In the first of five articles by each member of the Palm Coast City Council, Mayor Milissa Holland imagines the city four years from now, seeing a more developed and vibrant but equally serene city to live in.
Palm Coast
Palm Coast’s New Founders:
Crashes at Red-Light Camera Intersections Up 10%, Incapacitating Injuries Up 27%
A new report by the Florida highway safety department shows crash increases that belie claims that red-light cameras have made intersections safer. Palm Coast’s cameras are set to come down this year.
72 Hours Into the Job, Sheriff Staly Calls His 1st News Conference to Highlight Burglary Busts
Sheriff Rick Staly said he took the first burglary on his watch “personally” as he described how deputies and detectives recovered and seized items from recent thefts.
16-Year-Old Kelvin Smith Had Been Pulled Over By Deputy 10 Minutes Before He Was Killed
Kelvin Smith Jr., 16, of Palm Coast, killed by a hit-and-run driver as he rode his bike on Old Kings Road on New Year’s Eve with a friend, had been pulled over with his friend by a deputy moments before the crash. The driver is still being sought.
Shoplifters Target Kohl’s in Palm Coast Twice in 2 Days; 4 Arrested, 3 Sought
Kohl’s department store off Belle Terre Parkway in Palm Coast was twice the target of coordinated shoplifting sprees Tuesday and Wednesday, each time by suspects swiping either electronics or clothes.
Palm Coast’s Annual Christmas Tree and Electronics Recycling Event Set for Saturday
Recycle your tree and get a a free three-gallon evergreen tree in exchange at the city’s Utility Fuel Depot at 22 Utility Drive off Old Kings Road in Palm Coast, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
Kelvin Smith, 16, Killed in Hit-and-Run As He Was Cycling on Old Kings Road in Palm Coast’s F-Section
Kelvin Smith, 16, was killed this evening, New Year’s Eve, in an apparent hit-and-run as the boy was cycling on Old Kings Road near Palm Coast’s F-Section.
3 Flagler Death Sentences Among More Than 200 Invalidated By Florida Supreme Court
The invalidation of 55% of death sentences affect those of two Flagler double-murderers–William Gregory, of Flagler Beach, David Snelgrove of Palm Coast–and Cornelius Baker, who killed a woman in Flagler.
Sheriff Manfre Talks Up Good of Body Cameras and Bad of Emergency Communications in Adieus
Sheriff Manfre described Flagler’s emergency communications system in dismal terms but spoke highly of other achievements in appearances before local governments.
Palm Coast Council Talks As If It Wants To Be Pioneer in Medical Pot, But Post-Moratorium
In a radical departure from its previous incarnations, the Palm Coast City Council discussed medical marijuana in terms of economic development potential for the city as well as in line with its purported humane benefits.
Company Would Get $90,000 in County Subsidies to Build New Palm Coast Plant in Novel Incentive Approach
Manufacturer Gioia Sales employs 42 on Palm Coast’s Hargrove Grade and would build a larger facility on Commerce Boulevard, with 10 years of subsidies from Flagler County.
SBA Approves $50 Million in Disaster Loans For Post-Hurricane Recovery; Dec. 16 Deadline Looms
Some 1,510 disaster loans have been approved so far, totaling $51,5 million, for affected residents and business owners, with interest rates ranging from 1.5 to 4 percent.
Muslims In Palm Coast and Bunnell Still Feel Welcome Even as Political Rhetoric Snarls
Only a handful of Muslim immigrants live in Palm Coast and Bunnell. They speak of their many years locally fondly, remembering only rare instances of discrimination in the past and a current atmosphere of neighborliness and acceptance.
Palm Coast Approves New Gated Community for L-Section by Grand Haven Developer
Traffic concerns aside, Matanzas Woods residents spoke enthusiastically about a project they see as helping reverse the fortunes of a neighborhood long weighed down by the troubled but unrelated golf course not far off.
Palm Coast Moves to Foreclose on Fallow Matanzas Woods Golf Course as Fines Mount
The filing follows a March filing by the golf course owners to enjoin the city against enforcing what the owners call “vague, unspecified and inapplicable ordinances.”
Another Rash of Car Break-Ins Hits High-Visibility Business Locations Across Palm Coast
Car windows were smashed out during the business day at Chick-fil-A, Sunshine Academy and several other locations along Palm Coast Parkway in the third such wave of the year.
Palm Coast Favors $6 Million Reconstruction of Public Works Facility Off U.S. 1 Over 5 Years
Public work costs are usually the result of new or improved roads, bridges, parks, swales and so on. But Palm Coast’s aging 10-acre public works facility will itself become Ground Zero for a $6 million reconstruction project.
A Stage Grows In Town Center as Palm Coast Arts Foundation Celebrates New Milestone
The arts and culture organization now has a handsome outdoor stage to call its own on its new grounds in Palm Coast’s Town Center, which it celebrated with an afternoon of performances and activities.
Not a Storm Too Soon, Worst Hurricane Season In 11 Years Ends as Flagler Continues Recovery
Florida ended its 2016 hurricane season Wednesday, marking the first time in more than a decade that the Sunshine State was hit by a hurricane–and the closest Flagler County came to a direct hit in decades.
Wawa Might Anchor Long-Sought Redevelopment Plan at Bulldog Drive, But Uncertainties Abound
The Palm Coast City Council is set to sell to a developer corner lots at Bulldog and SR100 for almost $600,000 less than it paid for them, as an incentive and linchpin for the redevelopment of the Bulldog Drive entrance.
Enormous Debris Pile from Hurricane Matthew Inadvertently Catches Fire Off U.S. 1
One of three of the nearly-20-foot-high piles of flammable debris collected over the past two months after Hurricane Matthew caught fire Tuesday morning and continues to burn today, though the fire consumed much of the pile.
18-Year-Old Palm Coast Man Accused of Molesting Girl, 12, On Bike Ride in R-Section
Owen Parker, 18, faces a second degree felony charge of molesting a 12-year-old elementary-school girl as they were riding bikes near Rymfire Elementary earlier this month.
In Month of Spiking Violence Against Police, 2 Palm Coast Men Arrested Separately For Threatening or Battering Cops
Anthony Banks, 42, allegedly battered and threatened an FHP trooper following a car crash, and Jarret Register, 24, threatened to shoot a sheriff’s deputy in the chest after an altercation at Smiles bar. Both men were allegedly drunk.
Palm Coast Man With Long Criminal Record Charged With Arson at Fenimore Ln House Fire
Vitaly Tsabak is accused of spending more than an hour stealing televisions, computers and other items from the house on Fenimore Lane in Palm Coast before setting it on fire Friday morning.
Crime Scene Declared at Suspicious Dawn Fire at Fenimore Lane House in Palm Coast
A fire broke out at dawn in the living room of a duplex at 164 Fenimore Lane in Palm Coast this morning. Firefighters were able to contain the fire to the living room. But it was almost immediately termed suspicious.
Along Palm Coast Parkway, Yet Another Tattoo Parlor, and Yet Another Assisted Living Facility
The two businesses may add upwards of 50 jobs in the city’s core commercial center along Palm Coast Parkway—an assisted living facility for dementia patients, and at least the third tattoo studio along the Parkway approved in recent years.
Palm Coast Man Charged With Felony Child Abuse For Allegedly Knocking 6-Year-Old Girl to Ground
Richard Kenney, 33, was arrested after briefly resisting deputies, and charged with a felony count of child abuse and domestic battery after deputies learned he had allegedly slugged a 6-year-old girl hard enough to knock her to the floor, then slapping his wife or ex-wife.
Two Kindergarten Students of Mixed Races Come Home From Imagine School With Swastikas on Their Skin
School officials say clear video from the school bus captured the incident, in which a middle school student is said to have drawn swastikas on at least two kindergarteners’ skin. A motive has not been disclosed.
Sea Change With Immediate Notes of Assertiveness as New Mayor and Palm Coast Council Are Seated
Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland wasted no time taking the reins after her swearing in, as did now-senior council member Steven Nobile, who wants a more assertive and involved council.
Palm Coast Man Held on $100,000 Bond After He’s Caught in Live Facebook Video Brutalizing Girlfriend With Machete
Ricardo Lazo, 46, of 600 Shady Oaks Drive in Palm Coast, is accused of beating his girlfriend with a machete and threatening her life. Parts of the confrontation were captured in a Facebook video chat by his son, who used the chat to get a friend to call 911.
Flagler’s 20-Point Margin For Trump a 28-Year High as Blue-Collar Counties Power Trump
Not since George Bush defeated Michael Dukakis had a Republican presidential candidate performed so well in Flagler County, a stark difference reflected across many other, larger blue-collar counties.
This Time It’s Formal: Palm Coast Council Fires Holland Park Contractor Over Delays
The Palm Coast City Council this morning took an unprecedented step on a contract so large: it aborted its contract with Tumbleson White Construction, the contractor hired in January 2015 to renovate Holland Park.
Miles Smith, 32, Troubled W-Section Resident at Center of Dead Puppy Feud Last March, Found Dead
The cause of death has not been determined. No firearm was involved. Last March Smith was at the center of a controversy involving the suspicious death of a puppy that had once belonged to his neighbors.
Dunkin’ Donuts on Palm Coast Parkway Will Reopen Early Next Year
The Dunkin’ Donuts that burned on June 9 at 1310 Palm Coast Parkway is expected to reopen in February or March, occupying the same 3,667 square foot space and combining Dunkin’ Donuts with Baskin Robbins ice cream.
2nd Pass For Hurricane Matthew Debris Pick-Up in Palm Coast Begins Monday
Residents are urged to place any remaining hurricane debris curbside this weekend – especially if your neighborhood was among the first to receive debris pickup after the storm.
Farewell Ovation to Jon Netts, Last of Founding Mayors as Palm Coast Enters New Era
Palm Coast gave Mayor Jon Netts its farewell Thursday evening in an hour-long ceremony that included gifts, speeches, the naming of a fire truck after him and a lot of talk about going sockless.
Woman At Center of Suicide-By-Cop Attempt in 2015 Kills Herself With a Gun Halloween Night
Palm Coast’s Stacy Culotta is the 37-year-old Palm Coast resident who 13 months ago had attempted suicide-by-cop as she pointed a gun at three Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies in her yard at 8 Pine Brook Drive.
Palm Coast Residents Will See 9% Garbage Rate Hike as City Approves New Waste Pro Contract
Palm Coast residents will see their garbage rates increase $1.74 a month, or 9 percent, starting June 1 and for the next five years. “Shoddy service” in the past year, the result of turn-over, is being addressed and the company may be fined if problems persist, the city manager said.
Palm Coast Mayor Netts To Be Recognized For “2,459 Years” Of Service Thursday at City Hall
Term-limited, Netts will end his 16 years of service for Palm Coast and cede his throne to Mayor-Elect and long-time protegee Milissa Holland on Nov. 15, when the new city council is sworn in.
Arson and Insurance Fraud Charges Over Blaze on Woodstone Lane Lead to Arrest–4 Years Later
Harold J. Pizzetta, now 58, was arrested on arson and insurance fraud charges Sunday night in Palm Coast, four years to the day when he allegedly set his opwn house aflame to keep it from benefiting his ex-wife.
In a Surprise Visit, Gov. Scott Tells Flagler Officials He’ll Expedite Regulatory Hold-Ups on Shore Repairs
Gov. Rick Scott held a 25-minute closed-door meeting with county and city officials in Bunnell today to assess the response to Hurricane Matthew and assure officials that he’ll help them through regulatory hurdles in continuing recovery efforts, especially on the barrier island.
A 5-Year-Old Cat Is Shot in the Face, Another Disappears as Owner Fears Malice
The cat was found motionless on the owner’s driveway on Laguna Trail, two weeks after another of the owner’s cats had disappeared. There is little question that the cats have been the target of cruelty.
Flagler’s Most Civilized Local Political Race in Years
The six candidates and incumbents for the Flagler County Commission stand out sharply from other local races for the collective civility and substance-oriented campaigns, and their impatience with partisanship. It’s a rarity worth taking note of in a year of slime.
In DUI Case that Killed Michelle Roberts on Belle Terre, an Unprecedented Offer to Avoid Prison Is Rejected
Richard Kelley, who was driving with Roberts and her daughter when they wrecked in January 2014 at Pine Grove, wants the offer further sweetened to a deal that would still let him eventually drive again. It was not his first DUI charge, and he was driving on a revoked license.
39-Year-Old Man Punches and Knocks Down 16-Year-Old Disabled Girl at Epic Theater
A by-stander’s cellphone video that captured part of the confrontation on video shows the girl falling to the ground after C.J. Nelson, a 39-year-old resident of Palm Coast’s P-Section, allegedly punched her.
Palm Coast’s Cracker Barrel Evacuated as Feared Sink Hole Sends Patrons Scurrying
Cracker Barrel off Old Kings Road in Palm Coast was evacuated at 6:50 p.m. Tuesday as diners ran out of the restaurant screaming from tile crackling beneath them, but the feared sink hole proved to be a structural issue.
Several New Leases Signed at City Marketplace as Occupancy Reaches a Third of Units
John C. Bills Properties, The owner of City Marketplace in Palm Coast, announced the signing of several new leases over the past four months, with new calls inquiring about space to rent coming in daily, a company release announced. Existing tenants are also renewing their leases.
13-Year-Old Girl Finds Burglar In B-Section House and Helps Lead to His and His Brother’s Arrest
David Willett, 30 and his brother Alex Hagget, 25, both of Palm Coast, had allegedly planned a burglary on Birchwood Drive when the girl found Willett coming out of her brother’s bedroom as she came home from school Monday.
Responsibly Raised: Chipotle Mexican Grill Seeks Site Next to Panera in Palm Coast
Chipotle Mexican Grill’s restaurant would go up on State Road 100 in Palm Coast as the company continues to expand after weathering a severe blow from a rash of food poisonings contracted at its restaurants in the West and Midwest last year.
Sod It: Palm Coast Manager Threatens to Fire Holland Park Contractor Over “Vacation” Delays
After Holland Park’s reopening was further delayed four weeks by the hurricane, the contractor, when asked about paying subcontractor, sent notice that it was on vacation.