Addressing Flagler Tiger Bay Club today, Sandra Baer, founder and CEO of Personal Cities, spoke a lot of buzzy concepts about “smart cities” no one would dispute and illustrated her talk with slides of some of the world’s greatest cities, but the talk was short on substantive insights relating to local challenges.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
Sheriff’s Deputies Capture 3 in Stolen-Vehicle Incident in Palm Coast’s L-Section
Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies captured two individuals and are looking for a third following a stolen-vehicle incident that unraveled in Palm Coast’s L-Section. The vehicle was stolen in Seminole County and appears to have triggered a license-plate reader in Flagler County, leading to a chase and apprehension. The sheriff is urging residents not to take chances.
Who Do You Think You Are? Here’s Why You Should See ‘The Niceties’ at CRT
“The Niceties,” which opens tonight at City Repertory Theatre, is familiar to our ideologically poisoned times, raising questions about whether there is such a thing as objective truth. It subverts assumptions about American and Black history, generational divides, and power. It will make you angry only if you’re not honest with yourself as it also subverts your own assumptions about who you think you are.
What Is an ‘Erosion Control Line’ and Why Is the State About to Set a New One on Flagler County’s Beaches?
Flagler County and state environmental officials are hosting a workshop and hearing Thursday evening in Bunnell that will set a new and perpetual boundary between private properties and state property along the county’s beaches, what is officially referred to as an Erosion Control Line. The new ECL is slated for what’s called Reach Two on the county’s beaches, from North 7th Street in Flagler Beach to the northern limits of Varn Park. Here’s an explanation about what this means.
Palm Coast’s Waterfront Park Wins State Planning Association’s Great Places in Florida Award
The American Planning Association’s Florida Chapter named Waterfront Park the winner of the Great Places in Florida People’s Choice Award for 2024, taking 60 percent of the vote in a statewide competition driven by community boosting. Waterfront Park, Palm Coast’s 20-acre treasure on the Intracoastal, opened in 2010 as the 12th of the city’s parks, quickly becoming a favorite among local residents and a draw to visitors.
“Shut up and Listen!” City Repertory Theatre’s Production of “The Niceties” Explores the Mis-Education of Black History
In “The Niceties,” Eleanor Burgess’ 2018 two-person play, Zoe – a Black millennial Ivy League student – heatedly confronts her white, female Boomer history professor: “Listen, there is one appropriate way to respond to a woman of color when she says ‘I have an idea to assert,’ and that is to shut up and listen because she has experiences that you cannot possibly know and insights you can learn from.” The play, running from Thursday to Sunday at City Repertory Theatre, challenges conventions of Black history, the generational divide, and the meaning of objective truth.
New Big-Box Store and Shops Slated Near BJ’s Wholesale, But Palm Coast Is ‘Leery’ of 255-Apartment Allowance
The Palm Coast City Council approved on first reading the annexation from the county of a 39-acre parcel on State Road 100, adjacent to the BJ’s Wholesale Club property just east of Bulldog Drive. The property is slated for a development similar to the BJ’s shopping center. But the council did so with an informal condition: that a portion of the land zoned for apartments, entitling a developer to build 255 units there, be converted exclusively to commercial zoning. No apartments.
Judge Denies Bond ‘Across the Board’ to Kristopher Henriqson, Who Faces Capital Felony Over Girl’s ‘Reprehensible’ Abuse
Kristopher Henriqson, 47, of Palm Coast, will remain in jail, a judge ruled today, pending the disposition of the charges against him, including a capital rape charge stemming from three years of alleged sexual abuse of his step-daughter when she was between 9 and 12. He had sought to lower his bond. Instead, it was entirely revoked.
Jordan Pittmon, 26, Faces Statutory Rape Charge After Sex with 14-Year-Old Runaway
After Jordan Scott Pittmon had assured the girl’s aunt that he would never have any interest in a minor, he was arrested and charged with statutory rape of the aunt’s 14-year-old niece, who had run away from her Palm Coast home last May.
Lawmakers Seek to Roll Back Water Management Districts’ Environmental Efforts
A Florida Senate committee Tuesday will consider a plan that would make wide-ranging changes in the state’s water management districts. Sen. Brodeur said in a prepared statement that water management districts were founded to manage stormwater and flood-control efforts but have taken on other issues.
Plane Crash Victim Identified as Skydiving Pilot and Ex-USAF Crew Chief Thomas Russell Harvey
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office this afternoon identified the victim of Friday evening’s plane crash in the isolated woods of southwest Flagler County as Thomas Russell Harvey, a 75-year-old pilot celebrated by Skydive Palatka as “our favorite pilot and friend.”
With Little Controversy, Flagler Beach Approves Water, Sewer, Garbage and Stormwater Rate Increases
After months of delay, the Flagler Beach City Commission last week approved a series of rate increases for water, sewer, garbage and stormwater. Water, sewer and garbage-collection rates will increase 3.5 percent. The monthly stormwater fee will increase 37.2 percent. Further increases may be slated for coming years. Combined, a typical household with consumption of 5,000 gallons a month will see the monthly utility bill go from $192.55 to $204.26, an increase or $11.71, or $140.52 for the year.
Climate-Fueled Hurricanes Do to Florida What Politicians Won’t: Slow Down Rampant Growth
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that “Residents moving to Florida drop to levels of those who are leaving.” Climate-fueled hurricanes and subsequent increases in insurance rates had done what everyone believed impossible: Make Florida seem unattractive. The end of runaway growth should solve so many of Florida’s serious problems, argues Craig Pittman.
Pilot Is Killed in Crash of Eagle Air Transport Plane in Isolated Part of Flagler County, Near Lake Disston
A man piloting an Eagle Air Transport Cessna crashed in an isolated, wooded area of southwest Flagler County near Lake Disston Friday evening for unknown reasons. The pilot died. There were no passengers.
I Confess: I Like Palm Coast
On WNZF’s annual year in review show with local media in January host David Ayres asked me if I liked Palm Coast. I replied with a mix of sarcasm and sourness. It was more of a show-offy attempt to sound clever than an honest reflection of how I felt. For all its many flaws, there are good reasons to appreciate Palm Coast down to its irradiating redness, even for a Bolshevik like me.
Jury Finds Stephen Monroe, 26, Guilty of Murder in Killing of Noah Smith, 16, and Is Sentenced to Life in Prison
It took less than 20 minutes for a 12-member jury to find Stephen Monroe guilty as charged, just before noon today: first degree murder for the killing of 16-year-old Noah Smith on a Bunnell street in January 2022. It was not a surprise.
In Murder Trial, Stephen Monroe Takes Stand in His Own Defense Only to Face an Inquisition Into His Rap of Lies
Stephen Monroe gambled today and testified in his own defense in his jury trial on a charge of murdering 16-year-old Noah Smith in Bunnell three years ago. He did so by going up against Assistant State Attorney Jason Lewis, a merciless cross-examiner who had Monroe grimacing, snorting, eye-rolling, huffing, gesturing, interrupting and talking over Lewis and so many times that he drew several rebukes from the judge, apologizing every time. It did not go well for Monroe, who at no point in the hour-long inquisition figured out that dueling with Lewis might not be a good idea.
Flagler County Seeks to Protect Old Brick Road, a Historic Treasure, from Logging Trucks and Palm Coast Development
Flagler County is exploring ways to protect the eight miles of historic Old Brick Road in the soon-to-be-developed portion of west Palm Coast. The more than 100-year-old road, built of bricks, is used by logging trucks and will be rimmed by housing developments. The county sees the best course of action as working with Palm Coast and Rayonier, the logging company, to craft protections.
Palm Coast Council Journeys from Dubious ‘Forensic Audit’ to Mystifying Citywide ‘Risk Assessment’ as It Approves RFP
More than a year and a half after it first entertained then backtracked from conducting a “forensic audit” on its own government in response to a handful of residents’ undocumented claims that the administration was corrupt, the Palm Coast City Council late Tuesday night agreed to issue a request for proposal for a “risk assessment,” something quite different from what would have been a prohibitively expensive forensic audit.
Palm Coast’s Kristopher Henriqson, 47, a Federal Felon, Charged with Raping Child in His Custody; Could Face Death Penalty
Kristopher Henriqson, a 47-year-old resident of Lindsay Drive in Palm Coast and a federal felon, was arrested late Monday night and booked at the Flagler County jail on two capital felony counts of raping a child younger than 12, a child he was caring for. The charges, relatively a new law the Florida Legislature passed in 2023, makes him eligible for the death penalty if the State Attorney decides to seek capital punishment, and if Henriqson is convicted at trial.
Palm Coast Plans to Sharply Raise Water-Sewer Rates and Borrow $456 Million to Finance Needs, Dwarfing Previous Debt
The Palm Coast City Council is moving toward a plan to raise water and sewer rates 28 percent over the next four years and borrow $456 million over the next two to finance some of the $700 million in water and sewer infrastructure under strain from too much growth. The bond issues would dwarf all previous city bond issues and its existing total debt, which stands at $134 million. The rate increases would, for a household using 4,000 gallons of water a month, result in bill increases of $40 a month by October 1, 2028, or an annual increase of nearly $500–more for households consuming more water.
In Sequence Devastating to Defense, Prosecution Shows Jury 26 Minutes That Led Up to Noah Smith’s Murder
The next-to-last clip in a sequence of 10 brief surveillance videos the prosecution showed the jury in Stephen Monroe’s trial on a first-degree murder charge today showed a white Cadillac driving on a dark Bunnell street, toward Palm Coast. It was the father of 16-year-old Noah Smith driving his dead or dying son to the hospital on Jan. 12, 2022. Monroe had fired one of the two guns that killed him. It may have been the most impactful two or three seconds of the trial so far as a riveted jury watched.
33 Palm Coast Streets Are Getting “Micro-Surfaced,” a Granular Sealant and Life-Extender Cheaper Than Regular Paving
More than 30 residential streets in Palm Coast–23 lane miles, or 11.5 miles of roadway out of the city’s network of 542 miles of roads–are getting a life extension with a coating of micro-surfacing, a form of asphalt treatment for roads in relatively good condition that can prevent decay and delay by five to seven years the need to mill and resurface the road with traditional paving methods.
County Crafting New Airport Rules Regulating Surrounding Land, But Noise and Touch-and-Go Foes Shouldn’t Get Excited
The Flagler County Commission is moving toward adopting a long-required ordinance regulating the county airport’s flight-zones approaches. The ordinance applies to land use around the airport, restricting or prohibiting certain structures or vegetation, to minimize risks to and enhance the safe operation of planes. Some residents surrounding the airport who have been objecting to the seemingly perpetual touch-and-go flights of a flight school at the airport, and complaining about the noise, will be disappointed. The ordinance does nothing to address flights or airport use.
In Murder Trial’s Openings, Stephen Monroe’s Attorney Argues Self-Defense in Shooting that Killed Noah Smith, 16
Self-defense: That’s what Terence Lenamon, Stephen Monroe’s attorney, argued to a jury this afternoon in Monroe’s trial on a first-degree murder charge, after the prosecution argued that Monroe and his friends had been looking for a fight for two days and had ample opportunity to drive back to Palm Coast to avoid a deadly shooting. Instead, they exchanged fire with another man on a Bunnell street, killing Noah Smith, 16, a by-stander in January 2022.
County Acknowledges Poor Pitch to Cities for Beach Aid Even as Cryptic Talk of ‘Plan’ Continues
County commissioners were critical of the vagueness request by their own county for help from local cities in financing a beach-protection plan at a joint local-government meeting last week. The county left the cities with no reason to contribute. But the county administrator repeatedly and cryptically referred to a plan that has not been made public and not been discussed with county commissioners.
CJ Nelson Jr. Pleads Out in Manslaughter Shooting Death of 18-Month-Old Child
CJ Nelson Jr., the 23-year-old Palm Coast resident facing a manslaughter charge in the shooting death of 18-month-old Ja’Liyah Allen on Ranwood Lane in September 2023, pleaded to the charge on Wednesday and will be sentenced on April 3. He faces up to 30 years in prison, but is unlikely to get that maximum.
Flagler County’s Leadership Academy Graduates 13 ‘Emerging Leaders for Future Roles’
Thirteen executives, managers, and professionals graduated from the Flagler County Local Government Leadership Academy at a special ceremony at the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Operations Center on Thursday. Students master the subjects, skills, and expertise needed to effectively lead and deliver exceptional service to the citizens of Flagler County. It is an intensive four-month executive education program which meets weekly for two-hour classes at the Tax Collector’s Office.
Trump Proposes a Crime Against Humanity in Gaza
Trump’s proposal to ethnic-cleanse Gaza of Palestinians, transfer them to Jordan, Egypt and other Arab countries, and apparently annex Gaza’s 141 square miles (about the size of Palm Coast and the barrier island combined) to the United States, or at least rezone it as the “Riviera of the Middle East,” would be a crime against humanity on the scale of Stalin’s internal deportations and land expropriations of the 1930s and 40s.
Palm Coast Physician Christine Garrett Arrested on Felony Child Abuse Charge
Christine Elizabeth Garrett, a 55-year-old physician who runs her own practice in Palm Coast with her husband, was arrested on Sunday (Feb. 2) on a felony charge of child abuse when her adopted son called 911. The boy was locked in the bathroom when Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies arrived. When he heard then saw law enforcement officers, “he exited the bathroom crying and ran, grabbing onto Deputy Bishop, saying he needed help,” according to the sheriff’s report.
Proposal Would Raise Palm Coast Water Rates 36% and Sewer Rates 30.5% Over Span of 30 Months
A consultant is recommending that Palm Coast government raise water rates 36 percent and sewer rates 30.5 percent over a mere 30 months–from April this year to Oct. 1, 2027–if the city’s utility infrastructure is to keep up with demand, expand and upgrade existing facilities, and keep up with debt obligations. If enacted, it would be the steepest rate increase in the shortest time span in the city’s history, a reflection of the strains Palm Coast’s water and sewer infrastructure is operating under.
‘Impeccable’ 7th Grader Teddy Totten of Christ the King is Flagler County Spelling Bee Champion
A runner-up in the countywide competition two years ago, 13-year-old Teddy Totten, the son of Kyle and Andrea Totten (the Flagler County judge), won the annual Flagler County Spelling Bee after 12 rounds, conquering words like spritzed, gargoyles, respiratory, impeccable, sorbet and appraisal. Victoria Rivera of Bunnell Elementary is the first runner-up.
Stephen Monroe, Last of 4 Defendants in Murder of Noah Smith, Goes on Trial Monday After Declining Deal
Stephen Monroe again declined a deal of 25 to 50 years in prison today for the murder of 16-year-old Noah Smith three years ago in Bunnell. Monroe faces life in prison if convicted. His trial starts Monday. Monroe is the last of four defendants in the gunfight that resulted in Smith’s death as he stood on the stoop of his house in Bunnell and was struck by a bullet not intended for him. He was on probation for robbery at the time of his arrest.
Eroding Management Plan, Cities Bluntly Tell Flagler County: Not One Extra Dime for Beach Protection
Palm Coast, Beverly Beach and Bunnell officials told Flagler County in blunt, at times almost belligerent terms Wednesday evening that their constituents will not accept any new tax or fee to pay for beach management, whether it’s renourishing beaches or maintaining them. The tone of the discussion during a joint meeting of local governments Wednesday left county officials reeling.
Mom Tearfully Pleads with Son Risking Life in Prison: ‘Take the Plea’ (15 Years, Out in 9). He Refuses.
It was an unusual, if not an unheard-of scene in Circuit Court this morning, before Judge Dawn Nichols. Derrius Bauer’s mother stood at the podium in front of the judge, sobbing, begging her son, who was sitting a few feet from her, to take the plea the state was offering him. Bauer is insisting on going to trial on a charge of first-degree murder. He is alleged to have conspired with Marcus Chamblin in the murder of Deon Jenkins at a Palm Coast Circle K in October 2019.
Sen. Rick Scott Aide Tours Palm Coast’s Troubled Wastewater Plant, Raising Hopes for Help with $240 Million Upgrade
The first-ever visit by an aide to Sen. Rick Scott–or by any senator or his aides–to Palm Coast’s troubled Waste Water Treatment Plant #1 today left City Council member Charles Gambaro, who arranged the visit, thinking “it’s a 50-50 chance” that the city may get financial help to lessen a projected $240 million bill to upgrade and expand the sewer plant.
Rallying Behind Pontieri, a 5-0 Council Defies Developer’s Threat to Sue Over Limiting Seminole Woods’ Cascades to 416 Houses
Defying the threat of a lawsuit by a developer, the Palm Coast City Council late Tuesday evening voted 5-0 to stand by its decision last year to limit the Cascades development in Seminole Woods to 416 single-family houses. The council had in 2023 approved a limit of 850 dwellings, then reversed course in the face of staunch opposition. The additional housing units would have been apartments–always a volatile subject in Palm Coast, where prejudices against apartment complexes persist despite a shortage. But a city infrastructure under strain also factored into opposition to the higher density.
Missile-Like Hunk of Ice, Possibly from Commercial Plane, Tears Through Seminole Woods Roof
Local and federal officials don’t know what may have caused a missile-like shaft of ice 6 feet long to tear through the metal roof of a Seminole Woods house in Palm Coast Monday afternoon on a warm, cloudless day. But they have ideas.
35-Year-Old Palm Coast Man Loses Stand Your Ground Motion Over Bizarre Confrontation with Cyclist, 67
Eric Cooks, a 26-year-old resident of Palm Coast’s P Section and a supervisor at SMA Healthcare’s crisis-stabilization unit, where Baker Acts are triaged, lost a Stand Your Ground motion in circuit court Monday, clearing the way for his prosecution on a felony count of battering a man older than 65. The case touches on several elements that blur the line between good samaritanship and road rage, between the meanings of self-defense and provocation, and with an overlay of race and age disparities.
Sheriff’s Gala Raises $80,000 for Agency’s Employee Assistance Fund
More than 180 guests attended the 2025 Sheriff’s Gala, held on February 1 at Hammock Beach Resort, helping to raise over $80,000 to benefit the Flagler Sheriff’s Employee Assistance Trust, also known as FSEAT.
Judge Refuses to Release 14-Year-Old Girl Accused of Hateful Death Threats as Her Lawyer Claims She’s in Danger
County Judge Melissa Distler today rejected a request by the attorney representing L.H. to release her to her parents, for lack of proof that she is in danger in a youth detention jail in Daytona Beach. The girl, 14, was arrested last week in palm Coast for making death threats laced in homophobic slurs, and for violating her probation. Her attorney argued that the attention the case has drawn, including the posting of her picture, name and address, has led to death threats against her family in Seminole Woods, and threats against the girl in detention.
Deadline Looming, Palm Coast Council Prepares Response to Lawsuit Threat by Developer of Cascades in Seminole Woods
The Palm Coast City Council is almost certain to discuss, for the first time, the threat of a lawsuit by the developer of Cascades, a 375-acre planned development in Seminole Woods, who was denied more than half the 850 housing units he was seeking when the council approved the development in November 2023. Public anger at the higher density caused the council to reverse course from an initial approval. The developer last November filed what’s called a Bert-Harris claim. If it goes to court, the developer will seek $12.2 million in damages from the city. The council will decide Tuesday how to respond.
An 82-Year-Old Palm Coast Resident Dies After He Is Pulled from the Surf, Disoriented, in Marineland
Carmelo Legato, an 82-year-old resident of Palm Coast on an outing in Marineland Friday morning, was pulled out of the surf after he had stumbled in the water, lost consciousness, and died after CPR efforts by a good Samaritan and Flagler County Fire Rescue proved unsuccessful.
Your Tax Dollars Are About to Fund Religious Schools, Salafist Madrassas and Satanic Temples
Let’s examine why Saudi Arabia’s Islamists are so aroused over the U.S. Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling by June that using public money to fund religious madrassas is perfectly fine. The court took on the case last week from Oklahoma, where an online Catholic school, St. Isidore of Seville, but really more of 7501 NW Expressway in Oklahoma City, across from Home Depot and the Mattress Firm Clearance Center, sued after it was denied a charter and tax dollars.
Bullied Buddy Taylor Student Arrested for Bringing BB Gun to School for ‘Protection’; 4 Student Arrests in a Week
A 13-year-old Buddy Taylor Middle School students became the fourth Palm Coast teen in the span of six days to face a felony charge and arrest, in this case for bringing a BB gun in the shape of a Glock. The student said he did so to protect himself against bullies, knowing that school officials would not protect him.
In Rare Vote Against Business, Bunnell Sides with Residents and Rejects Rezoning That’d Have Allowed Concrete Plant
In a rare rejection of a land-use change that would have opened the way for a new company and new jobs in the city, the Bunnell City Commission voted 3-2 to turn down the rezoning of 1.4 acres at the end of Hibiscus Avenue from residential to light industrial. The vote closed the way for Hard Rock Materials Inc., a concrete manufacturing company, to build a batch plant there and on a much larger parcel attached to it. A batch plant mixes cement to produce concrete for delivery. It can be noisy, affect air quality and significantly increase traffic on Hibiscus Avenue with concrete trucks.
Daytona Solisti String Quartet Will Feature Mozart, Irish Tunes and Guest Guitar Soloist Miles McConnell
A work Mozart wrote for a king, but which the cash-strapped composer sold “for a song” to a music publisher, will be featured during “Chamber Music Masterpieces,” a concert by the Daytona Solisti String Quartet. The concert, the second in Daytona Solisti’s Winter Festival celebrating the group’s 20th anniversary, also will include a Mozart serenade featured in the 1984 Oscar-winning biopic “Amadeus,” and Orlando-based guitarist Miles McConnell will perform classical works and Irish tunes.
Want To Be a Health Influencer? Join 2025 MedNexus Innovation Challenge
The University of North Florida (UNF), in partnership with the City of Palm Coast and Flagler Schools and sponsored by AdventHealth, has announced the 2025 MedNexus Innovation Challenge. This exciting competition offers regional high school students the opportunity to pitch innovative solutions to Florida’s evolving healthcare needs while competing for scholarship prizes. This year’s theme, “Becoming a Health Influencer,” challenges teams of four high school students to develop strategies leveraging social media to positively influence adolescent health.
Flagler County Historical Society Prepares Inaugural Bunnell History Day as Accelerant for City’s Renaissance
With a $5,000 state grant and local sponsorships, the Flagler County Historical Society is organizing Bunnell History Day, with the inaugural all-day event scheduled for June 7. Society members outlined the plan to the Bunnell City Commission as an effort to use history to focus attention on the city’s identity and enduring impact on the county.
26-Year-Old Palm Coast Woman Charged with Molesting 13-Year-Old Boy During Family Christmas
Angel Marie Sexton, a 26-year-old resident of Royal Oak Drive in Palm Coast, was charged with molesting a 13-year-old boy whose family was visiting Sexton’s family over Christmas in Palm Coast. The child’s mother uncovered the alleged assault when she found romantic texts between Sexton and the boy on a family phone the boy had taken for himself. The older woman, according to the texts, was telling the boy that he could be emancipated at 16 and that she would leave her husband and marry him when he was 18.