March 19-20 – Marcia roving reporter

This news bulletin is brought to you in conjunction with NATKIM Radio. Listen to WPLK (800 AM), WIYD (1260 AM) and WPLK FM (98.3 FM).

Two traffic deaths on area roadways. In Putnam County a 39-year-old Palatka man died on County Road 216 in front of the Georgia-Pacific paper mill Tuesday at 2:45 p.m. Florida Highway Patrol says a semi trailer was parked in front the plant partially in the westbound right turn lane and partially on the shoulder when it was struck by a pickup that traveled into the right turn lane. The front of the pickup collided with the rear of the semi. The passenger in the pickup, Dantonia Williams, died at the scene and the driver Jimmie Gilmore, 81, of San Mateo was taken to Orange Park Medical Center with serious injuries. The driver of the semi, Douglas Green, 50, of Jacksonville was not injured. According to FHP, charges are pending. In Flagler County a motorcyclist died late Monday afternoon on I-95, just north of Palm Coast Parkway. Daniel R Macleod III, 40, who formerly lived in Palm Coast before moving to Hastings was headed north. Noel Cable Kreger of Jacksonville was in a Chevy Cruze, ahead of Macleod and slowed to merge where road construction had recently begun, said FHP. Macleod did not slow down, struck the back of the vehicle and was tossed into the air. He was not wearing a helmet. The accident happened shortly before 5 p.m. Macleod was flown to a Daytona Beach hospital where he later died.

A man the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office describes as a career criminal is back in the Flagler Jail on three additional counts. Tyrone Whitehead, 56, was transferred to Flagler from the Baker County Jail  and also has active warrants from Alachua and Nassau counties. His original charge in Flagler dates back to July of 2018 for a burglary of a Palm Coast gas station where he filled an trash can with merchandise after smashing in the door. Whitehead is being held without bond.

Putnam County authorities got a welcome call Tuesday. This one was from UF Health Shands reporting they had a woman identified as Jessica Schmutz at the facility. The Palatka woman has been missing since March 8 after leaving Flagler Hospital in St. Johns County. Authorities have been searching for her. She apparently walked into Shands Friday but did not give her identity. Schmutz, 34, has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, according to her family.

Palm Coast City Council has given the okay to a contract that will pay their new city manager $145,000 a year. The council didn’t approve a clause giving Matthew Morton automatic annual non-merit raises.

Mission Nombre de Dios continues to seek ways to placate St. Augustine residents over planned changes at the facility off San Marco Avenue. The 26-acre plot includes what’s known as the sacred acre, where the first Mass in North America was held when Pedro Menendez landed in 1565. The Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine wants to put in an 800-seat, open-air amphitheater and a parking garage on other parts of the property. Residents are upset over what it will do to their neighborhood and others are concerned about the possible impact both to traffic and the area.

St. Augustine County Commissioners have given the go-ahead to a $39 million beach restoration project for South Ponte Vedra and Vilano Beach. State and federal grants would pay for $25 million of the project. Oceanfront residents would have to come up with $14 million. The proposed Army Corps of Engineers project includes a one-time dune restoration and a 50-year beach restoration.

Today (March 20) marks the first day of Spring, also known as the Spring Equinox. Expect longer days and more sunlight from now on. But hold off any celebrations until 5:58 p.m. when Spring officially is sprung. Deadline is approaching for Rebuild

> Florida, a state effort to help people repair or rebuild

> homes significantly damaged by Hurricane Irma. The Florida

> Department of Economic Opportunity will accept applications

> through March 29 and funds are available not only for

> repairing and rebuilding, but to assist businesses in

> disaster recovery and update local infrastructure to better

> withstand future storms. For more, go to

> http://www.rebuildflorida.gov or call 844-833-1010.

> The Lenten Season is underway and in

> Palatka the tradition of weekly Wednesday concerts

> continues. Ladies in Harmony will be the featured artists at

> Palatka’s First Presbyterian Church this Wednesday from

> 12:15-12:45 p.m. The concert at the church on South Second

> Street is free. A love offering may be given.

> Palm Coast City Council meets today to

> go over details of a contract with their new city manager.

> Matthew Morton, who has been a manager in Washington state,

> will be getting a base salary of $145,000 a year. That’s

> about $30,000 less than former manager Jim Landon was

> making. Morton, 44, will be eligible for annual raises on

> the same percentage as other employees will get. He sets

> that percentage. Morton is scheduled to start April 8.

> Florida Highway Patrol reports a

> fatality on Sunday in Flagler County. Jason Richards, 46, of

> Winter Haven, died Saturday after his motorcycle veered

> right off Colbert Lane and ran off the road. Richards, who

> was wearing a helmet, died at the scene. A motorist behind

> him didn’t see the crash but stopped to help. Richards was

> staying in Flagler and attending Bike Week in Daytona Beach.

> The mega-motorcycle event ended Sunday. Flagler Sheriff’s

> Office had an increased law enforcement presence countrywide

> and during the 10-day event deputies conducted 940 traffic

> stops and handled 98 traffic crashes.

> Bryan Helms, principal at Interlachen

> High School, is the Putnam County School District’s

> principal of the year. Tiffany Scranton at Mellon Elementary

> School has been chosen assistant principal of the year.

> Scranton, who won the top teacher award back in 2010, is one

> of five finalists for state assistant principal of the year

> honors.

> A traffic stop in Palatka Sunday

> morning led to the arrest of a convicted felon from

> Jacksonville for guns and drugs. Cleophus McCaskill, 49, was

> jailed on a $109,000 bond and faces 13 charges.

> McCaskill’s car was stopped on East Oak Street near U.S. 17

> for having the wrong tag on his Chevy Impala. After deputies

> stopped the car, the scent of marijuana was apparent and

> that led to a search of the car. McCaskill was released from

> prison in 2007 after serving 14 years for an attempted

> murder. With him Sunday was his wife who is a teacher in

> Duval. She was cited with misdemeanor possession after a

> marijuana cigarette was found in her purse. She admitted to

> knowing there was an AK47 and marijuana in the vehicle.

> The revamped and reorganizing Palatka

> Blue Crab Festival will be three days on Memorial Day

> weekend. Volunteers are needed. The Crab committee is lining

> up bands including one out of Palatka known as The Paper

> City Hustlers. They’re a three-piece cover band playing a

> wide variety of music from classic rock to reggae to

> country.

> And if you’re taking part in the

> Putnam County Fair, plants including berry bushes and

> horticulture, 4-H exhibits and conservation landscape tray

> are being accepted today from 2 to 6 p.m.

This is Marcia Lane, your roving reporter.