“I’m sorry,” Writes Smitty, “I didn’t think it would go this far. Look at what I filmed at an unnamed Flagler Beach restaurant yesterday.” He graciously apologizes, too.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
Flagler County Jail Daily Bookings: Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2011
Flagler County jail daily bookings for the week of Oct. 28-Nov. 4, 2011. With links to inmate search functions, visitation rules and correspondence requirements.
200 Opponents of a Matanzas Woods Complex Tantalized By City Hints of a Solution
Palm Coast Manager Jim Landon told opponents of the Sawgrass Villas project that the city might entice the bank that owns the land to open a branch on SR100, buying city land and enabling the city to buy the Matanzas Woods property.
49-Year-Old Arrested on I-95 for Lewd and Lascivious Acts on 14-Year-Old Runaway
Todd Blanchard of Jacksonville was stopped just north of the Palm Coast Parkway Wednesday morning as he drove shirtless and allegedly masturbating a 14-year-old Orlando runaway in the passenger seat.
4 Life Terms as Jury Finds Bloods Gang Leader Brandon Washington Guilty on All Charges
Brandon Elshawon Washington was found guilty of second degree murder, racketeering, armed burglary and attempted home invasion by a jury that deliberated just two hours after an eight-day trial. He was sentenced to four life terms.
Bunnell Commission, With 14 Jobs in Jeopardy, Calls Emergency Meeting for Today
The Florida Department of Transportation has contracted with Bunnell for the past six years for road maintenance. Now Bunnell is one of 24 bidders on the same contract, and it’s heavily disfavored as Gov. Rick Scott pushes for privatization.
Small Crowd, Loud Responses as Awake the State Demonstration Occupies Palm Coast
Some 50 to 60 protesters grabbed drivers’ attention at Palm Coast Parkway and Belle Terre Tuesday afternoon, echoing in signs much of the outrage that the Occupy Wall Street movement is making familiar across the nation.
Early Voting for Palm Coast Council Exceeds Previous Election’s With 5 Days to Go
By day’s end Tuesday 1,862 votes were recorded, exceeded by 148 the total early-vote tally in last month’s mayoral race, though turnout remains low relative to Palm Coast’s 50,000 registered voters.
Occupy Flagler Awakes the State Today as Movements Merge in Defense of Middle Class
The Occupy Flagler-Awake the State demonstration is taking place today at Belle Terre Parkway and Palm Coast Parkway, on the Kohl’s side of the street, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Council Candidate DeLorenzo Takes $500 From Waste Pro Even as City Mulls Garbage Contract
Jason DeLorenzo defended the decision to take the money, one of two of his largest contributions, saying he hadn’t seen it as a conflict nor had he thought about it, but conceding in retrospect that it was “a bad decision.”
This Week in Flagler and Tallahassee: Women Take Over Flagler’s Stages
A dull week in politics, not a dull week on stage: It might as well be Seneca Falls in Flagler County this week as women take over at the City Repertory Theatre (“Talking With…” and the Flagler Playhouse (“Steel Magnolias”). Plus, First Fridays in Flagler Beach and celebrations at Washington Oaks.
Flagler 911: The Live Crime Blotter
Squatters arrested on Milwaukee Ave., chasing an undocumented alien in Holland Park, midnight obscenities in the Mondex, a probation violation on speed, and the usual thefts from unlocked cars.
In “Talking With…,” Yet Another Triumph for Palm Coast’s Embryonic City Repertory Theatre
Jane Martin’s “Talking With…” is an emotional roller-coaster of laughs and sorrows through 11 women’s monologues, superbly pulled off in Palm Coast’s City Repertory Theatre’s newest production at Hollingsworth Gallery.
In a Switch, Flagler Beach Backs Doggie Dining At Some Restaurants, With Regulations
Dog-friendly dining in Flagler Beach, never exactly absent from some restaurants, is now entirely legal and embraced by the city commission that had sought to ban it just a few weeks ago.
Nuisance Bust in Palm Coast’s R Section Has Neighbors Cheering as 5 Are Arrested
The house at 20 Rockne Lane is in foreclosure and severely damaged inside, and was allegedly used for minor drug activity. Five people were arrested there.
Foreclosure Tale: When Renters, Despite Protections, Are Intimidated Into Leaving
Palm Coast’s Genis family–mother, father, six children–was duly paying rent on its Smith Trail home when it was sold by the court and the family was given 10 days to clear out, even though it never saw an eviction notice.
68-Year-Old Driver Jailed in Flagler After Eluding 5 Cop Agencies and Ramming a Cruiser
Ronald Pinkerton, 68, was chased by Port Orange, Holly Hill, Ormond Beach, Volusia and Flagler cops early Thursday before finally be stopped by Flagler deputies and taken to jail, his face lacerated and bloodied.
Visitor in Critical Condition After Car Strikes Him Near the Flagler Beach Pier
Antonio Branca was walking back to his car near the pier in Flagler Beach was struck by a Cadillac Thursday afternoon and taken to Halifax hospital in critical condition.
Drawing Mayor’s Rebuke, Palm Coast Manager’s Trash Talk Skips Agenda Notice
Palm Coast City Manager Jim Landon drew up bid restrictions for the city’s $35 million trash contract designed to favor Waste Pro, the current hauler, while virtually disqualifying others–and preventing two potential new city council members from having a say in the contract.
Ethics Commission Finds Against Oel Wingo, ex-Palm Coast Deputy Manager, on Various Charges
The Florida Ethics Commission found probable cause that Oel Wingo, in her brief tenure as Holly Hill city manager last year, misused her position, falsified and destroyed public records. Wingo served in Palm Coast for a decade.
Subtle Revelations as Commissioners Speed-Date Through 15 Job Council Candidates
An inside look at today’s rapid-fire one-on-one job interviews with 15 of the 36 candidates looking to fill the county commission’s nine-member economic development council.
Florida Lawmaker Proposes Broader GPS Tracking of Juvenile Offenders
Florida’s Juvenile Justice system eliminated its ankle-monitoring system in 2004. GPS tracking would be cheaper, but also possibly more pervasive, and paid for out of local dollars set aside for various court initiatives.
300-Ft. No-Surf Zone Plan Around Flagler Beach Pier Has Surfers Angling for Battle
A season rich in storms, good waves and good fishing resulted in renewed clashes between fishermen and surfers around the Flagler Beach pier, and the latest proposal to extend the no-surf zone around it, priming angers before Thursday’s Flagler Beach City Commission meeting.
Flagler 911: The Live Crime Blotter
A son allegedly beats up his elderly mother just back from visiting her husband at the hospital, a pit bull bites a 10-year-old boy, trespassers aplenty, and again with people who don;t lock their cars then call the cops to complain about stolen GPS devices.
Andrew Young, a Civil Rights Star, Glitters Over African American Cultural Society’s 20th
Andrew Young headlined Palm Coast’s African American Cultural Society’s 20th anniversary celebration Sunday with humor, a little Martin Luther King memorabilia, and a lot of pragmatic hope about American culture.
Flagler County Jail Daily Bookings: Oct. 21-28, 2011
Flagler County jail daily bookings for the week of Oct. 21-28, 2011. With links to inmate search functions, visitation rules and correspondence requirements.
This Week in Flagler and Tallahassee: “Talking With…” and Job Interviews
The county commission interviews some two dozen candidates for its new economic development council, the City Repertory Theatre opens “Talking With…”, a new play, Flagler Beach talks surfing.
Transformers: Public Schools Want to Be More Like Charter Schools
Florida public schools, envious of the flexibility enjoyed by charter schools–and fearing a migration to charters–are launching a lobbying campaign in the legislature to relax some public school regulations like class size and school hours.
Unemployment Largely Stalled: 14.6% in Flagler, 10.6% in Florida; Scott in Brazil
With Florida Gov. Rick Scott touting a recovery from a trip in Brazil with 180 politicians, pals and business interests, Florida’s and Flagler’s unemployment numbers remained more static, 20 percent of Floridians either out of work or under-employed.
Cole Bros. Circus Comes to Palm Coast Trailing History of Violations and Animal Abuse Charges
Cole Brothers Circus owner John Pugh pleaded guilty in February to violating the Endangered Species Act and the circus was fined $150,000, and both face a long list of animal abuse and neglect charges from the USDA.
Heiser Time Over: Tourism Council’s Trusted Executive Resigns; Turbulence Ahead
Peggy Heiser’s resignation, attributed to family priorities, will have political and economic ramifications as the Chamber of Commerce’s Doug Baxter–not the tourism council or the county commission–chooses a successor.
Attention Weather Spotters: Free SkyWarn Classes Offered in Flagler on Nov. 7; Registration Required
Free seats are still available for Basic and Advanced SKYWARN classes to be conducted in Flagler County by the National Weather Service on Nov. 7 from 6 to 9 p.m.
Bunnell’s James Hayes, 22, Arrested for Carjacking an 81-Year-Old Woman
James Hayes had been jailed a dozen times in Flagler, on petty charges, until the Oct. 6 carjacking outside a Burger King on U.S. 1 and Grenada Blvd. in Volusia. The car was found Monday in Bunnell.
Palm Coast Pinch-Hits for Troubled Marathon Promoter Dean Reinke, Securing TDC Grant
Half-Marathon promoter Dean Reinke’s Dean Reinke Sports Group attempted three times to get Tourist Development Council subsidies in the last two years and was turned down because of deceptive practices. Palm Coast government stepped in and got the grant for the January event.
Jane Martin’s “Talking With…,” at Palm Coast’s City Repertory Theatre Oct. 28-Nov. 5
Jane Martin–a pen-name–pulls off a clever series of monologues by 11 women in “Talking With,” directed by John Sbordone at Palm Coast’s City Repertory Theatre.
Invoking Migration to Charters, A Split Flagler School Board Favors Move Toward Uniforms
Reacting in part to a pronounced migration of students to charter schools in the county–and in part to its own leanings–the Flagler school board Tuesday agreed to solicit parental input in preparation for a uniform policy.
Night Clerk at Microtel on Old Kings Road Tied and Robbed at Gunpoint
The armed robbery at Microtel a little after 3 a.m. Monday is the second armed robbery in a 1-mile radius in six days. Last week, a resident of the Woodlands was robbed at gunpoint while walking nearby.
Mike Taschler, Palm Coast Data VP and COO, Is Out as Revenue Continues to Fall
Taschler’s departure follows less than three months after the resignation of Palm Coast Data CEO John Meneough, and three weeks after the company posted another steep revenue decline.
Pink Armies Invade Flagler In Varieties Of Breast Cancer Awareness Campaigns
The Flagler County fire department, Palm Coast government, Florida Hospital Flagler, schools and organizations are all in on raising awareness to battle breast cancer in October.
Daily Wadsworth Elementary Jam On Parkview Drive Should End as No Parking Signs Go Up
For several years, Parkview Drive along Wadsworth Elementary has turned into a hazardous, child-crossing parking lot as school lets out. Soon, No Parking signs will go up along the two-lane road, to the displeasure of some and relief of others, in hopes of ending the hazard.
Flagler County Jail Daily Bookings: Oct. 14-28, 2011
Flagler County jail daily bookings for the week of Oct. 14-28, 2011. With links to inmate search functions, visitation rules and correspondence requirements.
This Week in Flagler and Tallahassee: School Uniforms Again and Andrew Young
The African American Cultural Society’s 20th anniversary celebration culminates with a talk by former UN Ambassador and civil rights leader Andrew Young on Oct. 23 at 2 p.m. at Matanzas High’s Pirate Theater.
From Harvest Hoedown to Smashing Illiteracy
At the Palm Coast Tennis Center, it was all about raising dollars for Flagler’s Dolly Parton Imagination library, and at Bunnell Elementary, it was the annual Harvest Hoe Down: a sum-up and an image gallery of both.
Scanner Rash: Man Shoots Mom by Accident, 3 More Teens Arrested in Burglary
The shooting took place on Belvedere Lane, the burglary on Eastwood Drive, following by hours another string of teen burglaries. Sheriff Don Fleming is wondering where the children’s parents are.
Seawall Soul-Searching and Yet More Muddles Over Alternatives in Flagler Beach
The Flagler Beach City Commission shelved state transportation dollars that would have refurbished the seawall along 13th Street and skirted around discussions of alternatives to beach-saving in confusing motions Thursday.
Bruce Campbell Appointed Flagler Beach Manager, 5-0, Ending 18-Month Spectacle
With Commission Chairman John Feind switching from opposition to endorsement, Bruce Campbell was finally given the permanent job, unanimously, a year and a half after the city began its search for Bernie Murphy’s replacement.
Two Teens Arrested After Rash of B-Section Burglaries Involving Unlocked Cars
Anthony Clark, 18, of Palm Coast, and William Medders, 17, of Daytona North (the Mondex) were riding bikes on Beechway Lane at 3 a.m. with GPS devices, a radar detector and a Bluetooth in their bags.
Flagler’s State Lawmakers Lend an Ear to Local Pleas in Annual Wish-Listing Ritual
Gambling regulations, state dollars for Flagler’s roads, warnings against the unintended consequences of state budget cuts and numerous more local concerns busied the nearly two-hour meeting between Flagler’s state lawmakers and local politicians, organizations and citizens.
John McDonald, Long-Time Beverly Beach City Commissioner, Dies at 76
John McDonald, a Beverly Beach city commissioner for almost 11 years, had retired there in 1986 after serving 26 years in the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office.
Quiet Woodlands Evening Shaken by an Armed Robbery; Sheriff Looking for Leads
A 32-year-old resident of Palm Coast’s Woodlands was robbed of his cash and cigarettes at gunpoint at Oak Trails Boulevard and Blare Drive, just off of Old Kings Road, just before sunset Tuesday evening.