The murders drew national attention to the small town of Bell and led to questions about whether the Department of Children and Families could have done more to protect the children. The department and the Gilchrist County Sheriff’s Office visited the family’s home as recently as Sept. 2.
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A Car Wreck at Publix Escalates Into Battery On a Cop and Hostility at Hospital’s ER
Richard Westervelt, a 23-year-old ex-felon–he was released from state prison two years ago–ran from the scene after a car wreck near Publix Tuesday night, then continued battling a cop at the scene and at the hospital before he was restrained in irons and arrested.
Michael Dunn Is Guilty of First-Degree Murder in Shooting of Jordan Davis as Jury Rejects Self-Defense Claim
Michael Dunn murdered 17-year-old Jordan Davis at a gas station in Jacksonville the day after Thanksgiving 2012, in a case that again put the focus on Florida’s Stand Your Ground law and racial implications.
Flooding Damage to 36 Homeowners Totals $380,000 as Calm Returns to Region
After two days of torrential rain in places and a maximum-recorded reading of 16 inches in central Palm Coast, two days of calm have restored normalcy to the city’s sewer system, lifting restrictions on water usage and ending cases of isolated flooding.
FPL’s $13-a-Month Surcharge on Customers Who Refuse Smart Meters Draws Challenges
The dispute involves only a fraction of FPL’s customers, but it is part of a broader controversy in which critics say they worry the new meter technology could pose threats to their privacy or health.
Citing Racism, Ex-Manager Armando Martinez Files Discrimination Charge Against Bunnell
Armando Martinez charges that when Bunnell Commissioner Elbert Tucker spoke of not wanting another manager from Miami, he was discriminating against Martinez’s Cuban heritage. Tucker says he was merely opposing hiring another big-city manager.
More Land For Pops as City Embraces Partnership With Palm Coast Arts Foundation
The city has agreed to lease the foundation–which is set to raise its first physical structure–even more land than it had before in Town Center and increasing the arts group’s space by about a third, and doubling the length of the $1-year-lease to 10 years.
Sheriff Don Eslinger, “Don’t Let Florida Go to Pot” Chief, Defines Opposition to Amendment 2
Seminole County Sheriff Don Eslinger has been leading the campaign against Amendment 2, the proposal to legalize medical marijuana in Florida. He calls it “flawed.”
Palm Coast Man Accused of Kicking and Killing Playful Puppy For Interrupting Masturbation
Wesley Jackson, 28, who has a history of abuse and criminal charges, was at his girlfriend’s empty house trying to pleasure himself at the computer when Little Man, the puppy, kept jumping on his leg, trying to be playful. It was the dog’s last leap.
34 Homes Report Damage in Latest Flooding Totals as Rain Resumes; Graham Swamp Overflows
After 36 hours of calm, the National Weather Service has issued a flood advisory, in effect until 1:30 p.m., and a flood watch through this evening for Palm Coast, Bunnell, Flagler Beach and the rest of Flagler County, with rain aggravating flood-prone conditions from the weekend.
FDLE Looking Into Alleged Secret Taping and Sunshine Violation by Elections Supervisor
It’s the first step to an investigation of Kimberle Weeks, if laws are found to have been broken. It takes place on the heels of withering criticism of Weeks’s methods and questions by the county commission chairman about the integrity of the elections she is supervising.
Nursing Home Surveillance: Should You Be Able to Spy On Your Grandma’s Caretakers?
Illinois may be about to join at least four other states that have laws or regulations allowing residents to maintain cameras in nursing home patients’ rooms. Florida is not among them.
More Secrecy, Harsher Punishment for Pregnant-Women Beaters, Parasailing Regulations: 32 New Laws Go In Effect
A number of the new Florida laws going in effect Wednesday involve public-records exemptions, including one to allow some university boards to meet in private to discuss donors and research funding.
15 Inches of Rain In Heart of Palm Coast; B-Section Pounded; Wastewater Systems Strained
15 inches of rainfall had been reported at Palm Coast Parkway and Belle Terre Parkway by 9:35 this morning, with the third flood warning issued in 18 hours, valid through 1:15 p.m.
Palm Coast Flooding Closes a Few Streets in B and W Sections; Damage Minimal So Far; Flood Warning Extended
Damage has been minimal and no injuries related to flooding have been reported, though lightning struck a house and triggered a house fire–the location has not been specified–and a person was struck by lightning.
“You Are the Shining Stars,” Flagler’s Drug Court Graduates Are Told at Inspirational Ceremony
Five graduates joined today the 101 who have graduated from Flagler County Drug Court at a ceremony before Judge J. David Walsh, where emotions, celebrations and relief gripped much of the full house.
Palm Coast Sets Special Meeting Tuesday to Consider Tax Breaks for Palm Harbor Shopping Center’s Redevelopment
The unusual special meeting is set to two proposed measures: a tax-break package valued at $52,000 for the Palm Harbor shopping center redevelopment, and a $900,000 purchase of 21 vehicles for the city’s fleet.
Consultants’ Cost in FSU Presidential Search That Led to Thrasher Anyway: $160,000
The controversial and at-times muddled search for a new president of Florida State University includes an expected tab of about $160,000 for consultants.
Flagler Beach Commissioner Settle’s Attempt To Boot Kim Carney Off Chairmanship Fails
Some two dozen people roundly criticized and at times ridiculed Flagler Beach city commissioners’ bickering in their attempt to remove Carney Thursday evening, calling on the commission to talk and get along more appropriately.
Flagler Beach Retreats From Clumsy Attempt To Regulate Farmers’ Market, But It Isn’t Over
Flagler Beach Farmers’ Market owner Zoee Forehand was stunned by an imprecise city proposal to impose new regulations on the market. Thursday, the city commission agreed to step back and let the owners, their attorney and the city attorney draft a proposal together.
Supervisor of Elections’ Husband Duane Weeks in Threatening Altercation With Flagler Commissioner Meeker
The brief confrontation, which entailed Duane Weeks at one point inviting Frank Meeker outside, took place before an NAACP meeting where Sheriff Manfre was to address the fallout from the racial events in Ferguson, Mo.
Gangs’ Links to Crooked Guards, Targeted Killing, Money Laundering: Details Emerge in Florida Prison Crisis
Two former prison sergeants are awaiting trial after being accused of ordering an inmate to be killed to protect the guards’ role as kingpins of an institution-wide gang operation.
73-Year-Old Man Robbed at Best Western Off Old Kings Road; Detectives Seek Help
Debary residents Herman and Judith Reimers, 73 and 71, were staying at the Best Western off of Old Kings Road on Sept. 22, when an alleged assailant claiming to be a TV repairman went with Herman to his room and robbed him of his wallet.
Meet Tim Morgan, the Man Behind John Morgan’s Push for Medical Marijuana
Tim Morgan, John Morgan’s younger brother, suffered a severe spinal cord injury as a lifeguard while trying to save someone, and suffered excruciating pain. Marijuana helped him. His brother has devoted himself to legalizing pot for others with medical needs.
Palm Coast’s Jessica Dow Nash, 31, Critical After Crashing Into FHP Troopers’ Cruisers
Jessica Dow Nash, a 31-year-old resident of Palm Coast’s F Section, crashed into a BMW and an FHP patrol car as FHP was investigating another crash early this morning just north of the Flagler-St. Johns County line.
Pit Bull Tased Then Euthanized After Attacking 3 People in P-Section; 3rd Incident in 3 Days
In an incident that culminated in a third attack caught on video, the pit bull was briefly neutralized with a Taser dart before an animal control officer removed the dog from the scene and three people were hospitalized.
In Sharp Turnaround, Scott Now Ahead Of Crist, With or Without Wyllie in the Race
The momentum has shifted in Rick Scott’s favor as Crist’s 10-point advantage six months ago has been erased, with money more than Wyllie appearing to be making the biggest difference.
John Thrasher Is Named FSU’s Next President, Opening Big Void in Flagler’s Legislative Pull; Hutson Considering Run
For Flagler County, Thrasher’s move is the second major blow to the county’s political pull, after losing John Mica in Congress to redistricting two years ago. Flagler had specific needs that may now go unfilled in Tallahassee.
After Flagrant Dog Attack, Sheriff’s Cmdr. Steve Cole Appeals for More Responsibility From Pet Owners
Cmdr. Steve Cole, attacked and injured by a dog Monday as he jogged along Matanzas Woods Parkway, says the consequences could have been far worse had the dog attacked a child, an elderly person or a woman, all of whom are always on trails.
Facebook “Relationship” Status Between Man, 21, and 15-Year-Old Palm Coast Girl, Leads to Statutory Rape Charge
Tavarez Calloway met the girl at the Flagler County Fair then was allowed to move in when he had no other place to go, as long as the cpouple did not date, according to what a parent told police.
FSU Coddles Jameis Winston Again, Undercutting Its Own Anti-Sexual Violence Campaign
Just as FSU has ramped up its kNOw MORE anti-sexual violence campaign, Winston unleashed a misogynistic, vile, expletive punctuated public outburst. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner and star quarterback was benched just one game.
John Thrasher, Minus Academic Credentials, Moves to Final Step in FSU Presidential Search
The action came despite opposition to Thrasher from faculty and students expressing concern about the school’s reputation and the need for the next leader to have stellar academic credentials.
In a First for Flagler Schools, Student-Staffed VyStar Bank Branch Opens at Matanzas, Heralding Era of Business Partnerships
The opening of a nearly full-service VyStar Credit Union branch at Matanzas is part of a class, and part of the school’s–and the district’s–flagship programs, intended to bridge school and careers with hands-on opportunities.
Domestic Violence: Challenges Go Beyond A Brute’s Fists or White, Middle-Class Women
Because the movement to help battered women largely has been driven by white, middle-class women, the attention has generally been on generic domestic violence, with absent attention to the nuances of race and class.
Department of Corrections Fires 32 More, Including 3 Guards Involved In Gassing Death of Inmate
All of the workers fired were on administrative leave pending a review launched earlier this summer. The housecleaning is part of the secretary’s attempt to salvage the reputation of the beleaguered agency in the wake of reports of widespread abuse and corruption, whistleblower complaints and federal investigations surrounding prisoner deaths.
Gruesome Buddies: ISIS Beheadings
And the American Death Penalty
ISIS beheadings have provoked instinctive revulsion, justly so. Too bad the same reaction doesn’t follow Florida’s and other American state’s equally barbaric continuation of the death penalty, a habit other civilized nations have abandoned.
Tenacity Charlie: County Commissioner Ericksen, 71, Completes 24,902-Mile Bike Trek, Equivalent to Circling the Equator
Charlie Ericksen’s odometer turned the last mile early this morning after six years or 2,263 days, biking an average of 77 miles a week around Flagler and Palm Coast, despite three tips to the hospital along the way and many more repairs for his bike.
17-Year-Old Runaway Palm Coast Girl Found Unresponsive at Bunnell’s Budget Motel
A 17-year-old Palm Coast girl reported missing Saturday was found unconscious in a motel room Monday morning, where she’d checked in with a 27-year-old the night before, in a case Bunnell police terms “suspicious.” The girl was still in a coma Wednesday at a hospital in Jacksonville.
Settle Wants Carney Out as Commission Chair in Flagler Beach, Underscoring Dysfunction
In an unprecedented move in the city’s history, Flagler Beach City Commissioner Steve Settled will seek to have Kim Carney removed from the commission chairmanship next week, and replaced with Marshall Shupe.
Two Flagler Estate Residents Face 39 Counts Of Animal Cruelty Each After Foul Discovery
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.
Insurers’ Latest Ploy: Shifting Costs to the Sick By Making Them Pay More For Drugs
The Affordable Care Act is designed to forbid it, but health insurers are finding a new way to extract money from policy holders with pre-existing conditions–by steering them to more expensive drugs.
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.
1st Quarter Revenue at Palm Coast Data Falls 13%, But CEO Paints Brighter Picture Ahead
Revenues from the company’s Media Services businesses, which include Palm Coast Data’s Subscription Fulfillment Services, fell from $20.3 million for the first quarter of 2014 to $17.5 million in the 1st quarter of fiscal year 2015. CEO Rory Burke said the company is “not teetering on the brink of disaster.”
Can This Guy Help Save Florida Oranges? State Unveils $1 Million Captain Citrus
The muscled-up Captain Citrus, intended to help boost Florida citrus sales while fighting evil, has undergone a $1 million head-to-toe makeover with the help of comic-book giant Marvel Entertainment. He was unveiled Tuesday by the Department of Citrus at a comic-book store in Tampa.
Commission Chairman Questions Election’s Integrity in Broad Criticism of Supervisor Kim Weeks’ Methods
George Hanns unleashed an unusually blunt and broad critique of Weeks at the end of a county commission meeting and went as far as questioning whether it was time to involve the state Division of Elections “about some of the things that are transpiring.”
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.
Gamble Rogers Rec Area Will Keep Its Name as Flagler Beach Concedes: “Not Worth the Fight”
The Flagler Beach City Commission and the County Commission both retreated from a push to remove Gamble Rogers’s name from the Flagler Beach recreation area following a series of setbacks and a public backlash against the idea.
Thrasher Almost Walks Out As He Is Heckled and Grilled By FSU Students and Staff
During on-campus forums that are part of the presidential selection process, students and faculty often expressed a lack of trust in Thrasher, long considered the front runner for the FSU presidency.
Flagler Youth Orchestra’s Enrollment Approaches 400 as 10th Anniversary Season Begins
The Flagler Youth Orchestra drew a record number of students as it began its 10th season today with bi-weekly classes at Indian Trails Middle School, a testament to the school district’s sustained support of its broadest, most successful afterschool arts program.
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.