Attorneys for fired Florida Department of Health analyst Rebekah Jones, who has drawn national attention for her battles with the DeSantis administration, argued in the lawsuit that a search warrant to enter her home Dec. 7 “was obtained in bad faith and with no legitimate object or purpose.”
Covid Deaths in Flagler at 47, Week’s Positive Cases Shatter Record in Evidence of Thanksgiving Spike as Vaccines Arrive
The 220 confirmed positive coronavirus cases in Flagler County in the week ending Saturday set a new single-week record in the county since the pandemic began in February. Local health officials caution that the numbers may get worse with Christmas and cold weather ahead, and broad-based vaccination still weeks away.
Covid Testing Schedule and Locations in Flagler-Palm Coast Through the End of the Year
The Florida Department of Health in Flagler County reaffirmed its weekday Covid-19 testing schedule for the weeks leading up to and following the Christmas and New Year holidays.
Taser Twice Fails to Stop Alleged Assailant as Flagler Sheriff’s Deputies Faces Suicide-by-Cop Situation
Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy Benjamin Stamps and other deputies on Sunday morning had a perilous encounter with a seemingly suicidal individual who would have normally been Baker Acted, but ended up facing numerous charges for allegedly assaulting the officers as he sought to be shot by the deputies. Stamps’s Taser twice failed to stop the individual in the encounter.
Covid-19 Vaccinations Begin at AdventHealth Daytona Beach
None of the vaccines are available to the general public yet because of limited supply, with some estimates predicting that it will be more available in the spring.
In Predominantly Black Hospital, Only a Third of Employees Sign Up for Covid Vaccine
Although hesitancy toward the vaccine is a challenge nationally, it’s a significant problem among Black adults because of their generations-long distrust of the medical community and racial inequities in health care.
Court’s Conservatives Are Right: Pandemic Limits on Houses of Worship Are Unconstitutional
The Supreme Court’s ruling overturning its own recent precedent to forbid attendance limits at houses of worship because of Covid was not an ideological decision so much as a victory for the First Amendment that liberals should be thankful for.
Man, 61, Killed in Midnight Crash at US 1 and Royal Palms; ‘Alcohol and Cocaine All Over the Car’
A 61-year-old man was killed in a single-vehicle crash on U.S. 1 and Royal Palms Parkway in Palm Coast shortly after midnight this morning. The cause of the crash is not known for now.
Positive News Only: How China’s Army of Paid Internet Trolls Helped Censor the Coronavirus
As the coronavirus spread in China, the government stage-managed what appeared on the domestic internet to make the virus look less severe and the authorities more capable, according to thousands of leaked directives and other files.
TR, as FPC Principal Tom Russell Was Known to Most, Is Celebrated as Learner, Leader, Tweeter and Jovial, Heroic Dad
James Tom Russell, who died on Dec. 9 after leading Flagler Palm Coast High School for just a year and a half after a long career in leadership of Volusia County schools, was celebrated at a memorial at Jackie Robinson Stadium Friday evening with broad-ranging affection and admiration.
Man Arrested in Armed Road Rage Incident on Belle Terre Faces New Charge of Armed Burglary
The new charge against Robert Wilson, 21, of Palm Coast was related to a May 26 incident where Wilson is alleged to have threatened individuals with an ax after entering their home on Rolls Royce Court in Palm Coast, uninvited.
DeSantis Passes Over Rendzio and Names Kenny Janesk Judge in 7th Judicial Circuit, Which Includes Flagler
Janesk has been a prosecutor in the Seventh Circuit State Attorney’s Office since 2011, working as the managing attorney of the Putnam County office. The appointment fills the position vacated by Circuit Judge Patti A. Christensen, who stepped down at the end of September.
Flagler’s Unemployment Rate Ticks Back Up, Florida’s Stalls as Covid’s Effects Take Economic Toll
Flagler County’s unemployment rate in November rose slightly to 5.9 percent, from a revised 5.5 percent in October, as Florida’s rate remained unchanged at 6.4 percent, signaling a deepening stall of economic activity since summer’s end as the coronavirus continues to take a human and economic toll in the state: seasonal hiring has not materialized as it has in less diseased years.
Agriculture Commissioner Raises Alarms Over EPA Shifting Federal Wetlands Regulations to Florida
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, the only statewide elected Democrat, and some environmental groups criticized the decision, saying it will reduce protections for wetlands. They also pointed to the announcement’s timing as Republican President Donald Trump is slated to leave office next month.
Flagler Sheriff’s Office Partners With Local Group to Repair Bicycles for Local Youth
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) donated 13 bicycles on Thursday from the abandoned property section of the FCSO Evidence Unit. These bicycles are in need of repair but have the potential to become a beloved form of recreation for a child.
Flagler County Democratic Party Installs New Officers
Janet Sullivan has become the new Chair of the Flagler County Democratic Executive Committee following the election and installation of officers for the upcoming four years.
AdventHealth Marks ‘Milestone Week’ of Covid-19 Vaccinations
Capping a fast-moving and historic week in medical history, AdventHealth leaders shared optimism, celebrated triumphs, and continued their focus on administering vaccines to help conquer Covid-19.
On Eve of Tom Russell Memorial, School Board’s McDonald Downplays Covid Deaths and Calls for ‘Backing Off This Fear’ of Virus
Flagler County School Board member Janet McDonald falsely claimed at a workshop that overall deaths are down this year, that masks are harmful, testing unreliable, and that the district should focus on “wellness” rather than additionally “ramp-up” safety measures. She did so days from the memorial for Tom Russell, the FPC principal who died of complications from Covid.
Florida Lawmakers Again Will Consider Requiring Moment of Silence in Schools
An effort to require public-school students to engage in a moment of silence at the start of each school day is back before the state Legislature. Sen. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, refiled legislation (SB 282) on Thursday that would require principals to direct first-period teachers to set aside one to two minutes for “quiet reflection.”
Flagler Schools Will Replace Most Covid-Positive Alert Letters With Web-Based Dashboard Updated Daily
A new dashboard tracking positive Covid cases throughout the school district will go live Jan. 4. Parents and others have grown increasingly jaded with the Flagler school district’s drizzle of notification letters whenever positive Covid cases are confirmed.
Holland Park Will Reopen, Partially, on Friday
Holland Park will partially reopen Friday, Dec. 18. A limited section of the playground will be open for families to enjoy which includes the zip line, rock climbing wall, slides, tunnel, a rocker that accommodates wheelchairs and walkers, and more! The hours are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
New Training Program Addresses Post-Traumatic Stress in Law Enforcement Officers Across Florida
Officers are frequently exposed to violence and suffering while on duty, and experiencing extremely stressful events not only causes emotional stress, but can impact the brain and body, resulting in post-traumatic stress. However, officers often don’t recognize or have the tools to handle their own needs related to witnessing these stressful events.
‘Each Day Matters’: Covid Vaccinations Start at Nursing Homes in Florida
Florida received 179,400 doses of the Pfizer vaccine this week. About 100,000 were sent to five Florida hospitals, and tens of thousands of doses went to CVS and Walgreens, which signed agreements with the federal government to vaccinate residents and staff members at long-term care facilities.
Flagler Beach Commissioners Narrow Manager Applicants to 5, Aiming for February Appointment
The Flagler Beach City Commission on Tuesday evening shuffled and narrowed its list of prospective city managers from seven to five. The commission is on pace to hire a new manager, replacing the late Larry Newsom, by February.
Nathaniel Shimmel, 25, Sentenced to 50 Years in Stabbing Death of His Mother, Michele, at Their Palm Coast Home
Shimmel had faced the possibility of life in prison. His 50-year sentence will be followed by lifetime probation. Between time served and early release, he may be eligible to leave prison in 2060, when he will be 64. The family of the victim agreed to the plea deal to bring closure to the homicide case of longest date on the court’s docket.
At Groundbreaking on $23 Million Sheriff’s Operations Center, County Hopes ‘Difficult’ Years of Errors Are Over
Sheriff’s, county, Bunnell and Flagler Beach officials broke ground today on a 51,000-square foot, $23 million Sheriff’s Operations Center on the future Commerce Parkway in Bunnell, possibly ending eight years of costly errors and misjudgments and what will be a four-year exile for the sheriff’s agency from a place of its own.
At Government Services Building, a Covid Cluster Closes Flagler Property Appraiser Office All Week
Property Appraiser Jay Gardner said at least three people were confirmed positive in an office of 25 employees (other employees work in the field and are not affected), though he said “that number could be wrong because some of them might not have told us.”
Trevor Tucker, in Remarkable Shift, Provides 3-2 Majority to Add ‘Gender Identity’ to Long-Sought School Protections
The Flagler County School Board this evening reversed its April vote and added “gender identity” to its anti-discrimination policy, ending a year-long and at times controversial and embittered debate over the identity and rights of LGBTQ students.
Palm Coast Council Awards Jacksonville University $2.5 Million to Open Town Center Campus, But Without Unanimity
While the Palm Coast City Council’s majority supported the subsidy with enthusiasm, Council members Ed Danko and Victor Barbosa opposed awarding some or all of the money to the University of Jacksonville for different reasons, a split that did not exist when the council welcomed the University of North Florida with a $1.5 million subsidy.
18 Years Later, Flagler Finally Recognizes Firefighter John Keppler Jr.’s Line-of-Duty Death With a Memorial
An 18-year effort to get Flagler County to recognize former county firefighter John R. Keppler Jr.’s line-of-duty death in 2002 finally ended Monday evening with the county commission’s decision to rename the fire rescue training facility on Justice Lane after Keppler. But he will still not get benefits owed those who fall in the line of duty.
‘Not For Me To Do,’ DeSantis Says of Congratulating Joe Biden
With Trump continuing to contest the results of last month’s election, DeSantis was asked Tuesday whether he would congratulate Biden. “It’s not for me to do,” DeSantis said.
Cell Tower Proposal at Palm Harbor Golf Club Delayed After Intense Opposition and Questions of Location
The decision to table the proposal until January 19 followed almost an hour of tense, at times embittered public comment and interactions with Mayor Milissa Holland, including the threat of a lawsuit, as opponents claimed the city or its contractor had illegally moved the proposed location.
Florida’s Medicaid Costs and Enrollment Are Spiraling in Pandemic, Posing Challenge for State Budget
Economists projected that Medicaid costs in the current fiscal year, which started July 1, will total $31.6 billion, which is about 19 percent higher than during the 2019-2020 fiscal year.
Florida Electors Back Trump And Hold Out Hope For Victory Despite Crushing Evidence
Biden was lined up to receive 306 votes to 232 for Trump, whose campaign has lost dozens of legal challenges to the voting process and election results. Trump won Florida’s 29 electoral votes by beating Biden by more than three percentage points in the state on Nov. 3.
County Approves $20 Million Loan to Build Sheriff’s Operations Center, With Groundbreaking Wednesday
The Flagler County Commission voted 5-0 this evening to approve a $20 million commercial loan with CenterState Bank to finance a 51,000-square-foot Sheriff’s Operations Center south of the Government Services Center in Bunnell.
County Scraps Rent-Free Space for Senior Meals in Flagler Beach to Pay $3,000 a Month, With $1,200 Yearly Increases
County commissioners Monday evening were set to approve a plan that would move the senior meals program from the Wickline Center in Flagler Beach to Church on the Rock in Bunnell and pay the church $3,000 a month in rent the first year, rising by $100 a month per year over the potential 15-year life of the lease, ending a 38-year, rent-free relationship.
Federal Felon and 2 Teens Arrested in Armed Home Invasion-Robbery on Palm Coast’s Prospect Lane
Carlos Dupree, 34, a felon on probation, Korey Jones, 16, and Darius Watts, 15, were arrested early Sunday following an alleged armed home-invasion robbery at a house on Prospect Lane in Palm Coast where seven victims sustained injuries and were robbed at gunpoint.
Hospitals Scramble to Prioritize Which Workers Are First for Scarce Covid Vaccine
An advisory committee of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that top priority go to long-term care facilities and front-line health care workers, but the early allocation was always expected to fall far short of the need and require selective screening even among critical hospital workers.
Why Was Flagler’s County Administrator Allowed to Illegally Start a Public Meeting With a Christian Prayer?
A county commissioner read out a long and explicitly Christian prayer prepared by County Administrator Jerry Cameron at Monday’s commission meeting, breaking decades of precedent without prior legal review, public discussion or commissioners’ prior knowledge.
Grand Jury Rips Florida’s Mental Health System, Citing ‘Deficiencies in Funding, Leadership and Services’
The statewide grand jury studying school safety said in the report that it is “clear to us that inadequately addressed mental health issues have the peculiar potential to spiral out over time into criminal acts and violent behavior resulting in serious injury and loss of life.”
Fred Griffith, Flagler Beach’s City Engineer, Abruptly Announces Retirement ‘Under Duress’ After Reprimand
Fred Griffith, Flagler Beach’s city engineer since 2017, said he was retiring “under duress” after getting a written reprimand, following a complaint by City Commissioner Rick Belhumeur that Griffith had directed “contempt” at him. Griffith was not known to have easy public relations.
As Covid Deaths Reach 46 in Flagler, Local Officials Detail Vaccination Plans and Refute Anti-Vaxxers’ Disinformation
Dr. Stephen Bickel and Bob Snyder of the Flagler Health Department outlined the logistics of vaccinating all residents and refuted disinformation about the dangers of vaccines, describing how individuals may feel after getting vaccinated and what the chances are of having adverse reactions.
Jacksonville University Plans Major Campus Expansion in Palm Coast in City’s 2nd Higher-Ed Partnership
Jacksonville University and Palm Coast announced a joint partnership that will open a JU campus in town–the university’s first-ever expansion beyond Jacksonville in its 86-year history–and enroll 150 to 200 full-time students within 24 months. The focus will be health-care education, and more specifically, nursing.
Flagler Beach Commission Unanimously Clears a Step Toward Flagler Beach Hotel Construction in Center of Town
The vote was unanimous. The discussion–what there was of it–took all of eight minutes. There was no discussion among commissioners, no controversy, and aside from one public voice opposed, no dissent, clearing yet another hurdle for the planned hotel.
Fitch Ratings Upgrades Palm Coast’s Utility System Bond Rating to AA
Fitch Ratings announced on Monday (Dec. 7) it’s upgrade of the City of Palm Coast’s utility outstanding obligations bond rating from A+ to AA, which represents an extremely strong rating.
Project Share, Flagler Beach Rotary’s Christmas Gift-Giving to 1,000 Children, Needs Your Help in a Difficult Year
Rotary Club of Flagler Beach Project Share is now in its 22nd year of providing toys, clothing and bicycles to families in need at Christmas. But Covid-19 has impacted just about everything this year, and Project Share’s ability to raise funds for the annual Christmas toy drive is no exception.
Democrats Attack DeSantis Handling of Covid as Unemployment Claims, Cases and Deaths Rise
Democratic senators renewed pleas for the governor’s office to provide more data about the impact of the virus on the state’s health-care industry and to lift a limitation on the ability of local governments to enforce coronavirus regulations such as mask mandates.
Jessica Paugh Selected as DSC’s New School of Emergency Services Director
Over the last five decades, the DSC School of Emergency Services has produced thousands of law enforcement officers and first responders, and graduates who pass the State Officer Certification Exam qualify for employment anywhere in the State of Florida.
Advisers Recommend Checkered Shortlist of 7 for Flagler Beach City Manager, Out of Motley Field of 57 Applicants
An advisory group of retired city managers has recommended a short-list of seven candidates for Flagler Beach city manager, but city commissioners are free to decide for themselves who they will choose to interview when they discuss the pool of 57 candidates Thursday evening. The candidate will replace the late Larry Newsom.
Florida Joins 45 States in Lawsuit Accusing Facebook of Exploiting Its Dominance
The states’ lawsuit, also joined by Guam and the District of Columbia, focuses in part on Facebook’s acquisitions of message-sharing app WhatsApp and photo-sharing app Instagram, transactions the lawsuit alleges were predatory because the apps “each posed a unique and dire threat to Facebook’s monopoly” in the social-networking sphere.