Flagler County Attorney Al Hadeed has been leaving legal footprints in Florida law going back to the 1970s, in defense of ethics and Sunshine Law standards.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
Palm Coast Pill House: “You’re Using Drugs?” “No Mom, I’m Selling Drugs.”
A 30-year-old woman was arrested while her 5-year-old son slept in a bedroom sheriff’s deputies said was stashed with hundreds of oxycodone pills, bags of pot and close to $9,000 in cash.
Tracy Vandament, 48, Found Dead In Suicide on Palm Coast’s Cimarron Drive
Tracy Vandament, originally from Oklahoma, had been depressed from going through a divorce and not seeing his children.
Flagler Unemployment Ticks Up But Remains Below 5%, Florida’s Hits Post-Recession Low
Flagler County’s unemployment rate ticked up three decimal points to 4.8 percent in June as the labor force shrank a little and the unemployment rolls grew.
Palm Coast Council Will Decide Manager’s Future in Extraordinary Workshop on Aug. 3
The council is moving toward ending Jim Landon’s 10-year tenure. That workshop is expected to be followed with a special meeting in a matter of days to ratify whatever decision is reached on the 3rd.
Fraud Alert: Credit Card “Skimmers” Found at Four Palm Coast Gas Stations
The defrauding skimming devices have been found at gas stations along Palm Coast Parkway and Palm Harbor Parkway. There are no arrests and no suspects.
Flagler’s Elementary Schools Will Accommodate New Requirement
of 20 Minutes of Recess Per Day
A new law requires districts to provide 100 minutes a week of free-play recess, outside of phys-ed classes, in elementary schools. Flagler was already providing close to that.
PAL and Flagler District Agree to Middle School Sports Programs, But Student Records Would Not Be Private
The Flagler Sheriff’s Police Athletic League will run several middle school sports programs this year, but participation is conditional on PAL having access to attendance, grades and progress reports.
West Flagler Man Shoots Himself Twice With .22 and Survives, But in Critical Condition
John Joseph Kipe, a 54-year-old resident of Panda Bear Lane in Bunnell, is in critical condition after what appears to be an attempted suicide by gunshot Tuesday evening.
A Mock Election Opens Flagler Supervisor’s Office to Public View, But Potato Vote a Shock
Supervisor of Elections Kaiti Lenhart held a mock election and open house, allowing voters to try new voting equipment and, for the first time, visit the elections office behind the scenes.
Shots Fired Outside Frieda Zamba Pool While Children’s Camp Was Still Active
A man fired two shots at a car leaving the parking lot outside Palm Coast’s Freeda Zamba pool Monday afternoon, next to Belle Terre Park. The pool was still open for another hour.
City Manager Landon’s Fate Teetering, Council Agrees to Special Meeting To Set New Course
The Palm Coast City Council will hold a special workshop likely next week to decide how to end Manager Jim Landon’s tenure as even his big severance package now appears less of an obstacle.
Palm Coast Woman Arrested on Animal Cruelty Charge In Death of Dog and Neglect of Another
Georgia A. Rose, 39, of 16 Princess Luise Lane in Palm Coast, was arrested on a charge of cruelty to animals following the death of a young dog she had been caring for, and persistently neglectful conditions surrounding a second dog that survived.
Judge Kim C. Hammond, Legend From Seminole Gridiron to Flagler Courtroom, Dies at 72
Judge Kim C. Hammond was appointed to the bench by Gov. Bob Graham in 1979 and spent his entire judicial in Flagler County, where the county courthouse now bears his name.
Palm Coast Council Ready To Fire Or Push Out Jim Landon, Dismissing His Secretive “Succession” Ploy
Four Palm Coast City Council members have lost confidence in Manager Jim Landon and want him gone, with severance issues an obstacle. He wants to stay two more years and appoint his successor.
Alleged Meth Lab Busted on 2.5-Acre Property With 9 Buildings in Mondex, 5 Arrests
The search was conducted at 2345 Blueberry Street, netting the arrest of Gage Ryan Watts, 21, and four others before an extensive search operation that uncovered meth labs.
WESH 2 Pilot Finds Plane that Crashed With With 2 People On Board Over Pellicer Creek
The plane, a Piper PA44 Seminole, was returning from Brunswick, Ga., on its way to Ormond Beach Municipal Airport, fell off radar at 11 p.m. Thursday near Marineland.
Countering 70% of Its Own Voters, Flagler Beach Prepares to Ban Medical Pot Dispensaries Outright
The City Commission this evening takes up an ordinance that would ban medical marijuana dispensaries anywhere in the city. The city fears not doing so would turn it into a pot hub.
Palm Coast Aldi Draws Hundreds Before Doors Open in Grocery Wars’ First Local Salvo
The Palm Coast opening of Aldi, the discount grocery store, generated unusual excitement and crowds this morning, signaling a coming disruption in the grocery-chain business.
Fireworks Stolen in Burglary From Bunnell Shop Blamed For Severe Injuries to 2 Boys
Fireworks that had been altered or corrupted and that injured two boys, ages 7 and 8, were traced to a burglary from a shop off U.S. 1 operated by Brett Lyons for one month a year.
Phillip Haire, Accused of Shooting at Cop and Parents, Threatened a Hit on Judge Moore-Stens
Palm Coast’s Phillip Haire threatened Judge Moore-Stens’s life claiming she had put out a hit on him, and that she was scared because he’d flicked her off at his first appearance.
Boots, Stetson Hats and Tommy Guns Dress Up Flagler Sheriff’s Centennial Celebration
Some 200 people gathered at the Flagler Sheriff’s centennial, including the families of eight sheriffs and three former sheriffs themselves as a torrid sun sweated out many memories.
Discount Grocer Aldi Opens Its Palm Coast Store Thursday on State Road 100
Aldi’s prices are at significant discount as stores forego frills and luxuries for Aldi-brand products, customers who bag their own groceries and Costco-like shelving systems.
Sheriff’s Call For 5 Extra Deputies in Palm Coast Would Raise City’s Policing Cost 27% Since 2014
Sheriff Rick Staly is asking the city for five additional deputies to form a traffic unit exclusively for Palm Coast. The city manager’s presentation of a contract with the sheriff was less complete.
A Rape Allegation at Heart of Divorce Between Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland And Sheriff’s Ex-Chief Deputy
Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland in court filings alleges ex-Flagler Sheriff Chief Deputy David O’Brien repeatedly raped her while she was unconscious in 2013, shortly before their separation.
Flagler Voters Opting to Cancel Registration in Response to Trump Commission’s Sweeping Records Request
Flagler County through the state will comply with Trump’s federal commission request for vast amounts of voter registration information, but the decision is causing a backlash.
Owner of Group Home on Palm Coast’s Braddock Lane Faces 5 Felony Counts for Elderly Neglect
Two residents at the group home had to be hospitalized and three evacuated from a house where the air conditioning hadn’t worked for two days, and the indoor temperature hovered around 91.
Plane Forced to Land in Field Off County Road 304, Two People Escape Injuries
A single-engine plane was forced to land in a vacant field off of County Road 304 at 10:45 this morning, with two people on board. Neither was injured.
It’s About “Work”: Palm Coast Artists Hold Their Heads Up In New Art League Exhibit
An exhibit opening at the Flagler County Art League Saturday and sponsored by the Gargiulo Art Foundation challenged six artists to show their work mettle and make do with heads in two hours.
School District Advised to Cut Down on Car Riders and Push Bus Riding Instead, For Safety
Detailed studies for each of the Flagler district’s elementary and middle schools reveal problematic safety issues with too many car riders, too few sidewalks, and disobeyed traffic laws.
Armed Robbery at Space Coast Credit Union on Palm Coast’s Leanni Way; Robber Gets Away
The man who robbed the bank got away, either on foot or in a vehicle, triggering an intense search localized around the Bank and Palm Coast’s B-Section.
Palm Coast’s Michael R. Long, 30, Dies After Single-Vehicle Crash on I-95
Michael Robert Long, 30, of Madison Green Circle in Palm Coast, was traveling north on I-95 when, just south of State Road 100, he lost control of his 2015 Toyota Corolla.
At Flagler Beach Pier, A Modest Re-Dedication For a Truncated Treasure
Officials from three governments gathered Saturday morning for a warm-hearted ribbon-cutting at the beleaguered Flagler Beach Pier, with eyes on a future structure.
Apparent Double-Suicide Uncovered in Progress in Palm Coast’s R-Section: Woman Dies, Man Survives
Katherine Goddard, 52, was dead when Flagler County Sheriff’s Office units arrived at 29 Red Clover Lane just after 7 p.m. Bruce Haughton, 52, was unconscious but breathing.
Third Road Death in 2 Days on Flagler Roads as Motorcyclist Is Killed On State Road 11
Leslie Esteves Ramos, 32, of Titusville, is in critical condition. The name of the motorcyclist who died has not yet been released. The crash took place at a curve that’s been the scene of a serious crash previously.
Palm Coast Man Killed, 2 Injured in T-Bone Crash at Belle Terre and Near Town Center Publix
The collision at the Belle Terre intersection and Central Avenue near Publix was caused by one of the two drivers going through a red light, a preliminary indicates. It was one of two deaths on Flagler roads in 15 hours.
Palm Coast Data Settles Breach of Contract Lawsuit, Will Pay State $1.76 Million
Palm Coast Data had won $3 million in state incentives in 2008, when it also got $500,000 from Palm Coast and Flagler County, on promises of 700 new jobs that never materialized.
Palm Coast’s Paul Renner is to be House Speaker in 2022 in Historic Boost for Flagler
Renner will serve in the powerful post for two years, starting in 2022. Local governments anticipate having more pull with state government appropriations.
At Residents’ Meeting Over F-Section Footpath, A Lot of Venting, and Hope for More Sustained Organizing
A group of residents are seeking another way to oppose a planned path in the F Section, but have few options to chance a city council that has twice approved the path.
Lawyer For Phillip Haire, Accused of Shooting at Cop and Parents, Suggests Mental Incompetence
Phillip Haire Jr., 19, faces 10 charges, including attempted murder charges, in a May 2 shooting on Palm Coast’s London Drive. His lawyer revealed Haire is not being cooperative with his own defense.
Stark Revelations of a Broad Crisis at Domestic Violence Summit, and a Steep Challenge for Task Force
A summit convened by Sheriff Staly produced an unrelenting kaleidoscope of perspectives on one of the most persistent criminal and behavioral problems in Flagler County. It’s now up to a task force to find solutions.
Flagler Is a B-Rated School District For 5th Year In a Row, But State Ranking Keeps Rising
Indian Trails Middle and Old Kings Elementary returned to A form, FPC climbed to a B, but Wadsworth Elementary fell to a C. Other schools maintained their grades–either B or C.
9% Garbage Fee Increase as Palm Coast Begins 5-Year Extension of Waste Pro Contract
After remaining flat for 10 years, garbage-pickup rates for Palm Coast residents this month kicked up 9 percent, to $20.36 a month, or $21 a year as the city renewed its contract with Waste Pro for five years.
In Palm Coast, A Small Protest Against GOP Health Bill Echoes Myriad Anxieties of Flesh and Blood
It wasn’t a large protest but every person gathered in support of Obamacare had a story to tell that looked past ideology to the human beings behind the numbers, and all those stories were local.
Chilling Details in Saturday’s Attempted Murder as Suspect Speaks of “Lizard People,” Visions and Ecstasy
Levi Ovenshire, the 19-year-old attempted murder suspect in the shooting of Marco Salazar, 19, in Palm Coast’s F Section Saturday, described the shooting but appeared to be hallucinating as he spoke with deputies afterward.
Flagler County Engineer Faith Al-Khatib Named President of State Association
Flagler County Engineer Faith Alkhatib has been something of a semi-secret weapon in local government’s arsenal, working behind the scenes to secure money and shape projects.
23-Year-Old Is Victim of 2nd Shooting in 24 Hours in Flagler During Espanola Party
Jean Geral Isenader, 23, of Sergeant Court in Palm Coast, was shot in the abdomen after 1 a.m. on June 25 during a large party at the Espanola Community Center. No suspects was found.
Raul Zambrano, Redoubtable Alumni of Flagler Bench, Will Be 7th Circuit’s Chief Judge
Feared and respected, and a former felony court judge in Flagler, Circuit Judge Raul Zambrano was elected Chief Judge of the 7th Judicial Circuit, which includes Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns and Volusia counties.
Man Is Killed as Car Fishtails and Crashes Through Guardrail on I-95, South of SR 100
A man was killed early Saturday morning when his car veered off I-95, crashed through the guardrail, and rolled into a ditch between the southbound and northbound lanes.
Sheriff’s Deputies Looking For Palm Coast Man Who Ran Over Deputy’s Foot and Fled Traffic Stop
Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies are looking for Jimmie Lee Belle III, a 24-year-old resident of 30 Ryker Lane in Palm Coast, after he ran over a deputy’s foot and fled during a traffic stop Saturday (June 24).