Bond reduced for Parchem's daughter

Saturday, May 11th, 2013, 8:09pm

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. -- The bond of the daughter of murdered waitress Barbara Parchem, Lilly Ann Chavez, was dramatically reduced on Friday.

The judge presiding over the case ordered her bond reduced from $400,000 to $25,000.

She remains in jail on a weapons charge.

Chavez, 43, was arrested on May 3 after investigators said they found 9 guns in her possession.

The daughter of the murdered waitress was initially charged with possession of a weapon by a convicted felon and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. The ammunition charge has been dropped.

Chavez's attorney, Thomas Cushman, told First Coast News he believes the reason her bond was initially so high is because law enforcement is trying to keep her in custody.

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1 dead, 1 injured in apparent homicide by car

Submitted by FirstCoastNews Web Staff

Saturday, May 11th, 2013, 5:22pm

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. -- Candace Jackson was arrested Friday after police say she struck two pedestrians, killing one and leaving one hospitalized earlier that afternoon.

The incident took place on Friday just after 5:30 p.m. in the parking lot of the Bank of America located at the 4300 block of U.S. 1 South.

Rosa Lee Armstrong and Shaina Armstrong were walking in the parking lot with other family members when Jackson allegedly drove towards them and struck the two females, according to St. Johns County Sheriff's Office.

Rosa Lee Armstrong, 56, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Shaina Armstrong, the daughter of Rosa Lee, was involved in a domestic relationship with Jackson according to SJCSO.

Shaina Armstrong was taken to Flagler Hospital where she remains in fair condition.

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Landmark Legend: Ponce de Leon Hotel

Submitted by Phil Amato, Community Blogger

Friday, May 10th, 2013, 8:15pm

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- Industrialist Henry Flagler made his money in the oil business. In the early 1880's he devoted his time to building the Ponce de Leon resort in St Augustine. He claimed it would be a hotel that would rival the best in New York City.

"Welcome to Flagler Legacy Tours," said Archie Josie, a senior at Flagler College. Tourists from around the world come to tour the Ponce de Leon which has been Flagler College since 1968. Flagler students lead groups through a resort built during the gilded age of growth and prosperity. "They literally put a light bulb anywhere they could because that's how amazing it was for them," said Josie.

The ceiling in the grand lobby is layered in gold. The floor is imported African mosaic tile. The hotel was built in less than 2 years entirely from poured concrete. There's no steel in the structure.

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Good-bye rain, hello mosquitoes

Submitted by Jessica Clark, Reporter

Wednesday, May 8th, 2013, 12:39am

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. -- Many neighborhoods around the First Coast have standing water in them, and each large puddle and mini-lake is a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes.

Ashley Carter's neighborhood in St. Augustine Beach has some standing water in it.

He was out with his dog, Mazie, on Tuesday enjoying the blue sky and sunshine after days of rain.

"[Sunday's storm's were] pretty intense. I've lived here a long time and it was amazing," Carter said.

"We had over ten inches of rain based on our rain gauges," Jodi Scott of Anastasia Mosquito Control in St. Johns County said.

Much of that rain has filled ditches and yards.

"[The water] is ideal for mosquitoes," Scott noted.

That's why the Anastasia Mosquito Control is spraying larvicide in ditches and in areas where there is standing water.

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2 females sought in theft and fraud investigation

Submitted by FirstCoastNews Web Staff

Tuesday, May 7th, 2013, 5:57pm

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. -- Two females are being sought in connection with the theft of credit cards from a 61-year-old St. Johns County woman over a month ago.

The victim reported several credit cards stolen after she was alerted of possible fraudulent charges in St. Johns and Duval Counties on March 31.

The two suspects took the victim's credit and debit cards while she was helping another customer at work, according to the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office.

The two suspects then traveled to businesses in St. Augustine and near the Avenues Mall in Jacksonville and attempted to charge over $600 to the victim's card within a three hour period according to the SJCSO.

The suspects were possibly driving an older model dark green Ford Taurus.

If you have any information concerning this investigation please contact Detective Kevin Greene at the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office at (904) 209-3988.

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Caught on camera; deputies seek shoplifting suspects

Submitted by FirstCoastNews Web Staff

Tuesday, May 7th, 2013, 8:07am

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. - Two men are being sought in connection with a theft at a St. Augustine Outlets store.

Two suspects allegedly entered the Banana Republic outlet store separately on April 28, according to a release from the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office.

The suspects allegedly walked around the men's section of the store and were caught on surveillance video stuffing a large amount of clothing into other shopping bags several
Times, the release detailed.

According to the SJCSO, the two then left the business separately.

The release describes to suspects as Hispanic males in their mid 40's to early 50's. Both suspects were wearing white polo type shirts, dark pants and dark shoes. One suspect wore large rimmed glasses and had a black blue tooth device in his right ear. The other suspect was balding and had carried a Gap bag.

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Raw sewage spill in St. Augustine

Submitted by FirstCoastNews Web Staff

Sunday, May 5th, 2013, 6:11pm

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- Raw sewage is now funneling into St. Augustine waterways, according to the St. Augustine Department of Public Affairs.

Extreme rainfall has overwhelmed the city's sanitary sewer system in a number of locations resulting in several spills of raw sewage into area waterways.

The City of St. Augustine issued a precautionary notice regarding the use of area waterways including the San Sebastian and Matanzas Rivers, their tributary creeks including Hospital and Oyster Creeks, and Lake Maria Sanchez.

Precautions should be taken when engaged in any waterway activities including swimming, fishing and boating in any of these areas until further noticed.

The water quality will be tested once the rain is over and testing will continue until contaminants from the spills are below established maximum limits for surface water bodies according to the city's Public Works department.

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