April 15 – Marcia Lane, 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).

A 36-hour manhunt ended Sunday afternoon when the suspect in a shooting death turned himself in to Flagler County authorities. Marion Gavins Jr., 17, was talked into surrendering by his mother. Gavins is prime suspect in the shooting death of Curtis Gray, 18, a Flagler Palm Coast High School student. Gray was shot in the abdomen outside the Coin Laundry on Belle Terre near Palm Coast Parkway around 12:30 a.m. Saturday and died while being flown to a hospital. A senior, Gray was described as a student-athlete who friends expected to get a track scholarship and attend college. Flagler County deputies are still investigating, and an 18-year-old girl Teresa Salgado, also known as Alex, is a person of interest in the shooting. Two other teens in a car at the Gavins’ were arrested. They had a locked backpack that was found to contain some 20 grams of marijuana and a .25-caliber gun. The gun was not thought to have been used in the shooting. Gavins remains in the Flagler County Jail. Earlier he had been expelled from the school district.

The State Fire Marshal is looking into the cause of a fire at the Sonic restaurant in Cobblestone Village in St. Augustine this morning. St. Johns Fire Rescue was at the scene just before 6:15 this morning after smoke was spotted inside the business and billowing out. The fire was quickly brought under control and no injuries were reported at the drive-in.

A domestic disturbance call in Putnam County led to discovery of a cockfighting ring and some 200 chickens in the back of a home on Lettie Lane. Oriel Castro Royero, 47, was arrested and charged with selling or possessing an animal to fight or bait, possession of equipment used in animal fighting and possession of property used for the purpose of training fighting animals. Detectives believe Royero is an established breeder and trainer in illegal gamecock fighting who has been supplying animals to other illegal operations in Florida and other states.

Flagler County Commission will be talking about a possible new location for the Sheriff’s Operations Center today. The current operations center in Bunnell has been closed due to employee health concerns. Other locations being talked about include one near the current Government Services Building in Bunnell, one in Town Center and one near the public library in Palm Coast. The meeting is at 5 p.m. on the Government Services Building.

Sandra Gilyard has filed her intent to seek re-election to the Putnam County School Board. Gilyard has filed for her District 3 seat, according to Charles Overturf III, supervisor of elections.

A roundabout at Old Dixie Highway and U.S. 1 is moving ahead at a fast clip. So fast in fact that P&S Paving of Daytona Beach had to halt work last week so that utility companies can move their facilities as needed. They’ll have until the end of April to make those adjustments. The $4.1 million project is ahead of schedule.

This is Marcia Lane, your roving reporter.