The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s help in identifying a man believed to be responsible for several residential and vehicle burglaries in the area of North Oceanshore Boulevard in the Hammock.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
For the Unemployed in Flagler, Fewer Training Dollars and More Obstacles in Benefits’ Way
The rush for demand has all but sapped funding for worker training training from a Flagler County agency this fiscal year, even as Flagler continues to have Florida’s leading unemployment rate. It was 11.2 percent in December.
Early Morning Shooting in Palm Coast’s P-Section Sends One Man to Hospital
A man was shot in the chin in Palm Coast’s P-Section, on Pine Hill Lane, early Sunday morning at the end of what had reportedly been a loud party. The shooter is still at large. The victim, Johnnie Thomas Jr., 19, of Bunnell, went with friends to Florida Hospital Flagler. This is the same Johnnie […]
Women of Ireland Bring Rhythms Of Strength to the Flagler Auditorium
One thing Jesuits and mystic-searching hippies are likely to agree on is the fact that the Irish produce good music. Another is that they also produce strong women, which brings us to the Women of Ireland, who performed at the Flagler Auditorium Sunday.
Named Chamber President, DeLorenzo Vows Openness and Redirected Focus on Businesses
The Flagler County Chamber of Commerce and Affiliates appointed Rebecca DeLorenzo its permanent president on Thursday, ending a three-month interim since Doug baxter’s abrupt departure in November.
An Insulted Flagler Beach Commission Rebuffs Holmberg’s Plan and Wants Its Money Back
The Flagler Beach City Commission Thursday was offended by the shoddiness and ill-mannered presentation of Dick Holmberg, who’d received $50,000 for an analysis of the shore’s erosion problem, and as a first step to a $10 million solution he was proposing. The city decided to cut its losses instead.
Readying for Showdown With Residents, Palm Coast Nudges Slightly on Water Rates
Rather than impose a 22 percent water-rate increase over the next three years, the Palm Coast City Council might scale that back to 16 percent, but only by shifting increases to later years. The council is scheduled to approve a plan on Feb. 19 as public opposition builds.
Man Killed, Flagler Sheriff’s Deputy Injured in SR100 Collision Just West of Bunnell
A man was killed and a Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy injured this morning in a collision on State Road 100, just west of Bunnell, that also involved a special-needs school bus heading to Indian Trails Middle School.
Mondex Man Shoots Himself in the Head, Accidentally, After an Argument
Howard Berry, 53, a resident of 1696 Rosewood Street, was taken to Halifax Hospital Tuesday evening with a gunshot wound to the head after he had been “messing around with a gun,” he told cops, after an argument with his wife.
Cut-and-Paste: Holmberg Beach Study Falls Short of City Commissioners’ Expectations
A 42-page report by Dick Holmberg analyzing the Flagler Beach shoreline for potential installation of his “undercurrent stabilizers” to rebuild the beach’s sands drew severe criticism from city commissioners, who called it lacking, and not reflective of a $50,000 job, which the city was to pay for with county dollars.
As One Candidate Withdraws, Jane Mealy and Steve Settle Are Re-Elected in Flagler Beach
With the withdrawal of Oceanside Grill owner John Lulgjuraj, Jane Mealy and Steve Settle were automatically re-elected to the Flagler Beach City Commission, making the March 5 election unnecessary.
In Fischer Hit-and-Run Case, Prosecution Ties 11-Hour Silence to Criminal Behavior
That Jamesine Fischer stayed at the scene of the fatal accident that took the life of 76-year-old Françoise Pécqueur in November 2011, the prosecution argued in court today, doesn’t diminish the fact that she never reported the accident to authorities until 11 hours later, a fact central to the prosecution’s case as it was revealed today.
Flagler Fire Flight and Other Strike Teams Helping Volusia Battle Blaze Near County Line
What started as a controlled burn near Barberville in northwest Volusia County went out of control this afternoon, growing first to 100 acres, then possibly doubling in size by 4:30 p.m., according to Flagler County Fire Chief Don Petito. The fire was sending smoke and the familiar, acrid smell of burning brush wafting over portions of Palm Coast and Bunnell.
Angel Roman, Guilty of Brutalizing Kittens, Sentenced to Treatment, Not Prison
Flagler Circuit Judge David Walsh sentenced Angel Roman to one year of community control and four years of probation, saying the days of sending mentally ill people to prison for animal cruelty “are long gone.”
Ten Tenors Rekindle Flagler Love Affair With Two Shows at the Auditorium
The Ten Tenors, an Australian group that’s been coming to the Flagler Auditorium for years, is among the rarest of acts that commands two shows locally. The Ten Tenors will perform Feb. 11 and 12.
Light, Poetry, Action: Hollingsworth and Art League’s New Shows Look to Raise Roofs
The Flagler County Art League opens its second annual Art & Poetry Show this evening as Hollingsworth Gallery opens its fourth annual Members’ Show. Both events, near each other, are free and feature a wine and cheese reception from 6 to 9 p.m.
Deputies Defuse Tense, 4-Hour Stand-Off With Armed Offender Near Seminole Woods
It was the 84th time since 2008 that Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies were responding to William Sitton’s house, where he had barricaded himself in a bedroom, gesticulating about Satan and daring deputies to shoot him. The stand-off was resolved when deputies fired bean rounds and mace.
Sheriff Seeking Public’s Help to ID Theft Suspect
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s help in identifying a man who used a stolen credit card at a local tire store. Two images are provided. A reward of up to $1,000 is offered.
Man Thrown Off ATV in Mud Muckers’ Park Is Evacuated by Fire Flight
In later afternoon Friday, a frequent visitor to Mud Muckers, riding an all-terrain vehicle at no more than 20 miles an hour, according to authorities at the scene, somehow lost control deep in the woods off State Road 11 and was thrown from the vehicle, precipitating a trauma alert.
County and Bunnell Buy Plantation Bay Utility for $5.5 Million in Hurried Late-Night Deal
The two governments late Wednesday evening jointly voted to buy the troubled Plantation Bay utility, a wreckage of a 28-year-old water and sewer system serving about 1,600 customers, most of them in Volusia County, plunging Flagler County in the utility business.
Drinking On the Job Aside, Investigation Finds a Broken Flagler Beach Fire Department
Four Flagler Beach firefighters, including the fire chief, broke the city’s zero-tolerance policy on drinking on the job, but the independent investigation broadened to find a severely dysfunctional fire department riven by cliques, lacking authority and pointing tio disturbing acts such as record falsification.
DNA Leads Back to Two Men Wanted for 2009 Armed Robbery of Palm Coast Bank
Four years after their armed and violent robbery of Floridian Bank on Palm Coast’s Boulder Rock Drive, Antonio Clark and Antonio Aviles, both 27, were arrested thanks to DNA evidence from clothing they’d discarded after the robbery. They’d stolen $1,661.
Coastal Cloud, a Next-Generation Computing Management Firm, Unveils Plan for 100 Jobs
Coastal Cloud is a newly-formed subsidiary of Graphene LLC, a computing consultancy, that will provide cloud-based data management services while hiring locally some 100 jobs over three years, at an average wage of $46,500, the company announced to the county’s economic development council today.
Palm Coast Council Heavily Criticized Over Planned 22% Water Rate Hike
The Palm Coast City Council Tuesday evening weathered a verbal barrage of questions and criticism from 15 people upset at the city’s plan to finance $78 million in water and sewer charges over the next five years, in part by raising water rates 22 percent in the next three years. But little change is expected.
Flagler School Board Approves Posting Cops at All Elementary Schools Through Year’s End
The doubling of cops to cover all of Flagler County’s 11 public schools would bring the total school-cop program cost to between $1 million and $1.2 million. The district’s share would be less than half, but would still require dipping into savings–or cutting programs–because the district has no money budgeted for additional security.
T-Bone Crash at U.S. 1 and Commerce in Palm Coast Sends 2 to Hospital
Two sedans collided in a T-bone crash at the intersection of U.S. 1 and Commerce Boulevard in Palm Coast just after noon Tuesday, sending a man and a woman to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Flagler Has Its Own Stand Your Ground Case As Paul Miller Invokes It in Mulhall Shooting
Doug Williams, defense attorney for Paul Miller, the 66-year-old Flagler Beach resident who shot and killed unarmed neighbor Dana Mulhall in an argument last year, will try to dismiss the second degree murder charge against Miller by invoking Florida’s stand your ground law. But The defense faces an uphill battle, and the move may be merely tactical ahead of the trial.
Wildfire Laps to Within Inches of P-Section House, a Reminder of Tinder Season
A wildfire broke out at 2:15 Monday afternoon on Porpoise Lane at the southeast corner of Palm Coast’s P Section, near Royal Palm Parkway, and burned within inches of a house, melting a segment of a backyard fence and a few soffits before firefighters stopped the flames, which devoured a third of an empty lot next to the house.
Lea Stokes, Former Flagler Chamber Chairman, Arrested on 2nd Drunk Driving Charge
Lea Ann Stokes, who heads Flagler Beach’s Preferred Management Services, was on the way to a Super Bowl party Sunday evening when she was arrested in Flagler Beach, and tried unsuccessfully to use her connections to get out of the arrest.
Minor Injuries to 4, Including a Student, as FPC School Bus Rear-Ends a Van on Belle Terre
A Flagler County school bus with 27 high school students on board rear-ended a Dodge minivan at the intersection of Pine Grove Parkway and Belle Terre Boulevard Monday morning, sending three people to the hospital with minor injuries. A fourth victim–a student–had minor injuries and declined medical attention.
Trey Corbett, Former Elections Supervisor Candidate, Cleared of Alleged Ethics Violation
In a footnote to one of the most contentious local elections of 2012, Trey Corbett, a candidate for Flagler County Supervisor of Elections, was cleared of ethics violations by the Florida Commission on Ethics.
As Flagler Beach Sees a Fortune From Parking Fees, Locals See Only Alienated Tourists
Flagler Beach government could make up to $3 million over 5 years by turning its streets into revenue-generating parking slots, but the city manager’s proposal faces stiff-but not unanimous–opposition from local residents and businesses, who fear jeopardizing the city’s charms and its appeal to tourists.
M. Louis, Palm Coast’s Oldest Salon, Defies Economy With a Spa Expansion
M. Louis’s Beauty Factor Spa, holding an open house Sunday (Feb. 3) at the salon’s new location, is an indication that small businesses in Palm Coast can still find ways to expand and broaden their reach despite the slow economy.
Three-Vehicle Wreck Hurts 3 and Closes Florida Park Dr. at Fawn Lane Almost 3 Hours
A three-vehicle crash shut down Florida Park Drive in Palm Coast between Fawn Lane and Fayette Lane shortly after 2 p.m. Thursday afternoon. Three people were hurt, none with life-threatening injuries.
A Shooting in Woodlands Leads to Arrest, 2nd Shooting at Madison Green Does Not
Flagler County sheriff’s deputies and paramedics were busy Wednesday night with two shootings in Palm Coast. One, in the Woodlands, was related to a domestic fight between a married couple, and led to the husband’s arrest. The other took place at Madison Green Apartments, injuring a man. The shooter, in that case, is still at […]
Rebecca DeLorenzo Strengthens Chamber President Candidacy With New Designation
Rebecca DeLorenzo, the interim president at the Flagler County Chamber of Commerce and Affiliates, has earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential from the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Association leadership, the highest professional credential in the association industry. The designation burnishes her already substantial credentials as she aims for the permanent presidency of the chamber.
Lt. Steve Cole Will Be Sheriff’s Point Man On Growing School Cops and Victims’ Beats
Cole’s appointment might have been routine in any other year. But the use of school resource officers is the leading issue for the Flagler County School Board in the wake of the Newtwon school shooting, and ahead of a Feb. 5 meeting on the school district’s revamped security plans.
Flagler’s Tourism Council Would Relax Rules Governing Subsidies for Special Events
The changes, affecting $100,000 in bed-tax dollars county government, through the tourism council, awards organizations that put on special events, would dispense with the requirement that organizations spend the money advertising their event, and would allow them to spend it on incidental expenses that may be more difficult to track.
As if Flu Wasn’t Enough: Flagler on Alert For New Strain of “Winter Vomiting Disease”
It’s not here yet. But it’s spreading fast: a new, virulent strain of norovirus, an intestinal and very contagious virus that causes projectile vomiting, diarrhea and other symptoms, and that has the Flagler County Health Department cautioning schools, hospitals, nursing homes and other such places to beware.
Deadly Force Averted as Deputies Confront Another Troubled, Knife-Wielding Man
Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies drew their guns, then their Tasers, but ended up firing neither as Erik Flores, a 32-year-old resident of Lindsay Drive in Palm Coast, was wrestled to the ground and arrested in the latest confrontation between a potentially violent, mentally ill man and police, just five weeks after another 32-year-old man was shot and killed for wielding a machete at Flagler deputies.
Dennis Cross, Dauntless Palm Coast City Council Candidate in 2011, Is Dead at 78
Dennis Cross made his name as he fought his disqualification by redistricting and won that battle to be a candidate for the Palm Coast City Council in 2011, only to lose to Jason DeLorenzo by 36 votes, the narrowest margin in any Palm Coast election.
Flagler Sheriff’s Employee Arrested Over Leak to Her Son, Who Was Being Investigated
Elizabeth Cretella faces a third-degree felony charge that she leaked information of an active investigation of sex crime allegations to her son–Robert Allen–before he was to be questioned in connection with the allegations.
Flagler Beach City Government Wants to Take Over July 4 Events, But Unsure How
Flagler Beach government, eager to replicate Palm Coast’s method of making money from special events, would take over July 4 festivities run until now by the chamber of commerce, but city commissioners are uncomfortable with a complete take-over.
Would-Be Convenience Store Robber Arrested; A 15-Year-Old Faces Felony Arson Charge
William Cory Hall, Woodbury Drive in Palm Coast was arrested on a robbery charge resulting from a December incident at a Palm Coast Parkway convenience store, while 15-year-old Aatif Mims of Webb Place was arrested on an arson charge after firefighters responded to four fires in the W-Section Thursday night.
Daniel Biles, Former Bunnell Teacher’s Aide, Sentenced to 7 Years on Child Porn Charges
Daniel Biles, a former teacher’s aide at Bunnell Elementary school and a long-time employee of the district, pleaded no contest to 20 charges of possessing child pornography, and will serve seven years in state prison and five years on sex-offender probation.
Flagler Sheriff Deputies Will Respond to Many Medical Calls in Policy Shift Triggered By Death
The change, the first significant and visible policy change of Flagler County Sheriff Jim Manfre’s new administration, is a direct result of the hit-and-run death of Françoise Pécqueur in Palm Coast’s C-Section in November 2011, when medical and fire units were dispatched, but cops didn’t get to the scene until six hours after the incident.
Flagler Education Foundation Appoints 6 New Board Members
The new board members include Michael Beadle, Shelley Chapman, Jean Hunter, Matthew Maxwell, Meredith Rodriguez, and Dorothy Sperber, who are now part of a 15-member board.
As Gov. Scott Calls for $2,500 Teacher Raise, Reactions Are More Skeptical Than Jubilant
Even in Flagler County, teachers and the school board chairman reacted to Gov. Rick Scott’s proposal with a mixture of skepticism and guarded optimism, as questions about math, political motives and local control abound.
To Combat Bullying, Middle School Student Wants Gay-Straight Alliance, But Officials Balk
As Flagler County schools continues to grapple with bullying through various forums, middle school student Bayli Silberstein in Leesburg sees a Gay-Straight-Alliance club at her school as one measure against bullying–but school officials have so far resisted, in sharp contrast with their admission of other clubs, such as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Lowe Family Brings Rain of Children and All-But-Kitchen-Sink Music to Flagler Auditorium
The Lowe Family’s six children and accompanists, at the Flagler Auditorium Thursday evening, make it a point to dare every musical genre, every instrument, every move, all wrapped in feel-good flags.