Lana Chastity Evensen, born May 4th, 2003, passed away on February 5, 2022 in Andrews, NC.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
Flagler’s All-White Juries Aren’t What They Used To Be. Thank Wokism.
It wasn’t that long ago when an all-white jury deciding the fate of a Black man accused of raping a white woman, let alone a white underage girl, would have taken no more than the few minutes necessary to sign the verdict form declaring the man guilty. That’s assuming the man made it to the courthouse in the first place. Those days are over.
Flagler Beach Could Have Had Its July 4 Fireworks Had It Not Waited Until April 24 to Book the Show
Several things were said by officials at the Flagler Beach City Commission meeting that were either inaccurate or incomplete, and a key point of information was left out: the commission was not aware that it was not until April 24 that the city contacted Santore to book the show, or that Santore was prepared to do the show had it been contacted earlier.
July 4 Fireworks in Flagler Beach May Not Happen as Long-Time Pyro Supplier Santore Is Booked Elsewhere
Fireworks by Santore, the fireworks manufacturer, cannot produce Flagler Beach’s Independence Day show on July 4 for only $25,000. The city may have another option with a much smaller provider, but that may not pan out, leaving the city without a fireworks show on that day.
Palm Coast Councilman Ed Danko’s Husky Mix at the Center of a Dog-Biting Incident at Holland Park
Palm Coast City Council member Ed Danko was accused of belligerence toward two Palm Coast animal control officers, initially refusing to quarantine his dog and provide the dog’s veterinary history, after his dog was accused of biting another at Holland Park. He signed the required documents five days after the incident.
Tourism Bureau Would Have Paid No More than $727,500 for Visitor Center Land on A1A, But Loses Out
Flagler County’s tourism bureau would have paid the appraised price of $727,500 for a choice parcel at the corner of State Road A1A and South 9th Street in Flagler Beach, listed at $1.5 million, but the parcel is now going to a buyer offering much more, returning the tourism bureau to its hunt for land for a future visitor center.
We Don’t Talk Enough About the Positive Side of American Racism and Genocide
The only dates that matter to real Americans are 1492, 1776, and 1980 (the year the Blessed Ronald Reagan ascended to the Oval Office). Don’t let these “woke” teachers even mention 1619: it’s all a damn lie.
Retired News-Journal Editor Cal Massey’s Novel Published by Experimental Fiction Press
An award-winning political dark comedy by Cal Massey, a Daytona Beach News-Journal editor retired in Flagler Beach, has been published by the Journal of Experimental Fiction in Chicago. Massey retired as deputy managing editor of the Daytona Beach News-Journal in 2016.
Smoke and Ash from Development’s Burn Pile Near FPC Clouds School’s Hosting of District Track Championship
On Monday and Tuesday, the burning of cleared woods on State Road 100 near Wawa, for a future self-storage facility and a shopping mall, produced enough smoke and ash to cause concern on the nearby campus of Flagler Palm Coast High School as track athletes on Monday trained through the smoke, and on Tuesday had to compete through it as FPC hosted nine schools in the district track and field championships. The conditions produced a poorer image of of Palm Coast to visiting athletes and families than the district wished.
‘Waiting for Godot’ Finally Arrives as Palm Coast’s City Rep Stages Beckett’s Absurdist Masterpiece
Beckett’s 1953 play – which is often and rightfully tagged as part of the “Theater of the Absurd” movement – depicts two men, Vladimir and Estragon, who engage in conversation as they wait for a mysterious figure named Godot who (or that) never shows up. Detractors (and there have been fewer and fewer of them as the decades have progressed) howl “There’s no plot!” Admirers howl “There’s no plot!”
Palm Coast Council Agrees to Keep Frieda Zamba Pool Open Year-Round for an Additional $102,000 (If That)
The Palm Coast City Council today agreed on a plan to keep Frieda Zamba pool at the city’s aquatic center open year-round as an interim measure before the city has the money to rebuild the aquatic center, presumably with a 50-meter pool as opposed to the non-Olympic 25-meter version in place now.
Sheriff Escorts Luciano and Celico Families to Tallahassee as Names of Fallen Are Added to Honor Wall
At the 40th Annual Florida FOP Law Enforcement Officers’ Memorial Service Monday morning, Detention Deputy First Class Paul Luciano and Sergeant Francesco Celico were among the 85 names added to their memorial wall. They were then among the thirty names added to the FSA Memorial Wall during a Monday afternoon ceremony.
Mother Tells Cops She Whipped Her Child With an Electric Cord for Lack of a Belt, and Faces Felony Charge
Camerae L. Hubbert, a 30-year-old resident of East Drain Street in Bunnell, faces a felony count of child abuse after allegedly admitting to a law enforcement officer that she had repeatedly whipped her elementary-age child with an electric cord.
Motorcyclist Is Killed on I-95 Near State Road 100 in Third Flagler Road Fatality in 4 Days
A single-motorcycle crash took the life of a man on I-95 early this afternoon immediately south of the intersection with State Road 100 in Palm Coast. It was the third road fatality in Flagler County in four days.
6-Foot Alligator Makes a House Call at Town Center’s Brookhaven Apartments
A 6-foot alligator made a house call at a Brookhaven Court residence Sunday evening. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission personnel and Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies captured and released the alligator in a 65-minute operation. There were no injuries.
City of Flagler Beach and Golf Course Company Duel with Lawsuit and Eviction Notice
Flagler Golf Management, the company running Ocean Palms Golf Club in Flagler Beach since 2015, has sued the city just as the city has filed an eviction notice in circuit court, and six weeks since the Flagler Beach City Commission voted to end its 35-year lease with the company.
59-Year-Old Woman Killed, Two Critical in Head-On Crash on SR 11 Just Past Center of Bunnell
A head-on crash on State Road 11 just past the center of Bunnell took the life of one person and required two patients to be trauma-evacuated late this morning. The crash today brings the number of road fatalities to nine this year in Flagler County, matching the total number of road fatalities last year.
Say It Ain’t So, Jacob: Why Is Flagler’s Former Star Superintendent Drinking the Reactionary Kool-Aid?
Jacob Oliva went from being one of the most progressive, innovative and inclusive superintendents in the history of Flagler County to a shill, as one of two Florida senior chancellors of education, for the single most regressive, reactionary and just plain mean state departments of education in the nation. Something isn’t adding up.
Palm Coast Songwriters Festival Is Set for April 29-May 1
The Palm Coast Songwriters Festival returns in 2022 with nearly 40 HIT songwriters performing over 125 #1 HITS during the three-day ticketed festival, April 28 thru May 1 at Daytona State College Palm Coast Amphitheater.
60-Year-Old St. Augustine Man Dies in Single Car Crash on U.S. 1 Near Matanzas Woods Parkway
A 60-year-old St. Augustine man was killed in a single-vehicle car crash on U.S. 1 in Palm Coast Friday afternoon. The crash took place just north of the roundabout at Matanzas Woods Parkway.
GOLA in Flagler Beach Dons ‘The Face of Ukraine’ for Benefit Art Show
The Gallery of Local Arts’ “Face of Ukraine” show will benefit World Central Kitchen, an aid organization whose website, wck.org, says it is “first to the frontlines, providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate and community crises.” The show will be accepting monetary donations from patrons who do not wish to purchase art.
It’s Not Mayberry Anymore: A Matanzas High School Student on Bridging Community, Police and Mutual Trust
Kadance Nickmeyer, a student at Matanzas High School, entered and won an essay contest through her Criminal Justice class, devoting her essay to pragmatic ways schools, the community at large and law enforcement can build mutual trust in a difficult age.
Flagler Youth Orchestra’s 17th-Year Roller Coaster Ride in Season-Ending Concert Monday, and Away from the Stage
The Flagler Youth Orchestra’s 200 performers are on stage at the Flagler Auditorium Monday evening for the 47th all-ensembles concert in the organization’s 17-year history, with surprise solo performances in the season-ending event, and a wide range of musical offerings.
Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin’s State of the City Address Focuses Unyieldingly on the Upbeat
Hewing to tradition, Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin’s State of the City Address, his first, highlights the city’s shinier accomplishments, focusing exclusively on the bright and sunny and leaving silent all things politics and all controversies. Here’s the full text and three videos for the event.
Flagler Beach’s ‘Big Blue’ In Business as Glass-Crushed Recyclables Will Decrease Dumping and Increase Uses
Scores turned up Wednesday morning at Flagler Beach’s aromatically breezed sewer plant to see the sanitation department’s new, $200,000 glass-crushing, glass-recycling machine that will turn tons of glass into re-usable sand for public works, drainage or home uses, at $2 a pound.
East Flagler Mosquito Control Offers Free Tire and Bromeliad Plant Disposal Day May 22
The East Flagler Mosquito Control District will be accepting waste tires and bromeliad plants for disposal at our District Headquarters (210 Fin WAY, Palm Coast) on Sunday May 22 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. This event is free to all Flagler County residents.
Between Missing Toes and Blood Spatter, the Play’s the Thing at AdventHealth Palm Coast’s $1 Million Simulation Center
The $1 million simulation center at AdventHealth Palm Coast’s campus on State Road 100 uses high-tech, interactive, realistic mannequins, flesh-and-blood actors, makeup artists whose creations rival anything concocted by Hollywood splatter films, sophisticated computer equipment, and seasoned medical personnel to simulate a variety of health conditions and scenarios. The center provides realistic training for AdventHealth nurses of all skill levels, as well as nursing students from the University of North Florida and Jacksonville University studying in Palm Coast.
Mistrial in Case Against Kwentel Moultrie, Accused of Raping 16-Year-Old Girl, as Jury Deadlocks
An all-white jury of five women and one man could not agree on a verdict on the charge against Kwentel Moultrie, now 23, of raping a 16-year-old girl when he was 20 in a P-Section house in Palm Coast. The three day trial hinged on whether the sexual encounter was consensual or forced. Moultrie remains in jail on this charge and on unrelated second-degree murder and burglary charges resulting from a December alleged home invasion in the R-Section.
Flagler School Board Will Clarify Student Demonstration Policy to Balance Rights and School Operations
With some of its members still smarting from the “Don’t Say Gay” student walkouts at Matanzas and Flagler Palm Coast High School last month, the Flagler County School Board agreed to clarify a policy addressing boycotts and walkouts, both to preserve the rights of students to free expression and to protect school functions from disruption.
Flagler Sheriff’s Corrections Deputies Are Being Trained to ‘Rebuild Inmates’ Battling Addiction
In partnership with the Opioid Response Network (ORN), the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) and C4 Innovations are delivering a two- phase training program to deputies working within the walls of the county jail. They are teaching a spring and fall training session to jail staff in order to provide education about addiction, its impact and to help them to be supportive to inmates in treatment programs during their recovery.
Moultrie’s Defense in Rape Trial: He Was Framed in ‘Cover-Up’ By 16-Year-Old Girl, But His Lies Uncloak Him
Kwentel Moultrie’s defense attorneys argue the sex with a 16-year-old girl was consensual, but was followed by a “cover-up” by the girl and a friend who did not want to be found out after partying with Moultrie and others. Moultrie, in his trial’s second day, faces a first-degree felony rape charge in the 2019 alleged incident in a P-Section house in Palm Coast.
Palm Coast Council Votes Itself 151% Pay Hike Plus Benefits Plus Annual Raises
Council members’ salary will rise from $9,600 a year to $24,097, a 151 percent increase. The mayor’s salary will go up from $11,400 a year to $30,039 a year, a 164 percent increase, substantially less than the more than 300m percent increase Mayor David Alfin originally sought, but still equally costly to taxpayers as the original proposal, since benefits are now part of the compensation package.
Education Department Still Mum About Rejection of Textbooks as DeSantis Invokes ‘Proprietary Information’
After a high-profile announcement Friday about rejecting math textbooks submitted for adoption by the state, Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Department of Education are providing few details about how the books violated state academic standards.
At Twice the Cost a Year Later, $6.5 Million T-Hangar Project Advances at County Airport as Terminal Lags
Delaying the construction of a new terminal building at the county airport, the County Commission today approved building 42 T-hangars at the airport at a cost double its original projection just a year ago, with the county picking up 29 percent of the cost for now, and hoping that state dollars will shoulder a larger share in coming months.
Moultrie’s Trial on Rape Charge Begins After He Rejected a No-Prison Deal, and Got Charged With Murder
Kwentell Moultrie turned down a no-prison deal on a first-degree felony charge of raping a 16-year-old girl, then got charged with second degree murder. His trial on the rape charge began today. He faces up to 30 years in prison if found guilty.
With Median Rent Now at $1,760 a Month, Tenants Across Florida Are Struggling to Afford Housing Costs
Florida’s rental market has become problematic for many families and workers battling to afford surging rent prices over the past two years, with median rent prices jumping from $1,340 in February 2020 (right before the pandemic) to just over $1,760 in February 2022, a 31.4 percent increase over two years, according to a new report by Florida TaxWatch.
A Year After Giving Up on It, Flagler Beach Is Crushing Back Into Glass Recycling with $200,000 Machine
The glass-crushing machine, nicknamed “Big Blue” by the city, will transform residents’ recycled glass into useable products, but it’s also the reason residents are paying an additional $2 recycling fee. The machine will help reduce the city’s glass-garbage volume and turn pulverized glass to numerous other uses.
Sheriff’s Office Is Flush With New Deputies, a New Operations Center and a New Mobile Command Center Ahead
The sheriff’s annual address gave him a chance to boast of a crime index 53 percent lower than when he took office in 2017, to summarize the past year in policing, explain current initiatives and project some of what’s ahead, including the big-ticket items–a new mobile command center and the opening of the Sheriff’s Operations Center later this year–and another big ask from the County Commission.
The Charmette’s Annual Women in Red Luncheon at Hilton Garden Inn Features Pearl Roziers
The St. Johns-Putnam-Flagler County Chapter of the Charmettes Inc. invites the community to its Annual Women In Red Luncheon on May 7 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Hilton Garden Inn, 55 Town Center Boulevard, in Palm Coast.
Proposed Self-Storage Facility in Hunter’s Ridge Draws Sharp Opposition as It Heads to County Commission
The proposal for a 102,000 square foot facility, to which the planning board recommended approval on a 6-1 vote, drew the sort of public opposition that now routinely shadows new self-storage facilities in Flagler and Palm Coast. But the assistant county attorney cautioned residents that the project is vested, with little to no legal wiggle room for opposition.
Flagler Pines RV Storage Will Soon Be History to Make Way for BJ’s Wholesale Club Shopping Center
The Flagler County Planning Board on Tuesday approved the next step–the first with significant construction–in the development of the 31-acre site that will be home to BJ’s just west of the RaceTrac gas station along State Road 100 in Palm Coast. The shopping center is to be called Cornerstone at Seminole Woods.
Palm Coast’s Belle Terre Park and Frieda Zamba Pool Need ‘Total Rebuild,’ But Council Is Wary of Another Expansion
Palm Coast with Belle Terre Park and its Frieda Zamba Pool is in the same boat as the school district with its nearby Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club: both facilities are on their last legs and need millions in repairs or construction, but the two agencies have yet to discuss cooperation. On Tuesday, Palm Coast council members were taken aback by the extent of the needs at Belle Terre Park.
Waste Pro Offering $2,000 Bonus for New Drivers at Hiring Drive Saturday
Waste Pro, the garbage hauler that’s provided trash and recycling services in Palm Coast and unincorporated Flagler County since 2007, is holding a hiring drive Saturday (April 16) at its Bunnell plant and offering $2,000 signing bonuses to new drivers. The bonus is paid out in installment over the first year of employment.
Palm Coast Mayor Is Willing to Scale Back Council Raises, But Latest Proposal Is Still a 275% Increase
While Mayor David Alfin said he was willing to lower the amount of the raise, he left it to his four colleagues to propose actual numbers. Council member Nick Klufas is proposing salaries in line with those of School Board members–$36,000, which would still result in a 275 percent increase. Alfin and Council member John Fanelli appeared closest to that number.
Damari Barnes, 15, Wants Out of $500,000 Bond in Man’s Killing But Lurid Detention Fight May Complicate Things
Damari Barnes, the 15-year-old Matanzas High School student accused of killing Jamey “JuJu” Bennett, 19, at a party in February, wants his $500,000 bond lowered so he can go home, but he and another inmate allegedly ganged up on a cell-mate on April 3, beat him and forced him to drink urine, making more difficult his attorney’s argument that he should be released to his mother on a lower bond.
Splash Pad Boondoggle at Holland Park: Council Considers Suing Builders and Scrapping $5.1 Million Amenity
Palm Coast’s much-vaunted $5.1 million splash pad at Holland Park It opened for barely a few weeks before failing twice, closing the second time in July and soon closing for good. The failure is causing the city to threaten a lawsuit against the contractor and designer of the splash pad and consider scraping off the whole thing and replacing it with more traditional, less breakdown-prone amenities.
Bunnell Man Impersonates Cop at Wendy’s to Claim Law Enforcement Discount, and Faces Felony Charge
Jesse David Stover, 57, of Bunnell, allegedly claimed he was an undercover agent with the Drug Enforcement Agency to get a discount at Wendy’s. The store manager did not believe him and called police. Stover faces a third-degree felony.
Facing Life in Prison, Aaron Thayer Pleads to Attempted Murder, 6 Years in Prison and 12 on Probation
Aaron Thayer, 40, the son of George Contos, who vanished from his Mondex home in 2015, faced an attempted first degree murder charge and numerous other charges after threatening to kill his then-girlfriend at the same Mondex property. Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies intervened even as his girlfriend was hiding from him and speaking to a 911 operator.
Parents Asked to Pick-Up Their Children as Power Outage at Belle Terre Elementary Causes Early Dismissal
An extended power outage at Belle Terre Elementary led the school district to end the school day early there and request that car-rider pick-up their children starting at 12:30 p.m. All children who cannot be picked up will be supervised until dismissal time, or through the period usually reserved for extended day, which has also been cancelled.
Palm Coast’s Opelka Wins Fourth ATP Tour Title, Besting Isner in Houston Ahead of European Circuit
Reilly Opelka, 24, captured his fourth career ATP Tour title on Sunday in Houston, besting longtime friend and rival John Isner, 6-3, 7-6 (7) in the championship match of the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court championship.