Derrick Griffin, a 35-year-old Navy veteran and beloved and respected coach of 50 Indian Trails Middle School PAL track students, was ordered to wear a Matanzas shirt or get off Matanzas’ track the last week of the season.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
Ex-Bunnell Cop Mike Stavris Gets 15 Years in Prison and Sex Offender Designation for Repeat Offenses
The severity of the punishment signals a turn-around for a court that had previously been willing to give Michael Stavris the benefit of the doubt and a chance at rehabilitation.
As Bunnell and Flagler Fight Over Sheriff’s HQ, Nassau County’s Example May Point The Way
As Bunnell serves notice to Flagler County that it intends to go ahead with its challenge of the county’s decision to build a sheriff’s district office in Palm Coast, the county is opening its own possibility of extending the county seat to Palm Coast to get around any constitutional issues.
Mark Radcliff, 56, of Palm Coast, Killed, Daniel Castilloveiti, 34, Hurt in Separate Motorcycle Crashes
Mark Radcliff, 56, of Palm Coast’s F Section, was killed when his motorcycle ran into an vehicle driven by a 17-year-old Matanzas High School student pulling out of the school’s parking lot Wednesday afternoon.
Infected By Dangerous Myths, Flagler Has 2nd Highest Rate of Non-Vaccination in Florida
Though the measles outbreak–worst since 1994–hasn’t reached Flagler, it is highlighting a serious vulnerability in the county, where 6 percent of kindergarteners last year had a religious exemption from vaccines.
How a Flagler Tax Collector Employee Allegedly Pulled Off a 7-Year Embezzlement Scheme In Plain View
Deborah Thomas, 60, worked with Tax Collector Suzanne Johnston going back to 1985. Thomas is accused of embezzling over $20,000 in cash payments to the tax office going back to 2011.
Deemed Competent, Joseph Bova Will Be Tried For 2013 Mobil Mart Murder–and Medicated By Force If Necessary
Joseph Bova is pleading insanity in the February 2013 murder of Zuheily Roman Rosado, a single mother of six. To keep him competent for trial the sheriff’s jail personnel is authorized to use force to keep him on his medications.
Resignations and Suspensions at Palm Coast’s Building Department After Employees Accept Developer’s Whisky and Other Gifts
A developer brought eight bottles of Crown Royal, a bottle of Jack Daniels and boxes of chocolate to distribute to specific employees in Palm Coast’s building division around Christmas. The developer was doing business with the city.
Morning House Fire in Bunnell Leaves 3 Homeless, With Red Cross Helping
The small house at 506 East Lambert Street was 82 years old, and was substantially rebuilt 60 years ago. This morning, the 840 square-foot house was heavily damaged and made unlivable in a fire that broke out at 8:15 a.m.
10 Dogs, 8 Cats Seized at Waste-Infested House on Palm Coast’s Waywood Place
Two women face a civil suit filed by Palm Coast to determine whether they “neglected and cruelly treated” the animals and whether they are fit to care for them, according to an animal control report.
Prosecution Drops Further Charges Against Michael Bowling as He Appeals 20-Year Sentence
Michael Bowling was sentenced to 20 years in prison for molesting a 15-year-old, and faced even more serious charges involving his own step-daughter. The state opted to drop those charges.
Palm Coast Songwriters Festival’s Reprise Brings a Dozen Musicians and Their Stories For 3 Days at 2 Venues
The Palm Coast Songwriters Festival’s innumerable live acts and workshops runs Friday through Sunday at the Daytona State College Palm Coast Amphitheater, and the Palm Coast Arts Foundation stage.
Ex-Palm Coast Boys and Girls Club Counselor Accused of Molesting Girl There in 2011-12
Dante Mobley’s alleged victim in this case was 8-9 years old. A sex offender, he was released from prison last year after serving five years on a statutory rape charge involving a 14-year-old girl. The present case pre-dates his incarceration.
At Memorial For Curtis Gray, A March Against Violence, Appeals For Conflict Resolution, and ‘Dedication’
Palm Coast’s mayor, school administrators and coaches spoke to hundreds of students and others gathered Sunday in Central Park in memory of Curtis Gray, the Flagler Palm Coast High students shot dead on April 13.
Free Community Emergency Response Team Training Begins May 14
Learn basic disaster response skills – such as fire safety and light search and rescue – at the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training program, which begins on May 14.
Irish Company Studio Media Buys Palm Coast Data and Signals 10-Year Local Commitment
Studio Media Group, an Irish company, today acquired Palm Coast Data from Pennsylvania-based Amrep Corp., the third time in 17 years that one of Palm Coast’s largest private employers is changing hands.
All FPC Students Directed to Stadium After School Officials Find Bomb Threat In Bathroom
All Flagler Palm Coast High School students–all 2,600 of them–were diverted to the school’s stadium this morning after a bomb threat was discovered in a school bathroom around 7 a.m.
A Courtroom for a Classroom, Built By Students, Gavels Matanzas High’s Law Flagship
Matanzas High School inaugurated its new courtroom, built by its own students for the school’s law and justice flagship, as the centerpiece of a program intended to develop future lawyers, paralegals and others interested in the law.
Joe Mullins Walks Back $2 Million Deal to Keep Sheriff’s Ops in Bunnell, But Calls for End to Bunnell Police Department
County Commissioner Joe Mullins says he still supports a sheriff’s district office for Bunnell–but also wants the Bunnell Police Department merged with the sheriff’s office, because the city has only a “ceremonial” department.
Agreeing to New Contract for Deputies in Schools, Board and Sheriff Discuss 128 Baker Acts in 2 Years
The school board’s share includes almost $100,000 for nine school crossing guards. It does not include about $110,000 that Palm Coast contributes for the school resource deputy program.
Special Needs School Bus Headed to Belle Terre Elementary With 9 Aboard in Minor Collision
A special needs Flagler County school bus was involved in a minor collision at Rymfire Drive and Rickenbacker Drive in Palm Coast just after 9 this morning. No one was injured.
Bunnell Condemns County’s Decision to Move Sheriff’s Building to Palm Coast, Threatening Lawsuit and Kindling Feud
The Bunnell City Commission approved an angry resolution against the county, instigating a feud that county officials say is misconstruing the county’s and sheriff’s intentions and missing the bigger picture.
Video Shows Shooting Outside Bunnell Circle K as Detectives Still Seek ID of Gunman
A weapon was recovered that may be tied to the shooting outside a Circle K store in Bunnell Sunday night–a shooting and the fight that preceded it captured by the store’s surveillance video.
Moments Before Trial, Jerald Medders Pleads to 15 Years in Prison On Charges of Raping 16 Year Old
Jerald Medders, the 53-year-old Palm Coast resident, faced a minimum of 30 years in prison and up to life if convicted by a jury, which had already been seated for the week-long trial, when Medders changed his mind and pleaded.
In Jerald Medders Trial, Alleged Sex Crimes Are Triggers to Several Jurors’ Previous Traumas
Several potential jurors were excused Monday during jury selection in the trial of Jerald Medders, 53, who is accused of unlawful sex with a minor, as the jurors spoke of their own traumas.
18-Year-Old Man Shot at Bunnell’s Circle K During an Argument, Suspect Sought
An 18-year-old man was shot in the back outside the Bunnell Circle K on State Road 100 shortly after 8 p.m. Sunday. The man survived. Authorities are looking for a suspect seen in surveillance video.
Before Kevin McCarthy’s Suicide, a Life of Creative Advocacy and Contradictions Running in Overdrive
Until his last year, Kevin McCarthy had a stellar 17-year career with Flagler schools, coming out of the shadow of his father Bob McCarthy, Flagler’s longest-serving sheriff. But he had unspoken struggles.
Listen Up Soon-To-Be High School Graduates: Your Chance For a $10,000 Presidential Excellence Scholarship
Daytona State College is offering a new scholarship opportunity for high schools students. Starting this fall, the college will award five Presidential Excellence Scholarships totaling $10,000 each to qualified 2019 high school graduates. The application deadline is April 30, 2019.
Free Housing Fair Rich in Financial, Mortgage and Other Tips, This Saturday April 27
The 2019 Housing Fair – hosted by Flagler County, the City of Palm Coast, Flagler County Association of Realtors, and the Mid-Florida Housing Partnership – will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 27 at the Flagler County Association of Realtors building, 4101 E. Moody Blvd., Bunnell.
Sheriff Provides State of Policing in Flagler in 2nd ‘Fighting Crime Together’ Meeting
Sheriff Rick Staly held a public meeting on “Addressing Crime Together” at the Hilton Garden Inn in Palm Coast on Thursday afternoon to discuss crime trends, past and future initiatives.
FlaglerLive’s Rick de Yampert, a Palm Coast Artist, Brings Mr. Crow Art to Peabody Auditorium Exhibit
Palm Coast artist and FlaglerLive culture writer Rick de Yampert’s photographic digital art of crows will be featured in “Mr. Crow Saves the Universe,” an exhibition May 1-24 in the Rose Room at Peabody Auditorium in Daytona Beach.
Get Ready For a Few Possibly Severe Storms This Afternoon Into Evening
The Storm Prediction Center is projecting an “enhanced risk” of severe storms for the majority of northeast Florida today, with Flagler County in the squall line mostly between 3 and 6 p.m.
An Unusual Re-Arrest of ‘Person of Interest’ in Curtis Gray Shooting on an Unrelated Charge
Teresa Salgado, wanted as a person of interest in the shooting death of Curtis Gray last Saturday, was arrested on an LSD possession charge from a January incident in which she had already been arrested and bonded out.
Don’t Call Him Interim Anymore: Flagler Stops Search and Settles on Jerry Cameron as Administrator
Jerry Cameron may be Flagler County’s administrator for two to three years as commissioners opted to end their search for a replacement for now, seeing in Cameron the sort of fixer they need to shepherd them through a series of crises.
Both County and Palm Coast Officials Question Whether Waste Pro Can Still Do The Job
County officials have been getting complaints about recycling and missed pick-ups, and Palm Coast got 300 complaints just last week, but Waste Pro said it was just one bad week and the company is on the mend.
At Walk-Ins Across 9 Flagler Schools, a Call to Lawmakers To Stop Undermining Public Education
Teacher and service employee unions organized the walk-ins at the schools to pressure lawmakers to improve per-student allocations and lessen the favored financial and other terms granted charter and voucher programs.
Rumored Threat of Retaliation For Curtis Gray Killing ‘Unfounded’ as Security Is Beefed Up at FPC
The unfounded rumor about possible retaliation related to the shooting death of 18-year-old FPC student Curtis Gray reflects continuing concern by law enforcement and the school district over further consequences from the shooting.
Teacher and Support Personnel Unions Set to Stage ‘Walk-Ins’ at 8 Flagler Schools Wednesday
The teacher and support personnel unions (FECA and FESPA) are part of a statewide walk-in effort designed to focus awareness on the erosion of public dollars for public schools.
FPC and Matanzas Mourn Loss of Curtis Gray as Two Teams Huddle and Power On in His Memory
Curtis Gray was an 18-year-old senior and track athlete at Flagler Palm Coast High School who’d also been an athlete for three years at Matanzas High. His death Saturday was rippling, and ripping, across the community early this week.
Flagler Commission Will Build New, $12-15 Million Sheriff’s Operations Center by Palm Coast Library, Condemning ‘Mold Ops’
The Flagler County Commission this evening voted unanimously to build a new Flagler County Sheriff’s Operations Center–in Palm Coast, next to the county library on Palm Coast Parkway.
For Marion Gavins Jr., 17, Accused of Murdering Curtis Gray, a Life of Crime Since He Was 13
Marion Gavins’s arrest on a murder charge Sunday was the culmination of four years of run-ins with school authorities, suspensions, expulsions, run-ins with sheriff’s deputies, arrests, stints in the criminal justice system’s juvenile division, probation and house arrest.
Eyes on the 2022 Senate Presidency:
Five Questions For Travis Hutson
The St. Augustine Republican, who also represents all of Flagler, is the Senate’s top economic development budget writer and sits on other major committees, including the Appropriations Committee, the Judiciary Committee and the Rules Committee.
Marion Leo Gavins Jr. Turns Himself In, Ending 36-Hour Search After Killing of Curtis Gray
Marion Leo Gavins Jr., the 17-year-old Palm Coast suspect wanted in the shooting of Curtis Gray, 18, early Saturday morning, turned himself in to Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies this afternoon.
Curtis Gray Murder Investigation: Sheriff Seeking Suspect Marion Leo Gavins Jr., 17
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s help in locating Marion Leo Gavins Jr., 17, of Palm Coast. He’s been charged in the shooting death of Curtis Gray, 18, Saturday morning.
FPC’s Curtis Gray, 18, Is Shot and Killed Outside Coin Laundry in Palm Coast
Curtis Gray, 18, a Flagler Palm Coast High School senior, was shot and killed outside a smoke shop and coin laundry off Belle Terre Parkway at 12:36 this morning, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said.
Old Dixie Roundabout Contractor Halts Work For Being ‘Considerably’ Ahead of Schedule, and of Utility Shifts
P & S Paving of Daytona Beach has halted work on the $4.1 million roundabout project at Old Dixie Highway and U.S. 1 because it is “considerably” ahead of schedule and utility companies have not caught up to move some utilities.
Calling Judge, Jury and Prosecution a ‘Travesty,’ Michael Bowling Is Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison in Sleep-Over Molestation
Michael Craig Bowling was sentenced to two consecutive terms totaling 20 years plus 10 years’ sex-offender probation after a conviction for molesting a 15-year-old girl visiting his step-daughter for a sleep-over.
Ocean Palm, Flagler Beach’s 9-Hole Golf Course, Is Finally Seeing Green All Around as Disputes Fade
Ocean Palm Golf Club’s difficulties are in the past, with vastly improved the grounds, new equipment, and a restaurant that just got a full liquor license as well. Ocean Palm has been running tournaments and leagues, and it’ll be adding new events every week.
A Palm Coast Man’s 5-Year Prison Sentence for Armed Robbery Exposes Intersection of Opioids, Suicide and Crime
Gary Wayne Hodges, 35, faced life in prison before his sentence for the armed robbery of a Dollar General in Bunnell last year. The judge was lenient, however, because of his history.
License Plate Readers and ID Technology Lead to Palm Coast Arrest of Long-Time Fugitive
Changa Bush is a 40-year-old transient and fugitive wanted in New York on a parole violation since 2016. License plate readers in St. Johns and Flagler led to his arrest in Bunnell this morning.