Among other plans, Flagler Beach City Manager Larry Newsom wants the city to have the longest pier in Florida, but getting there will take a while yet as he updates all repair plans.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
72 Hours Into the Job, Sheriff Staly Calls His 1st News Conference to Highlight Burglary Busts
Sheriff Rick Staly said he took the first burglary on his watch “personally” as he described how deputies and detectives recovered and seized items from recent thefts.
16-Year-Old Kelvin Smith Had Been Pulled Over By Deputy 10 Minutes Before He Was Killed
Kelvin Smith Jr., 16, of Palm Coast, killed by a hit-and-run driver as he rode his bike on Old Kings Road on New Year’s Eve with a friend, had been pulled over with his friend by a deputy moments before the crash. The driver is still being sought.
Bunnell Manager Dan Davis Gets Mixed Reviews on 1st Evaluation, With Concerns About Communication
Depending on which of the Bunnell City Commission’s members you ask, City Manager Dan Davis is doing either an outstanding job, a satisfactory job, or a job that needs improvement.
Why a Seawall in Flagler Beach Could Harm Sea Turtles and Violate the Law
Flagler Beach’s situation on the ground has changed enough between Hurricane Matthew and recent findings about sea turtles that state transportation department construction plans should be rethought in light of those developments, argues Chad Boda.
Shoplifters Target Kohl’s in Palm Coast Twice in 2 Days; 4 Arrested, 3 Sought
Kohl’s department store off Belle Terre Parkway in Palm Coast was twice the target of coordinated shoplifting sprees Tuesday and Wednesday, each time by suspects swiping either electronics or clothes.
Missing Palm Coast Man, 22, Considered Endangered, Is Found
Ricardo Leon-Hernandez, a 22-year-old Palm Coast man has been reported missing since Jan. 3 from his R-Section home and may possibly be a danger to himself.
Last Days of Salvo, But Not For Long as Phoenix-Like Gallery Has New Home In Sight
The art and music show at Salvo Art Project is the last at its current location after the business was evicted, but Salvo’s founders have already located a new location not far off. Its owners reflect on what got them here, and there.
Bunnell Fire Chief Derek Fraser Will Resign, Reviving Talk of Department’s Future
Derek Fraser worked for Bunnell for 25 years, nine of them as fire chief. In August he was put out for having to defend his job and his department before the city commission. A commissioner’s proposal to abolish the fire department is still on the table.
Palm Coast’s Annual Christmas Tree and Electronics Recycling Event Set for Saturday
Recycle your tree and get a a free three-gallon evergreen tree in exchange at the city’s Utility Fuel Depot at 22 Utility Drive off Old Kings Road in Palm Coast, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
School Board’s Trevor Tucker Mulls Run for Tax Collector, Nate McLaughlin Eyes House Seat
School Board member Trevor Tucker confirmed he was considering a run for tax collector in four years, and if so would not run for school board again in 2018, while Commissioner Nate McLaughlin has his eyes on Paul Renner’s House seat in 2022.
Roma Court Academy Burglar Uses Classroom to Shack Up for a Night
A burglar at Roma Court Academy off Palm Coast Parkway stole money intended as Christmas presents and a computer tablet and used a classroom to sleep or take a nap sometime around Christmas.
The Other Swearings-In: Bexley and Lenhart Take the Oath, Johnston and Gardner Shrug
The sheriff’s big ceremony aside, Flagler County’s other constitutional officers had their own swearings-in, more or less, as new, relatively new and veteran officers took up or continued their duties.
Numerous Concerns, Elusive Certainties as Flagler Beach and County Governments Talk Beach Renovation
Assurances Flagler Beach was looking for–that there would be no sea walls anywhere, that the city’s beaches would have priority–proved elusive in a joint meeting with county government.
Call Him Sheriff Staly: At Swearing-In, Veteran Cop Stresses Roots, Toughness and 2nd Chances
Sheriff Rick Staly was sworn-in this morning before a crowd of hundreds and makes pledges of toughness on “dirtbags” but also pledges of giving offenders better chances at self-improvement while focusing greater attention on juvenile-crime prevention.
In Reversal Over Accusations of Unethical Conduct, Flagler Judge Scott DuPont Now Says: “I Was Wrong”
Circuit Judge Scott DuPont, who sits in Flagler and Putnam County court, faces accusations that he spread scandalous, unsubstantiated claims about his opponent in the last election, and now reversed course in an apologetic response.
Kelvin Smith, 16, Killed in Hit-and-Run As He Was Cycling on Old Kings Road in Palm Coast’s F-Section
Kelvin Smith, 16, was killed this evening, New Year’s Eve, in an apparent hit-and-run as the boy was cycling on Old Kings Road near Palm Coast’s F-Section.
Fire Consumes Abandoned House on South Anderson in Bunnell and Is Termed Suspicious
A fire consumed an abandoned house at 210 South Anderson Street in Bunnell Friday night. Bunnell Fire Chief Derek Fraser termed the fire suspicious, and the structure “an absolute total loss.”
Alyce Whitman, 63, Is Killed in Two-Car Collision at County Roads 304 and 305
Alyce Whitman, a 63-year-old resident of Crescent City, was killed Friday afternoon in a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of County Road 304 and County Road 305 at the southwest end of Flagler County.
Some Demotions and New Faces as Sheriff-Elect Rick Staly Outlines Agency Changes, But Greater Focus on Policing
Incoming Sheriff Rick Staly announced an agency-wide reorganization this morning, with some demotions but no firings, and an attempt to adapt an existing organization to his vision rather than to reinvent the law enforcement wheel.
Christmas Day Claim of Assault and False Imprisonment of Mother of 3 Lands Palm Coast Man in Jail
Matthew Robert Johnson, a 30-year-old resident of 13 Collins Lane in Palm Coast, is alleged to have threatened the woman to kill her and her boyfriend and bury them both in the woods.
Rick Staly To Be Sworn-In as Flagler’s 18th Sheriff By Judge Emerson Thompson, Jr.
Senior Judge Emerson R. Thompson, Jr., who made history as the first black judge in Orange County and the first black judge to be appointed to the 5th District Court of Appeal in Daytona Beach, will administer the oath of office at Rick Staly’s swearing-in on Jan. 3.
Where Flagler’s Democrats Go From Here: A Roadmap to Reclaiming Relevance
It’s time now to turn anger and disappointment into resolve, into commitment, into action, argues Mike Cocchiola, whose five-point plan proposes a way forward for Flagler County Democrats.
3 Flagler Death Sentences Among More Than 200 Invalidated By Florida Supreme Court
The invalidation of 55% of death sentences affect those of two Flagler double-murderers–William Gregory, of Flagler Beach, David Snelgrove of Palm Coast–and Cornelius Baker, who killed a woman in Flagler.
Help With Beach Recovery and an Additional County Judge Dominate Requests to Flagler’s Lawmakers
Post-Hurricane Matthew recovery occupied almost half the requests at the annual legislative delegation meeting Wednesday, when Flagler’s governments, non-profits, private associations and citizens submit wish lists to state lawmakers.
European Village Attacker Daniel Noble Pleads Guilty on 3 Charges, Faces 8 to 35 Years
Daniel Noble, the Army veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, had fired two shots with an assault weapon before being wrestled to the ground in a 2014 incident. He’d originally faced attempted murder charges.
Flagler Seeks to Raise County’s Tourism Sales Surtax to 5% to Help Pay for Beach Restoration
The 4 percent surtax currently generates $2 million a year. An extra penny would add $500,000, but there are differences over whether all the added revenue should go to beach restoration or whether some should go to marketing the county.
Flagler School Board Finds New Way to Recite The Pledge: With Pixels and iPhone For All
In a retreat at Cattlemen’s Hall on the county fairgrounds today, the Flagler School Board faced a dilemma: there was no flag to which to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. A minor debate ensued, then Superintendent Jacob Oliva found a solution.
18-Wheeler Overturns at I-95 On-Ramp Off Palm Coast Parkway
Roger Lopez, 47, was at the wheel of the 18-wheeler and was not injured, though the crash closed the on-ramp. The truck was hauling 44,000 pounds of plastic in 1.6-ton rolls.
In “Retreat,” Flagler School Board Meets to Revamp Its Rules as Tucker Seeks Streamlining
The public is not likely to detect too many changes, other than the obvious reduction in actual meetings, which will be cut in half. But more subtle changes will be apparent.
Sheriff Manfre Talks Up Good of Body Cameras and Bad of Emergency Communications in Adieus
Sheriff Manfre described Flagler’s emergency communications system in dismal terms but spoke highly of other achievements in appearances before local governments.
Palm Coast Man Falsely Arrested Sues Sheriff, Saying Deputies “Did Not Act Reasonably”
Dakota Ward, 19, was arrested in March when he was mistaken for a man called De’Coda Ward, and was booked at the jail. A Sheriff’s internali investigation faulted a deputy’s carelessness for enabling the error.
County Tallies Up Almost $60 Million Cost of Repairing Beaches But Lacks Comprehensive Plan
Flagler County commissioners heard sobering costs of repairing 18 miles of beaches but a “unified” plan local cities, state and federal agencies can agree to is entirely lacking.
Pleading Guilty to Manslaughter Death of Invalid Uncle, Woman Now Faces Up to 15 Years in Prison
Prosecutors say Holly Norris, 38, had neglectfully left her 65-year-old invalid uncle alone for days by the time he was found unconscious on the floor of a bedroom. He died two weeks later. He’d had a stroke.
6 Palm Coast Adults and Teens, 2 Children Injured in SUV Wreck on I-95, South of SR 100
One of the children, who’s roughly 5 years old, was flown to Shands hospital in Jacksonville. A 3-year-old child was transported by ground to Halifax hospital in Daytona Beach.
Single-Engine Plane Crashes in Hunter’s Ridge, Pilot Survives With Severe Injuries
A single-engine plane crashed in Hunter’s Ridge, at the south end of Flagler County, at 4 p.m. today. The pilot survived with serious injuries, authorities are reporting.
Gail Wadsworth Holds Court A Final Time as Flagler’s Political World Pays Tribute to Legacy
Almost a dozen judges, innumerable elected officials, most of the courthouse staff and many others gathered today to bid farewell to Clerk of Court Gail Wadsworth, who retires after four terms and lifetimes of local politics.
Flagler Beach and Bunnell Will Have Contested City Elections in March as 2 Challengers Qualify
Flagler Beach incumbents Marshal Shupe and Kim Carney have drawn Paul Eik as an opponent. In Bunnell, John Sowell, a former pilot for Flagler County Fire Flight, will challenge incumbents Bonita Robinson and John Rogers.
Flagler Unemployment Rate Ticks Up for 4th Month in a Row, to 5.7%, Florida’s Up to 4.9%
The streak in increasing unemployment is echoed by an equally suggestive streak: five straight declines in the number of house sales closing in Flagler County, going back to May’s post-recession peak of 259 sales.
New A1A Options Include Moving It to Central and Daytona Avenues, and 5.2-Mile Sea Wall
Six options for the future A1A in Flagler Beach were unveiled by the stat Transportation Department Thursday, three of them including a huge (but buried) sea wall, and three shifting traffic to Central and Daytona Avenues.
Flagler Beach’s Closed-Door Session Ends With Agreement to Negotiate Settlement With Sklar and Marina
Spurred by a court order largely siding with Howard Sklar’s Marina, scuttled in disputes and litigation for years, the Flagler Beach City Commission voted 5-0 following a closed meeting to negotiate a final settlement and bypass appeals.
Salvo Art Is Evicted in Dispute With Nature Scapes, Rendering Vanguard Gallery’s Artists Homeless
JJ Graham’s Salvo Art Project, the vibrant gallery and artist colony, had a 10-year lease with Nature Scapes, but a long dispute with the nursery’s owners culminated in an eviction and mediated settlement today that closes Salvo’s doors on Jan. 7.
Palm Coast Council Talks As If It Wants To Be Pioneer in Medical Pot, But Post-Moratorium
In a radical departure from its previous incarnations, the Palm Coast City Council discussed medical marijuana in terms of economic development potential for the city as well as in line with its purported humane benefits.
Company Would Get $90,000 in County Subsidies to Build New Palm Coast Plant in Novel Incentive Approach
Manufacturer Gioia Sales employs 42 on Palm Coast’s Hargrove Grade and would build a larger facility on Commerce Boulevard, with 10 years of subsidies from Flagler County.
Ex-Commissioner Barbara Revels Faces $4,500 Fine in Ethics Violations Over Transparency
Barbara revels, the former Flagler County commissioner, agreed to settle the ethics case against her, admitting to numerous errors in three years of required financial disclosure forms.
SBA Approves $50 Million in Disaster Loans For Post-Hurricane Recovery; Dec. 16 Deadline Looms
Some 1,510 disaster loans have been approved so far, totaling $51,5 million, for affected residents and business owners, with interest rates ranging from 1.5 to 4 percent.
In Flagler Beach Again, Sen. Nelson Conveys Feds’ Message on Beach Fix: No Seawalls
Sen. Bill Nelson was back in Flagler Beach to tout the passage of a water bill that includes authorization for $15.6 million in federal beach renourishment dollars for Flagler County. But it’s conditional on the state not building sea walls.
At Home Depot, a Road Rage Incident Goes From Parking Row to Pellet Gunshot
Trevor Mullennix, 37, of Lee Drive in Palm Coast, pulled out a pellet gun and fired a shot at another driver after his vehicle allegedly cut-off another in the Home Depot parking lot, and was charged with felony assault.
Cops Aren’t Under Siege.
Civilians and Liberties Are.
It’s a widely accepted but dangerous myth: that cops are under siege, handcuffed by “new restrictions.” The reality is the opposite, with more unbridled and brutal policing than we care to admit.
Muslims In Palm Coast and Bunnell Still Feel Welcome Even as Political Rhetoric Snarls
Only a handful of Muslim immigrants live in Palm Coast and Bunnell. They speak of their many years locally fondly, remembering only rare instances of discrimination in the past and a current atmosphere of neighborliness and acceptance.