THE MOTHER OF A TEENAGER NOW SERVING A LIFE SENTENCE FOR KILLING 13-YEAR-OLD TRISTYN BAILEY IS EXPECTED TO PLEAD GUILTY TO CHARGES RELATED TO HER SON’S CASE.
CRYSTAL SMITH, THE MOTHER OF AIDEN FUCCI, IS ACCUSED OF TAMPERING WITH EVIDENCE IN CONNECTION WITH THE CASE, WHICH IS A FELONY.
ACCORDING TO SMITH’S ARREST WARRANT, SURVEILLANCE VIDEO SHOWS HER WASHING FUCCI’S BLUE JEANS HOURS AFTER HE MURDERED BAILEY. THE WARRANT SAYS THE JEANS AND THE DRAIN IN THE SINK LATER TESTED POSITIVE FOR BLOOD.
JURY SELECTION WAS SET TO BEGIN IN THE TRIAL ON MONDAY, BUT COURT DOCUMENTS POSTED ONLINE THURSDAY INDICATE THERE’S A HEARING THIS AFTERNOON AT 1:30 P.M. AT WHICH TIME SMITH IS EXPECTED TO CHANGE HER PLEA TO GUILTY AND BE SENTENCED.
TAMPERING WITH EVIDENCE CARRIES A MAXIMUM SENTENCE OF UP TO FIVE YEARS.
BAILEY’S FAMILY SAID EARLIER THIS WEEK THEY WERE ANGER RIDDEN BECAUSE SMITH HAS “CONTINUOUSLY FAILED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY.”
THE FAMILY HAS SAID THEY HAD HOPED A PLEA DEAL WOULD BE REACHED TO HELP THE FAMILY TAKE ITS NEXT STEP FORWARD IN FOCUSING ON THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF TRISTYN.
A FIVE-ACRE PARCEL OF WOODLANDS IS AT THE HEART OF A DEBATE IN ST AUGUSTINE, BOTH LOCALLY AND AT THE STATE LEVEL. THE WOODED AREA IS PART OF ANASTASIA STATE PARK, BUT IT’S ON THE WEST SIDE OF A1A. THE CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE WOULD LIKE TO BUILD A FIRE STATION ON IT.
NEIGHBORS SAY IT’S MORE VALUABLE LEFT ALONE. IT’S JUST ACROSS FROM THE ST. AUGUSTINE AMPHITHEATER.
THEY’RE TRYING TO MAKE A CASE FOR STATE DECISION-MAKERS TO LEAVE THIS AREA UNTOUCHED
LESS THAN A MILE DOWN THE ROAD IN ST. AUGUSTINE, AT THE INTERSECTION OF RED COX DRIVE AND A1A, RIGHT ON THE CURVE BY THE ST. AUGUSTINE ALLIGATOR FARM, THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL CRASHES.
ST. AUGUSTINE FIRE CHIEF CARLOS AVILES DESCRIBED IT AS “A VERY DANGEROUS CURVE THAT HAS BEEN THE SITE OF NUMEROUS CRASHES AND PEDESTRIAN AND TRAFFIC FATALITIES.”SOME NEIGHBORS AND SOME CITY GOVERNMENT LEADERS HAVE PLEADED WITH THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO MAKE IT SAFER. SO THE DOT CAME UP WITH A PLAN TO EXPAND THE INTERSECTION, BUT THERE’S A HANG-UP. THERE’S A FIRE STATION AT THAT INTERSECTION. IT’S OUTDATED AND IN THE WAY OF THE DOT’S PLANS.
THE CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE WOULD LIKE TO BUILD A NEW, BETTER-EQUIPPED FIRE STATION ANYWAY AND GOVERNMENT LEADERS ARE EYEING A PROPERTY LESS THAN A MILE AWAY ON A1A, WHICH IS THAT SAME WOODED AREA OF STATE PARK LAND THAT THOMAS AND NEIGHBORS LOVE SO MUCH.
THEIR SOLUTION TO KEEPING THIS SPOT NATURAL AND TO THE TRAFFIC CRASHES DOWN THE ROAD, ACCORDING TO THOMAS IS A TRAFFIC LIGHT BY THE WOODS. “IF WE HAD A LIGHT HERE, IT WOULD STOP PEOPLE, AND YOU WOULD NOT GET THE SPEED YOU GET TO AT THAT CURVE,” THOMAS SAID.
THE FLORIDA ACQUISITION AND RESTORATION COUNCIL STILL NEEDS TO MAKE A DECISION TO SEE IF THE STATE PARK LAND IS CONSIDERED SURPLUS OR CONSERVATION, AND THAT WILL DETERMINE THE FUTURE OF THIS WOODED AREA.
THE 34TH ANNUAL WOLFSON CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL BASS TOURNAMENT WILL BE BACK IN PALATKA NEXT WEEKEND FOR THE ANNUAL FISHING TOURNAMENT THAT RAISES MONEY FOR NEEDED EQUIPMENT.
THE ANNUAL BASS FISHING TOURNAMENT RAISES ABOUT $300,000 EACH YEAR TO BE PUT TOWARDS THE CHILDREN’S CARDIOLOGY PROGRAM AND NEW HEART TRANSPLANT MACHINES AT WOLFSON.
ON THURSDAY, MAY 18, IS THE LADS & LASSIES TOURNEY; ON FRIDAY MAY 19 THE VIP & FRIENDS TOURNAMENT AND ON SATURDAY, MAY 20, THE MAIN WOLFSON TOURNAMENT.
MAY IS NATIONAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION MONTH AND NO ONE CELEBRATES HISTORY BETTER THAN ST. AUGUSTINE. EVENTS AT SOME 20 LOCATIONS AROUND THE CITY ARE SCHEDULED THROUGH SUNDAY AND INCLUDE FEE FAMILY EVENTS, MUSIC AND DOCUMENTARIES AS PART OF THE ST. AUGUSTINE HISTORY FEST. ON SATURDAY WILL BE THE ANNUAL RE-ENACTMENT OF DRAKE’S RAID IN 1586. THE SACKING AND BURNING OF ST. AUGUSTINE WOULD LEAD THE SPANISH ROYAL FAMILY TO DECIDE TO BUILD THE CASTILLO DE SAN MARCOS.FOR A COMPLETE LISTING GO TO ST AUGUSTINE HISTORY FEST.
TRAIN ENTHUSIASTS ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO TOMORROWS PALATKA RAILROAD PRESERVATION SOCIETYS OPEN HOUSE EVENT AT THE PALATKA TRAIN STATION FROM 11 TO 3 WITH BOTH SCALE MODEL AND THE MUSEUM OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND IT IS FREE.
DOWN IN CRESCENT CITY THE FIRST ANNUAL NATIVE AMERICAN INTERTRIBAL POWWOW SPIRIT OF THE EAGLE AND HAWK BENEFIT FOR THE CRESCENT CITY WOMANS CLUB STARTS TODAY AND RUNS EACH DAY THRU SUNDAY. IT WILL BE HELD AT EVA LYONS PARK IN CRESCENT CITY 10 TO 9 TODAY AND SATURDAY AND 10 TO 5 ON SUNDAY. ADMISSION IS $5.
TOMORROW THE POST OFFICE IS ASKING YOU TO GATHER YOUR NON PERISHABLE FOOD ITEMS AND CANNED GOODS FOR THEIR ANNUAL FOOD DRIVE. SIIMPLY PUT YOUR ITEMS IN A BAG NEAR YOUR MAILBOX AND THEY WLL PICK UP THE ITEMS AND DISTRIBUTE THEM TO LOCAL FOOD BANKS AND SOUP KITCHENS.
RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEN’S BROADWAY CLASSICAL CAROUSEL IS THIS WEEKEND AT FLAGLER AUDITORIUM IN FLAGLER COUNTY. PERFORMANCES TODAY AND SATURDAY BEGINS AT 7 P.M. AND ON SUNDAY AT 2 P.M.
AND OF COURSE TITANIC THE MUSIC OPENS FOR ITS SECOND AND FINAL WEEKEND TONIGHT. BOTH WOULD BE GREAT SHOWS TO TAKE MOM TO SEE FOR MOTHERS DAY
NATKIM Radio 