If approved, the proposal, known as Amendment 2, would increase the state’s minimum wage — currently $8.56 an hour — to $10 on Sept. 30, 2021, and incrementally increase the rate each year until reaching $15 on Sept. 30, 2026.
Giovanne Sylvain, 18-Year-Old Matanzas Student Missing Since Friday, Is Feared Dead at Graham Swamp
Giovanne Sylvain, the 18-year-old resident of Palm Coast’s R-Section who had gone missing since Friday, after he left his home on a bicycle, is feared dead following the discovery Monday of a body floating in the small lake at Graham Swamp, off Old Kings Road, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said early this evening.
Giovanne Sylvain, 18-Year-Old Matanzas Student Missing Since Friday, Is Feared Dead at Graham Swamp
Giovanne Sylvain, the 18-year-old resident of Palm Coast’s R-Section who had gone missing since Friday, after he left his home on a bicycle, is feared dead following the discovery Monday of a body floating in the small lake at Graham Swamp, off Old Kings Road, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said early this evening.
Why Are Republicans Listed First on Election Ballots? Democrats Want Full Federal Court to Hear Challenge.
The petition was the latest move in a legal battle about a state law, initially passed in 1951, that requires candidates who are in the same party as the governor to appear first on the ballot. The law was passed during a time of Democratic dominance of Florida politics.
Grinding Past “Mini-Surge,” Flagler Records Its 24th Covid Death as Florida Exceeds 700,000 Cases
Flagler County continues to experience a significant number of infections, though totals have fallen for two successive weeks, down to 80 in the week ending Sept. 26, from 109 the previous week and 139 the week before that, with a little over 100 tests a day being administered on average.
Bunnell’s Steven Lee Janvrin, 34, Dies of Suicide
Steven Lee Janvrin, a 34-year-old resident of Canal Avenue in Daytona North, also known as the Mondex, died of suicide by hanging the morning of September 22, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office reports.
A Real Vaccine Before the Election? It Would Take a Miracle.
There is a small chance that Pfizer’s vaccine trial will yield results by Nov. 3. But it could still take weeks for FDA review. Here’s everything that has to happen and how to tell a political stunt from a real vaccine.
Despite Amendment, Only a Fraction of 1 Million Disenfranchised Floridian Felons Will Have the Right to Vote
Supporters of the amendment blame the dearth of felons’ registering to vote on the coronavirus pandemic, uncertainty about voting eligibility and a series of contradictory court decisions culminating in a Sept. 11 ruling by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that upheld a 2019 law restricting registrations to those who have paid off fines.
Trump Supporter’s Obscenity-Laced Video Against Democrats in Town Center Draws Sheriff’s and Bi-Partisan Rebuke
Sheriff Rick Staly called for calm in the election season after a Palm Coast man’s video of himself hurling obscenities and provoking Democrats at a Town Center rally circulated on Facebook. Democrats, Republican and Trump Club officials all denounced the video.
DeSantis Lifts All Restrictions on Restaurants and Businesses and Prohibits Local Constraints
DeSantis is decoupling for good the connection between science and public health on one hand and the economy on the other, opting exclusively for a focus on business measures in hopes of spurring consumer confidence. That confidence, however, continues to lag as individuals’ apprehensions continue to drive behavior.
Joe Mullins’s Cowering Enablers
By refusing to censure Joe Mullins for insulting Greg Hansen and Charlie Ericksen, Commissioners Donald O’Brien and Dave Sullivan are cowering enablers of Mullins’s bigotry, his bullying, his indecency. They all demeaned the County Commission and the constituents they represent.
Palm Coast Man Faces Felony Charge Over Laser-Pointing at Helicopter During Search for Another Suspect
Gregory Marr of Palm Coast’s C-Section, who was at the center of a notorious arrest involving a weapon in 2016, faces a second-degree felony. Pointing a laser at an aircraft is also a federal crime.
Candidates for County Commission and Sheriff Self-Promote Unchallenged in Tame Tiger Bay Forum
It was a rare in-person forum for the candidates in this covid era, without a live audience, but the restrictive and genteel format turned the occasion into something resembling a series of short infomercials for the candidates rather than a challenging political forum.
Palm Coast Community Center Reopens Monday With Limited Programming and Capacity
The Palm Coast Community Center on Palm Coast Parkway is reopening to the public on Monday (Sept. 28). Normal 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. hours will resume Monday through Friday, but programs will be limited at first, in what will amount to a phased reopening.
Bloomberg Seeks to Pay Felons’ Outstanding Fines So They Can Vote. DeSantis Wants Him Investigated.
Attorney General Moody at the request of DeSantis asked the FBI and FDLE to investigate Bloomberg raising at least $16 million for the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, contending it could be a violation of state laws against offering incentives to people or groups in exchange for voting in a particular manner.
The Gardens Development Again Rebuffed as Commission Seeks More Answers and Residents’ Buy-In
The Flagler County Commission on Monday opted unanimously to table The Gardens’ application for a 335-home development on John Anderson Highway, the latest in a series of obstacles the development has faced since reviving a plan first devised by developer Bobby Ginn a decade and a half ago.
Corinne Hermle, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Corinne Hermle is the Democratic Candidate for the Distritct 1 County Commission seat, facing Republican Andy Dance in the Nov. 3 election. All registered Flagler County voters may cast a ballot in the race regardless of address or party affiliation.
Flagler Sheriff’s New Real-Time Crime Center Merges Tactics, Technology and Powerful Surveillance Tools
The age of command, control, surveillance and crime-fighting in real time is here, and its nerve center at the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, operational since spring, is the Real-Time Crime Center. The sheriff opened it to reporters on Wednesday.
DeSantis Election-Keyed Proposal to Criminalize Certain Acts at Protests Sparks Partisan Furor
The proposal comes as Republicans double down on efforts to deliver a second presidential victory to Trump in Florida, a battleground state with 29 prized electoral votes, on Nov. 3.
Covid ‘Superspreader’ Night and Other Events at Social Club of Palm Coast Cause at Least 2 Deaths and Up to 50 Infections
An August 28 singing night at the Social Club of Palm Coast on Old Kings Road, where people sang and socialized, many without masks or social distancing, triggered a rare covid-19 superspreader event whose toll in infections and deaths the Flagler Health Department is still tallying.
Andy Dance, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Andy Dance is the Republican candidate for Flagler County Commission, District 1, facing Democrat Corinne Hermle, for the seat previously held by Charlie Ericksen. All registered Flagler County voters may cast a ballot in the race regardless of address or party affiliation.
Commissioners O’Brien and Sullivan Block Motion to Censure Joe Mullins Even as They Call Behavior ‘Unacceptable’
Don O’Brien and Dave Sullivan refused to censure Joe Mullins for insulting fellow-commissioners, saying it would be bad for Flagler’s reputation. Sullivan didn’t want to be the first chairman on whose watch a censure vote passed.
DeSantis Calls for Criminalizing Numerous Acts By Protesters While Protecting Those Who Hurt Them
DeSantis, a staunch supporter of Trump, calls for new felony crimes when property is damaged or when people are injured as a result of protests while drivers would not be liable for injuries or deaths “caused if fleeing for safety from a mob.”
Flagler Beach Commission Makes It Explicit: The City Will Provide Water and Sewer to The Gardens Development
Flagler Beach can and will provide water and sewer to The Gardens, one of the more controversial proposed developments on any local government’s agenda. Monday evening, the County Commission was set to hear The Gardens’ development applications in one of the last hurdles before it can start building.
Bunnell’s Jay Pringle, 57, Critical, Son Jaymes, 17, Seriously Injured Following Crash on SR40
Jay Pringle, a 57-year-old resident of Bunnell, is in critical condition, and his 17-year-old son Jaymes was in serious condition following a head-on crash on State Road 40 Saturday afternoon (Sept. 19) that also resulted in the death of a 75-year-old Daytona Beach man and injuries to two other passengers.
Once Short-Listed for Manager, Palm Coast’s Don Kewley Resigns Ahead of Firing in City’s Latest Shake-Up
Don Kewley, who’d been short-listed for Palm Coast City Manager then hired as its innovations chief, resigned before getting fired by Matt Morton, who’d hired him. Morton says he is closing down the division Kewley was overseeing and turning it over to IT for management.
No, Republicans Aren’t Hypocrites: RBG’s Death and The Wages of Power
Charges of hypocrisy are insufficient to change the course of the RBG’s replacement or, in fact, in other Republican attempt to race-bait, disenfranchise voters, or increase the wealth of the affluent.
With No Mention of Hansen or Ericksen, ‘Vague’ Joe Mullins Apology Contradicts Continuing Insults Online
Joe Mullins’s brief apology today was more focused on back-patting and dissembling his role while never taking responsibility for the abuse he’s continued to heap on Commissioners Hansen and Ericksen. The email doesn’t materially change anything, Commission Chairman Dave Sullivan said, with a discussion about Mullins set for next Monday’s meeting.
Citizens Insurance Will Likely Avoid Major Impact From Hurricane Sally
Hurricane Sally, which caused heavy flooding and other damage Wednesday in Northwest Florida, likely will not have a major financial impact on the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp.
Sheriff’s Office Partners With 7-Eleven in 25th Anniversary Celebration of ‘Operation Chill’
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) will be collaborating with 7-Eleven Inc. for their annual ‘Operation Chill’ Campaign. For a quarter-century, Operation Chill, 7-Eleven Inc.’s longest running community service program, has given local law enforcement an opportunity to make a positive connection with kids through free Slurpee drink coupons. Each coupon can be redeemed for […]
Donna Giglio Steps Up to Lead the Palm Coast Democratic Club
Donna Giglio, retired from teaching in the Flagler County School system in 2017, has stepped up to assume the Presidency of the Palm Coast Democratic Club in the wake of Bob Coffman’s resignation to run for Palm Coast City Council.
Unemployment Falls to 6.7% in Flagler and 7.4% in Florida; Government Jobs Account for a Fifth of Gain
The number of people with jobs in Flagler increased to 43,000, up 2,200 from the previous month, but still more than 4,000 workers short of where the labor force stood a year ago, suggesting that thousands remain on the sidelines.
Jobless Claims Are Down Across Florida, But Companies Are Imposing Large-Scale Layoffs
Florida is expected to end its participation in the federal Lost Wages Assistance program, which provides $300-a-week in benefits on top of state benefits. Nothing else has been lined up to replace it.
From Antagonism to Annexation: How Airport Commons Shopping Center Came to Love Palm Coast
The Palm Coast City Council this week annexed the 4-acre shopping center known as Airport Commons, opposite Wawa, on State Road 100, in a big shift from threats to sue the county over disagreements about it two years ago.
Flagler Tiger Bay Club Hosts 2-Night Live Forum With Candidates for Sheriff, County Commission and Palm Coast Council
The hourlong forums will feature all, or nearly all, candidates running in local elections, with candidates for the Flagler County Commission and for Sheriff on Wednesday, and the candidates for Palm Coast Mayor and the Palm Coast City Council on Thursday.
Joe Mullins Again Erupts in String of Abuse Against Commissioner Hansen at 9/11 Event, Spurring Calls for Censure
Less than 48 hours after insulting Commissioner Greg Hansen at a County Commission meeting, Commissioner Joe Mullins unleashed another string of worse abuse on Hansen, to his face–at an event commemorating the death of 3,000 victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks. But Commissioners Sullivan and O’Brien are resisting saying whether they’d censure him.
Covid-Era Rarity: Flagler and St. Johns Courthouses See Two Trials to Completion in One Day
Circuit Judge Terence Perkins has been willing to hold relatively swift, uncomplicated trials, but not more involved homicide cases, at least three of which are awaiting their day in court.
State Claims Inspectors Won’t Go Easy On Bars and Breweries That Violate Covid Rules
The state on Monday began allowing bars and breweries to again serve alcohol for on-site consumption, after a similar attempt ended in June because of a lack of compliance with safety rules.
31 Test Positive At Grand Oaks Rehab; Flagler’s Covid Death Toll Up to 21 as Cases Spike Again to Near Peak
Two more covid-related deaths were added to Flagler’s tally and a serious spike in cases at the Grand Oaks rahab and nursing home, in schools and at social clubs has resulted in a return of near-peak case loads for the county.
America Is About to Lose Its 200,000th Life to Coronavirus. How Many More Have to Die?
As a nation, we became inured to a national death toll that has only recently dropped below a thousand people a day. Think about that. Every week, we lose far more of our fellow citizens than died 19 years ago in the most devastating terrorist strike in American history.
Palm Coast Council Approves ‘Luxury,’ Woods-Ringed 256-Apartment Complex on West Side of W-Section
The development of 12 three-story buildings on 92 acres of woodlands and lakes near U.S. 1 in Palm Coast has drawn little attention and none of the opposition that traditionally barnacles to large apartment complex proposals in the city.
Appeals Court Hears Challenge to Schools Using Non-Cops as Armed Security on Campuses
A controversial state program that allows school “guardians” to carry guns on campus came under scrutiny Tuesday, as an appeals court heard arguments in a legal challenge to Duval County’s “school safety assistants.”
Gargiulo Arts Foundation Presents Non-Covid Talks at Flagler County Art League
Artist Tom Gargiulo, cofounder of the Gargiulo Arts Foundation, along with his partner Arlene Volpe, will present an artist talk from 1 to 3 p.m. Sept. 19, Rick de Yampert, whose photographic digital art is included in a current exhibit at the Art League, will present talks from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, at FCAL.
How Detectives Used Facebook, Cell Phone Records and Tag Readers in Home-Invasion Armed Robbery Arrest
The story behind the latest arrest is a window into detectives’ methods, illustrating how the use of technology such as license plate readers, search warrants for cell phone records and Facebook accounts, and old-fashioned on-the-ground interviews combined to help connect the dots and build a case against an otherwise elusive suspect.
Haunted by Covid, Palm Coast and Sheriff Prepare for Halloween With Balance of Tradition and Safety
While such standard events as the Palm Coast Fire Department’s Hall of Terror have been cancelled, Parkview Church’s mega trunk-or-treat event will unfold as a drive-through version, and the sheriff is adding a drive-through event in early October.
County and City Taxes Will Stay Flat for Most Homesteaded Properties Except for Spike in Bunnell
Residents of Flagler County and each of its cities will again see little to no change in their property tax bills next year as governments are adopting tax rates that either stay flat or roll back a little, with the exception of Bunnell.
Suspicious of Trump Pressures, Most Adults Are Wary of Any Vaccine Approved Before the Election
Six of 10 adults said they were worried the Food and Drug Administration will rush to allow a vaccine because of political pressure. The concern is held by 85% of Democrats, 35% of Republicans and 61% of independent voters.
After Briefly Defying Judicial Order, DeSantis Names Orange County’s Jamie Grosshans to Supreme Court
Jamie Grosshans was appointed to the 5th District Court of Appeals in 2018 by then-Gov. Rick Scott after serving as an Orange County judge, will be the only woman on the seven-member Supreme Court.
Save Lives. Fill Out Your Census.
Certain communities — such as rural, Black, Indigenous, Latinx, immigrant, and LGBTQ folks — are especially likely to be undercounted. Some experts warn this year’s census could be the worst undercount of Black and Latinx people in 30 years.
Unanimous Supreme Court Says DeSantis Violated ‘Constitution’s Clear Commands’ and Rejects His Pick
In a rebuke to Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Florida Supreme Court on Friday unanimously rejected his selection of a circuit judge to serve on the Supreme Court and gave the governor until noon Monday to appoint another candidate from a list of nominees offered early this year.