Nine women reported being raped or drugged by Sharper to four different agencies before NFL safety Darren Sharper’s capture. His Sharper’s rampage of druggings and rapes could have been prevented, according to a two-month investigation by ProPublica and The New Orleans Advocate.
Cops/Courts
Draft Lease With YMCA at Belle Terre Racquet Club May Be Ready in May, But First, a Trial
The Flagler schoolo administration has made steady progress toward a lease agreement with the YMCA to take over the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club, but a negligence lawsuit hanging over the club since 2012 may be heading for trial at the end of May or in early June.
Guess Who’s Rethinking Guns In Schools: Colleen Conklin May Not Oppose Designating Concealed Carriers, But She’s In a Minority
Most Flagler County School Board members, the superintendent and the sheriff say school officers, not individuals carrying concealed weapons, can best address security needs in local schools. A bill making its way through the Legislature would allow school boards to designate employees or volunteers to carry concealed weapons.
Palm Coast Man, 18, and Ex-Girlfriend, 20, Charged With Capital Child Rape
Paul Dyckes, 18, had been arrested on child porn charges in late March. Further investigation led the FDLE to uncover two incidents in which Dykes and his ex-girlfriend, Erin Marie Vickers, allegedly raped two children younger than 5.
As Sheriff Defends Cops’ Body Cams, Public Defender Warns Of Untenable New Work Load
Public Defender James Purdy agrees with Sheriff Manfre that cops’ body cams are a valuable addition, but he says neither his nor the state attorney’s office have the manpower required to review the data being generated by the cameras, and the Legislature isntt about to provide more money or attorneys to help.
Midnight Crash on I-95 Leaves Palm Coast’s Jeffrey Coffey, 30, in Critical Condition
Jeffrey Coffey, a resident of Palm Coast’s S Section, was in critical condition after a wreck on I-95 just after midnight Wednesday morning (April 8), the Florida Highway Patrol reports.
Florida Senate Calls For Police Policies on Body Cameras, Addressing Privacy and Data
Body cams are worn by deputies at the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Jim Manfre instituted the practice when he took office in 2013 and has been an ardent defender of the cameras.
Man, 18, Arrested After Rayonier Complains of Dumping, Partying and Shooting On Its Land
The arrest of James Cortright, 18, of Bunnell’s Mondex, follows Rayonier officials’ concerns about an area it manages in Palm Coast, just west of U.S. 1 and two miles north of County Road 13 that had been repeatedly used for illegal dumping, trespassing, illegal burns and illegal discharges of firearms.
From One Second To The Next: Werner Herzog’s Texting and Driving Documentary
Werner Herzog’s texting and driving documentary on the consequences of tragedies started as announcements he’d agreed to make for AT&T’s “It Can Wait” campaign.
Florida Prison Guards and KKK Members Arrested in Plot to Murder Black Ex-Inmate
Arrest documents in the case expose chilling details of the Klan’s organization in North Florida and offer a reminder of the region’s ugly history of racism.
Guilty of Being Poor: Across the Nation, Courts Shake Down the Destitute
From fines targeting the poor to civil asset forfeiture, courts have mounted odious means of seizing cash and property from people not charged with any crime and who can’t afford legal defense.
After-School Confrontation Near Buddy Taylor, a Racism-Motivated Burglary at Kangaroo
A student allegedly stomped on the face of another after five students are reported to have set upon two school-mates walking home from Buddy Taylor Middle School Tuesday afternoon, and a man’s car was burglarized after a woman used a racist slur to tell him to lower the music from his car radio.
Ahead of Political Season, Sheriff’s PIO Chief Weber Is Latest on Growing List of Departures
Bob Weber’s departure means that none of the top staff Sheriff Jim Manfre introduced a day before his inauguration will be in the sheriff’s office by the end of April as significant turnover continues.
This Time a Car Break-In, Near Bealls, Is Followed By a Quick Arrest
Four women witnessed the mid-afternoon break-in of a Honda in the Winn-Dixie shopping center off Palm Coast Parkway Tuesday, soon leading to the arrest of Nicholas Leblanc, a Palm Coast resident with a long but non-violent arrest record in the county.
CodeRed System Credited With Locating Missing 16-Year-Old With Special Needs
Within a quarter hour of a CodeRed alert that went out to 15,214 subscribers Monday evening, a 16-year-old boy with the mental capacity of a 6 year old who’d gone missing was located in the W Section.
My Surprise Visit From FDLE
FDLE interprets Beatles lyrics as a threat on Gov. Rick Scott, and Daniel Tilson, the columnist, gets a call investigating his intentions. He wonders if this is the way FDLE operates under Rick Swearingen, Scott’s hand-picked replacement of Gerald Bailey.
An Arrest for Child Neglect and Battery; Shots on Old Dixie; $250,000 Yacht Burns on Cimarron Drive
A 1-year-old child left unattended was rescued from choking on a cigarette butt; a suspected backyard gun range of the sort the Legislature just refused to let local governments regulate may have been the source of a “stray” bullet that found its way into a 67-year-old man’s residence off Old Dixie Highway.
Flagler Emergency Services Broadening Dollars Available to Homeowners and Governments For Disaster Preparation
While Flagler Emergency Services has brought in more than $1 million in grants and subsidies in the past year, division director Kevin Guthrie is concerned that not enough local government agencies are aware of the dollars available, or the need to be involved to tap into the money.
Deadliest State: Florida Roads Have Highest Bicyclist Fatality Rate in The Nation
Florida spent decades building roads designed to move commuters from homes in sprawling suburbs as fast as possible. Conventional wisdom says these roads were built for speed, not bicycles.
Drugs, Weapons and Child Porn Lead to 3 Separate Arrests in Palm Coast and Bunnell
The Palm Coast teen had transmitted items flagged as child porn by the social media site Whisper, then was found to have 10 short videos of explicit sexual acts between adult men and pre-pubescent girls.
Palm Coast “Watchdogs” and Attorney Ordered to Pay County $3,100 Over Frivolous Suit
Eight weeks ago, Orfinger found in favor of Palm Coast government, ordering the same attorney–Josh Knight–and a different client–Dennis McDonald–to pay Palm Coast $15,900 as a result of a frivolous suit the city fought off.
Palm Coast Teen Critical After Motorcycle Wreck On Lakeview Blvd.
A Palm Coast teen was critically injured in a motorcycle wreck at the intersection of Lakeview Boulevard and Laramie Drive in north Palm Coast just after noon today.
Blairsville Resident Missing Since March 16 Located Near Publix on Belle Terre
A tipster said he recognized Vickers from his image posted on FlaglerLive. Stephen Vickers, a 50-year-old Palm Coast resident of Blairsville Drive, had been last seen at his Blairsville home on March 16.
Sheriff Names Jeff Hoffman Chief Deputy, Eliminating Undersheriff Position
The promotion follows the recent announcement that Undersheriff Rick Staly will retire next month. The sheriff also announced the promotions of Jason Neat and Jon Welker to Sergeant.
10-Year-Old Palm Coast Girl Charged With Criminal Mischief After Starting Garage Fire
The fire and damage at 2 Blaine Court in Palm Coast could have been far worse than it turned out, as the girl had been playing with matches next to a container of gasoline.
Two Palm Coast Residents Arrested in Bizarre Tale of Violent Assault on Pair of Contractors
Joseph D. Patten and Russell Cade of Palm Coast are accused of violently assaulting a pair of contractors Cade had summoned for an estimate on bathroom repairs at his house. Both men have arrest records, including, in Cade’s case, a conviction for sexually abusing a child in 2000.
Two Palm Coast Servicemen On ISIS Kill List, But Sheriff’s Office Notes “No Credible Threat”
Palm Coast, St. Augustine and “Saint John” are among the 55 cities in the United States where ISIS, or Islamic State, has placed named members of the U.S. military on an alleged “kill list” for their role in attacks on ISIS in Syria, Iraq and Yemen.
Pursuit of Vehicle Connected to Homicide Ends in Flagler As Car Plunges Into Wooded Ditch on I-95
The pursued vehicle had been stolen in connection with a homicide in West Columbia, South Carolina. One occupant was in critical condition, the other was in custody.
Larrys’ Guns and Ammo in Heart Of Bunnell Is Target of a Night Burglary
Burglars got away with at least five shotguns, gaining access to the store by way of a ceiling vent and the attic before cops responded to a store alarm.
Weekend Blotter: Palm Coast Man Accused of Assaulting Girlfriend With 4.5-Foot Sword
Charles Meyers, a 28-year-old resident of Palm Coast, is accused of wielding the sword at his girlfriend after a night out at a bar. Also, a disturbance at the Windsor assisted living facility, and more break-ins at fitness centers’ parking lots.
Another Pot Grow House Busted in Palm Coast As Critics and Lawmakers Press Legalization
Some 28 marijuana plants were seized at a house at 17 Rocking Lane in Palm Coast. As the Sheriff’s Office announced the seizure and arrest of the resident at the house, Ray Strack, a former federal narcotics interdiction agent, was speaking on WNZF about the inanity of the war on marijuana.
Two Teens and Adult Injured in 3-Vehicle Crash and Roll-Over on Belle Terre at Point Pleasant
Morning rush-hour traffic snarled at Belle Terre Parkway and Point Pleasant Friday after four people were injured in a three-vehicle crash in the southbound lanes of Belle Terre.
A Bottle Of Cadillac Cologne Is Mistaken For a Gun, and Cory Tanner Is Shot Dead
An FDLE report detailing the shooting death by U.S. Marshals of Cory Tanner, 24, in Espanola last August describe his last moments as he rushed out toward marshals, inexplicably holding a bottle of Cadillac cologne in one hand. Marshals mistook it for a gun and fired five or six shots.
Yes, It’s Retroactive: Florida Supreme Court Rules All Lifers Sentenced as Juveniles Must Be Resentenced
The justices ordered lower Florida courts to apply a 2014 law to inmates who, as juveniles, were sentenced in the past either to life in prison or to terms that would have effectively kept them behind bars until they die. Two of the inmates were convicted of murder.
Rear-End Collision at Whiteview and Belle Terre Sends 3 to Hospital
One of the three people injured was a child. The intersection is equipped with a red-light camera, though it’s not clear in this case if it was a factor in the rear-end collision.
School Bus On Its Way to Buddy Taylor Middle Strikes Jogger on Sesame Blvd. in Palm Coast
The school bus’ jutting side mirror is believed to have struck the jogger around 6:26 this morning. The victim was evacuated to Halifax hospital. The students on the bus were taken to school on a different bus.
Another Accidental Shooting in Palm Coast; A Stabbing in Bunnell; An Arrest For Fake ID
The shooting took place in the Hammock after a man, fearing that a prowler he’d shooed off was going to return, was cleaning his gun, and the gun went off.
Undersheriff Rick Staly Resigns,
Fueling Speculation About 2016
The resignation, framed as a retirement, is likely to fuel speculation that Staly–a registered Republican–may be preparing a run for the sheriff’s office in less than two years.
Claiming He Wasn’t Driving, Man Is Arrested For DUI After Injuring Biker in a Wreck
The wreck, which resulted in a head injury for a biker, took place outside the White Eagle Lounge, when witnesses told police Raymond Albinger, 54, jumped out of the truck he was driving and threw out a cooler from the bed of the truck into the bushes.
Will U.S. Supreme Court Rule Florida’s Cavalier Death Penalty Unconstitutional?
In 27 of the 31 death penalty states, the jury’s decision to impose life imprisonment is final and may not be disturbed by the trial judge under any circumstances. But not in Florida.
Flagler Sheriff Warns of Phone Scammers Impersonating Deputies
The scam involves an individual posing as a sheriff’s lieutenant and claiming to victims that they have to pay up for missing a grand jury appointment.
Citing Taxes, Palm Coast Says County Owes City a Fire Truck to Help Mend Aging Fleet
The council heard an unusual proposal from council member Jason DeLorenzo that would reopen old wounds with the county as Palm Coast looks to simultaneously replace three fire engines that have more than 30 years’ service.
Two Bikers Trauma-Evacuated After Wreck in Downtown Bunnell Shuts Down U.S. 1
A man and a woman, neither wearing helmets, were evacuated to Halifax hospital’s trauma unit with head injuries after the single-bike wreck at U.S. 1 and East Booe Street at 4:30 p.m. Thursday.
Two More Jewelry Heists Reported,
Again in Hammock and Grand Haven
The burglaries bring the total to six since last week, all of them targeting jewelry and relatively older home owners in the two distinctly higher scale areas.
Suspect Eludes SWAT Team and Other Cops After Night Stand-Off in Seminole Woods
The serving of a warrant for Sean Monti’s arrest on 9 Squash Blossom Trail late Sunday night turned into a stand-off involving various units of the Sheriff’s Office and the SWAT team, which eventually searched the house and found the suspect had vanished.
Angered By Messy House, Palm Coast Man Is Jailed on Child Abuse and Battery Charges
Tyrone Patterson, 37, of Riverview Place in Palm Coast, has been jailed before on battery charges. He is accused of battering his girlfriend and two of four children in the household.
Flagler’s 911 Call Center Briefly Evacuated When Exit Sign Causes Minor Fire
911 service was never interrupted, officials said at the scene, as three dispatchers were sent to the center’s back-up operation at the Sheriff’s Office Operation Center on Justice Lane.
2 Maintenance Workers in Critical Condition After Vehicle Strikes Them in Palm Coast’s Town Center
One worker is suffered “life-threatening” injuries, the other is in critical condition, an FHP spokesman said, as both were taken to a trauma unit at Halifax hospital.
Why Black America Fears the Police
When shots were fired as a group of black friends walked along the beach, there was no rush to call 911. They feared what could happen if police came rushing into a group of people who, by virtue of their skin color, might be mistaken for suspects.
Sheriff’s Motorcycle Unit Shifts From Harleys To BMWs For $115,000
The 110-horesepower, 1200-cc motorcycle is a model especially modified for police use. Residents and visitors can expect to see the BMW motorcycles throughout Flagler County beginning this weekend.