The Bunnell commission interviewed ex-Bunnell Manager Lyndon Bonner and Martin Murphy Monday, and began taking up positions on narrowing the list of four remaining candidates.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
Rotary Club’s Fabulous Fourth Parade in Flagler Beach Calling For Floats
This year’s parade theme is “Freedom for All.” The application entry deadline is July 1. There is no cost to enter a float in the parade.
Sheriff’s Potentially Sick Building Testing Done in 1 Day, Results Not Expected Until July
An environmental engineer Flagler County government hired to test the Sheriff’s Operations Center gathered some 30 air, soil and other samples in a one-day testing spree at the building.
Behind Campaign to ‘Save Cooper’ the Dangerous Dog, Broken Pledges on Both Sides and Palm Coast’s Arbitrary Calls
Cooper’s owner broke a pledge to kill the dog, and the victim broke a pledge not to sue, while Palm Coast pursued euthanizing the dog but not charges against the owner, even though the law says it should do both.
Flagler Beach Golf Course Struggles On, But City Declares Re-Evaluation Committee Premature
Flagler Beach commissioners rejected Kim Carney’s call for appointing a reevaluation committee for the nine-hole golf course at the south end of town.
Sheriff’s Office Completes Evacuation as Length of Nomadic Exile Remains Uncertain
The Flagler Sheriff’s Office completed its relocation to the courthouse and its old administrative building pending analysis of the potentially sick operations center.
For Flagler Students, Slight Declines In English and Math Mask Stronger Gains in the Details
When broken out, the declines tend to be more isolated than systemic, and despite the declines, the district remains above the state average in both English and math.
Flagler Unemployment Settles Below 4% in Echo of Pre-Recession Vigor, Labor Force at New High
The Flagler labor force hit a new high of 47,204, up 600 compared to a year ago. Of those, 45,423 residents are holding jobs either in the county or out of the county.
Flagler Firefighters Pull Off Two Saves in 12 Hours–A $1.2 Million Home and Strip Mall Shop
This morning’s fire broke out around 8:30 p.m. at the Bikes ‘N Coffee shop at Flagler Plaza. Thursday evening a three-level house in the Hammock caught fire from a lightning strike.
Flagler Beach Restores Beach Management Panel In Hopes of Securing $500,000 A Year
The Flagler Beach City Commission restored the Beach Management Committee disbanded in 2014 in hopes of ensuring that a state agency sends $500,000 a year to the city for management of 6 miles of dunes.
Palm Coast Council Prepares Residents For Big Tax and Fee Changes Ahead
A combination of a potential huge revenue loss combined with rising infrastructure needs mean the current Palm Coast tax and fee structure is unsustainable.
Black Bear Roaming Around Seminole Woods Catches Attention of Residents and FWC
The bear has been linked to areas around Ulaturn Trail, Ullian Trail and Selma Trail. FWC is canvassing the neighborhood and urging residents to eliminate outdoor food sources.
In Bunnell Manager Interviews, a Commissioner Makes His Choice With 3 Candidates Yet To Go
Commissioner John Rogers declared himself for a candidate before the candidate’s interview was over, and before the commission is to interview three more next week.
Accused of Threatening His Mother, Palm Coast Man Is Tased in His Bedroom, and Arrested
Richard Flefil, 31, of Palm Coast’s P Section, threatened to finish the job his father had started, he told his mother, who told deputies his father had once tried to kill her.
In Wake of Hurricane Irma’s Messy Evacuation and Fuel Shortages, Study Will Seek Improvements
An Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University team is studying Hurricane Irma’s mass evacuation to provide recommendations for a smoother exodus in the future.
Rae Cabot, 99, Is Killed, 2 Others Injured Crash on Belle Terre and Pine Grove
The crash that killed Palm Coast’s Rae Cabot, 99, had similarities to the last crash that killed a woman at the same intersection four years ago.
Palm Coast Council Claims It Cannot Exile Rather Than Kill Dangerous Dog Cooper. Many Others Disagree.
The dog Cooper has twice been declared dangerous and is set to be killed, but its owner and advocates say Palm Coast is refusing to settle for exiling the dog to a rescue ranch instead.
Palm Coast’s Tyrone Hartley, 53, Found Dead of Gunshot in Apparent Suicide
Tyrone Hartley, of Bunker Knolls Lane in Palm Coast, had sent a letter to a friend in Michigan on June 7 giving “five reasons why I’m done.”
Flagler Schools’ Problem Solvers Claim Two 1st Places Among 6 Trophies at International Competition
Katia Martynuk of FPC and Michael Mwaura of Indian Trails took first place as Flagler’s students from the two schools also claimed one second-place and three third-place finishes.
Facing Life in Prison, George Wood Is Found Incompetent to Stand Trial; 2 Previous Guilty Verdicts In Question
Palm Coast’s George Wood, 32, was headed for trial on an armed burglary charge that could lock him up for life, and was sentenced to 10 years in February in separate trials.
Examining Budget, Commissioners May Increase Free Clinic and Family Life Center Funding
Commissioners Monday discussed county contributions to such organizations as the Flagler Free Clinic and the Family Life Center, level for years.
To Keep Sally Sherman, a $136,000 Employee, Flagler County Is Paying Private Agency $190,000
The bottom-line cost to taxpayers to retain Sally Sherman as a worker in Flagler government–totaling $258,554–is much higher than county officials originally conveyed.
Palm Coast Fugitive Wanted on Child Molestation Charge Found Within 1 Hour of Video Posting
Warren Putt Jr., 39, of Palm Coast, is accused of molesting a girl when she was kindergarten age–the daughter of his then-girlfriend.
Bunnell Short-Lists Six Men For City Manager, But May Have Violated Sunshine Law
The Bunnell City Commission short-listed six city manager candidates out of 18 outside of a public meeting, a method courts have found to violate the Sunshine law.
Booked on $180,000 Bond, Dollar General Armed Robbery Suspect Threatened Suicide
Gary Wayne Hodges, a 35-year-old resident of 21A Prosperity Lane in Palm Coast, who allegedly confessed to the armed robbery, threatened suicide before his arrest.
Sheriff’s Operations Center Will Evacuate To Courthouse and Old Administration Building
The move out of the troubled building began as testing is scheduled in mid-June, but an environmental engineer cautions against expectations of black-and-white answers.
Deputy County Administrator Sally Sherman ‘Retires’ at $136,500, Returns Next Day at $149,000, Plus $330,000 Pay-Out
Flagler Deputy County Administrator Sally Sherman’s “retirement” is an extreme example of double-dipping and an end-run around a law that requires retirees not to work at their old agency for at least a year.
Palm Coast’s Frieda Zamba Pool Is Target of Three Smash-And-Grab Car Burglaries
Over $1,000 in merchandise was stolen as well as a seven-night vacation package, gift cards, and miscellaneous items, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Palm Coast Council Appoints Lawyer Vincent Lyon To Complete Steven Nobile’s Term
Vincent Lyon, 46, has been practicing law in Palm Coast since 2013 and works at the Chiumento law firm a few steps from City Hall. He will serve just six months.
Ex-Sheriff Jim Manfre on Troubled Operations Center: How We Got Here
Former Sheriff Jim Manfre, who completed his term in 2016, offers his side of the history of the acquisition of and subsequent issues with the potentially sick Sheriff’s Operations Center.
The Lord Before the Storms: Flagler Emergency Management Chief Wants Awareness, Not Fear
Jonathan Lord, Flagler County’s new emergency management chief, has been putting his vast state and local experience to work in preparation for hurricane season.
Flagler Sheriff’s Budget For 2018-19 Would Go Up $3.8 Million, Largest In Over a Decade
The surge is driven by another increase in sheriff’s deputies, and would bring the total number of new deputies to 22 in two years. The county commission is not objecting.
Homeless Man Accused of Child Abuse and Assault Against 5 Children at Public Park
Matthew Edward Marro, A 22-year-old homeless man, faces 10 felony counts following a confrontation with children at a Bunnell park Sunday.
More Rehash Than Clarity As Flagler’s Expert Addresses Sheriff’s Possibly Sick Building
County government in a workshop with an engineering expert could not tell the sheriff or his employees how soon there may be answers on reported health issues at the Sheriff’s Operations Center.
Tammy Almond Charged With Manslaughter in Shooting Death of Darryl Wilson, 56
Tammy Almond, 43, of 12 East Palm Street in Bunnell, was charged with manslaughter with a firearm in the shooting death of Darryl Wilson at a North Bacher Street house.
A Man Is Shot and Killed on North Bacher Street in Bunnell, Apparently By Girlfriend
A woman shot and killed a man at 705 North Bacher Street in Bunnell this evening around 7:30 p.m. The man died of a gunshot wound to the head.
Life In Prison For William Schwarz, Drunk Driver Who Killed Kathy and Carl Boos in Flagler Beach
The sentence against William Schwarz was extraordinarily harsh, but also driven by his very lengthy record of drunk driving and other criminal arrests.
In Her Own Words: Flagler Sheriff’s Detective Reveals Anguish and Fears Over Sick
Building in Plea For Urgency
An internal sheriff’s investigation uncovers a three-page letter Detective Annie Conrad wrote Sheriff Rick Staly, urging that employees’ concerns of a potentially sick building be taken seriously.
Flagler Property Values Rise 7.5%, Best Since Recession, But Government Revenue Faces Shock
Higher values ease pressure on government revenue but a potential increase in the homestead exemption would reduce revenue by millions, absent tax hikes.
Clarence Murphy Is Sentenced To Life In Prison, No Parole, In Murder of Cousin Ahmad Laster
Clarence Murphy Jr. shot his cousin Ahmed Rashad Laster on Palm Coast’s Parkview Drive last September during an argument, and soon confessed.
47-Year-Old Felon With Long Prison Record Arrested After Shooting at 3 in Bunnell
Gerald Tyrone McCaskell, who spent 15 of his 47 years in prison, is accused of firing a gun at three people outside a house in Bunnell Monday night.
Marineland’s Latest Adventure Rededicates Iconic Arch to Memories Past and Future
Marineland’s arches are stamped in the memory of the town and its millions of visitors through the years, and today one of the iconic arches was reopened and dedicated.
Flagler’s and DSC’s Education Chiefs Talk Bunkers, Breweries, Graduation and Jobs
Superintendent Jim Tager, Flagler Technical Institute Director Renee Stauffacher, and Daytona State College President Tom LoBasso were the featured speakers an education breakfast.
County’s Reply To Sheriff on Sick Building: We’ll Get Back To You On That
The Flagler County administration in an unsigned statement said the county was hiring an engineer to further study the sheriff’s potentially sick operations center.
Just 3 Applicants For Palm Coast Council’s Nobile Seat; All 3 To Be Interviewed Tuesday
Charles Johnson, a retired Sea Ray Boats employee, attorney Vincent Lyon and Robert Thomasey, a retired electrician, are the three applicants to fill out the six months remaining on Steven Nobile’s term.
Calling It an Unsafe “Albatross,” Sheriff Demands Immediate Relocation Out of Sick Building For Dozens of Employees
Unequivocally referring to the Operations Center as a sick building, Sheriff Rick Staly made the demand for alternate space to County Administrator Craig Coffey, who pushed to buy the old hospital in 2013 and convert it.
Flagler Jail Deputy Who’d Reported to Work Drunk Is Fired Over Obscene Gesture at Bar
Mark Sousa was fired and detention deputy Laura Gadson disciplined for posting an image of Sousa on Instagram flipping the bird at a bar the night his suspension had been revealed.
County Defends $284,000 Tourism Website Deal and Commissioners Are Mollified
County Administrator Craig Coffey and tourism officials put commissioners’ questions about the expense of a website to rest with 75 minutes of details and only a few straw men.
Flagler Government Spent $1 Million on 3 Websites Since 2010, Wants $300,000 More In Next 4 Years
Flagler County government wants to spend $284,000 on a tourism website over the next four years. It has already spent $1 million on three websites in the past nine.
Palm Coast’s Melody Ann Stuffle, 49, in Apparent Suicide By Gunshot
Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies responded to an apparent suicide by gunshot on Lancelot Drive in Palm Coast early Thursday morning.