Joanne Jones, 84, was pinned and killed in a t-bone crash at the intersection of Utility Drive and Old Kings Road at 5 p.m. Wednesday. Two others–a man and a woman–suffered minor injuries.
Cops/Courts
Clarity on Shooting Death of Brandi Celenza in F-Section May Take Weeks, Possibly Months
Sheriff Rick Staly said it could be months before the case of 25-year-old Brandi Celenza’s death by gunshot is resolved. But the sheriff said he is confident of a resolution.
Sticking With Motorola, Flagler Rejects Bid Protest Over $14.8 Million Contract For Emergency Communications
The Flagler County Commission in a special meeting today rejected Communications International’s protest over a bid that went to Motorola to build critical emergency communications infrastructure.
Two Flagler School Buses Involved In Minor Incidents In Thursday’s Afternoon Runs
Neither incident was serious, but at least one of them led to inaccurate rumors on social media that a weapon was involved: it never was.
AR-15s in Flagler Schools, Traffic Cops in Mustangs, New Marine Unit: Sheriff Staly’s State of Policing
Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly spoke to some 75 people Thursday on a re-energized state of policing in Palm Coast and the county, summing up initiatives and coming developments.
Spirit Ride’s Coffin Honoring Fallen Tow Operators and Other Emergency Responders Makes Ceremonial Stop in Bunnell
The ceremonial casket is part of American Towman’s Spirit Ride pilgrimage through 200 cities across the country to bring attention to the dangers emergency responders face every day.
A Palm Coast Resident Says “School Shooting” In a Facebook Video That Has Nothing To Do with School Shootings. Cops Show Up.
Tony Lagano, 35, was upset over a family court issue and alluded to a school shooting in a sarcastic Facebook video last week, only to be visited by sheriff’s deputies.
Matanzas High School Girl Reports Being Raped By Another Juvenile at Her Home
An investigation is ongoing into the allegation of a rape of a 16-year-old girl after the alleged perpetrator asked to meet the girl to “catch up.”
Flagler School Board Wants To Snoop on Students’ Social Media, And Maybe Yours. Wrong Move.
The School Board is set to contract with Social Sentinel, a company that will troll social media accounts across Flagler for $18,500 and issue “alerts” to select officials. It’s an inappropriate move down a slippery slope.
Ballot Proposal Would Ensure Crime Victims Have Their Say in Plea Agreements and Sentencing
The proposal, which will need support from 60 percent of voters in November, would seek to ensure the rights of victims to receive information and provide input during criminal cases.
Wendell Parker, 32, Killed, Woman Critical in Head-On I-95 Collision North of Palm Coast Parkway
A man was killed early this morning and a woman is in critical condition following a head-on collision on I-95, just north of the interchange with Palm Coast Parkway..
7 New Sheriff’s Deputies, 143% Cost Increase as Outline of Flagler’s School Safety Takes Shape
Sheriff Staly and Superintendent Tager are negotiating an increase of the school deputies’ program to $1.8 million split 50-50, with the schools’ share paid by the state and the sheriff’s by the County Commission.
Flagler Judge Scott DuPont Called “Unfit,” “Outrageous,” “Disturbing,” “Beyond Reckless” and Contemptuous of Law
A devastating 21-page opinion by a disciplinary judicial commission repeats in harsher language a call for Judge Scott DuPont’s removal, a recommendation going before the Supreme Court.
West Flagler Man Faces Kidnapping and Assault Charges Involving Woman Picked Up in Daytona
Jesse Alan Pack is accused of kidnapping a woman in Daytona Beach and driving her to Flagler, where she reported escaping on County Road 200 near U.S. 1.
Pick-Up Flips on Old Kings, Driver Arrested For DUI, Palm Coast Firefighter Injured
Lt. Brian Mugford of the Palm Coast Fire Department injured his foot when looking for other patients: the driver of the pick-up had falsely claimed someone else had been driving, and had run off.
Sheriff Staly’s Heimlich Saves Elected Party Official’s Life at Candidate Forum
Sharon Demers, an elected Republican state committeewoman and a former candidate for school board, was choking when Staly successfully executed a Heimlich maneuver on her.
Man, 59, Critical After He Was Found Submerged in a U-Section Swale as Children Returned From School
David A. Niesse is in critical condition after he was found face-down in a waterlogged swale in front of his Palm Coast house, a scene that left a busload of Imagine School students shaken Tuesday.
20 Years in Prison for Ex-Soccer Coach Who Molested Boys at Palm Coast Academy; He Faces New Rape Charge
Sean Stern was a program director at Palm Coast’s ex-Sports Pathways soccer academy for boys and girls, where he molested at least three boys over many months.
Trump Picks 5th District Court of Appeal’s Wendy Berger for Central Florida Federal Court
Wendy Berger serves on the Daytona Beach-based 5th DCA and was a Jeb Bush aide. Trump nominated her to the federal bench’s Middle District of Florida.
Flagler Approves $14.8 Million Next-Gen Emergency Communication System, But Faces Bid Protest
Motorola won the $14.8 million contract to upgrade the emergency communications system every local first responder and other workers depend on, but Flagler faces a protest from CI, the other bidder and provider of the existing system.
Flagler Sheriff’s Corporal Counseled Over Racial Slur, Latest Revelation Since November
James Miley, a Flagler County Sheriff’s corporal, was counseled verbally in February after a deputy reported that Miley had used a racial slur while referring to a Latino subordinate.
Addiction Drug Vivitrol’s Side Effect: More Overdoses?
Researchers suggest people getting Vivitrol shots may be more susceptible to a fatal overdose if they halt the regimen early and resume using opiates.
Gunshot Kills Brandi Celenza, 25, on Palm Coast’s Felter Ln. in “Definitely Suspicious” Incident
Brandi Celenza, 25, died of a gunshot today at 23 Felter Lane in Palm Coast in what authorities at the scene are describing as a suspicious incident–for now.
Sheriff Staly, FHP’s Pete Young and 2 Lesser Lights Compete For Fastest Lawman On The Draw
The Law Enforcement Shootout on April 15 at the Ag Museum features defending Champion Staly against FHP’s Pete Young, Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood and Putnam Sheriff “Gator” Deloach.
30-Acre Brushfire Shuts Down I-95 in Volusia Again; Florida Forest Service Marks Wildfire Awareness Week
FHP shut down I-95 from mile marker 257 to 261 in both directions as a 30-acre fire jumped the interstate, forcing firefighters to battle the blaze from both sides.
Paul Miller Loses Latest Appeal of Life Sentence for Dana Mulhall’s Murder in Flagler Beach
Circuit Judge Dennis Craig ruled that even if a use-of-force expert had been heard at trial, the jury would not have found grounds for self-defense and convicted Miller, now 70, of murdering Dana Mulhall.
Jury Finds Ex-Elections Supervisor Kimberle Weeks Guilty On All 7 Felony Counts of Illegally Recording Others
Former Flagler County Elections Supervisor Kimberle Weeks was found guilty on felony counts that she illegally recorded other officials during her tenure.
Flagman Is Struck and Killed By Van on Colbert Lane Repaving Project, Near Waterfront Park
A flagman working for Halifax Paving on the Colbert Lane resurfacing project in Palm Coast was struck by a work van this afternoon, and later died at the scene.
Kimberle Weeks Trial Day 3: Defense Opts Against Putting On a Case, Relying on Outlier Theory Instead
In an echo of Kimberle Weeks’s own irreverence toward established law, her lawyers are arguing an untested and unusual interpretation of what amounts to a public meeting: all conversations between public officials involving public business.
Trial Day 2: Jury Hears Kim Weeks Insult Secretary of State and Others As Ken Detzner Sat in Witness Box
Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner was a star witness for the prosecution today, saying Kim Weeks recorded him without his permission. he then heard her call him a “dumb bastard.”
Fugitive Felon Leads Deputies On Chase Across Palm Coast Before K-9 Chomps Him to a Stop
Richard Lawrence Knoblaugh, 37, took deputies from SR100 to Matanzas High before crashing his SUV in his own C-Section yard and falling to a K-9’s bite Monday evening.
Jury Seated in Kimberle Weeks Trial as Defense Wins Minor Victory Over Prosecution Tactic
The week-long trial of ex-elections Supervisor Kimberle Weeks began today with day-long jury selection. Weeks faces nine felony counts of allegedly illegally recording and disseminating communications.
Attempted Suicide Leads to Baker Act, Then Arrest Over Gun Threat and Violence
A 37-year-old resident of Rolling Sands Drive in Palm Coast faces two felony counts after he resisted an involuntary Baker Act following an attempted suicide.
Flagler Beach Drug House Busted, Filth Draws Code Enforcement, 5 Arrested, 3 Already Out
The Paytas family members and associates at the 135 Oak Lane house in Flagler Beach have been subjects of drug busts before, and some of them have served prison time.
Traffic Stop Turns to Air, Foot and K-9 Chase Off State Road 100, Three Women, 2 Men Apprehended
A traffic stop that began on State Road 100 near the city limit between Palm Coast and Bunnell late this morning has turned into a chase on foot, by air, and with K-9 units.
Judge Craig Is Out, Judge Perkins Is In As Flagler’s Felony and Civil Benches Again Flip
Circuit Judge Terence Perkins will replace Dennis Craig, who’s headed back to Volusia, becoming the sixth judge in eight years to preside over Flagler County’s felony court.
Sheriff’s Jail Deputy Suspended After Reporting to Work Drunk; Supervisory Issues a Concern
Flagler Sheriff’s detention deputy Mark Sousa’s alcohol test recorded him at 0.096 and 0.093 four hours into his shift–the four hours it took supervisors to react to an employee’s repeated request to intervene.
Driver Wanted in Monday’s Hit-and-Run Death Is Found: Was on Suspended License for DUI
Bryan Brown, 60, of Ormond By the Sea, allegedly owned up to the crash after quick policing and reporting combined with the conscience of Brown’s employer.
Unprecedented Flagler Forum With 7 Judges Has Some Make News and Others De-Mystify The Bench
Seven local judges appeared at the Flagler Palm Coast Forum Tuesday evening, the Ed Fuller group devoted to civic and electoral discussions featuring candidates running for office.
Mondex Man, 62, Held On $200,000 Bond on Charges Of Molesting Girls, 6 and 8
Thomas Jay Binkley, a 62-year-old resident of Forest Park Street in Bunnell, allegedly confessed to molesting the girls, who were in his charge.
Youths’ Bizarre Story of Dead Baby in Hidden Trails Dumpster Yields Placenta, But No Baby
Calling the discovery of a human placenta, but no baby, it a “mystery,” Sheriff Staly is asking the public’s help in determining the whereabouts and welfare of the newborn.
A Flagler Sheriff’s Employee Faces Grand Theft Charge, Again Implicating Courthouse Squad; Attorney Calls It “A Witch-Hunt”
Nancy Birdsong, a 20-year civilian employee with the Flagler Sheriff’s Office, is the third courthouse-connected employee to face disciplinary action, and inquiries are not over.
Raymond Almodovar, Flagler School Bus Driver, Is Killed in Hit-and-Run on I-95; Driver of Jeep Sought
Raymond Almodovar, a Flagler school district bus driver, was killed after his car was struck twice by two different vehicles on I-95 in a hit-and-run in Palm Coast.
Fuel Tanker Flips and Leaks 1,200 Gallons Before Spill Is Stopped at US1 and SR100 in Bunnell
The fuel truck’s driver was hospitalized and state agencies were at the scene to evaluate the extent of the clean-up necessary as fuel went into a retention ditch and drainage.
As Judge DuPont Continues to Battle Removal, Zambrano Orders Flagler Bench Again Shuffled
Flagler County will lose Family Judge R. Lee Smith to Putnam after less than two years and gain newly-minted Judge Chris France, among other changes caused by the DuPont affair.
For Life-Sentenced Murderer Paul Miller, Unexpected Glimmer of Hope As His Counsel Is Questioned
In a powerful argument based on new revelations that emerged today, Paul Miller’s attorney is arguing that the representation he got at trial was ineffective to the point that his conviction may never have happened.
Parent Faces Charges After Appearing to Instigate Fight Between 2 Indian Trails Middle School Boys
Anthony Gardiner, a 34-year-old resident of Pam Coast’s B Section, was captured in several videos either instigating or intervening in a fight between two boys on a Belle Terre Parkway sidewalk.
Sheriff’s Chief Paul Bovino, Newly-Minted FBI Academy Graduate, On The Experience From Within
Paul Bovino is among the more charismatic and intimidating members of the Sheriff’s Office, a cop’s cop with outsize stage presence and a love of the job that radiates in most things he says and does.
C.J. Nelson Exonerated of Felony Child Abuse Charge in Epic Confrontation, Faces
Sentence on Misdemeanors
A jury found C.J. Nelson not guilty of felony child abuse in an incident in which he punched a 16-year-old girl, but found him guilty of two misdemeanor battery charges.
Sheriff Staly Orders Investigation Re-Opened in Flagler Courthouse Bailiffs’ Behavior
Staly issued the order three days after a FlaglerLive story detailed allegations of racial and sexual improprieties involving courthouse deputies and staff.