July 4 festivities have turned into a 24-hour rolling event in Flagler County, beginning with fireworks at Town Center on Tuesday evening and finishing with fireworks at the Flagler Beach Pier tonight. What takes place in between is a parade of memories.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
In Flagler Beach, a Clash of Authority Entangles The Manager, Fire Chief and Commissioners
The controversy over all-expenses-paid trip Fire Chief Martin Roberts and others took to investigate fire trucks is bringing to light a more serious conflict over City Manager Bruce Campbell’s authority, and the city commission’s habit of meddling directly with city department heads, over Campbell’s.
New Charter School Hastily Signs Lease for Tenant-Challenged Building at County Airport
Global Outreach Academy has been on the hunt for a building for months. The three-year deal at the Flagler County Airport fills a building on which the county has been paying $111,000 a year while having a terrible time keeping occupied since it built it for Embry-Riddle Aeronautic University in 2004.
Flagler Beach Fire Department Embroiled in Controversy Over Unauthorized Trips
Flagler Beach City Manager Bruce Campbell knew nothing about an all-expenses-paid trip his fire chief and two other fire department employees took to South Dakota in early June to look at a pumper truck, though the city commission has not approved the purchase of a replacement.
In a Snub to Cities, a Split County Commission Agrees to 15-Year Sales Tax for Jail Expansion
A 3-2 split of Flagler County commissioners agreed to place a continuation of a half-cent sales tax on the November ballot, but substantially increase the county’s share of the revenue at the expense of cities–a move Palm Coast and Flagler Beach oppose, and may jeopardize the levy’s success when voters have their say on Nov. 6.
County Extends Administrator Coffey’s Contract To 2016 Without Discussion or Public Evaluation
This year’s elections could result in turn-over of three of the five Flagler county commission seats. Coffey is looking to extend his contract to 2016, though his contract isn’t set to expire until December 2013. He makes $141,000 a year before allowances.
Discover Your Treasures: Washington Oaks Gardens State Park
Washington Oaks Gardens State Park is the dean of Flagler County parks: a 476-acre spread on both sides of State Road A1A, rich in history and intimate paths for solitary walks or preludes to more than a kiss. A renewed look, with an image gallery, at a particular Flagler treasure.
Flagler’s Teachers Union President on FCAT, The GOP, and High-Stakes Misconceptions
Katie Hansen, president of Flagler County’s teachers union, forcefully argues against FCAT’s culture of high-stakes testing and false but pervasive notions that unions protect bad teachers and contribute only to Democrats.
Man Accused of Biting His 8-Month-Old, Another of Hit-and-Run on 88 Year Old
Kevin R. Evans, 25, allegedly bit his 8-month-old boy’s arm during an argument with his girlfriend. Robert Tucker kept driving after rear-ending an 88-year-old’s car on palm Coast Parkway, then hid from a cop behind a banana spread at Winn-Dixie.
For Drink and Pills: Palm Coast Man Steals From Grandmother, Another Swipes City Truck
Raymond Plumley, a homeless man in Palm Coast, stole a city truck while crews were nearby, while Christopher Emplit was arrested for defrauding his 80-year-old grandmother. Plumley is a drunk, Empley is said to be hooked on prescription pills. Help for either is a challenge cops are powerless to address.
Flagler’s Sheriff and Judge Candidates Rub Elbows Raw at Long NAACP Forum
The revealing moments were less in what the candidates said than in how they said it, or in how they waited to say something. The crowd of 200 was relaxed and riveted. Many of the candidates were stiff, fidgety and tense.
Red-Light Camera Ticket Revenue:
Palm Coast, 14%, Private Company, 86%
American Traffic Solutions, which runs Palm Coast’s red-light traffic cameras, will make up to $4,250 per camera per month, while Palm Coast makes just $700. Still, the Palm Coast City Council is ready to sign a seven-year deal.
Armed Burglar, High on Coke and Fleeing “Croatians,” Is Arrested on Peppercorn Lane
Peter Bauer, a 61-year-old Palm Coast resident, had done lines of cocaine and feared he was in danger when he appeared on a neighbor’s porch brandishing a .380 handgun. Cops say he may be mentally ill, though Bauer was jailed.
Replacing Meeker: Palm Coast Council Will Appoint Successor Rather than Hold Election
Frank Meeker’s decision to serve until November as he runs for the county commission means the Palm Coast City Council cannot hold an election to fill out the two years of his term, but will instead appoint a replacement in November.
Weldon Ryan, Reigning Flagler Artist of the Year, Exhibiting at at Bethune-Cookman
The Bethune-Cookman University Visual Arts Gallery is featuring the works of Weldon Ryan in a exhibits that opens Friday, June 29, with a free reception. Ryan is Bethune-Cookman’s new artist-in-residence and the current Flagler County Artist of the Year.
Tropical Storm Debbie Dumps 3 to 4 Inches on Flagler, With More to Come
Tropical Storm Debbie, slowly churning across the Florida Peninsula since the weekend, isn’t done yet, with areas of Northern Florida expected to get 10 to 15 inches of rain, and some perhaps getting as much as 25 inches.
Flagler 911: A String of 10 Car Break-ins at 7 Palm Coast Locations Over 2 Days
Cars were broken into at the Flagler Auditorium during a dance recital, at the Indian Trails Sports Complex during a lacrosse tournament, at Panera, at Frieda Zamba pool and several other places, all on the same afternoon and evening.
Haley Watson Is Miss Flagler County 2012
The annual Miss Flagler County Scholarship Pageant is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. this Sunday afternoon and at the Flagler Auditorium, with Miss Junior at 5 and Miss Flagler County at 7 p.m.
Flagler’s Competing Ham Radio Clubs Mark Field Day in Flagler Beach and at EOC
June 23 is National Field Day for amateur radio people all over the country. See it in action beginning at 1 p.m. at the Flagler Beach Fire Department and at at the Flagler County Emergency Operations Center.
Flagler’s Wounded Warrior Project, Led by George Hanns, Nets $17,573
County Tax Collector Suzanne Johnston led the fund-raising with $3,400. The money helps veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
A Wife’s Suspicion About Her Husband Leads to a Marijuana Grow House on Birchwood Drive
Kevin Fitzgerald of Flagler Beach and Michael Menear of Palm Coast were arrested as cops seized 91 marijuana pl;ants from Birchwood Drive, where his then-wife, who tipped off deputies, had discovered the plants while suspecting her husband of infidelity.
Mike Pius, Firefighter Just Back from Winning Gold in Europe, Is Seriously Hurt in Wreck
Lt. Mike Pius, one of the more popular and decorated Flagler firefighter-paramedics, suffered several broken bones and may be out six months following a wreck in St. Augustine, after a truck cut through Pius’s right-of-way. Flagler Fire Chief Don Petito said the firefighter brotherhood kicked in immediately after the wreck.
Citing Legal Limitations, Ethics Commission Dismisses Complaint Against Jim Landon
The Florida Ethics Commission said complaints against City Manager Jim Landon and Human Resources Director Wendy Cullen, didn’t involve corruption, but it has yet to rule on a complaint against Public Works Superintendent Tony Capela, in allegations of favoritism, bullying, intimidation and a hostile work environment.
Daniel Biles, Ex-Bunnell Elementary Aide, Re-Arrested In Court on Child Porn Charges
Daniel Biles, the former Bunnell Elementary school teacher aide arrested in April on 10 child pornography charges, was back in jail Tuesday on 14 additional, similar charges.
FPC’s Jacob Oliva Is Named Assistant Superintendent, Lynette Shott Is New Principal
Superintendent Janet Valentine told the school board this evening a deputy superintendent was critical to ensure a proper succession–and to fill in at a critical time, as she tends to her daughter, who was involved in a violent car wreck.
Invoking Conspiracies and ‘Party Purity,’ Pollinger’s Opponents Proceed With Suit
Court documents show that Sheriff’s candidate Ray Stevens and county commission candidate Dennis McDonald were involved in efforts to battle John Pollinger’s qualifications as a Republican candidate for sheriff as the case against Pollinger proceeds.
Flagler Sheriff’s Sgt. Roster, Accused By His Own Men, Is Demoted Over Falsifying Records
An internal affairs investigation of Jamie Roster found he’d falsified time sheets by booking at least $8,406.26 he’d not worked for. The investigation was triggered by complaints from men under his supervision, and reveals strains and morale issues at the sheriff’s office. Roster, demoted to deputy, is appealing.
Guns in Flagler Parks? Sure. Public Buildings? Absolutely. The County Airport? No Problem.
Flagler County, like Palm Coast and other local governments across the state, are scrapping local gun regulations to comply with a state law that prohibits local governments from regulating guns or ammo in any way. The Flagler County Commission has no choice but to comply as it takes up the issue Monday evening.
In a Brazen Reversal, Flagler Beach Commission Kills Beach-Bonfire Referendum
Just six weeks ago the Flagler Beach City Commission, fractured and indecisive on the matter, voted 4-1 to place a referendum question on beach bonfires on a coming ballot. But two weeks later, the commission voted to ban bonfires during turtle nesting season anyway.
Rodney King’s Twilight, and Anna Deavere Smith’s: Coming to Palm Coast
Rodney King was found dead at his home’s pool on June 17. Anna Deavere Smith 18 years ago wrote “Twilight,” a one-woman play that retells the story of the Rodney King riots through the voices of 37 people involved in the story. “Twilight” will be staged in Palm Coast this fall.
Best of the Best Reclimbs a Year of Sightly Heights at the Flagler County Art League
Whatever is your definition of art, Best of the Best likely satisfies it, from the symbolic or abstract to the cathartic, the socially engaging, the decorative or aesthetically pleasing. The show runs through July 11.
Thrasher Won’t Be Florida Senate President as Clearwater’s Latvala Lines Up Votes
John Thrasher, the St. Augustine Republican, now represents all of Flagler County in a newly drawn senate district. Sen. Jack Latvala believes he has enough support to claim the 2016 Senate presidency.
Second Drunk Driver Hits Flagler Sheriff’s Deputy Car in 2 Days; No Damage This Time
Karolyn Harris, 22, of Palm Coast, backed into Flagler County Sheriff deputy Frederick Gimbel immediately after Harris was pulled over late Thursday evening, after she had carried out various odd maneuvers with her Chevrolet.
Florida and Flagler Back to Anemic Job Growth as Unemployment Stalls, Reflecting U.S. Trend
Florida added just 5,300 jobs in April, and the state unemployment rate would have risen back sharply had the labor department not revised its April figures to show a much higher unemployment rate than it announced last month.
From Food Lion to Charter School: Deal Close To Convert Long-Vacant Flagler Beach Store
Jacksonville-based Florida International Language Academy has been on the hunt for a location in Flagler for its 364-student K-8, language-oriented school, opening in August. Talks in Bunnell and Palm Coast fell through, returning the company to the Food Lion location in Flagler Beach.
Drunk, She Strikes Sheriff’s Deputy’s Car Thinking She Hit a Mailbox, and Drives On
Colleen Comfort, a 45-year-old resident of Collingwood Lane in Palm Coast, thought she hit a mailbox when she nearly ripped the door off a sheriff’s deputy’s cruiser while the deputy was conducting an unrelated traffic stop on Palm Harbor Parkway Wednesday night.
Sarah Namdar-Yeganeh, 28, Flagler School Superintendent’s Daughter, in Critical Condition
Sarah Jean Namdar-Yeganeh, 28, the daughter of Flagler Superintendent Janet Valentine, was ejected from her car in a two-vehicle wreck on I-95 Wednesday afternoon.
Flagler School District Won’t Lift Facebook Ban, But Cracks Are Beginning to Appear
Facebook is blocked on Flagler County school district networks, though students and faculty access it anyway by bypassing the network on phones, and the district, which prides itself on technology uses, is considering lifting the ban during after-school activities.
Heroic Rower Lewis Colam Docks in New York, Completing 1,400-Mile Epic for Alzheimer’s
Lewis Colam, who had no rowing experience, took 100 days to complete his journey, which began in Miami on Mrch 3 and had him in Palm Coast, where he was warmly greeted, on March 20, for 34 hours’ rest.
Palm Coast and Flagler County Government TV Becoming Available on AT&T’s U-Verse
Flagler County, Palm Coast and Flagler Beach government meetings, along with school board meetings, will be available live on AT&T’s new U-verse cable system, which just launched locally.
Surprise: Palm Coast Hints at Building Its Own Natural Gas Fueling Facility in the Future
One of the reasons Palm Coast renewed its contract with Waste Pro was the garbage hauler’s pledge to build a natural gas refueling facility for itself and the city by next year. Now the city administration is suggesting that a city refueling facility may be more feasible, once the city is ready to move ahead with conversion.
In Flagler Beach, 2 Men Accused of
Provoking a Violent Brawl Are Jailed
Steven Hoffman-Brown, 24, and Jacob Visconti, 30, are accused of attacking a dozen people, smashing out a car’s window with a crow bar, and rushing some of them with a truck, resulting in several injuries, including their own.
Judge Rules Flagler Sheriff Candidate John Pollinger Can Run as a Republican
Flagler County Circuit Judge Dennis Craig ruled today that John Pollinger, the candidate for Flagler County Sheriff, has been legally a member of the Republican Party in Flagler County since August 2009, and therefore can remain on the Aug. 14 primary ballot as a Republican.
Facing $5.65 Million Deficit, Flagler County Wrestles With What to Cut and What to Tax
The deficit was reduced to $3.65 million once commissioners agreed to use reserves and include a $1 million cut in the sheriff’s budget, but their debates got more heated on what services to eliminate or reduce, and what taxes to raise–or what new taxes could be imposed.
Barbara Revels, Suzanne Johnston and Jay Gardner Are Re-Elected As Qualifying Ends
The 2012 primary and general elections will be heavily contested in all but a handful of local and judicial district races. County Commissioner Revels, Tax Collector Johnston and Property Appraiser Gardner are among the automatic winners who faced no opposition.
No Ruling on John Pollinger Case Friday
Flagler County Circuit Judge Dennis Craig’s ruling on whether sheriff candidate John Pollinger can remain on the Aug. 14 primary ballot as a Republican will be handed down on Monday at the earliest.
County and School Boards Ridicule Emergency Meeting Forced by Elections Supervisor Weeks
County Commission Chairman Barbara Revels called the emergency meeting “ridiculous,” School Board member Colleen Conklin called it “nonsense,” but neither commission nor school board felt it had a choice but to comply with Supervisor of Elections Kimberle Weeks’s demand that meeting be held.
Prescription Drug Traffickers Arrested on I-95; Serial Burglars Arrested in Hunters Ridge
Steven Shrowder,24, and Cristina Hersh, 28, were driving to Jacksonville without seat belts when a Florida Highway Patrol trooper pulled them over and discovered a stash of narcotics pain relievers. Separately, in Hunters Ridge, two serial burglars were arrested.
Attorney General OK’s Flagler Beach’s Plan to Spend Sales Tax Money on Erosion Projects
In an Attorney General’s opinion, Pam Bondi wrote that Flagler Beach’s plan to spend sales tax revenue on beach erosion projects is authorized by law, but that the ballot language authorizing that sales tax may have to specify erosion projects, not just general infrastructure.
Pollingergate: In Motor Voter Registrations, An Applicant’s Former State Is Barely Relevant
When John Pollinger, the embattled Republican candidate for Flagler County Sheriff, first registered as a Florida voter in 2008 through motor voter, his previous registration status in New Jersey would not have come up, according to the motor voter process.