Flagler County deputies arrested 11 drunk drivers and many others on charges unrelated to DUI. On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to decide whether forcing a DUI suspect to submit to a blood test is constitutional.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
Paul Novak of Palm Coast Charged With Murdering His Wife in New York in 2008
Paul Novak, a resident of Lewiston Court in Palm Coast since 2009, faces a second-degree murder charge and an arson charge in the death of his wife Catherine Novak, who was found dead in her charred home in New York’s Hudson Valley in December 2008.
How Two Council Members, Out of View, Got WNZF to Back-Pedal on Synthetic Marijuana
What was behind what sounded like a retraction on synthetic marijuana by WNZF’s David Ayres on his Free For All Friday show last week? Private discussions between Palm Coast Council member Bill McGuire with Mayor Jon Netts, and a letter Netts wrote Ayres, that the council never discussed openly–even as the council has yet to vote finally on the matter.
From Red Lights to School Buses: Florida Looks For Traffic Spy Cameras’ Next Perch
Despite having by far the safest record of any mode of transportation, including in Flagler, Florida school officials are looking to add spy-and-snap cameras on school buses similar to red-light cameras at Palm Coast and other cities’ intersections. School districts would reap most of the cash benefits from fines.
In Bunnell, A Succession of Disagreements Over Who’s in Charge When Head Cheese Isn’t
Bunnell City Manager Armando Martinez names either his finance director or his grants director as the acting manager when he’s away. Commissioner Elbert Tucker says it’s a violation of the city charter, which spells out who’s in charge when the manager isn’t: the city clerk, the chief of police then the mayor, in that order.
A 26-Year-Old Palm Coast Man Is Arrested On 3 Counts of Lewd Sex With 14 Year Old
Javon Hall, a 27-year-old resident of Whispering Pine Drive in Palm Coast, is in jail on $100,000 bond following his arrest on three charges that he had sex with a 14-year-old Palm Coast girl. The victim termed some 30 encounters consensual, which is no defense for Hall under the law.
Using Straw Man, Palm Coast Ridicules County’s Opposition to Red-Light Cameras
Rather than address questions raised by County Commission Chairman Barbara Revels, the Palm Coast Council invented a claim that the county wanted to enable law-breaking, unsafe drivers, and dismissed Revels’s request to reconsider installing spy cameras on State Road 100.
Matanzas Pirates’ Mission: A Senior Rallies Students and Faculty For a Teacher’s Survival
Juan Pablo Torres, a senior at Matanzas High School, decided to repay his English teacher, now undergoing cancer treatment in Gainesville, by showing her how students and teachers at Matanzas take care of their own.
Palm Coast Mayor Netts Says Amendment 4 Takes Taxes From “Screwy” to “Screwier”
Other Flagler government leaders joined Jon Netts in criticism of of proposed Constitutional Amendment 4, which would limit the tax liability of commercial, rental and vacant properties while lowering the tax liability of first-time home-buyers, but at the expense of local government revenue, which has been battered since 2007.
Horseman, Termed Drunk, Takes Bunnell Police on Long Chase Through the City
Charles Cowart, 29, was arrested and charged with charged with disorderly conduct and cruelty to animals, among other charges, after the chase forced a train to stop and brought various parts of Bunnell to a brief, gaping standstill.
Tyler Scott Van Balvern, 21, Victim of Fourth Motorcycle Fatality in 7 Weeks On Flagler Roads
The body of Tyler Scott Van Balvern, 21, the latest motorcyclist killed since Aug. 1 on Flagler roads was discovered Sunday in a ditch roughly across from the Black Cloud Saloon. The motrcycle was located almost 40 feet inside the woodline.
Flagler’s SAT Scores Tumble to Lowest Level in at Least 8 Years as Florida’s Improve
The declines some of them steep, took place in all categories–reading, math, writing–at both Flagler Palm Coast High School and Matanzas High School, with one exception in reading at Matanzas.
Capsized Speedboat, High on Marijuana Bricks, Washes up on Flagler Shore
The 25-foot speedboat bearing a stash of marijuana, which washed up on shore Sunday and Monday, was beached near the Flagler By the Sea campsite in Beverly Beach. Such speedboats have become a means of choice for smugglers of drugs or human traffickers in recent years.
In Flagler’s Elections, Some Coffers Are Depleted, Some Rich in Out-Of-County Donors
The biggest contrast s in the Frank Meeker-Abby Romaine race for the Flagler County Commission, with almost 80 percent of Meeker’s money coming from out of the county, and 100 percent of Romaine’s coming from within it.
State Attorney Files Attempted Murder Charges on Phillip Neal Following Bunnell Brawl
Philip Neal, a 28-year-old resident of Bunnell who’s been booked into the Flagler County jail 18 times in four years, and served 16 months in state prison, is accused of firing several rounds from a .38-caliber gun at Deron Carter the night of Aug. 25 in Bunnell.
A 32-Year-Old Woman Is Robbed in the Mondex; Deputies Seeking Clues
A man claiming to have a gun pushed the woman to the ground and took her necklace when she told him she had no money. He fled. The robber was described as being white with a stocky build and long, black hair.
Station Wagon Drives Through Garage and Into a House in the Woodlands
A Chevrolet station wagon driven by one of the elderly homeowners at 14 Blackthorn Court, a house in Palm Coast’s Wooodlands, ran through the property’s two-car garage and into the utility room, damaging the garage and a load-bearing wall.
Flagler Beach Ending Cable-Casting of Meetings in Favor of Live Webcasts
Flagler Beach had been contracting with Palm Coast’s municipal TV production crew, for $10,000 a year, to broadcast its meetings on cable, several days after the fact. The city will save at least $6,000 a year by webcasting the meetings live.
FPL Begins Installing Smart Meters in Flagler as PSC Takes on Devices’ Emitted Controversies
FPL will begin installing 50,000 smart meters in Flagler County this month and continue installing them through the fall, while the Florida Public Service Commission on Thursday devotes a daylong workshop to questions about smart meters and health effects, privacy, data security and alternatives.
In Flagler and Across Florida, More Perky Housing Sales Point to Encouraging Trends
Sales of single family homes in Flagler were up 9.5 percent in August over a year ago, 10.8 percent across Florida, while pending sales have skyrocketed in further signs of health for the battered housing sector, even as prices still stagnate.
Mother Chases and Fights a Boy On a School Bus, Drawing Charges; Sheriff Releases Video
Felecia Phillips, 35, of Espanola, is accused of attacking a boy at a bus stop Wednesday morning, then chasing him onto the bus that was to take him to FPC. She was arrested on child abuse and trespassing charges.
Flagler Beach’s Haley Watson and Eric Worley Win 2012 Easterns Surfing Championships
Flagler Beach’s Haley Watson and Eric Worley took first place in both their divisions at the 2012 Easterns Surfing Championships in Nags Head, on North carolina’s Outer Banks, on Tuesday.
Palm Coast Toughs: Fake Pot Banned, Garage Sales Watched, Woodlands Development a Go
In a series of decisions Tuesday, two of them defying strong public sentiment, the Palm Coast City Council voted to prohibit the sale of legal products known as synthetic marijuana, require permits for garage sales, and open the way for a vast assisted-living development at the edge of the Woodlands.
At Matanzas High School, an Irrepressible Teacher’s Untimely Farewell, For Now
Jo Ann Nahirny, an English teacher at Matanzas, put in her last day of the year today before a three-month leave filled with radiation treatments and surgery as she battles a cancer’s recurrence. This is the story of her last day in class.
County Sends Protest Letter to Palm Coast Over Red-Light Spy Cameras on SR100
The Flagler County Commission is asking the Palm Coast City Council to reconsider installing some of its 52 spy-and-snap traffic cameras on SR100 because the county claims it will inhibit shopping and tourism, and leave a bad taste in visitors’ mouths just as the county is advertising itself as a welcoming beachside destination.
Warning of “Scary Things” in Coming Election, County Attorney Hadeed Urges Voter Education
In a surprisingly candid talk framed around the 225th anniversary of the Constitution, Flagler County Attorney Al Hadeed warned of the potentially corrupting influence of money in Florida’s judicial elections, and of the Legislature’s loading of the November ballot with 11 purposefully long and confusing constitutional amendments, a spiteful snub of the Supreme Court.
Palm Coast Data’s Latest Revenue Down 18.6% Over the Year But Ticks Up in 2012
Palm Coast Data revenue fell to $13.6 million in the quarter ending July 31, compared to $16.5 million a year ago, and $32 million in 2008. Parent-company Amrep Corp. posted its 12th loss of the last 16 quarters.
Avoiding F-16 Intercept, Teens-in-Flight Team Delivers Aurora Gift and Heads Home
Jack Howell’s Teens-in-Flight mission to deliver $10,000 to defray the medical expenses of the victims of the Aurora, Colo., movie theater shooting culminated on Saturday. The trio aboard the Cessna began the flight home early Sunday.
Former Palm Coast Councilman William Venne Is Hurt Along With Flagler Deputy in a Crash
William Venne, 80, a member of the Palm Coast City Council from 2000 to 2007, crashed into a Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy’s cruiser driven by Darrell Butler, 26, at Palm Coast Parkway and Belle Terre Parkway Thursday evening.
Trey Corbett, Running for Flagler Supervisor Of Elections, Trips Over Several Election Rules
From a minor fine to more serious questions about his home and where he’s voted for the last four elections, Trey Corbett’s pattern of issues stand out because of the office he’s seeking, since he would be responsible for monitoring and controlling those very issues as supervisor of elections.
John M. Robinson, 33, Killed in Motorcycle Wreck on US1, Third Bike Fatality in a Row
John Michael Robinson, 33, of Palm Coast, was traveling north on U.S. 1 after midnight this morning (Sept. 14) when he lost control, overturned, and was was killed at the scene, the third motorcycle-related fatality on Flagler roads in six weeks.
Finally for Flagler, a Visitation Safe Haven for Children and Victims of Domestic Violence
The Safe Haven Center for severed families needing a supervised, safe place for children’s visitations or exchanges, would spare families trip to Volusia or St. Johns–or meeting around the flagpole at the courthouse. The $400,000 federal grant was secured and executed by a group of local government and non-governmental leaders led by Judge Raul Zambrano, Commissioner Barbara Revels, and Abby Romaine, a candidate for the commission.
A Rash Shooting Outside Flagler Beach’s Lazy Pelican Lands 38-Year-Old Woman in Jail
Maureen Witkowski, a 38-year-old resident of Flagler Beach, was arrested on three gun-related charges after firing a gun outside the Lazy Pelican, a bar on A1A, the evening of Sept. 11.
Jamesine Fischer’s Hit-and-Run Trial Pushed to January, Benefitting Flagler Sheriff Fleming
Jamesine Fischer, facing a first-degree felony charge in the killing 76-year-old Francoise Pecqueur in a hit-and-run almost a year ago, will go to trial in January. The continuance works in favor of Flagler County Sheriff Don Fleming’s re-election campaign.
Flagler 911: Cocaine and Baby Formula, Anger Over a Neighbor’s Friendliness, Battling Roomies
A 62-year-old man allegedly batters a young boy for using his neighbor’s dock, an alleged drug dealer worries about his baby’s formula, a man refuses to roll a cigarette for his girlfriend and pays the consequences, roommates won;t get along, and a series of larcenies, burglaries and other matters fill out Palm Coast’s and Flagler County’s crime blotter.
The Sheltering Tree, Flagler’s Homeless Shelter, Holds Fundraiser for Center Sunday
Flagler County’s Sheltering Tree, the county’s only homeless shelter, holds its “Steps to Success” Fundraiser at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 16 at the Hammock Community Center, 79 Malacompra Road, off State Road A1A in Palm Coast. Tickets are $25.
Adopting Legally Blurry Policing Role, Palm Coast Takes On Synthetic Pot Sellers
The Palm Coast City Council would impose a $300-a-day fine on convenience stores that persist in selling legal products known as synthetic marijuana, and would use its code enforcement as its policing arm, with assistance from the sheriff’s office.
At Finn’s in Flagler Beach, a Violent Fight With Lasting Consequences, and Arrests
Kristin Howard’s arrest today was the latest development in a tangled and violent brawl that involved a half dozen people at Finn’s, the bar in Flagler Beach, on Aug. 30. Harley J. King, who’d been released from state prison just five weeks earlier, was arrested on Sept. 3. More arrests may yet follow.
Mulligan: County Re-Enacts Beach Dredging Meeting It Had Closed to the Public in July
A citizen had complained in July to the Flagler County Commission about a closed-door meeting on beach dredging proposals between the county administration and the U.S. Corps of Engineers that had nevertheless included three elected members of the Flagler Beach City Commission. Monday’s meeting was a redo for the public’s benefit.
Follow the Lead of Flagler Beach’s Restaurants: Trash the Styrofoam
Restaurants in Flagler Beach, among them the Turtle Shack and the Flagler Fish Company, decided to drop the use of Styrofoam and adopt all-recyclable containers, taking a lead other local businesses should follow, Frank Gromling writes, given Styrofoam’s polluting and carcinogenic properties.
Flagler County Art League’s Color Splash Returns with Brash of Brush
The Flagler County Art League’s “Color Splash” exhibit, featuring some 100 works in numerous mediums, opens Sept. 8 and runs through September and parallels growing success for the league’s classes.
Despite County’s Spike, Most Flagler and City Homeowners’ Tax Bills Will Fall in 2013
It’s been a familiar and recurring complaint, but also an inaccurate one: that property taxes keep going up. They don’t. For most people, property taxes fell this year. And for most people, property taxes will either stay flat or fall again in 2013. Here are the city-by-city details.
Don’t Talk to an Empty Chair: Flagler Beach Museum Goes Boots and Bling for Bunnell
The Flagler Beach Historical Museum’s annual costume gala fund-raiser Saturday at the Black Cloud Saloon in Bunnell will be paired up with a 99th birthday bash for Bunnell, in preparation for that city’s centennial.
Car Overturns on U.S. 1; Injured, Fleeing Driver Is Caught and Booked on Several Warrants
Three people were sent to the hospital, one of them after he fled on foot and was caught and handcuffed about 500 yards south of the wreck scene. He had several warrants out on him.
For the Flagler Youth Orchestra’s 8th Season, 200 Students Join Before Recruiting Begins
A Flagler Youth Orchestra trio is visiting five Flagler County schools Thursday and Friday in the FYO’s annual recruiting tour, but a record number of students have already signed up for the increasingly popular program ahead of its open house on Sept. 12.
Woodlands Residents Hear More Promises Than Certainties About Looming Development
The Palm Coast City Council unanimously approved land-use changes that would open the way to a vast assisted living facility and commercial complex adjacent to the Woodlands, the old, rustic neighborhood, worrying residents that their subdivision’s character is in jeopardy.
State Attorney Files Charges Against Both Individuals in Odd Brittany Lane Shooting
Marc Barbee and Stephen Metcalf were involved in a strange confrontation on Brittany Lane when Barbee shot at Metcalf and accused him of trying to run him over with a truck–an accusation the sheriff’s office threw out after investigating the case.
Split Flagler Commission Approves $900,000 Tourism Budget With Glaring Increases
The $100,000 budget increase over the current year led one commissioner to raise objections over a doubling in rent costs and a tripling in furniture costs, while another commissioner objected to the rebranding of tourism efforts to include Palm Coast on par with Flagler’s beaches.
On Garage Sales, Palm Coast Rejects $5 Fee But Preserves Registration Requirement
Facing almost unanimous public opposition, the Palm Coast City Council reversed plans to impose a $5 fee for garage sales but will still require a computerized permit and registration system to enforce a 2-sale limit per year.
S.E. Cline Lands $216,000 Contract With Flagler, Hold the Controversy
S.E. Cline was one of two bidders to out improvements to the River to Sea Preserve park in northeast Flagler. County commissioners approved the contract unanimously.
