This is Marcia Lane, your roving reporter.
Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputies have arrested a Flagler County student for making threats to kill. On Tuesday deputies arrested a 13-year-old Buddy Taylor Middle School student who allegedly threatened to shoot a teacher and a student. The youth’s name was not released. The middle school teacher told the school’s resource deputy a situation developed earlier in the day when the 13-year-old and other students argued and he told them repeatedly “I’m going to shoot you” and indicated he had a gun. The teacher said threats also were made to her. Deputies went to the suspect’s house and arrested him on two counts of threats to kill. According to the Sheriff’s Office it’s the sixth time in a month a student has been arrested. Sheriff Rick Staly urged parents: “Please teach your children the proper way to handle anger and that making threats or acting out is not the solution.”
Among items on the Palatka City Commission meeting tonight is a public hearing on a $5 million Community Development Block Grant from the federal government. This one is a federal coronavirus grant. Several possibilities for spending the money have been discussed including continuing public works on the city’s Northside. Also up allowing marijuana dispensaries by conditional use in the downtown business and downtown riverfront area of Palatka. The meeting is at 6 p.m. at City Hall.
Trick-or-treat is just around the corner and area governments are setting up times. This year is causing some problems since Halloween falls on a Sunday, Oct. 31. Putnam County Commission and Palatka City Commission have decided on holding trick-or-treating on Saturday, Oct. 30. That’s also when Palatka Police will be holding their annual Trunk-or-Treat. However, some neighborhoods already have plans for trick or treating on Sunday and are in a quandary.
As coronavirus numbers continue falling, festivals in the tri-county area are coming back. In St. Augustine Friday through Sunday the Sunrise Rotary Club will be holding Rhythm and Ribs at Francis Field. For the first time since 2019, the city will be making satellite parking with a shuttle service available. Rotary is picking up the bill for the service that will only be available Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. That will relieve the pressure to find a parking space. A loop route has been set up with shuttle buses running between various parking lots and the St. Augustine Visitor Information Center, which is next to Francis Field. As always chefs will be coming from around the country to take part in barbecue competitions and live music will be played all three days with national music star Travis Tritt the headliner for Saturday.
St. Johns County on Saturday hosts the 62nd annual Cracker Day celebration at St. Johns County Fairgrounds in Elkton. St. Johns County Cattlemen’s Association is sponsoring the event that salutes the early cowboy settlers of the area and Cracker culture. More than 100 arts and crafts vendors, barbecue, kids area and lots of horse events including barrel racing, pole bending and races will be going on from 8 a.m. to late afternoon. Cost is $5 per carload.
In Putnam County the Florahome Fall Heritage Festival is Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the town’s park on State Road 100. Arts and crafts, plants and honey are among items for sale as well as chicken dinners and the Interlachen Junior-Senior High School culinary department’s famous banana pudding. A group bike ride, pickle ball clinic and art exhibit and sale also are scheduled. Profits will go toward restoration of Florahome’s 100-year-old Village Improvement Association clubhouse.
In Melrose flying machines will be the focus at the Fly-In at Melrose Landing on Saturday. A FAASTeam seminar, food and dessert trucks and live band will be at the airport on Melrose Landing Drive in Hawthorne from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. You can even buy a ticket to win an ornamental vintage prop.
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