June 10, 2021 The Roving Reporter

his is Marcia Lane, your roving reporte.

Today is the last day of school for students in Putnam and St. Johns counties as summer vacation begins. Teachers still have another day. Flagler County got out last week. Graduations are finished in St. Johns and Flagler, but Putnam County ceremonies continues through this week. Tonight Crescent City High School graduates at 7:30 p.m. at Wiltcher Stadium. On Friday Palatka High School graduates at 8 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Stadium. On Saturday Q>I. Roberts Jr.-Sr. High graduates at Veterans Memorial in Palatka at 7 p.m.

One candidate has withdrawn from the special election to pick a new mayor for Palm Coast. Kevin Cichowski dropped out two days after qualifying ended for the post left vacant after Milissa Holland announced she was resigned due to family health issues. That drops the non-partisan race to seven candidates. Cichowski, who had not run for office before, will be out the $1,400 qualifying fee.

Two Satsuma men are in Putnam County jail on $105,000 bond each following another shooting on Palatka’s northside. Omar Lewis, 22, and Jorge Rosado, 21, face a variety of charges including aggravated assault after a Tuesday incident where two bullet holes were found early Tuesday afternoon in the driver’s door of a red Hyundai Sonata parked in front of an apartment. Officers were told of two men who had run from the vehicle and found Lewis and Rosado on he porch of an Olive Street apartment. Rosado allegedly pulled a handgun from his waistband, pointing it in the air, but did surrender it to the officers. He then said he had another gun, which was also taken. One of the guns was reported stolen from Volusia County. A witness said the two had texted threatening messages earlier in the day and shown up at the apartment, firing at the building. 

Deadline on having a say in plans for planned projects on Anastasia Boulevard is nearing. St. Augustine and St. Johns County are studying two sections of Anastasia and looking for ways to increase safety and access. The survey must be filed out by June 15. Go to anastasiablvdstudy.com. 

The RSVP program in St. Johns County is looking for volunteers to help with their remote summer reading program for St. Johns County schools. Volunteers only need to give 30 minutes a week and can work from home, according to Cheryl Freeman, who heads up RSVP. Call her at 904-547-3952.

Meanwhile in Putnam County, the principal at Q.I. Roberts Jr.-Sr. High has revised choices for the summer reading list after getting complaints on Facebook. Questions were raised about the age appropriateness of three of the books. The school serves seventh through 12 grades and some of the books on the reading listing were considered inappropriate for younger children. They included one novel set in Kabul during the rise of the Taliban and another coming of age novel set in Great Britain during World War II. The third is non-fiction and deals with a youth in apartheid-era South Africa. Next year other principals may face similar questions since the school district has decided to combine all the junior and senior high schools.

A St. Augustine man sought by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office hahs reportedly been arrested in Bradford County. The Sheriff’s Office had asked for the public’s help in locating Tyler Hillegas, 29, who has run from law enforcement and resisted prior attempts at arrest. He was wanted on several charges including two counts of grand theft of a motor vehicle, grand theft and felony criminal mischief. Hillegas may have found it hard to hide since he has several tattoos on his face.

St. Augustine High School has a new athletic director. Quinterrance Cooper has been chosen to oversee the school’s athletic programs.

Flagler County has gotten a $1.2 million grant through the state’s competitive Criminal Justice Mental Health Substance Abuse Reinvestment Grant fund. The proposal developed by Flagler Cares in partnership with the Flagler Board of County Commissioners, Flagler Sheriff’s Office, Flagler District Schools and Halifax Health expands the existing grant-funded initiative providing mental health and substance use disorder services and support.

Billy Buchanan offers rock and soul at tonight’s Concerts in the Plaza in downtown St. Augustine from 7 to 9 p.m. You’ll hear everything from Ray Charles to Prince at the free concert in the Plaza de la Constitucion.