The golf cart lease the Palm Coast City Council was suddenly faced with comes after the council learned that the city’s golf course has yet to break even after four years, though they were not reminded of a $1 million expense the city shelled out for the course in 2009 that was due to be repaid to the city with course profits, but never has been.
Palm Coast
Drinking Game in Reidsville Drive Garage Leads to a Man Shot in the Stomach
Edward Towers, Jamie Goodell and Lukas Skeans were drinking in an R-Section garage in Palm Coast and coming up with what-if scenarios when Towers took out a 9mm and put it against Goodell’s stomach. The gun went off. He was evacuated to Halifax hospital, and Towers was arrested on negligence and firing a gun in public charges.
Swipe 4 the Kids: Clerk of Court Gail Wadsworth Lauds New Credit Card Venture
It was an unusual endorsement from Gail Wadsworth, Flagler County’s clerk of court, before her Rotary Club Tuesday, but using her own office as an example, she touted the power of a new credit card transaction-fee company’s mechanism as an effective way for local businesses to raise large sums of money for their favorite children’s programs–at no new cost to businesses or customers.
At Palm Coast’s 9/11 Memorial Ceremony, Memory as Duty to the Dead, and the Living
Palm Coast’s annual 9/11 memorial ceremony at Heroes Park Tuesday morning, under a sky as blue as the blue over New York 12 years ago, drew some 150 people, including throngs of active and retired firefighters and cops.
U.S. Marshals Arrest Suspect Wanted in Bank Robberies in Flagler, Volusia and St. Johns
William Carl Styffe, 32, of Coconut Creek in Palm Beach County, was arrested by U.S. Marshals Monday as the suspect believed to have tried to rob Hancock Bank in Palm Coast on Aug. 30 and to have robbed a SunTrust bank in Volusia the same day, and a bank in St. Johns County four days later.
Snap-and-Run: Sheriff Looking for Driver Who Sheared Off Red-Light Camera Pole
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s assistance in locating a vehicle captured on video that struck an ATS red light traffic camera pole on Moody Boulevard (State Road 100) at the intersection of Memorial Medical Parkway in Palm Coast. The pole belongs to American Traffic Solutions, the Arizona-based company that runs the red-light spy-and-snap camera system for Palm Coast.
19-Year-Old Accused of Molesting 12-Year-Old Step-Sister; R-Section Armed Robbery Report
Earl Robinson III, a 19-year-old resident of Rolling Sands Drive in Palm Coast, is accused of molesting his 12-year-old step-sister; an odd report of an armed robbery in the R-Section; a Good Samaritan Act gone bad on SR100, and rock-throwing and knife-pulling on Point Pleasant Drive.
Lawmakers File Bill to Prohibit Red-Light Cameras in Florida as Palm Coast Snaps On
GOP Sen. Jeff Brandes blames red-light cameras “as backdoor tax increases,” but the Palm Coast City Council Tuesday reasserted its commitment to its 43 cameras even as they siphon out more than $3 million a year from the local economy–in taxes to state government, and in revenue to ATS, the Arizona-based company that runs the system.
Palm Coast Quietly Plans Community Center Expansion For Bridge Club, Raising Questions
The Palm Coast Bridge Club and the Palm Coast city administration have agreed in principle on a plan that would have the bridge club writing a $250,000 check and the city building a facility it would lease to the Bridge Club as an expansion of the Community Center on Palm Coast Parkway.
Flagler Chamber Signals More Political Engagement With New Government Affairs Director
In the latest signal of the Flagler County Chamber of Commerce’s growing political profile, the chamber on Tuesday announced that it was creating the position of government affairs director, and appointing Gretchen Smith to fill it. Smith has been the chamber’s communications director since joining the chamber five years ago.
Labor Day Weekend Violence: Pointing a Gun at a Stepson, Punching a Pregnant Woman
Charles Lockhart, 23, of Palm Coast was jailed after allegedly punching his girlfriend, 34 weeks pregnant, and threatening a murder suicide, and Robert Knoblaugh, 63, of Bunnell was jailed for threatening his stepson with a gun front of grandchildren.
A Feral Cats Plea to Palm Coast: Time to Adopt Trap, Neuter and Return Rather than Kill
As Palm Coast continues to trap and kill feral cats, Jacksonville, Deland, Port Orange and Flagler Beach are among the growing list of cities and towns that have adopted trap, neuter and return programs. Cities are turning to the protocol not only because it is humane, but because it is cost effective.
Flagler and Ormond Cops Looking For Cavalier Bank Robber; Hancock and SunTrust Targeted
Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies and Ormond Beach police are looking for a man believed to be involved in an attempted robbery at Hancock Bank in Palm Coast and an actual robbery at SunTrust Bank in Ormond Beach Friday afternoon.
Memo to Palm Coast Council: Don’t Let an Unelected Manager Dictate Democracy in the City
By letting Jim Landon’s feud with Supervisor of Elections Kim Weeks drag on at voters’ expense, the Palm Coast City Council is improperly letting its unelected city manager set early voting policy while reminding us why it bears a big share of the blame for sending election turnouts in Palm Coast tumbling to record lows for the past several cycles.
She’s Accused of Burglarizing a Sheriff’s Employee’s Home, Then Defrauding the Elderly
After burglarizing the home of a Flagler County Sheriff’s employee in the W Section, Jennie McAfee, a habitual offender, was arrested for defrauding a 79-year-old woman who was convalescing in a nursing home.
Palm Coast Food and Wine Festival Returns, This Time With Wine, and Free Admission
The Palm Coast Food and Wine Festival at Town Center’s Central Park is scheduled for noon to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 31, with no gate admission, a dozen wines and more than a dozen food vendors from several countries, along with cultural and other entertainments.
Palm Coast Tax Holds Even, But Council Tiring of Deficit-Ridden Golf and Tennis Operations
The Palm Coast golf course had a $50,000 deficit this year, the tennis center a $100,000 deficit, both covered by taxpayers, with more deficits expected ahead. Palm Coast City Council members are wearying of carrying both centers. But they’re not ready to end the subsidies, either.
Majority of Palm Coast Council Would Forego Early Voting Fees, But Weeks Hardens Over Space
The clash between Supervisor of Elections Kimberle Weeks and Palm Coast City Manager Jim Landon is not nearing resolution even as a majority of the city council would extend free use of a room at the community center for early voting, because Weeks is insisting on using a larger room, which the council won’t concede.
Firehouse Subs Marks 10 Years in Palm Coast As Community Ties Aid Longevity
Monday afternoon Palm Coast’s Firehouse Subs celebrated its tenth anniversary, $8 million in business and considerable donations to local fire houses with visits from its core constituents—firefighters—but also company CEO Don Fox, Palm Coast Mayor Jon Netts, several other city council and county commission members, and of course franchise owner David Hause and his wife Melinda.
Mystery Burglar in B-Section, Counterfeit-Topped Pizza in Ps, and Strangulation in the Rs
Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies contended with at least two mystery men and one case of domestic violence that ended with a suspect hiding in a bathtub with a knife Wednesday in three separate incidents that stretched from the B Section in North Palm Coast to the P and R sections further south.
Supreme Court to Hear Red-Light Camera Challenge in Case That Will Affect Palm Coast
The $1.7 million Palm Cast reaped in red-light camera fines between 2008 and 2010 may be at stake if the Florida Supreme Court rules such systems illegal after it hears the much-anticipated case on Oct. 8, with ramifications for numerous cities and counties across the state.
Weekend Blotter: An Argument Over Kitty Litter, Another Over Sex, Land 2 in Jail
Avelino Garon, 59, of Palm Coast was accused of threatening his wife’s life after allegedly threatening to throw a cat against the wall during an argument over its kitty litter. Separately, Christina Quintanilla was accused of aggravated assault against Jessica Nagledinger, whom she accused of having oral sex with her husband.
Alertness Leads to Arrest of 2 Suspected Burglars in the Act, Texts Lead to Their Accomplice
Three young Ohio residents–Haylie Harger, her fiancee Corey Shaw and Michael Pettit–are accused of attempting to burglarize Truss Systems in Palm Coast on U.S. 1, but were caught in the act, with Harger leading cops to her location after texting her fiancee–who by then was at the Flagler County jail.
Kevin Spearmon Leads Police on Yet Another Chase, Ending With Taser, Jail and No Bond
Kevin Spearmon of Palm Coast has repeatedly been arrested–and served a prison sentence–for fleeing police and doing drugs. He was arrested again for the same reasons Thursday, when he was in the company of a 16-year-old girl, and was subdued after another chase in the P-Section and a Taser shot to the back before being taken to jail where he’s being held without bond.
Palm Coast’s Landon Digs In Heels Against Elections Supervisor “Demands” For Early Voting Arrangement
The Palm Coast City Council is backing City Manager Jim Landon’s decision to charge the elections supervisor for early voting use of the Community Center on Palm Coast Parkway, while the supervisor shows equal intransigeance as she refuses to accept a smaller room Landon is ready to make available for the 13 days of early voting at the center.
Battle of the Trees: Palm Coast Slams Lawsuit’s “Inaccuracies” By Citing Inaccuracies of Its Own
In an unusually long and defensive press release, Palm Coast counters an attempted injunction by Dennis McDonald–to stop the cutting of trees around Palm Harbor–by calling his claims “inaccurate” and “misleading,” even as the city itself makes flatly inaccurate claims about the age of trees it is about to remove, among other issues.
Sharps Liquor Again Target of Armed Robbery Followed By Shot Fired at Subway in Flagler Plaza
Sharps Liquor at Flagler Plaza was the target of an armed robbery late Monday night, the fourth time the store has been targeted by armed robbers in less than two years. The robbery may have failed. Moments later, a man fired a gun at the Subway sandwich shop adjacent to Sharps. No one was hurt. The suspect fled.
Elections Supervisor Wants to Expand Early Voting to Palm Coast Community Center. City’s Response: Pay Up
Even though Palm Coast City Council candidates will be on the ballot, the city is charging the Supervisor of Elections for use of the Community Center on Palm Coast Parkway as a second early voting location in the city, raising questions about cooperation from a city that has seen its voter turnouts fall drastically over the years.
A Sex Case for Romeo and Juliet’s Law, Revenge Vandalism and Caught in the Act: Weekend Round-Up
Todd Marine of Flagler Beach is accused of raping a 14-year-old girl, but the charge must be weighed against Florida’s Romeo and Juliet law. Bradley Sanguinetti is arrested in the alleged act of breaking into a car, and Tamara Natto is arrested for defacing her ex’s home with insulting suggestions.
Court Injunction Sought to Stop Palm Coast’s Tree Removal Around Palm Harbor Center
Calling Palm Coast’s tree removal illegal, resident Dennis McDonald filed an injunction in circuit court Thursday seeking to halt removals planned for road-widening and as part of a redevelopment of the Palm Harbor shopping center that may significantly alter the character of the area.
Cool to Sudden Roma Court Proposal, Flagler Sheriff Restates Preferences for Proximity
Flagler County Sheriff Jim Manfre was surprised by an unexpected proposal from the owner of Roma Court, the chronically vacant strip mall on Palm Coast Parkway, to lease the building to the county for sheriff’s operations, and cited several factors that fall outside his preferred options.
“I Did It”: Iron Man Bank Robbery Suspect Lakhram Mahadeo of Palm Coast, Is Arrested
Lakhram Mahadeo, a 2005 FPC graduate, was arrested Wednesday at his Palm Coast home and charged in connection of the June 20 bank robbery, in which the robber wore an Iron Man mask and stole $2,300. He’s being held on $100,000 bond.
Why Palm Coast Is Alarmed: Vivint Home-Security Solicitors Dogged By History of Deception
It’s not just Palm Coast: Vivint faces recurring findings of deceptive practices and misrepresentation in several states, according to Better Business Bureau records. The company has agreed to settlement orders issued either by a court or by the state attorney generals of at least six states to end aggressive and misleading sales tactics similar to those reported in Palm Coast.
16-Year-Old Palm Coast Boy Accused of Raping 5 Year Old Is in Juvenile Justice Custody
A 16-year-old Palm Coast boy is facing a felony charge of sexual battery, or rape, of a 5-year-old boy in an incident reported to have taken place in May in the older boy’s bedroom, in the boys’ home.
Palm Coast Residents Complain About Vivint Home-Security Solicitors, But Company Disputes Claims
Residents say that solicitors for Vivint, the home security company, have told them they’ve been sent by Flagler County government or Palm Coast government to alert people that telephone lines in their area are being upgraded, and that the new telephone lines would no longer be compatible with the residents’ emergency systems. None of that is true, the city warns.
Two of Flagler District’s Newer School Buses, Valued at $200,000, Stolen From FPC Depot
The two 84-seat Bluebird buses were stolen the night of July. 27, but the theft was uncovered only today–Aug. 5. School officials say none of the bus routes will be affected when school resumes on Aug. 19. The district’s insurance will reimburse the loss. The Flagler County Sheriff is investigating the theft.
From 50 Miles a Year to 5,600 Yards: Palm Coast’s Repaving Program Scales Back, Briefly
Only four streets in the R Section will be repaved this year, beginning later this month, sharply contrasting with the 50-mile-a-year program that stretched over 10 years, but City Manager Jim Landon cautioned the city council that a more aggressive resurfacing program of perhaps 15 miles will have to be funded come next year, as streets again show deterioration.
Thieves Target Elderly Las Palmas Residents in a Rash of Credit Card Fraud and Cash Heists
The four residents at Las Palmas, the independent living facility in Palm Coast’s Town Center. are between 82 and 90 years old, and all had their credit cards or cash stolen, around the same time on July 22, likely by two women working together. Video included.
Palm Coast Council Again Warms to City Hall Scheme That Would Snub Voter Permission
City Manager Jim Landon is proposing a refurbished $6.8 million plan that would use general fund dollars to build a new city hall without raising taxes, even though $5.8 million of that–a repayment from the Town Center taxing district–could be used to lower property taxes or build other capital projects with broader public uses. Residents had roundly rejected a similar plan in 2010 and 2011, when the building would have cost $10 million.
Ethics Commission Clears Palm Coast’s Tony Capela of Corruption or Favoritism in City Work
Ex-employee Terry Geigert had made six allegations against Tony Capella, Palm Coast’s public works superintendent, charging he favored RoadTek, a friend’s company, in no-bid contracts, sold his house for cash to the company owner, and fired Geigert in retaliation for whistleblowing.
Eight Palm Coast Businesses Targeted by Vandalism in Early-Morning Glass-Breaking Spree
Subway, Sharps Liquor and Lovely Nails at the Flagler Plaza shopping center, and Europa Salon and Spa, Scrapbook etc., Pet Spa, Colletti’s Italian Deli and Lilly Green Children’s Boutique on Utility Drive all had their glass doors or windows shattered within a short time span between 4 and 5 a.m. Monday morning.
Massive Fire Demolishes a House on Palm Coast’s Woodhaven Dr., But 3 Dogs Are Saved
A massive fire engulfed a single-family house at 121 Woodhaven Drive, off of Pine Lakes Parkway, in Palm Coast at around 11:50 this morning. There were no occupants in the house at the time, but two dogs were rescued after the fire started.
Justin Boyles and Charles Massey Indicted on 1st Degree Murder; May Face Death Penalty
A St. Johns County grand jury indicted Justin Boyles, 24, and Charles Massey, 38, both of Palm Coast, murder and kidnapping charges in the killing of Edward Scott Mullener on June 13 or 14. Since Mullener’s charred boidy was found in St. Johns, that’s where the court proceedings are unfolding.
Flagler Homes’ Median Sale Price Up 28% Over Last Year as Investors Keep Buying
Sales closed on 200 single-family homes in June in Palm Coast and Flagler County, half those for cash as investors continue to buy homes. The median price of $144,500 is the best showing since February 2009. The median number of days those homes spent on the market was 71, an increase of eight days from last year.
‘The Struggle Continues’: Civil Rights Generation Shows Palm Coast How It’s Done in 100-Voice March
Some 100 people, most old enough to have lived through the civil rights era, walked for almost 4 miles on Palm Coast Parkway Saturday morning, singing and showing their solidarity with Trayvon Martin’s family and their opposition to Florida’s stand your ground law. Several had taken part in marches dating back to the 1963 March on Washington.
Trayvon Martin Solidarity March in Palm Coast Saturday as Protests Elsewhere Continue
The Saturday morning march in Trayvon Martin’s memory is being organized by Valerie Ottley, a retired Palm Coast resident of 22 years who is herself a neighborhood watch coordinator. The march will start at 8:30 a.m. at Kohl’s on Belle Terre Parkway and follow a course down Palm Coast Parkway to U.S.1 and back.
Car-Battery Explosion and Fire Injure 7 in Westminster Dr. House in Palm Coast; Drugs Suspected
Shortly after 11 p.m. Thursday, an explosion and resulting fire was reported at 33 Westminster Drive in Palm Coast, severely burning one person, sending four to a local hospital, with three others sustaining minor injuries. Authorities at the scene were suspecting drug activity in the house.
6-Mile Tour de Palm Coast Highlights New Sculptures and Trail Riches
A cycling tour, a discovery of the four new ‘Flight of Life’ sculptures of herons at Waterfront Park, and interactivity with the city’s new QR codes along its Waterfront trail highlight the annual Tour de Palm Coast Saturday from 8 to 11 a.m.
Vigilante Car Chase: 2 Men Jailed For Pursuit Through Shopping Center Parking Lots
Michael Marsh and Andrew Hubbard of Palm Coast face aggravated assault charges after pursuing another man in their car through Walgreens, Publix and Winn Dixie parking lots in Palm Coast Tuesday.
Edifice Complex: Palm Coast Council Should Forget About Gang of Six’s Geezer Gimmick
The Gang of Six–the former Palm Coast City Council members wanting to build a new city hall–are showing their age with the outdated nature of their idea, argues Merrill Shapiro. The council should forget their proposal and focus on the challenges of a rapidly changing city and society.