A 15-year-old Orange City boy was charged with a felony battery count after allegedly assaulting and brutalizing a 16-year-old Palm Coast boy while calling him a “faggot.” The incident, captured by surveillance cameras, took place at a secure SMA Healthcare facility in Daytona Beach. The victim was so severely beaten that his right eye was partially shut and he may have suffered a broken wrist.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
Flagler Beach City Commission Election Profile: 2 Incumbents Speak Experience as a Newcomer Promises
The Flagler Woman’s Club on Tuesday hosted a forum for the three candidates running for Flagler Beach City Commission–incumbents Jane Mealy and Rick Belhumeur, and newcomer James Sherman. Here’s a complete report and analysis of the evening.
Beyond Ballot Suppression, Florida Lawmakers Are Shackling Voters’ Rights to Change Constitution
Floridians have relied on the ballot-initiative process in recent years to legalize medical marijuana, increase the minimum wage and limit the expansion of gambling in the state. Efforts like that may soon become much harder to pull off as Republican lawmakers aim to restrict the process.
Court Says City-Owned Golf Course Managed By a Private Company Can Be Required to Pay Property Taxes
The court decision could potentially have ramifications in Flagler Beach, where the city owns Ocean Palms Golf Club, a nine-hole golf course, but has been leasing it to a private company since 2015, tax-free. The decision this week suggests local property appraisers may legally deny a local government’s exemption for such privately run amenities.
Flagler Fire Rescue and Police Training Tower Will Be Renamed for Firefighter John R. Keppler Jr.
Flagler County Fire Rescue on March 19 will memorialize the life of volunteer firefighter John R. Keppler Jr. -– 20 years after his death -– with a dedication ceremony at the training tower on Justice Lane. The facility, which has always been referenced as “the training tower,” will be named for Keppler.
Javian Neesmith, Is Sentenced to 15 Years in prison in Fentanyl Overdose Death of Dimitry Popkov, 39
Javian Neesmith, a 22-year-old former resident of Buttermilk Drive, was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Wednesday in a plea to manslaughter in the death by fentanyl overdose of
Dimitry Popkov, 39, on Karas Trail in September 2020.
A Parent’s Counsel to FPC Principal Greg Schwartz: Accommodate LGBTQ Students, Don’t Suspend Them
Randall Bertrand, the parent of an LGBTQ student who was at the forefront of the effort to protect gender-identity rights in the district, recommends to Flagler Palm Coast High School Principal Greg Schwartz how to diffuse the situation at FPC after the principal opted to suspend student-protest organizer Jack Petocz following today’s walkout protesting anti-LGBTQ legislation.
‘Say Gay! Say Gay! Say Gay!’ FPC Students Chant in Walkout Protesting Bills; Organizer Jack Petocz Is Suspended
Hundreds of students at Flagler Palm Coast High School staged a 12-minute walkout this morning to protest bills nearing passage in the Legislature that would silence educators’ freedom to discuss certain topics, including gender identity, sexual orientation and certain anti-racism themes. Jack Petocz, the organizer of the protest, was suspended after the event.
Walmart Voids Trespass Warning Against Ex-Councilman Victor Barbosa
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has voided the Feb. 27 trespass warning against ex-Palm Coast City Council member Victor Barbosa after receiving a request to do so from a Walmart employee.
Ultimatum from Flagler Beach, Husband in Prison: Ocean Palm Golf’s Unintended Owner Tells Her Story
Belle McManus had to take over the city-owned, privately managed Ocean Palms Golf Club in Flagler Beach after her husband was imprisoned on a DUI conviction. The city and the golf course already had rocky relations, and now the golf course faces a lease termination ultimatum. McManus describes her attempts to save the business in her new, unexpected role.