- November 15, 2024
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The following is a news release from the Flagler County Sheriff's Office:
Flagler County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Nathan Flach, a 15-year veteran of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office and a member of the Investigative Services Division, has a new role to fulfill: He’s been named to the State Attorney’s Office’s Career Criminal Unit, a task force designed to target repeat and violent felony offenders.
While he will still work for the Sheriff’s Office, Flach will serve as a liaison between the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office and the State Attorney’s Office. The task force was created in 2009 by a mutual aid agreement, involving the Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns and Volusia county sheriff’s offices, and the Daytona Beach Police Department. It calls for liaisons, or “embedded investigators” from the various agencies to work directly with a team of assistant state attorneys who will be prosecuting these serious cases.
“We are fortunate to have Sgt. Nate Flach in the Career Criminal Unit to assist working the cases involving the worst- of-the worst offenders,” Larizza said.
“I’m extremely proud of Sgt. Flach and his commitment to fight dangerous criminal activity,’’ Sheriff James L. Manfre said. “He’s a tremendous asset to this task force.’’
In his new role, Flach will be focusing on cases involving habitual felony offenders and violent offenders; violent career criminals; dangerous sexual felony offenders; and cases involving firearms and sex offenses. In addition to working in the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office's investigative division, Flach has served as a road patrol deputy.
The change in his duties has been under way for a while, Flach said, based on previous experience with a prosecutor’s office. The opportunity came up and “I jumped at the chance to give it a shot.”
The following is a news release from the Flagler County communications office:
The St. Johns River Water Management District is providing Flagler County with a $500,000 grant for its Malacompra Basin Water Quality Enhancement project.
Commissioner Frank Meeker and County Administrator Craig Coffey addressed the governing board at its regular meeting Tuesday, Feb. 9, thanked them and walked away with the grant that will be used to help fund the first phase of this three-phase project.
“The problem simplified is that when that big storm comes, people can’t get out of their homes because of flooding and our emergency personnel can’t get in,” Meeker said. “Additionally, untreated stormwater and septic tank leachate makes its way into the headwaters of land that we have spent millions protect – 40,000 acres.”
A letter was issued Thursday, Feb. 11, congratulating Flagler County as one of the approved Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI) cost-share program projects.
“Commissioner Meeker has worked hard to get us this piece of the puzzle and deserves a lot of credit for his relentless efforts,” Coffey said.
Meeker, a former employee of the St. Johns River Water Management District, had been here before. Working out of the district’s executive office in Palatka, he attended many meetings where he made clear to county staff that if they ever stood up with a project, the district would be ready to help.
To show the intent of the St. Johns River Water Management District back then, the project was placed in its Northern Coastal Basin Surface Water Improvement Management (SWIM) plan.
“It languished there (for decades) because it had no local sponsor,” Meeker said.
That changed when the Flagler County Board of County Commissioners began tracking the problems six years ago and agreed to make the project a top legislative priority last year while Meeker served as chairman.
“I made the point it is more cost effective to work on a solution now than to let things get out of hand and we end up with another $20 million Indian River Lagoon restoration caused by many of the same problems experienced in Brevard County,” Meeker said. “This is a great first step.”
The following is a news release from the Flagler County communications office:
Flagler County officials aren’t leaving anything to chance.
Though the top three legislative funding priorities were presented to Senator Travis Hutson and Representative Paul Renner in November, commissioners Charlie Ericksen, George Hanns, Nate McLaughlin and Frank Meeker, along with County Administrator Craig Coffey, travelled to Tallahassee last week to ensure the needs of the county were conveyed to the state’s top decision makers.
In addition to meeting again with the legislative delegation, they also met with the staffs of Governor Rick Scott and Speaker of the House Steve Crisafulli.
“It was a pleasure to watch Craig Coffey at his best talking about the needs of Flagler County,” Hanns said. “It’s was all about public safety and public health.”
Those top three priorities include $1.5 million for the Malacompra Basin, $4 million for the Flagler County Utility that provides water and sewer to the residents of Plantation Bay, and $2 million for capital projects at the Florida Agricultural Museum, located in Flagler County.
The Florida Legislative Session is scheduled to adjourn on March 11.
“It will be a little while before we find out what happens at the state level,” Coffey said. “We do our best to make our case for our county. Flagler County is blessed to have such an engaged board and legislative delegation fighting for its priorities.”
Flagler County has selected an approach to correct the problems in the Malacompra Basin that will save taxpayers about $2 million. It will consist of a new holding pond and backbone system with stormwater collection laterals – all permitted with the St. Johns River Water Management District and the Army Corp of Engineers.
The total project cost is $8.8 million. Flagler County has spent more than $6 million combined on the design and permitting, as well as the acquisition of property for the holding pond and outfall easements.
Meeker and Coffey, along with commissioners Charlie Ericksen, George Hanns and Nate McLaughlin also spent time in Tallahassee within the past two weeks meeting with Governor Rick Scott’s staff, Senator Travis Hutson, Representative Paul Renner and the staff of Speaker of the House Steve Crisafulli.
Phase 1 is estimated to cost a total of $2.9 million for the backbone system, phase 2 will come in at about $2.5 million for the collection trunk line and pond and phase 3 – the side street collection laterals – will cost about $3.5 million. The third phase is almost fully funded through a grant for the 2019-20 fiscal year.
“Getting this grant is great, however it doesn’t diminish our need for the $1.5 million we are requesting from the Florida Legislature,” Coffey said.
There have been problems in this area of northeastern Flagler County that date back to the ‘30s.
“Besides the impact of local flooding on homes and roads, we used these waters for recreation and fishing. There are impacts to the Class II shell fishing waters,” Meeker said. “I am thankful for the support of the commission, the staff and the SJRWMD. I am glad we can start addressing this issue now and not wait for another 50 years.”
The following is a news release from the Flagler County Sheriff's Office:
Callers flooded the Flagler County Sheriff's Office Feb. 12 with at least 30 reports of receiving calls from people claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service. One series of calls involved an automated caller saying, "The IRS is filing a lawsuit against you. Call this number immediately."
These calls are not legitimate.
These types of bogus phone calls happen all year round, but especially during tax season.
The Sheriff’s Office and the IRS continue to warn people to stay alert to these kinds of calls from criminals who intend to steal money or consumers’ identity.
Since October 2013, federal authorities have received reports of about 736,000 scam contacts. More than 4,550 victims have collectively over $23 million as a result of phone scams.
Here are some important things to keep in mind:
If you do owe taxes or think you may owe:
For more information, go to IRS.gov and visit "Tax Scams and Consumer Alerts.''
