Matthew Degraw has three arrests in the last 15 months in Flagler County, all for battery or domestic violence. On Wednesday, Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies had to establish a perimeter around his house at 22 Filbert Lane in Palm Coast in a brief stand-off as he refused to come out, and was known to have weapons in his possession inside.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
As Committee Tours Old Courthouse, Size and Financial Viability Loom Larger Than Repairs
Wednesday’s tour was the first time most committee members had a chance to see the building from within. The Flagler County Commission earlier this month appointed the seven-member committee to recommend what to do with the 50,000-square-foot courthouse, as the county is no longer willing to be its caretaker.
From Houligan’s to the Portuguese-American Club, the World Cup Inflames Palm Coast
FlaglerLive’s Ezra Salkin braved the brawn and brash of Palm Coast’s emerging soccer–sorry, football–culture and reports on his close encounters with fandom in two of the city’s most football-fevered spots.
Flagler Beach Fire Department’s Case For a New $600,000 Truck Draws Key Support
A town hall meeting designed to give the fire department its say drew no ire or passions but rather some critical questions and some support for the proposed buy.
At Flagler Drug Court Graduation, Gratefulness Humbled By Clean Living’s Demands
Graduating in a ceremony at the Flagler County Courthouse Friday, drug court participants–most had suffered of prescription-drug abuse–spoke of lives changed by the demanding program, which keeps two-thirds of participants from re-offending.
Palm Coast Council Has No Objection to 10% Rent Increase at City Marketplace Offices
The two sides this week have worked out a lease agreement that would raise Palm Coast’s rent by $2,000 a month, to $22,000, but also reduce Palm Coast’s space modestly, by 1,278 square feet, from a total of 22,200 square feet currently. The agreement will keep Palm Coast from having to look for new digs before its City Hall is ready next fall.
Novices Flood Local Elections as 21 Candidates Qualify for Palm Coast, County and Schools
Unlike previous cycles, not a single seat is going uncontested. That means no incumbent is getting an easy path to re-election. But virtually every challenger is a newcomer to politics.
Palm Coast Man Jailed on Charges of Marital Rape and Aggravated Assault
Peter Jamwant of Birchwood Drive in Palm Coast was booked at the Flagler County jail on a county of sex battery, or rape, aggravated assault and battery after allegedly victimizing his 56-year-old wife in the middle of February, according to his arrest report. Bond was set at $315,000. Jamwant posted bail.
Don’t Buy The Flagler Beach Fire Department’s Deceptions: City Doesn’t Need New Aerial Fire Truck
The Flagler Beach Fire Department is veiling its unwise request for a new $600,000 fire truck under the guise of “fire safety equipment,” a deception–and a purchase, with money the city cannot afford–residents should reject, argues Rick Blehumeur.
Hollingsworth Gallery Will Leave City Marketplace for Nature Scapes, Closing Curtain on Vibrant Arts and Theater Era
Hollingsworth Gallery and Nature Scapes in Bunnell are near a deal on the gallery taking over a 6,0000-square-foot building to develop new arts programs and a full arts community there, but leaving City Marketplace leaves City Repertory Theatre without a home, and a fourth season beginning in September.
As Residents Earn Recycling Rewards, Palm Coast Explains Bin-Scanning System
Residents who sign up for the Rewards Program earn special coupon offers on a regular basis and also qualify for larger prizes, with greater rewards given for higher recycling participation. Many local businesses offer discounts, also providing them an opportunity to promote their businesses with no participation cost.
Flagler Unemployment Ticks Up to 8.6% as Labor Force Surges By 2% And Jobs Increase
Flagler’s unemployment rate in May ticked up slightly to 8.6 percent, from 8.3, but the increase was largely due to a large influx of workers into the labor force, which grew by 727 people over the month, or 2 percent, to 36,068. Flagler County residents with jobs increased by 550, a 1.7 percent improvement over the previous month, for a total of 32,952 people with jobs.
City Markeplace Landlord Stuns Sheriff’s Palm Coast Precinct With 212% Fee Increase
While increasing rent a modest 3%, John C. Bills Properties told the Sheriff’s Office this month that its CAM fee would increase from $420 a month to $1,313 a month, and that the fee would be retroactive to January, adding another $5,400 charge, which a sheriff’s attorney finds inappropriate.
Bunnell Planning Board Approves Ordinance Targeting Bible Half-Way House For Addicts
The Bunnell board’s unanimous decision, if ratified by the Bunnell City Commission, would likely prevent the half-way house from opening its doors, but the city and the targeted ministry are locked in a federal legal battle which the proposed ordinance could exacerbate.
Sex Offender Arrested For Exposure as Waterfront Park Picks Up Where Graham Swamp Left Off
Ashley Levern Mitchell, 49, of 12 Bridgehaven Drive in Palm Coast, a registered sex offender from exposing himself to a teen 12 years ago, was arrested at Waterfront Park for allegedly repeatedly exposing himself to a biker at various spots in the park.
Art League Treads Where It’s Not Dared Before, “Through the Eyes of a Child”
The Flagler County Art League opened its first ever “Through the Eyes of a Child” themed show in an attempt to broaden its appeal to artists and patrons while veering away from safer, recurring shows.
Flagler Sheriff Warns of Persistent IRS Phone Scam
Immigrants are frequently targeted. Potential victims are threatened with deportation, arrest, having their utilities shut off, or having their driver’s licenses revoked. Callers are frequently insulting or hostile – apparently to scare their potential victims.
Palm Coast On Red-Light Camera
Ticket Refunds: Don’t Hold Your Breath
While the Palm Coast City Council took no responsibility for instituting a red-light camera program the Supreme Court declared illegal, the city attorney laid out arguments that could keep the city from reimbursing $1.2 million in illegally levied fines before July 2010. But the city is taking a wait-and-see attitude.
Armed With Assault Rifle, Palm Coast Man Jailed After Threatening to Kill an Ex and Her Boyfriend
Andrew Dandurand of Palm Coast is being held on $500,000 bond after his arrest Sunday after he eluded cops on U.S. 1 in St, Johns County. A loaded assault rifle was in his pick-up truck. He’d threatened to kill an ex-gilfriend, her boyfriend and himself.
County Taxes To Increase Some in a $68.6M Budget That Sheds Austerity for Investment
Flagler County’s 2014-15 budget, led by a $600,000 increase in the sheriff’s costs, is a reflection of a more relaxed, less financially pressured budget season, and a willingness among commissioners to replace years of austerity with increased investment in the government infrastructure.
GoToby: Palm Coast’s Microtel in Foreclosure Sale
As a result of a Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered on June 5, 2014, Microtel Inns and Suites on Old Kings Road will be sold July 21.
Another Pit Bull Blamed in Mondex Attack, This Time on a 1-Year-Old Girl
A pit bull mix is blamed in an attack on a 1-year-old Bunnell girl who ended up with deep bite punctures and gashes on her face Thursday as she played in her front yard Thursday.
In a Stinging Defeat for Palm Coast Government, Supreme Court Rules Pre-2010 Red-Light Cameras Illegal
Palm Coast is on the hook for $1.19 million in fines it illegally imposed on drivers between 2007 and 2010, when it ran 10 red-light cameras outside state law. The Florida Supreme Court ruled 5-2 today that such schemes were not permissible. Palm Coast was sued but refused to settle, as did American Traffic Solutions, its contractor. So the city may now have to pay up.
Staving Off a Major Blow, Palm Coast Data Settles With German Publisher, Extending Relationship
Heinrich Bauer LLC, one Palm Coast Data’s major clients, released some claims on the company in exchange for more than 10 percent of the company’s stock and a pledge to stay with Palm Coast Data through 2018. The alternative would have represented a significant blow to Palm Coast Data, which has already been weakened by successive losses over the years.
Rescued from Surf in Flagler Beach and Revived, Sylvio Thibodeau, 88, Dies at Hospital
Sylvio Thibodeau, for two decades a resident of Palm Coast, was an avid swimmer and biker. On June 5 he was at the beach with his daughter when he swam too far and disappeared from view, was brought back to shore by a lifeguard and given CPR, but died later at Florida Hospital Flagler.
Palm Coast Council Looks to Regulate Potential Medical Pot, But in a Cloud of Misinformation
Saying he wants to be “pro-active,” Palm Coast Mayor Jon Netts wants to explore regulations of potential medical pot dispensaries, should medical marijuana be legalized by Amendment 2, similar to those Palm Coast imposed on pill mills and intenet cafes. But those regulations will be primarily in the Department of Health’s hands, possibly pre-empting cities from such regulatory powers.
Flagler Sheriff’s Office Calling For Volunteers to Beef Up Its Citizens Observer Patrol (COP)
Flagler County Sheriff Jim Manfre is looking to expand the Citizens Observer Patrol, known as COP, to increase its corps of 52 volunteers. The Sheriff’s Office is also looking for donations of boats to improve its marine patrol division.
Flagler Beach Fire Department Makes Pitch For $600,000 Fire Truck, Igniting Questions
City Commission Chairman Kim Carney has predicted last year that the fire department would soon be asking for a new fire truck, and is raising questions about its proposed financing, including taking more than $300,000 from the city’s infrastructure fund.
Accused Drunkard Driving Wrong Way on S.R. 100 Strikes Cruiser, Injures Deputy, and Flees
Frederick Sell, an 83-year-old resident of 70 Town Court in Palm, Coast, was jailed over the weekend on charges of driving drunk and leaving the scene of an accident with property damage after driving the wrong way on State Road 100 and crashing his car into Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy George Hristakopoulos’s cruiser.
Flagler Students Post Wide Gains in State Rankings in FCAT Reading, Math and Science
Overall, Flagler students improved their rankings in Florida in 12 categories while dropping back in seven, providing many bright spots but also a few worrisome ones.
Stand-Up Comedian Skyler Wahl, Pianist Kayla Byrne and Singer Angel Brown Are Flagler Entertainers of the Year
The 2014 Spotlight started out with just over 50 acts auditioning in early May for a spot in this year’s show. When all was said and done, 27 act made the cut, and each one prepared for the chance to being named a Flagler County Youth Entertainer of the year.
Flagler Economic Development Department’s Job Fair Draws 400 Applicants and 36 Employers
Job seekers filled the parking lot and stood in a line that spilled out into the hallway of the Flagler County Emergency Operations Center Thursday as company representatives were busy at tables speaking with potential employees and accepting resumes.
Dewey B. Thompson Is Killed in a Single-Car Wreck Behind Public Library in Bunnell
Dewey Bernard Thompson, a 49-year-old resident of Bunnell, was killed early Thursday morning when he passed out at the wheel of his car, sending it crashing in the parking lot of the Bunnell branch of the Flagler County Public Library.
Bunnell and Christian Ministry Locked in Federal Battle Over a Recovery Home for Addicts
Bunnell city government passed an ordinance to prevent Open Door Ministry from opening an addicts-recovery center at the south end of town. The ministry sued in federal court, citing discrimination.
“God Will Forgive, Not Me”: Slippery Offender Charged With $10,000 Murder-For-Hire Plot Against Girlfriend’s Brother–From Jail
Palm Coast’s Roodlyn Mompremier, who’s beaten a series of violent felony charges against him through the years in Flagler, including an attempted murder charge, is now accused of plotting–from the jail–to have his girlfriend’s brother killed for $10,000.
Janet Valentine Headlines 44 Retirements From Flagler Schools as Oliva Era Begins in Earnest
Former Superintendent Janet Valentine mad a rare appearance at a board event since suffering a stroke before Thanksgiving as the district celebrated its retirees. Later, the School Board approved Oliva’s contract, valued–between salary and compensation–at $173,000.
Daytona State College Prof. Nabeel Yousef Earns Fulbright Scholarship and Heads for Jordan
Dr. Nabeel Yousef, an associate professor in Daytona State College’s School of Engineering Technology, has been selected for a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship to Jordan this fall.
For $600,000, Bunnell Buys Former Heritage Charter School Campus For Its New City Hall
The decision was the result of ma 3-1 vote at a special meeting. Bunnell projects spending an additional $300,000 to prepare the three-building campus for its permanent offices, including the police department, all of which have been spread through three locations around Bunnell for the past five years.
No Castle Doctrine: A Homeowner Is Arrested in F Section For Refusing to Let In Cops to Serve a Warrant
Susan Jones, for more than seven years a home owner on Palm Coast’s Ferdinand Lane, was arrested when she attempted to refuse entry to deputies who wanted to serve an arrest warrant on another woman staying in Jones’s house.
With Revels Chairing, County Puts Its Imprint on Committee to Study Fate of Old Courthouse
The seven-member committee will to the commission recommend whether to sell, demolish or redevelop for local businesses the old county courthouse again saddling county taxpayers, after Bunnell rejected its ownership in April and the county angrily took it back in May.
Wings Over Flagler-Rockin the Runways Raises $16,000 in Scholarships and Eyes New Heights
Wings Over Flagler-Rockin the Runways, held the last week of April at the Flagler County Airport, had been organized in just 60 edays in a rapid partnership between county government, WNZF, and Bill Mills of TBD Partners, Mills Aviation Charities and Blue Sky Yakrobatics.
Six Are Killed in Related Crashes on I-95 as Palm Coast Wreck’s Back-up Triggers Fiery Pile-Up at County Line 12 Miles North
The wreck in Palm Coast killed 17-year-old Michael Benjamin Chance Smith, 17, of Jacksonville, and Pamela Taylor Thor, 56, of St. Augustine, and triggered a wreck 12 miles north, when a truck plowed into backed-up traffic, killing four more.
This Time Palm Coast Shows Up in Court, But Source of Red-Light Camera Hitch Unresolved
Hundreds of red-light camera tickets issued by ATS, the private company running Palm Coast’s red-light camera system, end up undelivered, triggering court-issued citations and, often, suspended licenses, even though it’s neither the driver’s nor the city of Palm Coast’s fault–but rather ATS’s inability or unwillingness to better follow through on undelivered mail.
18-Year-Old Woman Reports Being Shot With BB Pellet Near Holland Park
A doctor at Prompt Care confirmed that a bb pellet had lodged itself in the left chin of an 18-year-old woman, who said she’d seen a young male with a bb gun just before realizing she’d been shot Thursday afternoon.
Flagler County Adds a 7th Ambulance Unit But Reduces Staffing on Some Fire Engines, Triggering Concerns
Staring May 20, Flagler County Fire Rescue reduced fire engine staffing from three firefighters to two at two of the county’s three fire stations to make possible the addition of a seventh ambulance unit, reducing response time or the need for aide from neighboring counties. But the shift has triggered opposition from the firefighters’ union, on safety grounds, and fears among residents.
Sheriff’s Memorial Day Weekend Enforcement Nets 295 Stops, 50 Citations and 17 Arrests
The marine unit completed 19 stops on the Intracoastal Waterway, issued one ordinance violation to juveniles who were jumping off the Hammock Bridge and retrieved a jet ski which was adrift in the water.
Florida Hospital Flagler Donates First Aid Supplies to Flagler Beach Lifeguards
Florida Hospital Flagler has donated an array of medical supplies to the City of Flagler Beach’s Ocean Rescue Services. Items donated include gloves, face masks, ammonia, alcohol pads, gauze, biohazard containment materials, and more.
Tri-County Drug Sweep Nets 57 Arrests, 20 in Flagler, But Many Back On the Streets Swiftly
Dubbed “Operation Safe Summer,” the three-county drug sweep was conducted to reduce the amount of drugs available as summer break approaches, officials said, but by late afternoon several of those arrested were already back on the streets, and many more would likely follow.
Flagler Gun & Archery Club Raises $3,150 for American Cancer Society
The Flagler Gun & Archery Club’s Cancer in the Crosshairs fundraiser on May 4th raised $3,150 for cancer research in the name of Marlene Germain, who died in December of pancreatic cancer, the club announced.
Don’t Mind a Gap This Year: Flagler County’s Budget Prospects Brighten With Talk of Tax Cut
Countywide property values are expected to rise 5 percent this year and bring in an additional $2.3 million at today’s tax rates, reducing pressures on the budget and allowing the county commission to consider tax cuts and the expansion of services, including the addition of three firefighters.