- December 16, 2025
+ Woman accused of doing drugs while with children
Michelle Smith, a 32-year-old Palm Coast woman, was arrested Aug. 3. Deputies said she went to a convenience store to inject drugs and took along her four children, an 8-year-old, 7-year-old and 4-year-old twins.
Deputies located Smith and another woman in a minivan in the parking lot. Smith appeared nervous and had marks on the inside of her elbows. Also inside the van were Smith’s children.
Smith and the passenger were jailed, and Smith’s husband responded to the scene to take custody of the children and the vehicle. The Florida Department of Children and Families has been notified of the incident.
+ Woman, chasing dog across A1A, struck by car
Maura Nations, a 26-year-old woman from Orlando, was sent to the hospital in critical condition, Aug. 6, after being struck by a car in Flagler Beach.
Nations was at the beach with her dog, when it darted up the stairs toward State Road A1A at 15th Street South. She chased it as it crossed the road, just as a 2006 Chevrolet Colorado was traveling northbound.
Charles Esbaugh, 65, of Palatka, was the driver. Nations was transported to Halifax Trauma Center.
+ Sidewalk near Flagler Palm Coast completed
A section of sidewalk was recently completed on State Road 100 adjacent to Flagler Palm Coast High School, connecting the school with an existing sidewalk near the Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants. Prior to its completion, students had to walk along the shoulder of the roadway.
Traffic signals were installed across Belle Terre Parkway and Bulldog Drive, and a bridge was built above a swale.
The project was paid for through Florida Department of Transportation.
+ Fire threatens structure in southern Flagler County
Thunderstorms Aug. 8 sent firefighters scrambling to control what was a small brush fire that quickly grew into a 100-acre blaze threatening structures near Durrance Lane.
Flagler County Fire Rescue, Volusia County and units from Palm Coast, Flagler Beach and Bunnell coordinated efforts to control the fire. Flagler County’s FireFlight Helicopter and the Division of Forestry were also on scene.
Don Petito, Flagler fire chief, said wind from the storms pushed the lightning-sparked flare-up into a wildfire overnight, which threatened a riding stable in the area, and, at one point, was headed for homes in Volusia County. No structures were damaged.
Although Sunday’s thunderstorms brought relief from the heat, lightning spawned five new fires. Most were small and quickly contained.
“It just shows you that we are not yet over the drought,” Petito said. “Hopefully we will get significant rainfall in the next few months to eliminate the threat of wildfires.”
+ Corrections
The School Board approved, in a 4-1 vote, 2% step increases for professional staff.
+ Public Meetings
Palm Coast City Council — the next regular meeting is 9 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 16, at the Community Center.
Flagler County Board of County Commissioners — the next regular meeting is 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 15, at the Government Services Building.
Flagler County School Board — the next workshop is 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 16, at the GSB.
The next redistricting workshop with the county commission is 4 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 16, in Training Room 3, at the Government Services Building.
PALM COAST FINALIZES CANDIDATES LIST
The city of Palm Coast will hold a primary municipal election Tuesday, Sept. 13, and a general municipal election Tuesday, Nov. 8.
The primary election will be conducted for the mayoral race only, including a referendum relating to changing city elections from odd years to even years to coincide with state and federal elections.
The general election will address Seat 1 and Seat 3, and if necessary, the mayoral run-off (if no mayoral candidates gets more than 50% of the votes).
The following candidates have qualified to run in the 2011 city of Palm Coast election:
MAYOR
Joe Cunnane
Charles F. Ericksen Jr.
Jon Netts
COUNCIL MEMBER, SEAT 1
William McGuire
Holsey Moorman
COUNCIL MEMBER, SEAT 3
Dennis Cross
Jason DeLorenzo
Any Palm Coast citizen who is a registered voter of Flagler County may vote in any council member election. Residents do not have to live within the city district being elected; but the candidate must reside within the district in which he is seeking election.
For more, contact Virginia Smith, city clerk, at 986-3713.
