Democrats Adam Morley and Curtis Ceballos face enormous financial hurdles in their campaigns challenging Republicans Paul Renner and Travis Hutson in November’s legislative elections.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
Biker Thomas Dolan of Palm Coast Is Killed in Collision Near White Eagle Lounge on US1
Thomas Dolan, a 59-year-old resident of Palm Coast, was killed Tuesday afternoon when he was struck by a driver pulling out of the White Eagle Lounge on U.S. 1 and Old Dixie Highway.
City Will Spend $100,000 to Renovate Fire Station 22, Its Oldest, on Palm Coast Parkway
The city considered demolishing and rebuilding the station in the past, or closing and moving it, but for it says renovation is the best option, keeping open the possibility of a new station on Colbert Lane in the future.
County Government’s Health Costs Take $1.5 Million Hit, Clouding Brighter Budget Outlook
Property values are expected to improve by 4.5 percent, adding $2.5 million to county revenue absent tax-rate changes, but the county’s health costs are increasing dramatically, leaving county commissioners with difficult choices again.
Dacotah Clarke Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison Over Armed Robbery
Dacotah Clarke, 19, was sentenced Monday to 15 months in state prison by Circuit Judge Matthew Foxman after pleading guilty to armed robbery on Sept. 5 in Flagler Beach.
Construction on Florida Hospital Flagler’s $15 Million Expansion Advances
Construction continues to progress on Florida Hospital Flagler’s $15 million expansion project to add 32 new beds on the second and third floors over the hospital’s emergency department.
Palm Coast’s Patricia Darvish, 50, Is Found in Flagler Beach Surf, an Apparent Suicide
Early Sunday morning a Turtle Patrol making its rounds in Flagler Beach located Patricia Darvish, 50, in the water, still clothed. She was pulled from the surf and was pronounced dead at the scene.
For Flagler’s Gun Shops, New Residents Spur Brisk Business But Laws Conceal Debate
Flagler County’s gun shop owners say fear and a need for protection rather than hunting still drives much of their business, but they have differing views on gun regulations and the need for additional laws.
2 Teens Among Four Killed, 3 Injured, “Multiple Ejections” in I-95 Wreck Just South of Flagler-St. Johns County Line
The year’s deadliest crash in Flagler County killed four people and injured several just after 2 p.m. in the northbound lanes of I-95.
Frequent-Flying Miscreants Bill Westervelt And Jerry Falls Back in Jail on Grand Theft
William Westervelt and Jerry Falls, among the most frequent inmates at the Flagler jail, now faces charges of grand theft, burglary and dealing in stolen property, the latest of dozens of charges between them going back a few years.
Behind Palm Coast’s Inspired Mic, A King With Nine Lives Defies Dreads, Death and Taboos
After a hiatus The Inspired Mic, Palm Coast’s most daring and unpredictable open mic event, returned to the New Europa under the direction of Michael Ray King, who organizes the monthly event with a light touch, himself inspired by a personal history of harrowing survival.
Flagler’s African American Mentor Program Honors Its Own Weeks After Earning Unsung Hero Award
The African American Mentoring Program is the creation of former school board member Jim Guines and John Winston, who 10 years ago saw a broad need in the county for mentors to guide young, black students who, for one reason or another, lacked direction.
On Eric Drive, No Recourse After a Dog Is Maimed in Hit-and-Run and Near-Miss for Owner
Angela diBella was walking her two dogs on April 28 in the E Section when an oblivious driver car struck her 10-year-old Shih Tsu, which had to be euthanized less than 90 minutes later. There are no penalties for drivers’ negligence in such cases.
Bogosian’s “Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll” at CRT: The Frightening Drift of American Life, Updated
Those who see the show at Palm Coast’s City Repertory Theatre will find themselves in very recognizably angry American territory even though the play was written in 1990.
Three Candidates for Elections Supervisor Offer More Strengths Than Differences
The three candidates for elections supervisor–Kaiti Lenhart, Abra Seay and Kimble Medley–had their first chance to distinguish themselves before voters this evening in a 60-minute forum that featured more qualities between them than anything else, and no abrasiveness.
A Lockdown in Putnam Ripples to Anger in Palm Coast and a Man’s Arrest in Shooting
Gregory J. Marr was arrested after shooting his gun in the canal off Chelsea Court in Palm Coast and allegedly pointing it at his wife, whom he’d been unable to reach after a murder at her health care facility triggered a lockdown.
Quarter-Size Hail Strafes Flagler in Morning Storm
Hail fell across Bunnell and parts of Palm Coast between 8:15 and 8:30 a.m., the weather service reports. Some resident reported hail the size of half dollars.
Flagler Auditorium Sees $500,000 Grant As 1st Step to $5 Million Capital Makeover
The Flagler Auditorium is in line to get five successive $500,000 grants that the auditorium board and the district would match, enabling the transformation of the 25-year-old facility, including a lobby three times bigger than its current size.
Flagler Schools Seeks to Be 1st in Florida To Use Concussion-Alert Football Helmets District-Wide
The helmets, which would cost $500 each, would alert coaches and trainers in real time of the severity of collisions players sustain to the head, enabling trainers to more readily take precautions against concussions.
Flagler County Quietly Scraps Plan for 3 New Emergency Communications Towers, For Now
After the Flagler County Commission voted down a planned 350-foot tower on John Anderson Highway, NexTower, which would have built three towers, pulled out of the deal entirely, returning the county’s planning for its emergency infrastructure’s backbone to close to near zero.
Florida’s Death Penalty Alive and Willed as Guzman Is Sentenced to Die For 3rd Time in Daytona
A jury in Daytona Beach today voted 11-1 to recommend death for James “Chico” Guzman in the hacking to death of David Colvin, 48, at a motel on Ridgewood Avenue on Aug. 10, 1991.
Flagler Firefighter Among Targets of Car Thieves and Burglars in Palm Coast’s R and P’s
Palm Coast’s R and P Sections were the target of four car thefts and almost a dozen burglaries between Sunday and Monday, including two vehicles at the address of a Flagler County Fire Rescue lieutenant.
County Floats Consolidation of Fire Services And Finally Agree to Meet With Palm Coast
At a long-awaited workshop this afternoon Flagler County responded to Palm Coast’s pressing for a new way to deliver ambulance services, but by countering with a proposal the city is not likely to approve in any way.
Its Elections Equipment “Old Enough to Vote,” County Approves $545,000 For New Machines
The new voting machines will not be in use before the 2018 municipal elections, however, as the supervisor of elections office will need time to train its workers and conduct some voter education first.
Jacksonville Symphony Plays to Palm Coast Arts Foundation Overture, 12 Years in Making
The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra played to close to 1,200 people Sunday evening at the Palm Coast Arts Foundation’s new home in Town Center, an audience as rich in stories as the music.
Probationer Arrested After Attempted Burglary in Palm Coast’s B-Section, Fleeing From Cops
Maurice Godwin, 35, was allegedly burglarizing a house at 1 Bird Haven Place in Palm Coast when the homeowner surprised him and Godwin fled, eventually speeding away from cops until his car crashed in west Flagler.
Flagler’s Emergency Operations Center at 10 Years: A Few Fires, 5 Managers, Zero Hurricanes
The Emergency Operations Center was part of a $90 million public building spree at the height of the housing boom, just before it all crashed. The center has yet to know its first hurricane emergency, though it’s helped the county through several fire and major storm emergencies.
Citing Disrespect, Flagler Beach Emphatically Tells A1A Group To Stick Its Signs Elsewhere
The city commission, following up on overwhelming public opposition to the signs, voted 5-0 to refuse all Scenic A1A signs in the city after the scenic group neither involved the city nor respected its wishes to limit the signs to four.
Attorney Representing Linda Bolante in Cases Against Sheriff Manfre Responds
The attorney for Linda Bolante, Sheriff Manfre’s former finance director and the source of the ethics claims against him, responds to allegations against her Manfre made on the radio last week.
For Triumphant Palm Coast Arts Foundation, A Symphonic Homecoming in the Key of Bold
It’ll be the end of a triumphal journey for the Palm Coast Arts Foundation when the Jacksonville Symphony performs its pops concert Sunday before a record crowd of 1,200 in Town Center.
As Trial Is Set In 65-Year-Old’s Alleged Sex Assaults of Girl, 13, Some Evidence in Limbo
Robert Zetrouer, 65, faces three 2nd-degree felony counts in the sex assaults of the 13-year-old daughter of his then girlfriend in Palm Coast, but lawyers agreed to possibly exclude some testimony involving the girl’s brother in the early portion of the trial, set for July 18.
Poison Flush: Drug Take-Back Day in Palm Coast and Flagler Beach on Saturday, No Questions Asked
Residents can stop at four locations in Palm Coast and one in Flagler Beach to privately return expired or unwanted prescription, over-the-counter meds, vitamin or herbal remedies as well as veterinary medications.
Palm Coast Man Accused of Slamming 4 Year Old to Ground Is Committed to State Hospital
A judge today determined Christopher Williams, 22, incompetent to stand trial just yet, but his commitment to a psychiatric hospital may be temporary. The judge will reevaluate his condition at an undetermined date.
Sen. Travis Hutson Draws a Democratic Opponent in Palm Coast’s Curtis Ceballos
Curtis Ceballos, 54, launched two technology startups in the past two years and intends to focus on technology jobs and vocational education in his campaign. He unsuccessfully ran for county commission in 2006.
Jonathan Canales, Accused of Shooting His Wife in Mondex, Will Not Face Trial Just Yet
Committed to a psychiatric hospital a year ago, Canales, a PTSD-suffering Iraq veteran, was judged still incompetent for trial in alleged shooting of Tiffany Norman, but today’s hearing suggested that such a trial is now a matter of time.
Deputy David Malta, Class of ’87, Is Latest Long-Timer to Retire from Sheriff’s Office
David Malta, the latest in a long string of veterans who have left, retired or been forced out of the agency, started his career under Sheriff Bob McCarthy. His retirement was foreordained, however, because of a Florida Retirement System program he joined five years ago.
2-Year-Old Girl Pulled Unresponsive From F-Section Pool Sunday Has Died
The 2-year-old daughter of Mandee and Douglas Seitz who was pulled unresponsive from her swimming pool on Palm Coast’s Ft. Caroline Court Sunday evening died late Monday night, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said today.
Waldemar Rivera Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison Over Step-Daughter’s Rape
Waldemar Rivera, 37, was sentenced last month in a rape of his 13-year-old step-daughter in their P-Section home in Palm Coast. Judge Matthew Foxman expressed surprise at the contrasting demeanor of Rivera in court with that of the man being sentenced for the crime.
In Palm Coast’s Expensive Hunt for New Retailers, a Few Leads, But Only Low Wages
Last July Palm Coast government signed a $135,000, contract with marketing company to recruit retailers. Nine months later, a couple of low-wage retailers are possible, and a half dozen more are long-term possibilities, but nothing more firm than that.
Michael Stens, County Judge’s Ex-Husband, Is Arrested on DUI Charge After Crash in F-Section
Michael Stens, 44, a resident of Fenimore Lane in Palm Coast, divorced from County Judge Melissa Moore-Stens three years ago, crashed his Prius into a culvert within a few feet of his house after driving home and was arrested on a drunk driving charge Monday morning.
Rymfire Elementary Briefly on “Code Orange” as Sheriff Detains 3 Outside Campus in Car Theft
A police matter that took place outside the campus of Rymfire Elementary–but did not endanger anyone inside–required the school to declare a “Code Orange,” or a less strict variant of a lockdown, just after 1 p.m. today.
Teens in Flight’s Jack Howell Shortlisted For Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation Award
Col. Jack Howell of Palm Coast was nominated for the national award for his work with Teens in Flight over the past 10 years, an organization that trains young pilots whose parents were killed or injured in conflicts since 2001.
Sheriff Manfre Calls Ethics Case Against Him “Terrorism,” Vows to Fight To Supreme Court
Calling the protracted ethics case against him “terrorism,” “nonsense” and politically motivated “slime” by two former colleagues, Flagler County Sheriff Jim Manfre this morning delivered his most detailed—and impassioned—defense of himself since the case against him began in 2014.
NSA Designates Daytona State a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education
DSC is the first state college in Florida to receive the four-year designation based on the college meeting stringent academic criteria and distinguishing its strengths in cybersecurity and cyberforensics training.
Despite Alarms, an Ex-Cop on Disability–and Supporter of the Sheriff–Is Hired As Deputy
An internal investigative report had recommended against hiring ex-NAACP Vice President Eric Josey, a veteran of the NYPD on disability who had difficulties fulfilling basic training exercises. The Sheriff’s Office defends the hiring, while Josey calls criticism of his performance “embellished” and a political “firestorm.”
300-Gallon Chemical Spill in Flagler Beach Closes A1A From South 5th to North 4th
A truck carrying diluted sulfuric acid spilled some 300 gallons of the liquid at the intersection of State Road 100 and State Road A1A in Flagler Beach earlier this morning.
Median Price of Homes in Flagler Cross Back Over $200,000 For 1st Time Since Housing Boom
The average number of home sales in the past seven months is still slower than the previous six months, but inventory is diminishing and prices continue to rise, once again raising questions of affordability.
Ethics Commission Tosses 5 More Complaints Against County Officials, from Weeks Era
The Florida Ethics Commission threw out complaints against four of the five Flagler County commissioners and County Attorney Al Hadeed in the latest sweep of what has been a drizzle of frivolous complaints against county officials.
R-Section Shooting Is Caught on Private Surveillance Video, But No Suspects or Known Injuries
Several shell casings were recovered from the 11 p.m. shooting in the area of 11 Riverview Place, and several people interviewed, but no suspects and no vehicle were recovered.
Gate Gas and Aldi Grocery Will Rise at Corner of SR100 and Belle Terre, Ending Political Signs
The Palm Coast City Council approved a redrawing of the property into six lots, three of which are under contract, with two projected for non-fast-food restaurants in the future.