Palm Coast government will end its nearly-decade-long relationship with KemperSports at the money-losing golf and tennis clubs and manage the operations itself while still contracting out certain services.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
In Superintendent Search, Five Accomplished Candidates From Near and Far Make Shortlist
The shortlist, drawn up Tuesday evening, includes a Palm Coast resident with a long history in Flagler schools, a Volusia County principal, a Clay County administrator and two candidates from Kentucky.
David Dalecki, True Floridian and Gentle Soul, 1969-2017
Dave Dalecki’s quiet, gentle soul will be remembered by everyone he ever met and beyond for his deep involvement in his community and elsewhere. He is survived by (among others) his wife of 23 years, Cindy, his sons Dalton and Tyler.
Flagler Beach Pastor Who Defrauded Church Members of Hundreds of Thousands Blames Others As He’s Sentenced to 7.5 Years
Wesley Brown, the 54-year-old pastor who’d won the trust of church members only to defraud them, sought to lay blame on others even as he was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison, after facing a potential 100 years.
Flagler Schools Lose the Only Internal Applicant for Top Job as Vernon Orndorff Takes Post in Texas
Orndorff has been one of the quieter, unassuming forces of the school district, had been a leading candidate to be superintendent. His departure creates more of a wild-card opening for the remaining three dozen or so applicants.
House Panel Votes 9-6 to End Vacation Rental Regulations in 3rd Straight Defeat for Flagler
Flagler County government had staked its chances on killing the bill in this particular committee because Rep. Paul Renner, who represents Flagler, sits on the panel and had pledged to do what he could to halt the bill’s momentum.
Two Students Involved In Exaggerated Gun Threat at Buddy Taylor Middle School
Texts alleging a gun threat at Buddy Taylor but that are apparently a month old have resurfaced in the past 24 hours, causing concern at school and the apprehension of at least one student.
Palm Coast’s Long Nightmare With Red-Light Cameras Set to End Friday, 6 Months Early
The plan, termed a “wind down agreement,” would end the operation of the cameras by March 31 “by mutual agreement.” But Palm Coast would have to pay ATS $16,000 to remove equipment.
Sexual Predator Returns to Live in Mondex After 12-Year Prison Sentence
George W. Mason Jr., a 42-year-old man convicted of attempted rape of a child younger than 12 when he was 27, has moved in with family at 1166 Forest Park Street in Daytona North, also known as the Mondex.
Unruly Palm Coast Crowd Cleared Out of Hearing Backing Bunnell Apartments Near E-Section
A proposed 250-unit apartment complex of SR100 in Bunnell but abutting the E-Section, drew out more than 100 Palm Coast residents at a zoning hearing that ended with the rom being cleared because of the crowd’s misbehavior.
At Vacation-Rental Town Hall, Renner Hears Unanimity Against Impairing Local Control
A standing-room-only crowd at Saturday’s Hammock Town Hall urged Rep. Paul Renner to battle a legislative attempt to scale back local regulatory control of vacation rentals won through a 2014 law.
Abnormally Dry Conditions Prompt Call for More Water Conservation in Palm Coast and Flagler
Because of the new Water Shortage Warning Order, the city reminds citizens of some water restrictions, as well as offer tips for reducing water use during this time of potential prolonged drought.
Wit as Weapon In “Waltz of the Toreadors,” City Repertory Theatre’s French-Accented Farce
The 1951 play by France’s Jean Anouilh is a bitterly funny send-up of middle class pretensions and expectations, and another daring experiment by Palm Coast’s City Repertory Theatre.
2-Year-Old Child Rescued, Father Arrested After 4 1/2-Hour Emergency on Parkview Drive
Brandon Quaid Still, 25, faces domestic assault and false imprisonment charges, and is wanted on a warrant from Texas, where he’s previously been charged with child endangerment and domestic violence.
At least 4 Homes Evacuated in Mondex; Half-Dozen Agencies Battling 40-Acre Blaze
A fire that started in an abandoned trailer in the Mondex spread quickly and forced evacuations, and was only 50 percent contained in mid to late afternoon.
Flagler Unemployment Down to 5.3% As 1,150 More Local Residents Gain Jobs in 2 Months
Flagler County’s unemployment in February fell sharply again, to 5.3 percent from 6 percent the previous month, even as the labor force in the county surged for the second month in a row, to just under 46,000–a record–as did the number of residents holding jobs.
Renner Seizes Reins for Flagler After Hutson’s Striking Disregard on Vacation Rentals
Rep. Paul Renner and County Commissioner Greg Hansen are organizing a town hall meeting in the Hammock Saturday, hoping to rally support against a proposed legislative retreat on vacation-rental regulations.
After 11 Years, Flagler Beach’s First Fridays Events Get Their First Written Policy
The proposed four-page policy formalizes what had been verbally agreed to, or assumed, over the years, but doesn’t change the focus on favoring local businesses while outlining documentation requirements.
Palm Coast’s Kory Jones, 22, Arrested on 1st-Degree Arson Charge Out of Pasco County
Kory Jones, a Matanzas High graduate, was arrested on Palm Coast’s Hargrove Grade in connection with an alleged attempt to explode a propane container in an occupied house in New Port Richie last August.
David Dalecki, 47, Dies In 2-Vehicle Crash On I-95 Near Palm Coast’s Weigh Station
Dalecki is the husband of Cindy Dalecki, the owner of Marketing 2 Go in Palm Coast, the president of the Flagler Beach Rotary, and one of Flagler County’s most prominent and dynamic personalities.
In Courthouse Parking Lot, Sheriff’s Deputies Peacefully End Another Suicide-By-Cop Crisis
For the second time in 18 months, Flagler sheriff’s deputies peacefully defused a suicide-by-cop confrontation, this one involving 21-year-old Darnell Hyppolite at the Flagler County courthouse parking lot.
7-3 Vote Loses Flagler Another Round on Vacation Rentals In Hurried Senate Hearing
Flagler County government’s attempt to protect its vacation-rental regulations took another turn for the worse as a Senate committee today voted to advance a bill that would wipe out those regulations.
Sheriff Staly Considering Relaxing Chase Policy After His Involvement in Weekend Incident
Sheriff Rick Staly had started to chase a Camaro on I-95 Friday but it blew past him too fast, so he ordered stop sticks deployed when it was trailed past Seminole Woods onto U.S. 1. The driver still got away.
Flagler Increases Tourism Tax to 5%, Benefiting Beach Fix, Then More Promotions
The first two years of new revenue will swell the beach-repair fund by $2.5 million, settling back down to $500,000 thereafter, when the promotions revenue will rise to $1.5 million a year.
Jeanmarie Baker, 61, Is Killed By FEC Train Just South of White Eagle Off U.S. 1 in Suicide
Jeanmarie Baker, 61, was struck and killed by a southbound train on the Florida East Coast Railway early this evening in Korona, near the White Eagle Lounge just south of Palm Coast.
O’Brien Beach-Funding Proposal Prevails, And Flagler Beach Gets $2 Million Pledge
County Commissioner Donald O’Brien’s proposal to shift more money toward beach restoration prevailed today in a joint meeting of the County Commission and the county’s tourism board, and the county administrator pledged to allocate $2 million to Flagler Beach’s needs.
Superintendent’s Job Draws Just 41 Applicants, And A Few Stand-Outs After All
The district’s Vernon Orndorff is the only local applicant. He faces definite competition from Phyllis Edwards, a former assistant superintendent in Flagler, and Todd Sprager, the principal at Spruce Creek High School in Volusia.
Thousand-Acre Wildfire Started As Controlled Burn in Putnam, Spread To Flagler, Now 75% Contained
Residents in Northwest Flagler County breathed the effects of the fire all weekend, and residents in Palm Coast and the rest of the county could see the large columns of smoke rising over the western horizon Saturday and Sunday.
In Palm Coast Survey of Residents, More Nuanced Views Past Happy-Faced Powerpoint
The city’s powerpoint summary of its 2017 survey presents a brighter if narrower picture of residents’ concerns, who, freed from multiple-choice questions, tell a different story of concerns and lacking services from streetlights to sidewalks to safety.
Flagler’s Hutson Files Amendment to Vacation-Rental Bill That Would “Eviscerate” Regulations
Sen. Travis Hutson had supported the 2014 law enabling Flagler County to regulate vacation rentals. His amendment, which he calls a “compromise,” would scale that back even though he sees no problems with local regulations or short-term rentals.
Flagler Beach’s Mary Ann Dominessy Reese, Who’d Made Her Battle With ALS Unsparingly Public, Dies at 63
For more than two years Mary Ann Dominessy Reese, a retired teacher, had painstakingly chronicled her decline through ALS on a widely read Facebook page, organizing campaigns and fund-raisers, along the way.
Palm Coast’s Jerald Medders, 51, Held on $300,000 Bond Over Child Rape Charges
Jerald D. Medders, 51, of 6 Zelda Place in Palm Coast, faces three 1st-degree felony counts of raping a girl over three months. Medders blamed the girl, who was 15 when the alleged assaults began, for “provoking” him.
Fire Severely Damages Marine Veteran’s House on Palm Coast’s Folcroft Lane
Robert Detherow had just parked his motorcycle in the garage at 38 Folcroft Lane in Palm Coast when a fire enveloped the motorcycle and started attacking the house, about half of which was damaged.
At Ocean Art Gallery:
Judi Wormeck, Artist of the Year
Judi Wormeck, a retired art teacher and member of the Flagler County Art League, is the Gargiulo Art Foundation’s 2016 Flagler County Artist of the Year, with her first Florida exhibit opening Friday at Ocean Art Gallery in Flagler Beach.
Gas Leak at Flagler’s New Jail Prompts 2-Hour Inmate Lockdown
The leak was pinpointed to a water heater in late morning Tuesday at the 54,000 square foot, $17.4 million new jail, though the precise nature of the problem was not discovered.
A Jazz Centennial Celebration: Linda Cole and Orlando Jazz Orchestra at Flagler Auditorium
The great jazz vocalist Linda Cole will celebrate the centennial of Ella Fitzgerald’s birth (and that of many other jazz greats) in a double-bill concert scheduled for April 2 at 3 p.m. at the Flagler Auditorium.
Setback For Flagler as Bill Scrapping Vacation-Rental Regulations Advances on 9-6 Vote
A divided House Agriculture and Property Rights Subcommittee was not swayed by a presentation from Flagler County Attorney Al Hadeed as it voted to scrap county authority to regulate short-term, vacation rentals. The bill has several additional hurdles to clear.
33-Year-Old Palm Coast Driver Crashes Mustang In Woods Off I-95
Chad R. Shiffler, a 33-year-old resident of Farmsworth Drive in Palm Coast, was seriously injured and flown to Halifax hospital after crashing his Mustang into the woods on I-95 near the State Road 100 intersection.
Senate Committee Kills Recovery Centers Palm Coast Opposes, But Approves Expanded Surgical Centers
A Senate committee today killed a proposal to create the sort of “recovery care centers” Palm Coast government and Florida Hospital Flagler oppose, but it agreed to expanded ambulatory care centers.
Flagler May Lose Vacation Rental Regulations Just 2 Years After Regaining Authority
After a three-year battle, Flagler County government regained the right to regulate short-term rentals in the Hammock, which had become disruptive to local residents. Now the state is poised to take that authority away–again.
Unemployment Spikes to 6% in Flagler, Highest in 15 Months, But Labor Force Also Grows
While Flagler County’s number of unemployed grew by 11 percent month-over-month, the county also saw a very large increase of 600 people in its workforce, pointing to optimism about the county’s climate.
Biker Jeffery Coffman of Palm Coast, 59, Killed On U.S. 1’s Triple-A Curve South of Belle Terre
Jeffery Lynn Coffman, 59, of Clermont Court in Palm Coast, is the latest victim of a curving stretch of U.S. 1 that has claimed the lives of several people over the years.
Sheriff Settles Suit With Ex-Finance Director For $200,000, Causing Delays In Future Hires
Linda Bolante filed a whistle-blower suit against ex-Sheriff Jim Manfre in 2014 after she claimed to have been forced to resign over her raising questions about his ethical practices.
“Insulted” By Chairman Tucker’s Grip On Information Flow, School Board’s Conklin Calls For Rethink Of Rules
Flagler School Board member Colleen Conklin wanted the board and staff to review a state report. Trevor Tucker objected, absent a majority of the board agreeing. That caused an unusual clash and rethink of etiquette on the board.
30-Year-Old Biker Travis Staub Critical In Head-On Collision With Car on Rymfire in Palm Coast
A 30-year-old man on a motorcycle was critically injured in a head-on collision with a car on Rymfire Drive in Palm Coast.
Revealing Look at How Flagler Beach Commission, in Closed-Door Meeting, Settled Wrongful Arrest Claim
Vassili Mironov had sued the Flagler Beach Police Department for $89,000 after his arrest at Finns for a fight he says he did not start. He got $6,000 in a settlement that revealed how divided city commissioners arrived at their 3-2 vote.
In Unusual Reversal of Roles, 2 Cyclists Hurt as They Rear-End Van on Colbert Lane
Two cyclists rear-ended a Town and Country van that had pulled over on Colbert Lane, near Lakeview Drive, to make a phone call. Both cyclists were taken to Floirida Hospital Flagler.
Salvo Art Project Close To Taking Over Maxwell House In Bunnell After 3-Month Hibernation
JJ GRaham’s and Petra Iston’s Salvo Art Project, forced out of Nature Scapes two months ago, is close to moving into the 5,000 square foot Maxwell House in Bunnell after getting approved for a loan to buy the $275,000 building.
Palm Coast Council Approves Mayor’s Weekly Radio Infomercial After All, and More
The Palm Coast City Council voted 4-1 Tuesday to go ahead with a weekly radio infomercial, for $10,000, hosted by Mayor Milissa Holland, as well as staff-produced podcasts.
Deputies on Alert For Suspicious Man Who Tried to Lure Children Into Woods on Peppercorn Lane
A man attempted to give an 11-year-old girl and her brother $20 to show them a “hiding place” in the woods as the children played on Palm Coast’s Peppercorn Lane Monday.