Three years after the Palm Coast City Council had rejected an earlier version, a new memorial plaque honoring the victims and survivors of Israel’s attack on the USS Liberty in 1967 was installed at Palm Coast’s Heroes Park, a few feet away from the Purple Heart Memorial.
Blaming Covid Spike on Young People and Bars, DeSantis Sends Mixed Messages on ‘Way Forward’
Gov. Ron DeSantis said Sunday the state is “trying to figure out a way forward” for bars, nightclubs and craft breweries that are essentially having to shut down again because of “widespread non-compliance” with coronavirus guidelines.
Covid-19 Total Nears 10,000 in Florida; Half Of State’s 132,500 Cases Reported in Last 17 Days
The Florida Department of Health today reported 9,636 new Covid-19 cases as of Friday, again shattering a record, the last set only the day before, when just under 8,900 cases were reported. Flagler recorded 60 new cases in seven days.
Consequences of Florida’s Careless Reopening: 8,933 Cases in 1 Day; Surge Reaches Flagler With 50 Cases in 6 Days
The numbers are a grim reflection of the consequences of Florida’s rapid and largely haphazard and careless reopening of society and the economy since the end of April, and of dangerous complacency among residents.
Republican Leaders File Suit Challenging Leon County’s Mandatory Mask Rule
Calling it a “radical infringement” of constitutional rights, the head of the Republican Party in Leon County teamed with a conservative state representative Thursday to challenge a local ordinance requiring people to wear face coverings to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Behind Belle Terre Elementary Principal’s Resignation: Claims of Theft, Nepotism and Bullying
Details of the Flagler school district’s investigation into ex-Belle Terre Elementary Principal Terence Culver point to a series of incidents involving bullying, favoritism and irregular management of the PTA’s funds.
Swimmer Feared Drowned: “Oh My God, I Feel Terrible, I Think They’re Talking About Me.”
The swimmer who’s apparent disappearance triggered an 18-hour search Wednesday into this morning emerged today after reading accounts of the search and and explained how his disappearance may have been misconstrued.
Palm Coast Mayor Holland’s Virtual State of the City Address, With a Few Awards
Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland’s State of the City Address is normally delivered at a special event–the last two have been delivered at the Palm Coast Community Center–but the ongoing coronavirus emergency turned this one virtual.
Starting Teacher Pay Will Be at Least $47,500 as DeSantis Signs $500 Million Education Boost
The budget will then set aside $400 million for school districts and charter schools to increase minimum salaries of full-time teachers and certified pre-kindergarten teachers and $100 million to raise the pay of veteran teachers, librarians and counselors.
Flagler’s Covid Numbers Spike by 26 in 4 Days Even as Testing Slows; Florida Sees Record 5,500 in 1 Day
After rising by 20 cases last week, the highest total since the end of May, Flagler County has recorded another 26 Covid-19 infections in the first four days of this week, while Florida cases continue to break records, turning the state into a leading national hot spot.
The Fight for LGBTQ Equality Just Won a Huge Victory
This historic decision achieved by an astonishing 6-3 vote in a conservative court, written and delivered by Trump appointee Justice Neil Gorsuch, codifies that LGBTQ individuals deserve human and civil rights.
Palm Coast’s Ex-Human Resources Director Sues the City in Dispute Over Severance
Debbie Streichsbier, Palm Coast’s ex-human resources director, says she resigned. The city says she was fired. She’s suing over a claim of unpaid severance.
Palm Coast’s William R. Dalton, Combat Veteran Suffering of PTSD, Dies in Apparent Suicide
William Robert Dalton, a 29-year-old combat veteran and resident of Barrington Drive in Palm Coast, died of a self-inflicted gunshot Saturday, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Florida Universities Cleared to Open Even as Infections Spike Among Young Adults
Board of Governors Chairman Syd Kitson acknowledged it is likely schools will see new cases pop up as students and employees return to campus in the fall.
Flagler Fire Chief Don Petito on Leave Pending Investigation of ‘Discrimination and Retaliation’ Complaint
Flagler County Fire Chief Don Petito has had a rocky relationship with County Administrator Jerry Cameron since Hurricane Dorian last year and is now embroiled in serious employment matters.
66-Year-Old Scientist Arrested on Charges of Drugging and Raping Runaway Juvenile Girls
George Arthur Proulx, 66, is accused of taking four girls ages 15 to 18, missing from Volusia County, to his Palm Coast house for sex after plying them with drugs. He was about to travel to Thailand when he was arrested.
Federal Court Rejects Attempt to Stop Removal of Confederate Monument in Lakeland
A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that opponents did not have legal standing to challenge the monument’s move, saying they did not allege “a concrete, particularized injury.”
A Candidate’s False Claims Against Mayor Holland Mix With Troubling Email Revelations
Michael Schottey, challenging Milissa Holland for Palm Coast Mayor, made false claims that the FDLE was conducting a criminal investigation but revealed two emails where she mixed city with private business.
DeSantis Will Not Mandate Use of Masks
DeSantis said people need to abide by local mask-wearing requirements. But that’s as far as the governor was willing to go, as he reiterated a position about personal freedoms.
Easy To Say ‘Get Tested.’ Harder To Do. Here’s How.
The challenge is to get tested for Covid-19 in a way that will yield useful information. And if you’re tested too early in the course of infection, the test might not detect it. That could give false reassurance.
Flagler Beach Manager Larry Newsom Again on Leave; Commission Postpones ‘Behavior’ Workshop
For the second time in two months Flagler Beach City Manager Larry Newsom is on medical leave, prompting the city commission to cancel a workshop where his and the public’s behavior at meetings were to be discussed.
Ruth Kae Hellerman, April 17, 1941 – May 17, 2020
Ruth Kae Sandidge Hellerman, April 17, 1941- May 17, 2020, an obituary.
Florida Again Shatters Record With 4,049 New Covid Cases in One Day as Alarming Spike Continues
Florida’s cumulative total is near 94,000. Flagler’s total is 224, a one-day jump eight cases–one of the largest one-day increases since the beginning of the pandemic, and a warning sign that the county’s relative success in containing the disease may be eroding.
Staffer at Grand Oaks and Resident at Tuscan Gardens Test Positive; Florida Cases Again Soar to New Record
The Covid cases at local long-term care facilities break a streak of negative testing as Flagler officials wearily eye surging numbers around the county and plan some strategies to keep Flagler’s low.
Flagler Unemployment at 14.8% in Slight Improvement from April, But Florida Rate Rises to 14.5%
Flagler County’s unemployment rate was at 14.8 percent, a slight decline from the 15.2 percent rate in April but a smaller decline than expected as the economy began swiftly reopening at the beginning of the month.
Ex-Employee at Palm Coast Medical Practice Accused of Fraudulently Ordering Prescriptions
Renee Caruso-Izarry, 37, a former employee at Coastal Health Care Partners, a chiropractic clinic in Palm Coast and Volusia County, faces seven felony charges stemming from allegedly ordering prescriptions and practicing medicine without a license.
Florida’s ‘Dreamers’ Hail Supreme Court Decision Barring Immediate Deportation
The U.S. Supreme Court’s 5-4 majority found that Trump failed to adequately justify the decision to shut down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, but the door remains open for him to do so.
Man Found Hanging From a Tree Near Cracker Barrel, an Apparent Suicide
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is conducting a death investigation following the discovery early this morning of a white man who died by hanging off a tree behind Cracker Barrel restaurant in Palm Coast.
Long-Awaited, Weirdly Revered Wawa Finally Opens to Cheers in Palm Coast
At 8 this morning, Palm Coast’s Wawa, with its hoagies, its coffees, its interiors lit brighter than the set of a sitcom, and of course its plexiglass and social distancing markers, opened to the public after a four-year wait.
Wawa: Behind the Name, a Rich Etymology from Around the World
The Wawa name has come to be almost synonymous with the company, as if it were its origin. In fact, the word–the sound, the name–has innumerably rich applications around the world.
Protesting for Black Lives in Trump Country
“It was surreal following a police cruiser to our destination, considering my drive to attend came from anger about the police brutality black people face. This was a recurring theme in the other protests I attended in nearby DeLand, Ormond, and Daytona.”
DeSantis Promises Big Cuts from $93.2 Billion Budget to Account for Revenue Shortfall
A late May report from the Legislature’s Office of Economic & Demographic Research said revenue collections in April were more than $878 million below estimates, with a large chunk of the drop due to the decline in tourism.
School Board Chair McDonald Shuts Down Speaker Critical of Her at Public Meeting, Drawing Rebukes
School Board Chair Janet McDonald stopped a student speaker from delivering his comments at Tuesday’s meeting, allowing him later to deliver it only sanitized from mention of her by name. Two board members condemned McDonald’s move and want the public-speaking rules revised.
18% of Florida’s Total Covid Cases Have Been Recorded Just in Last 7 Days in ‘Astronomical’ Spike
Flagler County public health, emergency and government officials are concerned about sharply rising Covid-19 numbers across the state, even though locally numbers have been kept in check for now. But Gov. Ron DeSantis says there is no rolling-back on reopenings.
Just Out of Prison, Bunnell Man Is Arrested on Armed Burglary and 8 Other Charges After Cop Chase
Capers J. McClendon, 26, allegedly led law enforcement on a chase on U.S. 1 and State Road 100 in Bunnell after a woman accused him of seizing her minivan.
The Unedited Statement School Board Chair McDonald Censored at a Public Meeting
The original text of Jack Petocz’s statement is presented here unedited. School Board Chair Janet McDonald shut Petocz down the moment he mentioned her name in the context of a statement critical of her offensive tweeting activity.
Scaled Back Gardens Development, at 453 Homes, Expected to Clear Regulatory Hurdle
The Gardens, at one point a 3,966-home and apartment development planned for the two sides of John Anderson Highway in Flagler County, is now almost a tenth the original proposal.
Palm Coast Council Raises Parks and Fire Fees on Builders, Largely Returning to Pre-2012 Levels
The Palm Coast City Council voted to raise fire and park impact fees, the one-time levies builders pay on residential and commercial construction. The fees will defray the cost of a new fire station in Seminole Woods and a new community center, among other plans.
Landmark Ruling Spurs Calls for LGBTQ Protections in Florida, Where No Law Bans Discrimination
Florida is one of more than two dozen states that do not have laws banning discrimination based on gender, and Republican legislative leaders during the past several years have thwarted efforts to pass such measures.
Rocco Joseph Grassi, Obituary
Rocco J. Grassi passed away Friday afternoon at his home in Crozet, Virginia. He was 91.
Sheriff Investigating Apparent Drowning of 18-Year-Old Man Who Washed Up at Varn Park
Flagler County Sheriff’s detectives are investigating the death by apparent drowning of an 18-year-old man who washed up in the surf at Varn Park, just north of Beverly Beach, Monday afternoon.
Fecal Matter Detected in Plantation Bay Water, Requiring Boil-Water Alert Until Further Notice
The detection of E. Coli was in one of the Plantation Bay wells supplying the system, based on a test conducted late last week. The well was shut down.
Sheriff Staly Calls Defunding Police ‘Knee Jerk’ as Study Calls for 70 More Flagler Deputies by 2025
If in Flagler, the school board, Palm Coast and the county are nowhere near defunding law enforcement, Sheriff Staly credits a policing approach focused on collaboration rather than confrontation.
Stunning Victory for Transgender and Gay Rights as Supreme Court Makes Protections Explicit
The decision will have far-reaching consequences regarding LGBTQ rights beyond employment, as it now explicitly lays out a prohibition against discrimination that cannot apply in employment situations without also applying in housing, education, the military and elsewhere.
Still Unsigned, Florida Budget Is Eyed for Cuts as Virus Hits Revenues
Florida TaxWatch wants more than $136 million in projects cut from the proposed state budget, but the fiscal-watchdog group acknowledges that might be far less than what is needed because of the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on state revenues.
Jim Tager’s and Janet McDonald’s Tweets Bisected the Flagler School Board. McDonald Won.
If School Superintendent Jim Tager left this week, it’s not because he had to–he amassed an excellent record–but because the School Board let just one of its members–Janet McDonald–drive him out. It’s an unsettling precedent.
Don’t Let Bogus Claims Fool You: Voting By Mail in Flagler County Is Safe and Secure
Flagler County Supervisor of Elections Kaiti Lenhart counters bogus claims and misinformation by explaining the safety, reliability and accuracy of voting by mail.
With Coronavirus Cases Climbing, Texas Gov. Abbott Says ‘No Real Need’ to Scale Back Business Reopenings
In Texas as in Florida, new cases of Covid-19 have been breaking records as the two states have continued reopening, but the Texas governor says available hospital beds make the trend less than alarming.
Statewide Elections Take Shape as Qualifying Ends, With 387 House and Senate Candidates
As Florida Democrats hope to dent Republican majorities in both legislative chambers, the major parties will clash in 96 of 120 state House seats and 17 of 20 Senate contests.
Half the Car Crashes Under a Semi Truck on I-95, But Three Occupants Escape Major Injuries
A woman and two men escaped serious injuries after their car’s roof was sheared off and half the front end of the car ended up under a semi on I-95 Friday evening.