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Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News

Ragga Surf Cafe Supporters Urge County Commission for Eviction Reprieve, But Hear Only Silence

December 16, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 5 Comments

ragga surf cafe open

A little over half a dozen people–fewer than expected or feared by county officials–urged the Flagler County Commission this evening to reverse its ordered eviction of Ragga Surf Cafe, the for-profit business operating rent-free at the River to Sea Preserve in Marineland in violation of state rules. County commissioners offered no solace or hope of further talks other than restating a terse explanation of what led to the eviction.

Flagler County Will Spend $250,000 to Fix Wadsworth Skate Park, Exploring Concrete Upgrade in Future

December 16, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 6 Comments

The skate park at Wadsworth Park near Flagler Beach is beloved by its users, but has been in need of some love from the county's repair shop. (© FlaglerLive)

The Flagler County Commission agreed today to spend up to $250,000 to repair and rebuild steel ramps at Wadsworth Skate Park near Flagler Beach in the coming year, while investigating a plan–but not a commitment–to rebuild the park with concrete ramps and possibly include a pump track for cyclists. But that $2 million plan would be more of a hope than a reality.

‘God Saved His Life So He Could Save the World,’ Randy Fine Says of Trump, Who Now ‘Needs My Help’

December 16, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 40 Comments

randy fine mike walz seat

Randy Fine, the Brevard County senator who declared a run for U.S. Rep. Mike Waltz’s seat in a special election, said he is running for Congress to help Donald Trump save the world, and that he would “wash bathrooms in the White House in order to make him be successful,” if that’s what it takes. Meanwhile, he continues to file ideologically incendiary bills in the Florida Legislature.

Ragga Surf Fiasco: How Flagler County Risked Losing River to Sea Preserve Over Botched Favor for a Private Business

December 15, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 44 Comments

ragga surf cafe preserve river to sea

Flagler County government and the town of Marineland have come close to losing their joint ownership of the 90-acre River to Sea Preserve, the public park, after the state’s land trust discovered that the county and the town were allowing the for-profit Ragga Surf Cafe to use the preserve for its operations since September without permission from the state and in violation of the county’s own rules and procedures. Here’s what happened.

Matanzas’s Kristin Bozeman Is Principal of the Year, FPC’s Mandy Kraverotis, a Book Advocate, Wins Assistant Honor

December 14, 2024 | FlaglerLive | Leave a Comment

Kristen Bozeman of Matanzas High School. (© FlaglerLive)

Flagler Schools announced that Matanzas High School Principal Kristin Bozeman has been named the 2024 Flagler Schools Principal of the Year, and Flagler Palm Coast High School Assistant Principal Mandy Kraverotis has been recognized as the 2024 Flagler Schools Assistant Principal of the Year.

As Trial Is Set for Man on Charges of Raping His Granddaughter, Judge Asks: “You Want To Put Her Through That?’

December 13, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 10 Comments

Michael Jennelle in court Monday. (© FlaglerLive)

Michael Wayne Jennelle is a 53-year-old Palm Coast resident. He’s been at the county jail for the last year and a half. Earlier this week Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols set his trial for Jan. 13 on charges of raping and molesting his granddaughter for several years when she was between 7 and 10. No plea appears forthcoming. Reflecting on two “compelling” one-hour interviews of the child, the judge asked Jennelle whether he was willing to put the child through the trauma of trial. He unhesitatingly said he was.

$405 Million for 2 New Schools by 2033? Not If Flagler District’s Enrollment Continues to Flatline

December 13, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 13 Comments

Not budging but for the district's imagination. (© FlaglerLive)

Since 2007, enrollment in Flagler County’s nine traditional, brick and mortar schools has barely budged even as the county’s population has surged. Enrollment in those schools was 12,580 in 2007. At last count this year, it is 12,478–a slight decline both from 2007 and from the end of last school year, when enrollment rose a bit. The district is projecting a new middle school and a new high school by the early 2030s, for $405 million.

A Furious Judge Puts 34-Year-Old Suspect and His Family ‘On Notice’ in Bizarre Aggravated Stalking Case

December 13, 2024 | FlaglerLive | Leave a Comment

Zachary Tuohey, right, with his attorney as they appeared before Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols on Monday. (© FlaglerLive)

Zachary Tuohey, 34, is facing a felony charge of aggravated stalking after an injunction. He was arrested in October for repeatedly violating an injunction by continuing to send communications to the alleged victim. The case’s bizarre turns and the maneuvers by the defendant and his family to avoid another jailing illustrate how difficult it can be at times for authorities, including the court, to ensure that victims of harassment or stalking,

Veranda Bay Annexation in Flagler Beach Tabled Until Next Year as City Mulls Threat of Lawsuit

December 12, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 14 Comments

Flagler Beach City Commission Chair Scott Spradley got no objections to tabling the Veranda Bay annexation until Jan. 23 next year. (© FlaglerLive)

At the suggestion of Scott Spradley, its chair, the Flagler Beach City Commission this evening voted unanimously to table the proposed annexation of Veranda Bay until next year so city officials have time to study the merits of what Spradley described as a threat to sue the city if annexation went ahead.

Shop with a Cop Raises Another $35,000, and Sheriff Launches Reunification Program for Inmates and Their Children

December 12, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 2 Comments

The Grinch during last December's Shop with a Cop event at Walmart. (FCSO)

Flagler County Sheriff’s Office employees and several community organizations and individuals have generously donated over $35,000 to the Flagler Sheriff’s Childrens Charities in support of the Agency’s annual Shop with a Cop event, scheduled for Friday, matching last year’s record amount. On Dec. 9, Staly launched a new program in partnership with Parkview Church, “Joy Beyond Walls,” enabling inmates in the Smart program to briefly reunite with their children to celebrate the holidays.

Flagler Beach May Start Policing Grease, Fats and Oil Discharges at Restaurants and Other Businesses

December 12, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 7 Comments

A foggy sight: disgusting, polluting and unregulated. (City of Anderson Wastewater Utilities)

The Flagler Beach City Commission this evening will hear a proposed ordinance that would create a “fats, oils and grease” (or FOG) inspection program that would apply to all restaurants, fast food establishments, automotive businesses and others, with a $25-a-month fee. The program is intended to reduce grease clogging city infrastructure and causing taxpayers expensive repairs.

Threat of Lawsuit Over ‘Enclave’ Is New Snag on Eve of Flagler Beach Vote on Veranda Bay Annexation

December 11, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 4 Comments

Veranda Bay land is in Orange. The enclave is outlined in red, from a map sent to city officials today.

The lawyer representing opponents of the Veranda Bay annexation into Flagler Beach sent a letter today to city officials warning them that annexing would create an illegal enclave, implying that a lawsuit might follow. The City Commission was prepared to annex at its meeting Thursday evening. The letter could pause those plans.

Stephen Monroe and Derius Bauer Will Risk Trials and Life in Prison Even as 4 Co-Defendants Folded

December 11, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 1 Comment

Stephen Monroe. (© FlaglerLive)

Over the past year, Stephen Monroe and Derius Bauer have seen all their co-defendants in murder trials take pleas and agree to long prison sentences, including 55 years and life in prison in two cases. Bauer and Monroe are both up for capital murder charges stemming from unrelated killings. If they’re convicted at trial, they would face mandatory life prison terms without parole. Neither wants to deal. Their trials were scheduled today.

USTA Interested in Managing Southern Rec Center, But Locals Worry About Messing With a Good Thing

December 11, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 4 Comments

Construction of five additional tennis courts was ongoing today at the Southern Recreation Center. Officials, perhaps betting on their wish-list to Santa, claim the courts will be completed by year's end. (© FlaglerLive)

After granting Palm Coast $700,000 to build five additional tennis court at the Southern Recreation Center, the USTA is interested in a management partnership with the city there. But tennis and pickleball players at the center are raising cautions about such an arrangement, worrying either that pickleball would get cheated or that other amenities would be run differently, though the potential arrangement also has some notable support.

Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Hit-and-Run Death of Billy Rembert on Palm Coast Parkway

December 10, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 6 Comments

Lyonel Jeune in court Monday, as he was preparing for his booking at the county jail. (© FlaglerLive)

Lyonel Jeune, 66, of Palm Coast’s B-Section, was sentenced to three years in prison and 10 years on probation for the hit-and-run death of William J. Rembert, 56, in December 2021 on Palm Coast Parkway, after Rembert had crossed Jeune’s path with his bicycle.

Prosecution Seeks Death Penalty For Jermaine Williams, Who Stabbed Wife to Death in Bunnell

December 10, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 2 Comments

Jermaine Williams appeared relaxed and undisturbed in court today even as he faces the prospect of the death penalty. (© FlaglerLive via zoom)

Assistant State Attorney Jason Lewis told the court today the state filed notice that it will seek the death penalty against Jermaine Williams, the 52-year-old Bunnell resident who stabbed his wife Yolonda Williams to death outside their home on Pine Street the morning of Aug. 2, as one of the couple’s sons, 14 at the time, tried to intervene and implored his father to stop.

Palm Coast’s Vacation-Rental Rules Ready for Prime Time as Council Refines Them, But They Could Be Short-Lived

December 10, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 4 Comments

A vacation renter's rereational vehicle parked along the property line of a permanent resident in the Hammock earlier this year. A sight like this would not be permitted in Palm Coast if and when the city's new ordinance regulating short-term rentals is enacted next March, as recreational vehicles and boats would be prohibited from parking near vacation rentals. (© Angela Bailus for FlaglerLive)

Palm Coast’s debut short-term rental ordinance is heading for approval over the next few weeks as the City Council today, inheriting a draft in the works for months under a largely different council, signed off on it with minor adjustments. The council will vote on the proposal on Dec. 17 and Jan. 7, when the public may yet address it.

Judge Denies New Trial For Brian Pirraglia, Serving Life for Friend’s Lethal Overdose

December 9, 2024 | FlaglerLive | Leave a Comment

Brian Pirraglia with his attorney on Nov. 18, during jury selection. (© FlaglerLive)

The defense attorney for Brian Pirraglia, sentenced to life in prison after a trial two weeks ago for the lethal fentanyl injection of his friend Brian O’Shea, argued that a juror was improperly seated, and that that the verdict was misdirected. A judge today denied the motion.

Palm Coast’s Push for Evening-Only Meetings Relies on Unproven and Problematic Assumptions

December 9, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 16 Comments

There appears to be some misconceptions among new council members that meeting timing has much of a bearing on attendance. The picture above dates from a 2022 meeting. (© FlaglerLive)

The Palm Coast City Council is considering moving all its meetings to evening sessions. The possibility is prompted by some council members’ assumption, disproved by the record and other local governments’ experience, that evening meetings would increase attendance and participation.

Mother Faces 4 Felony Child Neglect Counts As Loaded Gun Is Found on Top of Disney DVDs in Deplorable House

December 9, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 17 Comments

Authorities could smell foul odors spilling out of the house at 20 Fanwood Court in Palm Coast.

Amanda Gaisford, a 37-year-old resident of Fanwood Court in Palm Coast, was charged with four felony counts of child neglect after authorities found a loaded firearm and numerous drugs within easy reach of the four young children she cares for, and a house in dire conditions. The house had no running water and was infested with insects and roaches.

7 Candidates Qualify for Special Election to Replace Mike Waltz. Mullins Is Not Among Them.

December 6, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 14 Comments

Joe Mullins appears to have had second thoughts about "absolutely" running for the congressional seat vacated by Mike Waltz. (© FlaglerLive)

Seven candidates had formally qualified as of Friday evening to run in a special election to replace Republican Congressman Mike Waltz, who has been tapped to become President-elect Donald Trump’s national security adviser. None is from Flagler County.

Charging 1st Degree Murder for an Overdose Death Is Indefensible

December 6, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 32 Comments

A charge of first-degree murder requires premeditation. Florida’s law charging first degree murder for causing a death by overdose does not. It relies on assumptions and entirely negates the user’s responsibility. The law was intended as a deterrent. But in Florida, overdose deaths have increased sixfold in 25 years. The law beings neither deterrence nor justice in a crisis that will not be solved by sending people to prison for life.

3.5-Mile Graham Swamp Trail Link to Lehigh and Bulow Finally In Design Thanks to Federal Money

December 6, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 7 Comments

The rusticity and isolation of Graham Swamp keeps it consistently a recurring location for men seeking sex. (© FlaglerLive)

As Palm Coast continues to broaden its crown-jewel-like trail system, the city has finally secured federal aid money to design the long-planned segment from Graham Swamp to Lehigh Trail–a plan 15 years in the works. But construction money remains elusive, so it may be a while yet before hikers are able to trek the entire distance from the Woodlands to Bulow Park several miles south, where another trail is under design.

After Losing Her Mother and Grandmother, Crash Victim Extends Kindness to Driver as He Is Sentenced to Prison

December 5, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 1 Comment

John Garrison's freedom ended at 2:26 this afternoon at the Flagler County courthouse, where he was sentenced to three years in prison and 10 years on probation. (© FlaglerLive)

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.

Water and Sewer Projects Top Palm Coast’s List of Asks from Legislature in a Year of Leaner Pork Barrels

December 5, 2024 | FlaglerLive | Leave a Comment

Palm Coast's water and sewer infrastructure needs help. (Palm Coast)

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’

December 5, 2024 | FlaglerLive | Leave a Comment

The cast of City Repertory Theatre’s production of the Clifford Odets drama “The Country Girl” stars, from left: Jack Rose, Julia Truilo, Annie Gaybis, John Sbordone and Peter Gutierrez. Photo by Mike Kitaif

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

December 4, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 11 Comments

An aerial view of the new roundabout at Cody's Corner (© Daryl Hickman)

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

December 4, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 19 Comments

Mayor Mike Norris did not get his colleague's support for a legal opinion on the appointment of Charles Gambaro to the council in October. (© FlaglerLive)

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

December 3, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 8 Comments

John Robert Dance.

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

December 3, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 13 Comments

Flagler County continues to hope for state aid to buiold What used to be called the Eco-Tourism Center, and is now called the Regional Trails and Conservation Center.

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

December 3, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 8 Comments

The acreage Flagler County would buy with Environmentally Sensitive Land money is just to the east of Bull Creek Campground, and is largely pastureland. (Google Earth)

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

December 2, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 6 Comments

SGR's Doug Thomas, who is leading Palm Coast's recruiting for a new city manager, addressing the City Council two weeks ago. (© FlaglerLive)

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

December 2, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 43 Comments

In Flagler County, beach-maintenance and protection is a constant game of catch-up with an ever-eroding shoreline. (© FlaglerLive)

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

December 1, 2024 | Pierre Tristam | 6 Comments

The last six columns of the Temple of Jupiter in Baalbek in the foreground, and the Temple to Bacchus in the background. (© FlaglerLive)

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

November 30, 2024 | FlaglerLive | Leave a Comment

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

November 29, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 1 Comment

Palm Coast's Feet to Feast 5K Run drew a record number of participants this year. (Palm Coast)

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

November 27, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 4 Comments

Brandon Washington in orange with his attorney Tim Pribisco, left, and Assistant State Attorney Jason Lewis during the hearing a year ago. Earlier this month, Washington was back in court, but representing himself. He again dueled with Lewis. (© FlaglerLive)

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

November 27, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 12 Comments

The splash pad at Holland park has been back in the wet since July, though it is closing next week for the winter--a planned closure during the cold-weather months. It reopens March 1, likely before the city's splash pad case goes to trial. (© FlaglerLive)

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

November 27, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 16 Comments

randy fine mike walz 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

November 26, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 4 Comments

debt referendum palm coast rachael crews

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

November 26, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 27 Comments

The location of what will be Party and Play, a 10,000-square-foot indoor playground on Steel Rail Drive in Bunnell. (Google)

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

November 25, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 6 Comments

Elizabeth Bliss

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

November 25, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 4 Comments

Crew members preparing to lower the cylindrical radar to replace it with a newer version this morning outside the Emergency Operations Center in Bunnell. (© FlaglerLive)

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

November 25, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 7 Comments

Firefighters accessing th area of most damage through a dormer above the kitchen of Turtle Shack at sunrise this morning. (© FlaglerLive)

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

November 24, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 17 Comments

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

November 22, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 17 Comments

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

November 22, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 1 Comment

Brenna Cronin, one of four Drug Court graduates at Thursday's ceremony, as she addressed the audience while Retired Judge Terence Perkins held her son. (© FlaglerLive)

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

November 21, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 21 Comments

Brian Pirraglia getting fingerprinted immediately after trial, in his last minutes wearing civilian clothes. He will not get to do so for the rest of his life in prison. (© FlaglerLive)

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

November 21, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 6 Comments

Palm Coast's vaunted Southern Recreation Center, like the tennis center that surrounds it, like all of the city's parks and facilities such as the Community Center and its fire houses, were built on a pay-as-you-go basis, without debt. (© FlaglerLive)

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

November 21, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 15 Comments

Palm Coast's second Wawa is opening Friday at Palm Coast Parkway and Florida Park Drive. (© FlaglerLive)

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.

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