Latest news with #PalmCoast
The Independent
12 hours ago
- The Independent
Baby rescued from car with engine running after parents left the infant to go drinking in Florida bar
This is the moment a baby was rescued after being left unattended in a car while its parents were drinking inside a Florida bar. Deputies from the Flagler County Sheriff 's Office received a tip on Friday evening (18 July) about a child left alone in a vehicle shortly after 10pm. The car was located in Palm Coast. Police bodycam footage shows officers opening the door of the car and finding an infant asleep in a car seat. According to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office, the vehicle had been left unlocked, with the keys in the ignition and the engine running. Norman and Clarisse Finnegan were later arrested by the Sheriff's Office for felony child neglect without great bodily harm. The Florida Department of Children and Families is also investigating the incident.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
We Sell Restaurants Enters Six New Markets, Offering Trusted Brokerage and Tech-Forward Approach
Leading Business Broker Franchise Attracts Owners with Immersive Tools, AI Integrations, and Customer-Centric Upgrades PALM COAST, Fla., July 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The use and implementation of new technology has quickly become a key differentiator for businesses. We Sell Restaurants, the nation's leading and only business broker franchise focused on restaurants, is leveraging cutting-edge solutions to stay ahead of industry trends and deliver more efficient results for buyers, sellers, and the franchise network as a whole. Technology remains a top priority for the brand, playing a pivotal role in driving its continued growth and success throughout 2025. Key technological advancements year-to-date include: Integration of immersive 3D tours that allow buyers to virtually explore restaurant listings from anywhere in the world. Implementation of third-party login capabilities, including Facebook, Instagram, and Google, to streamline user access and improve the customer journey. Creation of personalized listing videos featuring the story behind why owners are selling, adding emotional context and authenticity to each opportunity. Utilization of AI for script generation, video editing, and avatar-driven storytelling to create engaging, professional, and consistent listing videos. "Our commitment to leveraging technology to benefit both the franchisee and customer experience has been incredibly successful, and we'll continue to focus on smart, scalable solutions," said Robin Gagnon, co-founder and CEO of We Sell Restaurants. "In fact, several of our franchisees started as customers, which is a true testament to how our tech-enabled systems build trust, deliver results, and inspire long-term investment in the brand." By streamlining operations and enhancing the experience for franchisees and customers, We Sell Restaurants' tech-forward approach has made the franchise opportunity more attractive to prospective and existing owners alkie. This year, the brand has awarded six new franchise agreements – including two expansions by existing franchisees – underscoring how these investments are driving systemwide results. Key development milestones from the first half of the year include: Current franchisee, Jeff Marcus, expanded from Boulder, Colorado into a second territory in Denver. Current franchisee, Brittany Gates, expanded from Daytona, Florida into South Jacksonville. New franchisees are now operating in four new markets. Allison Gregory came on board as the franchise partner in Aurora, Colorado; Jason Kullman is the new franchisee in Frisco, Texas; Ron Pereira bought the Columbia, South Carolina territory; Ty Bushart and Jason Foley are now serving the Northwest Arkansas territory. The success of We Sell Restaurants has not gone unnoticed, with the brand and its leadership earning significant accolades. In 2025, the International Business Brokers Association honored co-founders Eric and Robin Gagnon with the IBBA Outstanding Producer Award and IBBA Deal Maker Award, respectively, celebrating their exceptional contributions to the industry. In 2025, the We Sell Restaurants brand has been recognized by Franchise Business Review with the Top Franchisee Satisfaction Award, Top Franchises for Women, Top Low-Cost Franchises, and the Most Innovative Franchises Award. Also in 2025, the brand was recognized on Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500 list. According to We Sell Restaurants 2023 FDD Item 19, franchisees earned $273,251 in gross commission income, and more than 40% of all franchisees brokered more than one-million-dollars in sales. * For more information on franchise opportunities, visit About We Sell Restaurants We Sell Restaurants is the nation's largest business broker franchise focused exclusively on the sale of restaurants, with 20 years of experience in helping buy, sell and lease hospitality locations. We Sell Restaurants and its franchisees have sold thousands of restaurants across the country and maintain a listing inventory of nearly $420 million online at their powerhouse restaurant for sale marketplace, including independent and restaurant franchises for sale. We Sell Restaurants is offering franchise opportunities for their brand in select market areas. For more information, visit *This information appears in Item 19 of our current FDD – please refer to our FDD for complete information on financial performance. Results may differ. There is no assurance that any franchisee will perform as well. Media Contact: Emily Eastin, Fishman Public Relations, (847) 945-1300, eeastin@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE We Sell Restaurants Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Judge denies Mayor Mike Norris' bid to remove Charles Gambaro from council
A judge on July 3 denied Mayor Mike Norris's bid to remove fellow City Council member Charles Gambaro from his District 4 City Council seat. Norris filed the lawsuit against the city of Palm Coast, Flagler County Supervisor of Elections Kaiti Lenhart and Gambaro. Norris was represented by Attorney Anthony Sabatini who in the lawsuit argued that the City Council violated the city charter by failing to put Gambaro's seat up for a vote in the same November election in which Norris was voted into office. Sabatini said Gambaro's term ended on the night of the election in 2024. Circuit Judge Christopher France asked Sabatini about what standing Norris had to challenge the appointment. Sabatini argued that Norris had standing as a resident of Palm Coast affected by the actions of the City Council. He also argued that Norris was 'injured' because his votes were diluted by the votes in the council. Norris filed his lawsuit as mayor, but under the city charter, the mayor cannot make such a claim unless approved by the City Council. The attorney for the city and Gambaro, Rachael Crews, argued that Norris did not have standing based on Florida law; only the attorney general or the person who claims to be the rightful holder of the seat could challenge. She also spoke about the timing and discretionary language in the city charter. Crews also said that, according to the charter, even if the court were to remove Gambaro, the position would be filled by an appointment, not an election. She said the charter only called for a special election to fill the mayor's seat or in the event of a recall. In a previous email to The News-Journal, Norris said he was funding the lawsuit to remove Gambaro from the council. Gambaro did not attend the hearing. Norris declined to comment after the verdict was read. The lawsuit is another front in Norris' fight against the city. Norris received a unanimous vote of no confidence in April by his four fellow council members last month. The no-confidence vote stemmed from a 57-page report released April 21 regarding allegations that Norris violated the city charter, interfered with city employees and behaved unprofessionally. The Palm Coast City Council on May 9 submitted the letter filing a formal complaint against Norris with the Florida Ethics Commission. Norris' complaint to remove Gambaro states that the city charter gives the council two options if a council member "vacates their seat during the first two years of their term": Either appoint someone within 90 days or delay the appointment, according to a previous News-Journal story. If the council makes an appointment, that councilmember only serves until "the next regularly scheduled election." Palm Coast District 4 Councilmember Cathy Heighter resigned in August, and the council appointed Gambaro 3-1 (with only four members on the panel at that point) to replace her Oct. 1. Those in favor were previous Mayor David Alfin, previous Vice Mayor Ed Danko and previous Councilman Nick Klufas. All three were voted out in November. Theresa Pontieri, the only one to retain her seat after the election, supported Darryl Boyer. According to Norris' complaint, the city charter would have required Gambaro's appointment to expire after the Nov. 5 election. It is Norris' position that the city "has continued to allow Gambaro to occupy the seat beyond the term authorized by the charter." In a social media post referring to the hearing, Norris wrote "Independence Day is gonna get a lot better this year!" In its response to Norris, the city argued that the mayor was trying to use the judicial system to oust a political opponent and force a costly election, which would not be authorized by the city charter anyway. Attorney Crews, representing the city and Gambaro, filed a response on Thursday, May 29, listing a number of reasons Norris' request for Gambaro's removal should be denied. n the response, Crews wrote that Norris 'comes to the court with unclean hands' because he was 'improperly using the judicial system to undo a political opponent.' This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Palm Coast mayor's court bid to remove councilman denied
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lake Mary All Stars take the win in their Little League tournament
Lake Mary All Stars take the win in their Little League tournament The Lake Mary All Stars kicked off their Little League tournament with a commanding victory, defeating Palm Coast 15 to 3 last night. The twelve-and-under team dominated their district matchup, showcasing their skills and determination as they aim for another trip to the Little League World Series in Williamsport. Advertisement The Lake Mary All Stars are set to continue their tournament run tonight at DeLand Little League, where they hope to maintain their winning momentum. With a strong start to the tournament, the Lake Mary All Stars are poised to make a significant impact as they pursue their goal of reaching the Little League World Series. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Palm Coast demonstrators gather for 'No Kings' day protests
Hundreds of protestors gathered in Palm Coast on Saturday, June 14, for the "No Kings National Day of Defiance," hours before President Donald Trump was to oversee a parade celebrating the U.S. Army's 250th birthday. No Kings protests took place at Old Kings Road and Palm Coast Parkway, and State Road 100 and Belle Terre Parkway. At the S.R. 100 location, up to 300 protesters lined the highway in front of the Target shopping center. The demonstrators held signs with a variety of messages critical of Trump and his administration. As the protesters yelled and waved, their signs included 'Stop the hate, dump Trump,' 'No kings, vets against Trump,' 'No Kings since 1776 Liberty & Justice for all,' 'No kings, no tyrants, silence = death to our Constitution,' 'Wake up fascism is here' 'This is not normal' and 'We the people will not submit. No kings.' Many drivers honked their horns or waved as they drove by. Some also flipped off the throng of protesters. A couple of Flagler County Sheriff's deputies on bicycles patrolled the area, but no incidents were reported. At one point, as the deputies rode along State Road 100, protestors thanked them for being there. Paula Brobeck, who lives in Volusia County, was holding a sign that read in multi-colored letters: 'Grantifa grandmas against fascism.' 'I have two granddaughters, 17 and 20, and I do not want them to inherit a country that's fascist, not independent, not democratic. This is what we are. This is what we stand for,' Brobeck said. Annette Franke of Palm Coast was holding a sign that read 'Sick-O-Phants,' with photos of Vice President JD Vance, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Florida Sen. Rick Scott. 'Our democracy is at risk. We are seeing fascist behavior with our government,' Franke said. She was heartened by the turnout. 'It's wonderful and it's refreshing and I hope that we are beginning to turn a tide with persuading the Trump voters who put him in office to wake up and see what's going on,' Franke said. When asked if she had a birthday wish for Trump, who turned 79 on Saturday, she referred to the military parade in Washington, D.C. that was scheduled to take place later that evening. 'I wish he wasn't celebrating his birthday with a multi-million dollar parade on taxpayers' back, too,' Franke said. Another woman, who identified herself as Patti, said she was protesting a variety of issues, including raids by ICE. 'All the ICE raids right now, it's disgusting. People are here and they are separating families. And that's disgusting,' Patti said. Amy Long of Palm Coast was holding a sign with a drawing of Smokey Bear which read 'Only you can prevent fascist liars.' Instead of 'Smokey,' the bear's hat read 'Resist.' 'This is incredible,' Long said of the turnout. 'This is great. Here in Flagler County we have a large Republican presence, so to see this many people turn out, it's incredible,' Long said. She said although she owns a Tesla — Elon Musk's automotive brand — she added a disclaimer. 'I drive a Tesla and so I had to get a sticker immediately that signified 'Hey, I got this before we knew Elon went that way,' very disappointing to see. Everything is for a minority of billionaires,' Long said. Sarah Melvin said she has been protesting Trump since his first administration. She brought along her dog, Lucius. Melvin wore a beret that resembled a taco. Her dog wore a matching taco-like outfit. The phrase "TACO" — Trump Always Chickens Out — was made by Financial Times commentator Robert Armstrong to describe what he says is the president's pattern of announcing heavy tariffs then backing away. Melvin was holding a sign that read: "Give us (the finger) if you (heart) fascism.' 'I wanted to give a little something to all the people that flip us off," Melvin said, "because we are actually out here fighting for their rights, too." This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Palm Coast 'No Kings' protests count hundreds of demonstrators
