Flagler Beach’s actual and Palm Coast’s planned zoning restrictions on medical marijuana are wrong-headed, needlessly antagonistic toward medical pot users, and based on more misinformation than public expectations on medical marijuana.
Flagler Beach
Flagler Beach Business Owner Shane Kitchens Critically Injured by Motorcycle on A1A
Shane Kitchens, a 37-year-old Flagler Beach resident and business owner, was in critical condition overnight after a motorcyclist struck him as Kitchens was crossing State Road A1A around 12:45 Sunday morning. Kitchens was a few blocks from his home on South Flagler Avenue.
Flagler Beach Commissioner Settle “Goes Off” On Resident as Confrontations Rattle Meeting
In two confrontations that upset fellow-commissioners, Flagler Beach City Commissioner Steve Settle questioned resident Rick Belhumeur on what “allowed” him to address issues relating to the city’s fire department and called his public comments “inappropriate” by falsely claiming that Belhumeur was running for office. After the meeting, the two men got in a shouting match.
Get Ready For Moonlight Fishing On the Flagler Beach Pier, Starting in September
The Flagler Beach pier’s balance sheet is struggling this year, with a $23,000 deficit the city government–which administers the pier–is trying to close before the end of the year. One idea: starting the first Saturday in September (Sept. 6), the pier will be open to fishing through the night, but for a $6 charge–the same rate fishermen must pay during the day.
Flagler Beach Fire Department’s Case For a New $600,000 Truck Draws Key Support
A town hall meeting designed to give the fire department its say drew no ire or passions but rather some critical questions and some support for the proposed buy.
Don’t Buy The Flagler Beach Fire Department’s Deceptions: City Doesn’t Need New Aerial Fire Truck
The Flagler Beach Fire Department is veiling its unwise request for a new $600,000 fire truck under the guise of “fire safety equipment,” a deception–and a purchase, with money the city cannot afford–residents should reject, argues Rick Blehumeur.
Rescued from Surf in Flagler Beach and Revived, Sylvio Thibodeau, 88, Dies at Hospital
Sylvio Thibodeau, for two decades a resident of Palm Coast, was an avid swimmer and biker. On June 5 he was at the beach with his daughter when he swam too far and disappeared from view, was brought back to shore by a lifeguard and given CPR, but died later at Florida Hospital Flagler.
Flagler Beach Fire Department Makes Pitch For $600,000 Fire Truck, Igniting Questions
City Commission Chairman Kim Carney has predicted last year that the fire department would soon be asking for a new fire truck, and is raising questions about its proposed financing, including taking more than $300,000 from the city’s infrastructure fund.
Florida Hospital Flagler Donates First Aid Supplies to Flagler Beach Lifeguards
Florida Hospital Flagler has donated an array of medical supplies to the City of Flagler Beach’s Ocean Rescue Services. Items donated include gloves, face masks, ammonia, alcohol pads, gauze, biohazard containment materials, and more.
Flagler Beach Museum Taking Over Pier for “Jazz, Cheese & Cheer!” Fundraiser Saturday
The Flagler Beach Museum’s “Jazz, Cheese & Cheer!” fundraiser Saturday from 3 to 7 p.m. will feature Linda Cole & Co, enjoy small samples of wine, craft beer, cheese, sweets and food from numerous local eateries while gazing at the best ocean view in town.
John Allan Waugaman, 53, of Palm Coast, Survives Suicide Attempt Off Flagler Beach Bridge
John Allan Waugaman, 53, of Marbella Court in Palm Coast jumped off the north side of the Flagler Beach Bridge early Monday morning but survived the suicide attempt as two men helped him to shore below.
Disturbance Call Leads Cops to Trove of Thefts in Flagler Beach, Including a Palm Coast Solar Panel
Hunter S. Watson, 24, of 1636 South Daytona Avenue in Flagler Beach was arrested and charged with grand theft and burglary Thursday in connection with a series of thefts that allegedly included a golf cart and a solar panel that belongs to the city of Palm Coast.
Drowning Unlikely After Search Off Flagler Beach Pier, But Authorities Locate Mystery Remains
County and Flagler Beach rescue authorities spent several fruitless hours searching for a man believed to have drowned in the surf off of South 8th Street late Saturday afternoon. Authorities said that a drowning was not likely. But Flagler County Fire Chief Don Petito confirmed that the medical examiner was called in to analyze “what appears to be remains,” possibly intestinal, that may have been human.
Trap, Neuter and Return: Feral Cat Program Makes Progress in Flagler Beach, But Not in Palm Coast
The Flagler Humane Society is on pace to trap, neuter and return some 600 cats in Flagler Beach through a program that avoids killing the animals, though not without creating frictions among some residents. Attempts to to bring the TNR approach to Palm Coast continue to falter.
Grand Jury Declines to Indict Ex-Flagler Beach Cop Bobby MacDonald Over Wife’s Gunshot Wound, But Case May Remain Open for Years
A Flagler County grand jury found no probable cause to go forward with an indictment against Robert “Bobby” MacDonald, who brought his wife Kathy bleeding from the head, from a gunshot wound, to an ambulance in July 2012 in western Flagler County.
Open Skateboard Rinks to Scooters and Bikes? County and Flagler Beach Propose More Permissive Rules at Wadsworth
The proposal is dividing officials and parents, some of whom like the broader allowance, some of whom consider it an invitation to accidents and lawsuits. The Flagler County Commission got in on the discussion earlier this week because the park belongs to the county, though it’s been run and policed by Flagler Beach for 10 years.
Two Conjugal Quarrels Lead to Violence and Arrests on Child Abuse Charges for Man and Woman
Two separate incidents on Thursday and Saturday involving two unrelated couples led to the arrests of a Flagler Beach man and a Palm Coast woman when each was alleged to escalate a domestic spat into violent acts involving children.
Heroes Who Foiled European Village Attack Are Jailed on Disorderly Conduct and Battery Charges
The three men who foiled an alleged armed attack at European Village Saturday night–Vassili Mironov, Roman Dubinschi and Joshua Auriemma–were arrested early Wednesday morning after a fight in the parking lot of Finn’s bar in Flagler Beach.
Seeking Cool Whip High at Publix, A Couple Is Charged With Inhaling
Gretchen Wentworth, 35, and David Collins, 34, residents of 609 North Ocean Shore Boulevard in Flagler Beach, were arrested for inhaling cool whip. That is, the nitrous oxide that powers the cream out of its canister. They were arrested for allegedly doing so at the Flagler Beach Publix, after they’d aggravated other customers.
Divisions Over Roving Vendors Again Place Flagler Beach’s Business Friendliness on Trial
How the Flagler Beach City Commission finally got to a restrictive ordinance on mobile vendors divided the commission and the town’s business community and again put a spotlight, fairly or not, on the commission’s attitude toward small business. The controversy illustrates an underlying strain between city and business that has not been resolved, and that goes beyond the roving vendor issue.
Jamal “Jamie” Nejame, 3-Time Candidate for Office in Flagler Beach, Jailed on Stalking and Injunction Violation Charges
Jamal “Jamie” Nejame, who three times ran for public office in Flagler Beach and had been a frequent and vocal presence at city commission meetings, was arrested and jailed Wednesday evening on charges of aggravated stalking and violation of an injunction. He also faced a stalking charge in 2009.
On Old Haw Creek Road, a Confrontation So Hostile That a Cop Asks For It To Be Videotaped
Stuart Denison, who’d been arrested three times in the last few months on domestic battery charges, allegedly threatened to kill his girlfriend and the cops who arrested him Sunday; separately, Michael Testa was arrested for the ninth time.
Pamela Zill, Healer, Advocate and Ardent Community Voice in Flagler Beach, 1963-2014
Pamela Zill, 50, of Flagler Beach, died on January 13, 2014. The former hostess of her own TV talk show, she was active in the area Chamber of Commerce and was a fixture at Flagler Beach City Commission meetings.
Flagler Beach Police Launch Initiatives to Protect Residents and Property, But Public Records Expose Vulnerability
Though the initiatives are very well-meaning, participating residents who want their house watched while they’re away or who live alone and need a daily check-in must fill out detailed applications that reveal a lot of personal information and details about their property. The documents are public records, and may potentially create vulnerabilities for the very residents police are aiming to protect.
Sweet Waters Smokehouse, With Grand Opening Saturday, Adds to Restaurant City in Flagler Beach
The Tuscan Grille restaurant owners were approached by the property owner of the former Hurricane Patty’s in Flagler Beach and asked to take over. They agreed. After Sweet Waters Smokehouse’s soft opening Oct. 1, the restaurant launches in earnest with a grand opening Saturday, Feb. 1, starting at 11 a.m.
Flagler Beach Holds an Election and Nobody Shows: Kim Carney and Marshall Shupe Are Re-Elected Without Opposition
It is the second successive election cycle in which Flagler Beach commissioners have drawn no opposition. Last year Jane Mealy and Steve Settle were re-elected automatically. Kim Carney and Marshall Shupe were first elected three years ago.
Teddy Roosevelt Impersonator Joe Wiegan Will Be Featured Performer at Flagler Beach Rotary Jan. 30
Joe Wiegan has taken his Teddy Roosevelt one-man show all the way to the White House, where George W. Bush invited him to commemorate the 150th anniversary of one of the nation’s greatest, most exuberant and paradoxical presidents.
Record-Breaking Skateboard Mile Among 3 Saturday Races in Flagler Beach and Palm Coast
The International Distance Skateboard Association is hosting a one-mile skateboard race down A1A for the Guiness record, along with a longboard half-marathon starting at Wadsworth Park and a kids and beginners challenge, all Saturday morning, Jan. 4.
56-Year-Old Man Accused of Cigarette-Burning a 9-Year-Old Girl in Inappropriate Beach Encounter
Thomas Checchio, a 56-year-old resident of 612 John Anderson Highway in Flagler Beach, faces a charge of felony child abuse after he reportedly “flirted” with a 9-year-old girl at the beach before he claims to have tripped her, causing her to burn herself on his cigarette.
Dawn to Starlight: Palm Coast, Flagler Beach and the Hammock Warm Up Christmas Parades
Palm Coast’s annual Starlight parade is scheduled for Dec. 14. Flagler Beach’s Holiday at the Beach Parade is scheduled for Dec. 7 at 1 p.m., and businesses in the Hammock will be lighting up A1A with special events, lights and Christmas cheer for the first two week-ends of December.
Fire Demolishes House in Painter’s Hill and Jumps A1A to Island Estates Before It’s Stopped
A fire that started at about 3:15 this afternoon in a vacant, two-level house at 3518 North A1A, in Painter’s Hill, was fueled by 40 mph winds off the ocean and had quickly engulfed the structure in flames by the time firefighters arrived at the scene.
3 Hurt in 2-Vehicle Crash on Belle Terre as Right-of-Way Violation Forces Car Into Ditch
A two-vehicle crash on Belle Terre Parkway and Ponce de Leon Boulevard in Palm Coast around 6:45 p.m. sent three people to the hospital with minor injuries and snared traffic as paramedics worked the scene.
In Flagler Beach, Muted Interest in Last Two Candidates Looking to Head Fire Department
Thursday evening’s town hall-style meeting with Bobby Pace and Brandon Seymour, the two candidates looking to be Flagler Beach’s Fire Captain (that is, chief), drew hardly an audience, possibly because City Manager Bruce Campbell’s choice, to be announced before Thanksgiving, has not been a secret.
Hunting Camp Rape Case: Conflicting Details Emerge as 4th Suspect Turns Himself In and 2 Bond Out
As Frank Goggans turned himself in at the Flagler County jail Wednesday and promptly bonded out (as had his brother Daniel), extensive and lurid details from investigators’ interviews with the two brothers and a third suspect have emerged in the case of the alleged gang rape of a woman in Flagler Beach and at the Cowart Hunting Camp on March 20.
Gentle Warning Beep as Flagler’s $10 Million Emergency Radio System Approaches Its End
It’s less than eight years since Flagler spent $10 million to upgrade its county-wide communications to an 800 MHz system, to which some 1,500 radios from police, fire, municipal and county agencies are attached. That system is set to reach its official life’s end in 2017, requiring county government to start now to examine how it will replace it, and how it’ll pay for the replacement.
State Attorney Will Not Prosecute Bobby Pace, Clearing Him to Return to Flagler Beach Fire Department
The State Attorney’s Office settled on a deferred prosecution agreement that would eventually drop the misdemeanor charge against Bobby Pace, clearing the way for him to return to work at the fire department and possibly be named its fire captain next month.
Palm Coast Man, 35, Accused of Lascivious Acts After Attacking A Woman in Flagler Beach
The 52-year-old victim was taking in the sea air at a picnic table at North 5th Street on A1A in Flagler Beach when Alexander Paler of Willow Drive in Palm Coast accosted her and began allegedly molesting her and restraining her every time she tried to leave. The victim was able to use her skills in dealing with mentally disabled people to diffuse the situation.
Flagler Beach Again Punts on Mobile Food Vendors, Opting to Redraw Looser Regulations
In their latest wrangles over whether to allow mobile food vendors or not, Flagler Beach commissioners appeared confused about who would be allowed where, and how to balance the rights of property owners with the rights of business owners and entrepreneurs to freely compete, without the city’s interference.
As the Flagler Beach Fire Department’s Court Cases Churn On, 11 Apply for Top Post
Eleven men have applied to be Flagler Beach’s next fire chief, a position the city reclassified as “Fire Captain.” It is widely believed that City Manager Bruce Campbell will award the post to Bobby Pace, the suspended firefighter fighting a first-degree misdemeanor charge of obstruction of justice–a charge that may be settled with a deferred prosecution agreement this week or next.
Bowing to Hammock, Thrasher and Hutson Will File Bills to Restore Vacation-Rental Regulations
Sen. John Thrasher and Rep. Travis Hutson made their pledge to repeal the vacation-rental law during the annual legislative delegation meeting in Flagler Wednesday, which drew more than a full house because of that controversial issue. But repeal is unlikely as the 2011 law, which makes it easier to operate a house as a mini-hotel, passed the Senate unanimously, and the House overwhelmingly.
Matt Doughney Named Flagler Beach’s Police Chief (But Just Call Him Captain)
City Manager Bruce Campbell will be naming Matt Doughney, the former Daytona Beach cop and Avon Park police chief, Flagler Beach’s new police chief. Doughney will have the title of captain and be paid $58,000 a year.
Flagler Beach Police “Captain”: Last Three Candidates Make Their Pitch to the Community
Steve Clair, Matthew Doughney and Joe Sisti appeared in a semi-formal setting before some 35 people, including the whole membership of the Flagler Beach City Commission, who gathered at city hall to hear the candidates for police captain and mingle with them.
Nostalgia Sprinkle: Flagler Beach Bans Mobile Vendors Except for Ice Cream Trucks
Thursday evening, the Flagler Beach City Commission swirled Solomon with nostalgia in a 4-1 vote to ban all mobile vending in the city, except for ice cream trucks, a victory for Sandy Kenny’s operation.
Reviving Sore Issue, Flagler Beach Readies to Ban Ice Cream Trucks Outright
The Flagler Beach City Commission Thursday will take up a proposed ordinance that prohibits mobile vendors, including ice cream trucks, outright, reviving an issue the commission has attempted to deal with twice in the last 19 months, only to shrink in the face of substantial opposition.
Nine Interviewed for Revamped Top Cop Post in Flagler Beach as Dan Cody Era Ends
The nine men (possibly 10) being interviewed by a four-man board in Flagler Beach are ex-cops, but they’ll be hired as captain of the police department, as City Manager Bruce Campbell has eliminated the police chief position and reduced its pay from $70,000 to $58,000.
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.
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.
Flagler Beach Murderer Paul Miller Is Moved to Dade Prison, 350 Miles from Home
Paul Miller, the 66-year-old Flagler Beach resident sentenced to life in prison in June for the murder of Dana Mulhall, may serve out his life sentence in South Florida if his ongoing appeal is unsuccessful.
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.
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.