Dan Priotti, the temperamental owner of Agua Construction Co., was found guilty of his third drunk driving charge in 10 years after a one-day trial last March. But the trial was flawed and ripe for appeal. The prosecution and the defense agreed to a deal that, in exchange for no prison time, Priotti would give up all rights of appeal.
Cops/Courts
Drug Sweep on Flagler’s West Side Nets 13 Arrests as Sheriff Underscores Fentanyl’s Toll
The youngest offender was 18, the oldest 66, and most had trails of arrests behind them already–64 felony and 95 misdemeanor convictions between them, Sheriff Rick Staly said, including one, Twain Slater, who’s been arrested more than a dozen times since becoming an adult (he’s 31), for a combined 23 felony and misdemeanor convictions.
Threat Called In to FTC Campus Requires Building Evacuation and FPC Lockdown
A threat was called in to Flagler Technical College on the campus of Flagler Palm Coast High School late this morning, requiring evacuation of buildings at FTC and a lockdown at FPC, a district spokesman said.
Robin C. Bloom, 63, and a Dog Die in Mobile Home Fire at Bulow RV Resort
Robin Bloom, a 63-year-old resident of the Bulow RV resort in Flagler Beach, died in an early morning fire Monday at the mobile home she was sharing with a roommate. Her roommate, Celina Fiorino, 65, was not injured. A dog also died in the blaze.
Kwentell Moultrie’s Re-Trial on Rape Charge Involving 16 Year Old Scheduled for Aug. 22
Kwentell Moultrie, the 23-year-old Bunnell resident facing a first-degree rape charge involving a 16-year-old girl will go on trial for that charge, for the second time in four months, on Aug. 22.
‘I Run the County,’ Commissioner Joe Mullins Tells FHP; A Trooper Calls Him ‘Belligerent’ and ‘Disrespectful’
Flagler County Commissioner Joe Mullins, who has made a chronic habit of speeding, getting pulled over then attempt to get out of a ticket by abusing his authority, told a Florida Highway Patrol trooper that “I run the county” in one such attempt on I-4 last month, video of the encounter shows, and another trooper called him “extremely condescending, belligerent, illogical, and disrespectful.”
Florida Prisons Propose Cutting Family Visitations, Drawing Sharp Objections
Florida’s state-run prisons would be allowed to cut visitation with inmates in half to mirror staffing shortages. Advocates for inmates and their families object, saying visitation is a boon to inmate behavior and helps maintain family ties critical for the success of inmates returning to free society.
State Government Veteran Pete Antonacci Will Lead Florida’s Elections Police
The Legislature voted this year to create the office at DeSantis’ urging in a Republican-led push to ensure “voting integrity” despite the overall agreement that the 2020 election ran smoothly in Florida.
16 Flagler Businesses Pass July 4 Test: None Sold Booze to Underage Undercover Agent
State Agents from Jacksonville’s Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco (ABT) conducted compliance checks throughout Flagler County, in an effort to combat underage drinking for the 4th of July holiday weekend.
Two Trauma Evacuated, Including Child, in 3-Vehicle Crash Near Flagler Beach Bridge
The eastbound lanes across the bridge into Flagler Beach were shut down this morning just as the city’s annual Independence Day parade was ending following a severe three-vehicle crash at the intersection of State Road 100 and John Anderson Highway.