school, was twice before charged with raping children, according to arrest records.
Snapchat Video Threatening a School Shooting Leads to 17-Year-Old FPC Student’s Arrest
A 17-year-old Flagler Palm Coast High School student was arrested just before midnight Thursday after a Snapchat video sent under the name “Jimmy Boy,” showing ammunition and a message–“I’m ready to shoot up the school”–was detected by a county resident and traced back to the student.
Flagler Tourism Director Matt Dunn Is Suspended; County Seeking Criminal Investigation
Matt Dunn, Flagler County government’s tourism director for the past five years, was placed on paid administrative leave this morning pending the outcome of a criminal or administrative investigation. Dunn’s future with the county appears tenuous.
12-Year-Old Girl Pulls Out Small Knife When Boy Refuses To Move From Her Seat
A knife incident involving a 12-year-old student at Buddy Taylor Middle School broke a nearly seven-week lull in school-safety incidents Wednesday morning. No one was hurt.
House Prepared To Raise Threshold For Felony Shoplifting From $300 to $1,000
Efforts to raise the threshold amount for the first time since 1986 have stalled in the Legislature in the past. This year’s proposal (HB 589) has steadily moved forward in the House, as criminal-justice reform advocates say there is momentum to pass such measures.
At Drug Court Graduation, Captors Become Heroes, and a City Manager Tells Of the Shooting That Made Him an ‘Orphan’
Flagler County Drug Court graduated four participants after a grueling process, and Alvin Jackson, the Bunnell city manager, who was the keynote speaker, described how his mother shot his father in self-defense.
A Woman Is Injured In 2-Vehicle, Roll-Over Crash at U.S. 1 and Education Way
A two-vehicle crash at U.S. 1 near Royal Palms Parkway sent a woman to the hospital in a trauma alert and shut down U.S. 1 southbound from Whiteview Parkway shortly after noon today.
Past Prison Sentences Could Be Reduced as Criminal Justice Reform Advances at Legislature
A bill that would give the Legislature power to decide on a law-by-law basis whether to reduce past prison sentences cleared a Senate panel Monday following tearful testimony from criminal-justice reform advocates.
Flagler Commission Approves Pair of Buildings For Sheriff’s Temporary Use It Opposed 6 Weeks Ago
The Flagler County Commission approved a pair of metal buildings for $240,000 totaling 4,000 square feet to accommodate evidence storage and crime analysis now that the sheriff is without an operations center.