Jaquez Roland, who’d served 10 years in prison for armed burglary, will serve at least another 30 as he was found guilty Thursday of three charges, including armed robbery and false imprisonment, stemming from the Sharps Liquor robbery in Palm Coast in October 2011, one of three robberies implicating Roland. His victim cried with relief as the verdict was read.
Palm Coast
Report of Incident Involving 11-Year-old and a Possible Sex Offender Has R Section on Edge
An incident took place Sunday afternoon in Palm Coast’s R-Section that rattled a boy and his mother, and has since rippled beyond the R-Section into an alert throughout local schools about a potential sex offender. But evidence is based on a single report.
Dismissing Affordable Housing Prejudices, Palm Coast Approves Brookhaven Apartments
The Palm Coast City Council Tuesday approved 4-1 the 45-acre, 117-unit Brookhaven apartments development in Town Center, which will provide housing to lower income residents and walkability to nearby areas.
Speculative Bust: How Widening Old Kings Road Left Palm Coast on Hook for $6.7 Million
Palm Coast borrowed millions from its own utility fund to complete the Old Kings Road widening on the assumption that the economy would pick up and enable the city to re-finance with bonds. That never happened. Now the city is looking to recoup its money from property owners along the road, who’d agreed to a special taxing district but with optimistic assumptions of their own that never panned out.
Palm Coast Historical Society Moving to Holland Park in Latest of Nomadic Moves
The Palm Coast Historical Society will leave its digs at Matanzas High School for Activity Room B at Holland Park in its latest of many moves. The three-year arrangement, with the Palm Coast City Council’s blessing, will be at no cost to the society.
Burglarized Palm Coast Homeowner Briefly Sets Chase; Suspects Later Caught in Volusia
Though Sheriff Jim Manfre doesn’t recommend it, a burglarized homeowner in Palm Coast’s E Section chased two suspected burglars Friday and got key descriptions of their car and clothes, helping to lead to further chases and the two individuals’ arrest in Volusia County Friday afternoon.
Sheriff Opens Palm Coast Precinct at City Market Place, Halving Cost, Not Space Needs
On Friday, the Sherif’s Office office opened its newest Palm Coast precinct, at City Market Place, a two-storefront 2,600-square foot space at $2,.000 a month that’ll add new life to the struggling shopping center in the heart of town, and a few doors down from the Palm Coast city offices.
Florida Hospital CEO David Ottati, Major Force in Local Economy, Leaving for Tavares
David Ottati, the CEO at Florida Hospital Flagler for the past seven years, where he oversaw a vast expansion that increased hospital employment past 1,000 and helped cushion the local economy’s severe downturn of the past few years, will be leaving the hospital to take a new post as CEO of the 269-bed Florida Hospital Waterman in Tavares, in Central Florida, in early June.
Palm Coast’s Arbor Day Moves Back to Central Park on May 18
Palm Coast is bringing back its rescheduled Arbor Day celebration to Central Park (from Waterfront Park), on May 18. the event will be featuring a tree give-away, butterfly release, food drive, walk and run, exhibits and activities for children including a petting zoo, character visits and rock-climbing wall. Admission and parking are free.
Mayor Netts and Fire Chief Beadle Show Their Coconuts and Bananas (For the Arts)
At the Flagler Auditorium’s Duck Dive, a fund-raiser for arts in education Sunday, Palm Coast Mayor Jon Netts and Fire Chief Mike Beadle stole the show with their impersonations of pāʻū-clad Polynesian dancers. Here they are in two uncensored videos.
Red-Light Camera Fines May Go Up to $408 and Be Harder to Fight Under Newest Rules
A new law awaiting Gov. Scott’s signature returns hearings to the control of local governments that have red-light cameras, such as Palm Coast, and allows them to impose an additional fee of $250 on top of $158 tickets, when contested, among other changes.
Jacksonville Symphony’s Sunday Concert in Town Center Cancelled
The Palm Coast Arts Foundation’s 7th Picnic and Pops concert with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra will feature the usual favorites, surprises and a celebration to Cinco de Mayo as the big event takes over Palm Coast’s Central Park on May 5.
Forget Rio: Palm Coast Lands Soccer Academy in Planned Expansion of Economic “Niche”
The New Jersey-based Player Development Academy will build up to six fields on 65 acres west of U.S. 1 that will link with the Indian Trail Sp[orts Complex–and with Palm Coast’s sports-niche market, which has turned into an engine of economic development.
Bizarre Story Aside, Aaron Kinney, Gas Station Robber, Is Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison
Aaaron Kinney of Palm Coast was sentenced to nine years in prison for the three gas-station robberies he committed in Palm Coast last July, supposedly because a man he owed money to made him do it while threatening to do harm to Kinney and his mother. Judge J. David Walsh did not believe Kinney’s story.
Milestone: Flagler’s Unemployment in Single-Digits, at 9.5%, for 1st Time in 5 Years
For the first time since June 2008–almost five years–Flagler County’s unemployment has fallen back to single digits, registering 9.5 percent in March as the local economy continued to mirror the state’s and the nation’s, improving slowly but steadily.
Flagler Spirits: Nothing Micro About This Palm Coast Distillery’s Whiskey Rebellion
Jimmy Day’s Flagler Spirits micro-distillery in Palm Coast is part of the nation’s boom in a niche industry that develops specialty regional products, like Day’s whiskeys, vodkas and rums. He’s producing and marketing 1,000 gallons a month from his Hargrove Grade plant.
76-Year-Old Cyclist Critically Injured By SUV at Cypress Pt. and Belle Terre
A 76-year-old cyclist riding up Belle Terre was struck by an SUV and pinned under the car until paramedics were able to lift the car, tend to him and evacuate him by air. The cyclist had traumatic injuries, but was alive when he was taken away from the scene.
Flagler 911: Pot-Dumping on Colbert Lane; Commissioner’s Son Presses Charges Against Inmate
Two teens arrested after eluding a cop on Colbert Lane and allegedly dumping pot on the road; Bunnell City Commissioner John Roger’s son, in jail on a minor charge, is allegedly attacked by another inmate, who is charged with battery; the bomb squad is called out on Princess Geraldine Place; and more, including jail bookings.
Jerry Full, Palm Coast Founder and Exuberant Environmentalist, Is Dead at 86
Jerry Full, one of the founding members of the Palm Coast City Council, thought, spoke and lived at speeds defying limits, and lived lives as if he would never run out of them. Full died on March 28 in Ossining, N.Y. He was 86.
Palm Coast Meth Lab Busted on Cooper Lane as Sheriff’s Deputies Call in Hazmat Unit
The meth lab at 1 Cooper Lane in one of Palm Coast’s oldest and least eventful neighborhoods was busted Friday afternoon, with the arrests of Brent Chambers, 35; Heather Hastey, 42, and Will Hodge, 30. Four children lived at the address.
Dear Sheriff Manfre: Why Are Deputies So Quick to Shoot Animals–and Leave Them?
A sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a raccoon found to be sickly in Palm Coast’s R-Section this morning, leaving it in a lot, triggering a letter of concern from a resident to Sheriff Manfre about a routine practice among local law enforcement in the disposition of ailing animals.
Accused of Thefts in December, He Isn’t Arrested For Them Until Wednesday
Daniel Hunter was arrested for stealing from an 83-year-old woman in March, but he was arrested again only Wednesday for a separate alleged theft spree the sheriff’s office had investigated–and interviewed him about–back in December.
Bunnell Wants County, Palm Coast and Flagler Beach to Help Solve Its Homeless Problem
Bunnell’s First United Methodist Church is the closest thing Flagler County has to a homeless shelter, but a few residents are critical even of that limited help, claiming it’s blighting the city, while the City Commission wants county government, Palm Coast and Flagler Beach to pitch in for a solution.
Two Women, Caught on Video, Sought in Palm Coast Robbery; More Guns Drawn
Sheriff’s investigators are looking for two women caught on a home surveillance video where a burglary was reported; a hit-and-run at Grand Haven; a family quarrel ends in a gun being fired; death threats from a drunk man on Columbia Lane; and more. Includes jail bookings.
Bicyclist Injured in Hit-and-Run on Palm Coast Parkway; Sheriff’s Deputies Locate Car at DSC
Terrance Conley, 62, a Palm Coast bicyclist, was evacuated by air after he was struck by a car on Palm Coast Parkway near Florida Park Drive at 8 a.m. Monday in a hit-and-run. The car was later located in the parking lot of Daytona State College.
As Florida Bans Internet Cafés, Palm Coast’s Lingering Joints Place Last Bets on Eulogies
A FlaglerLive reporter, $50 in hand, made a tour of Palm Coast’s Internet cafes, only to find most of them closed already, and a mournful atmosphere at two that were open, not long before a bill banning the small gambling halls was sent to Gov. Rick Scott Thursday.
Growls Again Over Palm Coast’s Dog Park As the City Pleads Money and Other Woes
For the third time in six years, Palm Coast users of the dog park at Holland Park are complaining to the city council of dusty, dirty, grass-less and unhealthy conditions at the park, only to hear that improvements may be on the way–but not just yet.
Robert Trainham, 27-Year-Old Motorcyclist, Is Killed in Collision With Pick-Up on Belle Terre
A motorcyclist riding north on Belle Terre Boulevard, south of State Road 100, was killed in a collision with a Chevy pick-up truck just before 3 p.m. The motorcyclist almost lost a leg and appears to have bled out. He was pronounced dead ay the scene by Flagler County Fire Rescue paramedics.
After a 2 1/2-Hour Hunt, Man Feared Armed Surrenders in Anxiety-Ridden F-Section
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office launched a significant and urgent manhunt at 6:30 p.m. in Palm Coast’s F Section, around Forest Grove Drive, after reports that an armed, mentally ill man began circulating. The man was found in the woods near Fitzgerald and Fieldstone at about 9 p.m., unarmed.
Flagler 911: Palm Coast Man Accused of Raping His Wife; 4 Teens Arrested for Burglary
Chhom Chann, a 40-year-old resident of 15 Prosperity Lane in Palm Coast, is at the Flagler County jail on $100,000 bond, facing three felony charges, including sexual battery–otherwise known as rape–false imprisonment and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after he allegedly forced his wife to have sex with him, tied her to a chair, struck her in the face and and cut off her hair against her will.
Michael Cona Found Not Guilty in Hancock Bank Robbery
Michael Cona was facing an armed robbery charge for the 2011 Hancock Bank robbery at Palm Harbor in Palm Coast. His brother Shawn pleaded no contest and served a year in jail on a similar charge.
P-Section Brushfire Near Homes on Pacific Drive a Reminder of Brittle Conditions
The fire in an empty lot at the corner of Parish Place and Pacific Drive in Palm Coast Wednesday afternoon had homes on either side, but they were never threatened as a Palm Coast Fire Department engine was at the scene within moments of a 911 call.
As Local Governments Tackle Candy-Flavored Tobacco, Teen Trends Contradict Alarm
Palm Coast, Bunnell and Flagler Beach have each passed a resolution asking merchants not to sell flavored tobacco products, which are especially appealing to youths, but teen use of tobacco products (including smokeless tobacco) has been on the decline since the mid-1990s.
Murder Victim’s Family Denied Up to $150,000 Over Station Owner’s Workers’ Comp Lapse
Following Zuheily Roman Rosado’s murder at the Mobil station in Palm Coast on Feb. 21, the state Division of Insurance Fraud filed a third-degree felony charge against the station owner when an investigation revealed no workers’ compensation coverage, which would have provided Rosado’s family funeral and other death benefits.
House Votes 108-7 to Ban Internet Cafes; Impact in Palm Coast Will be Limited
Palm Coast at one point had nearly a dozen such businesses. Last week it had seven. This week, according to Palm Coast Mayor Jon Netts, the number was down to three, as several of them closed pre-emptively.
18-Year-Old Faces First-Degree Felony Battery Charge Over Grandmother’s Accusations
Mary Lee, 80, claims her 18-year-old granddaughter, Jestina, pushed her over a chair, a claim Jestina denies, though the 18-year-old is in jail on $1,000 bond.
Proposed Law to End Red-Light Camera Ticketing of Right Turns Advances
If they become law, the restrictions would seriously crimp the use of red-light cameras as revenue generators, as is the case in Palm Coast, where up to 52 such cameras are in place–at least for the companies operating the cameras, since Palm Coast is guaranteed revenue regardless of the number of tickets issued.
Sen. Thrasher Calls for Outright Shut-Down Of Internet Cafes in Wake of Scandal
Sen. John Thrasher, an influential senator who represents Flagler County, and who has sought to place a moratorium on new Internet cafes, said Wednesday that criminal allegations of racketeering and other wrongdoing in the industry should spur lawmakers to close the storefront businesses.
Lt. Gov. Carroll Resigns as Internet Cafe Scandal Sweeps Florida–and Palm Coast
As Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies were serving a search warrant on the Internet Cafe in the Home Depot shopping center, Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll was resigning in connection with the scandal, which has led to Allied officials’ arrests.
Booze Up: Palm Coast Government Is Your New Special-Events Bartender
After some reservations two weeks ago, the Palm Coast City Council Tuesday agreed to have the city acquire a liquor license and itself sell booze at the city’s special events, generating more cash the city says it will reinvest at those events.
Abuse of Dispatch: When Calling 911 (Five Times) Lands You at the Flagler County Jail
Palm Coast’s Wesley Jackson, 26, called 911 to report property damage Saturday night, but allegedly kept calling, cussing out the dispatcher and the cop who showed up, and ended up arrested on a charge of abusing 911, a misdemeanor.
Palm Coast Offering 2 Spring Break Camps for Students in K-6
Registration is now under way for Spring Break camps for the week of March 25 to 29 at the Palm Coast Community Center and at Palm Coast Tennis Center, with camp costs ranging from $75 to $150 for the week.
Sea Ray Boats in Palm Coast Benefits from Plant Closures Elsewhere, With Cautions
Consolidation will likely add to the payroll in Flagler County, and do so with well-paying manufacturing jobs. It also puts to rest, at least for now, worries that Sea Ray’s local plant would either close. But the company is facing tough economic headwinds even as it stock soars to seven-year highs.
Proposed Law Would Curtail Palm Coast’s Ability to Convict Red-Light Camera Violators
The proposed law, by Sen. Joseph Abruzzo, would shift the burden of proof of a red-light violation to the government imposing the fine, it would eliminate citations for right-turns on red, and it would require a live, government representative at hearings to prove that a violation took place.
Tipsy on Daytona Beach’s Example, Palm Coast Considers Getting Its Own Liquor License
The Palm Coast City Council is now considering applying for its own liquor license and, in an even more remarkable move, designating Central Park as a civic center where vendors could sell booze at special events under the city’s umbrella.
32-Year-Old Palm Coast Store Clerk Is Killed in Apparent Hit; Assailant Still at Large
32-year-old Zuheily Roan Rosado was shot and killed shortly after 10 p.m. at the Mobil gas station and convenience store on State Road 100. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has no suspect in sight.
Palm Coast Approves 17.6% Water-Rate Hike, Pleasing Bond-Holders More Than Residents
Palm Coast residents will see their water bills jump 8 percent in April, 4 percent in October and another 4 percent in October 2014 as the city grapples with a combination of debt and capital obligations for its utility.
Answering Palm Coast, Thrasher Will Pitch Internet Cafe Bill, But Reach May Be Limited
Palm Coast officials want state lawmakers to either ban or more strictly regulate and possibly tax gambling parlor-like internet cafes. Sen. John Thrasher is proposing a moratorium on the parlors, which may not match local demands, as a moratorium was already executed in Palm Coast.
Early Morning Shooting in Palm Coast’s P-Section Sends One Man to Hospital
A man was shot in the chin in Palm Coast’s P-Section, on Pine Hill Lane, early Sunday morning at the end of what had reportedly been a loud party. The shooter is still at large. The victim, Johnnie Thomas Jr., 19, of Bunnell, went with friends to Florida Hospital Flagler. This is the same Johnnie […]
Named Chamber President, DeLorenzo Vows Openness and Redirected Focus on Businesses
The Flagler County Chamber of Commerce and Affiliates appointed Rebecca DeLorenzo its permanent president on Thursday, ending a three-month interim since Doug baxter’s abrupt departure in November.