Conspiracy theorists have been in overdrive, inventing the coming of violent protests, even in Palm Coast, designed to overthrow Trump this weekend. The rumors are false.
Cops/Courts
In Rare Rejection of Plea Deal, Judge Wants Prison For Woman In Molestation Case
Palm Coast’s Maria Howell, accused of molesting a teen, was ready to plead to 10 years’ probation, but Judge Dennis Craig rejected the plea, asking for prison time.
Sheriff Deploys Skeletal Traffic Unit To Chase After Speeders on Halloween
The Halloween detail is focusing on speeding and aggressive driving as deputies and detectives also visit 21 sex offenders banned from handing out candy.
Palm Coast Man Called Ringleader Of Heroin and Fentanyl Operation That Nets 9 Arrests
Julian Miller, 31, of Palm Coast, accused of running a heroin and fentanyl operation mostly in Volusia counties, was among nine people arrested Friday.
At Flagler Jail, 4th Guard This Year Resigns Over “Affair” With Inmate, Whose Wife Was Also Jailed
Rookie Danielle Basciano, 23, resigned as she was being investigated form improprieties with Salina Cox, 29, an inmate at the jail whose own wife was also incarcerated at the jail at the time.
Sheriff Staly and Superintendent Tager Involved in Minor 3-Vehicle Crash
Superintendent Jim Tager rear-ended a pick-up truck that rear-ended the sheriff’s SUV when a driver in front of the sheriff abruptly stopped through a green light, causing the wreck.
An Allegation of Rape On the Sands of Flagler Beach, But Beyond That, Mostly Blur
A 26-year-old woman reported being raped the morning of Oct. 14 somewhere between South 4th and South 9th Streets, but evidence and alcohol-blurred memories are scant.
In Rare Case of Election Fraud, Palm Coast Felon Is Jailed For Casting Illegal Ballot
Jennifer Scott, 52, of Palm Coast’s R Section, faces two felony counts for allegedly fraudulently voting in the 2016 election, but an official says the issue is extremely rare.
Behind the Man Facing Monstrous Allegations of Incest, A History of Disabilities, But Not Incompetence
The mother of Paul Dykes, who goes on trial on charges of raping his own daughter next month, revealed in court today for the first time the personal history of the 20-year-old Palm Coast resident.
When Flagler’s Judicial System Makes a 10-Year Error In a 40-Year Prison Sentence
William Copeland is serving 40 years for shooting his daughter’s grandfather in Palm Coast in 2011. The court made a 10-year error in one of his sentences.
At Hammock Beach Resort, A Woman Crashes A Wedding To Spy, And Violence Follows
Shelby McDowell, 26, crashed the wedding to which her boyfriend was invited and found him dancing with another woman, so she allegedly attacked them both.
Don Guldenschuh Jr. of Bunnell, 26, Is Killed in Biketoberfest Crash
Don Guldenschuh Jr., 26, was riding north on U.S. 1. when he lost control of his motorcycle as he took the on-ramp to I-95. He died at the scene.
Sheriff’s Domestic Violence Task Force’s Job Done, Attention Turns To Enacting Proposals
Several proposals the domestic violence task force put forth area already being enacted but many more remain unfunded or not yet fully analyzed.
Paul Dykes Goes On Trial Over Accusations Of Child Rape and 21 Related Counts In November
The trial of the Palm Coast 20-year-old will be the latest chapter in an extensive and lurid case that involves Dykes’s one-time girlfriend, Erin Vickers, 23, whom a jury found guilty a month ago of raping her 1-year-old daughter.
Stanley Wykretowicz Acquitted On Aggravated Child Abuse Charge, May Face Negligence
The 42-year-old Palm Coast resident was looking at up to 30 years in prison had he been found guilty on a charge that he’d brutalized his 2-year-old niece. The defense said the girl was merely ill.
Woman Found Incapacitated For Days Next to 2 Dead Dogs In Her Palm Coast Home
The 70-year-old woman was found in critical condition on the ground inside her home at at 25 Llama Trail in Palm Coast, next to two dead German shepherds.
Prosecution Stymied In Ex-Jail Guard’s Trial Over 2-Year-Old Girl’s Alleged Brutalization
Stanley Wykretowicz, 41, was the sole caregiver to his 2-year-old niece when he brought her to Florida Hospital Flagler, comatose and bruised, but his lawyers say she was merely ill, not abused.
Two Flagler Rescue Crews and 11 Sheriff’s Deputies Heading to Alachua as Part of Emergency Over Supremacist’s Event
Flagler County’s paramedics and deputies are part of a larger public safety response to prevent a Charlottesville-like degradation ahead of white supremacist Richard Spencer’s UF speech on Thursday.
Tip Leads Palm Coast Man Turned Fugitive on Molestation Charges To Be Re-Arrested in Las Vegas
Flagler Sheriff’s Detective George Hristakopoulos contacted the Las Vegas Police Department on a tip that Bryan Loveland may be in the area going by a false name.
Flagler’s Domestic Violence Task Force Spurs Sheriff’s Action Ahead of Final Report’s Recommendations
Flagler County now has its own “batterer-intervention program” and Sheriff Staly will devote a detective full-time to pursuing domestic violence cases as his task force prepares to submit its recommendations Friday.
How One City Gets Its Guns: Not Big Trafficking Rings, But Mostly Through Little Guys
Unlike the drug trade — often dominated by powerful cartels or gangs — illegal gun markets operate more like the way teenagers get beer, “where every adult is potentially a source.”
Man Who Killed Himself at U.S. 1 BP Had Murdered His Step-Daughter Hours Earlier
Edward Douglas Ratcliffe, 73, had murdered Amy Mitchell, 54, in Brevard before driving through Flagler and shooting himself outside a BP gas station on U.S. 1.
Palm Coast Spree: 7 Days, 7 Vehicle Thefts, 6 Stolen Guns, 2 Arrests, 3 Cars Recovered
Thefts included the brazed theft of a pizza delivery man’s car as he was at the door of a house and six weapons stolen from a garage on Postman Lane.
Avoiding Death Penalty, Flagler Beach’s Bobby Gore Pleads to Manslaughter in Killing of His Son
Bobby Gore, who shot his son in the back of the head during an argument in April, faces between eight and 15 years in prison, equivalent to a life sentence given his advanced age.
Charged As Adult, Devaughn Anderson, 17, Now Faces 1st Degree Felony Over Armed Robbery
Devaughn Anderson, 17, was arrested two hours after he allegedly robbed a Circle K at gunpoint on Oct. 3. The 1st degree felony exposes him to up to 30 years in prison if convicted.
Flier With Allusion To Vegas Massacre Slipped in W-Section Mailboxes; Alleged Machete Attack in R-Section
The fliers make strange claims about a pedophile alert then mix incoherent conspiracies with equally strange images while referring to local and other landmarks.
State Awards Flagler Sheriff’s Office $158,000 To Pay For Three Victims’ Advocates
Victim advocates work as a support system to victims, survivors, and their families following traumatic events. These professionals give emotional support and guidance during traumatic events.
Felon Accused of Stealing a Gun Then Texting Its Owner To Sell It Back To Him
Palm Coast’s Charles Swindell, convicted of felonies four times before, is accused of stealing a gun then texting its owner for $250 to give it back.
Flagler’s Emergency Manager Resigns as Allegations Fly In Latest Shake-Up At Troubled County Division
Steve Garten says he was pushed out after less than two years on the job, claiming micromanaging by County Administrator Craig Coffey, who defended his role in the shake-up.
Flagler Kills Pot Decriminalization Proposal, But Approves Medical Marijuana Zoning
The end of the de-criminalization proposal is a reflection of a much harsher approach by the county commission and a new sheriff on marijuana matters.
An AK-47 Assault Rifle in a Child’s Closet Among Weapons Seized in R-Section Drug Raid: 2 Arrests
Shawn Crawford, 35, and Tariq D. Khawaja, 27, were arrested this morning at 6B Ryall Lane in Palm Coast after a search allegedly uncovered illegal weapons, marijuana, cocaine and ecstasy.
Flagler Sheriff’s Detective Hristakopoulos Honored With Greatest Save Award For Closing Child-Sex Case
The Greatest Save is a national award that recognizes police work that protects children from exploitation and trafficking. George Hristakopoulo’s investigation led to the arrest of a 51-year-old man accused of raping a 16 year old.
Sheriff and Bunnell Police Team Up With ATF In Illegal-Guns Sting: Half a Dozen Arrested
Drive-by shootings spurred the Flagler Sheriff’s Office to instigate a four-month federal-state-local operation connecting drugs to illegal guns.
21-Year-Old Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison For Home-Invasion Killing In Palm Coast’s F-Section
Carl Devore was sentenced for the death of his accomplice, who was shot in self-defense by a resident at the house Devore and his accomplice were invading in July 2016.
Man Accused of Attacking Girlfriend Then Pummeling Dog That Sought To Protect Her
Steven R. Belisle, 27, of Central Avenue in Flagler Beach, faces two felony charges, including animal cruelty, after allegedly attacking a pit bull and its owner during an argument.
A 16-Year-Old Arrested in Connection With Fireworks Burglary and Misfire That Injured 2 Younger Boys in July
DNA evidence collected at the burglarized fireworks shop led to Jovawn McClendon, a 16-year-old student at Flagler Palm Coast High School, who now faces several charges.
Erin Vickers, 23, Found Guilty of Raping Her 1-Year-Old Daughter; She Faces Life In Prison
Erin Vickers was found guilty on two of 49 charges she faces in connection with rapes and the production of movies and pictures involving her daughter in sexual acts perpetrated by her mother. The case is not over.
Clarence Murphy, 41, Charged With 1st Degree Murder in Shooting Death of Cousin On Parkview This Morning
Murphy, a probationer, was “enraged” that the EBT card Ahmad Rashad Laster traded him for drugs was not the amount agreed upon, so he allegedly shot Laster–and confessed doing to to detectives.
21-Month-Old Boy Tests Positive For Cocaine, Palm Coast Mom Charged With Child Neglect
Ashley Estepp, the 23-year-old Palm Coast mother of a young boy, had taken him to the ER fearing he’d ingested a prescription pill, but he tested positive for cocaine.
Jury Selected With Unusual Swiftness In Trial of Erin Vickers on Charge of Raping Her Own Child
Erin Vickers, 23, of Palm Coast, is on trial on the first of 49 counts involving accusations of rape, videotaping and transmitting sexual acts involving children.
Nursing Home Where Eight Died Wasn’t On FPL’s Priority List For Power Restoration
FPL placed nursing homes in a second tier of infrastructure — behind “critical” but ahead of residential homes. Local officials gave the Hollywood Hills home that designation using FPL guidance.
In Boggy West Flagler, Power Kicks Back On, Home Goes Up In Flames, Cat, Called Smokey, Is Killed
Deep in the woods off CR 305 the home John Martin and his 90-year-old mother Grace shared blazed the moment power went back on this afternoon, leaving them with nothing.
Post-Irma Daily Digest: Flagler Beach Crossovers and Pier Update, FEMA Registrations, Senior Games
Local governments’ drizzle of information releases related to post-Hurricane Irma recovery are distilled for their essentials and published in a running tally.
As Emergency Yields to Recovery in Flagler, More Inconveniences Than Damages Or Troubles
More than 60 percent of Flagler residents were still without power Tuesday evening but recovery efforts were powering up and destruction from the storm was limited.
Damages: 50,250 Lose Power, Flagler Beach, Beverly Beach Heavily Flooded, Less So in Palm Coast, No Systematic Devastation; Curfew Extended On Island, Schools Closed Wednesday
While Flagler and Palm Coast made it through Hurricane Irma without devastation, there was heavy flooding in homes in South Flagler Beach and the west end of the county.
R-Section Man Accused of Smashing Glass Door To Burglarize Evacuated, Elderly Neighbor’s House
Andrew Gross of Palm Coast’s Red Mill Dr. had visited his neighbors during the storm, then allegedly used a paver to break into the house after they evacuated.
In Flooded Flagler Beach, Caring For Neighbors In Cops’ Colossal Trucks Or in Tiny Kayaks
The Sheriff’s Office sent out its colossal military-surplus trucks on search and rescue missions, while at least two Flagler Beach residents conducted their own in canoes and kayaks.
Conditions Deteriorating Across Flagler: Waters Rise, 22,400 Out of Power, Irma Spins Further East
Hurricane Irma’s tropical-storm forces have already drenched Flagler well ahead of peak activity and now are slowing enough to cause worries that the damage will be more severe than anticipated.
Three Charged With Curfew Violation and Fraud After Scoping Out Flagler Beach Properties
Two men and a woman had allegedly spent Saturday scoping out Flagler Beach properties to figure out which had been left vacant by evacuees.
Sheltering From Irma in Flagler: 4 Shelters, 3,000 Spots, Food, WiFi, Power And ♥ Left Behind From Students
Here’s what to expect at Flagler County’s four emergency shelters opening at 7 a.m. Saturday, who’s paying for all that food, and what you can stream on WiFi.