Howard Minami, a 56-year-old Palm Coast resident who for years owned a garage door company that bore his name, was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his home at 35 Fairways Circle Saturday morning, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
Life in Prison Without Parole, Not Death, For David Snelgrove as 20-Year Ordeal Over Fowler Murders Ends
The seven-day re-trial over the penalty for the 2000 murders in Palm Coast’s B-Section was necessary because two previous verdicts were ruled unconstitutional. Today’s verdict means that years, maybe decades, of further proceedings will not be necessary.
Re-Emerging for 4th Year, Vacation-Rental Bill Restricting Local Authority Advances With Sen. Hutson’s Support
A Senate committee Monday approved a proposal that would take away power from cities and counties to regulate vacation rental properties. The 8-2 vote included Sen. Travis Hutson’s support. Hutson represents Flagler County.
After Dueling Witnesses and Sniping Lawyers, Jury Must Now Decide Whether to Call for David Snelgrove’s Killing
David Snelgrove’s double-murder of Glyn and Vivian Fowler in Palm Coast 20 years ago comes down, in this third sentencing trial in two decades, to a jury willing to believe he was a calculated killer as opposed to a crack-addicted mentally impaired man who snapped.
County Ends Low-Performing Economic Development Department, Citing ‘Fluffy’ Numbers and Poor Accountability
Headed by Helga van Eckert since 2012, Flagler County’s $500,000-a-year economic development department had been more successful with PR and taking credit for others’ work than producing much of its own.
Lance Mussack, 41, of Flagler Beach, Arrested on Child Porn Charge
Lance C. Mussack, 41, was incarcerated on a felony charge of possession of child pornography–alleged images of his girlfriend’s pre-pubescent child, taken while she was asleep.
Victor Williams, 43, Sentenced to 10 Years for Sex With 16-Year-Old Boy, and Hears Furious Earful From His Victim
Victor Williams was defiant to the end at his sentencing, while the victim’s 50-minute testimony described Williams as a “monster” who caused the victim’s life to spiral into depression, drugs, suicidal thoughts and self-loathing.
What You Need to Know About How Section 8 Really Works
The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program is a form of government rent assistance. In 2018, upwards of 5 million people across the country lived in a household that used a voucher to help pay some or all of their rent.
Search Warrant in Palm Coast’s B-Section Suggests Target In Sight in Circle K Murder Investigation
For the sheriff’s office to advertise tactics their search for the Circle K killer from last November points to confidence in the trail, the sort of confidence that clearly seems not to be jeopardizing detectives’ ability to find their suspect, or suspects.
A Day After a Teacher Is Arrested for Battering a Student, a 15-Year-Old Is Arrested for Battering FPC Dean
A 15-year-old Flagler Palm Coast High School student was arrested and charged with battery against FPC Dean Erin Davis, the student’s second such charge involving a faculty member since August.
Death of Alexandra Lawson, 22, at Yacht Harbor Marina Ruled a Drowning, But Investigation Ongoing
Alexandra Svetlana Lawson had been reported missing by her boyfriend earlier this week, and was found in the water at the marina Wednesday morning.
Grim Day for Snelgrove’s Defense as Prosecution Makes Largely Unanswered Case for Death
A jury tasked with deciding whether to recommend death for David Snelgrove saw a psychologist for the defense unable to convincingly show that Snelgrove is a simple-minded individual who could not weigh the severity of the double-murder of an elderly couple he committed in Palm Coast 20 years ago.
Flagler Schools’ Graduation Rate Rises to 89%, Powered by Girls
There is a sharp disparity between boys and girls: among girls, 97 percent of Matanzas’ students graduated, and 91 percent of FPC’s did. Among boys, the rate was 91 at Matanzas and 82 at FPC.
Maturing, Soaring Opelka Roars Into 2020 With Top American Ranking in His Sights
In an exclusive interview with FlaglerLive, Opelka reveals himself as young man who thinks before he speaks, is comfortable in his own skin, and understands that as his fame grows, his responsibility of handling that fame increases.
Jeffrey ‘Rocco’ Paffumi, 47, Teacher at Buddy Taylor Middle, Arrested for Battery on a Student, 14
Jeffrey Allen Paffumi, a teacher at Buddy Taylor Middle School, was arrested after physically throwing a 14-year-old student out of his classroom after the student would not turn down his music and called him a name.
Video and Pictures Revive Vivid Reactions to Double-Murder in Snelgrove’s Death-Penalty Trial
To reservations from the defense, the jury watched video and saw pictures of the crime scene following the murders of Glyn and Vivian Fowler in Palm Coast 20 years ago, part of a penalty phase–the third in 18 years–requiring the jury to decide whether to recommend death for Snelgrove or life in prison.
3 Arrested in Palm Coast After ‘Smash-and-Grab’ Thefts at Racquet Club and E Section
Three Orlando residents were arrested and charged with numerous counts of fraud, possessing stolen credit cards, burglary and other charges following an alleged brief spree of thefts in Palm Coast Tuesday.
City Rep Theatre is Playing Neil Simon’s ‘Song’ in Bow to Broadway Romance
Palm Coast’s City Repertory Theatre stages Neil Simon’s “They’re Playing Our Song,” the popular, semi-autobiographical story of Marvin Hamlisch and songwriting partner Carol Bayer Sager–or of Simon and Marsha Mason.
Palm Coast Fugitive Who Taunted Sheriff With Where’s Waldo Cartoon Is Caught in D.C.
Steven V. Young disappeared last spring while deputies were searching his residence in palm Coast’s P Section for forged currency. He taunted the sheriff after he was featured on Fugitive Bingo–and was found and arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service.
For Jury in Double-Murderer Case, Snelgrove’s Mental Disability Is a Gray Matter of Life and Death
David Snelgrove’s double-murder of an elderly couple in palm Coast 20 years ago is not in dispute, but whether he should be put to death for it is. A jury will have to contend with the brutality of the murders as opposed to the mitigating factor of his mental disability.
School Board’s New Suicide-Prevention Policy Would Require Training for All Faculty
With youth suicide rising sharply in the past decade, the Flagler County School Board will discuss adopting a proposed suicide-prevention policy, the district’s first, which calls for two hours of continuing education training for all faculty, including administrators.
Daniel Engert, a New York Town Manager and Jail Administrator, is Flagler Sheriff’s New Jail Chief
Daniel M. Engert, who will run the Flagler County jail and the sheriff’s courts division, was a 29-veteran of the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office and an elected councilman and town manager in a small Upstate New York community for the last 13 years.
20 Years After Double Murder in Palm Coast, David Snelgrove Faces Death Penalty Trial for 3rd Time
David Snelgrove murdered Glyn and Vivian Fowler in Palm Coast in 2000, but is in yet another penalty phase of his trial this week because two previous recommendations for death were not unanimous.
Lubert-Adler Sells Hammock Beach Resort and Other Properties to Tampa Company For $18 Million
The complex deal included two undeveloped but well-positioned commercial properties and closed December 31. The total value of all recorded transactions is $18.26M. The buyer is Tampa-based KDG Capital, a private equity fund headed by Dr. Kiran Patel.
Charges Will Be Dropped, But Flagler Deputy Petkovsek Returns to Duty Facing Stiff Disciplinary Measures
Flagler County Sheriff’s detective Richard Petkovsek was off duty when he was arrested outside a St. Augustine bar for disorderly intoxication and resisting arrest. He was reinstated after losing 42 days of pay and will be on probation for a year, among other disciplinary measures.
Two Men Arrested After Fleeing Deputies During a Traffic Stop, With 323 Grams of Pot in Their Trunk
The two men were pulled over in the early hours of Monday morning for a routine traffic stop on State Road 100, by the I-95 overpass when the driver slammed on the accelerator and fled toward Palm Coast Parkway.
In Flagler, Life-Saving Policing You Can Be Proud Of
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is entering its eighth year without a single officer-initiated shooting of a civilian, a heroic achievement that contrasts tragically with jurisdictions across the country where 900 to 1,000 civilians lose their lives annually.
Ronald H. Collins Jr. Charged With 2nd Degree Murder in Death of Woman Found in West Flagler Monday
Ronald H. Collins Jr., 51, turned himself in for the killing of Jillian Petrotto, 31, whom he said he killed in a rage over her wanting to buy drugs. He’d killed her in Volusia, then brought her to Flagler.
Inside Documents Show How Amazon Chose Speed Over Safety in Building Its Delivery Network
Amazon ignored or dismissed safety concerns about its delivery network to prioritize speed and explosive growth, according to new documents and interviews with insiders.
She Thought She Had a Cold. She Briefly Saw a Doctor and Got Antibiotics. Her Insurance Bill: $25,865
A woman, worried that her sore throat might be strep, got swabbed at her doctor’s office. The sample was sent to an out-of-network lab for sophisticated DNA tests ― with a price tag similar to a new SUV.
A Year-End Thank You To Our Readers and Supporters From the FlaglerLive Board of Directors
As you and your family make decisions as to which organizations will receive your charitable donations, please keep in mind that there are those who would like nothing more than to have aggressive news outlets like FlaglerLive disappear entirely.
Florida Unemployment Approaches Historic Low at 3.1%, Flagler’s at 3.3%
Flagler County’s rate remained steady at 3.3 percent, the same rate as in October but down from 3.9 percent a year ago. Flagler County’s labor force dipped somewhat, to 48,352, but is still about 1,200 people higher than a year ago.
James Campbell Scott, 22, Dies in Suicide on Palm Coast’s Cherokee Court
James Campbell Scott, a 22-year-old resident of 7 Cherokee Court in Palm Coast, died of a gunshot wound to the head in an apparent suicide Thursday, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Michael Cummings Sentenced to Life In Prison for Jealousy-Induced Murder of Ex-Wife
Circuit Judge Terence Perkins sentenced Michael Cummings, 48, to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the brutal killing of his ex-wife Faith Cummings in their Point Pleasant home in Palm Coast two years ago.
Widespread, Heavy Rain and Coastal Flooding Bearing Down on Travel Weekend, Weather Service Warns
The most widespread, persistent heavy rainfall will overspread the local area Saturday night through Sunday night, the National Weather Service in Jacksonville cautions, with most areas expected to get 2 to 4 inches of rain.
Christmas Briefing: Last Briefing of the Year, Ten Tenors at the Auditorium, Solstice Celebration, Roth’s Christmas
Weekend of Dec. 20-22: Showers expected on and off all weekend, highs in the lower 70s, lows in the 50s. See the latest National Weather Service-Jacksonville Briefing here. Today’s document from the National Archives and the Astronomy Picture of the Day. Today’s National Commemorations. Today’s tides: at the beaches, at the Intracoastal Waterway. Drought Index: […]
Both A1A Lanes Reopen to Traffic in Flagler Beach in Big Relief to Businesses and Central Ave.
A little more than 300 days into the latest reconstruction of that storm-battered road, both lanes of State Road A1A reopened to traffic at 3:55 p.m. today. The full project won’t be completed until late January.
Flagler School Board Lets a Pastor Insult a Transgender Student at a Meeting, In His Presence
Rev. Charlene Cothran of Palm Coast called a transgender student “mentally ill” and his father “confused” and “intimidated” in both their presence during a Flagler County School Board meeting this week, with pushback only from Colleen Conklin.
Flagler Cats Bingo Business Shut Down on Allegations of Operating as Illegal Gambling Parlor
Flagler Cats Bingo, opened last year in Flagler Beach as a fund-raising arm of Flagler Cats, was raided and shut down by the sheriff’s office after 48 gambling machines were seized. Owner Mari Molina says she was not aware of any gambling.
Mary Ann Clark, Power Behind Piles Of Flagler Scholarship Awards, Gets One In Her Name at AAUW
The late Mary Ann Clark started the AAUW Flagler branch’s very first scholarship 32 years ago. The organization has since awarded 231 scholarships to Flagler students totaling $220,000. Now a new scholarship will be awarded in Clark’s name.
A Convicted Attempted Murderer Freed 13 Years Ago Will Go Back to Prison on Sex Charges Involving 15-Year-Old Cousin
A jury took just 20 minutes to find Elijah Jackson, 51, guilty of sending a lewd picture of himself to his 15-year-old cousin and luring her for sex while he lived with his adult girlfriend of 12 years.
Wednesday Briefing: Trump’s Impeachment, Singer Pre-Trial, $12,000 Tax Break in Bunnell, Mica at Tiger Bay
Trump impeachment in the U.S. House, ex-Congressman John Mica is the lunch speaker at Flagler Tiger Bay, The Bunnell City Commission gets in the business of giving a business tax breaks to build in the city, paws to read at the county library.
6 Years Late, $13 Million in Debt, County Concedes Incompetence Running Utility as It Seeks Plantation Bay Bailout
Flagler County officials admitted to the catastrophic consequences of the Plantation Bay utility deal and to the county’s inability to manage the plant as they look for ways to extricate the county from a huge debt load.
Residents Near Flagler Airport Threaten Lawsuit Over Noise, and Get County’s Pledge to Examine Issue
A half dozen residents described intolerable noise from flight-school planes at the Flagler airport, and got the county administrator’s pledge of a workshop in January to examine solutions.
Palm Coast’s Starlight Parade Draws Record Number of Participants and 10,000 Spectators
Over 80 participants registered to either have a vehicle or walk in the parade—including multiple community groups, civic organizations, local schools and private local businesses.
Roy Longo Honored for 504 Missions on Fire Flight, 30 Years as Flagler Rescue Paramedic, and that Dolphin
Roy Longo, who became a local hero after saving a dolphin in distress with a county ambulance in 1999, was honored for his 30 years of service tonight, the last seven as a medic on Fire Flight, the county’s emergency helicopter.
Prosecution Seeks To Take Picture of Defendant’s Erect Penis. Judge Says No. Twice.
51-year-old Elijah Jackson’s trial began in Bunnell this morning. He faces accusations of transmitting an image of his penis to his 15-year-old cousin. The prosecution on two occasions sought to have Jackson’s penis photographed while erect, for comparative purposes.
Fight at FPC Over Student’s Clothing Turns Into Brawl, But No Charges Are Filed
Sheriff’s deputies concluded the Dec. 11 fight had started within the school, then spilled into the parking lot by the Auditorium, involving dozens of students, and briefly continued in the parking lot near Olive Garden and through SnapChat.
Crime Rate in Flagler and Palm Coast Continues Steep Drop in 1st Half of 2019
The crime index in Flagler County and Palm Coast dropped in the first six months of 2019, continuing a steep decline of the last two years, falling 15.1 percent compared with the first six months of 2018. The declines were especially steep in Flagler Beach and Bunnell.
EF1 Tornado Struck From West Flagler Through Flagler Beach, With 110 MPH Winds Over 20 Mile-Path
The National Weather Service this afternoon confirmed that an EF1 tornado touched down in West Flagler early this morning (Dec. 14) and cut a 20-mile path northeast to Flagler Beach then offshore.
