Bob Abbott had defeated long-time commissioner Hershel King to serve one term on the Flagler County Commission, from 2006 to 2010. He’d made the Flagler Beach pier his second home before his illness set in.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
Rookie Deputy’s Discipline for Latest Crash: 30 Days Without a Patrol Car and Reprimand
Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy Jonathan Kuleski will lose his patrol vehicle for 30 days and is the subject of written reprimand as a result of totaling a sheriff’s vehicle while on patrol last September, his second crash in four months.
Controversy Long Over, Flagler Beach Finally Gets Its $568,000 “Quint” Fire Truck
The truck purchase inflamed many a confrontation among Flagler Beach city commissioners and embroiled the city’s fire department in a nearly year-long battle to secure it.
FPL Reports Profits of $1.65 Billion for 2015 But Still Seeks 15% Rate Increase by 2019
Despite the good news to FPL shareholders, FPL has asked for an $8.50-a-month rate increase in 2017, rising to $14-a-month by 2019. The Florida Public Service Commission must approve the rate increases after public hearings.
A Pair of Big Checks Contribute to Pink Army and United Way
The Pink Army’s 5K run in Town Center last fall raised $12,585.35, and the five Florida Hospitals in Volusia and Flagler counties donated $10,000 to the United Way.
Bomb Squad Detonates Suspicious Package in Mailbox on Prattwood Ln. in Palm Coast
St. Johns County’s bomb squad was called in by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office this evening after a suspicious package was discovered in a mailbox on Pratwood Lane in Palm Coast.
Case Against Man Accused of Animal Cruelty and Battery Starts Anew as He Reverses Plea
Shawn Higgins previously had agreed to plead no contest to charges of animal cruelty and domestic violence after allegedly forcefully throwing a dog on the floor and strangling an ex-girlfriend. He now has withdrawn his plea even though he faces potentially stiffer punishment.
Luigi and Filomena Camporeale Killed in a Wreck With Truck on I-95 Just South of Palm Coast Parkway
Palm Coast’s Luigi Camporeale, 85, and his wife Filomena Camporeale, 76, were killed around 9:30 p.m. on I-95, immediately south of Palm Coast Parkway as Luigi attempted a hard left turn into the lanes of traffic, strucking a semi truck.
Radical Change Ahead for Palm Coast Council as McGuire Won’t Run, DeLorenzo Opts for County and Netts Is Term-Limited
The Palm Coast City Council will see the biggest turn-over in its history this November as Bill McGuire says he won’t run again, Jason DeLorenzo is running for the county commission and Mayor Jon Netts is term-limited. The council will see a complete turn-over in two years, possibly heralding a sea change in the city’s direction.
Palm Coast Council Members Favor Giving Themselves Automatic Raises Tied to Inflation
Palm Coast City Council members are favoring giving the next council what would equate to a 14 percent base-pay increase followed by annual raises indexed to inflation.
Unfounded Threat Briefly Lifts Flagler Schools’ Status to Yellow, Increasing Cop Presence
An unfounded threat reported third-hand to Flagler school officials this morning and mirroring a threat in Florida’s Panhandle prompted the district to raise its security status to yellow before reverting back to normal.
Herculean Effort More Than Doubles Memberships at Belle Terre Swim Club, Dimming Talk of Closure
The Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club’s supporters have managed to increase memberships to more than 300 and close an $80,000 budget gap ahead of a Feb. 2 deadline when the school board will decide the club’s fate.
Man Sentenced to 6 Years for Palm Coast Home Invasion, Accomplice Pleads for Mercy
Daniel Hall was sentenced today to six years in prison and 10 years’ probation for the August 2014 assault and burglary at an older woman’s home as his accomplice, Carisa Hall, has been pleading with the court to lessen her sentence.
Doug Williams, Immigration and Criminal Law Attorney, Joins Chiumento Selis Dwyer as Partner
Chiumento Selis Dwyer, the Palm Coast law firm, announced that attorney Douglas Scott Williams, better known as Doug, has joined the firm as a partner.
Sheriff Manfre Proposes De-Criminalizing Pot Possession; County Officials and State Attorney Open to Idea
Following in the steps of three Florida counties and some 20 states, Sheriff Jim Manfre wants to replace criminal penalties for small amounts of pot with civil fines. State Attorney R.J. Larizza and county officials are willing to explore the new approach.
Flagler Beach Shock: Settle Opts Out of Commission, So Mealy and Belhumeur Are Elected
In a minor shock in Flagler Beach, Commissioner Steve Settle opted not to file for re-election, automatically resulting in the election of Rick Belhumeur and the re-election of Jane Mealy at 5 p.m. Friday.
Ethics Commission Rejects Flagler’s Pitch to Recover Fees from Frivolous Complaints
The state ethics commission found too thin Flagler’s argument to recover fees from frivolous complaints by John Ruffalo and Dennis McDonald against County Attorney Al Hadeed and County Commissioner Nate McLaughlin.
Flagler’s Unemployment Rate Falls to New Post-Recession Low of 5.5%, Florida at 5%
Flagler County’s rate is vastly improved since even a year ago, when it stood at 6.9 percent. There were 487,000 jobless Floridians out of a labor force of 9.7 million.
For One Rookie Deputy, 2 Totaled Patrol Cars and 2 Internal Investigations in 13 Months
A just-completed internal investigation found Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy Jonathan Kuleski had been speeding and imprudent when he crashed and totaled his patrol car on White View Parkway in September. It was the latest in a series of issues for the rookie deputy.
Two Young Women’s Suicides, In Close Proximity, Stun and Mobilize Community
Lindsay Brockhaus, 20, killed herself on Tuesday, a month after her friend Cora Ann Engel, 18, committed suicide by the same method, two years almost to the day after Dalton Coxwell, also a Matanzas High student, had killed himself the same way.
Bunnell Elementary’s Sean Gilliam Is Flagler County’s Champion, Buoyant Speller
Sean Gilliam, a sixth grader at Bunnell Elementary, correctly spelled the word buoyancy to defeat 16 competitors. Fifth grader Grayson Ronk of Wadsworth Elementary School was the runnerup.
Family Life Center Welcomes Board Members Maria Scarol and Sallie Brinkley
The Family Life Center announced this week that Maria Scarol and Sallie Brinkley have joined the Family Life board of directors.
Fire Demolishes Family Home in Western Flagler After French Fries Are Left Unattended
A house belonging to Caprice and Stephan Williams and their two teen-age sons at 5881 Logwood Lane in Bunnell was consumed by flames Saturday after Caprice briefly left the stove unattended to help a neighbor.
As County Has Yet to Pick a Site, Flagler Library Construction May Not Start Before 2018
The Flagler County Commission has been talking about a library expansion for going on three years, but it may be five years before a new branch is actually built as various factors have yet to fall in place.
Ex-Cop Larry Jones Will Challenge Sheriff Manfre for Democratic Nomination
Larry Jones, who retired from the sheriff’s office in 2014, is the nionth candidate for sheriff in this year’s election, but only the second on the Democratic side.
Two Pit Bulls Shot Dead After Attacking And Killing Pony; Duane Weeks Cited
Two pit bulls in the care of Duane Weeks savaged a neighbor’s pony and killed it before the neighbor shot the two dogs. Weeks agreed to $1,000 in restitution and was cited for letting his animals run loose.
Stacy Culotta, Who’d Sought Suicide-by-Cop, Pleads to 36 Months’ Probation
Stacy Culotta is the 36-year-old Palm Coast P-Section woman who last September was at the center of an attempted suicide-by-cop. She’ll serve probation and forfeit all weapons but serve no jail time.
Vandalism Blamed for Emptying Plantation Bay’s Water Supply, Leaving Customers Dry
The 1,600-odd customers of the Flagler County-owned Plantation Bay water utility woke up to dry faucets today as vandals were believed to have emptied the subdivision’s water tanks overnight.
At Salvo Art Project:
Rachel Thompson, Artist of the Year
“I am just art, I am art, I was born that way,” Thompson says. An opening reception sponsored by the Gargiulo Art Foundation at Salvo Art Gallery marks Thompson’s Artist of the Year honor Saturday.
Palm Coast’s $9 Million Scam at Taxpayers’ Expense
Since 2008, Palm Coast government has wasted over $9 million in taxpayer money to subsidize its privately run, money-losing golf and tennis operations, which serve a small group of people. It’s been a colossal scam perpetrated on taxpayers.
In City Rep’s “Working,” A Job Becomes a Musical
“Working,” the musical based on Studs Terkel’s 1974 best-selling book on the American workplace, takes the stage at Palm Coast’s City Repertory Theatre Jan. 15 through 24.
Flagler Sheriff’s Deputy and SWAT Member Jonathon Duenas Escapes Blazing Patrol Car on CR35
Deputy Jonathon Duenas was driving on CR 35 (off of SR 100), on the Westside of the county when a fire started in his patrol car’s trunk and quickly engulfed the vehicle. Duenas escaped with minor injuries.
Worrisome Numbers for Black Students Behind Flagler School District’s “Touting” of Graduation Rates
The graduation rate for black students has taken a nosedive, with just 63.3 percent of black students are graduating, down 4.6% in 3 years. The numbers are especially bad at Flagler Palm Coast High School.
Couple on Palm Coast Parkway Threatened With Handgun in Apparent Road Rage Incident
A 61-year-old Palm Coast resident and his wife were allegedly threatened with a gun in the culmination of an apparent road rage incident on Palm Coast Parkway Monday. Aggravated assault and battery charges are pending, but the perpetrator got away.
Bunnell Mayor Robinson Again Re-Elected Unopposed; 3 Vie for 2 Commission Seats
Bunnell Mayor Catherine Robinson was reelected without opposition for the third straight time. Incumbents Elbert Tucker and Bill Baxley will be joined by Jan Reeger for the March 15 contest. Two of the three will win election.
Flagler School District Earns Apple’s Distinguished Program Award
Flagler Schools was recently named as a Distinguished Program by Apple for the Digital Learning Movement in place across all district schools. Representatives from the company were at the last School Board meeting on Jan. 5 to make the announcement.
Flagler Film Festival, Drawing on Works Near and Far, Flicks On For 3rd Year Friday
The Flagler Film Festival’s third edition features 47 films from 150 submissions this year, and starts Friday at Palm Coast’s Hilton Garden Inn, running through Sunday.
Kim Weeks (No, Not That One) Is Flagler’s Teacher of the Year, DeAndre Harris Takes Employee Honor
Kim Weeks is a media specialist at Old Kings Elementary School for 11 years, DeAndre Harris is a paraprofessional at Indian Trails Middle School where he works with Exceptional Student Education (ESE).
Jacqueline Costa, 49, Is Struck and Killed By an SUV on Mahogany Blvd. in The Mondex
Jacqueline Costa, a 49-year-old resident of western Flagler County, was struck and killed this evening as she was crossing Mahogany Blvd. near her home in the Mondex.
Flagler County Revises Vacation-Rental Rules as Lawmakers Propose Yet More Changes
The county commission’s authority is limited but it plans to stiffen fines against vacation-rental rule violators. Lawmakers meanwhile, catching on to the controversy, may revert more regulatory authority to local governments.
Five New Flagler County Fire Rescue Firefighters Complete Orientation as Department Grows
New firefighters – Thomas Cope, Cory Sattar, Michael Beaulieu and Andy Thomas, all hired in December, along with Marianne Huston, who was hired in September – were put through their paces last week, the first full week of the new year.
Losses at Palm Coast’s Golf and Tennis Clubs Mount to Record $431,000; City Council Shrugs
Palm Coast’s Palm Harbor Golf Club and its Tennis center have together lost more money in 2014 than in any year since 2009 under contractor KemperSports’ management, yet council members raised few questions about the operations during a presentation Tuesday.
Palm Coast Couple Arrested for Sex in Joanne King Park After 12 Year Old Spots Them
A 12-year-old boy told police he saw William J. Murphy, 37, and Connie Whitaker-Roberts, 33, having sex against a park bench at Joanne B. King Park in Bunnell Sunday afternoon. It is illegal to have sex in the park.
In Case Against Kimberle Weeks, Tactical Motions Lead to Likely Turning Point in March
Ex-Elections Supervisor Kim Weeks’s attorney wants three separate trials on 12 felony counts, and to suppress a search warrant–a motion which, if granted, would unravel the case against Weeks.
2 Killed, 2 from Palm Coast and Bunnell Injured in 2-Vehicle Wreck in Flagler Estates
Katie Stecker, 19, of St. Augustine, and Victoria Sutton, 20, were killed, Dalton Edwards, 20, of Bunnell, was critically burned, Alexander Koufodontis, 21, of Palm Coast, sustained lesser injuries.
Sexual Predator With History of Exhibitionism to Minors Moves Into Palm Coast’s U-Section
Robert S. Hampton was arrested for masturbating in front of middle school children and later imprisoned for trying to lure an 11-year-old girl to his SUV, with his pants unzipped.
Evocations of Dali, Darkness and the Familiar in Art League’s Juried Photography Show
Of the exhibit’s 85 pieces, only 16 include people, and only five comprise the portrait category in the Flagler County Art League’s annual juried photography show, which opens Saturday evening.
Menopause: The Musical–and a Worthy Workshop For Men–at Flagler Auditorium
“Menopause: The Musical,” by Jeanie Linders, will be staged twice Sunday at the Flagler Auditorium, with $2 of every ticket going to the Susan Komen foundation.
Forbes Magazine Lands Alec Manfre, a 2007 Graduate of FPC, on Its 30 Under 30 List of Energy Trailblazers
Forbes chose Alec Manfre, CEO of Bractlet, for his company’s innovative ability to yield huge energy savings to massive buildings. Manfre, 26, credits his teachers at FPC for his start.
The Palm Coast Fraternal Order of Police Furthers a Lie in a Protest at Epic Theaters
The FOP’s protest was triggered by false claims that filmmaker Quentin Tarantino had called cops “murderers.” The lie didn’t stop FOP organizers from going ahead with their plans or standing by their protest even when shown Tarantino’s actual words.