The Palm Coast City Council is poised to approve a $280 million bond issuance and $45 million refinancing to fund a $599 million utility capital improvement plan. The resulting $582 million debt, to be repaid over 30 years, is already integrated into recent rate increases. While the investment aims to modernize aging infrastructure and satisfy state orders, officials face criticism regarding the city’s failure to secure grants, leaving residents to bear the primary financial burden.
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Daily Cartoon and Briefing
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, January 15, 2026
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local
The New Face of Homelessness: Flagler County Shelter Sees Occupancy Double Amid Affordability Crisis
Flagler County’s cold-weather shelter, The Sheltering Tree, is experiencing a significant surge in demand as freezing temperatures arrive. Rising housing costs, increased healthcare premiums, and recent federal benefit disruptions have pushed many working-class residents into housing instability. Local officials report that occupancy has doubled, with many guests arriving directly from their jobs. Supported by local churches and county-provided transportation, the volunteer-run operation struggles to meet the growing needs of a community in crisis.
A Surprise Tribute for Nancy Crouch as ‘Turtle Trail Artists’ Exhibit Opens in Palm Coast
More than 150 guests attended the Sunday opening of the “Turtle Trail Artists of Flagler County” exhibition at Expressions Art Gallery. The event featured new works by the creators of the county’s public sea turtle sculptures. During the reception, arts advocate Nancy Crouch was honored with a miniature replica of “Claude,” the trail’s inaugural sculpture.
‘That Pains Me’: Flagler Commission Will End $359,000 Senior Daycare Program Amid Tax Revenue Concerns
In a major retreat from safety-net responsibilities, the Flagler County Commission is shutting down the $359,000 adult day care program it’s managed for two decades. Commissioners agreed at a workshop on Monday to close the program by the end of the fiscal year in September. Commissioners cited unsustainable subsidies helping too few clients. Some 25 to 50 clients who may have no alternative will be affected. Fearing future property tax revenue cuts from state legislation, the county will now develop an exit plan for the program’s remaining vulnerable clients.
More Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local
Council Candidate Jeanie Duarte Escorted Out of City Hall Over Public Comment Policy Violation
Palm Coast City Council candidate Jeanie Duarte was escorted by a sheriff’s deputy from a council meeting this morning after continuing to speak in violation of public comment rules. Duarte again attacked the legitimacy of Council member Charles Gambaro’s tenure despite a court’s ruling, and made other unsubstantiated allegations.
County Administrator Heidi Petito Survives Firing Attempt by Kim Carney, But Her Days Are Numbered
County Administrator Heidi Petito barely survived a motion by Commissioner Kim Carney to fire her Monday night before an empty chamber, at the very end of a meeting that had stretched past the three-hour mark, and in an off-agenda maneuver fellow-Commissioner Andy Dance said was improper.
Flagler County’s New Nexus Center Aims to Compete with Palm Coast and Hilton in Local Event Market
Flagler County is positioning its new Nexus Center–the South Side library–as an event venue to compete with local community centers and hotels. Library Director Holly Albanese presented a fee schedule featuring a $200 hourly rate for the 2,500-square-foot community room, alongside options for gallery and portico rentals.
Felon Faces 16 Charges for Stealing Firearms, Ammo and Crossbow from Girlfriend’s Father in F-Section
Timothy Nash, a convicted felon, was arrested in Palm Coast after allegedly stealing firearms, ammunition, and archery equipment from his girlfriend’s father at an F-Section house. While the residence showed no signs of forced entry, a locked interior room was breached. Flagler County deputies recovered the stolen items at a local pawn shop using database records. Nash, who has prior convictions in New York, now faces 16 felony charges and is being held at the county jail without bond.
6 Years in Prison for Woman, 27, Who Molested Relative, 13; Man Arrested Flashing Girl, 14, for ‘Extra Scenery’
Palm Coast resident Angel Marie Sexton has pleaded guilty to molesting a 13-year-old boy during a 2024 holiday visit. She is to be sentenced to six years in prison and nine years of sex-offender probation. In a separate R-Section incident, 22-year-old Stephen Nicholas Caputo was arrested for exposing himself to a 14-year-old girl while pleasuring himself before getting home.
The Sunshine State’s 2026 Forecast: Guns, Grifters, and the End of the Woke University
As 2026 begins, Florida’s landscape is defined by aggressive conservatism and cultural upheaval, from DeSantis’s rumored charm school preparations for 2028 to legislative efforts to protect Confederate monuments and expand book bans. Development, football, and ideology collide in the Free State.
FDLE Investigating After Former Daycare Owner Dies at Flagler County Jail of Apparent Alcohol Poisoning
Vadim Valenteychik, 54, died of alcohol poisoning at the Flagler County jail on Friday morning following a DUI arrest. Despite recording a blood-alcohol level over four times the legal limit, he was medically cleared by a local hospital before being booked. Deputies found him unresponsive in a monitored cell several hours later. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the incident.
Incumbents John Rogers and Pete Young Re-elected Unopposed in Bunnell Despite Growth Controversies
Bunnell City Commissioners John Rogers and Pete Young were automatically re-elected today after no challengers qualified to run against them, leading to the cancellation of the March 3 election. Despite a year marked by heated debates over massive residential developments and industrial rezoning, the incumbents retained their seats without opposition. While Rogers opposed the major growth initiatives and Young supported them, voters expressed apparent satisfaction or indifference toward the current commission’s direction.
Flagler Beach Approves Historic 545-Acre Summertown Annexation in 4-1 Vote But Numerous Concerns Persist
The Flagler Beach City Commission approved the 545-acre Summertown annexation, increasing the city’s land mass by 20 percent. Despite a 4-1 vote, the project remains controversial due to its reliance on a fiscal study the city did not produce and unresolved plans for preserving 153 acres of floodplain around the headwaters of Bulow Creek. While supporters tout economic growth and local control, critics warn of rising utility costs, increased traffic, and potential tax shifts that could burden existing residents.
Matt Doughney Pedals Into Retirement After 4,439 days as Flagler Beach Police Chief, Swapping Gun for Bike
After 12 years of service, Flagler Beach Police Chief Matthew Doughney officially retired during an emotional City Commission meeting. Known for his community-focused “bicycle policing,” Doughney chose to keep his bike rather than his service weapon on departing. During his farewell, he highlighted his work in rebuilding public trust and thanked the leaders who supported his 2013 hiring. Acting Chief Lance Blanchette led the ceremony as the department nears its upcoming professional accreditation.
Flagler County’s Jobless Rate Spikes to 6.1 Percent, Highest Since October 2020, and Labor Force Stalls
Flagler County’s unemployment rate surged to 6.1 percent in November, marking a five-year high as the local labor force remains stagnant. While tourism revenue shows modest growth driven by luxury vacation rentals, the housing market is signaling a significant slowdown, with the time to secure a contract reaching levels not seen since the 2012 housing recovery. Despite a slight year-end uptick in consumer sentiment, overall economic confidence across Florida declined throughout 2025.
The Live Calendar: Today in Flagler
January 2026
Jan 15 2026
Flagler Beach United Methodist Church Food Pantry
Flagler Beach United Methodist Church
Jan 15 2026
Flagler County Drug Court Convenes
Flagler County courthouse
Jan 15 2026
Story Time for Preschoolers at Flagler Beach Public Library
315 South 7th Street, Flagler Beach
Jan 15 2026
Model Yacht Club Races at the Pond in Palm Coast’s Town Center
Central Park in Town Center
Jan 15 2026
Palm Coast Democratic Club Recap Meeting
Flagler County Democratic Party HQ
Jan 15 2026
Town of Marineland Commission Meeting
GTM Research RESERVE Marineland Field Office
Jan 16 2026
Free For All Fridays With Host David Ayres on WNZF
WNZF
Jan 16 2026
Flagler County Cultural Council (FC3) Meeting
Flagler County Tourism Office
Jan 16 2026
Friday Blue Forum
Flagler County Democratic Party HQ
Jan 16 2026
‘Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill,’ the Billie Holiday Story, at City Rep Theatre
City Repertory Theatre at City Marketplace
Jan 17 2026
Flagler Beach Farmers Market
In Front of Flagler Beach City Hall
Jan 17 2026
Coffee With Flagler Beach Commission Chair Scott Spradley
Law Office of Scott Spradley
No event found!
The Conversation
The U.S. Military’s Long History in Greenland
President Donald Trump’s insistence that the U.S. will acquire Greenland “whether they like it or not” is just the latest chapter in a codependent and often complicated relationship between America and the Arctic’s largest island – one that stretches back more than a century but has recently been on the rocks.
Florida and Beyond
‘Dredging Up Some of His Greatest Hits,’ DeSantis Delivers Final State-of-State Address
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spent most of his 30-minute final “State of the State” address to the Florida Legislature looking back on his seven years in office, giving minimal attention to the agenda he’s focused on during his last year in office.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, January 14, 2026
The Public Safety Coordinating Council meets, Randy Fine’s eyes on Iceland, the Svalbard Islands, Nunavut and Madagascar, Louis Jordan wonders what’s the use of getting sober, Separation Chat, Open Discussion.
AI Is Changing Our Relationship with Art
AI influences decision-making, trust and human agency. This new reality is not a cause for doom. However, now that it’s becoming much harder – if not impossible – to tell whether something is created by a human or a machine, it’s worth asking what’s gained and what’s lost from this technology. Most importantly, what does it say about what we truly value in art?
More Florida and Beyond
Senate Panel Moves to Scale Back Controversial Growth Law Known as SB180
After getting hit with lawsuits and objections from local officials, a Florida Senate committee on Tuesday approved scaling back a 2025 law that included temporarily blocking cities and counties from approving “more restrictive or burdensome” changes to growth plans. The Senate Community Affairs Committee voted 8-0 to approve a bill (SB 840), sponsored by Sen. Nick DiCeglie, R-Indian Rocks Beach, that would revise the law.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, January 13, 2026
The Palm Coast City Council meets for a lengthy in workshop, the Community Traffic Safety Team meets, as does the School Board, on things concluding themselves, John Cleese on religion, Gide on a lost note.
Trump’s Media-Muzzling Lawsuits Threaten America’s Free Press
Trump has always been litigious. Over the course of his life, he has been involved in more than 4,000 lawsuits. Many of these involved Trump suing for defamation over perceived threats to his reputation. Relatively few, however, have been successful, if success is defined as prevailing in courts of law. But using litigation as a tool for intimidation can produce other results that can count as victory. The president may be using the courts as a tool not to correct the record but to muzzle potential watchdogs and deprive the public of the facts they need to hold him accountable.
Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins is 4th Republican Running for Governor as DeSantis Hangs Fire on Endorsement
Florida Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins officially entered the 2026 gubernatorial race on Monday, emphasizing his alignment with the “America First” agenda and President Donald Trump. His announcement follows a notable cooling in relations with Governor Ron DeSantis, who recently declined to offer an explicit endorsement. Collins joins a crowded Republican primary field that includes Congressman Byron Donalds and Palm Coast’s Paul Renner. Despite the perceived friction, Collins continues to publicly support the Governor’s current policy platform.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, January 12, 2026
Clay Jones on Steven Miller’s Goebbels gene. A Flagler County Commission Workshop is scheduled for 9 a.m. with a slew of topics. The commission meets again at 5 p.m. The Bunnell City Commission meets, Socrates and Meno discuss Texas A&M’s decision to ban Plato.
The 6-7 Craze Cracked a Window Into Hidden World of Children
Many adults are breathing a sigh of relief as the 6-7 meme fades away as one of the biggest kid-led global fads of 2025. In case you managed to miss it, 6-7 is a slang term – spoken aloud as “six seven” – accompanied by an arm gesture that mimics someone weighing something in their hands.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, January 11, 2026
Opening reception for “Turtle Trail Artists of Flagler County,” at Expressions Art Gallery, Palm Coast Farmers’ Market at European Village, back with Hans and Franz and when cigarettes were a front-page crisis.
Oath Keepers Redux: From Prison Back to Power
Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, whose sentence was commuted by President Trump in 2025, announced the far-right militia’s relaunch. Leveraging a “sacred” pledge to the Constitution to recruit veterans, Rhodes plans a decentralized, “cancel-proof” structure with resilient IT. Experts warn that the lack of consequences for Jan. 6 crimes is emboldening the group’s return to prominence.
Saturday in Byblos:
Henry James’s ‘Special Type’ and the Ethics of Exploitation
Henry James’s 1900 story “The Special Type” is basically Dear Abby for its time, highlighting class-rancid exploitation through the kind of modern elitism anyone would recognize today: Commodifying human beings is not a corporate invention.
DeSantis Signs First 2026 Death Warrant Following Record-Breaking Year of Executions
Following a record-breaking nineteen executions in 2025, Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a death warrant for Ronald Heath, scheduled for February 10. Heath was convicted for the 1989 robbery and murder of Michael Sheridan in Alachua County. Heath’s younger brother is serving a life sentence for his involvement.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, January 10, 2026
“Lady Day” at City Repertory Theatre, the Saturday Flagler Beach Farmers Market, Second Saturday Plant Sale at Washington Oaks Gardens State Park, American Association of University Women (AAUW) Monthly Meeting, and a few words about Mehmet Oz’s new booze guidance.
More Than Half the New Articles on the Web Are Written by AI
In what may seem like a tipping point, the digital marketing firm Graphite recently published a study showing that more than 50% of articles on the web are being generated by artificial intelligence. If you’re more likely to read something written by AI than by a human on the internet, is it only a matter of time before human writing becomes obsolete? Or is this simply another technological development that humans will adapt to?
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, January 9, 2026
Free For All Friday’s media editors’ roundtable looks back on 2025, Rick Belhumeur’s moon shot, Sasha Baron Cohen encourages Americans to embrace dictatorship, a few words about poetry’s lost place in society.
Commentary
More Disciplined Police Warn Against Tactic that Led to ICE Killing in Minnesota
Decades ago, the New York City Police Department prohibited its officers from shooting at moving vehicles. That led to a drop in police killings without putting officers in greater danger. But not all agencies have implemented prohibitions on shooting at vehicles. Even in agencies that have, some policies are weak or ambiguous.
Iranian Protesters Are Rejecting Islamic Republic’s Whole Rationale
Protests go deeper than economic frustration alone. When people in Iran chant “Neither Gaza nor Lebanon,” they are, I believe, rejecting the theocratic system in Iran entirely. In other words, the current crisis isn’t just about bread and jobs, it’s about who decides what Iran stands for.
White Nationalism Is Fueling Political Violence Nationwide
Political violence among rival partisans has been a deadly and destabilizing force throughout history and across the globe. It has claimed countless lives, deepened social divisions and even led to the collapse of democratic systems. Escalating acts of violence in the United States parallel Europe’s authoritarian past. Reports of politically motivated violence are distressingly common – ranging from mass shootings, car-ramming attacks and assaults at demonstrations to assassination attempts, kidnappings and threats targeting mayors, governors, political activists and members of Congress.