Twice prosecutors and the defense agreed to a deal in the molestation case involving Maria Howell. Twice Judge Craig rejected the deal. The case is now headed for trial.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
Move Over, Magritte: Alchemist-Photographer Jerry Uelsmann Documents States of Consciousness
Surrealist photographer Jerry Uelsmann, whose work has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art among many places, speaks at the Hilton Garden Inn Sunday afternoon.
In Big Shift, Palm Coast Approves New Wireless Rules and Opens Many Areas to 150-Ft. Towers
Palm Coast hopes to end its reputation as a place full of dead zones and a poor place for carriers to do business, but aesthetics may take a backseat to improved coverage.
Reckless Driving, a Crash in an R-Section Front Yard and a Chase Ends in 2 Arrests
Jacquise D. Gaines Smith, 18, and Alvero Jackson, 23, were arrested in Palm Coast’s R-Section after a foot and air chase, after they fled the car they’d crashed in front yard.
Russian Rotarian Drops By Flagler Beach Rotary in Midst of Worldwide Cycling Tour
Ildus Yanyshev, a 56-year-old Russian Rotarian from the city of Kazan in the true heart of Russia, is on a global “Rotary Peace and Good Will Bike Tour.”
Twice Palm Coast’s Senior, Flagler County Art League Turns 40 as Canvas Expands
The Flagler County Art League, now with 450 members, is celebrating its 40th anniversary with several events and a look back at accomplishments against odds.
Released From Jail on Jan. 9, Palm Coast Woman Found Dead In Her House 6 Days Later
Drugs may have played a role in the death of Jessica Coubrough, 55, just days after she’d spent two months in jail, where she could not access drugs.
Amid Dearth of Mental Health Services, Flagler Lifeline Seeks to End Stigmas and Broaden Discussion
In an effort to de-stigmatize mental health and discussions about suicide, Flagler Lifeline, a joint effort by the school district and Flagler Cares, is looking to make the issue a priority for local officials.
Michael Cummings Charged With Murder in Wife’s Death on Point Pleasant Thursday; Sheriff Describes “Brutal” Attack
Michael Cummings was charged with second-degree murder in the death of his wife Faith Cummings Thursday in what the sheriff describes as a case of domestic violence that went out of control.
Husband’s Arrest Adds Troubling Details To Wife’s Untimely Death on Point Pleasant
Used syringes were found in the house at 6 Point Pleasant Drive and Michael Cummings’s clothes were spotted with blood when he met a sheriff’s deputy. He was arrested for obstruction.
Flagler Beach Will End Its Lease With Ocean Palms Golf, Finding Settlement Inadmissible
Flagler Beach commissioners no longer want to work with Terry McManus, lease-holder of the city-owned golf course, and plan on either taking over the course or finding a new management firm.
Rymfire Elementary’s Kate Sturman and District’s Ariana Perez Get Top School Honors
Rymfire Elementary School Teacher Kate Sturman was named Flagler County Schools’ Teacher of the Year, Ariana Perez was named District Employee of the Year.
Flagler Film Festival’s 55 Movies Go From Gothic to Micro-Shorts to Burt Reynolds
Burt Reynolds appears in the romantic comedy “Miami Love Affair,” one of the many films screened at Palm Coast’s Hilton Garden Inn this weekend in the annual Flagler Film Festival.
Palm Coast Council Dallies Through a Few Cosmetic Charter Changes in Anticlimactic Sum-Up
Only three or four cosmetic changes might make it on the November ballot, if that, after the Palm Coast City Council waded through a three-hour meeting to determine the future of its charter.
Sheriff’s Detectives Investigating Suspicious Death on Point Pleasant Drive in Palm Coast
A woman in her 40s was reported dead this morning in her bathroom. Her husband was speaking with authorities, and the sheriff was at the scene, along with detectives.
Flagler’s Opioid Crisis Seen From Those Fighting It: A Severe Lack of Treatment Beds, Drug Court at Capacity, Jail as a Waiting Room
The most comprehensive picture of the opioid crisis in Flagler County came to light today in a gathering of Flagler County judges, top cops, medical, social and government services. Here are the details.
Bunnell’s Planning Board Defies City on Medical Pot Dispensaries, To No Avail
The Bunnell Planning Board voted unanimously against the city’s ban on pot dispensaries, only for the city commission to ignore the vote and vote unanimously for it Monday evening.
6 Months After Agreeing to Replace City Manager, Palm Coast Council Will Take Next 5 to Find Search Firm
The Palm Coast City Council Tuesday left little doubt who was in charge of the hiring process for a new city manager to replace Jim Landon: Landon himself.
Prosecution Intends To Try Paul Dykes Twice More Even as He Faces Life in Prison
Paul Dykes was found guilty of directing the rape of a 1-year-old child last month, but prosecutors want to try him two more times on related charges, they told a circuit judge today.
Man Takes His Own Life in a Car on SR100 as Sheriff’s Negotiators Were On Their Way
A man took his own life by gunshot in a car on State Road 100’s westbound lanes, in front of the Mobil station and convenience store, at dawn Tuesday.
Flagler Beach Will Lift Parking Restrictions On Downtown Businesses in Short-Term Fix
Th Flagler Beach City Commission in an unusual show of liberality resolved to loosen strict restrictions on parking regulations to allow two businesses either to expand or to grow downtown.
Ban On: Overriding Commissioner’s Plea, Flagler Enacts Prohibition on Medical Pot Shops
It was the second and final reading of an ordinance banning medical marijuana dispensaries in unincorporated Flagler, and it passed Monday morning, 3-2, ending a nearly year-long debate.
Jonathan Lord Takes Over Flagler’s Emergency Management as Its 6th Chief in 12 Years
Jonathan Lord, 43, had for more than two years been deputy director of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management, overseeing the statewide response to Hurricanes Hermine, Matthew and Irma firsthand.
Virginia-Based Hoax Threat to “MHS” Unrelated to Matanzas High School
A Snapchat threat to a school in Virginia with the same acronym as Matanzas High School in Palm Coast drew many calls to the sheriff’s office Sunday.
Dozens of Dune Walkovers Closed Again as Flagler Beach Reels From Latest Storm Damage
After managing to repair most walk-overs after Irma, Flagler Beach was forced to again close all but 17 of the 54 walkovers after this week’s storm, though the pier remains open.
Putting His Palm Coast House Up For Sale, DeSantis Makes Run For Governor Official
DeSantis’s neighbors at Lakeside By the Sea on A1A said they figured he was about to announce for governor when they saw a moving truck two weeks ago. His decision creates an opening for Democrats.
19 Year Old Arrested By Sheriff Last Week For Reckless Driving Rearrested on Hit-and-Run and Cocaine Charges
Jacob Reardon is accused of speeding through the B Section when he crashed his car into a parked Nissan and fled the scene, along with his girlfriend. Cops quickly located him.
Vacation Rentals Would Be Protected Class in Residential Neighborhoods In Bill Flagler Calls “Extreme”
One proposed bill would eliminate local regulation of vacation rentals and make it difficult for home-owner associations and towns like Flagler Beach to prevent short-term rentals anywhere.
Sod-Laden Semi Overturns at Palm Coast Parkway Off U.S. 1, Closing Eastbound Lanes
The truck was driving north on U.S. 1. It was making the sharp right turn onto the parkway when it overturned. No one was hurt.
One Suicide, 10 Baker Acts: New Year Weekend’s Mental Health Toll Taxes Flagler Deputies
Baker Acts are a reflection of the county’s needs for mental health services, needs that are largely unmet despite recurring calls by county, police and mental health officials to improve matters.
As Snow Flirts With Florida, Flagler Rains Will Yield To 3 Nights of Hard Freezes, and Precautions
Snow fell as far south as St. Augustine today but not quite in Flagler, where officials are cautioning about hard freezes and opening a cold-weather shelter for the next three nights.
74% Success Rate of FPC’s IB Class of 2017 Tops World Average as School Honors Graduates in Ceremony
Flagler Palm Coast High School’s International Baccalaureate Class of 2017 had the highest success rate in the program’s history, barring a much smaller inaugural class.
A Few Months Out of State Prison, Dacotah Clarke Is Back In Jail on Slew of Charges
Dacotah Clarke had been imprisoned on an armed robbery charged and was released on probation only to be rearrested, along with Steve Young, on nine charges on Dec. 30.
Thank You for Record 7.6 Million Visits to FlaglerLive in 2017: A Review of a Disordered Year
FlaglerLive Editor Pierre Tristam reviews a year of record murders, record fatalities, disappointments in Palm Coast, but a sheriff’s great year, and new readership records for the site.
Florida’s Year of Turbulence
Scandal, storms and sniping were the hallmarks of 2017 in Florida, where political squalls and natural disasters created havoc in the Capitol and sent tremors through the Sunshine State.
Palm Coast Man Charged With Attempting to Electrocute His Wife 2 Days After Christmas
In one of the strangest cases in recent memory, Michael S. Wilson, 32, is accused of rigging the front door of his wife’s house in Palm Coast’s W-Section with live electrical current.
Coffee Talk: Road Safety Focus of Inaugural Presentation in New Health Series
Palm Coast and Florida Hospital Flagler are presenting a new talk series focused on health, starting Jan. 10 with a focus on pedestrian, bicyclist and driver safety.
2 Stolen Cars, Chase on SR100, and Arrest of 2 Teens, One With History of Car and Gun Thefts
Sammy Rozier, 16, had been released from detention days earlier when he was rearrested Tuesday on charges of stealing a car and leading cops on a chase through Palm Coast and Bunnell.
Douglas C. Egan, 56, Takes His Own Life Near His Home in Seminole Woods
Douglas Egan of 4 Seward Trail was found dead of a gunshot wound the afternoon of Christmas day. He had sent a text to his wife in New York the previous evening saying to call police.
Despite Compressed Sign-Up Period, ACA Enrollment Nearly Matches Last Year’s
A day after Trump said the Affordable Care Act “has been repealed,” 8.8 million Americans had signed up for coverage on the federal insurance exchange in 2018.
Roger Teachworth, 60, of Palm Coast, Is Killed In a Freak Vehicle Accident in His Garage
Roger Teachworth, a 60-year-old resident of 7 Biscay Lane Palm Coast, was pinned by his pick-up truck in his garage the afternoon of Christmas Eve.
Flagler County’s 911 System Getting a $270,000 Upgrade, Adding Voice and Text Messaging
Texting abilities to 911 should be operational in Flagler County by the end of 2018. The grant was awarded by the state, with funding generated from a 40-cent statewide surcharge on phone lines.
Paul Deatherage, 31, Is Killed in Single-Vehicle Crash on U.S. 1, North of Whiteview
Paul Deatherage lost control of a Toyota pick-up, drifting into the median, over-correcting, and ending up in the shoulder before violently striking a tree. He was extricated but pronounced dead at the scene.
“You’re Getting Arrested by The Sheriff For That Kind of Driving,” Staly Tells 19 Year Old
Jacob Reardon, who just months ago was cited for going 84 in a 40, was arrested by Sheriff Rick Staly Wednesday evening, going 112 on I-95. He was also charged with pot possession.
With Project Share, Flagler Beach Rotary Brings Christmas to 1,300 of the Region’s Neediest Children
Project Share was born 18 years ago after Roseanne Stocker drove through rural areas of deep poverty and teamed up with her father to provide toys for 30 children. The project has grown every year since.
Palm Coast Man Accused Of Assaulting Deputy, Threaten His Life and Make Him “Disappear”
A domestic situation on Palm Coast’s Postman lane had gone out of control when sheriff’s deputies arrived, with William Closson, 46, allegedly escalating a confrontation with a deputy.
Painters Hill and Hammock Dunes Property Owners Will Pay Extra Tax for Erosion Control
The four taxing districts, made necessary by hurricanes, will levy surtaxes on property owners only in those areas to defray the cost of protective sand berms and a sea wall the county will build.
For Richard Westervelt, Long Series of Arrests and Evasions Ends in 5-Year Prison Term
Circuit Judge Dennis Craig rejected a more lenient prison term for Richard Westervelt of Palm Coast, who’s been arrested 13 times and faced 44 felonies and misdemeanors since 2010.
Woody’s BBQ at Flagler Plaza Is Burglarized For First Time in 18 Years
Two windows were smashed in in an apparent attempt to steal from the cash register, which was empty. Damage from the burglary was valued at almost $5,000, according to a sheriff’s report.
FPC Marks Football Team’s Perfect Season, a Superior Band for 15 Years, and a 14-Year-Old Champion
The Flagler County School Board meeting Tuesday turned into an evening of celebrations of historic achievements for so many that the meeting had to be moved to the Flagler Auditorium.