Some 80 cops fanned out Thursday in Flagler and St. Johns to arrest 11 individuals allegedly involved in the synthetic pot trade, charging five of them under the severe racketeering law, but in an orchestrated news conference at the sheriff’s office in the afternoon, officials inaccurately hyped the synthetic marijuana problem with little evidence to boot.
Cops/Courts
Drinking Game in Reidsville Drive Garage Leads to a Man Shot in the Stomach
Edward Towers, Jamie Goodell and Lukas Skeans were drinking in an R-Section garage in Palm Coast and coming up with what-if scenarios when Towers took out a 9mm and put it against Goodell’s stomach. The gun went off. He was evacuated to Halifax hospital, and Towers was arrested on negligence and firing a gun in public charges.
At Palm Coast’s 9/11 Memorial Ceremony, Memory as Duty to the Dead, and the Living
Palm Coast’s annual 9/11 memorial ceremony at Heroes Park Tuesday morning, under a sky as blue as the blue over New York 12 years ago, drew some 150 people, including throngs of active and retired firefighters and cops.
In Another Major Shakeup, Sheriff Hires Bunnell’s Police Chief and Fires 3 Lieutenants
Flagler County Sheriff Jim Manfre Monday said Bunnell Police Chief Jeff Hoffman will be his patrol division’s senior commander, replacing Paul Bovino, while long-time sheriff’s lieutenants Greg Weston, Lynne Catoggio and Steven Birdsong were fired effective today.
U.S. Marshals Arrest Suspect Wanted in Bank Robberies in Flagler, Volusia and St. Johns
William Carl Styffe, 32, of Coconut Creek in Palm Beach County, was arrested by U.S. Marshals Monday as the suspect believed to have tried to rob Hancock Bank in Palm Coast on Aug. 30 and to have robbed a SunTrust bank in Volusia the same day, and a bank in St. Johns County four days later.
DCF Looking to Bring Family Drug Court to Florida as an Intervention Method
With substance abuse still threatening to overwhelm child-welfare systems like Florida’s, officials are looking at drug courts for troubled families as a way to address the problem.
Snap-and-Run: Sheriff Looking for Driver Who Sheared Off Red-Light Camera Pole
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s assistance in locating a vehicle captured on video that struck an ATS red light traffic camera pole on Moody Boulevard (State Road 100) at the intersection of Memorial Medical Parkway in Palm Coast. The pole belongs to American Traffic Solutions, the Arizona-based company that runs the red-light spy-and-snap camera system for Palm Coast.
In a Surprising Shift, County Commission Finds Money for 2 Jail-Diversion Programs After All
Flagler County commissioners Thursday evening agreed to take on a $100,000 mental-health jail diversion program previously paid for by the state, and a $60,000 pre-trial release program they had opposed in earlier workshops. Both shifts took place during a hearing devoted to approving next year’s tax property rate.
19-Year-Old Accused of Molesting 12-Year-Old Step-Sister; R-Section Armed Robbery Report
Earl Robinson III, a 19-year-old resident of Rolling Sands Drive in Palm Coast, is accused of molesting his 12-year-old step-sister; an odd report of an armed robbery in the R-Section; a Good Samaritan Act gone bad on SR100, and rock-throwing and knife-pulling on Point Pleasant Drive.
Coitus Prophylacticus: Advocacy Lawsuit Wants Florida Porn Flicks To Wear a Condom
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation filed a complaint with the Florida Department of Health, targeting a South Florida-based company it charges with making an adult video without protecting the performers from sexually transmitted diseases via the use of condoms.
Flagler County, Palm Coast, Habitat for Humanity and Stetson Line Up 9/11 Events
Several local organizations and local governments, including Flagler County, Palm Coast, Habitat for Humanity, Stetson University and others are commemorating the 12th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
Lawmakers File Bill to Prohibit Red-Light Cameras in Florida as Palm Coast Snaps On
GOP Sen. Jeff Brandes blames red-light cameras “as backdoor tax increases,” but the Palm Coast City Council Tuesday reasserted its commitment to its 43 cameras even as they siphon out more than $3 million a year from the local economy–in taxes to state government, and in revenue to ATS, the Arizona-based company that runs the system.
Last Week’s Bank Robber in Palm Coast and Ormond May Have Struck Again in St. Johns
A man who bears a striking resemblance to the man who attempted to rob Hancock Bank in palm Coast last week, and actually robbed a Sun Trust bank branch in Ormond Beach half an hour later, is being sought in connection with a bank robbery Tuesday afternoon at Compass Bank on a U.S. 1 in St. Johns County.
Labor Day Weekend Violence: Pointing a Gun at a Stepson, Punching a Pregnant Woman
Charles Lockhart, 23, of Palm Coast was jailed after allegedly punching his girlfriend, 34 weeks pregnant, and threatening a murder suicide, and Robert Knoblaugh, 63, of Bunnell was jailed for threatening his stepson with a gun front of grandchildren.
29-Year-Old Palm Coast Woman Evacuated To Halifax After Shattering Wreck on US1
A 29-year-old Palm Coast woman driving alone, at the wheel of the Oldsmobile, was heading north on U.S. 1 in Palm Coast Sunday evening when, about half a mile south of White View Parkway, when she lost control and violently struck trees, demolishing the car and sustaining severe injuries.
Three High School Students Held Up at Gunpoint For Their Laptops at a Bus Stop
Earlier this week, three high school students were robbed at gunpoint of their Macbook Air laptops at a bus stop in Ocoee, in Orange County. The computers had been issued to the students as part of a pilot program. A similar but much broader initiative is under way in Flagler County Schools, though security issues have not been addressed as broadly.
Flagler and Ormond Cops Looking For Cavalier Bank Robber; Hancock and SunTrust Targeted
Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies and Ormond Beach police are looking for a man believed to be involved in an attempted robbery at Hancock Bank in Palm Coast and an actual robbery at SunTrust Bank in Ormond Beach Friday afternoon.
Palm Coast’s Scott Jones, 51, Drowns in Intracoastal During Fishing Trip
Scott Jones, 51, of Wildwood Drive in Palm Coast, drowned while swimming in the middle of the Intracoastal Waterway Thursday afternoon, during a fishing trip with friends.
She’s Accused of Burglarizing a Sheriff’s Employee’s Home, Then Defrauding the Elderly
After burglarizing the home of a Flagler County Sheriff’s employee in the W Section, Jennie McAfee, a habitual offender, was arrested for defrauding a 79-year-old woman who was convalescing in a nursing home.
Police Chiefs and Civil Liberties Lawyers Tangle Over Florida’s Drug-Monitoring Database
Florida Department of Health officials say they want to tighten security on the state’s prescription-drug monitoring program, after the names and detailed prescription-drug histories of more than 3,000 people were released to defense attorneys after a drug sting in May.
County Rejects Roma Court for Sheriff’s Office as “Unworkable,” Citing 10 Issues
County Administrator Craig Coffey ended the Roma Court option’s prospects with a 10-point memo listing a series of structural and logistical concerns about the 57,000 square-foot property on Palm Coast Parkway, about half of which would have been leased to the county for the sheriff’s uses in a 15-year arrangement.
Flagler Beach’s Bobby Pace Pleads Not Guilty to Obstruction Charge
Bobby Pace, the 41-year-old Flagler Beach acting fire chief until late July, has pleaded not guilty to an obstruction charge the State Attorney filed against him on July 25 and waived an appearance before County Court Judge Melissa Moore-Stens at an arraignment on Tuesday.
Florida Supreme Court’s New Term: Death Penalty, Utility Rates, Red-Light Cameras
The court faces high-profile cases that deal with issues such as medical malpractice, red-light cameras, utility rates and the death penalty. In some of the cases, justices have already heard arguments and could rule any week. In others, the cases still are percolating and have not gone to arguments.
Drunk on a Sailboat, Drunk and Violent at the Bowling Lanes, Sobered Up at County Jail
Hamish MacDonald was found passed out on the deck of his circling sailboat in the Intracoastal Waterway, near Grand Haven in Palm Coast, and Shane Hefner was arrested for throwing a drink at a Palm Coast Lanes bartender, and driving drunk.
Firehouse Subs Marks 10 Years in Palm Coast As Community Ties Aid Longevity
Monday afternoon Palm Coast’s Firehouse Subs celebrated its tenth anniversary, $8 million in business and considerable donations to local fire houses with visits from its core constituents—firefighters—but also company CEO Don Fox, Palm Coast Mayor Jon Netts, several other city council and county commission members, and of course franchise owner David Hause and his wife Melinda.
Lonnie Redner’s Life Sentence for Double Murder Ends an Almost 4-Year-Old Case
Lonnie Redner of Palm Coast went to Ormond-by-the-Sea in November 2009 to rob two men of prescription pills. He murdered them instead and stole 50 pills and $20 in cash. In a case that ended last week, he was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole.
Mystery Burglar in B-Section, Counterfeit-Topped Pizza in Ps, and Strangulation in the Rs
Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies contended with at least two mystery men and one case of domestic violence that ended with a suspect hiding in a bathtub with a knife Wednesday in three separate incidents that stretched from the B Section in North Palm Coast to the P and R sections further south.
Supreme Court to Hear Red-Light Camera Challenge in Case That Will Affect Palm Coast
The $1.7 million Palm Cast reaped in red-light camera fines between 2008 and 2010 may be at stake if the Florida Supreme Court rules such systems illegal after it hears the much-anticipated case on Oct. 8, with ramifications for numerous cities and counties across the state.
CPR and First Aid Heart Saver Certification Training Offered Free
The Flagler County school district and the Palm Coast Fire Department are offering free day-long training in CPR and first aid heart-saver techniques to all school employees or any member of the community. Anyone 13 and older may participate in the Saturday classes Aug. 31, Oct. 5 and Dec. 7.
Not So Fast Missy: How a Protester Exposed an Undercover Cop
When the author first met her four years ago, she couldn’t have known that the small-framed woman with spiky brown hair and intense eyes was anything but a fellow activist showing up for a protest in Washington, D.C. She turned out to be an undercover cop ordered to secretly spy on peaceful protesters, violate their freedom of speech and assembly, and disregard their right to privacy.
Matanzas Teacher Tells Girl Accusing Him of Sex: “Because I Thought I Cared About You”
New details from Matanzas English teacher James R. Wolfe’s arrest and personnel records show he arranged a meeting last Saturday with the girl accusing him of having sex with her when she was 16, when he allegedly told her he didn’t mean to hurt her–a meeting cops recorded. Wolfe’s evaluations at Matanzas show the struggles of a “rookie” teacher, but also his triumphs, and no blemishes.
Yet Another Florida Brutality: Black, 60, Unarmed, and Shot 15 Times By Cops
Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan has been defending the bizarre July 27 shooting of Roy Middleton by his deputies, which is currently being investigated by the state and has been the subject of protest by civil rights groups in the area.
County Celebrates Carl Laundrie and His Rescuers 10 Days After Near-Fatal Wreck in “The Drink”
Firefighter-paramedics from every agency save people every day, but when the same employer signs the checks of the person saved–PIO Carl Laundrie–and his saviors, the intersection lends itself to the sort of recognition the county commission organized at the top of its meeting Monday evening.
Weekend Blotter: An Argument Over Kitty Litter, Another Over Sex, Land 2 in Jail
Avelino Garon, 59, of Palm Coast was accused of threatening his wife’s life after allegedly threatening to throw a cat against the wall during an argument over its kitty litter. Separately, Christina Quintanilla was accused of aggravated assault against Jessica Nagledinger, whom she accused of having oral sex with her husband.
13-Year-Old Boy On a Bike Struck By SUV at Belle Terre and Ponce de Leon
Just after Buddy Taylor Middle School let out, a boy of about 13 riding his bike south along the northbound lanes of Belle Terre Parkway was struck by a pick-up truck as the boy was crossing Ponde de Leon at 1:38 this afternoon. He was slightly injured.
Three Occupants Pulled from 41-Foot Hatteras Yacht Sinking in Intracoastal in Flagler Beach
A 41-foot Hatteras yacht carrying three people began sinking in the Intracoastal Waterway after 10 a.m. Saturday. The boat was listing severely, but was still afloat around noon, with several people in and out of it, trying to salvage it. No one was injured.
James Wolfe, Popular English Teacher and Coach at Matanzas, Accused of Sex With a Student
James Wolfe, a successful cross country coach at Matanzas, was arrested and charged with seven counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor, whom he allegedly drugged, based on allegations dating back to between August 2010 and May 2011, when the alleged victim was 16.
Alertness Leads to Arrest of 2 Suspected Burglars in the Act, Texts Lead to Their Accomplice
Three young Ohio residents–Haylie Harger, her fiancee Corey Shaw and Michael Pettit–are accused of attempting to burglarize Truss Systems in Palm Coast on U.S. 1, but were caught in the act, with Harger leading cops to her location after texting her fiancee–who by then was at the Flagler County jail.
Child Trauma-Evacuated, 2 Adults Injured After 2-Vehicle Wreck on Royal Palms and US1
A child had to be evacuated on a trauma alert and two adults–each driver of the two cars involved–were taken to Florida Hospital Flagler with less serious injuries after a 2:30 p.m. wreck at the intersection of U.S. 1 and Royal Palms Parkway in Palm Coast.
Kevin Spearmon Leads Police on Yet Another Chase, Ending With Taser, Jail and No Bond
Kevin Spearmon of Palm Coast has repeatedly been arrested–and served a prison sentence–for fleeing police and doing drugs. He was arrested again for the same reasons Thursday, when he was in the company of a 16-year-old girl, and was subdued after another chase in the P-Section and a Taser shot to the back before being taken to jail where he’s being held without bond.
Early Morning Fire Demolishes Flagler Beach’s Iconic Seaside Shoppe; Bayer Office Saved
Flagler Beach’s iconic Seaside Shoppe, for two decades a mainstay of the city’s commercial life, was demolished by an early morning fire the owner detected at 4 a.m. when she smelled smoke.
Severe Weather Alert for Palm Coast and Rest of Flagler Until 7 PM
The National Weather Service issued a significant weather advisory for the county and , along with southeastern Putnam and northeastern Marion, in effect until 7 p.m. as Flagler emergency dispatchers have summoned all district volunteer firefighters to their stations to assist with numerous issues such as downed power lines and trees.
Nickel and Diming County Foregoes Program That Would Have Reduced Jail Population
The Flagler County judge and sheriff had supported a proposed pre-trial release program that would have kept low-grade, non-violent offenders out of jail, saving them money in the short term and the county money in the long term, but the county commission eliminated the proposal as part of a $400,000 cut from next year’s budget proposal.
Red-Light Running Causes 2-Vehicle Wreck on Palm Coast Parkway and Boulder Rock, Hurting 2
Emily Palisoc, a 16-year-old Palm Coast resident and former Miss Junior Flagler County, and Rute Costa, 30, collied at the intersection and were both sent to Florida Hospital Flagler. Red-light cameras will reveal which of the two ran a red light.
After Two Stays, Supreme Court Clears Marshall Lee Gore For Year’s Fourth Execution
Rejecting arguments that he should avoid lethal injection because he is insane, the Florida Supreme Court on Tuesday approved the execution of Marshall lee Gore, convicted of killing two women in 1988 in Miami-Dade and Columbia counties.
Sharps Liquor Again Target of Armed Robbery Followed By Shot Fired at Subway in Flagler Plaza
Sharps Liquor at Flagler Plaza was the target of an armed robbery late Monday night, the fourth time the store has been targeted by armed robbers in less than two years. The robbery may have failed. Moments later, a man fired a gun at the Subway sandwich shop adjacent to Sharps. No one was hurt. The suspect fled.
Eric Holder Takes on the “War on Drugs,” Mandatory Sentences and Epidemic Imprisonment Rates
Attorney general Eric Holder on Monday delivered a seminal speech outlining a plan to revamp federal drug policy and incarceration rates of non-violent and elderly offenders, and urging Congress to review mandatory sentencing in light of a “war on drugs” that has not worked. The full speech.
A Sex Case for Romeo and Juliet’s Law, Revenge Vandalism and Caught in the Act: Weekend Round-Up
Todd Marine of Flagler Beach is accused of raping a 14-year-old girl, but the charge must be weighed against Florida’s Romeo and Juliet law. Bradley Sanguinetti is arrested in the alleged act of breaking into a car, and Tamara Natto is arrested for defacing her ex’s home with insulting suggestions.
Flagler Humane Society Truck Collides With Lexus at SR100 and CR302; Trauma Alert for 2
Anthony McKay, 32, was at the wheel of the Humane Society truck and Allyson Bennett, 32, and 4-year-old Aayden Samples were in the Lexus. Both adults were taken to Halifax. The boy appeared uninjured, and there were no animals aboard the truck.
In God’s Name: Polk Sheriff Grady Judd, a Modern-Day Comstock, Is Elected State Sheriffs Association President
Grady Judd is known for his colorful language and controversial quotes, sometimes evoking Anthony Comstock, the head of the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice in the late 1800s, as he crusades against sex and porn and brandishes god’s name at every opportunity.