Dave Mason was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 as a founding member of Traffic and has played with the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and Fleetwood Mac.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
Flagler Superintendent Jacob Oliva Is Named Florida Vice Chancellor for K-12 Education, Will Leave in June
Superintendent Jacob Oliva’s three-year tenure has been largely controversy-free and saw the expansion of technology and classroom-to-career programs. He leaves in May.
Epic Theaters Evacuated After Gun Fears; Sheriff Warns: “This Is Not Going To Continue”
A brawl and fear of a gun at Epic Theaters Friday night triggered a panic and a massive police response. No weapon was found, but Sheriff Rick Staly is demanding that Epic come up with a better security plan.
Explosion and Fire Flare in J.T.’s Seafood Shack’s Kitchen in Hammock Injure Two Employees
The incident at J.T.’s Seafood Shack is believed to have been caused by a fire flare in the kitchen. Patrons were in the restaurant but were not affected.
Palm Coast’s New Founders:
Nick Klufas Trains Vigilant Eyes on the City
In his picture of Palm Coast for the next four years, City Councilman Nick Klufas lays out his goals for a city with better cell coverage and emergency communications, among other needs.
Gov. Scott Appoints Greg Hansen, Local GOP Activist, to Frank Meeker’s County Commission Seat
Greg Hansen, 70, will fill the remaining year and a half on the late Frank Meeker’s term. He outflanked other local favorites who had included Palm Coast Mayor Jon Netts and Larry Jones, an ally of County Administrator Craig Coffey.
Tyler M. Allen, 21, Is Killed, 2 Injured as Motorcycle Rams Car on Palm Coast Parkway Near Canopy Walk
Tyler Allen, 21, of Palm Coast, was killed and two women, including county government spokeswoman Julie Murphy, were injured this evening as Allen, riding a motorcycle, slammed into the back of the car the women were driving.
Matanzas Physics Teacher Andrew Hutcheson and Youth Center’s Brandon Seminara Are School District’s Best of Year
Andrew Hutcheson, an Advanced Placement Physics teacher at Matanzas High School, and Brandon Seminara, the Assistant Director of the Flagler County Youth Center, were named the Flagler School District Teacher and Employee of the Year for 2017.
3 Teens Linger in Jail Over Epic Theater Armed Robbery Allegation Even as Accuser, in Switch, Is Implicated
The accuser who claimed three teens robbed him at gunpoint at Epic Theaters last Friday was in fact there to sell a gun, a FlaglerLive investigation reveals. Yet the three teens he accused are still in jail.
Craig Coffey, Jim Landon, Now Dan Davis: For 3rd Time in 2 Years, Top Manager’s Raise Request Is Rebuffed
Bunnell’s Dan Davis this week joined Palm Coast’s Jim Landon and Flagler’s Craig Coffey, all of whose elected boards rejected their raise requests in the past two years, though Davis and Coffey still got smaller raises.
If You Still Have Damaged Property, You Could Knock Hundreds of Dollars Off 2017 Tax Bill
Property owners anywhere in Flagler and its cities who still have lost or damaged assets as of Jan. 1, such as lost screened-in areas, are eligible for re-assessments that could bring down their property tax bills.
Palm Coast’s New Founders:
Heidi Shipley On Safety, Seniors and Youths
From the eyes and ears of neighborhood watch groups to programs for youths and the elderly, Palm Coast City Council member Heidi Shipley envisions the best the city has to offer in the third of five articles on the future by council members.
Two Suicides in 24 Hours in Flagler as County Officials Seek Renewed Focus on Mental Health
Steven J. Fortier, 27, of Bunnell, was found dead in the Mondex Tuesday, and 73-year-old William Dessing took his own life Wednesday morning at his Flagler Beach home.
4th Flagler Film Festival Strings Variety of Themes, With Benefit to Tommy Tant Classic
The Flagler Film Festival at Palm Coast’s Hilton garden Inn starting Friday accepted 60 of 150 submissions from around the world, with question-and-answer sessions with filmmakers concluding most blocks of screenings.
Palm Coast’s New Founders:
Robert Cuff On A City’s Subtle Evolution
Palm Coast City Council member Robert Cuff, a Palm Coast founder in the ITT days before the city incorporated, sees deliberate but recognizable change in the four years ahead for the city.
Three Teens Charged in Armed Robbery of 15 Year Old at Epic Theaters, Over a Belt
Three teens, two of them students at Matanzas High School, were charged with armed robbery of an Indian Trails Middle School student at Epic Theaters in Palm Coast Friday evening.
Palm Coast Community Center’s $7.8 Million Renovation, After Postponement, Will Cost Double Initial Estimate
City Manager Jim Landon had first estimated a “$3 to $4 million” renovation cost, but then delayed it to build an addition to City Hall, ostensibly to save money. Community Center costs have now more than erased those savings, Council member Steven Nobile says.
Palm Coast’s New Founders:
Milissa Holland On the Continuity of Change
In the first of five articles by each member of the Palm Coast City Council, Mayor Milissa Holland imagines the city four years from now, seeing a more developed and vibrant but equally serene city to live in.
Palm Coast Woman, 19, Arrested on Molestation Charges In 3rd Incident Involving Runaway Girls
Maria Rose Howell, a 19-year-old resident of Biddle Place in Palm Coast who’d attended Matanzas High School, was booked at the Flagler County jail over the weekend on charges of molesting a 14-year-old girl she’d taken to Epic Theater for a date.
Crashes at Red-Light Camera Intersections Up 10%, Incapacitating Injuries Up 27%
A new report by the Florida highway safety department shows crash increases that belie claims that red-light cameras have made intersections safer. Palm Coast’s cameras are set to come down this year.
Pier Repairs, 52 Dune Walkovers, A1A: Flagler Beach Manager Newsom’s Post-Hurricane Status Report
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.
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.