Sheriff Rick Staly stopped just short of explicitly asking for the resignation of County Administrator Craig Coffey in an address to the County Commission, but in effect, he was calling for nothing less.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
Sheriff Staly: County Administrator ‘Destroyed Our Working Relationship and It Is
The Story Behind A 28-Year-Old Flagler Veteran’s Suicide: Strife, Depression, And a Father’s Questions
Abdul Ganiyu Ayanwale, a 28-year-old Army National Guard veteran, killed himself by gunshot at his Bunnell apartment on Nov. 16 after a series of personal and legal difficulties.
Craig Coffey Isn’t Fired, But Meeting Is Set to Decide His Fate As Sheriff and Others
Blister His Management
Though Commissioner Joe Mullins’s motion to fire Craig Coffey failed, the commission unanimously approved setting a Jan. 14 meeting to discuss his possible firing.
In Big Victory for Bing’s Proponents, Commission Votes 4-0 To “Sidetrack” Lease With Captain’s BBQ
The commission, led by Dave Sullivan, who switched sides, agreed to reconsider the lease with Captain’s BBQ at Bing’s Landing through more vetting and analysis.
Barbecuing Bing’s
With even Captain’s BBQ owners willing to get “back to the drawing board,” there’s plenty of room for Flagler government to fix what remains a dirty deal that hurts all sides.
Man Who Tried to Get Into Wadsworth Elementary and Referred to a School Shooting Is Identified
The man walked up to the front desk at Wadsworth Elementary Thursday morning and asked where the school’s book fair was, but also asked when the school was last shot up.
$22.4 Million A1A Rebuilding and Sea Wall Construction in Flagler Beach Starts in January
The Florida Department of Transportation just awarded a $22.4 million contract to a Jacksonville contractor to start construction, sea wall and dune repairs on three segments of A1A in Flagler Beach.
Watermain Leak Shuts Down Service in Bunnell and Leads to City-Wide Boil-Water Notice
Bunnell residents, businesses and government offices, including the courthouse, have been under a boil-water notice since Thursday following repairs to a watermain on East Moody Boulevard.
Rejecting Lesser Term, Judge Sentences Jonathan Canales to Life in Prison in Attempted Murder of Ex-Girlfriend
Jonathan Canales, 31, was sentenced to life in prison without parole in the attempted murder of his ex-girlfriend Tiffany Norman in their Mondex home in 2014. The judge declined to exercise his discretion, which would have allowed him to sentence him to anywhere from 25 years to life.
Roundabout Construction at U.S. 1 and Old Dixie Begins in Weeks; Expect Detours
The $4.1 million project at U.S. 1 and Old Dixie Highway will bring the first roundabout to a major road in Flagler, re-engineering one of the most dangerous intersections in the county.
Is Craig Coffey Getting Fired?
Word of His Demise May Be Premature.
Newly-elected Flagler County Commissioner Joe Mullins has pledged to fire Administrator Craig Coffey, and may try to do so at Monday’s meeting, but the outcome is anything but certain.
Flagler’s Legislative Delegation Is Taking Requests: Hutson and Renner Hear Wish Lists Dec. 7
House Rep. Paul Renner and Sen. Travis Hutson, who represent Flagler in Tallahassee, are holding their annual legislative meeting for Flagler governments and residents on Dec. 7 at 3 p.m. in Bunnell.
Mondex Man Accused of Raping an Unconscious 31-Year-Old Woman
Kenneth Steele, a 62-year-old resident of Daytona North, or the Mondex, is at the Flagler County jail following an arrest on a rape charge involving a 31-year-old woman, who was unconscious at the time of the alleged assault.
In a Surprise, Bunnell Commissioner John Sowell Is Resigning, With Eye on County Seat
Bunnell City Commissioner John Sowell is resigning Friday and moving to a different part of the county, and is considering a run for the county commission seat held by Dave Sullivan.
Passing Over Nate McLaughlin, Bunnell Hires Ex-Manager Candidate Rodney Lucas as Development Director
Ex-County Commissioner Nate McLaughlin had applied for the $62,000-a-year community development director in Bunnell, but Manager Alvin Jackson picked Rodney Lucas, saying McLaughlin didn’t have the required experience.
Dump Truck In Flagler’s Dunes Restoration Project Overturns at Varn Park
A dump truck used in the year-long project to rebuild Flagler County’s dunes along the shore overturned while dumping a load of sand at Varn Park this morning. The driver was shaken up but unhurt.
Flagler Deputies Arrest Suspected Bank Robber and Fugitive Wanted in 3 Counties
Mark Wardell, 47, spent most of the past 25 years in state prison. He was released from a 12-year sentence just last May, and was wanted on four warrants.
Protesters Gather at Bing’s Landing, But Captain’s BBQ Owner Willing To ‘Hit the Drawing Board Again’
The hastily-arranged protest outside Bing’s Landing Sunday drew between two and three dozen people looking to challenge Flagler County government’s new lease with Captain’s BBQ.
Car Veers Off the Road and Into a Pond at I-95 and SR100
A car veered off the road and into a pond at the intersection of I-95 and State Road 100 just before 5 p.m. today. No one was hurt.
18-Year-Old Woman Accuses Former Bunnell City Commissioner’s Son, 20, of Rape
Stephen Connor Brady, 20, faces the second-degree felony charge after a Palm Coast woman said he sexually assaulted her after she went to his house to comfort him over a break-up.
Undersheriff Jack Bisland Will Retire After 41 Years in Local, Regional and State Law Enforcement
Jack Bisland, the steady, no-drama second-in-command at the Flagler County Sheriff and a consummate cop’s cop will hang up his badge and retire as Sheriff Rick Staly’s undersheriff come February
Waste Pro Garbage Truck Overturns, Killing Demont’e Harris, 21, in Palm Coast’s Woodlands
Demont’e Harris, 21, was killed when his Waste Pro garbage truck on its run through the Woodlands this morning overturned flipped on its side in front of 1, Bay Spring Place, killing him.
Judge Rules Palm Coast Has No Choice But To Execute Dangerous Dog Cooper, Ending Notorious Case
A circuit judge ruled that Palm Coast animal control was right to condemn Cooper, a dangerous dog, to death, and the Palm Coast City Council was right to stay out of it. The dog will soon be killed.
Florida Hospital Flagler Will Open Stand-Alone ER Near Matanzas High School and I-95
The future AdventHealth’s 12-bed stand-alone ER represents a $25 million investment in north palm Coast and the addition of some 40 jobs near Matanzas High School as that part of town grows.
Ambition and Pledges of Openness Frame Swearings-In at County Commission and Palm Coast Council
Joe Mullins was sworn-in as a county commissioner and Donald O’Brien elected chairman while Jack Howell and Eddie Branquinho took their seats on the Palm Coast council today.
Divided County Commission Approves Captain’s BBQ Lease That Will Reshape Bing’s Landing
The vote followed more than three hours from 41 people, almost split between supporters and opponents of a lease that would reshape Bing’s Landing.
Palm Coast Man on Probation Faces 3 Felonies After Chase and Confrontation
For the third time in four months, Gregory Greenway, a 67-year-old resident of Porto Mar in Hammock Dunes, was arrested, violating his probation, after leading Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies and an emergency helicopter on a pursuit through Palm Coast.
How Flagler County Is Readying to Upend Bing’s Landing Park to Benefit Private Restaurant–and Political Donors
Flagler County government will allow Captain’s BBQ to build a larger restaurant in the middle of Bing’s Landing, at its own expense but with large subsidies from the county.
Something All Can Happily Vote For: Palm Coast Arts Foundation’s Free Concert Series
The Palm Coast Arts Foundation is in the running to bring a 10-week live music series to Palm Coast in 2019, but it needs you to register and vote to pull it off.
15-Year-Old Cyclist Injured in Collision With Pick-Up At Palm Coast Shell Station
William Burnett, a 15-year-old Palm Coast resident, was seriously injured late Saturday night in a collision with a pick-up truck at a Palm Coast gas station as Burnett was riding his bicycle.
At Palm Coast’s Repertory Theatre, Genius, Family and Mental Illness Intersect in “Proof”
David Auburn’s “Proof” won the 2001 Pulitzer Prize and the Tony Award for Best Play, a story of father, daughter, madness and genius all in turmoil, at City Repertory Theatre.
ASPCA in Flagler Shows Lurid World of Animal Cruelty and Its Kin to Domestic Violence and Other Crimes
The ASPCA, the Flagler Humane Society and other local agencies hosted a two-day training conference in Bunnell for cops and animal control officers from around the state to improve animal-abuse prosecutions.
Palm Coast Streetlights: $860,000 Plan Would Light Up 23 Miles Of Roads Over Next 5 Years
Two-thirds of the cost would be one-time capital and one third would be recurring, and in addition to the $700,000 a year the city spends now on lighting the city.
Flagler Schools Will Reluctantly Adopt Religious Freedom Policy Imposed By State
The Flagler County school district is following state law in adopting a new but vague policy protecting religious expression, though some school board members say it’s an unnecessary imposition.
Russian Roulette and Other Threats Against Wife Again Land Palm Coast Man in Jail
Timothy L. Beamer, 50, of Burning Ember Lane in Palm Coast, faces a felony aggravated assault charge and a domestic battery charge from separate confrontations with his wife of three years.
Palm Coast and County Resolve Sour Development Conflict, Signaling Falgout’s More Cooperative ‘Playbook’
The Airport Commons development opposite the future Wawa had led Palm Coast to threaten to sue the county, until the city’s Beau Falgout replaced Jim Landon. Then it became all about resolving issues.
Pit Bull Who Mauled 9-Year-Old Girl Is to Be Put To Death, Palm Coast Rules
Chopper, a 2-year-old, 59-lb. pit bull mauled the girl on Powder Horn Drive in Palm Coast and three days later was surrendered to the city’s animal control division.
Palm Coast Council Explores More Underground Power Lines, But FPL
Makes It Expensive
FPL is inviting Palm Coast government to “convert” more overhead power lines to underground lines, but the city would have to assume most of the cost. Council members are cool to the idea.
Recount Totals in Flagler Show Little Change, as in Other Small and Mid-Sized Counties
In Flagler County, each of the candidates in the recount gained a few dozen votes, but in proportions that did not change the winner’s margin or affected the state tally.
Rosy Disconnect Between District’s Wetlands Project and Opposition in Flagler Beach
St. Johns River Water Management District officials were largely self-congratulatory today as they discussed a wetlands restoration project that has drawn fierce opposition in Flagler Beach.
Travis Heidinger, 44, of Palm Coast, Dies of an Apparent Overdose
Early Monday morning, Travis C. Heidinger, a 44-year-old resident of Palm Coast, was found dead in a bathroom in his mother’s house on Llanes Place.
Bunnell Takes Page From St. Augustine to Adopt Harshest Anti-Panhandling Rules in Flagler
Bunnell’s new ordinance prohibits panhandling within 20 feet of any business or commercial property, alongside drivers or diners, but limits penalties to fines.
Reilly Opelka Wins 3rd Pro Tennis Title, Reaches New Career-High Ranking
Former Indian Trails Middle School student Reilly Opelka continues to slowly move up the ranks of the pro tennis tour, and Sunday notched yet another title.
In Flagler Commemoration of Veterans Day, Memories of Armistice Day and Vietnam
Hal Kushner, a physician who spent five years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, and Joe Kowalsky, who won this year’s Veteran of the Year Award, highlighted Flagler’s Veterans Day ceremony.
Historic Recount of 3 Races Begins in Flagler Amid Relaxed, Tranquil Atmosphere
No surprises and even less controversy is expected in Flagler County’s portion of a statewide recount, which will take much of Sunday and possibly spill over into Monday.
Rhetoric Continues to Heat Up As Recount Is Ordered For Three Races
In Flagler, the recount in Flagler begins at 9 a.m. Sunday in the presence of the three-member canvassing board. The process is open to the public. It is expected to take all day.
Ronald Charles Gitschier Jr., Navy Veteran and Radio Master, 1962-2018
Ronald Charles Gitschier Jr., 56, was a 23-year Navy veteran, Flagler Broadcasting’s chief engineer for 10 years, husband, father and grandfather.
Patricia P. Sullivan, Former Chairwoman of Flagler Republican Party, Dies at 78
Patricia P. Sullivan, a former chairwoman of the Flagler County Republican Party married 52 years to Flagler County Commissioner Dave Sullivan, died Thursday at home following a long illness.
In Last-Minute Plea Before Trial, Phillip Haire Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison For
Shooting at His Father and a Cop
Phillip Haire, 21, was facing three life-in-prison terms on 10 violent charges in the drive-by shooting targeting a sheriff’s sergeant and Haire’s father on London Drive in Palm Coast in May 2017.
In Flagler Beach, Leery Opposition to St. Johns District’s Wetlands Restoration Is Unabated
Public opposition remains strong to a planned wetlands “restoration” project along the Intracoastal in south Flagler Beach, forcing the St. Johns Water Management District to decide whether to forego it or plow through.