Four Palm Coast residents are accused of trashing Palm Coast Pizza after one of them was upset by cheese on her garlic knots, and the way she was refunded the money.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
Jon Moscowitz Named Sons of the American Revolution’s Firefighter of the Year
Moscowitz, 28, has been a firefighter-paramedic in Flagler County for 9 years. Only a few weeks ago he’d also been named public safety EMS professional of the year by his peers.
Buy This Art: Ocean Art Gallery’s Laws of Shopper Attraction, at the Point of a Spear
Frank Gromling, owner of Flagler Beach’s Ocean Art Gallery, is all about marketing and selling art. He’s not interested in museum-like browsers, let alone displaying art for art’s sake.
The Good Life: At Salvo Gallery, One Collector’s Gems Frame Wealth of Flagler’s Arts
Christopher Goodfellow has been collecting art for years. The new show at Salvo Art Project features his mostly-Flagler collection of the last five years, highlighting the wealth and variety of the local art scene.
Promising 300 Jobs 3 Years Ago, Aveo Engineering Bails on Airport Lease But Pledges to Remain in Flagler
Aveo Engineering, the much-touted LED parts manufacturer had promised 300 jobs by 2016 at the Flagler County Airport. Neither jobs nor facility have materialized, though the company is still pledging to grow in Flagler, but not at the airport.
At FPC, Community Problem Solvers Re-Imagine Library as Fluid “Learning Commons”
When every student has a media center in the palm of the hand, it’s time to change the name and purpose of a school library. That’s what FPC’s Community Problem Solvers set out to do, and achieved.
Palm Coast Signals Going Its Own Way In Growing Rift With County Over Radio System
City Manager Jim Landon is pressuring the county to replace its emergency radio infrastructure–on which the city and sheriff depend– well before 2020. The county is resisting, citing costs.
Drone, Pellet Gun and Protected Bird Mix Into Novel Confrontation in Palm Coast’s C-Section
A man threatened to shoot down his neighbor’s drone on Palm Coast’s Collingwood Lane after claiming he was using the drone to harass purple martins, the federally protected birds.
Sheriff Issues Warning of IRS Scams as “Hundreds” of Palm Coast Residents Report Fraud
Tax season is intensifying scams from fraudsters posing as the IRS, who have been targeting Palm Coast residents and threatening them with arrest if they don’t immediately pay bogus tax bills.
Call The Question! School Board Moves to Demolish Old ITT Building in “Awkward” Vote
The school board will spend $163,000 to demolish the iconic hulk on Palm Coast Parkway, but the 5-0 vote was marred and rushed by an improper maneuver by board member Sue Dickinson.
To School Officials’ Surprise, NAACP Accuses District of ‘Obstruction’ and More Arbitrary Discipline
The Flagler branch of the NAACP is accusing the school district of “willful” obstruction in disciplinary cases involving black students, and of ignoring behavior problems at Buddy Taylor Middle School.
Sheriff Manfre Ethics Case: In Eviscerating Language, Judge Recommends $6,200 Fine, Public Reprimand and Censure
An administrative law judge suggests the sheriff lied under oath as part of his defense in a case that has clouded his term since 2014 and that continues to damage his image in a re-election campaign featuring a slew of opponents.
Against Mayor’s Opposition, Palm Coast Council Discovers Public Input at Workshops
For the first time in 17 years the Palm Coast City Council will join other local governments in allowing public participation at council workshops, where most of the decisions are made, not just at “regular” meetings.
At Florida Hospital Flagler, an Additional 32 Beds as Facility Grows Beyond Rural Stage
The $15-million, 32-bed addition tips Florida Hospital Flagler past the 99-bed threshold, reducing its Medicare dollars by up to $12 million, but hospital officials see the expansion as meeting local needs.
Twitter Images and Gun Threats Cause Concern at Matanzas High School
Postings on a 10th grader’s Twitter page showed pistols and a semi-automatic rifle captioned by threats such as “ISIS Affiliated” and “High School Musical; Massacre edition.”
As Judge Calls Pot Laws “Harsh,” Sheriff and Public Defender Will Propose De-Criminalization Ordinance
Flagler Sheriff Jim Manfre and Public Defender Jim Purdy will craft a proposal to de-criminalize pot and move to a civil citation program. The proposal will first be vetted by the Public Safety Coordinating Council before heading for the county commission.
Flagler School District Is Rated B For Third Straight Year, All Schools Either A or B
This year’s grades are almost eight months late. They’re less reliable than in previous years. And they’re still facing bitter criticism because of the state’s troubled standardized testing system.
“The Last Romance” Bids a Golden Valentine for Adult Sensibilities at City Rep Theatre
Joe DiPietro’s romantic comedy at Palm Coast’s City Repertory Theatre stars real-life couple Sue and John Pope, who must act as if they don’t love each other.
Palm Coast Arts Foundation Breaks Ground at New Home With Poetry, Nietzsche and a Party
Some 250 people turned out for the Palm Coast Arts Foundation’s groundbreaking Thursday at its new home in Town Center, with poetry and a live performance by a Flagler Youth Orchestra ensemble.
Two Young Palm Coast Residents Killed in Construction Zone off Forest Grove Dr.
Kevin Walsh, 29, and Jessica Darby, 22, both of Palm Coast, were killed late Thursday night in the construction zone off Forest Grove Drive.
Florida Bar Dismisses Complaint Against County Attorney in Latest of Many Defeats for Growlers
The Florida Bar’s dismissal keyed into the fact that one of the two complainants, Kimberle Weeks, had felony charges pending against her. The other tossed complaint was by John Ruffalo of the Ronald Reagan Republican Assemblies.
At Flagler’s Progressive Public Safety Council, a Farewell to Judge Walsh, and a Welcome to Foxman
The largely unheralded but powerfully representative Public Safety Coordinating Council was the scene of a passing of gavels of sorts Wednesday for Flagler County’s judiciary.
Smoke May Be Visible South of SR 100 From Controlled Burn at Bulow State Park
This prescribed fire will remove the hazardous level of fuel on the property. Potential fires have a greater risk of being destructive the longer vegetation accumulates.
Barrie Michaels Joins Flagler Auditorium as Marketing Manager Ahead of 25th Anniversary
Barrie Michaels will manage media relations, communications, and other outreach efforts for the auditorium, serving as the primary contact for media inquiries and as a representative for the organization in the community.
Family Livid After FDOT Uproots Roadside Memorial to Tyler Tracy 7 Months After Wreck
Tyler Tracy’s memorial was one of five an FDOT official decided had to be removed on US1, though others were left in place, angering Tracy’s widow and family and getting Palm Coast Mayor Jon Netts involved in defense of the family.
Taser Brings Down Armed Burglar After Shots Are Fired and Cops Set Chase
The late-night pursuit in a Bunnell neighborhood, guns drawn, resulted in the arrest of Grant D. Gieger, a convicted felon with a long history of arrests and violence.
Dueling On, State Recommends $19,000 Fine and Public Reprimand Against Manfre, Who Maintains Innocence
The dueling recommendations in the long-standing ethics case against Sheriff Manfre are awaiting an administrative law judge’s decision, further dragging on an issue that has clouded the sheriff’s term into his re-election year.
In a Decisive Shift, Palm Coast Will Oppose Fracking On and Offshore, Citing Environment
Abandoning its silence and tacit nod to fracking, the Palm Coast City Council will forcefully oppose hydraulic fracturing in a resolution, citing water and environmental protection.
Palm Coast Man Jailed on $160,000 Bond Over Molestation Charges Involving 2 Children
Joel Aiello of Frontier Drive in Palm Coast was arrested on five felony counts of sexual improprieties involving children–a 14-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl.
Florida’s Black Cowboys: An Exhibit Tours All Flagler Schools, Bucking Stereotypes
The Florida Black Cowboys exhibit, produced by the Agriculture Museum, opens a window on a little-known part of Florida and American history. The exhibit will appear at every Flagler County school.
Ex-Flagler Beach City Manager Applies for Unemployment, Though He Resigned (Twice)
Ex-city manager Bruce Campbell ad made clear to the Flagler Beach City Commission that it was his choice not to have his contract renewed, which would make him ineligible for unemployment as the decision to leave was voluntary.
Stand-Ins for Clinton and Sanders in a Presidents’ Day Forum at AACS Monday
Palm Coast’s Africa American Cultural Society will host a political forum at 6 p.m. Feb. 15 featuring the two respective local leaders of the campaigns for Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.
One Fugitive Arrested After All-Night Hunt in B-Section, Other Man Still On the Run Following Wreck on I-95
Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies aided by Flagler County Fire Flight had been hunting two men believed to be escaped convicts following a single-car crash on I-95 just north of Palm Coast Parkway this evening at 6:12 p.m.
As Flagler’s Emergency Communications Briefly Falter, Palm Coast and Sheriff Assail County Over Long-Term Plans
The county’s critical emergency radio system briefly failed when a tower lost its back-up power Thursday even as county, city and sheriff’s officials were meeting in the first high-level meeting since 2013 to deal with their differences over modernizing the emergency communications system.
Where’s Opelka? Injury and Ranking Climb Keep Star From Palm Coast’s Tennis Tourney
Palm Coast’s celebrated Reilly Opelka, the boys Wimbledon Champ, says he probably would not have competed in the ongoing Men’s Futures Tennis Tournament even if he did not have a stress fracture as he targets bigger tournaments to earn more ranking points.
Sheriff’s Sgt. Van Buren Announces Retirement 7 Weeks After He’s Named Deputy of the Year
Sgt. Michael van Buren had just ended one of his most decorated years since joining the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office 28 years ago. He is leaving to take a job in Palm Coast’s public works department and have more time with family.
Plea Lessens Palm Coast Child Rapist’s Sentence to 10 Years in Prison, 20 on Probation
Andrew S. Wilson, 55, of 82 Brushwood Lane in Palm Coast, had been arrested on a count of raping a child younger than 12, based on incidents that took place two decades ago.
Bringing “Poverty Inc.” to Palm Coast’s Epic Theater, a Compassionate Entrepreneur’s Goal
Jenny Skripko, a Palm Coast resident and “Compassionate Entrepreneur” with Trades of Hopes, is bringing the celebrated “Poverty Inc.” documentary to Epic Theaters on Feb. 23, but a minimum of 87 tickets must be sold by Feb. 16.
Orlando Artist Stewart Jones Opens at New Ocean Art Gallery in Flagler Beach Friday
Jones’s one-person show, “Documental Environments – From Shore to Shore,” will run from February 5 to 29, with the artist’s opening reception on Friday at 6 p.m.
Palm Coast Deputy Fire Chief Jerry Forte In Dramatic Rescue of Drowning Man
Palm Coast Deputy Fire Chief Jerry Forte was in the W-Section when the drowning of a 71-year-old resident on Whispering Pine Drive was called in. He rushed to the scene and pulled the man out of the pool.
Palm Coast Council Gives Itself a Few Dollars’ Raise, Thwarting Nobile on Referendum
Another nearly year-long discussion ends with an annual $228 raise for the mayor, $228 for council members, and no future automatic increases, but no referendum either, on the question, as Council member Steven Nobile had favored.
How 3-Month Investigation Led to Arrest of Palm Coast Man in Flagler Beach Publix Robbery
Crushing debt allegedly led Daniel J. Fountain, a Palm Coast resident on probation and facing foreclosure, to rob Publix of $2,668 last October–and immediately start making bill payments to Palm Coast utilities, Brighthouse and others.
Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club Lives: School Board Grants Reprieve, 5-0
The school board’s unanimous decision ends a remarkable turnaround for the club, which just last September faced permanent closure, though its deficits have still not been entirely erased.
“We Live Without My Son”: A Mother’s Story of Her Teen’s Suicide Frames Town Hall Meeting
Barbara Coxwell, who lost her 15-year-old son to suicide in 2013, and School Board Chairman Colleen Conklin, led the virtual town hall as a first step in a countywide effort to broaden attention to suicide-prevention across all age groups.
County Attorney Hadeed Challenges State Ethics Panel’s Fee Denial and Calls for Appeal
County Attorney Al Hadeed says the Florida Ethics Commission was wrong to deny Flagler attorneys’ fees from frivolous complaints filed by government opponents. He wants the decision appealed to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal.
Palm Coast Arts Foundation Breaks Ground for Outdoors Venue in Town Center on Feb. 11
The initial project will consist of a 32,000 square-foot open-air arts and culture pavilion center and a small enclosed venue that’ll double up as an event center for meetings and small events.
Celebrated Emergency Services Chief Kevin Guthrie Resigns, Jolting Commissioners
Kevin Guthrie headed the county’s emergency services division since late 2013 to mostly rave reviews, but frustrations with the county administration may have led to his decision to leave.
Carolyn Frisbie, Leader in Palm Coast’s Community Chorus, Is Killed in Car Crash
arolyn Frisbie, a long-time member of Palm Coast’s Trinity Presbyterian congregation and among the leaders of the Community Chorus of Palm Coast, was killed the evening of Jan. 29 in a two-vehicle collision on U.S. 1 in St. Johns County.
Flagler Beach’s Lt. Cox, Among 10 Winners, Is Countywide Public Safety Person of the Year
Aside from Cox’s top award, winners included the Sheriff’s Senior Cmdr. Mark Carman, Flagler County Fire Rescue’s Jon Moscowitz and Bob Pickering of Emergency Management.
Flagler’s Family Life Center Now a Certified Rape Crisis Center, Ensuring Critical Services
Until Family Life took over the service in an arrangement with the sheriff’s office in March 2014, Flagler County had been without a reliable crisis center because the Children’s Advocacy Center had quit providing that service.