This is Marcia Lane, your roving reporter.
Weather moving in today means you’ll probably need an umbrella. National Weather Service says showers and possibly thunderstorms are coming with chance of rain at 60 percent today and this evening. Today’s high will be near 87 degrees. Thursday chance of rain continues but at 90 percent during the day. High will be around 70 degrees as cooler weather moves in for several days.
Another shooting on Palatka’s Northside Tuesday although this one apparently is not related to a series of drive-by shootings law enforcement believes may be gang related. Between Feb. 13 and March 1, six shootings were reported on the northside and two on the southside of Palatka, with at least several apparently part of ongoing feuds. On Friday another shooting on the Northside, this time into an Ash Street home about 11 p.m., brought out law enforcement, this time with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office responding since the site was just over city limits into the county. That shooting, say Sheriff’s Office officials, is thought to be tied to the feuds. On Tuesday night Palatka Police and Putnam deputies responded to a shooting in the 1400 block of Washington Street. A single shot was fired, but no one injured. Alicia Leonard, 40, was later arrested for aggravated assault. That case is thought to be related to a domestic disturbance.
Palatka staff and possibly some city commissioners are talking today with state agencies about possible capital improvement projects. Northeast Florida Regional Council is doing a presentation including input from two recent workshops and giving a list of potential planned projects. The meeting began at 10 a.m. at City Hall. The meeting is open to the public.
Two people were life flighted Tuesday night after a collision between a motorcycle and vehicle on State Road 100 near Holloway Road in Putnam County. The accident closed the two-lane road for several hours. The two people on the motorcycle were taken by copter to Shands in Gainesville. The car driver was taken to Putnam Community. Fire departments, Putnam Sheriff’s deputies and Florida Highway Patrol were at the scene.
A 15-year-old girl from Germany is hospitalized with critical injuries after being struck by a SUV Monday night in Flagler County, according to Florida Highway Patrol. The teen was crossing State Road A1A just south of South Central Avenue near Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area, when she was hit by the SUV around 8:15 p.m. FHP noted the teen was not in a crosswalk and that portion of the road is not lighted. The 74-year-old Flagler Beach woman driving the SUV was not injured.
St. Johns County School District is seeking the public’s opinion about the current version of the Student Code of Conduct. The online survey includes about 12 questions regarding various aspects of the code including student dress, a recent controversial issue. Go online to the district website to take part in the survey. Deadline is April 8. Results will go to the school board once they’ve been compiled.
Putnam County Sheriff’s Office is crediting a young boy with saving his mother from serious injury after her date attacked her Saturday night around 1 a.m. The mother and man, Clarence Scranton, 60, had been at a bar and after they left, Scranton allegedly became aggressive, refusing to let her out of the car and taking her phone. She got him to stop at her house so she check on her son. That’s when she managed to get in the house and yelled at her son to call 9-1-1. The boy hid under a bed and called as Scranton allegedly broke in the front door and dragged the woman out. Col. Joe Wells praised the 9-1-1 operator who was “patient and persistent” in getting information from the boy who, in his words, was “scared to death.” When deputies arrived they arrested Scranton who was jailed on a variety of charges. A convicted felon, he is not eligible for bond.
Putnam County Fair continues today with the annual Senior Citizens Day luncheon and program. Tonight at 7 p.m. it’s the annual market steer show. Tuesday the fair was full of Pre-K students from the Putnam school district getting a chance to see animals and exhibits up close. Attendees at the civic luncheon on Tuesday are singing the praises of Interlachen High School student and Future Farmers of America member Kimberly Martin. She spoke of the benefits of FFA and summed up what she had learned: “It doesn’t matter where you are coming from — it matters where you are going.”
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