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.
Federal Court’s 6-4 Ruling Deals Heavy Blow to Felon-Voting Rights, Upholding Florida Restrictions
A divided federal appeals court on Friday upheld the constitutionality of a Florida law requiring felons to complete all financial terms of their sentences — including paying fines, fees, costs and restitution — to be eligible to vote.
Joe Mullins Fires Demeaning Personal Insults at Commissioners in a Meeting, Repeating ‘Dangerous’ Pattern
Flagler County Commissioner Joe Mullins called fellow-Commissioner Greg Hansen a “fat sonofabitch” and Charlie Ericksen a “useless old man” at a meeting Wednesday just months after Ericksen had felt so threatened by Mullins that he called on Sheriff Staly for help.
Opponents of The Gardens Development Win Commissioners’ Concern Even as They Lose Appeal
Preserve Flagler Beach, a group largely opposing the proposed 335-home Gardens development on John Anderson Highway, lost a procedural battle but gained commissioners’ sympathy and concerns on substantive grounds in a hearing Wednesday.
Bars May Reopen Monday at 50% Capacity Indoors, Full Capacity Outdoors
Bars and craft breweries were among the businesses ordered to go dark in March by DeSantis in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus, which causes the respiratory illness known as Covid-19.
Heroes
If Flagler County had a Nobel Prize, Flagler Health Department Chief Bob Snyder and Dr. Stephen Bickel, the medical director there, would have won it this year for their management of the coronavirus pandemic, absurd claims against them notwithstanding.
12 Arrests, 27 Warrants For Frequent Flagler Drug Suspects as Sheriff Notes Sharp Rise in Overdoses
There have been 179 suspected drug overdoses in Flagler County so far in 2020, up 189 percent from 2019, Sheriff Rick Staly said during a live-streamed news conference about the latest sweep of local suspected drug dealers.
FPC and Matanzas Face Off Sept. 18 on Gridiron as Fall Sports Return and Uncertainty Outnumbers Fans
Attendance at FPC will be limited to 640 people in the stands, or about 13 percent of the stadium’s capacity of 5,000. No tickets will be sold at the gate, no interactions between fans and athletes will be allowed.
Jobless Claims Ease to 36,541 in Florida But Permanent Layoffs in Tourism and Hospitality Loom
The state’s latest number is down from an adjusted total of 45,590 first-time claims during the week that ended Aug. 29 and 51,647 claims during the week that ended Aug. 22.
Joey Renn Jr., 21, Charged With Vehicular Homicide in Death of Logan Goodman, 14, in Woodlands
Using video footage, a traffic homicide investigator clocked Joey Renn going 109 miles per hour on his Suzuki motorcycle before impact after failing to negotiate a curve in Palm Coast’s Woodlands.
County Commission Meeting Turns Circus as Defiant Anti-Maskers Spread Falsehoods Before They’re Asked to Leave
A group of anti-mask militants held up the county commission meeting for 30 minutes today before addressing the panel in brews of misinformation, social media memes and alternative facts and calling for the removal of the Health Department’s Bob Snyder and Dr. Stephen Bickel. The commissioners explicitly rebuffed the militants in turn.
Trimming Budget and Rancor, Flagler Beach Commissioners Agree to No Tax Increase Next Year
In recognition of residents’ difficulties with Covid-19, Flagler Beach city commissioners agreed to a net-zero tax increase next year, which will translate to a modest tax decrease for many property owners, or some increase for those who aren’t homesteaded and whose assessed values have shot up.
Flagler Sees 3 More Covid Deaths, New Spike in Cases and Hospitalizations; 14 Cases at Old Kings Elementary
There’s been 184 new cases in the last 14 days alone in Flagler, and 28 positive cases in the Flagler County school district through today since school reopened on Aug. 24, half of them at Old Kings Elementary, as a renewed spike has the local health department chief concerned.
Palm Coast Will Establish an Arts District in Town Center as New Spur for Commerce of Culture
The Palm Coast City Council is moving toward establishing an arts district in Town Center, bringing together key arts and culture organizations through an arts council and dedicating revenue from the Town Center redevelopment zone to match private grants, spur artistic and cultural activity in the district and further encourage economic development.
Renatha Francis’s Appointment to Florida Supreme Court Draws Renewed Challenge
Rep. Geraldine Thompson’s attorneys challenged the constitutionality of the appointment and contended that the Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission should provide a revamped list of candidates to DeSantis.
Recently Out of Prison, Delenzo Aaron, 32, Re-Arrested on Kidnapping Girlfriend and 6 Other Charges
Delenzo Aaron, 32, had been released from state prison in April and was staying at his mother’s house in Palm Coast when he allegedly took his girlfriend through a nightlong ordeal, resulting in her hospitalization.
America Doesn’t Have a Coherent Strategy for Asymptomatic Testing. It Needs One.
While it battles a virus that can spread quickly via silent carriers, the United States has yet to execute a strategy for testing asymptomatic people. This is a problem, especially as the CDC pushed guidelines that people without symptoms didn’t necessarily need to be tested.
Mary DiStefano, Two-Term Palm Coast Council Member Through City’s Boom and Bust, Dies at 83
Mary G. DiStefano, an X-ray technician by trade and marketing professional for medical companies, ran for the council in 2003 and served until 2011. She was named Rotarian of the Year and Woman of the Year in her 28 years in Palm Coast.
Larry Newsom’s “Brighter Side of Life”: A Celebration
A celebration of the life and times of the late Larry Newsom, Flagler Beach’s city manager for the past four years and one of local governments’ more colorful personalities, featured a video tribute produced by Flagler Broadcasting’s David Ayres and Rich Savage.
State Puts Gag Order on Flagler Health Department’s Public Release of Covid Numbers in Schools
The state’s gag order falls as the Flagler health department was preparing to issue a weekly reports of cases in schools, and as a drizzle of covid cases continues to affect Flagler schools, with a few classrooms, individual faculty and students required to quarantine. The district intends to issue some of the information.
Palm Coast’s Garrett “Baby Dyce” Dunn Calls 911 then Shoots Himself on Brittany Lane
Garrett Dunn, 31, had built a following on YouTube as Baby Dyce, with over 3,200 subscribers, reviewing music and comedy clips on his channel with affable humor and raw language.
Police Chiefs Issue Use-of-Force Report With Premium on ‘Preservation of Life’ and Calm Communication
The Florida Police Chiefs Association has issued a report calling for a series of steps, ranging from largely banning chokeholds and other neck-related restraints to stepping up recruitment of police officers who would better reflect communities.
‘Guerilla Epidemiology’: How Palm Coast Sewers Are Helping Guide Health Department’s Covid Strategy
Palm Coast and the Flagler Health Department unveiled an innovative way to conduct covid-19 surveillance by measuring the viral load in city sewers, and overlaying the findings according to six geographical areas where testing of individuals is then targeted accordingly.
Doughney Option Off the Table, Flagler Beach Appoints Building Official Its Place-Holding Interim Manager
The Flagler Beach City Commission in a surprise appointed Rick McFadden, its long-time building official, as its interim manager until a permanent manager was found. He said he was willing to take on the role if it helped.
Palm Coast Adopts Hybrid-Meeting Rules That Ask Some Participants to Waive Constitutional Rights
Palm Coast City Council members Bob Cuff and Jon Netts raised questions before approving a resolution on conducting covid-restricted hybrid meetings, when developers may be asked to waive some rights to cross-examine witnesses.
Florida Bars Cook Up Ways to Reopen By Turning Into Low-Budget Restaurants
Low-budget, hassle-free cuisine like hot dogs and cold sandwiches might be a financial godsend for desperate bar owners who’ve been sidelined for months because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“I’m So Embarrassed,” Judge Perkins Says of Further Delays in 3 Murder Trials Caused by Covid, Despite Innovations
Nathaniel Shimmel has been waiting three years for his murder trial, Tammy Almond two, Benjamin Allen one, and all three must wait until at least November as Covid restrictions are hampering Circuit Judge Terence Perkins, to his dismay, from going forward.
Ban on Visitors in Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities Is Lifted Despite Concerns
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday he will allow visitors into nursing homes and assisted living facilities, nearly six months after the state blocked visitation during the first wave of coronavirus infections.
Jorge Salinas, a Transparency Ace, Appointed Deputy County Administrator In Largely Secretive Process
County Administrator Jerry Cameron appointed Jorge Salinas, 53, an assistant city manager in an Oregon town for the past five years, as his “chief of staff,” ending a largely secretive process that had involved the county commission.
Calling Current Schooling ‘Not Sustainable,’ 100 Teachers at FPC Plead for Altered Instruction on Fridays
Reflecting intense concern and frustration with current teaching requirements that blend in-person and distance learning, Flagler teachers submitted a plan to the school bard to turn Fridays into planning and focused study days as opposed to direct instruction days.
16th Covid Death in Flagler; Old Kings and Bunnell Quarantine 2 Classes; District Will Issue Weekly Covid Report
In a series of development, and as a drizzle of cases continue to develop on local campuses, the Flagler Health Department and the school district will issue weekly reports detailing where in schools covid-19 cases have been confirmed, in contrast with Volusia County, where the district is refusing to disclose any such information.
State’s Legal Fees Top $800,000 In Court Fights to Keep Schools and Colleges Open
Florida officials have committed to spending more than half a million dollars on private lawyers to defend a mandate that schools reopen brick-and-mortar classrooms, and upwards of $300,000 in a parallel fight involving college and university reopenings amid the coronavirus pandemic.