In an unusually long and defensive press release, Palm Coast counters an attempted injunction by Dennis McDonald–to stop the cutting of trees around Palm Harbor–by calling his claims “inaccurate” and “misleading,” even as the city itself makes flatly inaccurate claims about the age of trees it is about to remove, among other issues.
Featured
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.
Sorry, Teachers: Don’t Yet Bank on Debit Cards for Classroom Supplies Gov. Scott Promised
Gov. Rick Scott touted the $250, tax-free debit cards as he talked about education issues across the state, but as of Tuesday, more than 130,000 teachers out of Florida’s 170,000 are not in line to get one of the Chase debit cards this year.
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.
“Podunk,” “Bad Faith” and Bigotry as Bunnell Votes 3-1 to Advertise for a New City Manager
Three Bunnell city commissioners would not give Manager Armando Martinez more than $80,000 a year. He would not accept less than $97,500. The difference was only one of the cleavers that produced another ugly, late-night wrangle on the commission, featuring offensive language and a commissioner walking out.
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.
Elections Supervisor Wants to Expand Early Voting to Palm Coast Community Center. City’s Response: Pay Up
Even though Palm Coast City Council candidates will be on the ballot, the city is charging the Supervisor of Elections for use of the Community Center on Palm Coast Parkway as a second early voting location in the city, raising questions about cooperation from a city that has seen its voter turnouts fall drastically over the years.
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.
Hillary’s Movie: Spoiler Alert
The Republican temper tantrum over the nascent NBC Hillary Clinton movie tells us only one thing: The GOP is scared to death of a Hillary presidential run. How else can you explain the weeping and whining over a film that hasn’t even been scripted, and may yet be produced by Fox Television Studios?
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.
The Painting You Will Not See in Hollingsworth Gallery’s ‘Monster of Bigotry’ Show, and Why
Constance Payne’s “Will You Take Me Seriously Now” was top be part of the new “Monster of Bigotry” show at Palm Coast’s Hollingsworth Gallery, but only if Payne agreed to have it draped, because of its explicit content. She refused, calling it censorship. Gallery owner JJ Graham defends the decision on several grounds.
Carl Laundrie Recovering Well After Harrowing 24 Hours as Doctors Investigate
Carl Laundrie, the long-time public information officer for Flagler County government, was awake and conversant, and eating normal food, after nearly drowning when his SUV swerved into a pond near the county’s Emergency Operations Center in Bunnell Friday afternoon.
Teens Smash 17 Mailboxes on Palm Coast’s Wellshire Lane in Early Morning Spree
Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Oleksandr Podolskyy, 18, of Point Pleasant Drive in Palm Coast, in connection with the morning spree that left 17 mailboxes down on Wellshire Drive. Residents said one or two other younger boys were also arrested.
Lawmakers Will have $435 Million More to Work With in 2014 as Recovery Continues
The added revenue swells to $2 billion the net increase from this year’s budget in the general revenue, but lawmakers aren’t scheduled to take up the budget again until next spring’s legislative session, and other revenue forecasts are expected in the interim, meaning it will likely take awhile before the full budget picture is known.
Court Injunction Sought to Stop Palm Coast’s Tree Removal Around Palm Harbor Center
Calling Palm Coast’s tree removal illegal, resident Dennis McDonald filed an injunction in circuit court Thursday seeking to halt removals planned for road-widening and as part of a redevelopment of the Palm Harbor shopping center that may significantly alter the character of the area.
Predatory Human Traffickers Luring Teens and the Homeless as Cops Warn of Backyard Crisis
A nationwide crackdown last week by the FBI on child sex trafficking yielded 159 arrests and freed 105 children — nearly all girls between 13 and 17 — but experts say it’s the tip of the iceberg as 450,000 children run away from home each year and that one-third will be lured into prostitution within 48 hours of leaving home.
Cool to Sudden Roma Court Proposal, Flagler Sheriff Restates Preferences for Proximity
Flagler County Sheriff Jim Manfre was surprised by an unexpected proposal from the owner of Roma Court, the chronically vacant strip mall on Palm Coast Parkway, to lease the building to the county for sheriff’s operations, and cited several factors that fall outside his preferred options.
“I Did It”: Iron Man Bank Robbery Suspect Lakhram Mahadeo of Palm Coast, Is Arrested
Lakhram Mahadeo, a 2005 FPC graduate, was arrested Wednesday at his Palm Coast home and charged in connection of the June 20 bank robbery, in which the robber wore an Iron Man mask and stole $2,300. He’s being held on $100,000 bond.
Why Palm Coast Is Alarmed: Vivint Home-Security Solicitors Dogged By History of Deception
It’s not just Palm Coast: Vivint faces recurring findings of deceptive practices and misrepresentation in several states, according to Better Business Bureau records. The company has agreed to settlement orders issued either by a court or by the state attorney generals of at least six states to end aggressive and misleading sales tactics similar to those reported in Palm Coast.
Cabinet Passes, for Now, on Pardoning Marissa Alexander, Pending Stand Your Ground Appeal
Alexander, a 32-year-old mother of three, was sentenced to 20 years in prison last year after firing a shot into a wall during a dispute with her abusive husband, a case that stands in sharp contrast with George Zimmerman’s not-guilty verdict after he shot and killed an unarmed teen.
Red Flare, Parachute and Feared Plane Crash Keep Police Busy Overnight in Mondex, But Nothing is Found
Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies and Volusia County’s emergency helicopters patrolled western Flagler County, especially the Mondex area, after reported sightings of a parachute and a red flare after 10 p.m. Tuesday. Nothing was located.
16-Year-Old Palm Coast Boy Accused of Raping 5 Year Old Is in Juvenile Justice Custody
A 16-year-old Palm Coast boy is facing a felony charge of sexual battery, or rape, of a 5-year-old boy in an incident reported to have taken place in May in the older boy’s bedroom, in the boys’ home.
Two Ex-Firefighters Sue Flagler Beach, Charging Their Firing Was Retaliatory
Shane Wood and Jacob Bissonnette say their firing by City Manager Bruce Campbell last February, over an allegation they stored home-made alcohol at the fire station, was retaliation for their role in an investigation that led to a charge of obstruction of justice against Bobby Pace, another firefighter who was briefly acting chief.
Two of Flagler District’s Newer School Buses, Valued at $200,000, Stolen From FPC Depot
The two 84-seat Bluebird buses were stolen the night of July. 27, but the theft was uncovered only today–Aug. 5. School officials say none of the bus routes will be affected when school resumes on Aug. 19. The district’s insurance will reimburse the loss. The Flagler County Sheriff is investigating the theft.
Joker’s Jail: Drunk Driver Thinks Impersonating His Dad Was Funny. Cops Don’t.
In a pair of weekend wrecks and arrests, David Shipman, 52, of 81 Weymouth Lane, is facing charges of drunk driving, giving a false identification while detained, causing property damage and serious bodily injuries to another, while Marty Hogan, 24, of Deltona, is charged with a hit and run, with property damage, reckless driving with bodily injury, and probation violation.
From 50 Miles a Year to 5,600 Yards: Palm Coast’s Repaving Program Scales Back, Briefly
Only four streets in the R Section will be repaved this year, beginning later this month, sharply contrasting with the 50-mile-a-year program that stretched over 10 years, but City Manager Jim Landon cautioned the city council that a more aggressive resurfacing program of perhaps 15 miles will have to be funded come next year, as streets again show deterioration.
Latest Education Scandal Buoys Critics Of High-Stakes Testing as Scott Scrambles
Critics of the state’s education policies are seizing on serial resignations in the education commissioner’s seat, arguing that the problem is less the person on the job than the state’s accountability system. Tony Bennett was a strong supporter of that system, adding a twist of irony to his resignation in the wake of reports that he tweaked the Indiana school report card formulas to help a school founded by a political contributor.
Hypertown: Jesse Jackson and His Detractors
But by the time Gov. Scott and his ilk were done demanding that Jesse Jackson apologize to all Floridians over hos comparisons of Scott to George Wallace and the Dream Defenders to the Selma march, lo and behold, we were back talking about the Dream Defenders and Stand Your Ground. That was Jackson’s goal.
Commissioner Frank Meeker: Why I Voted to Buy the Old Hospital Despite Reservations
“Honestly, I can’t help but feel I’m being led, at times by the nose, to a conclusion to support the hospital purchase,” Meeker writes. “But fortunately for me, I don’t mind researching issues on my own.” In a broad-ranging discussion, he provides a point-by-point defense of his decision.
Thieves Target Elderly Las Palmas Residents in a Rash of Credit Card Fraud and Cash Heists
The four residents at Las Palmas, the independent living facility in Palm Coast’s Town Center. are between 82 and 90 years old, and all had their credit cards or cash stolen, around the same time on July 22, likely by two women working together. Video included.
Espanola Residents Tip Sheriff’s Investigators Toward Arrest of 3 Teens in Home Invasion
At least six residents and one eyewitness tipped off Flagler sheriff’s investigators, helping them find and arrest three teens (the oldest is 19) allegedly involved in the home invasion and beating of a 60-year-old resident in June. A fourth suspect is in investigators’ eyesight.
Steve Cole Will Head Sheriff’s Investigative Division While Still Overseeing School Cops
Steve Cole, formerly a lieutenant and now a commander, was appointed head of the investigative division–in place of Jack Bisland– overseeing 16 investigators and 11 other people, including six school deputies, whose day-to-day duties will be overseen by Cpl. Don Apperson.
Duke-Progress Energy Won’t Build Troubled $25 Billion Nuke Reactors in Levy County
Customers will be required to pay as much as $1.466 billion over 20 years to cover continuing costs at the defective and shuttered Crystal River plant, and they will not be refunded the $150 million they’ve paid in up-front costs for the Levy reactors.
Unemployment Falls Slightly, Job Rolls Grow Slightly, Austerity’s Anemia Persists
There’s nothing terribly bad about the July unemployment report, released this morning. There’s nothing terribly good about it, either: the economy added just 162,000 jobs, and the 7.4 percent unemployment rate is the lowest since December 2008, but improvements are at a crawl.
Sold: County Commission Votes 4-1 To Buy $1.23 Million Hospital in Bunnell for Sheriff
After some anguish, a lot of analysis and, on Thursday, a pair of meetings adding up to nearly five hours, the Flagler County Commission approved buying the old 60,000 square foot Memorial hospital, ending four years of wrangling over where, when and how to move the sheriff to a more central location.
Florida Education Commissioner Tony Bennett Is Resigning Over Favoritism Scandal
Florida Education Commissioner Tony Bennett is announcing his resignation today a year to the day after his predecessor, Gerard Robinson, resigned amid another controversy over school grades. The two resignations underscore the flammability of school grades resulting from high-stakes testing–a flammability opponents of such testing say belie the credibility of the testing and system.
Palm Coast Council Again Warms to City Hall Scheme That Would Snub Voter Permission
City Manager Jim Landon is proposing a refurbished $6.8 million plan that would use general fund dollars to build a new city hall without raising taxes, even though $5.8 million of that–a repayment from the Town Center taxing district–could be used to lower property taxes or build other capital projects with broader public uses. Residents had roundly rejected a similar plan in 2010 and 2011, when the building would have cost $10 million.
Meanwhile, Back in the Trenches: Flagler Beach Firefighter Saves Kitten From Deep In a 300-Foot Drain
Tuesday evening, Morgan Walden—one of three firefighters who answered a distress call, for a kitten, at the Flagler Beach Publix on State Road 100—crawled half-way into a narrow, suffocating stormwater drain and rescued an 8-week-old kitten that had been howling in there loud enough for a Publix customer to hear it.
Florida Education Commissioner Defends Grade Inflation as Bush Rallies to His Side
In a conference call with reporters Tuesday, Bennett said it was “absurd” to believe he inflated grades to help a donor because of her political contributions to Bennett, but criticism of Florida’s education commissioner persisted.
Weiner Syndrome: When Men Are Boors and Their Fans Excuse Them
From Anthony Weiner to Geraldo Rivera to Bob Filner and Eliot Spitzer, the sad thing about all the exhibitionism and shameful behavior is that the protagonists really believe they can just apologize to us and move on. But who’s letting them?
Palm Coast’s Bike and Poetry Shows Slam Their Way Back On Gargiulo Foundation’s Wheels
The second and ongoing annual “Art of the Bicycle” livening up Palm Coast’s City Marketplace this month is all spokes: the Gargiulo Art Foundation, the Flagler County Art League, Hollingsworth Gallery and City Repertory Theatre are all in on it, minus last year’s training wheels, and adding momentum to the evolving cohesiveness of the small town art scene.
Again in Flagler, Gov. Scott Headlines Aveo Co.’s 300-Jobs Groundbreaking at Airport
If the 300 promised jobs are produced, landing Aveo Engineering in Flagler County will prove to be the largest single gain of private-employer jobs in memory, and an unqualified success for the county administration’s new economic development department under Helga van Eckert. But the company is getting generous incentives beyond the $150,000 in cash for jobs retained.
Into Their Second Week of Protest, Dream Defenders Plan Their Own Special Session
Scott, who is expected to spend the next couple of days back on the road, didn’t pop out for a chat with those who want him to call a special session on the state’s controversial “stand your ground” law.
Nielsen’s Aveo Engineering Taxies to Take Off at Flagler Airport in County’s Latest Jobs Coup
It’s been billed as a secret, jobs-producing company the county administration’s economic development team will unveil at the Flagler County Airport Tuesday morning, but there’s little secret about it: Aveo Engineering, a maker of LED light products in the aeronautic industry, is bringing some 300 jobs to the airport.
Massive Fire Demolishes a House on Palm Coast’s Woodhaven Dr., But 3 Dogs Are Saved
A massive fire engulfed a single-family house at 121 Woodhaven Drive, off of Pine Lakes Parkway, in Palm Coast at around 11:50 this morning. There were no occupants in the house at the time, but two dogs were rescued after the fire started.
Florida Snubs Millions in Federal Health Grants That Could Help Workers and the Poor
in a pattern of politically motivated rejections by Florida itself, the state got the lowest amount of health-care reform act grant funding per capita – behind all 50 states and the District of Columbia – in 2011. While state agencies received the bulk of federal health grants in other states, it was the reverse in Florida.
Eddie Johnson More Brawny Than Brilliant, But Helps US Win Gold Cup Anyway, 1-0
It was not a beautiful performance by either Eddie Johnson, who put in all 95 minutes, or the U.S. Team, and the last minutes were marred by a brawl Johnson triggered as he brought a little Bunnell to Soldier Field, but the U.S. won its fifth Gold Cup anyway.