Jabea Johnson was 16 years old when he was among three juveniles arrested for a series of car break-ins in Palm Coast’s R Section, and for making fake crack cocaine in an attempt to sell it at profit. It was not his first arrest. It was far from his last.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
Moby-Dick, The Book for Our Times
We can’t afford permanent enmity or exile from each other. Secession and civil war might be a nice distraction but consumer splurging suggests that’s not in the cards. So for all of us grass-leaved Americans, “Moby-Dick” is the book for us, in this moment, in this whale of whiteness delirium. “Moby-Dick” is our book of revelation.
In a Reversal, Flagler Beach Commission Declines to Raise Utility, Garbage and Stormwater Fees for Now
After months of preparation, the Flagler Beach City Commission on Thursday, declined to raise water, sewer and sanitation rates 3.5 percent, what would have been in line with inflation, even though the funds are not self-sustaining without increases, and also declined to raise the stormwater rate a more significant 37 percent. Commissioner Jane Mealy is warning that the city is putting itself in a hole.
Flagler County’s Unemployment Stays at 4.4%, But Job-Holders Fall to Lowest Level Since February 2023
Florida had a drop in private-sector employment in October in the wake of hurricanes Helene and Milton, but the state’s unemployment rate remained at 3.3 percent for a seventh consecutive month. The Flagler County unemployment rate of 4.4 percent was unchanged for the third consecutive month.
Justin Maddox, 31, Indicted on Capital Murder Charge in Drug-Overdose Death of Jeremy Kocorowski
A Flagler County grand jury on Thursday indicted Justin Maddox, a 31-year-old resident of 51 Pepper Lane in Palm Coast, on a capital felony murder charge in the drug-overdose death of 40-year-old Jeremy Kocorowski of Bunnell in March. Kocorowski had a daughter.
Pilot Faces Eviction from County Airport After Emergency Landing Infringed on Director’s ‘Authority’
Roy Sieger, director of Flagler County Executive Airport, is allegedly threatening to evict a pilot from the hangar he’s leasing there after the pilot made an emergency landing during Hurricane Milton, when the airport was closed. The pilot, who cites federal regulation in his defense, said he worried that Sieger’s anger would devolve into a physical altercation when Sieger confronted him soon after he landed.
Sheriff’s Office Investigating Discovery of Human Blood and Bullet at Hidden Trails, and Seeking Public’s Help
Flagler County Sheriff’s detectives are investigating a suspicious incident that left a substantial amount of blood and an unused bullet at the Hidden Trails county park off Mahogany Boulevard in Daytona North, or the Mondex, early Monday morning.
Palm Coast Developers Will Pay Public Arts Fee on Projects Above $1 Million, But Spending Is Unclear
The Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday approved imposing a 0.5 percent fee on all commercial projects in the city with a value of $1 million or more. The city will use parts of the money to fund its long-standing cultural arts grants, but it’s unclear how else it will use the money. It would largely be the purview of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, with a more specific policy to come to set out spending and installation criteria.
Palm Coast Will Provide Free Dirt to Help Homeowners’ Drainage Problems, With Limiting Caveats
The Palm Coast City Council approved a plan by its drainage committee to provide 5 cubic yards of free dirt to homeowners who need to regrade their yards to address drainage problems. The dirt was declared surplus property, enabling the city to dispense of it, but at homeowners’ expense. One homeowner ridiculed the offer.
Council Rejects Naming Palm Coast Community Center for Jon Netts in Striking Snub of Major Legacy
The Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday rejected a long-standing proposal to rename the Palm Coast Community Center for Jon Netts, a former mayor and City Council member whose 15-year tenure in city government shaped Palm Coast more than any other elected official in the city’s history.