Within 24 hours of being named Acting Fire Chief of the very troubled Flagler Beach Fire Department, Robbie Creal said he declined the post because of health, while City Manager Bruce Campbell said he’ll himself assume all administrative duties at the department, and have three firefighters–David Kennedy Stephen Cox and Dustin Snyder–be shift commanders.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
Palm Coast’s Ivor Roberts, 61, Critically Injured in Bike Collision With Jeep on A1A
Ivor Roberts, 61, of Palm Coast, was on his motorcycle, traveling south on State Road A1A near Washington Gardens State Park Saturday afternoon when John Chamberlin, 37, of Palm Coast cut him off with his SUV, leaving Roberts in critical condition.
Acting Flagler Beach Fire Chief’s Past Drug Issues Aside, Questions Arise Over Certification
City Manager Bruce Campbell and Commission Chairman Steve Settle say they were not aware of Acting Fire Chief Robbie Creal’s past marijuana use or the investigation that led to his resignation and retirement in 2002, and Campbell said he had not verified whether Creal has the certification to be an active fireman at fire scenes, in line with state law requirements that kicked in July 1.
Most Flagler Schools’ Grades Drop, Following State Trend, As Tougher Standards Kick In
In Flagler County, not a single school saw its grade improve and five fell back a grade, though two maintained their A rating: Indian Trails Middle School and Belle Terre Elementary. Grades would have been worse had the state Board of Education not agreed to artificially prop them up, limiting grade drops to a maximum of one letter grade.
Appraisals for Old Hospital Place Value at $1.5 Million as County Moves Toward Acquisition
The county wants to buy the old hospital in Bunnell for $1.23 million and use it as an HQ for the sheriff. Two independent appraisers have placed the market value of the old 81-bed hospital at $1.5 million, and an engineering firm that surveyed the hulking 60,000 square-foot property found no overt issues with the building aside from asbestos. A private consortium bought the building for $750,000 in 2003.
State Attorney Files Obstruction Charge Against Robert Pace, Flagler Beach’s Acting Fire Chief
The State Attorney’s Office has filed an obstruction of justice charge against Bobby Pace, the acting fire chief in Flagler Beach, following an investigation into charges that Pace falsified the records of a probationer and destroyed evidence earlier this year.
A Woman Is Jailed on Accusation of Aggravated Battery on a Pregnant 19-Year-Old
Ashley Shelby, a 23-year-old resident of Old Haw Creek Road in Bunnell, was arrested and charged with aggravated battery on a pregnant woman Wednesday, a second-degree felony that carries a maximum penalty of 15 years.
Flagler District Approves $3.2 Million Plan for Free Macbook or iPad in Every Student’s Hands
Within three weeks starting on Sept. 16, every student at Flagler Palm Coast High School and Matanzas High School will have the latest-generation Macbook Air, free, on what amounts to a permanent loan from the school district. The district also plans to have an iPad for every fifth and sixth grader this year and next, and have every student in the district possess a device by the 2017-18 school year.
Dispelling Rumors, Bunnell’s Armando Martinez Says He’s Not Running for Sheriff Against Manfre
Both Flagler Sheriff Jim Manfre and Bunnell Manager Armando Martinez had heard the rumor that Martinez was preparing to run against Manfre, a friend, for sheriff come 2016. After a meeting with Manfre Wednesday, Martinez categorically said that will not happen.
Justin Boyles and Charles Massey Indicted on 1st Degree Murder; May Face Death Penalty
A St. Johns County grand jury indicted Justin Boyles, 24, and Charles Massey, 38, both of Palm Coast, murder and kidnapping charges in the killing of Edward Scott Mullener on June 13 or 14. Since Mullener’s charred boidy was found in St. Johns, that’s where the court proceedings are unfolding.
Board Members Balk at 7:25 a.m. Middle School Start Time, But Approve New Bell Schedule
Buddy Taylor and Indian Trails middle school students will have to wake up even earlier than last year when school resumes on Aug. 19, with first-bell at 7:25 a.m. and dismissal at 1:25 p.m. Most other schools’ schedules are unchanged, with high schools starting at 8 a.m. and elementaries around 9 a.m.
Pay an Issue as Flagler County Fire Chief Don Petito and Others Aim for Jobs Elsewhere
Flagler County Fire Chief Don Petito is one of a growing list of senior county staffers, especially in the fire department, who have left or are seeking to leave the department for neighboring departments where pay is significantly higher, a brain-drain issue County Administrator Craig Coffey has been warning county commissioners about this summer.
Bunnell’s Martinez Won’t Be Fired After All: Baxley Shifts Again, Agreeing to Contract Talks
On a 3-2 vote, the commission agreed to negotiate a new contract for the manager it fired six weeks ago as Baxley’s move to appoint an interim fell flat and Mayor Robinson took advantage of an opening that Baxley himself had given here.
Facing Mandatory Spending, County May Raise Taxes by Nearly $100 for Median Home
In previous years, tax rate increases didn’t mean much because they were either entirely or more than offset by decreases in property values. The end result was lower tax bills for most, even as tax rates went up. That’s over. And tax rates are set to go up in every city, too.
A Year After Armed Robbery, Flagler Sheriff Nabs Dane McReynolds In Brief Stand-Off
Adam Giddens confessed to the robbery of numerous weapons at a home in Bunnell a year ago, and implicated Dane McReynolds, who had fled to Arkansas until his capture Saturday at a house on County Road 304 in Bunnell. Giddens was sentenced to three years in prison in May.
Flagler Homes’ Median Sale Price Up 28% Over Last Year as Investors Keep Buying
Sales closed on 200 single-family homes in June in Palm Coast and Flagler County, half those for cash as investors continue to buy homes. The median price of $144,500 is the best showing since February 2009. The median number of days those homes spent on the market was 71, an increase of eight days from last year.
Bunnell’s Eddie Johnson Shines in 5-1 Win Over El Salvador in Gold Cup Semi
Bunnell-born Eddie Johnson, the electrifying striker gunning for a spot on Team USA’s World Cup squad, scored immediately after coming into the quarterfinal Gold Cup match on a substitution Sunday, refreshing his Demolition Man moniker.
Severe Thunderstorm Warning in Effect for Palm Coast and Flagler Until 1:30 PM
The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm warning in effect for all of Flagler County from 12:36 to 1:30 op.m. Monday. The warning is also in effect for eastern Putnam and all of St. Johns counties.
Lightning Triggers Fire in Flagler Beach House, Damaging Third Floor
A three-level house at at 2120 South Central Avenue was struck by lightning Sunday afternoon, igniting a fire in the attack and a closet that Flagler County Fire Rescue contained to that area. There were no injuries.
‘The Struggle Continues’: Civil Rights Generation Shows Palm Coast How It’s Done in 100-Voice March
Some 100 people, most old enough to have lived through the civil rights era, walked for almost 4 miles on Palm Coast Parkway Saturday morning, singing and showing their solidarity with Trayvon Martin’s family and their opposition to Florida’s stand your ground law. Several had taken part in marches dating back to the 1963 March on Washington.
“The Serpent” Reinvents Adam, Eve, JFK’s Assassination and Theater at Palm Coast’s City Rep
Joseph Chaikin’s ‘The Serpent,” a signature of the 1960s’ Open Theater, is a daring recreation of seductions and apple bites from Genesis to the John Kennedy assassination, and it comes to Palm Coast’s City Repertory Theatre under the direction for John Sbordone for three performances this weekend.
Trayvon Martin Solidarity March in Palm Coast Saturday as Protests Elsewhere Continue
The Saturday morning march in Trayvon Martin’s memory is being organized by Valerie Ottley, a retired Palm Coast resident of 22 years who is herself a neighborhood watch coordinator. The march will start at 8:30 a.m. at Kohl’s on Belle Terre Parkway and follow a course down Palm Coast Parkway to U.S.1 and back.
Flagler’s Unemployment Back in Double Digits While Florida’s Stalls at 7.1%, Mirroring U.S.
Flagler County’s unemployment rate shot back up to 10.2 percent as 830 fewer people had jobs, one of the sharpest drops of the year, though seasonal fluctuations account for much of that drop. Florida added just 2,300 private sector jobs.
Car-Battery Explosion and Fire Injure 7 in Westminster Dr. House in Palm Coast; Drugs Suspected
Shortly after 11 p.m. Thursday, an explosion and resulting fire was reported at 33 Westminster Drive in Palm Coast, severely burning one person, sending four to a local hospital, with three others sustaining minor injuries. Authorities at the scene were suspecting drug activity in the house.
Home Invasion Suspect Who Bonded Out Days Ago Triggers Manhunt After Another Armed Robbery
Less than three weeks after Edmon Welch was charged with a home invasion in Bunnell, he was charged again with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon following a two-hour manhunt in the Mondex involving Flagler County Fire Flight, K-9 units, Bunnell police and Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies.
6-Mile Tour de Palm Coast Highlights New Sculptures and Trail Riches
A cycling tour, a discovery of the four new ‘Flight of Life’ sculptures of herons at Waterfront Park, and interactivity with the city’s new QR codes along its Waterfront trail highlight the annual Tour de Palm Coast Saturday from 8 to 11 a.m.
Commissioner to Lobbyist: Milissa Holland Joins Powerful Southern Strategy Group
In a pair of candid interviews, former Flagler County Commissioner Milissa Holland traced her personal and professional trajectories that took her from representing taxpayers in government to representing the special-interest clients of the Southern Strategy Group, one of Florida’s–and the nation’s–most powerful lobbying firms.
Vigilante Car Chase: 2 Men Jailed For Pursuit Through Shopping Center Parking Lots
Michael Marsh and Andrew Hubbard of Palm Coast face aggravated assault charges after pursuing another man in their car through Walgreens, Publix and Winn Dixie parking lots in Palm Coast Tuesday.
A Tearful, Grateful Encounter Between 911 Operator and Grandmother Coached Through CPR of 2-Year-Old
Flagler County 911 operator Genice Caccavale rarely knows the aftermath of emergency calls. Today, she got to meet Alicia Fennell and 2-year-old Kelisa Bailey, whom Fennell brought back from a near-drowning Saturday as she followed Caccavale’s CPR instructions over the phone.
Bunnell’s Finance Director Resigns, Taking a Swipe at New Commission Majority
Bunnell Finance Director Cynthia Bertha–Cissy to friends and colleagues–blamed the new majority of the Bunnell City Commission for undoing City Manager Armando Martinez’s “hard work” as she explained her resignation. She is the third high-ranking administrator to either resign or be fired since that new majority took hold.
Broomstick Attack on Basketball Court Leads to Child Abuse Charges and Jail for 30-Year-Old
Several teenagers were playing basketball at the Espanola Community Center Monday evening when 30-year-old Anndra Macklin allegedly attacked one of the youths, and later got into a fight with another, a broomstick in one hand and a beer in the other.
Flagler 911 Operator Genice Caccavale in Remarkable Drowning Rescue of 2-Year-Old by Phone
2-year-old Kelisa Bailey was visiting her grandmother Alicia Fennell late Saturday afternoon when she briefly ended up in a pool and stopped breathing. Fennell brought her back to life as she followed the instructions of 911 operator Genice Caccavale.
Anxieties Over Profiling and Vigilantism as Bunnell Marchers Protest Zimmerman Verdict
Fewer than two dozen people gathered on South Bacher Street in Bunnell Sunday afternoon for a protest march following the not-guilty verdict in the George Zimmerman trial. The group turned its gathering march into an impromptu town hall on the trial, its meaning and its implications for blacks, whites and gun laws.
Edifice Complex: Palm Coast Council Should Forget About Gang of Six’s Geezer Gimmick
The Gang of Six–the former Palm Coast City Council members wanting to build a new city hall–are showing their age with the outdated nature of their idea, argues Merrill Shapiro. The council should forget their proposal and focus on the challenges of a rapidly changing city and society.
Jaquez Roland Is Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Sharps Liquor Zip-Tie Robbery
Flagler County Judge Melissa Moore-Stens sentenced Jacquez Roland of Palm Coast to 40 years in prison without parole Friday, the harshest possible sentence he faced after being found guilty of armed robbery, grand theft and false imprisonment at the end of a four-day trial on May 23.
Sheriff: Violence Not Expected in Flagler Reaction to Trayvon Martin Verdict, But Cops Preparing Anyway
As the jury may begin deliberating Friday in George Zimmerman’s murder trial of Trayvon Martin, state and local law enforcement agencies, including Flagler’s police forces, have been coordinating a response to potentially violent reactions to the verdict.
Love Triangle Gone Awry Said To Be Trigger of Gruesome Killing of Ed Scott Mullener
Details of the police investigation into the torture and killing of Edward Scott Mullener in Palm Coast’s Hammock on June 13 point to a love triangle between Mullener, Antoinette Heart and Justin Boyles. Boyles and Charles Danny Massey face first-degree murder charges.
Sheriff Swears In 6 New Deputies, Among them Lashbrook of Flagler Beach and Hristakopoulos of Bunnell
George Hristakopoulos in Bunnell and Dennis Lashbrook in Flagler Beach built long records patrolling the two cities’ streets. The six new deputies don’t increase the total number of deputies working at the sheriff’s office.
Jerry Culver, 65, Evacuated by Air After His SUV Flips and Crashes on State Road 100
Jerry Culver, a 65-year-old resident of west Bunnell (on County Road 305), lost control of his Ford Explorer on State Road 100 just west of Bunnell, near Deen Road, Thursday afternoon. The SUV smashed through a waterlogged ditch and into a wood-line.
2 Palm Coast Men Charged With 1st Degree Murder in Torture and Killing of Edward Mullener
Justin Adam Boyles, 24, and Charles Danny Massey, 38, both of 6 Holly Road in Palm Coast, allegedly beat and tortured Edward Scott Mullener of Palm Coast in mid-June before setting him on fire in his car in Flagler Estates. His smoldering car was discovered the morning of June 14. They face first-degree murder and kidnapping charges.
A 63-Year-Old Woman Cycling Up U.S. 1 Is Killed in Collision With SUV Near Belle Terre
Deborah I. Dunn, who was riding inside the white-lined shoulder on U.S. 1 Wednesday evening, is the second cyclist killed on Flagler Roads in three months, in circumstances similar to those that took the life of cyclist Frederick Martinez on State Road 100 in April.
Palm Coast Proposes to Increase Its General Fund Budget by $700,000 and Add 9 Positions
For the first time in seven years, property values have increased in Palm Coast, if only fractionally. Even so, residents will likely see a small property tax rate increase that for most would mean a slightly higher tax bill as the city continues to balance tight budgets with residents’ demands for services, and loosen the tight belt somewhat.
Upset By a Man Taking Pictures of His Girlfriend at the Pier, He Shows a Gun–and Is Arrested
26-year-old Thomas Wood was arrested and jailed Tuesday evening after he threateningly displayed a gun to another man taking pictures of the Wood’s girlfriend at the Flagler Beach Pier, according to a Flagler Beach police report. Wood did not have a permit for the gun.
Flagler District Shelves School-Cop Posting in All Elementaries, Reverting to Previous Plan
Not expecting another case of a parent privately paying for a school cop, the Flagler County School Board Tuesday evening gave its approval to the district’s new contract with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office to provide six school resource deputies at high and middle schools only, and seven crossing guards, for the duration of the school year.
Education Commission Reprimands Steve Knob, Ex-Band Director at Matanzas, Over Porn
The formal reprimand of Steve Knob accompanies a settlement agreement that enables him to seek teaching jobs and maintain his teaching certificate but also requires him to remain on probation for two years and pay $800 in fines and monitoring costs while on probation.
Tropical Storm Chantal Is Depressed: More Soggy Than Worrisome Weekend for Flagler
Tropical Storm Chantal is on track to skirt the east coast of the Florida Peninsula this weekend, passing offshore of Flagler County, but as a tropical depression. The National Hurricane Center’s forecast so far raises few alarms about the storm’s severity, except for heavy rainfalls in the Antilles.
Palm Coast Council Sniffs at Gang of Six Push for New City Hall, Opting for Rental Analysis
At least three council members are opposed to a new city hall, citing timing and the absence of a referendum, and in one case ridiculing a proposal put forth by aged and former council members pushing for a new building. But council members want clearer numbers about their options as the city’s three-year lease on its City Market Place digs nears expiration in November 2014.
As Democrats Dither, Local Republicans Hail Scott’s 4th Visits to Flagler in 2 Years
It wasn’t long ago that Flagler County Republicans were an embarrassment of internecine warfare as fringes and factions threatened to tear the party apart. Dave Sullivan, chairman of the Republican Executive Committee, has kept the local party cobbled together, capping the achievement with Scott’s visit for a fund-raising dinner this evening. Meanwhile, Democrats continue to be a non-entity.
Downton Abbey Makes Room for Bunnell as City Celebrates Centennial in Lavish Style
Bunnell city commissioners dressed in period costumes, the commission reenacted the very first meeting of the Bunnell Town Council in 2013, and a time capsule was buried, not to be opened until 2063, as Bunnell marked its one hundredth anniversary under a sun borrowed from the days of Genesis.
Weekend Mayhem: Machete Attack Over Voodoo, Child Abuse, Hit-and-Run; 3 Jailed
Three unrelated but violent incidents in Palm Coast capped a July 4 weekend by landing three of their alleged perpetrators–Jordan Marrero, Sean Goodison and Roodlyn Mompremier–at the Flagler County jail. All three incidents took place within a span of seven hours on Friday (July 5), between 6 a.m. and 1 p.m, but one of the suspect was not arrested until the next day, and another suspect remains at large.