Oct. 30, 2020 The Roving Reporter

This is Marcia Lane, your roving reporter.
Putnam County Sheriff’s detectives continue to investigate the Wednesday evening shooting death of 29-year-old Joseph Rigdon. No suspect has been identified and no weapon has been found, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Reports of gunshots sent deputies to 154 Lettie Lane where they found Rigdon. He reportedly lived near the location where his body was found, which is in an area south of Palatka off State Road 19 South. Life-saving attempts by medical staff at the area hospital where he was taken were not successful and Rigdon was pronounced dead. An autopsy Thursday morning by the District 23 Medical Examiner’s Office in St. Johns County determined the man had died from a gunshot.  If you have any information,  contact CrimeStoppers of NE Florida at 1-888-277-8477 or download the P3 app. Tips are anonymous and eligible for a reward if leading to an arrest.

Early voting continues through Saturday in Flagler, St. Johns and Putnam counties. As of Thursday night, St. Johns County had a turnout for 63.44 percent or 133,250 votes. Putnam County had 44.42 percent or 22,156 votes. Flagler County had a turnout of 58.18 percent or 53,475 votes.

Flagler County jail inmates have a chance to learn a practical skill while serving time under the new “Homeward Bound” program launched by Sheriff Rick Staly. The program targets practical job skills, training courses to better prepare inmates for re-entry and job readiness. First course offering trains inmates to design, develop and apply custom-designed vinyl graphics onto vehicles. As part of the new program, inmates will begin by applying the vinyl graphics to all FCSO patrol fleet vehicles.

Florida Department of Health in St. Johns County reported 70 new coronavirus cases bringing their total number of cases since counting began to 6,506 cases. In Putnam County 10 new cases were reported. Total cases is now 2,386. In Flagler County three new cases were reported for a total of 2,117.

At E.H. Miller School campus in Putnam County a nice tribute has gone up to the late Daryl Kelly. A bench and plaque have gone up in his memory. The school wrote of Daryl: “His infectious smile and positive attitude left a lasting impression on all of those that were fortunate enough to have known him.”

Saturday is Halloween and to make it extra special a blue moon will be in the sky. It’s not really blue but gets the name because two full moons appear this month and that only happens once in every two-and-a-half to three years. Thus the expression “once in a blue moon”. It is special to have a full blue moon on Halloween; NASA says the next one won’t happen until 2039.

While many Halloween events have been cancelled or curtailed by coronavirus, some happenings are on. Palatka City Commission is allowing trick-or-treating in Palatka from 6-8 p.m. Saturday. At the Palatka Mall the Palatka Police host a drive thru version of their annual Trunk or Treat from 6-8 p.m. At Crescent City has trick-or-treat hours from 6-8 p.m. with Trunk-or-Treat Halloween in the front corner lot of Winn Dixie. This is the last weekend for the Sykes Farm Corn Maze in Elkton. On Saturday Epic Theatre in St. Augustine holds a Trunk or Treat event from 4-7 p.m. at 112 Theatre Drive off State Road 207. In downtown St. Augustine little boo-sters can get candy and a photo served up by Flagler College students at the Ximenez-Fatio House from 1-5 p.m. At Palencia Park join three witches in the movie Hocus Locus. St. Johns Parks and Recreation Department is putting on the free event that begins at 7 p.m. You need to register for one of the outdoor family squares.

And lastly, don’t forget to turn back the clocks at 2 a.m. Sunday. Daylight savings time is on the way out and “real” time returns.