A Florida sheriff’s ISIS-like video warning to drug dealers and the brutalizing of Dr. David Dao on a United flight in the same week are no coincidence, but symptoms of a re-emerging authoritarianism.
Cops/Courts
2 Teens Face Felonies For Firing BB Gun at Full School Bus and Vehicles on Belle Terre
There were 40 students returning from Bunnell Elementary when the school bus was the target of boys allegedly firing a BB and an air soft gun at the vehicle on Belle Terre Boulevard Wednesday afternoon.
Charles Singer Was Murdered, Sheriff’s Office Says After ID of West Flagler Man Missing 2 Months
Nobody is in custody at the moment, though several individuals have been interviewed in connection with the discxovery. Singer was found buried in his backyard at 80 Pine Tree Lane in West Flagler last week.
With 3 Large Flagler Fires in 2 Months and 107 Burning in the State, Scott Declares Emergency
Gov. Scott’s declaration of a wildfire emergency comes in the wake of several large fires in Flagler County and more than 100 ongoing fires elsewhere. It will allow for swifter sharing of firefighting resources, including the use of the National Guard.
Joseph Bova, Accused Killer of Store Clerk, Again Declared Incompetent In Threatening Court Appearance
Joseph Bova, accused killer of store clerk Zuheili Roman Rosado in Palm Coast in 2013, threatened that the judge and four others would die in “seconds” during an appearance before Judge Craig this afternoon.
Sheriff Will Ask Palm Coast to Pay for 5 More Cops, a 21% Increase of City’s Policing Budget
Sheriff Staly wants to double Palm Coast’s traffic unit, but five more cops would cost close to $600,000 on top of the city’s current $2.6 million budget. Mayor Milissa Holland signals some push-back.
Detectives Arrest Man, 23, In Connection With Armed Robbery and Shooting Near Rymfire
Edward Leroy Stark Jr. is charged him with four felonies in connection with the Feb. 12 alleged armed robbery and shooting near Rymfire Elementary in Palm Coast, during a drug deal gone bad.
Fatal Irresponsibility:
How Palm Coast Willfully Ignored Street Lights And Sidewalks For 10 Years
Palm Coast’s government’s claim that it didn’t have the money to build sidewalks and street lights is a cynical lie: as people died, the city put luxury ahead of necessity, from city hall to expensive beautification and plenty more.
Cops Out in Force on I-95 Over the Weekend as Part of Drive to Save Lives Campaign
Be warned: cops from Florida to Maine are out in force this weekend (April 8 and 9), pulling over, warning and ticketing speeders, careless, reckless and distracted drivers.
2017 Flagler Jail Bookings and Sheriff’s Crime and Incident Reports (Archived)
Archived 2017 Flagler County jail bookings, day and night shift commanders’ crime and incident reports investigated by Sheriff’s deputies and archive.
Allen Adams Charged With DUI Manslaughter in Death of Brittany Pitt, 26, On Old Dixie
Allen David Adams, 26, was booked at the Flagler County jail this afternoon on $102,500 bond on a manslaughter-drunk driving charge and a DUI-property damage charge in the death of his girlfriend last May.
Dead Body Found in “Suspicious” Circumstances at Property of Man Missing 2 Months
Charles Singer last week was reported him missing two months from his west-Flagler home. Today, a body was found at the property after detectives and homicide investigators served a search warrant there.
Man Who Fled From Deputy at Traffic Stop Near Old Kings Elementary Turns Himself In
The search for an individual who fled the stop caused a partial lock-down at Old Kings Elementary and required the involvement of a K-9 unit and Flagler County Fire Flight, the emergency helicopter.
Palm Coast Man Arrested at “Stash House” and Connected to Tuesday’s P-Section Shooting
Sheriff Rick Staly said the P-Section shooting Tuesday was likely gang- or turf-related, with Wednesday’s arrest of Wilbert Hough at a “stash house” suggesting he had been the target of the shooting.
Charges Against Ex-Elections Supervisor Weeks Reduced to Five, But Warrant Stands
In almost two years of wrangling ex-Elections Supervisor Kim Weeks’s lawyers have reduced the 12 felony counts against her to five, but there appears little room left before either a trial or an out-of-court settlement.
Burglar Surprises Woman in Home on Palm Coast’s Boston Lane, Prompts Air Search
A woman came out of her bathroom at her home on Boston Lane Tuesday evening to find a man standing in her house. The alleged burglary triggered a search, but the man was not found.
Matanzas Students Win Pledge for More Street Lights and Sidewalks From Palm Coast Council
Students who formed the Matanzas School Safety Committee in the wake of recent fellow-students killed by cars on dark Palm Coast streets submitted research and suggestions to the city council Tuesday evening.
In Unprecedented Move, Gov. Scott Shifts 21 Death Cases Away From State Attorney Ayala
Scott said he removed Orange-Osceola State Attorney Aramis Ayala “in the interest of justice” following her decision not to consider capital punishment in any case.
Two Houses Targeted in Pre-Dawn Shooting on Palm Coast’s Plainview Drive
A bullet was fired into a woman’s bedroom, and three vehicles were damaged in front of the house on the opposite side of the street in a 5:30 a.m. incident the sheriff’s office considers not to be a random act.
Christian Rodriguez, 38, Arrested on Felony Child Abuse Charge Involving Girl, 15
Christian Rodriguez, a 38-year-old resident of Bren Mar Lane in Palm Coast who’s scheduled for a circuit court plea hearing in a drunk driving case later this month, was arrested and charged with felony child abuse Saturday in an allegation involving a 15-year-old girl.
Pranksters, Hackers, Swatting and Service Failures: 911 Systems Need an Upgrade
A rash of disruptions in antiquated 911 emergency-response systems points up the urgent need for new technology to save lives in the wireless age. But money is lacking.
Sparing None, Sheriff “Arrests” 15 of Flagler’s Leading Officials in Relay For Life Sting
Sheriff Rick Staly and his team served warrants on Superintendent Jacob Oliva, County Commissioners Dave Sullivan and Charlie Ericksen, fire chiefs and business leaders in a fund-raising ploy for cancer research this morning.
In Near-Replica of Previous Arrest for Assault, Pariate Moore, 26, Is Tased in Palm Coast’s R-Section
Pariate Moore was arrested on aggravated assault and domestic violence charges after deputies Tased him Wednesday evening. He had been similarly Tased–resisting arrest–during a 2010 arrest that eventually led to a 4-year prison sentence.
Flagler Beach Pastor Who Defrauded Church Members of Hundreds of Thousands Blames Others As He’s Sentenced to 7.5 Years
Wesley Brown, the 54-year-old pastor who’d won the trust of church members only to defraud them, sought to lay blame on others even as he was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison, after facing a potential 100 years.
Two Students Involved In Exaggerated Gun Threat at Buddy Taylor Middle School
Texts alleging a gun threat at Buddy Taylor but that are apparently a month old have resurfaced in the past 24 hours, causing concern at school and the apprehension of at least one student.
Sexual Predator Returns to Live in Mondex After 12-Year Prison Sentence
George W. Mason Jr., a 42-year-old man convicted of attempted rape of a child younger than 12 when he was 27, has moved in with family at 1166 Forest Park Street in Daytona North, also known as the Mondex.
GOP Rep. Cary Pigman, Chairman of House Health Subcommittee, Arrested for Drunk Driving
With a blood-alcohol level nearly double the legal limit, state Rep. Cary Pigman was charged with drunken driving after a traffic stop on Florida’s Turnpike several hours after a House session Thursday.
2-Year-Old Child Rescued, Father Arrested After 4 1/2-Hour Emergency on Parkview Drive
Brandon Quaid Still, 25, faces domestic assault and false imprisonment charges, and is wanted on a warrant from Texas, where he’s previously been charged with child endangerment and domestic violence.
At least 4 Homes Evacuated in Mondex; Half-Dozen Agencies Battling 40-Acre Blaze
A fire that started in an abandoned trailer in the Mondex spread quickly and forced evacuations, and was only 50 percent contained in mid to late afternoon.
Palm Coast’s Kory Jones, 22, Arrested on 1st-Degree Arson Charge Out of Pasco County
Kory Jones, a Matanzas High graduate, was arrested on Palm Coast’s Hargrove Grade in connection with an alleged attempt to explode a propane container in an occupied house in New Port Richie last August.
David Dalecki, 47, Dies In 2-Vehicle Crash On I-95 Near Palm Coast’s Weigh Station
Dalecki is the husband of Cindy Dalecki, the owner of Marketing 2 Go in Palm Coast, the president of the Flagler Beach Rotary, and one of Flagler County’s most prominent and dynamic personalities.
In Courthouse Parking Lot, Sheriff’s Deputies Peacefully End Another Suicide-By-Cop Crisis
For the second time in 18 months, Flagler sheriff’s deputies peacefully defused a suicide-by-cop confrontation, this one involving 21-year-old Darnell Hyppolite at the Flagler County courthouse parking lot.
Sheriff Staly Considering Relaxing Chase Policy After His Involvement in Weekend Incident
Sheriff Rick Staly had started to chase a Camaro on I-95 Friday but it blew past him too fast, so he ordered stop sticks deployed when it was trailed past Seminole Woods onto U.S. 1. The driver still got away.
Ousted In Cop Case, Prosecutor Who Won’t Seek Death Penalty Challenges Scott
State Attorney Aramis Ayala is accusing Gov. Scott of abusing his authority by ousting her as prosecutor in the case of alleged cop-killer Markeith Loyd.
Jeanmarie Baker, 61, Is Killed By FEC Train Just South of White Eagle Off U.S. 1 in Suicide
Jeanmarie Baker, 61, was struck and killed by a southbound train on the Florida East Coast Railway early this evening in Korona, near the White Eagle Lounge just south of Palm Coast.
Thousand-Acre Wildfire Started As Controlled Burn in Putnam, Spread To Flagler, Now 75% Contained
Residents in Northwest Flagler County breathed the effects of the fire all weekend, and residents in Palm Coast and the rest of the county could see the large columns of smoke rising over the western horizon Saturday and Sunday.
In Stunning Move, State Attorney Ayala Won’t Pursue Death Sentences in Orange and Osceola
Ayala’s decision infuriated Gov. Scott, Attorney General Bondi and police organizations, but drew praise from others who see the position more in line with a growing national trend by courts, some governors and legislatures.
Palm Coast’s Jerald Medders, 51, Held on $300,000 Bond Over Child Rape Charges
Jerald D. Medders, 51, of 6 Zelda Place in Palm Coast, faces three 1st-degree felony counts of raping a girl over three months. Medders blamed the girl, who was 15 when the alleged assaults began, for “provoking” him.
Fire Severely Damages Marine Veteran’s House on Palm Coast’s Folcroft Lane
Robert Detherow had just parked his motorcycle in the garage at 38 Folcroft Lane in Palm Coast when a fire enveloped the motorcycle and started attacking the house, about half of which was damaged.
Senate Approves Stand Your Ground Change To Make It Easier For Shooters To Use Defense
The bill would shift the burden from defendants to prosecutors in the pre-trial hearings, vastly strengthening defendants’ ability to use the defense, but at significant cost to prosecutors.
Gas Leak at Flagler’s New Jail Prompts 2-Hour Inmate Lockdown
The leak was pinpointed to a water heater in late morning Tuesday at the 54,000 square foot, $17.4 million new jail, though the precise nature of the problem was not discovered.
33-Year-Old Palm Coast Driver Crashes Mustang In Woods Off I-95
Chad R. Shiffler, a 33-year-old resident of Farmsworth Drive in Palm Coast, was seriously injured and flown to Halifax hospital after crashing his Mustang into the woods on I-95 near the State Road 100 intersection.
Biker Jeffery Coffman of Palm Coast, 59, Killed On U.S. 1’s Triple-A Curve South of Belle Terre
Jeffery Lynn Coffman, 59, of Clermont Court in Palm Coast, is the latest victim of a curving stretch of U.S. 1 that has claimed the lives of several people over the years.
Sheriff Settles Suit With Ex-Finance Director For $200,000, Causing Delays In Future Hires
Linda Bolante filed a whistle-blower suit against ex-Sheriff Jim Manfre in 2014 after she claimed to have been forced to resign over her raising questions about his ethical practices.
30-Year-Old Biker Travis Staub Critical In Head-On Collision With Car on Rymfire in Palm Coast
A 30-year-old man on a motorcycle was critically injured in a head-on collision with a car on Rymfire Drive in Palm Coast.
Revealing Look at How Flagler Beach Commission, in Closed-Door Meeting, Settled Wrongful Arrest Claim
Vassili Mironov had sued the Flagler Beach Police Department for $89,000 after his arrest at Finns for a fight he says he did not start. He got $6,000 in a settlement that revealed how divided city commissioners arrived at their 3-2 vote.
In Unusual Reversal of Roles, 2 Cyclists Hurt as They Rear-End Van on Colbert Lane
Two cyclists rear-ended a Town and Country van that had pulled over on Colbert Lane, near Lakeview Drive, to make a phone call. Both cyclists were taken to Floirida Hospital Flagler.
Palm Coast Deputy Fire Chief Jerry Forte Earns Chief Fire Officer Designation
Deputy Chief Forte was recognized Tuesday by the Palm Coast City Council, with the Chief Fire Officer designation presented by Fire Chief Mike Beadle.
Deputies on Alert For Suspicious Man Who Tried to Lure Children Into Woods on Peppercorn Lane
A man attempted to give an 11-year-old girl and her brother $20 to show them a “hiding place” in the woods as the children played on Palm Coast’s Peppercorn Lane Monday.
Missing: Elizabeth Higgins, 16, Also Known as Rhiannon Higgins, Has History of Running Away
Higgins is 16, white, about 5’2”, and weighing 135 pounds. She was last seen possibly wearing a green hoodie and blue jeans. Her direction of travel is unknown.
