Sheriff Rick Staly, riding continued popularity, announced his run for a second term by pointing to more work and new initiatives ahead. In 2016 he broke campaign finance records. He says he’s ready to do what’s necessary to win, but it is unlikely that he will face the challengers he did in 2016, when nine candidates ran.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
16-Year-Old Boy Arrested For String of Car Burglaries in Palm Coast’s P Section
A 16-year-old resident of Palm Coast’s Plateau Lane who’d had run-ins with law enforcement before was arrested on Saturday and charged with six counts of felony burglaries or attempted burglaries after P-Section residents reported break-ins on Plumtree Place.
UNF’s Palm Coast Medical Hub Clears 1st Hurdle With Board of Governors Committee Approval
UNF’s Palm Coast medical hub was unanimously recommended to the full Board of Governors in a committee meeting Thursday morning, winning plaudits for UNF president David Szymanski overt enthusiasm.
Zero Tolerance For Threatening Students? Not Exactly: Flagler District Enacts More Reasoned Approach
Even though one law calls for zero tolerance regarding threats on campus, another requires local districts to use a “threat assessment tool” that opposes zero tolerance and applies more careful, less drastic responses to students or anyone making threats.
Flagler School Board Attempts Weird Science of Conjuring Its Perfect Next Superintendent
The Flagler County School Board moved up the date of its nomination of the next superintendent to March 10, and drew up a blueprint for the sort of leader it seeks to replace the retiring Jim Tager.
New Round of Medicare Penalties Hits 2,583 Hospitals, Including All Local Hospitals in 3 Counties
Although Medicare began applying the penalties in 2012, disagreements continue about whether they have improved patient safety. On the positive side, they have encouraged hospitals to focus on how their patients recuperate, and some now assist them in procuring medications and follow-up appointments.
Palm Coast Sewer Line Through Hammock Would Reduce Reliance on Septic, But Raises Development Fears
A Palm Coast sewer line up the spine of the barrier island would help stop a reliance on septic tanks and has been a priority for local governments, but Hammock residents are concerned that it would also spur more intensive development.
“Misunderstanding” Causes Suicide Prevention Signs to Disappear From Some Fire Stations, But Campaign Continues
The new Palm Coast non-profit called Find Your Peace By Pieces launched a suicide prevention and awareness campaign with yard signs for homes, businesses and fire stations. There was sudden concern when some signs appeared to have been taken down.
Bill Would Prohibit Dogs in Restaurants, But Not Preempt Local Ordinances Like Flagler Beach’s
Most four-legged patrons of pet-friendly restaurants would have to remain outside, under a bill proposed this week by state Rep. Bruce Antone, D-Orlando.
Matanzas High School Student, 15, Arrested For Making Threats With Prop Gun in SnapChat Video
The 15-year-old Matanzas High School student made threats and send the video to several students he said he’d fight after school, after they came close to jumping him while he was in a school bathroom Monday, though no fight broke out.
Daughter Gives Her Murdered Mother A Voice Moments Before Killer Is Sentenced To Life in Prison
Teisha Silva Rosado, eldest daughter of Zuheily Rosado, who was murdered six and a half years ago, took the stand just before the sentencing of Joseph Bova today, describing her mother to a courtroom that until then had only known Rosado as a name.
In 39 Minutes, Jury Rejects Insanity, Finding Bova Guilty of Murdering Zuheily Rosado; He Faces Life in Prison
A jury of six women and six men found Joseph Bova II, 31, guilty of murdering Zuheily Roman Rosado at a Palm Coast convenience store in 2013. Bova’s insanity defense proved unconvincing.
Joseph Bova’s Insanity Defense Unravels: ‘I Had To Kill Her To Save All the People of Flagler County’
In testimony today, Joseph Bova explained how voices told him to kill Zuheily Rosado, 32, at a Mobil convenience store in 2013, but he also conceded that he’d fought the voices for months, casting doubt about his claim that he was insane at the time.
An Outlier Keeps Flagler Beach Manager Larry Newsom’s Evaluation Just Shy of Stellar
If it weren’t for City Manager Rick Belhumeur’s rather sour, outlying evaluation, Larry Newsom would have had a comfortable “outstanding” combined score from the other commissioners and the mayor as he approaches the fourth anniversary of his tenure in Flagler Beach.
Prosecution Rests, and Rests Easy, in Bova Murder Trial as Even Defense Witnesses Fall Short of Pointing to Insanity
Joseph Bova II is claiming he was insane when he shot Zuheili Rosado dead at the Mobil mart in Palm Coast in 2013, but even the defense’s witnesses so far are not making the case, proving more helpful to the state’s argument of pre-meditated first-degree murder.
Car Crash, Chase Through Bunnell and Taser Shot End Fugitive’s 4-Year Run
Michael Anthony Ross, 24, has been on the run for four years on a probation violation linked to a conviction for armed robbery in Wisconsin.
Sheriff’s Investigation Found Charges Against Deputy Who Punched Disabled Inmate Not Warranted
Though responding corrections deputies were uncomfortable with Jared Tazewell’s punching a disabled and mentally incompetent inmate, a criminal investigation stopped short of charging him, but recommended charges against the inmate, documents show.
How Joseph Bova Ended Zuheili Rosado’s’s Life in 13 Seconds: Prosecution Memorializes a Murder in Dramatic Trial Opening
The prosecution today showed images and video of Zuheili Roman Rosado’s murder at the hands of Joseph Bova, portraying a premeditated act carefully planned and executed down to the three shots that killed the single mother of six at a Palm Coast convenience store in 2013.
Facing Hammock’s Ire, Joe Mullins Proposes Development Strategies, But Residents Are Skeptical
After angering them with his deciding vote approving Beachwalk’s 50-home subdivision in the Hammock, Commissioner Joe Mullins called a town hall meeting before the same Hammock residents to explain his long-range approach to development.
Flagler Deputy Resigns, Without Charges, After Accusation of ‘Excessive Force’ On Older, Mentally Ill Inmate
Jared Tazewell, 34, was a detention deputy at the Flagler County jail for three years. He allegedly punched 54-year-old Mark Duncanson after Duncanson threw his walker at him. The sheriff’s office released no documentation Tuesday.
Flagler Hepatitis Cases Up to 9, Volusia Has 3rd Highest Total in State, With 236
Another 64 cases of hepatitis A were reported to the state last week, bringing the total number of reported cases this year to 2,609 and continuing a massive increase in cases compared to last year.
Old Kings Road’s Bottleneck Intersection With Palm Coast Parkway Will Be Widened Starting in May
The widening of Old Kings Road at Palm Coast Parkway, one of the more chronically congested segments of city streets, has been planned for since before 1999. The city finally has the money for the $8.2 million project.
Bova Tries To Fire His Attorneys and Represent Himself Moments Before His Murder Trial. Judge Says No.
Before starting with jury selection this morning in Joseph Bova;s trial for the murder of store clerk Zuheili Rosado, Bova tried delaying the trial by seeking to represent himself on his insanity defense.
Disagreements Persist About Flagler School Board’s Religious Invocations Past and Future
A divided Flagler County School Board has yet to decide whether and how to conduct invocations at the start of its meetings following Chairman Janet McDonald’s out-of-order introduction of a pastor and her invocation at the August meeting.
An Erratic Joseph Bova Goes On Trial Today for 2013 Murder of Zuheili Rosado, Arguing Insanity
Joseph Bova II’s trial begins Monday for the murder of Zuheily Roman Rosado at a Palm Coast gas station in 2013, after six years of see-sawing between Flagler’s jail and a psychiatric hospital. He is arguing insanity.
Joy McClure, Missing Since Sept. 12, Found Dead in Apparent Suicide in South Palm Coast
Joy McClure, 69, of Palm Coast, had last been heard of at her Kashmir Trail home on Sept. 12. A friend reported McClure missing on Sept. 18. What’s believed to be her remains were found in the woods not far from her home.
UNF Pitches Medical Hub in Palm Coast’s Town Center in Major Partnership With City, Schools and AdventHealth
The University of North Florida is submitting a $23 million request to the State Board of Governors that includes Palm Coast’s Town Center as a hub of an innovative concept of medical higher education that ties directly to medical-sector jobs in Northeast Florida, a concept UNF calls MedNex.
Sheriff Mike Chitwood Smears Our Judges
Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood’s call on Chief Judge Zambrano to “overturn” another judge’s ruling on a convicted sex offender’s bond shows contempt for and misunderstanding of the very laws Chitwood was sworn to uphold. He sets a noxious tone.
Facts Dissolve in Antifreeze In Largely Misinformed Protest of Palm Coast’s Taxes and Budget
Palm Coast’s 2020 tax rate and the size of its budget drew some protesters at a hearing Wednesday, but many residents addressing the council were misinformed or mis-characterized the numbers.
City Repertory Theatre’s New Season: Shakespeare, Teen Lust and Two Neil Simons
Palm Coast’s City Repertory Theatre continues to push boundaries with three tales of adolescent love and lust, “Romeo and Juliet” not least, but also a couple of box office-pleasing Neil Simons.
Home Invasion Robbery in Palm Coast’s P-Section Points at Victim’s Nephew and 2 Suspects
Alexander Brown, 20, and two unknown men are wanted in a home-invasion robbery on Pine Grove Drive in Palm Coast at midday Wednesday. Brown is the nephew of the victim.
James Taylor Found Guilty, Again, of Molesting His Step-Daughter, 11, and Faces Life in Prison
It was the third trial on the same charge for ex-Palm Coast resident James Taylor, 41, after a mistrial and a remand for a new trial on appeal. He faces an almost certain sentence of life in prison because of his past as a felon and sex offender.
Flagler Approves Unattended Tethering of Dogs Outdoors, Against Humane Society Objections
A revised Flagler County ordinance allows unattended tethering of dogs within certain rules while banning the use of weights or injurious equipment. The relaxed rules were in response to the American Kennel Society, but go against the Flagler Humane Society’s recommendations.
Flagler Health Officials Target Hot Spots to Protect Against 363% Statewide Increase in Hepatitis A
Flagler County Health Department officials are visiting the county jail, drug programs and homeless ministries to administer vaccines in attempts to limit the hepatitis A outbreak concentrated in central and south-central Florida.
Setting High-Intensity Precedent, Flagler Commission Approves 50-Home Subdivision in Hammock
The Flagler County Commission in a 3-2 vote approved the 50-home Beachwalk development at the intersection of A1A and Jungle Hut Road, rejecting arguments by Hammock residents that the subdivision is not in line with the Hammock’s low-intensity character.
Greg Hansen Will Represent County Commission on Canvassing Board Through 2020
Greg Hansen will serve on the three-member county canvassing board alongside County Judge Melissa Distler and Elections Supervisor Kaiti Lenhart, assuming Lenhart doesn’t have to have her own substitute. Commissioner Charlie Ericksen is an alternate.
Same Molestation Charge, Third Trial for James Taylor After Mistrial and Appeals Court Reversal
James Taylor, 41, is accused of molesting his step-daughter, 11 at the time, by brushing her chest area over her clothes “for a couple of seconds” in 2013 in Palm Coast. A conviction could send him to prison for life.
A 14-Year-Old Girl at Buddy Taylor Middle Is Hospitalized After an Apparent Overdose
A 14-year-old student at Buddy Taylor Middle School was hospitalized Friday morning after showing signs of a drug overdose and claiming she’d ingested 10 pills.
Intensive 50-Home Beachwalk Development in the Hammock Would Set a Dangerous Precedent
The developer is proposing to build 50 homes crammed into a parcel along Jungle Hut Road of fewer than 13 acres, under the guise of a planned unit development. County commissioners Monday evening have a chance to stop the plan.
Welcome to a Redesigned FlaglerLive Ahead of Our 10th Birthday: Here’s What To Expect
Redesigns are gimmicky, disorienting, and just plain irritating, but sometimes they’re necessary. Almost 10 years after FlaglerLive launched, it was time to bring the place up to code, but the essentials won’t change: The focus is still first and last on quality, serious news reporting, with as little attention as possible to the technical gimmickry necessary to get it to you.
Flagler Chamber President Jorge Guttierez Resigns as Shrunken Organization Continues to ‘Hemorrhage’ Cash
Jorge Gutierrez’s resignation is on the heels of another critically difficult financial year for the Chamber of Commerce as it sought loans, got behind on payroll and now looks for county government for help.
Flagler Beach Strains To Assure Residents That Big Utility Fixes Have Nothing To Do With The Gardens Development
Many Flagler Beach residents worried that the city commission’s approval of $1.4 million in water and sewer projects were designed to accommodate the planned Gardens development along John Anderson Highway. Not so, city officials insist.
Soon-To-Be Tropical Storm Humberto to Echo Dorian Path Up Florida Coast This Weekend
NHC expects the weather system they’re calling a “tropical disturbance” to move over the Bahamas today and turn into Tropical Storm Humberto either later today or overnight, then head for a path up or near the Florida coast.
Flagler Schools Require Only One Hurricane Make-Up Day, Leaving Thanksgiving Week Off Intact
The Flagler School district’s extension of the school day by a few minutes a few years ago builds up enough time in the schedule to create a surplus from which the district can then account for hurricane days. A third day will convert a teacher work day into a hurricane make up day.
Gender-Conscious Flagler Beach Charter Commission Proposes Minor Changes for Ballot
The seven-member Flagler Beach Charter Review Commission that convened for the first time in 10 years this year had a hard time coming up with proposed changes to the city’s charter at its half-dozen meetings since late June.
Obscenities Aside, Kimberle Weeks Appeal May Come Down to Judge’s Baffling Decree on ‘Public Meetings’ Definition
Circuit Judge Margaret Hudson refused to allow a definition of “public meetings” during ex-Elections Supervisor Kim Weeks’s trial last year even though both defense and prosecution wanted a definition, which went to the heart of the case. That’s now a central plank in Weeks’s appeal.
A 60-Year-Old Man Tied to Burglaries and a Car Theft Is Arrested in Palm Coast
Timothy Smith, 60, faces a series of charges, including grand theft auto, after being found in possession of stolen credit cards and been tied to burglaries in Palm Coast early Wednesday morning.
Bunnell’s John Cicalo, 50, Is Struck By Vehicle and Killed as He Walked on Mahogany Blvd.
John Cicalo, a 50-year-old resident of west Flagler, was killed Tuesday night and Julie Kerns, 39, was seriously injured when a man driving a pick-up truck on Mahogany Boulevard in the Mondex struck them as they were walking on the right shoulder of the road.
Palm Coast and Flagler Rally For the Bahamas, With Caution To Ensure Efforts Aren’t Wasted
Palm Coast businesses and individuals such as Shane Bonner are leading herculean efforts to help hurricane-shattered Bahamas. The Red Cross’s Rebecca DeLorenzo cautions against uncoordinated efforts that could lead supplies never delivered to their intended recipients.
Defense Tries to ‘Smear’ Victim in Case of HIV-Infected Man Accused of Raping 16 Year Old
Victor Williams, 42, of Palm Coast, is accused of drugging and raping a 16-year-old boy. His defense’s strategy is to portray the boy as promiscuous and not credible, in hopes of lessening the charges against Williams, who faces life in prison if convicted.