A local pastor complained to the school board that yoga and meditation in a wellness program at three Flagler County schools is a violation of the separation of church and state. The pastor largely misunderstands the $30,000 program, a grant through State Farm Insurance.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
Next School Year’s Calendar Will Start on Aug. 10 and Restore Full Thanksgiving Week Off
Flagler schools’ 2016-17 calendar will start at its earliest date in recent memory, a full month before Labor Day, and end the day before Memorial Day.
Little League Discovers Palm Coast Rules: Money-Making Tournaments Come First
Palm Coast Little League organizers say the way the city is booting them off Indian Trails Sports Complex fields for a for-profit tournament is a violation of a contractual agreement that defines how the city may go about doing so. City Manager Jim Landon disagrees.
Man Accused of Shooting at Second Chance Rescue Attempts Suicide With a Handgun
Three days after his arrest on an aggravated assault charge for shooting to his neighbor’s property, David Gilmore apparently tried to shoot himself with a .22-caliber gun in his yard.
Flagler’s Sensitive Land Acquisition Panel Cool to 116-Acre Pitch Along Lake Disston
John A. Kern is proposing to sell the 116 acres along Lake Disston for $2.8 million (14 times the assessed value), but without an additional 20 acres the the Flagler county committee wants in the deal if it’s to keep pursuing the proposal.
17-Year-Old Tackles Would-Be Burglar in Palm Coast’s P Section; Suspect Flees
Joshua J. Ortiz, 17, was home alone at 89 Pheasant Drive Sunday evening when he realized his house was being burglarized. He tackled him and was cut on the arm by a knife before the alleged assailant fled.
From Brownfield to Community Vegetable Garden, a Coalition Seeds Fresher Health
A $34,000 brownfields grant and the collaboration of numerous schools, agencies and businesses transformed an old propane farm in South Bunnell into a community vegetable garden that will help feed hundreds.
4-Year-Old Critical After Being Slammed to The Ground; Palm Coast Man, 22, Arrested
Christopher Craig Williams, of Palm Coast’s E-Section, was angry with the child and allegedly, picked him up above his head by his arms and slammed him to the carpeted concrete floor, causing severe head injuries, bleeding and seizures.
Special Treatment for Firefighters With Cancer? Florida Among Few States That Say No
Florida lawmakers have introduced bills that would make Florida the 34th state to offer special protection to firefighters, but the measure faces obstacles in large part because of local governments’ opposition.
Look Closer: Student Art Upstages Grown-Ups in Pair of Flagler County Art League Shows
Startling juxtapositions abound in “Look Close” and the “High School Student Art Exhibit,” two shows that open Saturday December 12 at the Flagler County Art League in Palm Coast.
Sheriff Dispels Rumors of ISIS Targeting Palm Coast as FDLE Re-Launches See-Say Campaign
The “If you See Something, Say Something” campaign–prompted by renewed but discredited rumors of Palm Coast being in ISIS’ crosshairs–is not, however, license for harassment, bias or vigilantism.
“I’m Against It,” Sheriff Manfre Says of Open-Carry as Bill Picks Up Momentum
Opponents of open-carry, including a number of Florida sheriffs, Flagler County’s Jim Manfre among them, warn that people who openly display guns could get hurt as a result, either by criminals or law enforcement.
Santa Claus Meets His Match: “A Mark Twain Christmas” at City Repertory Theatre
Like the other one-man Twain shows Robert Gill has created, “A Mark Twain Christmas” is composed of about 75 percent of the author’s monologues and writings recited verbatim, and about 25 percent is Gill‘s creation.
To Elude Cops, Woman Jumps Into Intracoastal With Crack, Pills and $2,000 Cash in Tow
Nichole Headley, 25, a Palm Coast probationer, swam across the Intracoastal to evade cops but was caught after an alleged burglary, and was found with the cash and drugs on her.
It’s Finally Safe to Drink the Water in Bunnell as City Marks Opening of $4.8 Million Plant
Bunnell city government on Wednesday commemorated the opening of a water plant that ends a difficult and expensive journey for the city, from deficits and dirty water to clean water.
Municipal Elections for 3 Flagler Cities To Be Held on Presidential Primary Day, March 15
The municipal elections for Bunnell, Flagler Beach and Beverly Beach will be held in conjunction with the county-wide Presidential Preference Primary election scheduled for March 15 to save money and encourage more turnout.
Six People Hospitalized, Including 6-Year-Old Girl, After 3-Car Wreck on SR100 and Colbert
Seven people were injured, among them a 6-year-old girl, and six of them taken to Florida Hospital Flagler following a three-car wreck at the intersection of State Road 100 and Colbert Lane in Flagler Beach just before 7 p.m. this evening.
Belle Terre Swim Club Gets a $25,000 Annual County Lifeline and Nears Membership Goal
County government’s annual contribution will make it more difficult for the school board to close the troubled Swim and Racquet Club, as will an advisory group’s campaign that has netted some 250 new memberships, or just 150 short of the goal the board set for January.
Shooting Beer Cans or Threatening Neighbors at Second Chance Rescue? A Man Is Arrested
David R. Gilmore was arrested on aggravated assault charges after Second Chance Rescue’s Debbie Root accused him of pointing his shotgun at a 16-year-old girl on her property.
Take-Out, Groceries, Pills, Booze? Palm Coast Delivery Factory Will Get It To You
Palm Coast Delivery Factory, the new service that just launched in town, will deliver just about anything to customers by way of a phone call or–as its young owner-entrepreneurs prefer, by text.
Sheriff’s Lost Computer Files Are Recovered, But County Faces a $1.1 Million IT Fix
Some $600,000 was budgeted ahead of the October crash. But $500,000 was not. The county commission will have to find that money. And that’s just for this year as the county and sheriff catch up on neglected information infrastructure.
One Arrested, Another Surrenders in Mondex Shooting Involving Assault Weapons
Dakotah W. Clarke, 19, was arrested, Spencer Sarmento, 23, who reportedly fired 10 to 15 rounds at a Mitsubishi, is still being sought. Both face aggravated assault charges, and possibly additional charges. Both have previous jail records.
Two Rymfire Elementary Students Hurt as Car Backs Into Them in Parking Lot
Two Rymfire Elementary School students were slightly injured this morning when a car backed into them in the parking lot of Ralph Carter Park, next to the elementary school.
Deputies Looking for Man Who Shot Up a Car With an AK-47 in the Mondex in a Dispute
No one was hurt. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has been searching for the man since, though it has not been an active pursuit, and it was awaiting a search warrant to enter the man’s house Monday evening.
Ex-Clerk Dan Davis Is Appointed City Manager in Bunnell in 3-2 Vote, Ending Swift Course
The Bunnell city commission took less than a month from the time Larry Williams announced his resignation, looking internally and choosing from three candidates. Davis had been the deputy clerk after a much-publicized angry resignation two and a half years ago.
County’s Coffey Calls Some of Palm Coast’s EMS Claims “Garbage” In Broad Rebuke
Responding to Palm Coast’s claim two weeks ago that EMS service can be more efficient and responsive, County Administrator Craig Coffey today rejected the city’s analysis, saying it would end up costing taxpayers a lot more.
County Approves $25,000 Public Subsidy for Spartan Race on Private Land Next Year
The county commission with little discussion unanimously approved the taxpayer subsidy for the once-controversial race, which will take place at the Cracker Ranch in November 2016.
Transgenders in Flagler Schools: District Takes It Case By Case as State Scrutinizes More Than Nurtures
The state and, to some extent, Flagler County, have a long way to go to ensure that transgender students are treated not only fairly and equitably, but that the environment they face is more respectful than questioning, more welcoming than inhibiting.
At Salvo Art Project, Lofty Growth and New Engagements at Year One in Lush Digs
While they’ve accelerated the business side of their artistic pursuits, co-owners JJ Graham and Petra Iston still have time to paint and create and channel their muses at Salvo Art Project, which just celebrated its first-year anniversary.
Ericksen Will Run for Commission Re-Election After All; Medley Files for Elections Supervisor
Charlie Ericksen, the first-term Flagler County commissioner, said his health issues are behind him, though the announcement was a surprise to Jason DeLorenzo, who is considering a run for that seat.
Stillbirth: FPC Art Student May Show His Class Work at a Gallery, But Not At His Own School
A provocative painting by Patrick Conklin, a senior at FPC, was banned from display at his school but allowed at an art gallery, triggering a broad discussion on the lines between expression, censorship, fear and propriety.
Bottom Line Cost of Demolishing and Paying Off School Board’s Old ITT Property: $1.27 Million
The district bought the building in 2002 for $3.5 million. It will spend $200,000 to demolish it, $770,000 to pay off the mortgage, and $300,000 to renovate another location that will accommodate operations currently at the Corporate One property.
Ex-Commissioner Pat McGuire, on Sex-Offender Probation, Granted Permission for Vegas Birthday Trip
Pat McGuire, a Flagler County commissioner between 2001 and 2004, served 52 months of a 60-month sentence for molesting two adopted daughter repeatedly when they were in elementary and middle school.
Bizarre Bunnell: Manager, Not Commission, Conducts Interviews of Davis, Gurnee and Tiblier
Candidates Dan Davis, Stella Gurnee and Ferdinand Tiblier were interviewed by Manager Larry Williams in a bizarre turn that did not involve Bunnell city commissioners.
Bellicose County Commission Candidate Mark Richter Withdraws as O’Brien Announces
Mark Richter, who’d narrowly lost a primary against Nate McLaughlin two years ago as he frequently courted controversy, said he would soon be leaving the county as he withdrew from what would have been a race against Charlie Ericksen.
A Menagerie of Music and Art Returns Top Flagler Youth Orchestra to Salvo Project Friday
The Youth Orchestra’s top performing ensemble will play numerous pieces at a fund-raiser for the orchestra and Salvo Art Project Friday evening, ahead of FYO’s first major concert of the year at the Flagler Auditorium on Dec. 9.
In 5th Incident Since September, Car Strikes a Student Biking Home From School
As in three previous incidents involving vehicles against students on their bike, the driver was at fault, while the student, an 8th grader at Indian Trails Middle, was following the rules of the road.
Kevin Clayton’s Death in Friday’s
West Flagler Fire Is Ruled a Suicide
A medical examiner’s autopsy confirmed that Kevin Clayton’s death in a Nov. 28 fire at 40 Kentucky Avenue in western Flagler County was a suicide. No foul play is suspected.
Elections Commission Tosses 3 More Claims Against Flagler Officials as County Fires Back
The Florida Elections Commission voted to dismiss three elections complaints against Flagler Commissioners Frank Meeker and Nate McLaughlin as the county administration filed another petition to seek attorneys’ fees in related complaints.
Trump Campaign Bus Rolls Into Palm Coast, Transformed as Donald Anti-Matter
The Donald Trump campaign bus used in Iowa for several months was on its way to Miami art fair, bought and transformed by artists into a mobile protest of the GOP contender’s views on women, Mexicans and facts.
Man Charged With Aggravated Assault in Confrontation With Ex-City Commissioner
Ex-Bunnell City Commissioner Jimmy Flynt intervened to stop a brewing fight and cursing in front of First United Methodist Church, which led Joshua Meyers, 26, to allegedly threaten him with a knife.
Bunnell City Manager’s Job Draws 3 Internal Applicants; Interviews Set Wednesday
Deputy City Clerk Dan Davis, Finance Director Stella Gurnee, and City Engineer Ferdinand Tiblier will be interviewed in an open meeting Wednesday evening, when the Bunnell City Commission could make a decision on its next manager.
Palm Coast’s Timothy Miller, 45, Critical After Early-Morning Crash on State Road A1A
Timothy Miller, a 45-year-old resident of Palm Coast, is in critical condition after a single-car wreck on State Road A1A early this morning (Nov. 28), a short distance from his home.
Man Found Dead and Bloodied Outside Drain Street House: Police Investigating Homicide
John Robert Stubbs, a 46-year-old resident of Hymon Circle in Bunnell, was found dead outside a house in Bunnell this morning, soaked in blood. City Manager Larry Williams described it as “what appears to be a homicide.”
Ex-Deputy Ruddell, Who Filed Wage Suit Against Manfre, Arrested in 3-County Pursuit
Daniel Ruddell, an ex-deputy who in February won a wage dispute with Flagler County Sheriff Jim Manfre, was arrested in St. Johns County Thursday night after an alleged robbery in Daytona Beach and a pursuit through Volusia and Flagler counties that ended in a wreck on I-95.
Alan Thicke Giftwraps Kenny Rogers’ Toy Shoppe Musical at Flagler Auditorium Sunday
Thicke, the Canadian-born actor, TV theme song composer and talk show host known for his role as the dad on the sitcom “Growing Pains,” is starring in the touring musical about a toy shop threatened with closure.
Felony Charges for 20-Year-Old Palm Coast Man for Throwing Eggs and Potato at Cops
Anthony Fennick, 20, faces four felony counts of aggravated assault on law enforcement officers, among other charges, after he was arrested during an investigation of a suspicious incident on Richardson Drive.
Shirley Chisholm, “Part of the Heritage of Palm Coast,” Receives Presidential Medal of Freedom
Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman to run for president, retired to Palm Coast in 1991. She received the posthumous medal from President Obama today as an awareness campaign about her life and impact on Palm Coast grows locally.
Palm Coast Ties Emergency Communications System to Recent Crash–Falsely, County Says
City Manager Jim Landon says he’s concerned about maintenance of the countywide 800 mhz communications system, suggesting it could crash as parts of the sheriff’s computer system recently did–an inaccurate suggestion that deflects from other problems, the county retorts.
DUI Arrest Turns Into Violent Confrontation With Cops and Paramedics
Elisabeth Akers of Palm Coast faces two felony and two misdemeanor charges after allegedly spitting on paramedics and resisting arrest with violence in the Seminole Woods area.