Evone Diane Clifton, a 39-year-old resident of Hastings, was tased in County Judge Melissa Moore Stens’s courtroom at the Flagler County courthouse on Thursday (Dec. 8) after allegedly fighting and striking bailiffs and refusing to be handcuffed, moments after the judge ordered her re-arrest for failing a urinalysis test. She was supposed to enter a plea on two previous misdemeanor counts that day.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
Belle Terre Parkway Road Work Near Indian Trails Middle School Will Cause Headaches Through March
Belle Terre Parkway construction near Indian Trails Middle and Belle Terre Elementary will run from Dec. 12 to March 30. The stormwater culvert pipes that run parallel to and under the southbound lane of Belle Terre Parkway must be repaired to stabilize the road and prevent more dips from forming.
Couple Face 30 Years in Prison for Orchestrating a ‘Hit’ on an Inmate at Flagler County Jail
Margaret Octavia Watkins, 37, and her boyfriend Raymond Wesley Dukes, 52, both of Bunnell, face first-degree felony charges and up to 30 years in prison each for allegedly orchestrating the brutal beating of an inmate at the Flagler County jail in June.
Ending Green Lion Era, Palm Coast Readies to Sign 5-Year Lease With Loopers at Palm Harbor Golf Course
The Palm Coast City Council at a meeting Tuesday is set to approve a five-year lease with Loopers at Palm Harbor Golf Club, replacing the Green Lion after five years. Loopers is owned by Jamie Bourdeau, who has owned Beach Front Grille in Flagler Beach since 2014.
Bunnell Elementary’s Robin Jaques Lands $10,000 Golden Grant for Literacy Initiative
Bunnell Elementary and teacher Robin Jaques are one of 11 Central Florida schools in Florida to be awarded a Golden Grant from J-Quint LLC, a franchisee of McDonald’s restaurants. Jaques’s award is for $10,000.
Flagler County Accuses Dune Hold-Out of ‘Bad Faith’ and ‘Abomination,’ and Wants Property Seized
Flagler County government is accusing the lone hold-out in a planned dune-rebuilding project along State Road A1A in Flagler Beach of “bad faith,” “fraud” and deception, and is asking a federal court to revoke her discharge from bankruptcy and enable the government to seize all but her homesteaded assets. Cynthia d’Angiolini, the 71-year-old property owner, today countered that “Flagler County is not a creditor in this case and has no standing.”
18 Arrested Out of 35 Sought in Sheriff’s Latest Round-Up of Suspected ‘Poison Peddlers’
The 11-month undercover operation started in January, culminating today with 24 search warrants and the seizure of drugs with a street value of $5.7 million. The round-up netted 18 arrests at the time of the sheriff’s announcement, out of 35 people sought. Heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, morphine, methamphetamines, marijuana and other drugs were among those seized, along with 13 firearms–seven of them rifles.
Wawa Will Rise in Place of Paul Katz Building on Palm Coast Parkway and Florida Park Drive
A second Wawa is coming to Palm Coast. It’ll be built in place of the Paul Katz Professional Building at 1 Florida Park Drive South, on Palm Coast Parkway, next year. The three-level, 35,000-square-foot Katz office building, one of the oldest and more architecturally eye-catching structures in the city will be demolished.
Surging Private and Home School Enrollment Shelves One of Flagler District’s 2 Planned New Schools for Now
The Flagler County school district will start planning for a third high school during the 2024-25 school year. But plans for a new middle school, originally projected for the end of the decade, have been pushed out beyond that horizon for now as enrollment is not meeting expectations.
Flagler School Board’s Colleen Conklin and Cheryl Massaro Will Not Run for Re-Election in 2024
Colleen Conklin’s and Cheryl Massaro’s decision will have far-reaching consequences, ensuring that the new board in 2024 will have the shortest combined experience on the board in at least two decades and a half and giving the culture-war hard-right another opening to win a majority.
Billing Herself as ‘Fiercely Independent,’ Dr. Wendolyn Sneed Will Be District’s Next Medical Examiner
A panel of powerful law enforcement, judicial and medical officials today unanimously chose Dr. Wendolyn Sneed, the chief medical examiner in Palm Beach county, as the next chief medical examiner for Flagler, St. Johns and Putnam counties, one of the most powerful, least visible jobs in the judicial system. The job pays $320,000 a year.
18 Years in the Works, Commerce Parkway Connection from SR100 to US1 Is Finally a Go
The $15 million two-lane road (utilities included) will connect State Road 100 to U.S. 1 around Bunnell’s east side, with construction expected to start next summer. The County Commission cleared the project on Monday.
Flagler County Gets $5 Million for Emergency Sand, But It’ll Rebuild Barely 2 Miles of Skinny Dunes
Flagler County government secured $5 million in state dollars for emergency sand to rebuild shoreline eviscerated by recent storms. The money will only allow for about 2 miles of thin, not very durable dune reconstruction, but an additional $5 million is expected in federal funds for thicker dunes, but on a much shorter stretch of shore.
Flagler’s Kindergarteners Have Florida’s Highest Rate of Religious Exemptions from Immunization
Flagler County’s kindergarteners enrolled in public schools have the highest rate of exemption from immunization on religious grounds in Florida–5.5 percent, according to a new report by the Florida Department of Health. It now appears that disinformation about Covid vaccines, which played a large role in keeping the Covid-immunization rate below 70 percent, is infecting trust in other vaccines. That trust is being undermined even by the Florida Department of Health.
In Stunning Revelation, Dune Hold-Out Had Filed for Bankruptcy–and Not Disclosed Parcels’ Value; County Now Has Leverage
Cynthia d’Angiolini, the only property owner holding out from signing an easement to allow a dune rebuilding project in Flagler Beach, had failed to disclose the value of the two parcels in question in a federal bankruptcy proceeding. That now gives the county great leverage to win her signature, since she now may have to pay creditors a five-figure sum, which she does not have, enabling the county to bail her out–and get her signature.
Sheriff and FBI Warn of Holiday Scams, Now Targeting Three Quarters of Adults
Three-quarters of U.S. consumers have experienced or been targeted by at least one form of fraud that can be tied to the holidays, including requests from (often fake) charities, online shopping scams and fraudulent communications about shipping problems.
Matanzas High Teacher Calls Bathrooms a ‘Privilege’ and Threatens to Close Them. District Disavows the Sign.
School officials disavowed a sign calling toilet access a “privilege” and threatening to shut down bathrooms at Matanzas High School. The sign was the work of a teacher frustrated by vandalism and students spending too much time in bathrooms, not school or district policy, officials said, but it’s also a reflection of an ongoing problem with vandalism in school bathrooms, largely attributed to a TikTok “challenge.”
Drawing 90 Boats, Palm Coast Holiday Boat Parade Turns Intracoastal Into River of Cheer
Perhaps a million lights garlanded over boats of all sizes created shooting stars, swooping airplanes, giant Santas, soaring Christmas trees, Grinches, and even dinosaurs, turning the Intracoastal and other parts of the route into rivers of holiday cheer for thousands of spectators lining the parade route.
Nicholas Ceraldi, 50, Is Killed After His Motorcycle Strikes Two Deer in Palm Coast’s F-Section
Nicholas A. Ceraldi, a 50-year-old resident of Firethorn Lane in Palm Coast, was killed shortly after midnight this morning when the motorcycle he was driving struck two deer on his street.
America Wins World Cup of Orientalism
It’s been a perplexing World Cup. Should we be watching this thing? Should we be enjoying it? Shouldn’t we be getting outraged about human rights, LGBTQ rights, the death of migrants, environmental impacts? The questions reflect back on our own prejudices and stereotypes as much as they raise legitimate questions about Qatar’s right to host the biggest sports tournament in the world.
In Local Interview, Paul Renner Repeats Baseless Claims About Drag Queens and ‘Sexualization’ Of Children
Rep. Paul Renner, the Palm Coast-based Republican just elected Speaker of the House, returned to his criticism of “drag queen storytime” today in an interview on WNZF, repeating controversial–and baseless–claims that some parents are more interested in defending drag queens than ensuring that children learn to read.
Setting Off From New North Pole, Shop With a Cop Returns Tonight, Lights Ablaze and Sirens Blaring
Tonight’s the night when the Walmart parking lot will be ablaze with the emergency lights of dozens of cop cars as they converge on the store with 119 children aboard for the annual Shop With a Cop event.
Ex-Palm Coast Doctor Doesn’t Contest Civil Suit Alleging Grave Claims; Judge Sets Trial for Damages
An unusual trial for civil damages that may feature only the plaintiff is scheduled in Flagler County Circuit Court for January against former Palm Coast physician Gerard Abate in a lawsuit he did not contest, alleging he drugged and raped a woman he had met on a dating site.
In Flagler Schools, New Regime of Book Challenges Is Laborious, Subjective and Fraught With Uncertainties
Gray areas of uncertainty, anxiety, subjectivity and a gaping lack of state direction are shading the new regime of serial book challenges and book bans in the Flagler school district as the state Department of Education has yet to issue directions on library holdings.
At Waterfront Park, a Favorite Trailhead Will Soon Become Accessible By Boat, Or Launch Them
Palm Coast officials and others today ceremonially broke ground on a two-phase, $1.8 million expansion of Waterfront Park, starting with a $1.3 million boat and kayak launch that will provide direct water access from the park for the first time when it opens next summer.
Shirley Chisholm Trail, Marking Giant National Legacy, Is Dedicated Along Palm Coast’s Pine Lakes Parkway
The Shirley Chisholm Trail, the work of the Democratic Women’s Club of Flagler County, connects Chisholm’s retirement years in Palm Coast to her historic achievements as the first Black member of Congress and the first woman to run for president from a major party, among many firsts. She died in 2005.
Critical Medical Examiner Choice for Flagler’s District Down to Chief of Palm Beach Office and One of Her Assistants
Dr. Wendolyn Sneed is the Chief medical Examiner for District 15 in Florida, which covers all of Palm Beach County. She is also Dr. Catherine Miller’s boss. Miller is an associate medical examiner. On December 6, Sneed and Miller will be vying for the same job: Chief medical Examiner for District 23, which covers Flagler, St. Johns and Putnam counties, and is one of the least visible, most consequential jobs in the criminal justice system.
Matanzas High School Is the Target of a Bomb Threat, Deemed a Hoax
Matanzas High School was the target of a phoned-in bomb threat early this afternoon. The threat was deemed not credible by the school administration and little police response was necessary.
City Repertory Theatre Presents Festive Revue for Launch of Flagler County Cultural Council
City Repertory Theatre, a Palm Coast community theater troupe, will present “A Holiday Treat: A Special Night of Story and Song” as a fundraiser for the Flagler County Cultural Council, which in October was designated the county’s official local arts agency.
Accused of Killing His Grandfather, Luke Ingram Now Faces 1st Degree Murder and Rape Charges
Luke Ingram, 19, previously charged with second degree murder in the death of his grandfather, Darwin Ingram, at the Ingrams’ Palm Coast home, now faces a capital felony for the killing, exposing him to the death penalty, and a charge of rape, a life felony.
Robert Batie, 59, Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison for Sexually Assaulting Patient, 16
Rober Batie, the 59-year-old counselor arrested last year on charges of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old patient he’d groomed over weeks of therapy at a private practice in Palm Coast, was sentenced to 17 years in prison today, followed by 13 years on probation.
$2.89 Gas in Volusia, $3.49 in Flagler as Prices Continue to Fall and Oil Companies Reap Record Profits
The difference in gas price locally could be startling, with a 60-cent-per-gallon gap between prices at Buc-ees and at gas stations in Palm Coast, or a $9 difference for a 15-gallon fill-up. Meanwhile, oil and gas companies’ windfall for the year may reach $4 trillion.
Appeals Court Upholds School Board Speech Rules in Defeat for Moms for Liberty, For Now
A federal appeals court has rejected an attempt by a chapter of the conservative group Moms for Liberty to block restrictions that the Brevard County School Board placed on public participation at board meetings. The Brevard rules are almost identical to those of the Flagler County School Boards, which had been at the center of controversy two summers ago.
Florida Voters Are Willing to Save Environmental Lands. Politicians? Not So Much.
In Florida, our politicians are constantly promising more tax cuts. Yet these voters opted to tax themselves more. And they did it because they wanted to save some greenery in an ever-increasing sea of gray asphalt. Politicians aren’t getting the message.
39th Palm Coast Holiday Boat Parade Prepares for Its Biggest Yet Dec. 3
The Dec. 3 Palm Coast Holiday Boat Parade, one of the community’s most highly anticipated events, is now in its 39th year. Palm Coasters have enjoyed this unique annual celebration for two generations.
Health Harms of Mass Shootings Are Rippling Across Communities
A growing body of research reveals that the negative effects of mass shootings spread much farther than previously understood, harming the health of local residents who were not touched directly by the violence. Mental health experts say the recognition should prompt authorities to direct more attention and resources toward preventing such events — and helping a broader group of people after they occur.
Authorities Investigating Hit-and-Run Death of Pedestrian Woman on U.S. 1
The Florida Highway Patrol and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office are investigating what may be a hit and run or the unexplained death of a pedestrian woman found dead in a ditch near Plantation Bay, off of U.S. 1, this morning.
Isaiah White, 21, Arrested for Arson, Is Wanted in Alabama for Murder and Carjacking
Isaiah White, who had faced charges of arson and destroying evidence after setting a car on fire in palm Coast, was wanted in the murder of Carl Miserendino, 35, on New Year’s Day in 2021, whose car White had stolen in Alabama, then destroyed.
Florida Park Drive Reopens to Through Traffic After 5-Month Closure for Sewer Repair
Florida Park Drive has re-opened to through traffic as of Wednesday afternoon, November 23, 2022. The intersection of Florida Park Drive and Farraday Lane was closed in late June due to a Utility project.
As Hurricane Season Ends, Sort of, an Unfond Look Back at Ian and Nicole, and a Special Committee
Rep. Paul Renner set up a special committee to study lessons learned from Hurricanes Ian and Nicole, and Kevin Guthrie, director of state emergency management, says a second cone of probability should be added to the National Hurricane Center’s forecasts, this one focusing on storm surge.
Sheriff’s Office Seeking Public’s Help in Case of Video Voyeur at Publix Bathroom in the Hammock
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s help in identifying a man who took video of a patron at Publix as the patron was using the bathroom there on Nov. 18.
Local Scout Troops Open Inaugural Christmas Tree Lot in Palm Coast
Parents and scouts from Boy Scout Troop 281 and Scouts BSA Troop 4281 have set up a massive Christmas tree operation at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 156 Florida Park Drive North in Palm Coast. Trees start at $80.
3-2 Splits Resume as New School Board Members Are Seated and Massaro Is Elected Chair
The school board’s swearing in and reorganization meeting began on a note of unity but quickly turned to muted contention in a pair of telling 3-2 votes that renew the same split the board has contended with for the past several years.
Pennington and Hansen Are Sworn-In Today as County Commission Bids Joe Mullins Beggarly Farewell
After her trouncing victories over ex-Commissioner Joe Mullins and Independent Jane Gentile-Youd, Leann Pennington today will become only the third woman ever to serve on the Flagler County Commission, and the first Republican woman to do so. Some of the commissioners gave Mullins a send-off more triumphal than the public’s.
Mosquito-Spraying Boundaries Expand to West Palm Coast and Plantation Bay, Adding New Tax on Bills
Thousands of Flagler County residents and businesses will be paying a new tax to combat mosquitos starting next October. The Flagler County Commission Monday evening unanimously approved the expansion of the East Flagler Mosquito Control District to all of Plantation Bay at the south end of the county and to a 5,000-acre sliver running north-south, west of U.S. 1, mostly in Palm Coast, including the rapidly-growing Sawmill Creek subdivision.
Flagler Beach Raises Water, Sewer, Garbage and Stormwater Costs $12 a Month for Average Household
A divided Flagler Beach City Commission voted 3-2 to raise the cost of all city-provided utilities–water, sewer and garbage–by 8.5 percent, to match inflation, and the stormwater fee by 42 percent.
Connor Anderson, 30, Fires 6 Rounds at Patrons at Smiles Bar Before Running Out. No One Hurt.
Connor Patrick Anderson, 30, of Palm Coast, faces a dozen charges after allegedly firing off a dozen shots inside Smiles bar after an earlier fight at the bowling alley and getting angry with his girlfriend over not having his truck’s keys.
Jury Finds Randy Alexandre, 23, Guilty of Attempted Manslaughter, a Lesser Charge, in 2021 Shooting
A jury found Randy Alexandre, one of three men involved in a shooting into the house where a pregnant woman was living in January 2021, guilty of attempted manslaughter and shooting into a building. He faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced on Feb. 8.
Flagler County Democrats’ Only Way Forward: Become Republican
Contrary to media interpretations, Democrats underperformed woefully nationally, and in Flagler County they were again all but wiped out. To survive locally they have two choices: either run their candidates as Republicans (and support other moderate Republicans), or keep dying at the polls.
Willie Gardner, 28, Faces 4 Counts of Aggravated Animal Cruelty in Case of Wounded, Neglected Pit Bulls
Willie Gardner, of Palm Coast, faces four felony charges of animal abuse. The six dogs, all pitbulls, all showed signs of abuse and neglect when authorities surveyed the scene at 508 South Railroad Street in Bunnell. They’d been left all chained in the backyard of the abandoned property.