A circuit judge ordered the St. Johns sheriff’s office to take possession of 17 cows, nine pigs, 11 goats and two horses found in neglectful conditions. The animals are to be auctioned.
Cops/Courts
Shaun Whitt of Palm Coast Is Sentenced to Life in Prison For Serial Rapes of 11-Year-Old Girl
Shaun Whitt, formerly of Palm Coast’s F-Section, would assault the girl in her bedroom for more than two years after she turned 11, after her mother would go to work. He denied the allegations.
Palm Coast Boy, 9, Faces Battery and Molestation Charges After “Playing Around” With 11-Year-Old Girl
The 9-year-old boy is accused of grabbing the girl’s breasts from behind, asking her to “give me a hug or I’ll rape you,” and hitting her with a flip-flop when she got away from him.
Judge Raul Zambrano Sentences Kentrell Johnson to Death For FSU Student Vincent Binder’s Murder
Vincent Binder’s mutilated body was found in a St. Augustine field in April 2010, weeks after he was murdered by three convicts escaped from a Louisiana prison. Two were sentenced to death, one to life in prison.
Weekend Violence: An Arrest Over Child Abuse, Another From a Baseball-Bat Assault
Jolynn Martin, 29, of Bunnell, was arrested following a violent argument with two adults, one of whom was holding a 2-year-old girl, who allegedly got punched. Martin Wright, 54, of Bunnell, was arrested for allegedly taking a baseball bat to another man’s head in an argument.
Assault Weapons Don’t Kill People.
Handguns Kill People.
It turns out that big, scary military rifles don’t kill the vast majority of the 11,000 Americans murdered with guns each year. Little handguns do. Yet Democrats and anti-gun advocates keep focusing on renewing the defunct assault-weapons ban.
Ken Yarborough, 53, of Palm Coast, Is Killed In Single-Car Wreck at I-95 Exit Overnight
Kenneth E. Yarborough, 53, of Palm Coast, was driving a 2005 Nissan Altima with passenger Omayra Rodriguez Jarrett, 31, who was seriously injured as the car struck trees and ended in a retention pond.
Florida Prisons: 11 Guards Arrested Following Abuse of Inmates
On Wednesday, five prison guards were arrested for allegedly stomping on a handcuffed and shackled inmate at the Northwest Florida Reception Center last month. A sixth — a captain — was also charged with taking part in the attack and lying about it.
Sheriff’s Office Seeking Help Identifying Thieves Scheming With Credit Cards at Kangaroo Stores
The suspects entered various Kangaroo Express stores and requested to purchase a $500 prepaid Visa credit card at each location.
Sgt. Frank Celico’s Name Added to Memorial In 9/11 Commemoration at Heroes Park
During the early morning ceremony at Heroes Park, Palm Coast Mayor Jon Netts spoke of the Callery pear tree that survived the attacks of 9/11 at Ground Zero and has come to symbolize resilience and rebirth at the site.
Flagler Deputy Sees Man Choking a Woman After Pulling Him Over For Erratic Driving
Sheriff’s Cmdr. Paul Bovino noticed William Murphy fighting with a woman as they drove north on U.S. 1 Tuesday evening, and pulled him over, only to then see Murphy allegedly escalate the confrontation.
86-Year-Old Palm Coast Woman Injured in I-95 Roll-Over as Other Driver Travels On, With 2 Children on Board
Walter Wine, a 39-year-old resident of Zellwood, allegedly rear-ended Palm Coast’s Mildred Rivas, sending her car rolling against the guardrail as he drove on with a 3-year-old boy and a 9-year-old girl on board and later sought to hide the pick-up in a dirt driveway.
In Florida, Police Can Use Deadly Force Without Fearing Prosecution
“In the past 20 years, not a single officer in Florida has been charged with using deadly force,” The New York Times reported last week, a startling prevalence of de-facto immunity in a state where police violence is not rare.
Reagan Assemblies’ “Watchdogs” Can’t Take Defeat: As One Suit Is Tossed, a Pledge to File Another
Just after a judge threw out a lawsuit this afternoon, the attorney for an obscure “Watchdogs” group said he’d file a new lawsuit alleging illegal conversations outside of meetings by county commissioners.
Flagler Fire Rescue Rolls Out Two, $219,000 Ambulances, Workhorses of Local Emergencies
The county has seven ambulances on duty 24 hours a day (11 units in all) that each log 5,000 miles and 1,000 calls a month, by far the majority of the 14,000 annual emergency calls in Flagler.
Road Rage Incident Leads to F-Section Confrontation, Vandalism to 2 Cars, Then Jail
Winston Slaughter, a 21-year-old resident of 3 Farragut Drive in Palm Coast, is accused of vandalizing the vehicles of a neighbor after a violent confrontation that left him lacerated.
2 Shots Fired at Florida Park Drive and Flynn Way in Altercation Between Occupants of Two Cars
Information is sketchy–the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office says it won’t release the report because it’s the weekend–but sheriff’s spokespersons confirmed Sunday that two shots were fired early Sunday morning during an altercation involving occupants of two vehicles at Florida Park Drive and Flynn say.
2 Men Electrocuted By Power Line in Attempt To Plant Flagpole at Cloverdale Ct. Home
The men struck a 13,000-volt power line as they were attempting to plant a long flagpole–bearing an American flag and an Italian flag–down a plastic bracing pipe right under the neighborhood’s power line.
Palm Coast Council, in 4-0 Vote, Sides With Its Manager Against Firefighters Union in Contract Dispute
The Palm Coast City Council sided with its Manager Jim Landon’s recommendation to reject union positions on a collective bargaining agreement in contention for three years.
Flagler Beach Rejects Commissioner Carney’s Proposal to Put $600,000 Fire Truck Buy on Hold
When Commissioner made a motion to pull the $600,000 truck buy proposal out of the budget this year and “think about what we’re doing,” the rest of the commission snubbed her during a contentious, at times anger-tinged meeting.
The Palm Coast City Council as Labor Tribunal: Firefighters Union and Administration Face Off
Palm Coast firefighters and the city administration reached an impasse in December after more than three years of negotiations over a contract, leaving it to the city council on Friday to settle the dispute in an unusual hearing.
Appeals Court Orders City Government to Release “Shade” Meeting Transcript
In a highly critical opinion, an appeals court Wednesday ordered the city of St. Pete Beach to release a transcript of a closed-door discussion about the settlement of a lawsuit.
Skeptical Judge Grants Delay in “Watchdog” Suit Against County Over Old Hospital Buy
A suit by a group that calls itself the Flagler Palm Coast Watchdogs, raising a conflict of interest issue with a county commissioner during the Memorial Hospital buy last year, does not belong in circuit court, the county argues.
Sheriff’s Deputies Never Wrote an Incident Report After Fatally Shooting Palm Coast Man
Details of the December 2012 fatal shooting of 32-year-old Troy Gordon on Brownstone Lane in Palm Coast, at a time when Don Fleming was still sheriff, emerged in a court case today that revealed how a union could trump sheriff’s policy even in grave shooting incidents.
Ex-Verdego Employee Accused of Defrauding Customers and Company Van Theft
Travis Heidinger, a 40-year-old resident of 5 Llanes Place in Palm Coast, was booked at the Flagler County jail Tuesday on four counts of grand theft after an investigation concluded he’d defrauded at least customers and Verdego and stolen company property.
Xanax, Beer and a Louisville Slugger: Mondex Man Accused of Battering Woman Over Drugs
Richard Spear, a 50-year-old resident of Daytona North is accused of battering a 30-year-old woman and threatening her and her ex-boyfriend, and smashing the ex-boyfriend’s car with a baseball bat.
650 Names, or 13% of Flagler Beach Population, On Petition Opposing $600,000 Fire Truck
The 65-page petition, published here in full for public examination, has not been authenticated by the city, but would, if verified, pose a serious challenge to a majority of commissioners still intent on buying the fire truck.
Fearing Ambush, Cops and Medics “Stage” Before Responding to Reported Shooting in Bunnell
The incident took place just after midnight Thursday in South Bunnell: 911 got several calls about an alleged shooting and a victim who’d been injured, but threats against police on social media led to precautions against an ambush.
U.S. Marshals Shoot and Kill a Man In Espanola; He Was Sought for July Shooting in Bunnell
A man was shot and killed in Espanola this morning as the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office were attempting to serve a fugitive warrant a home there.
Far From Settled, Whistleblower Case Against Flagler Beach Fire Department Focuses on Captain’s Truthfulness
Flagler Beach Fire Captain Bobby Pace’s truthfulness on his job application and his handling of a probationer’s work hours at the station were the focus of a deposition in which Pace repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment’s right not to testify. An attorney is seeking to compel him to answer. The matter goes to court Wednesday.
Xena Carrion, 17, of Palm Coast, Missing a Week, Is Back Home, Safe
Xena Carrion had run away from home on Aug. 5 after her grandfather reprimanded her for sneaking out of the house. She was returned safely on Aug. 13.
Flagler Beach’s $600,000 Fire Truck Runs Into Opposition Petition, Prompting Another Pitch
Commissioner Steve Settle called yet another town hall meeting Monday evening again to make the case for a $6090,000 “quint” fire truck as opposition gels around a petition that organizers say has more than 450 names, or close to 10 percent of the city’s population.
Sheriff’s Office Seeking Public Help Identifying Accused Flagler Beach Mail Thief
The investigation revealed that once the suspect removes the mail from the mailbox, he submits a change of address form and has the victim’s mail forwarded to a vacant residence, where he collects pertinent information.
Sheriff’s Deputy In Rear-End Crash With Matanzas Coach Keith Lagocki on SR100: No Injuries
Keith Lagocki, the long-time coach at Matanzas High School, along with three family members escaped injury Sunday afternoon when a Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy’s cruiser rear-ended Lagocki’s car just west of Belle Terre Parkway. The deputy was also not injured.
Pair of Suspects Arrested For Home Invasion Robbery on Palm Coast’s Bradmore Lane
A 67-year-old Palm Coast resident was robbed the evening of on Aug. 3 at her Bradmore Lane home. The boyfriend of an ex-roommate, and the roommate, were arrested after the pair used the woman’s credit card at three locations in Ormond, Daytona and South Daytona.
Tom Gargiulo, Leading Patron of Palm Coast Arts, Is Seriously Injured in Bike Crash
Gargiulo, the founder of the Tom Gargiulo Foundation and creator Flagler’s Artist of the Year award, among numerous other supports of local arts, was bicycling on Pine Lakes Parkway when he was struck by a car as he crossed Wynnfield Drive Tuesday morning.
“Threatened” Commissioner Nate McLaughlin Gets Sheriff’s Escort After Confrontation With Opponent Mark Richter’s Son
A contentious handshake between McLaughlin and Kevin Richter, the 27-year-old son of candidate and McLaughlin opponent Mark Richter, led to an uncomfortable quarter hour at Monday’s candidate forum at the Hilton Garden Inn, with allegations and counterclaims from both sides.
2 Suspects Wanted for Robbing Pizza Delivery Man at Gunpoint Arrested at Flagler-St. Johns County Line
A concurrence of motorists’ calls to police combined with a ground and air search in the area of the Flagler-St. Johns County Line Wednesday morning to capture two men suspected of robbing a Domino’s delivery man at gunpoint and stealing his car in Broward County.
Three Palm Coast Teens Arrested in Venus de Milo Vandalism at European Village
They are Tyrone Walker, 19, of 55 Fischer Lane, Joseph Orza, 18, of 12 Conley Court, and Sequawne Solomon, 18, of 42 Louisberg Lane. Two additional suspects were identified, but their names were redacted, suggesting they are underage.
Flagler Beach Business Owner Shane Kitchens Critically Injured by Motorcycle on A1A
Shane Kitchens, a 37-year-old Flagler Beach resident and business owner, was in critical condition overnight after a motorcyclist struck him as Kitchens was crossing State Road A1A around 12:45 Sunday morning. Kitchens was a few blocks from his home on South Flagler Avenue.
A Day After an Embarrassing Revelation About His Lacking Gun Qualification, Sheriff Manfre Passes 2 Tests
Flagler Sheriff Jim Manfre secured his gun qualification today but only after an embarrassing revelation that he’d gone a year and a half without it, though he is not required by law to have it.
Going ISIS in Palm Coast: Vandals Smash a Venus de Milo Statue at European Village
Sometime in the night of July 9, a group of five teen-looking individuals were caught on surveillance video smashing a small replica of the famed Greek Venus de Milo. The statue will cost $3,500 to replace,
Bunnell Eliminates 40% Of Police Department as Part of Wider Cost-Cuts and Lay-Offs
Seeking to cut an $800,000 deficit that represents a fifth of the city’s budget, the Bunnell City Commission Monday cut its commission salaries by 10 percent, eliminated its grants department and laid off staff that have been mainstays of the Bunnell administration and police department over the years.
A Man Brandishes a Knife at Police Then Jumps To His Death at Ormond Resort on A1A
Ormond Beach police are investigating what they call a “suspicious incident/suicide” that took place early this morning at the Royal Floridian Resort on State Road A1A, claiming the life of Dean O’Hara, 50, of Cape Canaveral.
Three Arrested After Chase and Violent Armed Robbery Leaves 2 Victims Injured on SR100
The armed robbery at 11 p.m. at SR100 and Belle Terre Parkway took place just as firefighters were battling a house fire in Grand Haven. The subsequent car chase and crash required pulling personnel from the fire to the crash scene.
Flagler Beach Commissioner Settle “Goes Off” On Resident as Confrontations Rattle Meeting
In two confrontations that upset fellow-commissioners, Flagler Beach City Commissioner Steve Settle questioned resident Rick Belhumeur on what “allowed” him to address issues relating to the city’s fire department and called his public comments “inappropriate” by falsely claiming that Belhumeur was running for office. After the meeting, the two men got in a shouting match.
Authorities Locate Brandon Connolly, 17, Runaway Since July 19
Brandon Connelly has run away three times before, and his father believes that his grounding until a court date was the contributing factor in the latest running away.
Man Is Shot and Wounded Near MLK Blvd. And S. Cherry in Bunnell, Suspect Still at Large
A man was shot just after 8 p.m. tonight (July 23) in the area of Martin Luther King Blvd. and South Cherry Street in South Bunnell, the city’s police chief, Tom Foster, said this evening. Authorities are investigating.
Court Authorizes Higher Ambulance Fee For Out-of-State Visitors, Opening Revenue Door
Rejecting arguments that the policy is unconstitutional, a state appeals court said Wednesday that the city of Miami can charge an extra $100 when its rescue crews transport non-residents to hospitals for emergency care.
Facing DUI Charge, Palm Coast Man Attempts to Bribe Deputy With Dinner
Ricardo Feo Sr., a 58-year-old resident of Princess Geraldine Place in Palm Coast, offered dinner to deputy Joseph Barile, in exchange for his freedom, as he was being booked into the Flagler County jail.