Dec. 14, 2020 The Roving Reporter

This is Marcia Lane, your roving reporter.

A Lake Mary man was found dead Sunday morning after a gyrocopter crash in Putnam County. Florida Highway Patrol investigated the crash after receiving reports of a single-engine gyrocopter aircraft going down Saturday night. The crash site and the body of the 62-year-old pilot were found Sunday morning in a wooded area on the southwest side of State Road 100, north of Pinecrest Circle, according to FHP.  The area is south of San Mateo near Dunn’s Creek Conservation Area. The pilot was the only occupant, according to FHP which is continuing an investigation. The National Transportation Safety Board also is investigating.

Flagler County detectives are looking for a suspect and a motive in an apparent home invasion robbery in Palm Coast’s P Section Saturday. An open line 9-1-1 call alerted dispatchers to a problem and as deputies headed to Prospect Lane they saw a silver Chevrolet leaving at a high rate of speed. Units followed until the car cased at Palm Coast Parkway and Colbert Lane where several males fled on foot. Three suspects were found early Sunday morning with one sustaining a dog bite from a K-9. One firearm was found in the vehicle and two on the suspects. Deputies are still seeking a fourth suspect. Residents at the home said shots were fired by the suspects inside the house and many occupants sustained minor injuries. A large amount of cash was stolen. Sheriff Rick Staly said the attack was not believed to be random and “likely involves other criminal activity, like most home invasions do.” Arrested were Carlos Dupree, 34; Korey Jones, 16, and Darius Watts, 15. The juveniles were turned over to the department of Juvenile Justice. If you have information on the fourth suspect, call 386-313-4911.

A rally to demand the Confederate statue at the Putnam County Courthouse be taken down immediately has been announced. The Putnam Alliance for Equity and Justice using #takemdownputnam is sponsoring the rally Dec. 19 from noon to 2 p.m. to demand the Putnam Board of County Commissioners reverse the decision that gave protestors 90 days to raise $200,000 to move the statue to a park in East Palatka. The group says they want the statue down now A counter rally is planned by Stand Your Ground Putnam County from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. the same day.

Palatka’s Community Redevelopment Agency meets today at 5 p.m. at City Hall. Updates on the tax increment fund, Small Business Development Center and the three historic districts are scheduled.

The Nights of Lights, the graduation at Flagler College and the annual Lighted Boat Parade had St. Augustine bursting at the seams downtown on Saturday. If you’re planning on seeing the ongoing Nights of Lights, remember to consider using the parking garage and definitely don’t drive. You can enjoy the view much more by taking one of the trolleys that are maneuvering through downtown.

A motorcycle ride along the coast Sunday remembered veterinary surgeon Brienne Lemay, 37, who died in an accident last Monday on Interstate 95 north of State Road 16 in St. Johns County. Lemay was well-known for her work with First Coast No More Homeless Pets. She was riding her motorcycle when she reportedly traveled into the path of a semi, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

St. Augustine City Commission meets tonight and among items is a move to go back to Zoom meetings and find a larger room for the commission meetings as coronavirus number continue to grow in St. Augustine. The Alcazar Room at City Hall where the commission meets originally was used for card gams when the facility was a hotel.

Florida Department of Health is urging people to continue to practice social distancing, mask wearing and hand washing. From Friday through Sunday, health officials in St. Johns reported 359 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of cases since counting began in March to 10,331. Putnam County reported 113 cases during the same period, bringing the total to 3,236. Flagler Count reported 81 cases during the period, bring their total to 3,049.

Today’s your last chance to find the 10 elves lurking in Ravine Gardens State Park and win a prize. The scavenger hunt involves finding the elves and taking photos of all 10, then sending the photos to RavineardensReservation@dep.state.fl.us.  You can get a list of where to look for the elves from the site.