It is the first indication that the tax-supported district, which has itself so far refused to conduct an audit in the wake of the crisis, will be examined independently.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
In Preventive Demonstration, Sheriff Highlights Lethal Danger of Leaving Children in Hot Cars
With an average of 39 children killed each year for being left in hot cars, Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly and DCF officials underscored the danger in a demonstration in Palm Coast this morning.
In the Hammock, A Concern That a Small Rule Change Will Turn Rustic A1A Into Commerce Central
The Flagler County administration is reinterpreting how the residential and commercial mix along A1A must be applied, raising fears that it’ll open the way to innumerable businesses there.
Divided Flagler Beach Commission Agrees To 15% Tax Increase, 2 New Cops, 1 Fire Captain
Residents in Flagler Beach will see their second big tax increase in a row, along with a 35 percent water and sewer rate hike, a 10 percent garbage hike and a 30 percent stormwater hike.
“I Just Kept Stabbing,” Son Says of Killing Mother in Panicked Argument on Woodhollow
Nathan Shimmel, 22, says his mother Michele Shimmel was threatening to throw him out of the house when he panicked, grabbed a knife and stabbed her “a lot.”
Nathaniel Shimmel, 22, Faces 1st Degree Murder Charge in Stabbing Death of Mother on Palm Coast’s Wooodhollow Lane
Michele Shimmel was stabbed and killed at 47 Woodhollow Lane in Palm Coast this evening, sometime between 7:15 and 7:30 p.m. Her 22-year-old son, Nathanial Shimmel, is in custody.
New Spate of “Stay White” And Other Disturbing Graffiti, But Authorities Suspect Youthful Idiocy More Than Malice
The “stay white” vandalism was one of another half dozen instances of graffiti at homes on Farrington, Farragut and Florida Park Drive in Palm Coast’s F-Section, and on Raeland Lane.
Palm Coast Approves Its First Microbrewery: Moonrise Brewing Co. at European Village
The brewpub and restaurant, opening in October, will produce about 15,000 pints a month. Its three owners, in the industry many years, expect it to become a big draw for European Village.
With First Win in US Open Qualifiers, Opelka Looks To Turn Frustrating Pro Season Around
Reilly Opelka won a three-set qualifier Tuesday but needs to win two more matches to qualify for the U.S. Open men’s main draw for the first time, which would be a huge accomplishment for the 19 year old.
On Brink of Banning Medical Pot in Haze of Misinformation, County Opts for Compromise
Three Flagler commissioners nearly pulled off a medical-marijuana ban in the county before one of them surprisingly, and perhaps unintentionally, opposed the ban.
Palm Coast’s David Shute, 47, Critical Following Motorcycle Crash on Palm Coast Parkway
It is not yet clear what caused David Shute to “lay down” his motorcycle immediately after making a right onto Palm Coast Parkway from Old Kings Road. He was flown to Halifax hospital.
Former WyoTech President Jorge Gutierrez Named President of Flagler Chamber of Commerce
The chamber is eager to increase its membership, which has been stagnating around the 750 to 780 mark for years, while also improving its revenue after it was forced to sell its own building to meet expenses.
A Centenarian Eclipse Winks at Flagler’s Centennial in Hour of Luminous Awe
Flagler County couldn’t have asked for a more apt coda to its centennial, a centenary gift from moon and sun under a radiant sky witnessed to the delight of many in Flagler Beach this afternoon.
Cash Resigns at Depleted Mosquito Control As Board Mixes Denial With End to “Frivolous Things”
In their first meeting since revelations of a $1.1 million deficit, Mosquito Control commissioners mixed a sense of denial with vows of being more transparent and in control.
Plane Lands on Flagler Beach Bridge, Two Aboard Escape Injuries Despite Fire
A single-engine plane executed an emergency landing on the Flagler Beach bridge at 7:50 this evening. The plane either was on fire or caught fire after it landed. Two people aboard escaped injuries.
Buddy Taylor Middle School Teacher Travis Holloway Again Arrested Over Domestic Violence Charge
It is Holloway’s third arrest in the past eight years, the second involving domestic violence, a period through which he’s been employed by the Flagler school district.
Beating Palm Coast and Flagler Beach, County Will Be 1st to Welcome Pot Dispensaries; Bunnell May Ban Them
The Flagler County Commission is expected to approve opening the county to medical pot dispensaries Monday, becoming the first local government formally to do so.
Flagler Unemployment Steady at 4.8%, Florida Adds 32,000 Jobs As Labor Force Grows
Compared to June, Flagler’s labor force didn’t budge, nor did the number of people with jobs, nor did the number of unemployed persons.
Misconduct Charges Mount Against Flagler Judge Scott DuPont, Now Pointing To Courtroom Violations
Seven new charges against Circuit Judge Scott DuPont bring the total to 12 and now point to disturbing allegations of violations against people appearing in court and lawyers.
Deficit-Ridden Mosquito Control’s Bail-Out Includes $400,000 Property Deals With Palm Coast and County
Palm Coast government will contribute $293,000 and Flagler government $100,000 in property deals as a large part of East Flagler Mosquito Control’s plan to bail itself out of a $1.1 million hole.
A Man Exposes Himself and Chases After Employee On Florida Hospital Flagler’s Walking Trail
Alonso Ricardo, 51, of Bunnell, faces three charges after exposing himself and chasing after a hospital employee who was exercising on the campus trail on her lunch break Wednesday.
Palm Coast Man Arrested For Confronting Teacher (and Ex) in Belle Terre Elementary Parking Lot
Joshua Laks, a 34-year-old resident of Karlstad Place in Palm Coast, arrested for throwing eggs and a souvenir cup at a teacher, has a history of arrests in Volusia.
Christopher Hollinger Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison Over Sex Assault of 2 Teen Girls At Long Creek Preserve
Hollinger was 23 when he got two girls, then 14 and 15, drunk before having sex with them at the Palm Coast nature preserve in March 2016.
Palm Coast Man Who Was Unsuccessful Half of Double-Suicide Pact Is Charged With Manslaughter
Bruce Haughton, 52, had attempted a double suicide with Katherine Goddard, 52, in Goddard’s R-Section house in June. He survived. She did not. He faces a felony manslaughter charge.
School Board Declines $1.8 Million Offer From Island Walk Developer For Old ITT Property
The developer wants to redevelop the area with shops and restaurants, but the school board thinks the price is too low, it hasn’t appraised the property and it won’t sell it if it doesn’t have pressing needs for revenue.
Flagler School District Enters Brave New World of Student Computer Controls and Surveillance
Responding to parents’ concerns, the Flagler school district is rolling out a pair of systems that will vastly increase potential controls and limits on students’ computer usage at school and at home.
Palm Coast Government Absorbs Golf Course’s Employees and Contracts With Golden Lion In Latest Attempt to Stem Losses
The city will pay a management firm $630,000 a year to maintain the golf course’s grounds while adding eight employees to the city’s payroll and running the operation itself.
Palm Coast Council Wants To Be More Accommodating of Public Participation at Meetings
The Palm Coast City Council will devote the first part of each of its meetings, including workshops, to public participation in hopes of broadening voices heard.
Between Umbras and Penumbras, Flagler Schools and Others Ready For Great Eclipse
The greatest solar eclipse to cross the United States since 1918 on Aug. 21 has the Flagler school district and others talking safety, best viewing practices and Palm Coast time checks.
Stabbing on Palm Coast’s Kaywood Place Sends Man to Hospital and Another to Jail
Harold “Doug” Cook, 50, was jailed on a felony charge after he allegedly stabbed Jarrett Register, 25, at the end of a fight that had started earlier at the Flagler Cracker Ranch.
As Deadline For Plea Looms, Kimberle Weeks Heads for December Trials On 5 Felony Counts
Former Elections Supervisor Weeks’s attorney filed a second motion to suppress the search warrant that revealed evidence against her, arguing that the remaining counts are fruit of a poisoned tree.
Desir Desinor, 65, Dies, Woman Hurt in Head-On Crash in Old Kings Road Passing Zone
Desir Desinor, 65, of Palm Coast, died and Brianna Peres, 18, was seriously hurt in a head-on collision on Old Kings Road south of Oak Trails in Palm Coast Saturday evening.
Seminole Woods and C-Section in Palm Coast Struck With a Dozen Car and House Burglaries
Jewelry was stolen in one house burglary, four guns and $7,000 in cash in another, but most of the other burglaries seemed hurried jobs that lifted trivial items.
In Reversal, Flagler Beach Will Allow Medical Pot Dispensaries, Limiting Them to Mainland
The Flagler Beach City Commission unanimously agreed to drop a proposed ban and allow dispensaries along State Road 100, but not on the beach side.
At Flagler’s Troubled Mosquito Control, $115,000-a-Year Director Turns Over Duties to Assistant–But Would Retire In 6 Months
Director Joe Cash told staffers his last day was Aug. 7, but that he would actually retire in February, sowing confusion about his status. The government agency faces a $1.1 million deficit.
Palm Coast Council Kills Memorial To 208 U.S. Soldiers Its Beautification Committee Had Unanimously Approved
The council killed a proposed plaque that memorializes the 34 Navy sailors and Marines killed and 174 wounded by an Israeli attack on the USS Liberty in 1967.
Flagler County Firefighters Ronald Titus and Justin Thomas Off To Help Brethren Battle Oregon Wildfires
The firefighters were activated by the Florida Division of Forestry. Oregon is facing a dozen large wildfires, the largest, the Cinder Butte fire in Central Oregon, having exceeded 52,000 acres.
Palm Coast Council Will Control Charter-Review Process, With Facilitator and Public Comment
The Palm Coast City Council is launching its first charter review in 18 years, sitting itself as the charter review committee, with facilitator Marilyn Crotty, who will shepherd the process for $6,000.
Flagler Beach Offers City Manager Newsom 30% Raise, to $120,000; He’d Asked for 7%
City Manager Larry Newsom would get a $28,500 raise–assuming he can make the numbers work in a budget that also calls for a 4 percent across the board raise for employees and other wishes.
Ending Uncertainty, Palm Coast Will Welcome Medical Pot Dispensaries Starting In Fall
The Palm Coast Council emphatically decided that it would allow medical pot dispensaries in the city’s major business districts even as it may approve an extension of a moratorium to work out a zoning regulation.
December Trials Set For 2 Flagler Residents Facing Capital Murder Charges
Bobby Earl Gore, 74, is accused of shooting his won execution-style in Flagler Beach, Dorothy Singer is accused of shooting her husband and burying him in the couple’s backyard.
Flagler County Seeks Veteran Of The Year Nominations
Flagler County’s Veterans Services Office is asking for nominations for its Veteran of the year award, which will be presented on Veterans Day.
12-Year Effort to “Renourish” Beaches All But Washes Out as County Urges Wall of Dunes Instead
Flagler County is urging Flagler Beach to sign on to a $20 million plan to rebuild dunes on top of a wall of rock, though most of that money has yet to be secured.
Woman Reports Armed Robbery on Palm Coast’s Leidel Dr. As Her Son Is In Back Seat
The 29-year-old resident at 35 Leidel Drive in Palm Coast reported she was robbed at gunpoint in her car in her driveway, with her 2-year-old son in the backseat Saturday night.
County Votes To Buy Two Properties for $900,000 Even Though Appraisals, Still Due, May Be Lower
Flagler County commissioners, in a puzzling vote today, approved buying two parcels for a library and a future use even though the appraisals on the properties have not come in, and may be lower than the price paid.
At Florida Hospital Flagler, Donated School Supplies, and Children’s Art for ER
Employees at Florida Hospital Flagler and other hospitals in the group donated school supplies by the mound in June and July, and, separately, the Art of Healing program was started in FHF’s ER.
Daytona State College Fall Enrollment Set for Aug. 19
New and returning students can sign up for classes, financial aid and other needs or benefits in one visit to Daytona State College on Saturday, Aug. 19, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Wetherell Center at the Daytona Beach Campus, 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd.
William Gamble, 66, Dies Three Days After Dog Attack in Palm Coast’s C Section
William Gamble, a 66-year-old resident of Crossgate Court in Palm Coast, was walking his dog, Dahlyla, not far from his home, when another dog attacked. Gamble died Aug. 2.
Flagler Mosquito Control District In Crisis as It Faces $1.1 Million Deficit in $1.8 Million Budget, Weeks After Dedicating New HQ
Six of the tax-supported district’s 14 employees have been laid off and other cuts are ahead weeks after it celebrated moving into a new, $2.1 million building at the Flagler County Airport.
Divided Palm Coast Council Treads Toward Searching For New Manager Starting in January
The Palm Coast City Council will put out a call for search firms in January, and foresees a search taking 12 to 18 months, a schedule that didn’t win unanimity at today’s meeting.