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.
Palm Coast
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.
Farm Share Distributes Food to 300 Families at Flagler Airport as Post-Storm Needs Persist
By 11 this morning some 20 cars were turned away from the Flagler County Airport as a truckload of Farm Share food began running out, underscoring persistent needs in post-hurricane relief in Flagler.
150 Volunteers Swarm to Clean Up Flagler’s Beaches, Some to Reopen by Mid-Week; FPC Students Clear Graham Swamp Trail
In Flagler Beach Mayor Linda Provencher drew a mass of volunteers in less than 24 hours for the Sunday clean-up, and in Palm Coast, FPC track Coach David Halliday led his team along Graham Swamp’s trails, cleaning them up around the same time.
16 Years, 3 Generals and a Water War Later, Army National Guard Center Breaks Ground at Flagler Airport
The new National Guard center will house 30 to 40 people and a revolving corps of 100 to 200 weekend reservists, the equivalent of a significant new company’s economic impact. And this one won’t go under or go back on its promises.
Flagler Pleads With FEMA For Emergency Declaration to Help Homeowners; Politics and Data Help
Flagler’s FEMA declaration applied to government, not to homeowners’ losses. That second declaration is still pending, and it’s not a given as FEMA evaluators continue to scour the county to assess damages.
Recovery Round-Up: FEMA Inspects Flagler, Crews Inspect the Pier, Assistance Center Opens, Debris Pick-Up Cautions
A comprehensive update on the latest in Hurricane Matthew recovery operations in Flagler County and its cities, including essential information from FEMA and debris removal requirements.
Flagler Damages to Homes and Businesses Estimated at $73 Million; 11 Homes Destroyed, 500 Damaged; Utilities Grinding to Normal
The price tag is very likely to exceed $100 million when damage to government infrastructure is eventually included. yet the sum total of the damage is far below what was feared from a direct hit of Hurricane Matthew.
Gov. Scott Surveys Flagler Beach’s Cratered A1A as Congressman Cites $35 Million Repair Bill; 8,700 Customers Still Without Power; “The Disaster Is Not Over”
Gov. Rick Scott walked a small segment of State Road A1A Monday morning, the third day he’s been touring areas damaged by Hurricane Matthew, and spoke with local, state and federal officials assessing the repair bills ahead, much of which officials hope will be underwritten by the federal government.
Post-Hurricane Matthew Re-Openings, Gas Stations and Businesses: A Running List
Here’s a running list of updated business reopenings, gas availability in Palm Coast and Flagler in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew. Updated live.
Taxes Will Stay Flat For Most Property Owners in Flagler and Its Cities in 2017
Taxes have increased in Flagler County and in all five cities, but will be largely offset by a tax decrease in school taxes, while values have increased only marginally.
Chase Through P, R and W Sections and Around School Buses Ends in Arrest of Teen
School buses were unloading students as a 16 year old at the wheel of a Toyota sped through three neighborhoods, caused one crash, nearly caused two others, and was finally arrested in the W Section.
Back-Up City: Palm Coast Will Buy Its Third Fire Truck in 2 Years, for Total of $774,034
The Palm Coast City Council is expected to approve the third truck, for $259,678, next week, maintaining a fleet of front-line and back-up trucks throughout the city. The council approved two of the three pumper trucks last spring, for $513,356.
10-Year-Old Boy Is First Cyclist Injured in Crash With Car Since Last School-Year’s Rash
Matthew Bell, 10, was struck by a Massey Services company vehicle speeding on Emerald Lake Drive in Palm Coast after Bell was unable to stop his bike from crossing from a sidewalk into the road.
A 3-Year-Old Boy Attending Roma Court Academy Wanders Into Traffic as Staff Is Oblivious
Staff at Roma Court Academy had no idea the boy had wandered off the property until a Chinese delivery driver and another driver saw him in traffic on Palm Coast Parkway.
Ex-Palm Coast Staples Employee Arrested For Armed Robbery and Assault at the Store
27-year-old Brandon Hubbert had worked at the Palm Coast Staples a few years ago and allegedly used that experience to hide in the store until after closing time last September then assault a supervisor and rob him of about $1,500.
Man Found Dead in E-Section Lot Identified as Joseph A. Kelemen, 46, Formerly of Palm Coast
Joseph A. Kelemen was found dead in an empty lot near the intersection of Eagle Harbor Trail and Eagle Crest Path in Palm Coast early Tuesday morning. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is attributing the death to a likely suicide by hanging.
Startling Robbery in Walmart’s Parking Lot as Thieves Grab Palm Coast Woman’s Purse
A 43-year-old Palm Coast woman was putting away in her car’s trunk the merchandise she’d just bought when a silver Hiunday pulled up and a woman grabbed her purse and fled, in the middle of the day Monday.
Local Authorities Converge on Areas of Concern as Travel-Related Zika Cases Are Declared in Palm Coast
Mosquito Control officials have been focusing on mosquito hot spots in Palm Coast’s P Section and visited other properties of concern as county officials prepare a county-wide meeting next week to address the local response.
Palm Coast and Flagler County Compete on Soccer Fields Over Frank Meeker’s Memory
The late County Commissioner Frank Meeker, who died in July, had also served on the Palm Coast City Council, so both governments will have separate memorials to his memory on soccer fields at opposite ends of town.
School Board Members Blister “Subleasing” of FPC Campus to Out-of-Town Car Dealer, Exposing Problems
This weekend, without the school board’s knowledge, the entire parking lot of Flagler Palm Coast High School will be turned over to Ritchey Auto of Daytona Beach in a giant car and boat sale that has angered local car dealers and school board members, exposing flaws in the district’s use-of-facilities policy.
6 Students Implicated in “Detailed Plan to Attack” Flagler Palm Coast High School, No Arrests
Six students were at Flagler Palm Coast High School were tied Wednesday to what a district spokesperson described as “a detailed plan to conduct a coordinated plot against Flagler Palm Coast High School.” The alleged plot was to have involved guns.
A Rape in Palm Coast, a Shooting in Flagler Beach, Yet Sheriff’s Office Suppresses All But Trickle of Information
In a 24-hour span on Sept. 6, a woman reported twice being raped and a man reported being shot in separate incidents, both ending up at Florida Hospital Flagler, yet the sheriff’s office is suppressing all but a trickle of information on either case.
Heralding Brief Majority of Beards, Robert Cuff Is Sworn In as Palm Coast’s Newest Councilman
Robert Cuff–the cerebral, witty and long-time Palm Coast resident and ITT man–took his seat at the city council this evening after winning his election last week. He takes up where Bill McGuire resigned.
Federal Appeals Court Rules Against ATS, Palm Coast and Cities in Red-Light Camera Case
The decision by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals is a reminder that Palm Coast is still not clear of the legal shambles that have surrounded the cameras. That class-action suit can now go forward, with drivers claiming they’d been wrongly fined.
Flagler’s Combustible Reagan Republicans Disband as GOP Realigns Back to “Sensible”
The Ronald Reagan Republican Assemblies of Flagler County, the firebrand group whose members spent the last five years shaking up local governments—complaining, criticizing, suing and in several cases, winning elections—has disbanded.
2016 Flagler Jail Bookings and Sheriff’s Crime and Incident Reports (Archived)
Archived 2016 Flagler County jail bookings, day and night shift commanders’ crime and incident reports investigated by Sheriff’s deputies and archive.
Embittered Palm Coast Fires Holland Park Contractor and Takes Over Project Months Behind Schedule
City officials, sensitive to the criticism directed at them over the delays, recast the problem as entirely the fault of the contractor, and themselves as heroes looking out for the city’s budget and local contractors, thus effectively changing the subject: it’s no longer a project behind schedule as much as a city wronged and aggrieved.
Tropical Storm Hermine: Flagler Included in State of Emergency, But No Major Threat Expected
Tropical Storm Hermine has moved north, Flagler is not in a tropical storm watch, school’s open Thursday, but some wind and rain are expected and authorities are taking a few precautions.
Holland Is Palm Coast’s New Mayor, Lenhart Wins Supervisor, Conklin Wins School Board, Manfre Is Out, Staly Beats Lamb
Primary election results for Flagler County races including school board, sheriff, county commission, Palm Coast City Council, supervisor of elections, judges, and state congressional races.
Motorcycle Masturbator Sought in String of Incidents Involving Women in R, P and W Sections
The man, described as young, black and fit, scopes out a woman walking her dog or sitting in her garage, pulls up next to her, takes out his penis and starts masturbating.
Capping 2 Weeks of Record-Breaking Early Voting, Final Day of Primary Ends at 7pm
Some 18 percent of registered voters had already cast a ballot in early voting or by mail by the time polls opened at 7 this morning. But that means 82 percent of registered voters had not cast a ballot. Go vote.
In Palm Coast’s F-Section, a Man Stabs Another in the Back Then Stabs Himself in the Throat
Two men, 19 and 18, were involved in an argument and had been drinking at 17 Felshire Lane when one of them stabbed the other in the back then stabbed himself in the neck. Both were hospitalized.
Palm Coast Data Parent Posts $10.4 Million Loss, Biggest Since 2009 as Revenue Drops
The losses bode poorly for Palm Coast Data, which at one point a decade ago was the city’s largest private employer. Its parent company’s revenue is now almost synonymous with its own, and it’s a fifth of what it was 10 years ago.