Student-athletes from Volusia County Schools will for the first time be offered free electrocardiogram (ECG) screenings in addition to the annual state-required sports physical for middle and high schoolers, through a partnership with AdventHealth.
Flagler County Human Resources Director Pamela Wu Adds Feather to Leadership Cap
Flagler County government Human Resources Director Pamela Wu has added a feather to her leadership cap, as earlier this month she graduated from the National Association of Counties (NACo) High Performance Leadership Academy.
News-Journal: Joe Mullins’s Political Stunt with Constitution Is More Theatrics of Duplicity
Outlining a long list of Joe Mullins contradictions, bigotries and discrimination, the News-Journal in an editorial joins “those registering doubt of his sincerity last week, when he pushed the resolution of support for the Constitution that allowed him to unleash a flood of patriotic-sounding rhetoric in the middle of a commission meeting.”
Sharp Acceleration of Shifting Tax Dollars to Private Schools Clears Senate and Heads for DeSantis Signature
The proposal also would increase the maximum income eligibility to receive vouchers to 375 percent of the federal poverty level, meaning a family of four making nearly $100,000 a year would qualify.
Bill Clears Way for Guns on School Campuses Co-Located With Churches and Other Religious Institutions
Schools co-located with churches, synagogues and other religious institutions may soon see firearms on school campuses – despite the gun-free school laws Florida created in 2018.
Gaines Smith Jr. Arrested Over Bunnell Shooting Spree Targeting Two Women, With Children Present
Two Palm Coast women, ages 35 and 44, reported to police that Gaines Smith Jr. had allegedly threatened them and fired his gun, along with several other armed men, in the area of East Martin Luther King Avenue and South Moore Street in Bunnell. Children were near the women. No one was injured.
Contrary to Commissioner’s Claim, Flagler County Is Not at Herd Immunity, Health Officials Warn, Only Nearing It
Local health officials cautioned against ending covid-19 precautionary restrictions in response to a false claim by Flagler County Commissioner Joe Mullins that herd immunity has been reached, and that he would call for an end to restrictions at the next county commission meeting. Mullins often writes or speaks falsehoods or makes misleading statements about covid-19 and numerous other matters.
Greg Schwartz, Principal at South Daytona Elementary, is Named Tom Russell’s Replacement at FPC
Greg Schwartz, Principal at South Daytona Elementary, today was named principal at Flagler Palm Coast High School. Schwartz replaces Tom Russell, the popular and charismatic principal who’d led FPC for less than two years by the time of his death from covid last December.
Florida Senate Passes DeSantis-Priority Bill That Would Force Political Candidates’ Speech on Social Media Platforms
The bill, in part, would bar social-media companies from removing political candidates from the companies’ platforms. Companies that violate the prohibition could face fines of $100,000 a day for statewide candidates and $10,000 a day for other candidates.
CareerSource Flagler Volusia Hosts Virtual Job Fair for Healthcare Careers on April 29
CareerSource Flagler Volusia will host the Virtual Job Fair for Healthcare Careers on Thursday, April 29, 2021 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Veterans and their eligible spouses will receive priority of service and may join the event starting at 10:00 a.m. The event will be open to the general public from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
Vaccines Now Exceeding Demand, Health Department’s ‘Ground Game’ Targets New Veins in Flagler Beach
As vaccine supply edges past demand and the rate of those getting vaccinated is slowing, the Flagler County Health Department is shifting strategies and making walk-in vaccines available at four Flagler Beach restaurants and later, on Sundays, at the Flagler Beach branch of the tax collector’s office.
Daytona State College Awarded $73,000 Career Pathways Grant to Support New Automotive Apprenticeship Program
The apprenticeship is expected to deliver approximately 2,650 hours of employer-based training through a combination of direct on-the-job training and one-on-one mentorship provided by qualified senior employees of Daytona Toyota.
Two Elderly Men Stranded in a Jon Boat in Intracoastal Marshes for 7 Hours Are Rescued Near Bings Landing
Two men who’d gone fishing Friday afternoon in a jon boat spent seven hours stranded after the jon boat’s engine died and they proved unable to summon a tow, finally resulting in a late night rescue by public safety agencies.
Rise and Fall of the Anglo-Saxon Caucus and Its Florida Fellow Travelers
You may have heard that some of the most MAGA-ty of the congressional MAGA types — Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Duelling Banjos; Paul Gosar, R-Trump Tower; plus our own Matt Gaetz, R-Lolita Shores — recently proposed a new caucus dedicated to promoting the “values” of Donald Trump, by which they mean white supremacy.
This Supermoon Has a Twist: Expect Flooding, But a Lunar Cycle is Masking Sea Level Rise Effects
A “super full moon” is coming on April 27, and coastal cities know that means one thing: a heightened risk of tidal flooding. Because of the moon’s long-term cycle, these are the years to implement infrastructure plans to protect coastal areas against sea level rise.
Court Sides With Sumter County Teacher, Allowing Gun on Campus
An appeals court Friday sided with a Sumter County high-school teacher who challenged a school-district policy that barred him from having a gun in his car on campus.
Seminole Tribe Gets Control Over Sports Gambling Statewide in Exchange for $2.5 Billion Over 5 Years
Under the proposed compact, the Seminoles would serve as the state’s hub for online sports betting, with pari-mutuel operators contracting with the tribe. The deal would allow pari-mutuels that contract with the Seminoles to keep 60 percent of sports-betting revenue, with 40 percent going to the tribe.
A 17-Year-Old Boy Is Shot on Roxland Lane in Palm Coast, By an Assailant Said to Be Unknown
A 17-year-old boy was shot outside a house on Roxland Lane late Saturday night by a assailant said to be unknown, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said this morning. “At this time we do not believe that this was a random attack,” Sheriff Rick Staly said.
Flagler Sheriff’s Daniel LaVerne Gets Distinguished Victim Services Award
Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) Deputy First Class (DFC) Daniel LaVerne was awarded the 2021 Distinguished Victim Services Award during a virtual version of the annual Victim’s Rights Week Ceremony hosted by Attorney General Ashley Moody.
Stop Trash-Talking the Unemployed
Misinformation and distortions by businesses and some politicians, echoed by media, are blaming the unemployed for staying home to live on government checks. The evidence says otherwise, though belittling workers and lampooning government is part of the continuing war against better wages and stronger worker-safety protections.
Trump-Republican Men Lead in Vaccine Refusal, Putting Goal of Herd Immunity at Risk
About 13 percent of American adults don’t want a covid-19 vaccine, but nearly 30 percent of Republicans don’t. The counties that are most vaccine-hesitant are rural, more likely to support Trump and have lower income levels and college graduation rates.
Flagler Jail Deputy Disciplined Over Alleged Use of N-Word Against Inmate, Which He Denies
Flagler County Sheriff’s detention deputy Cpl. Peter Descartes served a one-day suspension without pay last month following an internal investigation over allegations that he referred to a Black inmate by a racist slur in November. Descartes is himself Black, and denied using the term saying he used a different word that sounds similar.
A Surfer, a Fashionista Hunter, a Smiling Earth: Flagler County High School Students’ Best Art Exults in Annual Show
Here are the winners of the annual student photography show at the Flagler County Art League, including Best of Show Briana Aguiar. Like everything else in the past year, the show at the Flagler County Art League was in part restricted by the pandemic, though it’s online and the top three works will be on display at Galleria d’Arte in Palm Coast.
Would Daily Moment of Silence Help Florida Students with Stress or Just Steal More Instruction Time?
The Florida Senate passed legislation that would require every first-period teacher to set aside one to two minutes for a moment of silence. That would be every school day, meaning roughly 180 days in the academic year.
Christopher Holmes, 41, Faces Assault and Robbery Charges Following Series of Bizarre Palm Coast Incidents
Christopher Holmes, 41, stopped his car in the middle of intersections and walked around, ranting, allegedly stole a phone from a motorist, and tried to run over someone else Thursday afternoon as he supposedly was searching for his daughter in Palm Coast.
Florida Supreme Court Rejects Recreational Pot Amendment from 2022 Ballot
The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at allowing people to use recreational marijuana, saying it would be misleading to voters because it’s still illegal under federal law.
Sheriff’s Office Joins TikTok and Others to Discredit Vile but Viral Claim
The absurd claim is that laws against sexual assault would be suspended on April 24, enabling attacks or rapes without consequences.
Cimmaron Drive Residents Clamor for a Sidewalk, Citing Dangers and Degradation of Walking and Biking Experience
It was a matter of time before Palm Coast residents would start complaining about Cimmaron Drive’s degradation and its impact on their ability to walk it, ride it or skirt its often indifferent traffic. That time is now, as Cimmaron Drive may become the city’s next Florida Park Drive headache.
Palm Coast Council Approves 300-Unit Apartment Complex Off Pine Lakes Parkway, But Vote Is Divided
The Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday approved the site plan for a nine-building, 300-unit apartment project to be built off the northwest side of Pine Lakes Parkway, on 35 acres just south of the Indian Trails Sports Complex.
Scenes of Disarray and Filth and 3 Neglected Children at West Bunnell Home Result in Arrest of Two Parents
Deputies and an employee from the Department of Children and Families witnessed scenes of extreme neglect in and around the house on County Road 75 this morning, after being called there by neighbors who kept hearing children wailing. The scene resulted in the arrest of the children’s parents.
Lawyers’ Group Sues DeSantis Over Protest-Crackdown Bill Two Days After He Signs It Into Law
Civil-rights attorneys are challenging a new set of state laws that establish a crime of “mob intimidation” and enhance penalties for riot-related violence and looting, arguing in a federal lawsuit that the measures unconstitutionally “seek to arrest the peaceful expression of free speech.”
Palm Coast City Manager Matt Morton’s Evaluations at Year 2: One Brutal, One Good, 3 Glowing or Stellar
City Manager Matt Morton’s past year saw some of the city’s most challenging times during the pandemic, and some of its greatest successes, with the landing of two university campuses and the return of the city’s largest manufacturing company, with 300 to 400 jobs.
Flagler Health+ Makes Pfizer Vaccine Available to All Over the Age of 16 on April 23
Flagler Health+ (formerly Flagler Hospital) is bringing the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccination to Flagler County for a one-time opportunity for anyone at least 16 years old to be vaccinated on April 23. Appointments are required, as is a return visit for a second dose on May 14.
Prospects Dim, Higher Fees Loom for Belle Terre Swim Club as Long-Shot Investor’s Demand May Be a Road Too Far
An investor is interested in taking over the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club but only if he can cut a new road through the P-Section, a very unlikely possibility, leaving the club facing mounting deficits and no interests from other governments to help.
Flagler Health Department and Grace Community Pharmacy Team Up in More Personal-Level Vaccine Push
In its push to personalize the vaccination experience and scale what reluctance there may be among residents to be inoculated, the Flagler Health Department in March launched a partnership with Grace Community Pharmacy (and has since added One Pharmacy), part of the department’s attempt to get Flagler ranked first in the rate of vaccinations.
School Board’s Latest Fray Over LGBTQ ‘Hysteria’ Is Tense But Civil as Law Has the Last Word, Not Parents
Flagler school district officials explained that a student’s privacy–and sexual identity–may override a parent’s right to know about it as transgender matters again divided an audience of 70 and the school board in impassioned but mostly courteous debates at a meeting Tuesday afternoon.
Florida Announces Increases of State Park Reservation and Other Fees
While entry fees at Florida state parks remain unchanged, reservation, cancellation, transfer and utility fees will all increase.
Sheriff’s Ex-Detective Mark Moy Demoted to Civilian Status, Criminal Charge of Domestic Violence Dropped
Mark A. Moy, the long-time veteran of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office arrested in mid-February on a domestic battery charge, was suspended without pay for two months, demoted to civilian status without any law enforcement authority, placed on disciplinary probation for a year, and will be required to re-apply for a sworn deputy’s position as if he were starting over, his corporal rank now lost.
Sticking to Stinginess, Florida House Rejects Raising Unemployment Benefits Or Extending Eligibility
At a maximum of $275, Florida has the stingiest unemployment benefit system in the nation. It as the third-lowest weekly unemployment benefit behind Mississippi ($235), Arizona ($240), and is tied with Tennessee and Alabama. But all four of those states extend benefits for up to 26 weeks, while Florida does so just for 12.
Head-On Crash on Belle Terre Parkway Results in 3 Trauma Alerts as Vehicle Drifts Into Southbound Lanes
A two-vehicle head-on Belle Terre Parkway early this afternoon required extrications of patients from both vehicles, the hospitalization of three people and the closure of Belle Terre’s southbound lanes from the north end of the Parkview Parkway loop.
Golden Magnolia Celebrates First Place Grand Award Win with Open House April 23rd
Golden Magnolia, recent winner of the first place Grand Award in their category for the company’s “Boliviana” home model, is excited to celebrate with an open house on Friday, April 23rd from 3:00PM until 6:00PM.
Vote-By-Mail Restrictions, Including Limits on Drop Boxes, Head to Florida House Floor
Despite Florida’s hiccup-free election, Republican legislative leaders maintain that changes to the state’s vote-by-mail processes are needed to combat fraud and ensure that mail-in ballots are secure, though there’s been no evidence of fraud or non-secure balloting.
Joe Mullins Faces $2.4 Million Federal Lawsuit Alleging He Defrauded Company of Augusta Masters Golf Tickets
Joe Mullins, the Flagler County Commissioner and business owner, faces a $2.4 million federal lawsuit over allegations he defrauded a golf vacation-package company by delivering either invalid tickets to the 2018 Augusta National Masters tournament or failing to deliver tickets in 2018 and 2019, costing the company hundreds of thousands of dollars and lost customers and ruining the company.
There Are No Transgender “Issues” in Flagler Schools. A Small, Noisy Group Is Fabricating an Issue Anyway.
There are no transgender bathroom issues in Flagler schools, no issues with transgender athletes, no issues with a student of one birth sex supposedly using their transgender status to leer at students of the other. But to hear it from some, it’s a crisis warranting a reversal of policies and procedures. The School Board hears a presentation on the current state of the law and procedures Tuesday. A crowd is expected.
‘I Ain’t Going Peacefully,’ B-Section Felon Who’d Threatened Ex and Family Dares Cops in 3-Hour Standoff
Joseph Robert Bourke Jr., a 34-year-old resident of 130 Breeze Hill in Palm Coast and a felon several times over, had threatened to kill his girlfriend, put her family members in the hospital and intimated suicide by cop when contacted by a sheriff’s sergeant. A standoff ensued but ended peacefully with his arrest Saturday afternoon.
Tiny Number of People Will Be Hospitalized Despite Being Vaccinated. We Have to Learn Why.
Experts say we should investigate “breakthrough infections” to look out for variants and understand who’s vulnerable. In many cases, that’s not happening. Crucial pieces of the puzzle are being tossed in the trash.
School Districts and Families Are Divided: Should Masks Still Be in Place in the Upcoming Academic Year?
With an uncertain outlook of COVID-19 and political connotations surrounding masks, classrooms could become a checkerboard, with some students wearing masks but others showing their faces.
Are Mass Shootings an American Epidemic?
The most recent research on frequency of mass shootings indicates that, while still rare, they are becoming more common, though the exact number each year can vary widely, while the number of Americans who are victims of crimes involving a firearm approaches half a million a year.
I’ve Recovered From Covid. Why Do I Still Have to Mask Up?
As the federal government doubles down on their importance, some states have thrown caution — and face coverings — to the wind. Here are the science and motives behind the masking recommendation.
‘Don’t Be a Holdout’: Flagler Aims for 1st In State in Vaccinations, With 40.7% Inoculated So Far and Youth Shots Ahead
Flagler County’s vaccine supply is now exceeding demand as health officials step up their outreach to restaurants, local businesses, schools and children 16 and 17 to get vaccinated in hopes of vaulting the county’s vaccination rate to the top of the state’s chart. Flagler is 7th or 8th best in the state in vaccinations.