Gas prices in Florida spiked an average of 40 cents over the past week, the second-largest one-week jump since the start of the conflict in Iran. In Flagler County on Monday, gas was selling for $4.37 a gallon at many stations along State Road 100 and $4.39 along Palm Coast Parkway.
Archives for May 4, 2026
Tax on Contraceptives Will Not Encourage Fertility
In an attempt to double the country’s rate of 1.0 children per woman, Beijing is reaching for a new tool: taxes on condoms, birth control pills and other contraceptives. As of Jan. 1, such items were subject to a 13% value-added tax. Meanwhile, services such as child care and matchmaking remain duty-free. These new moves will not have much, if any, effect on reversing the fertility rate decline to one of the world’s lowest and far below the 2.1 “replacement rate” needed to maintain a stable population.
Lawsuit Calls Florida’s New Congressional Map ‘One of the Most Extreme Gerrymanders’ in US History
A lawsuit has been filed against the Florida congressional redistricting map signed into law Monday by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Equal Ground Education Fund, a Black-led organization that works to increase Black political power in Florida, filed a 71-page lawsuit in the Second Judicial Circuit in Leon County on behalf of 18 individual plaintiffs who live throughout the state. The suit seeks declaratory and injunctive relief to stop the new map from going into effect.
Palm Coast’s Katrina Hatzl, 29, Dies In Night Crash On U.S. 1
Katrina Lyn Hatzl died Friday night after losing control of her Chevrolet Impala on U.S. 1 in Palm Coast. A witness reported the vehicle sped past his van and overcorrected before striking a guard rail then flipping into a concrete embankment. Hatzl, the mother of two young daughters, previously ran a business called Katrina’s Crystals, more recently changed to Kat’s Crystal Creations.
Educator and Business Owner Rob Wood Challenges Will Furry For School Board, Citing Civility and Experience
Robert Wood has entered the Flagler County School Board District 2 race to challenge incumbent Will Furry. A conservative educator Wood wants to restore prestige and functional civility to a board frequently defined by discord. He brings extensive leadership experience from Western Governors University and the Air Force, and as a local business owner. . He advocates for relationship-driven governance.
Palm Coast Mother Jailed for Abandoning 3 Children at Hospital Over Dog’s Death; 44 Dogs Recovered
Sandra Marie Teague faces three child neglect charges after abandoning her three children at AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway. She allegedly blamed the teenagers for the death of a pet dog. Investigation revealed a home filled with 44 dogs and various other animals living in squalid conditions. Teague remains in jail on a $150,000 bond.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, May 4, 2026
The Palm Coast City Council holds a “retreat” at the Southern Recreation Center, the County Commission meets, the Beverly Beach Town Commission meets, crime novelist Jim Thompson’s Library of America volume.
