Some 300 people turned out Sunday evening on the sands of Flagler Beach, including the parents of Meredith Smith and Lane Burnsed, the teens killed in a wreck on I-95 Thursday. The crowd was mostly young, emotional and subdued.
Flagler Beach
Flagler Beach Fire Chief Gets His Job Back As Serious Allegations About City Manager Emerge
Flagler Beach City Manager Bruce Campbell retreated from plans to fire Flagler Beach Fire Chief Martin Roberts, giving him instead a three-day suspension, following a three-hour hearing that revealed a devastating series of issues surrounding the controversy and Campbell’s management of it.
“All Done With Pure Heart”: A Defense of Flagler Beach Chief Martin Roberts
Patricia Sigman, a long-time, Orlando-based labor and employment attorney, ended Flagler Beach Fire Chief Martin Roberts’s three-hour disciplinary hearing with a searing indictment of the the city administration and an earnest defense of Martin, who nhad kept silent throughout the month-long controversy. Here’s Sigman’s complete closing.
Wife of Long-Time Flagler Beach Cop Bobby MacDonald in Coma After Gunshot to the Head
Kathy MacDonald married Robert “Bobby” MacDonald less than a year ago. Flagler Sheriff Don Fleming said an investigation is continuing into the suspicious shooting, with no conclusive evidence yet on whether she shot herself, or whether her husband is involved.
Picking Up Trash on A1A: A Harvest Of Sloth You Can Do Something About
Frank Gromling’s Ocean Publishing adopted a 2-mile stretch of A1A to keep clean of trash–cigarette butts, soda and beer cans, food wrappers–people are too slothful not to drop on their way. Gromling tells of the experience of periodically picking up after you.
3 Flagler Beach Commissioners Attend Closed-Door County Staff Meeting, Clouding Sunshine
Commissioners Jane Mealy, Kim Carney and Mayor Linda Provencher attended the July 12 county staff meeting on beach renourishment with the U.S. Corps of Engineers, which was closed to the public. Dennis McDonald, a candidate for the county commission, raised issues with the potential sunshine violation.
Flagler Beach Fire Chief Martin Roberts Faces Firing on Insubordination Charge
Flagler Beach City Manager Bruce Campbell told Martin Roberts he’d be fired pending a pre-disciplinary hearing on July 17. Roberts had served as chief since November 2005. He was at the center of a controversy over unauthorized trips.
With Fire Chief’s Job Teetering, Flagler Beach Commission Splits Over Ethics and Dysfunction
In a special meeting prompted by a controversy over unauthorized fire department trips to fire truck manufacturers, the city commission Tuesday agreed to rewrite some of its ethics guidelines, but a proposal to turn commissioners into whistle-blowers is facing resistance.
Carson Merrill and Paul Miller, Flagler’s Two Shootists, Heading to Court Wednesday
William Carson Merrill shot his wife Stefanie with an AK-47 at their Covington Lane home on Feb. 21. Paul Miller shot his neighbor Dana Mulhall as the pair argued about Miller’s barking dogs on South Flagler Avenue on March 14.
Flagler Beach Volunteer Fireman’s Association Awards Scholarship
The Flagler Beach Volunteer Fireman’s Association announced Firefighter / Paramedic Michael “Dusty” Snyder has been selected as the recipient of the Association’s annual Emergency Services Scholarship. Snyder will be using the scholarship to take advanced course work in Firefighter Survival Techniques.
In Flagler Beach, a Clash of Authority Entangles The Manager, Fire Chief and Commissioners
The controversy over all-expenses-paid trip Fire Chief Martin Roberts and others took to investigate fire trucks is bringing to light a more serious conflict over City Manager Bruce Campbell’s authority, and the city commission’s habit of meddling directly with city department heads, over Campbell’s.
Flagler Beach Fire Department Embroiled in Controversy Over Unauthorized Trips
Flagler Beach City Manager Bruce Campbell knew nothing about an all-expenses-paid trip his fire chief and two other fire department employees took to South Dakota in early June to look at a pumper truck, though the city commission has not approved the purchase of a replacement.
At the Flagler Beach Pier, A Window Into a Private Romance for the Ages
From his window onto the boardwalk at the Flagler Beach pier, the author has been witnessing the intimate ritual of an ancient couple’s love for years, and understands exactly why they come to their their oceanfront table.
Haley Watson Is Miss Flagler County 2012
The annual Miss Flagler County Scholarship Pageant is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. this Sunday afternoon and at the Flagler Auditorium, with Miss Junior at 5 and Miss Flagler County at 7 p.m.
Flagler’s Competing Ham Radio Clubs Mark Field Day in Flagler Beach and at EOC
June 23 is National Field Day for amateur radio people all over the country. See it in action beginning at 1 p.m. at the Flagler Beach Fire Department and at at the Flagler County Emergency Operations Center.
In a Brazen Reversal, Flagler Beach Commission Kills Beach-Bonfire Referendum
Just six weeks ago the Flagler Beach City Commission, fractured and indecisive on the matter, voted 4-1 to place a referendum question on beach bonfires on a coming ballot. But two weeks later, the commission voted to ban bonfires during turtle nesting season anyway.
From Food Lion to Charter School: Deal Close To Convert Long-Vacant Flagler Beach Store
Jacksonville-based Florida International Language Academy has been on the hunt for a location in Flagler for its 364-student K-8, language-oriented school, opening in August. Talks in Bunnell and Palm Coast fell through, returning the company to the Food Lion location in Flagler Beach.
Palm Coast and Flagler County Government TV Becoming Available on AT&T’s U-Verse
Flagler County, Palm Coast and Flagler Beach government meetings, along with school board meetings, will be available live on AT&T’s new U-verse cable system, which just launched locally.
In Flagler Beach, 2 Men Accused of
Provoking a Violent Brawl Are Jailed
Steven Hoffman-Brown, 24, and Jacob Visconti, 30, are accused of attacking a dozen people, smashing out a car’s window with a crow bar, and rushing some of them with a truck, resulting in several injuries, including their own.
Understated Slivers: The Unique Fragility and Vitality of Barrier Islands
Barrier islands such as the one that hosts Flagler Beach are fragile, diverse and play a vital, understated but often unappreciated role in coastal ecology and protection. Frank Gromling provides a tour.
Attorney General OK’s Flagler Beach’s Plan to Spend Sales Tax Money on Erosion Projects
In an Attorney General’s opinion, Pam Bondi wrote that Flagler Beach’s plan to spend sales tax revenue on beach erosion projects is authorized by law, but that the ballot language authorizing that sales tax may have to specify erosion projects, not just general infrastructure.
Paul Miller, Who Shot and Killed His Neighbor, Makes Bail, Dismaying Victim’s Family
Paul Miller, 65, of Flagler Beach, posted $300,000 bond on Tuesday after spending 10 weeks in jail on a second degree murder charge following the killing of Dana Mulhall as the two argued over Miller’s barking dogs on March 14.
Ritchey Dauphin, 18, Who Drowned on Memorial Day in Daytona, Is Found in Ormond
Flagler County rescuers were asked to scour the beaches and the surf late Monday after a 19-year-old man was believed to have drowned in Daytona Beach late Monday afternoon. Flagler rescuers were called out because of the force of the current, which could have dragged the victim quite far north.
Be Prepared: 9 to 15 Tropical Storms or Hurricanes Predicted Beginning June 1
NOAA predicts a 70 percent chance of nine to 15 named storms, four to eight of them strengthening to a hurricane (with top winds of 74 mph or higher) and of those one to three will become major hurricanes. Be prepared.
Another Blow for the County: Palm Coast Rejects Flagler’s Sales Tax “Compromise”
Citing the county’s “Taj Mahal” of an administration building and the city’s future growth needs (and revenue), the Palm Coast council on Tuesday stuck to its refusal to change the way sales tax revenue is split, a blow for county government.
Going Nose to Nose, Palm Coast and The County Remain Split on Half-Cent Sales Tax
Palm Coast wants to keep the split of the half-cent sales tax revenue what it is today. Flagler County wants to change the formula, which would decrease Palm Coast’s share by $500,000. The disagreement is jeopardizing a unified approach on a sales tax referendum both sides say is critical to their revenue needs.
Focused on Referendum, Flagler Beach Mayor Provencher Drops Veto Threat Over Bonfires
Linda Provencher, the Flagler Beach mayor, retreated from her threat of a veton on the bonfire ban because she wants the focus to be on a referendum, which she believes will show popular opposition to the ban.
Eric Zimmerman, Marine and Gulf War Veteran, 1969-2012
Eric Lee Zimmerman, 42, of Flagler Beach, was a U.S. Marine, a Gulf War veteran, a champion BMX racer and leaves behind a legacy of honor: an obituary.
Mayor Weighs Veto as Flagler Beach, on 3-2 Vote, Bans Night Bonfires During Turtle Season
The rare veto, which Flagler Beach Mayor Linda Provencher might exercise should the bonfire ban ordinance survive a second reading in two weeks, would nullify the ban, heightening the focus on a proposed popular referendum on the issue.
Bonfire Embers Still Crackling in Flagler Beach As 2 Commissioners Plan Clashing Initiatives
Saying she doesn’t want to abdicate her role, Commissioner Kim Carney wants to force an up-or-down vote on bonfires on the beach regardless of a proposed referendum, while Commission Chairman Jane Mealy seeks approval for a bonfire permitting structure that Carney strongly opposes.
A Smoldering Flagler Beach Commission Punts To Voters on Bonfires After a Flagrant Debate
The Flagler Beach City Commission voted 4-1 to let voters decide whether bonfires should be allowed on the city’s beaches after a meeting that featured embarrassing attacks, declaration and fracture.
Return of the Sea Turtles: Flagler’s First Sighting Renews a Million-Year Ritual
The first sea turtle to scout for a nest on a Flagler beach did so Tuesday, renewing a ritual going back 200 million years. She scouted Columnist Frank Gromling’s beach backyard for her nursery. A report from the sands.
In a Reversal, Flagler Beach Will Consider New Regulations for Roving Street Vendors
Commissioners agreed unanimously Thursday evening to draft a new ordinance or licensing rules that would define where, how and how often roving vendors would be allowed to in the city.
Ex-Patron at Flagler Beach’s Johnny D’s Is Jailed After Fighting Over Being Turned Away
John Quesinberry, a self-employed 36-year-old, was told by Johnny D’s owner John Davis and manager Stephen Zelen that he wasn’t welcome there. A fight ensued, ending up with Quesinberry facing a battery charge on an elderly person.
Bond Is Set at $300,000 for Paul Miller, Who Shot His Flagler Beach Neighbor Over a Dog
Paul Miller has been in jail without bond on a second degree murder charge for gunning down neighbor Dana Mulhall on March 14, when Mulhall complained about Miller’s barking dogs.
After Joint Meeting, Palm Coast and the County Remain Far Apart Over Sales Tax Renewal
Palm Coast and the county disagree over how to split $4 million in annual revenue from the a half-cent sales surtax. The county wants more than it’s been getting. A joint meeting Tuesday produced good will but no breakthrough.
Fernando Chavez, Biker Hurt March 16 in A1A Crash in Flagler Beach, Dies
In the fifth Bike Week accident on Flagler roads, a biker speeding south on A1A in Flagler Beach struck a car this afternoon and was evacuated by air in critical condition.
In 911 Call, Paul Miller Calmly Tells Dispatcher of Shooting Mulhall, Then Hangs Up on Her
Paul Miller is calm, collected and seemingly unshaken by the gravity of the situation as he tells a 911 dispatcher to send an ambulance because he’d just shot his neighbor, Dana Mulhall. The 911 recording.
Grim Details Emerge: 5 Bullets Struck Dana Mulhall, 4 as He Fled, 2 in His Back
Paul Miller’s arrest report openly casts doubt on suggestions that Miller was acting in self defense when he shot and killed Dana Mulhall, describing instead a moment of anger that escalated and did not stop even as Mulhall was, literally, running for his life.
Flagler Beach’s Paul Miller Is Jailed On 2nd Degree Murder Charge
Paul Miller, the 66-year-old resident of South Flagler Avenue who shot and killed his neighbor over an argument about a dog Wednesday evening, was booked into the Flagler County jail this evening on a second degree murder charge.
Paul Miller, Who Shot and Killed Dana Mulhall in Flagler Beach Wednesday, Is Set Free
Paul Miller, who’s arguing self-defense, was released from Flagler Beach police custody about a half dozen hours after he shot and killed Dana Mulhall Wednesday evening. No weapon was found near Mulhall.
A Man Is Dead, Another in Custody in Flagler Beach Shooting Following Neighbors’ Dispute
A man is dead, another is in custody, arrested by Flagler Beach police, after a shooting described as methodical and deliberate shattered the calm of South Flagler Avenue this evening, just after 6 p.m.
Turtle Saving Time: Nesting Season Begins on Flagler and Florida Beaches, Lasting Through October
That age-old ritual of turtle-nesting is in full swing on Flagler County’s beaches, where beach-goers will recognize the trademark wooden stakes and thin square-forming ribbons around nests–and steer clear of the sandy nurseries.
Ice Cream Truck 1, Jane Mealy 0: Mobile Vendor Restrictions Fail in Flagler Beach
A proposed ordinance to restrict mobile vendors and favored by Commissioner Mealy had no support and was tabled indefinitely as a popular rally on behalf of an ice cream truck owner Sandy Kinney proved successful.
New Power Lines Drawn as Flagler Beach Commission Bids Baker and Feind Farewell
With Joy McGrew seated as a commissioner and Linda Provencher as mayor, Jane Mealy was elected chairman for the second time in her tenure on the commission, beating back a challenge from Steve Settle, who was picked as vice-chairman.
Provencher and McGrew Win in Flagler Beach, Romney Trounces Gingrich in Flagler
Linda Provencher has beaten J. NeJame for Flagler Beach mayor, while Joy McGrew has beaten Sandra Mason for a city commission seat. Mitt Romney beating Newt Gingrich handily in Flagler and Florida.
In Flagler Beach City Election, More Reruns Of Faces and Ideas Than Stark Choices
Two of the four candidates in the Flagler Beach municipal election on Jan. 31 have served on the commission before, a third has run for office many times, leaving just one rookie in the mix. Fresh ideas, too, were wanting in a recent forum where the candidates laid out their positions.
Flagler Beach Election: Candidate Forum 6 p.m. Tonight at Disabled American Veterans Hall
Tonight’s forum starts at 5 p.m. with a meet-and-greet and at 6 with actual questions at the DAV Hall on 6th Street. Flagler Beach elections are usually held in March. This election was moved up to coincide with the presidential primary election on Jan. 31, and to save the city money.
Flagler’s 7 Governments Gather to Hear How Well Their Economic Development Is Doing
Despite enduringly high unemployment and a year of fraying rather than unity among local governments, the county hosted an intergovernmental summit Tuesday that piled back-patting on exclamation marks.
Christmas Parachutes Into a Parade and Yules Up Sweaty Bed Races in Flagler Beach
The annual bed races, postponed in October, capped a day of festivities that had Santa jumping oput of a plane and landing on Flagler Beach’s sands and a parade that seemed to go on forever, like the photo gallery included here.