Craddock will be responsible for developing and attending to business and personal banking relationships. Aloha Von Jasinski and Eddie Marcal are both long-time Flagler County real estate agents.
News Briefs
Community Plants 1,000 trees at St. Johns Water District’s Lake Apopka North Shore
Once home to several farms in the 1940s, the nearly 20,00 acres along Lake Apopka’s northern shore were acquired by the water district in a push to restore water quality and fish and wildlife habitat within the lake.
Media and Orlando Go to Court Over City’s Censoring of Massacre’s 911 Calls
The city of Orlando wants the court to help determine how to handle the unreleased portions of 911 emergency communications involving the June 12 massacre at the Pulse nightclub.
Jarrod Molnar Is FWC’s 2016 Boating Officer of the Year
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) recognized Officer Jarrod Molnar as its 2016 Boating Officer of the Year during the Commission meeting in Eastpoint.
On World Giraffe Day, Jacksonville Zoo Announces Birth of 39th Giraffe On Its Grounds
The Father, Duke, is famous for being the sire of 15 other little ones at the Jacksonville Zoo. The male Reticulated giraffe calf was born in the early hours of June 12.
Sen. Bill Nelson Named to Florida Wildlife Federation’s Conservation Hall of Fame
Nelson is among 10 Florida conservationists who will be recognized for their achievements. Conservation award winners are chosen from nominations made to the Federation’s board of directors based on their accomplishments on behalf of Florida’s fish, wildlife and native habitats.
A Homestead Exemption in Two States? Supreme Court Asked To Rule on Legality
Pointing to a “far-reaching impact” of the case, attorneys for a Broward County woman are asking the Florida Supreme Court to take up a case that involves a married couple having homestead tax exemptions in two states.
Dangerous Heat Advisory Issued For Friday Afternoon, Followed by Severe Thunderstorms
The National Weather Service has issued a dangerous heat advisory for northeast Florida, including Palm Coast and Flagler County, starting this afternoon and into early evening, as temperatures combined with high humidity will result in a heat index of 105 to 100 in parts of Florida, and up to 104 in Palm Coast.
Obama in Orlando Thursday to Meet With Families of Massacre’s Victims
President Barack Obama will travel to Orlando on Thursday to meet with families of victims of the worst mass shooting in the nation’s history. An announcement Wednesday from the White House did not provide a detailed schedule for the visit.
Palm Coast’s Coastal Cloud Gets Quarterly JaxUSA Leadership Award
Coastal Cloud, a Flagler County-based technology company, was awarded the second quarter JAXUSA Industry Leader Award on June 6, the company announced today. The award was presented to Coastal Cloud co-founders Tim and Sara Hale during a lunch at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront.
Life Without Parole For Thomas Prins, Sentenced for Murder of Crystal Caralea Pifer, 28
Thomas Anthony Prins was sentenced to life in prison today for the murder of Crystal Caralea Pifer, 28, of Daytona Beach in August 2015. The sentencing was delayed after Prins had fainted on hearing the guilty verdict last week.
Flagler County Children’s Librarian Theresa Owen Retiring After 26 Years
Theresa Owen began her career with Flagler County in 1990 when the Library was located at the Palm Harbor Shopping Village storefront, now known as Island Walk.
St. Johns Water Management District Transfers Gemini Springs Addition to Volusia County
The St. Johns River Water Management District’s Governing Board voted to donate the 947-acre Gemini Springs Addition to Volusia County with a conservation easement to protect its conservation values and to comply with the mitigation permit requirements.
Equality Florida Raises $3.65 Million, Disney Donates $1 Million for Orlando Victims
Bolstered by money from some of Central Florida’s biggest corporate players, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer on Tuesday announced formation of the OneFlorida Fund to help victims and family members in the aftermath of the mass shooting early Sunday at the Pulse nightclub.
Ex-Deputy Guilty on 14 Counts of False Imprisonment Could Still Get Retirement Pay
Jonathan Bleiweiss had been accused of intimidating undocumented immigrants into performing sex acts. He entered a plea deal that spared him a designation as a sexual offender.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church Provides Food Cards for Veterans
The Palm Coast church presented 28 gift cards to Flagler County Veterans Services Officer Sal Rutigliano for distribution to veterans who could use some extra assistance.
Veterans’ Graves Draped in Flags in Espanola Cemetery Ceremony
American Legion Post #115 received assistance from the Flagler Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution during the placement of American flags on the graves of Veterans at the Espanola Cemetery.
Palm Coast Gets 5.4 Inches of Rain as Colin’s Tropical Braids Lash Flagler
For Flagler County, the weather service reports total rainfall in Palm Coast of 5.44 inches, though amounts may vary depending on locations.
Florida Hospital Flagler’s Medical Staff Awards $3,000 in Scholarships to 4 Students
Meredith Wills, Amanda Hok, Summer Wilcox and Vincent Launh each got $750. The John M. Canakaris, MD award, which honors a high school student that has volunteered within the community to help the underprivileged and less fortunate, was awarded to Matanzas’s Launh.
Access Flagler First, County’s Outreach for the Poor, Celebrates 5 Years
Commission Chair Barbara Revels, along with commissioners Frank Meeker and Charlie Ericksen attended the celebration on behalf of the Flagler County Board of County Commissioners.
Alligator Stops Traffic to Cross at Cypress Edge Drive
The gator, more than 5 feet long, was sitting by the crosswalk then suddenly scampered across the road, using the white-striped crosswalk as if it had been trained to do so.
Florida Hospital Flagler Donates $5,000 to School District’s Flagship Programs
The $5,000 donation went to the Flagler County Education Foundation to support a variety of Flagship programs in the district, especially Rymfire Elementary’s health sciences program.
M & M Fence Company Owner Sought on Grand Theft Charges
Luis Michael Maldonado Sr., owner of M & M Fence Company of St. Augustine, is wanted on grand theft charges after cashing customers’ checks without doing the contracted work.
Senate Majority Leader McConnell Asks Rubio To Run for Senate
McConnell’s comments on the MSNBC show “Morning Joe” came after reports during the past week that Rubio is being pressured to run for re-election this fall.
Holland Park Renovation Advancing But Not Making Up Time
The city has started invoking the liquidated damages provision of the contract against Tumbleson White Construction Inc. of Gainesville. “We are trying to hit them in the pocketbook at this point,” the city manager said.
Dangerous Rip Currents Expected As Tropical Depression #2 Approaches S.C. Coast
Elevated onshore flow and building surf will create an elevated rip current risk along the coast today through Memorial Day as Tropical Depression #2 tracks toward the South Carolina coast, the National Weather Service cautions.
Golden Lion’s Key Lime Tartar Sauce Yields $2,800 in Latest Donations to Needy
The Bunnell Food Pantry, Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida and Halifax Urban Ministries of Daytona Beach were the beneficiaries of the third distribution of proceeds from Golden Lion’s sauce.
Kenneth Kirkland II Faces Life in Prison for Daytona Car-Jacking and Armed Robbery
Kenneth Jerome Kirkland, II, was convicted late Wednesday (May 25) by a jury of three men and three women on charges of carjacking with a firearm, grand theft, and principal to robbery with a firearm. He faces a life sentence at a sentencing hearing to be set at a later date. The jury deliberated two hours.
Sen. Travis Hutson Qualifies By Petition for His 4th Election in 4 Years
Sen. Travis Hutson so far faces just one opponent, Democrat Curtis Ceballos of Palm Coast, though qualifying does not end until June 24.
Retired Deputy Edward Lueck Gets 15 Years in Prison Over Child Sex Assaults
The victim was 5 years old at the time of the crimes, and was a neighbor of Lueck’s, who is a 69-year-old retired Volusia County Sheriff’s deputy.
Palm Coast City Employees Get Free Screenings From Florida Hospital Flagler
Florida Hospital Flagler provided free health screenings to 80 City of Palm Coast employees. The screenings included blood pressure, pulse oxygen, carbon monoxide, body mass index (BMI), diabetes testing and musculoskeletal assessment.
NRA Pressuring Gov. Scott to Block Rep. Charles McBurney’s Bench Bid
McBurney, R-Jacksonville, angered Second Amendment advocates during this year’s legislative session when his committee did not move forward with a measure tied to the state’s “stand your ground” self-defense law.
Democrat Morley Qualifies for House Seat By Petition
Adam Morley, the Democratic candidate for the House District 24 seat held by Republican Paul Renner, said in a release today that he had qualified for the race by petition.
Indian Trails and FPC Students Win Crime Stoppers Poster Contest
The winning students were Liying Wu, Andrew Moulter, Gage Winecoff, Jonathan DeSousa, Andrea Bowser (who won circuit-wide, too), and Hannah Umpenhour.
Court Sides With Walmart Against Union in Trespassing Dispute in Orange
A three-judge panel of the 5th District Court of Appeal said the case is part of a broader dispute about demonstrations that the union has held against Wal-Mart in various parts of the country.
Carmen Bourdeau Is Florida Hospital Flagler’s New ICU Nurse Manager
Bourdeau has been a nurse for nearly 25 years and began her career at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in New Jersey, as a nurse in the ICU.
Four Daytona State Students Named to All-Florida Academic Team
Andrew Adie, Corben Champoux, Joel Hinton and Danjha Leon, all associate of arts degree majors, were recognized for their academic achievement, leadership and service to their communities.
Media Groups Shut Out of Federal Lawsuit Over Prison Newspaper Ban
A federal appeals court has turned down a request by media groups to file a friend-of-the-court brief in a dispute about whether the Florida Department of Corrections can ban a publication from the state’s prisons.
Flagler Emergency Management Presents at Hurricane Preparedness Breakfast June 1
The breakfast will be held from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. June 1 at the Hilton Garden Inn.
St. Johns County Commissioner Bill McClure Will Run For Crenshaw Seat in Congress
St. Johns County Commissioner Bill McClure formally announced Monday that he will run to succeed retiring Republican Congressman Ander Crenshaw in a Northeast Florida district.
Officials Monitoring 235-Acre Fire in Putnam at Etionah Creek
The Florida Highway Patrol continues to monitor a 235 acre prescribed burn at Etoniah Creek State Forest in the Florahome, Putnam County, which may affect local roadways. Motorists are encouraged to use caution when traveling in these areas. Visibility may deteriorate quickly due to smoke/fog type conditions, especially during the night time and early morning […]
Florida School of Art Exhibit Opens at Hand Art Center May 13
The paintings date from approximately 1825 to 1925, and include work by renowned landscape artist George Inness, Ash Can School realist painter Robert Henri and Highwaymen painter Harold Newton.
Danielle Basciano, Formerly of Tomoka Correctional, Joins Flagler Jail Staff
With the swearing-in of Basciano, the inmate facility has 48 sworn deputies and three vacant positions, for a total of 51 sworn positions.
Critical Care Physician Muneeruddin Q. Mohammed Joins Florida Hospital Flagler
As an intensivist, Mohammed will work with the hospital’s critical care team in the intensive care unit (ICU).
Group Backing Controversial Solar Amendment Raises $5.8 Million in April
Fueled by major electric utilities, the group backing a controversial solar-energy initiative on the November ballot raised $8.52 million during April.
Beethoven’s 9th Closes Jacksonville Symphony’s 2016 Season May 20-21
The Jacksonville Symphony will conclude its 2015-16 season with the music of Beethoven and Thomas Adès, in a special presentation that features the orchestra, the Jacksonville Symphony Chorus conducted by Music Director Courtney Lewis.
NSA Designates Daytona State a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education
DSC is the first state college in Florida to receive the four-year designation based on the college meeting stringent academic criteria and distinguishing its strengths in cybersecurity and cyberforensics training.
New Partnership Will Expand Grand Haven Realty Beyond the Gates
Grand Haven Realty announced today a new partnership between company president Jim Cullis and Lindsay Dolamore, the 2016 President of the Flagler County Association of Realtors.
Cycle Flagler, Flagler Beach Rotary’s Annual Tour, Returns May 1 With Circuits of 16 to 100 Miles
The Rotary Club of Flagler Beach’s Cycle Flagler is back. The 2016 edition is scheduled for May 1, starting with 6 a.m. registration at the Flagler County Airport, one of the event’s hosts.
In Brief: Broker Sheehan Jones Brokers a $450,000 Transaction, Palm Coast Data Lands New Account
Parkside Realty Group’s Margaret Sheehan Jones brokered a $450,000 transaction for Bunnell’s D & K Automotive and Tire Repair and Palm Coast Data added Fort Worth, Texas Magazine to its fulfillment stable.