DeSantis is urging Florida sheriffs to participate in a federal immigration enforcement program in which U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, deputizes local law officials.
All Else
Ex-Bunnell Cop Mike Stavris, Imprisoned For Impersonating Kids Online, Arrested on Related Violation Days After His Release
Michael Stavris, now 34, of Palm Coast’s F-Section, allegedly admitted to creating a fake Facebook account and impersonating the same girl he’d impersonated in 2014, resulting in computer pornography charges and an eventual plea deal with a shorter prison sentence.
Wednesday Briefing: Bing’s Landing Meeting Cancelled, Compassionate Friends, Stetson Jazz Ensemble, Health Survey
The County Commission cancels a meeting to decide whether, where and how to build an expanded Captain’s BBQ at Bing’s Landing, the Stetson Jazz Ensemble performs, Compassionate Friends meet..
Trump Administration Finalizes Rule Expelling Planned Parenthood From Family Planning Program
The program provides contraceptives, screening and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases and other primary health services to 4 million patients each year, many of them low-income or uninsured, at more than 4,000 clinic sites.
That Homeless Camp Behind the Public Library: A Palm Coast Problem Requiring Immediate Action
After taking a walk through the homeless camp near the library and speaking with its residents, Palm Coast Council member Jack Howell calls for creating a committee to address the issue from various angles.
From Pot to School Safety to Deregulation: 10 Issues To Watch In 2019 Legislative Session
Led by Senate President Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, and House Speaker Jose Oliva, R-Miami Lakes, lawmakers this year will deal with myriad issues, ranging from passing a state budget to deciding whether to allow patients to smoke medical marijuana.
Criminal and Civil Cases In Mobil Mart Murder of Store Clerk Zuheily Rosado Approaching Trial, Or Resolution
Joseph Bova, the man accused of murdering Zuheily Rosado at a Palm Coast gas station six years ago, will have his competency for trial evaluated in two weeks, and a civil case may reach a settlement before an April trial date.
Jack Howell Excoriated Over ‘Lock and Load’ Analogy as Palm Coast Council Fixes Manager Shortlisting Error
A resident criticized Palm Coast Council member Jack Howell for using what he perceived as aggressive military terminology in proposing to hire Interim Manager Beau Falgout. Howell said he’d be more careful.
Tuesday Briefing: Rosado Murder Civil Suit, Entrepreneur Night, Kids’ Town Hall Meeting, Stetson University Concert Band
A case management hearing is scheduled in the civil case against the Mobil station where clerk Zuheili Rosado was gunned down in 2013, Flagler Beach Mayor Linda Provencher hosts a kids’ town hall meeting, Entrepreneur Night at the Hammock Wine and Cheese Garden.
Supreme Court Impanels Grand Jury to ‘Investigate Crime’ and ‘Return Indictments’ on School Safety
Chief Judge Jack Tuter, of the 17th Judicial Circuit in Broward County, will preside over the panel, which will meet for one year and will be comprised of jurors drawn from Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties, according to the order.
Details Emerge in Death of April Descartes: ‘No Foul Play,’ But Cause May Not Be Known For Months
The medical examiner found no reason to think someone had harmed April Mancuso Descartes, 39, who was found dead in her bed Saturday at her home in Palm Coast.
Flagler Commission Signs Contract Worth $237,000 With Interim Administrator Cameron
The $237,000 compensation package for Jerry Cameron includes a salary of $160,000, a $1,000-a-month car allowance, $14,155 in personal days and $7,100 in deferred compensation, though Cameron is already drawing state retirement benefits.
Pick-Up Rear-Ends Bunnell-Bound School Bus With 40 Students Aboard in Palm Coast’s LL Section
A pick-up truck rear-ended a school bus that was approaching the end of its morning run in Palm Coast’s L Section this morning, a collision one witness described as “like a bomb.” One child suffered neck pain, the drivers were not hurt.
Monday Briefing: Fruehan Arraignment, Happy Hour Fundraiser for Free Clinic, Cameron’s Contract, Bunnell’s Special Events
The County Commission is expected to ratify a contract with its interim administrator valued at $237,000 in total compensation, the Free Clinic has a fund-raiser at the Brown Dog, Florence Fruehan is arraigned on felony battery charges.
Let Marijuana Help Fight Opioid Abuse
It’s time for lawmakers and health officials to recognize the well-established power of medical marijuana to treat chronic pain — and to acknowledge its emerging role in combating the opioid abuse crisis.
Detectives Investigating Death of April Descartes, 39, in Palm Coast’s R-Section
Flagler County Sheriff’s detectives, deputies and the Crime Scene Investigation units have been at 37 Robinson Drive since this morning, investigating the death of April Descartes, 39, who owned the house there.
Sheriff Fires Armor, Jail Health Provider at Center of Anthony Fennick’s Death, and Institutes Immediate Changes
Sheriff Rick Staly is firing Armor Correctional Health and instituting a series of measures at the jail making family-inmate contact easier in critical times, and information more readily accessible.
In Re-Trial, Michael Bowling Is Found Guilty Of Molesting 15-Year-Old Girl at Sleep-Over
Michael Bowling, 48, was found guilty at the end of a week-long trial of molesting a 15-year-old girl two years ago in a Mondex mobile home, when she’d been visiting his step-daughter.
Employees Will Sue Sheriff Over Sick Operations Center, and the Sheriff Is All For It
The law firm representing 27 Flagler sheriff’s employees served the sheriff notice of a lawsuit for negligence over the Operations Center, a move Sheriff Rick Staly is supporting.
Suspected Armed Robbers Lead Volusia and Flagler Cops and K-9s on Chase, Ending in Arrests
Jamier R. Scott and Darryl Duffy, both of them 29, both of them from Palatka, face armed robbery and other charges after their arrest off the Bimini Bar woods, with K-9s tracking them down.
Shop Local, But Under Tallahassee Rules: Lawmakers Seek to Restrict County and City Regulations
A broad proposal aimed at curbing local business regulations advanced in subcommittee despite criticism that it could block ordinances that prohibit “puppy mills” or the regulation of fertilizer use near waterways.
Weekend Briefing: Bowling Verdict, Shakespeare in the Park, Flagship Showcase, Great Pianists
The Taming of the Shrew in Town Center, a flagship and technical education showcase at Buddy Taylor, a symphonic band and a great pianist at Stetson, the Michael Bowling verdict.
An Angry Tom Bexley Freezes County’s Attempt To Cede 1st Floor of Courthouse to Sheriff
Clerk of Court Tom Bexley was angered by a sheriff’s proposal, which the county would have had to approve, to use the first floor of the courthouse for the foreseeable future as the sheriff’s exile from the Operations Center continues.
Latest Twist in Bowling Molestation Trial: Defense Seeks to Impeach Its Own Witness
The lawyer for Michael Bowling, accused of molesting a 15-year-old girl visiting his stepdaughter, is arguing that the two girls made up a story to keep one of them from returning to Kentucky.
A Boy Bullied at Rymfire Elementary Turns to Self-Harm on a School Bus. He’s 5 Years Old.
The Rymfire Elementary student appeared to have attempted to choke himself, and told a deputy he was being bullied at school. Paramedics cleared him and he was turned over to his father.
How Palm Coast Tamed Shakespeare’s Shrew, With Eyes On A Lot More at Arts Foundation’s Town Center Venue
City Repertory Theatre’s second edition of Shakespeare in the Park kicks off tonight at the Palm Coast Arts Foundation’s venue in Town Center, which the city sees as an anchor to future cultural growth.
Thursday Briefing: Belle Terre’s African-American Read-In, School Safety at Tiger Bay, Inspired Mic, Taming of the Shrew
Belle Terre Elementary hosts its popular annual African-American Read-In, the county commission holds a pair of meetings, including on the Sheriff’s Operations Center, the Tiger Bay Club hosts a panel on school safety.
Take It From Me: Addiction Doesn’t Start At the Border
As the sister of a brother lost to an opioid overdose, Trump’s claim that we need a border wall in order to keep drugs out is offensive to me on multiple levels. We should treat the root causes of addiction instead.
126.1 Million Visitors To Florida in 2018 Sets Another Record; Almost 90% From U.S.
The increase was bolstered by 7.1 percent growth in U.S. travelers, who accounted for 88.6 percent of the state’s visitors, according to the Visit Florida numbers. Overseas visitors declined by 1 percent, to 10.818 million, after falling by 2 percent a year earlier.
In Flagler Beach, Four Candidates for City Commission Reveal Sharp Differences Despite Surface Agreement
Incumbents Jane Mealy and Rick Belhumeur appeared with challengers Paul Eik and Deborah Phillips at a Woman’s Club forum that showed their paper similarities and vast personality differences.
Constitutional Amendment Proposal for School Board Term Limits Easily Clears House Hurdle
The proposal was approved in an 11-4 vote that was largely along party lines. Voters would be asked in 2020 whether they want to impose eight-year term limits on school board members.
Matanzas High Student, 16, Arrested Over School-Shooting Threat on Snapchat and Blames Bullying
The 16-year-old Palm Coast girl allegedly made threats against other girls at school she claims had been bullying her, but she now faces a felony charge and expulsion from Matanzas High School.
It’s Increasingly ‘The Beau Show’ as Palm Coast Council Strains To Project Fair Manager Interview Process
Interim Palm Coast Manager Beau Falgout continues to solidify his place atop the list of five or six candidates for the permanent manager spot, leaving it to the council to convince other candidates that they still have a chance.
Palm Coast’s Sean Farrelly, 47, Charged With Bribing and Doping 16-Year-Old Girl for Sex
Sean Farrelly, who works in construction and excavation, was arrested on a charge of statutory rape and charges of unlawful sexual activity with a minor, and is being held without bond at the county jail.
Wednesday Briefing: Judge Melissa Distler, Bowling Trial, Azure Assisted Living, Harlem Renaissance, Hidden Treasures
Speaker George Fraser is at AACS, County Judge Melissa Moore-Stens becomes Melissa Distler, the Michael Bowling trial is in its third day, Hidden Treasure Restaurant marks its third year.
Cecil C. Sowell, 1931-2019
Cecil C. Sowell, 87, of Flagler Beach, died February 17, 2019 at the Stuart F. Meyer Hospice House. A veteran of Korea and Vietnam, he was a builder, a deacon and a family man.
After Mistrial, Michael Bowling Is Again on Trial On Accusations He Molested Girl During Sleepover
After December’s mistrial, Bunnell’s Michael Bowling, 48, was back on trial anew today, facing his accuser who says he molested her in a dark closet during a sleepover at her friend’s house.
County Rebuffs Sheriff’s Request for ‘Critical’ Evidence Storage Space in Latest Operations Center Snag
County commissioners don’t want to spend money piecemeal on short-term solutions for the sheriff’s exile from the Operations Center, but the sheriff says space needs are critical.
Florida Takes Center Stage In Controversy Over Citizenship Question On Census Form
Including the citizenship question could hurt Florida and other states with large immigrant populations in the decennial reapportionment process, a federal judge wrote.
Sheriff’s Deputy of the Year and Flagler Fire Truck Involved in 2 Separate Crashes in 4 Days
Austin Chewning, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Deputy of the Year, was involved in a crash in the Hammock Saturday. Firefighters on a tender truck were involved in a crash this morning on Education Way and U.S. 1 in Palm Coast. Two civilians were involved.
Tuesday Briefing: Meet the Candidates in Flagler Beach, Suicide Prevention, Bowling Trial, Palm Coast Manager
Four candidates for Flagler Beach commission answer questions in a public forum, Michael Bowling is on trial again after December’s mistrial, Palm Coast narrows its list for manager.
County Will Consider Importing Water From Palm Coast For Troubled Plantation Bay, Halting $6 Million Plan
Flagler County was ready to award a $6.1 million contract to build a new water plant at Plantation Bay when Commissioner Dave Sullivan pushed to halt the process and consider other options Monday.
Flagler Commission Picks Jerry Cameron, Retired from St. Johns Government After Eclectic Career, Its Interim
Cameron replaces Craig Coffey, whom the commission forced to resign last month, and is expected to restore some semblance of leadership in an administration adrift for weeks.
With Shout-Out to Grand Haven, Palm Coast’s Opelka Wins 1st ATP Tour Tennis Title and Vaults to 56th in the World
Reilly Opelka, the 7-footer booming serves since he was a little kid whacking balls at Grand Haven and the Palm Coast Tennis Center, won the biggest victory of his pro career Sunday at the New York Open in Uniondale, N.Y.
Monday Briefing: Interim Administrator Interviews, Sheriff’s Storage Options, Bunnell’s Historic Registry
The Flagler County Commission is in marathon session starting at 8:30 a.m. with interviews of interim administrator candidates, ending with an evening meeting to discuss storage options for sheriff’s units.
Anthony Fennick’s Death and The Sheriff’s Green Roof Inn Smear
Much is unknown in the death of inmate Anthony Fennick, but much is known, including the sheriff’s responsibility for hiring trouble-ridden Armor Health–and for showing inmates contempt from the outset with his “Green Roof Inn” sign.
Discharged, Dismissed: ERs Often Miss Chance To Set Overdose Survivors On ‘Better Path’
It’s an opportunity that’s being missed in emergency rooms everywhere: the next step — a means to divert addicted patients into treatment — remains elusive once an addict is released from an emergency room.
Stetson President Wendy Libby
Will Retire in 2020 After 11 Years
Wendy Libby became Stetson’s ninth president in July 2009 and its first woman president since the university was founded in 1883. Undergraduate enrollment rose 50 percent during her tenure.
Indian Trails Middle Student, 14, Arrested For Threatening Girl With a Gun in a Video Message
The 14-year-old Indian Trails Middle School student made the threat in a video he recorded while holding a gun belonging to his parents. The incident took place off campus.
In Post-Jones Era, Friends of the Library Revive With Nomination of Carl Laundrie as President
The Friends of the Library, an independent, non-profit support group for the Flagler County Library, nearly met an untimely end with the death of Terry Jones, its long-time president.