Palm Coast’s first “Tech Beach Hackathon” at City Hall was a weekend cramming session of tech developers connecting their just-designed apps to local healthcare problems looking for a solution.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
Palm Coast Woman Bites and Injures Deputy in Violent Scuffle as She Fights Arrest
Cherie M. Saunders, a 38-year-old resident of Brookside Lane in Palm Coast, faces two felony charges for violently resisting law enforcement and biting a sheriff’s deputy so hard and so long that he subsequently fainted.
After 50 Calls for Service, Cops Shut Down “Drug House’ and Arrest 3 ‘Frequent Fliers’ at Mondex Property
Tessa Lilly, Gage Watts and Jessica McBryde, all three convicted felons, were re-arrested at at 5000 Palm Avenue in Bunnell’s Mondex, a property the sheriff’s office says was used for drug trafficking.
Up 2 Sets, Palm Coast’s Opelka Falls in 5 After Rain Delay at Australian Open
Reilly Opelka was cruising along in his first-round Australian Open match against No. 12 seed Fabio Fognini, up two sets to none, and was a few games away from scoring the upset before rain stopped the match and changed its dynamics when it resumed the next day.
FlaglerLive’s Rick de Yampert Lands in New York Times as a Palm Coast Book Lover
FlaglerLive Culture Writer Rick de Yampert’s written response was one of just 14 out of more than 1,300 that The New York Times published Sunday in answer to the question: “Was Your Life Changed by a Book?”
Palm Coast’s War on Dollar Stores and Their Customers Contradicts City’s Inclusive Plan
The Palm Coast City Council imposed a 120-day moratorium on new dollar-type discount stores, citing vague fears of “long-term effects” on the community, a decision that runs counter to free-market ideals.
Thomas Rando, Felon Behind Death of Hannah Beard, 10, In Car Crash, Dies Of Overdose
Rando, a convicted felon with a dozen arrests in Flagler County since 2008, was on probation for felony drug offenses, and was awaiting trial on a third-degree felony charge of driving on a suspended license and causing the death of Hannah Beard and injuries to others.
Flawed Marijuana-Impaired DUI Testing Means Wrongful Prosecutions and Lax Enforcement
DUI-testing for marijuana impairment is inaccurate, easily disputed and defeated. The result is uneven prosecution. Innocent drivers are being wrongly convicted. Impaired drivers are remaining undetected, posing a potential safety risk to everyone on the road.
Jon Reckenwald and William Kennedy Are Sheriff’s Deputies of the Year at Annual Fund-Raising Gala
In addition to the funds raised for the Gala, the men and women of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) donated $24,764.00 to FSEAT through payroll deductions throughout 2019.
Florida Senate on Brink of New Rules for Drug Offenses, Lowering Sentences and Restoring Judges’ Discretion
Under the new guidelines, judges would be allowed to consider shorter sentences and lower fines for drug-trafficking defendants who meet certain criteria. But the bill’s fate in the House is uncertain.
Palm Coast’s Ryan Centofanti, 35, Accused of Drunkenly Driving Down A1A and Repeatedly Firing AR-15-Type Rifle
Ryan Centofanti, whose breath test produced readings of .196 and .178, allegedly fired an AR-15 rifle repeatedly (21 spent shell casings were recovered) as he drove from Beverly Beach into Flagler Beach early this morning.
WNZF Sues County Commission Candidate Tommy LeGault Over Unpaid Bills; He Owes FPC’s Cheerleaders Money They Raised Months Ago
Tommy LeGault, running for a Flagler County Commission seat as a small-business advocate, owes WNZF nearly $5,000 for infomercials he aired, owes FPC’s cheerleaders $1,000, and twice faced eviction in the last three years.
Three Hospitalized, Including Elderly Couple, In Early-Morning Crash at Belle Terre and Rymfire
An elderly couple and a third individual were hospitalized early this morning following a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Rymfire Drive and Belle Terre Parkway in Palm Coast.
Buddy Taylor’s Michelle Coolican and Plant Services’ Lynn Mellow Take Top Honors in School District’s Annual Gala
Michelle Coolican and Lynn Mellow were named the 2020 Teacher and Support Employee of the Year for Flagler Schools at the district’s annual gala celebration at Flagler Auditorium Thursday evening.
Road Fatalities Plummeted in Flagler in 2019, With Half the 12 Deaths From Motorcycle Crashes
The numbers of road fatalities in Palm Coast and Flagler County plummeted to 12 in 2019 compared to previous years, by some measures reaching or approaching a 20-year low despite the population doubling in that time span.
For Seven Days, Flagler Sees Florida’s Broken Death Penalty Machinery in Action
Though David Snelgrove was finally sentenced to life in prison rather than death this week, his trial shows how the 20-year ordeal in court could have been avoided with the same result two decades ago, had capital punishment not been on the table.
Death Row’s Cornelius Baker a No-Show at His Own Pre-Trial Ahead of Potential Reprieve
Lawyers and the judge in the re-sentencing case of convicted murderer Cornelius Baker focused on a lengthy questionnaire about the death penalty the defense planned to submit to potential jurors. The judge ordered the questionnaire significantly shortened.
Palm Coast Prepares for $20 Million Sewer Plant Expansion in Anticipation of Growth
The Palm Coast City Council is supporting the city’s next-largest utility expansion–a $20 million project that will add 2 million gallons a day of capacity to its second sewer plant on U.S. 1. The expansion will be financed through a loan and is not expected to affect customers’ rates.
Wednesday Briefing: Wharton’s Deplorables, Cornelius Baker in Court, Tourism Board, Paws to Read
Convicted murderer Cornelius Ryan is in a pre-trial ahead of his re-sentencing trial in February, Paws to Read at the county library, the tourism board and the planning board meet.
Howard Minami, 56, Found Dead of Self-Inflicted Gunshot at Palm Coast Home
Howard Minami, a 56-year-old Palm Coast resident who for years owned a garage door company that bore his name, was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his home at 35 Fairways Circle Saturday morning, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Life in Prison Without Parole, Not Death, For David Snelgrove as 20-Year Ordeal Over Fowler Murders Ends
The seven-day re-trial over the penalty for the 2000 murders in Palm Coast’s B-Section was necessary because two previous verdicts were ruled unconstitutional. Today’s verdict means that years, maybe decades, of further proceedings will not be necessary.
Re-Emerging for 4th Year, Vacation-Rental Bill Restricting Local Authority Advances With Sen. Hutson’s Support
A Senate committee Monday approved a proposal that would take away power from cities and counties to regulate vacation rental properties. The 8-2 vote included Sen. Travis Hutson’s support. Hutson represents Flagler County.
After Dueling Witnesses and Sniping Lawyers, Jury Must Now Decide Whether to Call for David Snelgrove’s Killing
David Snelgrove’s double-murder of Glyn and Vivian Fowler in Palm Coast 20 years ago comes down, in this third sentencing trial in two decades, to a jury willing to believe he was a calculated killer as opposed to a crack-addicted mentally impaired man who snapped.
County Ends Low-Performing Economic Development Department, Citing ‘Fluffy’ Numbers and Poor Accountability
Headed by Helga van Eckert since 2012, Flagler County’s $500,000-a-year economic development department had been more successful with PR and taking credit for others’ work than producing much of its own.
Lance Mussack, 41, of Flagler Beach, Arrested on Child Porn Charge
Lance C. Mussack, 41, was incarcerated on a felony charge of possession of child pornography–alleged images of his girlfriend’s pre-pubescent child, taken while she was asleep.
Victor Williams, 43, Sentenced to 10 Years for Sex With 16-Year-Old Boy, and Hears Furious Earful From His Victim
Victor Williams was defiant to the end at his sentencing, while the victim’s 50-minute testimony described Williams as a “monster” who caused the victim’s life to spiral into depression, drugs, suicidal thoughts and self-loathing.
What You Need to Know About How Section 8 Really Works
The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program is a form of government rent assistance. In 2018, upwards of 5 million people across the country lived in a household that used a voucher to help pay some or all of their rent.
Search Warrant in Palm Coast’s B-Section Suggests Target In Sight in Circle K Murder Investigation
For the sheriff’s office to advertise tactics their search for the Circle K killer from last November points to confidence in the trail, the sort of confidence that clearly seems not to be jeopardizing detectives’ ability to find their suspect, or suspects.
A Day After a Teacher Is Arrested for Battering a Student, a 15-Year-Old Is Arrested for Battering FPC Dean
A 15-year-old Flagler Palm Coast High School student was arrested and charged with battery against FPC Dean Erin Davis, the student’s second such charge involving a faculty member since August.
Death of Alexandra Lawson, 22, at Yacht Harbor Marina Ruled a Drowning, But Investigation Ongoing
Alexandra Svetlana Lawson had been reported missing by her boyfriend earlier this week, and was found in the water at the marina Wednesday morning.
Grim Day for Snelgrove’s Defense as Prosecution Makes Largely Unanswered Case for Death
A jury tasked with deciding whether to recommend death for David Snelgrove saw a psychologist for the defense unable to convincingly show that Snelgrove is a simple-minded individual who could not weigh the severity of the double-murder of an elderly couple he committed in Palm Coast 20 years ago.
Flagler Schools’ Graduation Rate Rises to 89%, Powered by Girls
There is a sharp disparity between boys and girls: among girls, 97 percent of Matanzas’ students graduated, and 91 percent of FPC’s did. Among boys, the rate was 91 at Matanzas and 82 at FPC.
Maturing, Soaring Opelka Roars Into 2020 With Top American Ranking in His Sights
In an exclusive interview with FlaglerLive, Opelka reveals himself as young man who thinks before he speaks, is comfortable in his own skin, and understands that as his fame grows, his responsibility of handling that fame increases.
Jeffrey ‘Rocco’ Paffumi, 47, Teacher at Buddy Taylor Middle, Arrested for Battery on a Student, 14
Jeffrey Allen Paffumi, a teacher at Buddy Taylor Middle School, was arrested after physically throwing a 14-year-old student out of his classroom after the student would not turn down his music and called him a name.
Video and Pictures Revive Vivid Reactions to Double-Murder in Snelgrove’s Death-Penalty Trial
To reservations from the defense, the jury watched video and saw pictures of the crime scene following the murders of Glyn and Vivian Fowler in Palm Coast 20 years ago, part of a penalty phase–the third in 18 years–requiring the jury to decide whether to recommend death for Snelgrove or life in prison.
3 Arrested in Palm Coast After ‘Smash-and-Grab’ Thefts at Racquet Club and E Section
Three Orlando residents were arrested and charged with numerous counts of fraud, possessing stolen credit cards, burglary and other charges following an alleged brief spree of thefts in Palm Coast Tuesday.
City Rep Theatre is Playing Neil Simon’s ‘Song’ in Bow to Broadway Romance
Palm Coast’s City Repertory Theatre stages Neil Simon’s “They’re Playing Our Song,” the popular, semi-autobiographical story of Marvin Hamlisch and songwriting partner Carol Bayer Sager–or of Simon and Marsha Mason.
Palm Coast Fugitive Who Taunted Sheriff With Where’s Waldo Cartoon Is Caught in D.C.
Steven V. Young disappeared last spring while deputies were searching his residence in palm Coast’s P Section for forged currency. He taunted the sheriff after he was featured on Fugitive Bingo–and was found and arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service.
For Jury in Double-Murderer Case, Snelgrove’s Mental Disability Is a Gray Matter of Life and Death
David Snelgrove’s double-murder of an elderly couple in palm Coast 20 years ago is not in dispute, but whether he should be put to death for it is. A jury will have to contend with the brutality of the murders as opposed to the mitigating factor of his mental disability.
School Board’s New Suicide-Prevention Policy Would Require Training for All Faculty
With youth suicide rising sharply in the past decade, the Flagler County School Board will discuss adopting a proposed suicide-prevention policy, the district’s first, which calls for two hours of continuing education training for all faculty, including administrators.
Daniel Engert, a New York Town Manager and Jail Administrator, is Flagler Sheriff’s New Jail Chief
Daniel M. Engert, who will run the Flagler County jail and the sheriff’s courts division, was a 29-veteran of the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office and an elected councilman and town manager in a small Upstate New York community for the last 13 years.
20 Years After Double Murder in Palm Coast, David Snelgrove Faces Death Penalty Trial for 3rd Time
David Snelgrove murdered Glyn and Vivian Fowler in Palm Coast in 2000, but is in yet another penalty phase of his trial this week because two previous recommendations for death were not unanimous.
Lubert-Adler Sells Hammock Beach Resort and Other Properties to Tampa Company For $18 Million
The complex deal included two undeveloped but well-positioned commercial properties and closed December 31. The total value of all recorded transactions is $18.26M. The buyer is Tampa-based KDG Capital, a private equity fund headed by Dr. Kiran Patel.
Charges Will Be Dropped, But Flagler Deputy Petkovsek Returns to Duty Facing Stiff Disciplinary Measures
Flagler County Sheriff’s detective Richard Petkovsek was off duty when he was arrested outside a St. Augustine bar for disorderly intoxication and resisting arrest. He was reinstated after losing 42 days of pay and will be on probation for a year, among other disciplinary measures.
Two Men Arrested After Fleeing Deputies During a Traffic Stop, With 323 Grams of Pot in Their Trunk
The two men were pulled over in the early hours of Monday morning for a routine traffic stop on State Road 100, by the I-95 overpass when the driver slammed on the accelerator and fled toward Palm Coast Parkway.
In Flagler, Life-Saving Policing You Can Be Proud Of
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is entering its eighth year without a single officer-initiated shooting of a civilian, a heroic achievement that contrasts tragically with jurisdictions across the country where 900 to 1,000 civilians lose their lives annually.
Ronald H. Collins Jr. Charged With 2nd Degree Murder in Death of Woman Found in West Flagler Monday
Ronald H. Collins Jr., 51, turned himself in for the killing of Jillian Petrotto, 31, whom he said he killed in a rage over her wanting to buy drugs. He’d killed her in Volusia, then brought her to Flagler.
Inside Documents Show How Amazon Chose Speed Over Safety in Building Its Delivery Network
Amazon ignored or dismissed safety concerns about its delivery network to prioritize speed and explosive growth, according to new documents and interviews with insiders.
She Thought She Had a Cold. She Briefly Saw a Doctor and Got Antibiotics. Her Insurance Bill: $25,865
A woman, worried that her sore throat might be strep, got swabbed at her doctor’s office. The sample was sent to an out-of-network lab for sophisticated DNA tests ― with a price tag similar to a new SUV.
A Year-End Thank You To Our Readers and Supporters From the FlaglerLive Board of Directors
As you and your family make decisions as to which organizations will receive your charitable donations, please keep in mind that there are those who would like nothing more than to have aggressive news outlets like FlaglerLive disappear entirely.