In May Kevin McClenithan of Bunnell shot dead a puppy that had been fenced in. On Monday, he allegedly strangled, head-butted and spat on his live-in girlfriend before threatening to hurt the cop driving him to jail and burning a house.
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At Least 10 Killed at Oregon College Where Students Are Allowed to Carry Guns
A gunman murdered at least 10 people and wounded at least 20 Thursday morning at Umpqua Community College in Southwest Oregon, in one of seven states where guns on campus are allowed.
Florida Senate Will Consider Removing Confederate Flag From Its Seal
It is the latest reflection of the persisting backlash against the presence of the Confederate flag in public spaces. Senate President Andy Gardiner and Minority Leader Arthenia Joyner pushed for the reconsideration. A committee will do so next week.
Flagler County Youth Center Marks 10 Years in Continuing County-School Board Partnership
Flagler County government built the $1 million youth center as part of a tax-supported referendum 10 years ago. The school board staffs it, under the leadership of Cheryl Massaro, its one and only director.
Sheriff Shows Off New HQ to Public, But Commissioners Who Bought It Are No-Shows
None of the four county commissioners who voted for the $6.5 million acquisition and transformation of the old Memorial Hospital into the sheriff’s operations center showed up at Wednesday’s open house.
Growers Defend Annual Burning of Sugarcane Fields as Environmentalists Prepare to Sue
The burns, regulated by the Florida Forest Service, are intended to make it easier for harvest machines to cut down and collect the stalks, but they emit pollutants such as benzene and formaldehyde.
Flagler Fire Rescue Join Florida National Guard at Camp Blanding Search and Rescue Training
The 7th annual exercise, dubbed “Operation Integration,” involved statewide deployment of urban search and rescue teams with the Guard’s 83rd Troop Command.
Christian Recovery House for Addicts Wins Legal Battle, Costing Bunnell $500,000
The settlement agreement after an 18-month fight clears the way for Open Door Ministry to run a 12-bed residential program for drug and alcohol addicts on East Booe Street in Bunnell.
Cabinet Outvotes Gov. Scott to Buy Ranch Lands at Near Appraised-Value Price
Florida Cabinet members agreed Tuesday to spend $7.8 million to conserve two large tracts of ranch land over objections from Gov. Rick Scott, who said he wanted a better deal on one of the parcels.
Offered a Chance at a Small Pay Raise, Split Bunnell Commissioners Decline
In 2014 Bunnell commissioners took a 10% pay cut. Monday they could have raised their pay back up 3.8%. A 2-2 vote meant the proposal failed, with Mayor Catherine Robinson and Commissioner Elbert Tucker voting against the raise.
City Manager Jim Landon as Control Freak: Two Council Members Fret Over His Grip
Palm Coast Council members Heidi Shipley and Steven Nobile described a Landon regime of control and cold shoulders in the latest discussion on charter review, while the manager was away at a conference.
Rick Scott, Who Made Millions as Hospital CEO, Now Faults Hospital Costs
The proposals are the latest in a series of moves by Scott, who made millions as CEO of HCA/Columbia, to revamp the hospital industry. The Legislature will have to enact his proposals.
Assistant State Attorney Jason Lewis Escapes Serious Injuries in 2-Vehicle Wreck on US1
The wreck at U.S. 1 and Royal Palms Parkway in Palm Coast also involved Lauren Mack, co-founder of The Well-Written Woman, a local blog with a national following.
Fearing Costs of Long and Losing Battle, Flagler Beach Surrenders to Sea Ray
Flagler Beach government approved a settlement agreement, 3-2, that ends its challenge of Sea Ray’s parking lot plans and the county’s land use changes.
Knife Found, 8th Grader Arrested After Report of a Gun Locks Down FTI and FPC
An anonymous call reported a hidden gun in a bathroom at the Flagler technical school. A knife was found, leading to an 8th Grader’s arrest. The student is from Indian Trails Middle School.
Dump Truck Overturns in Collision with Mustang on Palm Coast Parkway and US1
Joshua Shelton, 21, was at the wheel of the Mustang. Witnesses say the driver of the dump truck, Craig E. Waltman, 61, had blown through a red light.
The Age of Bobby Fischer: Before Facebook Mated Eccentrics
In today’s prying, unforgiving online world, Bobby Fischer’s paranoia and personal flaws would have tripped him up long before he became champion and hero in 1972, argues Kenneth Rogoff.
School Superintendents Have “Lost Confidence” in Florida’s Student Accountability System
The rebuke comes after months of controversy about the new Florida Standards Assessment, which was plagued by technical problems this spring, including computer glitches and a cyberattack.
Police Body Cams: Exemptions From Public-Record Disclosure Belie Intended Transparency
Police body cams were intended to improve accountability and public access to cops’ work. Access exemptions in Florida and many other states are instead countering their intended purpose.
“He Kept Pushing Me Mentally”: Anna and John Pehota’s Life Before She Shot Him
Anna Pehota shot dead her husband John in their Hammock trailer Sept. 23. John’s best friend recalls four decades of knowing the couple he calls “the sweetest in the world.”
New Laws Next Week On Revenge Porn, Domestic Violence, Trafficking, Cop Funerals
Among 27 new Florida laws starting next week, it’ll be illegal to post sexually explicit material without the knowledge of people identified in the images, criminal penalties will increase on sex trafficking, the state may spend $5,000 on cop funerals.
Indian Trails 7th Grader, on Bicycle, Victim of Hit-and-Run on Belle Terre and Brookside Ln.
A 7th grader from Indian Trails Middle School bicycling to school was struck by a vehicle at the corner of Brookside Lane and Belle Terre Parkway. The vehicle kept going.
Pope Francis’s Challenge to America
Pope Francis is challenging conservative Americans–and presidential candidates–to rethink their belligerence to Cuba, Palestinians and action on global warming, writes Chris Patten.
Jaylin Tilton, 20, Killed in Single-Vehicle Wreck on Old Kings Road Near Princess Place
A 20-year-old Bunnell woman was killed sometime early Thursday morning when he car swerved off Old Kings Road and struck a metal guard rail, a mile east of U.S. 1.
Flagler Beach Shortlists 4 for City Manager’s Job, From Skimpy List of 23 Applicants
Compared to the 140 applications for the job 5 years ago, this round drew a skimpy response, with a shortlist reflecting the city commission’s limited choices.
Anna Pehota, 75, Charged With 2nd-Degree Murder for Shooting Husband in Hammock
The woman–Anna Pehota, who has owned the trailer with her husband John since 1993–called 911 just after 4:30 p.m. to say that she thought she’d killed her husband, and that she’d shot him three times.
Commissioners Ax Planning Board Chairman Who’d Opposed Controversial Developments, Replace Him With a Developer
The Flagler County Commission booted off Russ Reinke who’d long chaired the planning board and replaced him with developer Art Barr after Reinke had opposed several recent controversial developments.
Trump Leads By Far Among Florida Republicans as Rubio Leaps Ahead of Bush
Donald Trump leads with 31.5 percent in a GOP primary, in Florida Atlantic University poll, followed by Rubio in second place with 19.2 percent, followed by Bush at 11.3 percent, Carson at 10.3 percent and Carly Fiorina at 8.3 percent.
Sheriff Hires 13 Deputies, Underscoring Turnover of More Than 100 in Three Years
Well over a third of the Flagler Sheriff’s 285 positions have turned over in Jim Manfre’s three-year tenure, while 85 percent of full-timers have less than 15 years’ service–and a third have less than three years.
Thief Breaks Into Andrey’s Auto, Finds Keys and Drives Off in Car Stolen From Lot
The thief, acting alone, is seen in video footage rummaging through the business and trying a couple of cars before driving off in a stolen Mitsubishi.
“Be Prepared,” 10 Potential Candidates for Office Are Told in Chamber’s Grooming Class
Most of the 10 candidates who made it through the grooming for office–6 Republicans, 2 Democrats and 2 Independents–are familiar names in local politics and on advisory boards.
Doctors and Pharmacists Complain: Patients Aren’t Getting Their Pain Meds Fast Enough
Pharmacists complain that distributors are limiting their supply of powerful narcotics, forcing the pharmacists to ration their limited stock to their regular patients.
Bunnell Man Is Accused of Raping a Woman at the Gospel Gardens Nursery
Juan Yon-Cerna, a 46-year-old resident of Bunnell, is accused of raping a woman after inviting her for a beer at the business. He is being held on $20,000 bond.
At Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Fundraiser, It Felt Like the 1980s Again. That’s The Problem.
Even though a sizable crowd turned up for the fundraiser Sunday, the effort still falls significantly short of keeping the club going or convincing the school board that the group leading the effort can lease the property and make it work as a club again.
Palm Coast Parkway Pizza Hut Employees Robbed at Gunpoint and Penned in Cooler
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an armed robbery late Saturday night at the Pizza Hut on Palm Coast Parkway and Belle Terre Parkway. No one was hurt.
Worrisome Study in Hand, Lawmakers Question Tying Teacher Salaries to Test Scores
The study supported the use of the Florida Standards Assessment for school grades and teacher evaluations but said that “the FSA scores for some students will be suspect” because of the computer glitches.
Muslim, Dark-Skinned, Geeky:
Ahmed Mohamed Had No Chance
If there’s remaining doubt that it is subhuman to be a Muslim or an Arab in the United States, the imbecilic arrest of 14-year-old Ahmed Mohamed over a clock puts the doubts to rest.
John Thrasher on Campus Guns, FSU’s Alleged Inferiority and Marco Rubio’s Oats
Florida State University President John Thrasher talks about Rubio trash-talking FSU, his opposition to guns on campus, academic freedom and having the time of his life.
8.8 Million More People Got Health Insurance Last Year, Largely Due to Obamacare
The increase, due to the Affordable Care Act, is unprecedented since the creation of Medicare and Medicaid 50 years ago. Expanding Medicaid–as Florida did not–would have added to the ranks of the insured even more.
Video In Suicide-By-Cop Attempt Shows Deputies’ Control of Hairtrigger Confrontation
The eight-minute video of the confrontation, posted here, shows P-Section resident Stacy Culotta holding a gun and how Sgt. Van Buren and two other deputies eventually defused the situation.
Home in Palm Coast, Wimbledon Champ Reilly Opelka Is Celebrated, With Craned Necks
Reilly Opelka, who won Wimbledon’s junior crown earlier this summer and starts a 20-tournament professional tour next year, accepted a congratulatory sign at the Palm Coast Tennis Center this morning.
Two Women Threaten To Shoot Boys, 13 and 15, Over Knock at the Door at Integra Woods
Candance Ashley McCall, 28, and Letita Crimes, 33, confronted the boys while allegedly brandishing guns after a boy knocked on their door by mistake, then sough to confront them again at the boys’ apartment.
Golf as Wrestling Match: Only in Flagler Beach as 2 of 3 Proposals for Old Course Bogey
A split Flagler Beach City Commission is leaning toward Flagler Golf Management to take over the old 9-hole course at the south end of town as obstacles remain and few alternatives exist. The next round is scheduled for Oct. 22.
Flagler’s Ronald Reagan Republicans: Don’t Associate Us With Palm Coast Charter Review
Mike McElroy, president of the Ronald Reagan Republican Assemblies, says Palm Coast Councilman Steven Nobile’s push for a charter review–while not a bad idea–is entirely his own rather than an agenda of the RRRs.
U.S. 1-Palm Coast Parkway Wreck: Man and Passenger Crash Through 200 Feet of Woods, and Walk Away
The Chevy Impala traveled from Pine Lakes Parkway through the intersection and into the woods after what appeared to have been its driver’s medical episode.
FHP’s Cpl. Pete Young, Flagler’s Longest-Serving Cop By Far, Earns Singular Medal
With 500 traffic homicide investigations and into his 5th decade in law enforcement, Pete Young is the longest-serving uniformed cop in Flagler-Palm Coast. He has no plans to stop.
17-Year-Old Charged With Attempted Murder in July’s L-Section Shooting of Phillip Haire
Zaire Roberts of 46 Pine Hill Lane in Palm Coast faces a 1st-degree attempted murder charge for the alleged shooting of Phillip J. Haire, 18 on Lewisdale Lane in late July.
Three Companies Tee Up Proposals to Run Flagler Beach’s Fallow 9-Hole Golf Course
The 34 acres of the old Ocean Palm Golf Club will be in play this evening at 5:30 p.m. as a committee hears proposals to rejuvenate the grounds profitably through a lease.
Cocked Again, College-Campus Gun Bill Makes It Through First Two Legislative Hurdles
The concealed-carry legislation won support from criminal-justice committees in the Florida House and Senate but is widely opposed by academic leaders.
Three Matanzas High School Students Arrested For Armed Burglary in Palm Coast’s F-Section
A ninth grader and two tenth graders who’d run from Matanzas High School were charged with armed robbery following two incidents in Palm Coast’s F-Section this morning.