Jordan Marie Rineer, a former Flagler resident who’d moved to Lancaster, Pa., was visiting family and had gone to Daytona with Tyler Dutton Monday night. She was ejected and died at the U.S. 1 scene.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
A Syrian Family Just Landed in Palm Coast Starts Life Over From “Less Than Zero”
Mania and Amir Saman and their four young children once lived like kings, but they can’t go home to Syria and have been reduced to bare survival as they rebuild a life in Palm Coast.
Flagler Auditorium Launching 24th Season With Disco-Fever Gala at Halifax Plantation Nov. 7
The disco-themed Nov. 7 gala fund-raiser takes place on the heels of a successful 2015 season that saw revenue top $600,000 and operating profit neat $100,000.
Long Creek Preserve: For Palm Coast, a Chance to Restore a Vast, Lucrative History
Beyond the Long Creek Nature Preserve, Palm Coast has an opportunity to revive the state and national importance the area of the preserve played in the plantation system of the 18th and 19th centuries, says County Attorney Al Hadeed.
AJ Fernandez, Felled by Schizophrenia, Is Celebrated With a Skateboard Competition at Wadsworth Park
24-year-old AJ Fernandez of Palm Coast, diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 2010, took his life on Aug. 26. The Nov. 8 skate competition is a memorial benefit event for the Johns Hopkins Schizophrenia Center in Baltimore.
Palm Coast Woman Charged in DUI Manslaughter Was Stopped Moments Before the Crash, and Released
Rebecca Lawless, 26, charged in the death of Diane Upton, had been stopped by a deputy shortly before at another location and allowed to leave even though she was determined to be drunk.
Rebecca Lawless, 26, Faces DUI Manslaughter Charge in Death of Diane Upton on SR100 Last Year
Lawless, a Palm Coast resident, turned herself into the Flagler jail almost a year to the day when she ran a red light and slammed into Diane Upton’s car, killing Upton and injuring two family members.
Spartan Extreme Race Re-Sets for Flagler: New Location, Same Lack of Transparency
While the Spartan race appears set at a private ranch in Flagler next March, again, serious questions of transparency and patronage are undermining tiourism chief Matt Dunn’s latest approach.
As Expected, Sheriff Jim Manfre Announces Run for Re-Election, and Draws Rivals’ Fire
Sheriff Jim Manfre is the only Democrat in a race that’s drawn six Republicans so far, including ex-sheriff Don Fleming and ex-Undersheriff Rick Staly, both of whom took Thursday’s announcement as an opportunity to discredit Manfre’s record.
Bailey Anne Cagliuso, 26, Critical After Collision in Palm Coast’s F-Section
Bailey Anne Cagliuso was cycling out of a driveway when an 18-year-old driver struck her with her car on Felshire Lane.
Voodoo Man Found Not Guilty in Machete Attack But Still Faces Murder Conspiracy Charge
Jurors found Roodlyn Mompremier not guilty in an alleged attack on his girlfriend’s brother two years ago in Palm Coast, but the two-day trial didn’t end it for him: he still faces a charge of conspiring to commit second-degree murder.
Fully-Loaded Moving Truck Overturns on State Road 100 at I-95 Exit, Driver Injured
A fully-loaded truck owned by Flagler Moving and Storage overturned on State Road 100 just after 11 a.m. today (Oct. 21), with three men on board. The driver sustained injuries to his head, shoulder and arm as the driver’s side window shattered and the truck scraped the pavement, scraping the driver with it. But he was treated at the scene and not hospitalized.
Palm Coast’s Years in Sinai End as It Moves Into Long-Sought City Hall in Town Center
Sixteen years after the city was born, Palm Coast moved into its own roomy, $9.1 million, 40,000-square-foot City Hall at Town Center this week, with a grand opening set for Nov. 3.
Belle Terre Swim Club Has Until January to Find 400 Members or Close, Absent Savior
A divided Flagler County School Board voted 3-2 for a drop-dead date, relying on current members to build their ranks while leaving out, for now, a sports academy that sought to run the facility. But board members said such talks can continue.
Detectives Seeking Public’s Help Identifying 2 Women in TJ Maxx Theft and Credit Card Fraud
Two women stole a 72-year-old Palm Coast resident’s credit card and wallet at TJ Maxx in September then used the card to buy $4,600-worth of merchandise at Target locally and Best Buy in Daytona Beach.
Flagler Beach Manager’s Short-List Gets Shorter as 3 Withdraw, Leaving Only 2
Flagler Beach is having trouble attracting candidates for its city manager’s job, with just 23 applying and most of those making the short-list deciding to take jobs elsewhere. The commission interviews Andrew DeCandis this evening.
Charter Review Proposal Finally Dies Amid Accusations of “Political Ploy” and Straw Men
Palm Coast Council member’s proposal for a charter review got no support as fellow-council member Jason DeLorenzo called the move a “political ploy” and Council member Heidi Shipley’s attempt to have the council itself lead a review also failed.
Conflict Concerns Raised Over Tourism’s Matt Dunn Moonlighting at His Own Agency
Flagler government tourism chief Matt Dunn, an $82,000-a-year employee, owns a company that offers services similar to those he provides the county, raising questions of conflicts of interest.
Crime Round-Up: Bomb Threat at Palm Coast Data, Assaulting Police in Flagler Beach, a B-Section Theft
The phoned-in bomb threat at Palm Coast Data Friday, by an angry man in Canada, was found to be non-specific and did not require facilities to be evacuated. The arrest in Flagler Beach evolved out of a confrontation at the Taco Shop downtown.
County Administrator’s and Attorney’s Contracts May Renew Through 2019 Without Discussion
Flagler County Administrator Craig Coffey’s contract renewal does not appear on this evening’s county commission agenda, and is set to renew automatically absent a decision by one of the commissioners to discuss the contract. The same standard applies to County Attorney Al Hadeed’s contract.
Palm Coast Utility Billing Switches to Paymentus
At the same time as Palm Coast’s switch to the new utility billing system, the city also established a new online application option for utility service.
Fish and Wildlife Escorts 2 Teens Out of Seminole Woods Area Over Illegal Hunting
Officers searched the woods with weapons drawn for hunters yesterday evening between Seward Trail East and Sea Breeze Trail in Palm Coast. Two teen hunters were found and issued a warning for hunting on private property.
Superintendent Apologizes Over Gender-Neutral 8th Grader Sanctioned for Wearing a Dress
Leon County School Superintendent Jackie Pons apologized to the family of an 8th grader who identifies as neither boy nor girl, but who was accused of violating the dress code for wearing a dress on Tuesday. The violation was, in fact, committed by the school principal.
Professional Pathways: Why We Should Run the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club
Professional Sports Pathways, a private sports academy that runs the Center for Excellence soccer school in Palm Coast, makes the case to run the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club.
Unemployment Falls to 6% in Flagler and to Lowest Level in 7 Years in Florida
The unemployment rolls shrank by some 150 people in Flagler, bringing the total number of people out of work to 2,569. The labor force grew by about 150, but it remains lower than it was a year ago.
Palm Coast Warily Explores Buying $1 Million Yacht Club for Nature and Senior Center
Buying the Palm Coast Yacht Club would help the city avoid building a required nature center near Long Creek Preserve, but council members are skeptical about creating what would amount to a second community center so close to the first.
Palm Coast Readies to Give Its City Attorneys a 15% Raise as Councilman Objects to Method
The contract will bring Palm Coast’s legal costs to close to half a million dollars a year. Councilman Steven Nobile objected to the the absence of some accountability process before ratifying the new contract amendment, but had no support from fellow-council members.
Palm Coast Joins Local Governments in Opposition to Utilities’ Proposed Cost-Shifting
Upending a century-long arrangement, utilities want local governments to pay for moving utility lines in public construction projects even though the lines use public right of ways at no cost to utilities.
1-Acre Brush Fire Off SR 100 Mobilizes Division of Forestry and Flagler Fire Flight
A 1-acre brush fire broke out just after 4 this afternoon in an area difficult to reach for firefighters, just south of the Winn Dixie shopping center on State Road 100, and some 75 feet eastt of I-95.
Child’s Death at Bus Stop Prompts Creation of Joint School-City Safety Committee
Palm Coast City Council member Andy Dance and School Board member Andy Dance formed the joint committee with administrators from both agencies to explore safety improvements at bus stops.
Soccer Academy Takes the Pitch in Stepped-Up Bid for Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club
Pro-Pathways Center of Excellence, a private Palm Coast academy that mixes soccer and academics, wants to run the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club, having outgrown its facility in the Palm Harbor shopping zone.
Palm Coast Man Accused of Stabbing, Strangling and Throwing His Daughter
In the latest in a series of alleged incidents, Charles Scott, 64, a resident of Roxton Lane in Palm Coast, is accused of strangling his daughter for having him take his grandchild to school the previous day, and stabbing her four times the previous week.
No Other Choice and Nothing to Lose, Flagler Beach Opts to Negotiate With Lone Golf Bid
Flagler Beach government will negotiate with Flagler Golf Management LLC to run the old Ocean Palm Golf Club, but a majority of commissioners have serious concerns and unanswered questions about the company.
Targeted Attack on Sea Ray Boats Results In Damage to 50 Employees’ Vehicle Tires
One or more individuals blanketed a section of Sea Ray Drive with roofing nails early the morning of Oct. 6, damaging tires on 50 Sea Ray Boats employees’ vehicles.
Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Accredited For Third Time
The Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation awarded the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office its third re-accreditation since receiving initial accreditation in February 2005.
Evocations of Aliens, Yeats and Yin at Flagler Art League’s Saturday Evening With Artists
The wealth of work at Flagler County Art League’s signature annual judged show, opening Saturday evening with a free reception, makes it difficult for artist-sculptor Harry Messersmith to choose winners.
11 Bands for 11th Creekside Festival at Princess Place This Weekend
The Creekside Festival is an annual tradition that celebrates the natural beauty of Northeast Florida with live bluegrass music, a delicious variety of food, arts and craft vendors, historic re-enactors, family friendly activities, and of course every politician running for office this side of the Suwanee River.
County Administrator Is “Chastised” Over Cryptic Handling of Question in Open Forum
Flagler County Commissioner Barbara Revels said she felt treated like “a bad girl” speaking out of turn when this week when Administrator Coffey would not openly address a question she raised about legislative priorities. Coffey later explained he’d mishandled the matter.
A Ben Carson Reading Room at Old Kings Elementary: What’s the School Board Smoking?
The school board this week approved a privately funded $15,000 Ben Carson Reading Room for Old Kings Elementary, dismissing Carson’s political candidacy as a non-issue and ignoring his Islamophobia. It’s a serious mistake.
A Year Later, a Memorial to Deputy Delarosby Flickers Steps From Where He Took His Life
A few dozen people gathered at Heroes Park Tuesday evening to mark the one-year anniversary of Deputy Joe Delarosby’s suicide there, recalling memories, saying prayers and singing Amazing Grace.
Kymora Christian, 7, Killed After Being Struck By Vehicle at White Star Drive Bus Stop
Kymora Christian, a 7-year-old student at Wadsworth Elementary in Palm Coast, was killed after being struck by a vehicle in front of 2 White Star Drive, a corner lot that fronts on Whippoorhill Drive in Palm Coast this morning at 8:14 a.m.
Owners of Dog the County Declared Dangerous for Attacking Child Appeal to County Court
A rare and controversial case involving a dangerous-dog declaration after the dog bit an 8-year-old child enters a new phase, starting with a request from the dog owners that county court determine how the appeal is to proceed.
Armed Robbery at Flagler Beach Publix: Police Seeking Help Looking For Middle-Age Suspect
The middle-aged white man staked the Publix store briefly then showed what appeared to be a semi-automatic handgun to a cashier and got away with a bundle of cash in a bag at lunchtime Monday.
Belle Terre Swim Club Pulled From Brink as School Board Turns to Community Group
In a remarkable turn-around for club supporters, the Flagler school board agreed to extend the life of the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club by turning over membership responsibilities to a community group and shortening hours of operation.
A Man, His 2 Sons and Their Dog Are Caught In Cop Chase of Felon, Fugitive and Stolen Car
Frederick President and his two sons weren’t aware that they’d hitched a ride with a felon and a fugitive in a stolen car until a dangerous chase stopped them on I-95 in Palm Coast–and President was handcuffed in front of his children.
3 Flagler Emergency Operations Specialists In South Carolina as Part of Incident Team
It is the first time since the 2011 wildfires in Flagler that the Northeast Florida Incident Management Team was activated, this time with three members from Flagler County: Flagler County Fire Rescue Operations Chief Mike Bazanos, Captain Richard Bennett, and Laura Nelson, a Mitigation Planner at Flagler County Emergency Management.
At Pink Army Flag-Raising, a Shaved Head Attests to Cancer’s Ravages, and Hopes
The breast-cancer awareness flag-raising marks the beginning of a series of fund-raising events in Flagler and Palm Coast. It featured Commissioner Frank Meeker, barely out of his own battle through chemotherapy and colon cancer.
In Plantation Bay, 1,600 Customers Are Stuck Between Cruddy Water and Cruddier Bills
As Flagler government fully acquires the Plantation bay utility from Bunnell, residents have seen water bills more than double, and may see further rate increases yet if the shoddy water plant is to be improved.
5-Vehicle Wreck on I-95 Just South of Weigh Station Sends at Least 5 to Hospital
A five-vehicle wreck under heavy rain early this morning shut down the northbound lanes of I-95 just south of the Palm Coast weigh station and sent at least five people to a local hospital, none with life-threatening injuries.
Standoff With Armed, Ex-Flagler Beach Cop at Heroes Park in Palm Coast Ends Peacefully
Flagler County Sheriff’s units converged on Heroes Park in Palm Coast just before 8:30 p.m. after a report of shots fired there, and have since been in a standoff with an armed man there.