Michael Vieira wanted to buy Marijuana from Jordan Marrero. Marrero sold him and Vieira’s friend grass clippings for $100. There was a chase. An alleged beating and alleged kidnapping. All three ended up in jail.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
Postcard-Size Economic Development: Palm Coast’s Plea to Absentee Property Owners
The city administration is planning to send postcards to owners of some 18,000 empty lots and 5,400 empty homes as a step to reviving the real estate market, though the city’s development policy is at cross-purposes with filling those empty lots.
News-Journal Pounds 71-Year-Old Palm Coast Man’s Door Over $3.97 Bill; Gun and Cop Follow
Robert Leard of Palm Coast’s R section dropped his subscription last year. A salesman showed up and pounded on his door Saturday night. Frightened, Leard told him to “get the hell away from my door.” All over $3.97.
Palm Coast Appears to Retreat from Airport Annexation, But It’s No County Victory
A proposed agreement between the city and the county over the Flagler County Airport gives in to the county’s ownership rights, but with so many caveats that the airport zone would be a quasi city neighborhood.
Ten Flagler Churches, Almost as Many Denominations, One Big Unity Celebration Jan. 22
Following up on last year’s celebration across denomination, the Second Flagler Churches Together in Prayer and Song brings together 10 congregations at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton on Jan. 22.
Palm Coast “Joy Ride” Draws Far Fewer Participants Than Anticipated
Palm Coast’s “joy ride,” rescheduled to Saturday after its December cancellation, drew about 80 biking enthusiasts, and interviews for a potential BMX reality show drew a dozen or two prospective local actors.
Craving Art? Garren, Graham, Cerreta and More Dish It Out: 3 Local Galleries, 3 New Shows
No lack of art: Beth Garren, JJ Graham, Peter Cerreta and some 40 other artists show new work at Hollingsworth Gallery and the Flagler County Art League in Palm Coast, and at the Gallery of Local Art (GOLA) in Flagler Beach.
Bunnell’s Armando Martinez: Cop or City Manager? Constitution Says Choose One
Martinez is city manager and public safety director, at an extra cost of $11,000 to taxpayers. Yet the state constitution is clear: “No person shall hold at the same time more than one office under the government of the state and the counties and municipalities therein.”
County Commissioners Trip Into “Inadvertent” Sunshine Violations Through Emails
County administrator Craig Coffey solicited feedback from commissioners on an economic development document he was preparing. Two commissioners copied their replies to fellow-commissioners, a violation of the sunshine law.
Flagler Sheriff Bans Inmates From Writing Or Receiving Personal Mail Other Than Postcards
Citing savings and security, the sheriff is banning non-postcard correspondence beginning Jan. 15. The ban costs inmates money and chills their speech, a federal lawsuit filed over a similar policy in Santa Rosa County charges.
FPC Graduate Kristen Hadeed’s Student Maid Co. Tapped for ABC TV’s “Extreme Makeover”
Kristen Hadeed, a 2006 FPC graduate, built Student Maid, a Gainesville-based cleaning service, from scratch in the last two years. A crew of 30 will donate its time to ABC’s “Extreme Makeover” shoot in Clay County later this month.
Between Authority and Authoritarianism: Conklin and Pryor Clash Over Principal Power
The school board is debating a new policy and procedure controlling the staging of controversial plays. Matanzas Principal Chris Pryor doesn’t want to be “second-guessed.” Board member Conklin doesn’t want unilateral decision-making.
For Jobless Flagler, 3 Economic Development Plans But Little Direction or Unity
As joblessness persists in Flagler County, local governments want to increase their role in economic development, but there’s no agreement about who would lead, and how.
News-Journal Circulation Plummets 10% in First 6 Months Under New Ownership
The News-Journal circulation has fallen by more than 41,000 copies, or 39 percent since 2005 though its recent, accelerating decline is far steeper than losses the newspaper industry is experiencing across the country.
Georgia Aquarium Buys Marineland’s Dolphin Attraction and Takes It Off the Tax Rolls
The $9.1 million acquisition from Jim Jacoby–who bought the Marineland attraction in 2001 for $1.9 million–took place just before the New Year. It’ll be run as a non-profit, so Marineland as a town will lose a third of its tax revenue.
Revels Plan Would Resurrect Carver Gym—If It Can Surmount Buck-Passing
The county and the school board appear ready to commit their recurring share of Carver Gym’s annual bill. Bunnell, where the gym is located, and other groups are either less committed or less certain about their capabilities.
Extreme Drought Conditions Prompt Flagler To Extend State of Emergency Indefinitely
Flagler County is among a handful of regions in the United States facing extreme drought conditions. The burn ban is designed to stem what could be an active and dangerous wildfire season, starting much earlier than normal.
From DuPont to ITT: A Century of Marketing Flagler County to Northern Chill Migrants
Marketing Flagler County: Sisco Deen tells the story of the DuPont Land Co.’s — and other development companies’ — marketing schemes to get northerners to buy in Flagler County, long before ITT industrialized the process.
Flagler Lays Off Sex as Births Fall For First Time in 16 Years; Deaths Also Dip
Flagler County’s old norms keep dying. Used to be that property values never fell. And for more than two decades, they didn’t. They only increased. That changed in 2008, when they fell 8.5 percent, and kept falling more steeply the next two years. Values are set to fall again next year, if the last six […]
Christmas Eve Shooting Update: Victim, With Long Rap Sheet, Had Just Posted Bond
Christian Grasso, the 28-year-old victim of a shooting on a Flagler Beach street on Christmas eve, has been in and out of jail almost a dozen times in Flagler and Volusia counties since 2005.
Fire Demolishes Half a House on Forsythe; Oxygen Mask for 10-Year-Old Cat
The fire at 104 Forsythe Ln. off of Old Kings Road in North Palm Coast was called in by a neighbor. Neither owner was home. But two dogs and a cat were.
Shooting Shatters Christmas Eve Calm in Flagler Beach; Suspect Still at Large
One man was shot at 8:50 p.m. Friday, leaving a pool of blood in the middle of the street on South Central Avenue between 20th and 21st Streets. Police had no information regarding motives. The shooter got away.
Christmas Rescue: Flagler Beach Firemen Save Knocked-Out Veteran From Blazing Home
The Flagler Beach Fire Department’s Scott Jackson and Alex Wilhite pulled unconscious 44-year-old Roy Davis out of his burning home at The Village apartments Thursday morning. Includes photo gallery.
Negotiations Over New Pier Restaurant Lease Crawl Between Nods and Deal-Breakers
A marathon negotiating session over a new Pier Restaurant lease between the Flagler Beach City Commission and restaurateur Raymond Barshay left several issues unsettled.
Open Field: Ron Vath and Joy McGrew Will Not Run Again for Flagler Beach Commission
Between them Vath and McGrew had 15 years’ experience on the city commission. McGrew was also the commission’s most influential swing voter. Their departure will likely invite a large field of candidates.
Greasy Spoon No More? Flagler Beach Ready to Negotiate New Lease for Pier Restaurant
A year of indecision later, Flagler Beach city commissioners will discuss a 31-year lease with Ormond Beach restaurant owner Raymond Barshay at a special meeting of the commission on Dec. 22.
Ready for Prime Time: Back Home at FPC, IB Conquerors Claim Their Diplomas
A majority of Flagler Palm Coast High School’s IB class of 2010–32 students, all of them now in college–returned on Monday afternoon for their diploma ceremony, an occasion small in numbers but oversize in achievements.
Messy Proposal: Scenic A1A Group’s $15,000 Beach-Cleanup Request Turned Down Again
Friends of Scenic A1A are seeking the $15,000 to conduct monthly cleanups of beaches along Flagler. The Tourist Development Council has been unimpressed with the proposal’s lack of clarity and accountability.
Flagler Unemployment Spikes Back Up to 16.6% and Florida’s Back Up to 12%
Just as Congress sent an $801 billion tax cut package that includes $57 billion in extended unemployment benefits, Florida’s and Flagler’s unemployment rates resume their climb. That climb should be brief, however.
Flagler 911: The Live Crime Blotter, Dec. 10-14, 2010
Must be Christmas: a slew of shoplifting–wine and cheese at Publix, shoes at Bealls, beer at target, some toy at Walmart–plus an angry dog, an unlucky jailbird, and more.
A.J. Neste and Hollingsworth Gallery Frame Young Photographers’ Voices in 1-Night Show
The 15 photographers in the Florida Endowment Foundation’s “Voice” program learned to frame, shoot and market their work all the way to Palm Coast’s premier gallery, where they had a brush with the feel of an art show opening.
Break-In at Leah’s Jewelry and Pawn Shop on Old Kings Road
The robber was still at the shop when deputies arrived. He fled, jumping a chain link fence, and disappeared into the woods. A search with K-9 units and a helicopter did not locate him.
Bunnell Bull Run: Which Is Better, The North or the South? Answer: a Stabbing
Four men were riding in a car around Palm Coast and Bunnell. Two of them started arguing about the North and the South. It escalated. One of them then stabbed the other.
Half of Flagler’s Legislative Delegation Listens to Local Pleas Without Quite Hearing Them
Sen. John Thrasher and State Rep. Fred Costello listened to 90 minutes of pleas and policy suggestions from Flagler County officials Wednesday in Bunnell. Whether they heard anything is debatable. And two of Flagler’s legislators didn’t show up.
Palm Coast’s Population Drops to 69,000 in Latest Census Estimate, Flagler’s to 85,600
While those aren’t yet the final 2010 Census figures, the 5-year community survey numbers are the next-most precise set of data, with startling results for Flagler County, Palm Coast, Flagler Beach and Bunnell.
Trial May Settle Ginn-County Dispute Over Towering Condo at Hammock Dunes
Neighbors and the county strenuously objected to Ginn-Lubert-Adler’s proposal to build a massive, 561-unit condo-hotel on the beach at the end of 16th Road, even after the developer scaled back the proposal to 289 units.
More Trouble for Palm Coast Marathon Promoter Dean Reinke: Sued in Federal Court
A Missouri city last week filed a motion for an injunction against Dean Reinke of Reinke Sports Group, who faces a copyright-infringement suit in Indiana and a string of setbacks in other cities where he staged half-marathons.
End of the Trail for New Palm Coast Parks As Money and Visionary Plans Dry Up
Despite a deficit of park acreage in the city, Palm Coast doesn’t plan to build another park for several years. In a concession to homebuilders, nor doesn’t it plan to change the fees levied on new construction to ensure more robust park financing in future.
Palm Coast’s Chrysler Dealership Burglarized, Jacksonville Thieves Descend on the City
The burglar at the Chrysler dealership on S.R. 100 tried but fail to drive a car out of the service department. Deputies in unrelated incidents arrested three alleged retail thieves in Palm Coast, all of them from Jacksonville.
Palm Coast Data Parent’s Headaches: Diving Revenue and $22.5 Million Loan Due
At Palm Coast Data, revenue declined $10.9 million in the six months ending Oct. 31, a 22 percent decline from the same period last year. Palm Coast Data parent AMREP Corp.’s Southwest subsidiary owes a $22.5 million loan to be repaid on Dec. 16.
A Man and a Boy Are Injured as Their Truck Smashes Into a Canal in The Mondex
Billy Dunson, a resident of the Mondex in his late 20s or early 30s, and 10-year-old Kyle, were taken to Halifax Hospital after the crash just before 9 p.m. Sunday evening.
Video: Christmas Parade in Town Center
What was once a modest affair that took place in various spots around town this time drew some 85 floats and other entrants along a parade route in Palm Coast’s Town Center.
Robert Hodoba, 85-Year-Old Involved in Dec. 7 Wreck at SR100, Dies from His Injuries
Robert Hodoba was a long-time resident of Flagler Beach. He was involved in a two-vehicle crash under the I-95 bridge on SR100.
Encore: Flagler County Artist of the Year Edson Beckett at Hollingsworth Gallery
Edson Beckett, a ceramics, photography and graphic design teacher at Flagler Palm Coast High School for 22 years, is the Gargiulo Art Foundation’s 11th Artist of the Year since the award’s inaugural in 2000.
Flagler Sheriff’s 34-Year-Old Son Arrested on Xanax Possession
Sheriff Don Fleming’s son’s arrest is taking place on the heels of the sheriff’s continuing campaign to toughen local ordinances in an effort to prevent the proliferation of so-called pill mills that are ravaging South Florida.
Despite Evidence, Palm Coast Hooks Up With Marathon Promoter With Troubled History
Dean Reinke’s Reinke Sports Group has left a trail of severed relationships, disillusioned local officials and one law suit in several cities where Reinke has promoted his half marathons. Palm Coast is now embracing him.
Daytona North Fire Starts in a Trailer and Burns 8.8 Acres; No One Hurt
Particularly dry conditions helped the afternoon fire in the Mondex run through brush. Some 15 firefighting units from various agencies, and Flagler County’s Fireflight, helped suppress the fire.
The Week’s Highlights: FlaglerLive’s Video Recap, Dec. 2-8, 2010
On Point With Charlotte Martens reviews the week’s main events, including Flagler teachers’ new deal, the county commission’s new chairman, a string of wrecks, the Auditorium’s Holiday Extravaganza, and more.
Youth Orchestra’s “Gift of Music” Concert Kicks Off Auditorium’s Holiday Extravaganza Tonight
Close to 300 students in the Flagler Youth Orchestra take to the stage at the Flagler Auditorium for their 16th major concert in six years, their second under the direction of Caren Umbarger.
That Grand Theft Auto Had Plenty of Chasing and a Crash, But Was No Game
Palm Coast’s specialty for weird crimes carries on. The latest involves 18-year-old William Phillips, who saw an idling car, seized it, took off, and crashed into a garage before being arrested.