Shana Sciortino, was 41 when she and her grandmother were severely injured and her mother Debra Ashrafi was killed in a head-on crash with a car John Garrison, 50, was driving just outside Bunnell two years ago. Garrison was sentenced to three years in prison today, a lenient sentence. Sciortino had agreed to the lenience, and today in court she spoke kindly to him even as she described the grief and loss he has caused.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
Water and Sewer Projects Top Palm Coast’s List of Asks from Legislature in a Year of Leaner Pork Barrels
This time, the Palm Coast City Council wants to be very clear with the state legislature and the governor: the city’s priorities for state dollars are its oldest of two sewer plants, and for one of its three water plants. But it’ll be difficult for Palm Coast to repeat its record haul of state money of the last two years, now that it has lost Paul Renner and Travis Hutson, who have been replaced by backbenchers.
Addiction v. Redemption in City Repertory Theatre’s Production of Clifford Odets’s ‘Country Girl’
Clifford Odets’s play, opening at Palm Coast’s City Repertory Theatre Thursday and running as a staged reading through Sunday, tells the story of Frank Elgin, a once-lauded actor who’s become mired in booze even as he’s hoping to return to his past glory, while his ever-faithful wife, Georgie, struggles to keep him from tumbling into an alcoholic abyss. CRT is staging some of its leading stars and veterans, including Director John Sbordone.
Cody’s Corner Roundabout Now Open to Traffic as Flagler’s 3 Once-Deadliest Intersections Are Tamed
The $4.7 million roundabout at Cody’s Corner that started construction at the beginning of April is now open to traffic and is expected to significantly reduce fatal and grave crashes at what had been one of Flagler County’s three deadliest intersections. Cody’s Corner, named for a convenience store there, is the intersection of State Road 11 and County Road 304, 10 miles southwest of Bunnell.
In Puzzling Move, Palm Coast Mayor Norris Seeks ‘Legal Opinion’ On Gambaro Appointment, But Is Rebuffed
Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris tried and failed Tuesday to get the council’s approval for a “legal opinion” about the propriety of the previous council’s October appointment of Charles Gambaro to the seat Cathy Heighter had resigned. Norris said he wanted a legal document protecting the city in case the city was sued over the appointment. It was a puzzling move.
John Robert Dance, Public Servant and Rancher at Heart, 1959-2024
John Robert Dance, 65, of Flagler County, Florida, passed away peacefully on November 22, 2024, surrounded by his loving family. He was born on June 15, 1959. In 1972, his family relocated to Flagler County, where he later graduated in 1977 from Flagler Palm Coast High School, went on to a career with the Florida Highway Patrol and started his own businesses, remaining a cattleman and outdoorsman all his life.
County Favors State Aid for New Sheriff’s Station in Hammock, But Not for Animal Shelter or Library
The Flagler County Commission wants the state to help it pay for a new Sheriff’s District Office on the barrier island, but not paired with a community center and branch library. It wants financial aid with its projected tourism center on State Road 100. And it wants aid with a drainage project and a new agricultural extension center. Commissioners are foregoing asking for state money for a countywide animal shelter, among other projects.
Gun-Shy County Delays Buying ‘Sensitive Lands’ Acres That Could Allow Expansion of Bull Creek Campground
The Flagler County Commission was ready Monday to buy 28 acres of pastureland not far from its Bull Creek Campground near Dead Lake at the west end of the county, for $1.245 million. At the last minute County Administrator Heidi Petito, who knows firsthand the cost of acquiring potentially troublesome properties absent thorough vetting, requested that the purchase be delayed.
As Palm Coast Recruits for a New City Manager, Two Brochures Tell a Tale of the Last 5 Years
A job posting for a new Palm Coast City Manager appeared on a dozen websites on Nov. 22, paired with a brochure that in many ways mirrors the brochure the same recruiting firm sent out when it was recruiting for a replacement for Jim Landon. The two brochure’s similarities and differences tell their own story about Palm Coast in those five years.
Fairness in Question as Flagler County Puts in Place ‘Tool’ to Tax Barrier Island for Beach Protection
Flagler County’s Hammock residents applaud the county’s efforts to devise a permanent method to pay for the $8 million a year it needs to manage the county’s beaches against constant erosion. But today, those residents told the County Commission that the special taxing district the county is planning for the Hammock and other portions of the barrier island, but not Flagler Beach and not anywhere on the mainland, is unfair.
The Baalbek Ruins, Israeli Edition
The city of Baalbek in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley–the City of the Sun–was settled almost 10,000 years ago, and is famous for its long history and its Roman ruins, one of the architectural marvels of the world. To the author, it is wrapped up in memories of childhood and of a father who died decades ago, and now in renewed sorrows as Baalbek was again among Israel’s targets in the last few weeks of bombing.
Tonya Gordon and Tina-Marie Schultz Will Not Run Again for Bunnell City Commission; Bonita Robinson Will
The Bunnell City Commission will have two open seats in the March 4 municipal election as incumbent Commissioners Tina-Marie Schultz and Tonya Gordon, both have decided not to run again. Three candidates have announced: former Bunnell Commissioner Bonita Robinson and Grand Reserve residents David John Atkinson and Lyle Dean Sechrist. Gordon has been serving since 2020, Schultz since 2021. Mayor Catherine Robinson is running for re-election and is not expected to face opposition.
Feet to Feast 5K Run/Walk Draws Record 1,000 Participants
The City of Palm Coast’s annual Feet to Feast 5K Run/Walk saw record numbers this year, with over 1,000 participants rising early to take part in the fun, festive community outing before the big meal. This number surpasses last year’s record of just over 800 participants, which included everyone from avid runners to families.
Ex-Gang Leader Brandon Washington Loses Latest Appeal After Claiming Undelivered Mail
Ex-Bloods gang leader Brandon Washington has nothing to lose: he’s serving four life terms in prison in Okaloosa. So he keeps trying to get a break on his sentence. And he keeps losing. His latest loss was earlier this month as a judge rejected his claim that he was unjustly denied an appeal because mail wasn’t delivered to him.
Palm Coast’s Legal Fees in Splash Pad Case Near $400,000, with Costly Four-Week Trial Expected in New Year
In the two years since Palm Coast filed suit against a dozen contractors involved in the original construction of the ill-fated splash pad at Holland Park, GrayRobinson, the law firm representing the city, has billed $376,000 in fees, with more depositions, hearings and what the attorney handling the case said may well be a four-week trial early next year, all of which would raise the city’s legal costs substantially.
Randy Fine, One of Florida’s Most Bruising and Bellicose Lawmakers, Will Run for Mike Waltz’s Congressional Seat
Randy Fine, whose latest financial disclosure report showed a net worth of $30.3 million, was an early Trump supporter in the GOP presidential primary and has unabashedly signaled his allegiance to Trump on social media. The only Jewish Republican legislator in Florida, Fine often has taken an openly combative approach to political opponents, an image he has embraced publicly. “Unafraid to say what needs to be said,” Fine’s X profile boasts.
Revealed: Behind Closed Doors, Palm Coast Council Was Hoping to Lose Lawsuit Over Debt Referendum
The transcript of a closed-door session of the council, obtained by FlaglerLive, shows that a majority of the council, and the attorney they’d hired to fight the lawsuit, were rooting for the judge to rule against the city in a lawsuit to pull the proposed debt referendum from the ballot–or at least thought that to be the best case scenario for the city. The city’s primary aim was no longer hoping for any kind of electoral success for the measure (which failed decisively), but avoiding liability for the city.
Five Star Pizza Owners Building $2 Million ‘Party and Play’ Indoor Playground in Bunnell, 1st in County
The owners of Five Star Pizza in Palm Coast, Ormond Beach and Deltona are preparing to build a $2 million indoor playground in Bunnell, making it the first of its kind in Flagler County. The playground will be called Party and Play and will be part of a 10,000-square-foot building that will be built on Steel Rail Drive in Bunnell, with projected construction starting in January or shortly thereafter.
36-Year-Old Flagler Beach Woman Accused of Abusing Her 4 Year Old and Attacking Her 71-Year-Old Mother
Elizabeth Bliss, a 36-year-old resident of South Daytona Avenue in Flagler Beach, is facing a felony child abuse charge and a charge of aggravated battery on a person 65 or older–a first degree felony–after she allegedly pinned her 4-year-old daughter to the ground and grabbed and slapped her 71-year-old mother.
Radar in Bunnell Could Vastly Improve Dangerous Weather Forecasting–If Only Forecasters Could Access It
Since June a 330-pound radar with an estimated value of $120,000 to $150,000 has sat atop a 100-foot monopole at the Emergency Operations Center in Bunnell, one of only three like it in the state. It could vastly improve forecasting of dangerous weather such as imminent tornadoes. Except that the National Weather Service has not been able to access its data.
Turtle Shack Cafe in Flagler Beach Sustains ‘Significant’ Damage in Early Morning Fire
Turtle Shack Cafe, the popular Flagler Beach restaurant operating for two and a half decades between 21s and 22nd Street on State Road A1A, was damaged in an early-morning fire, drawing firefighters from across the county. The fire is believed to have started in the kitchen, but is still under investigation by the Flagler Beach fire marshal.
Flagler Cares Invites You to Help Struggling Households Keep Their Lights On Over the Holidays
Flagler Cares, the social service non-profit marking its 10th anniversary, is marking the occasion with a fund-raiser to “Keep the Holiday Lights On” by encouraging people to sponsor one or more struggling household’s electric bill for a month over the Christmas season. Each sponsorship amounts to $100 donation, with every cent going toward payment of a local power bill.
12-Year-Old Palm Coast Girl Faces Felony Over Death Threats in Fight Over a Boy
A week after an 11-year-old Virginia boy was sentenced in county court for making a series of threats that disrupted multiple schools for several days running, a 12-year-old Palm Coast girl was arrested on charges of threatening to kill another child in a dispute over a boy, using SnapChat to convey the threats. No school was involved in the latest incident.
Drug Court Graduation During Addict’s Murder Trial Draws Thin Line Between Abyss and Recovery
Four participants in Flagler County’s Drug Court graduated Thursday in a ceremony presided over by Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols, with Retired Judge Terence Perkins, in unique circumstances: the ceremony took place in the same courtroom where a murder trial was ongoing, with the jury deliberating over the fate of a drug abuser and dealer, whose shot of fentanyl killed another man. The juxtaposition of the two events sharpened the thin line between loss and recovery for substance abusers.
Found Guilty, Brian Pirraglia Is Sentenced to Life in Prison for Brian O’Shea’s Death by Fentanyl, a First in Flagler
A jury found Brian Piraglia, 42, of Palm Coast, guilty of murdering Brian O’Shea, 39, whom he called his best friend, by injecting him with a fatal dose of fentanyl in 2022. Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols immediately sentenced him to life in prison–a first in Flagler County history for such cases. O’Shea’s mother and sister reflected on the trial and the loss of their son and brother afterward.
Why Palm Coast’s Debt Referendum Failed
Palm Coast’s debt referendum failed because it was deceptive and unnecessary. The city has several options to raise new revenue. It refuses to tap them. Enabling debt is not a solution. It’s a pander to the local chamber and private companies seeking to use city taxpayers as collateral for their projects.
Wawa Opens 2nd Flagler County Store on Palm Coast Parkway and Florida Park Drive Friday
Wawa, the national convenience store chain with a strangely fervent following, is opening its second Palm Coast store and gas station Friday morning, on Palm Coast Parkway and Florida Park Drive. The store was built on the 2.5 acres formerly occupied by the Paul Katz office building, one of the many landmarks of Palm Coast’s earlier days as an ITT project that have been leveled to make room for housing or commercial redevelopments.
Now Up to Jury to Decide If Brian Pirraglia Deserves Life in Prison for Overdose Death of ‘Best Friend’
After three days of trial that ended short of a verdict this afternoon at the Flagler County courthouse, a 12-member jury will deliberate Thursday morning on the first-degree murder charge against Brian Pirraglia, 39, in the death-by fentanyl of 38-year-old Brian O’Shea in their B-Section house in Palm Coast in 2022. If convicted, Pirraglia faces life in prison.
FPC Bulldogs Were Robbed of a Crucial Down in What Had Been a Winning Drive. Principal Reacts.
Last Friday the Flagler Palm Coast High School Bulldogs appear to have been robbed of a final down, ending what had been been a winning drive in a playoff football game against Spruce Creek High School. Instead, they lost. FPC Principal Bobby Bossardet reflects.
A School Board of New Faces Is Seated, Giving Will Furry Chairmanship for 2nd Year
For the second time in two years, three of the five Flagler County School Board seats turned over to new members as Janie Ruddy, Lauren Ramirez and Derek Barrs were sworn-in Tuesday evening. Will Furry was named chair again, and Christy Chong named vice chair for the second year.
Richardson, Carney and Pennington Make History on County Commission, and Dance Is Acclaimed Chair Again
There was history this evening at the Flagler County Commission: Sworn-in on the silver spine of a Hebrew Bible, Kim Carney and Pam Richardson joined Leann Pennington, who was elected two years ago, to form the first majority-woman commission in the county’s 107-year history. There was also acclamation as Andy Dance was re-elected chair.
Norris, Miller and Stevens Sworn-In as Palm Coast Council and City Begin Uncharted Era
A new Palm Coast City Council, anchored in the intently precedent-breaking mayorship of Mike Norris, was seated this morning amid the cheers and encouragements of a sizable crowd as Ty Miller and Ray Stevens joined the mayor on the dais alongside Theresa Pontieri and Charles Gambaro. With notable pockets of reserve, not just among city staffers and directors, the audience was mostly triumphal ahead of an uncharted future.
Developer of Disputed 204-Boat Storage Facility on Scenic A1A Must Apply for Special Exception, County Rules
The Flagler County Commission Monday evening rejected a settlement agreement recommended by its own attorney to end the four-year-old dispute with a developer who wants to build a restaurant and 204-boat dry-storage facility in the Scenic A1A corridor. What would be called Hammock Harbor is a planned dry-storage marina, or warehouse, as the developer himself had described it in an early building plan, and as its opponents still describe it. A lawsuit by the developer is likely.
Girlfriend Arrested on Aiding Flagler Jail Inmate Anthony Romine’s Escape in July
Following a 3-month investigation into the escape of Anthony Romine, an inmate who was in the hospital after he faked an injury and escaped from custody and was recaptured hours later, his girlfriend, Alicia Link, has been arrested for aiding in his escape.
Veranda Bay Developer Lowers Total to 2,400 Housing Units, from 2,735, as Flagler Beach Weighs Annexation
The developer of Veranda Bay is willing to lower the number of housing units to be built, from 2,735 to 2,400. It’s still a distance from where two Flagler Beach city commissioners want the number: from 1,800 to the “lower end of 2,000.” But it’s not an unbridgeable divide between the city and the developer, who is also willing to increase commercial acreage to 600,000 square feet.
Joe Mullins, Disgraced in Flagler County, Declares Run for Waltz’s Congressional Seat
Joe Mullins, the former Flagler County Commissioner disgraced out of office two years ago after recurring scandals and outrageous behavior, including belligerently trying to get out of a traffic stop by telling a cop that he ran Flagler County, announced on Friday that he will run for the congressional seat Rep. Mike Waltz is vacating to join Donald Trump’s cabinet as national security adviser.
Where Florida Went, The Nation Is About to Follow
Goodbye to America defining itself as a Beacon of Hope, the Light of Freedom, or any of that other stuff they told you in 3rd grade: the rule of law, checks and balances, free speech, science-based health care, and son on: we saw it all in Florida. It was just prelude.
From Car Break-Ins When He Was 16 to Facing Decades in Prison at 21: The Violent Life of Jebea Johnson
Jabea Johnson was 16 years old when he was among three juveniles arrested for a series of car break-ins in Palm Coast’s R Section, and for making fake crack cocaine in an attempt to sell it at profit. It was not his first arrest. It was far from his last.
Moby-Dick, The Book for Our Times
We can’t afford permanent enmity or exile from each other. Secession and civil war might be a nice distraction but consumer splurging suggests that’s not in the cards. So for all of us grass-leaved Americans, “Moby-Dick” is the book for us, in this moment, in this whale of whiteness delirium. “Moby-Dick” is our book of revelation.
In a Reversal, Flagler Beach Commission Declines to Raise Utility, Garbage and Stormwater Fees for Now
After months of preparation, the Flagler Beach City Commission on Thursday, declined to raise water, sewer and sanitation rates 3.5 percent, what would have been in line with inflation, even though the funds are not self-sustaining without increases, and also declined to raise the stormwater rate a more significant 37 percent. Commissioner Jane Mealy is warning that the city is putting itself in a hole.
Flagler County’s Unemployment Stays at 4.4%, But Job-Holders Fall to Lowest Level Since February 2023
Florida had a drop in private-sector employment in October in the wake of hurricanes Helene and Milton, but the state’s unemployment rate remained at 3.3 percent for a seventh consecutive month. The Flagler County unemployment rate of 4.4 percent was unchanged for the third consecutive month.
Justin Maddox, 31, Indicted on Capital Murder Charge in Drug-Overdose Death of Jeremy Kocorowski
A Flagler County grand jury on Thursday indicted Justin Maddox, a 31-year-old resident of 51 Pepper Lane in Palm Coast, on a capital felony murder charge in the drug-overdose death of 40-year-old Jeremy Kocorowski of Bunnell in March. Kocorowski had a daughter.
Pilot Faces Eviction from County Airport After Emergency Landing Infringed on Director’s ‘Authority’
Roy Sieger, director of Flagler County Executive Airport, is allegedly threatening to evict a pilot from the hangar he’s leasing there after the pilot made an emergency landing during Hurricane Milton, when the airport was closed. The pilot, who cites federal regulation in his defense, said he worried that Sieger’s anger would devolve into a physical altercation when Sieger confronted him soon after he landed.
Sheriff’s Office Investigating Discovery of Human Blood and Bullet at Hidden Trails, and Seeking Public’s Help
Flagler County Sheriff’s detectives are investigating a suspicious incident that left a substantial amount of blood and an unused bullet at the Hidden Trails county park off Mahogany Boulevard in Daytona North, or the Mondex, early Monday morning.
Palm Coast Developers Will Pay Public Arts Fee on Projects Above $1 Million, But Spending Is Unclear
The Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday approved imposing a 0.5 percent fee on all commercial projects in the city with a value of $1 million or more. The city will use parts of the money to fund its long-standing cultural arts grants, but it’s unclear how else it will use the money. It would largely be the purview of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, with a more specific policy to come to set out spending and installation criteria.
Palm Coast Will Provide Free Dirt to Help Homeowners’ Drainage Problems, With Limiting Caveats
The Palm Coast City Council approved a plan by its drainage committee to provide 5 cubic yards of free dirt to homeowners who need to regrade their yards to address drainage problems. The dirt was declared surplus property, enabling the city to dispense of it, but at homeowners’ expense. One homeowner ridiculed the offer.
Council Rejects Naming Palm Coast Community Center for Jon Netts in Striking Snub of Major Legacy
The Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday rejected a long-standing proposal to rename the Palm Coast Community Center for Jon Netts, a former mayor and City Council member whose 15-year tenure in city government shaped Palm Coast more than any other elected official in the city’s history.
He Served 5 Years in Prison for Robbing the Flagler Beach Publix. On Tuesday, He Tried Robbing It Again.
Daniel J. Fountain, a 57-year-old resident of Flagler Beach who served five years in prison for armed robbery of the Flagler Beach Publix, was arrested on a robbery charge stemming from his alleged attempt again to rob the same store on Tuesday. He was still on probation for the 2015 robbery.
In a First, Palm Coast Council Censures an Absent Ed Danko Over ‘Disconcerting’ Behavior
In an unprecedented motion in the city’s 25 years, the Palm Coast City Council today censured Council member Ed Danko in a 3-1 vote, in his absence, in a rebuke of his perceived role against the city in a lawsuit and of his loutish behavior in his years on the council.
Palm Coast Walmart Will Build 10-Pump Gas Station in Its Store Parking Lot Off Cypress Point Parkway
Palm Coast’s Walmart in the heart of the city has submitted a site plan to build a 10-pump gas station and convenience store that will take up a substantial portion of the parking lot at that store. The 10-pump station will be located in the northwest corner of the parking lot, toward the corner of the property along Cypress Point Parkway and Cypress Edge Drive.