The proposed Gardens development on John Anderson Highway goes before the Technical Review Committee, the Flagler County Art league’s annual photo show winners are listed.
The Scam Behind McDonald’s ‘McTeacher’s Nights’
The fast food giant pioneered methods of attracting school children to its stores — from Happy Meals to marketing schemes like McTeacher’s Nights, an exploitative fund-raiser that takes advantage of teachers for very little in return.
Beat The Rush, Avoid Vaccine Hysteria: Get Your Free Shots at Flagler Health Department
Vaccines for polio, measles, HPV, HepB, Varicella, Tdap and more are all available free and daily before the school year at the Flagler Health Department. Vaccines help develop immunity to many serious infectious diseases.
City Council Unconvinced as it Hears Pitch For 6 Additional Deputies in Palm Coast
The Palm Coast City Council in 2017 had approved the addition of five new deputies, but this time it’s been more skeptical that more are needed as the city focuses on other priorities.
County Agrees To $680,000 Tax Rebate Over 10 Years For an Unnamed Furniture Company
The unanimous vote capped a brief presentation followed by a nearly hour-long stream of public support and commissioners’ applause, though most elements of the package remain hidden, and, enthusiasm aside, many of the statements were speculative, exaggerated or inaccurate.
As Crime Victims’ Compensation Fund Struggles, Reimbursements May Be Reduced Significantly
Certain crime victims who want financial aid for out-of-pocket expenses like medical bills, lost wages or mental health counseling, will hit a lower cap on reimbursements from the fund if a proposal by the attorney general is approved.
Tuesday Briefing: Heat Index to 107, Sheriff’s Ask to Palm Coast, Superintendent Search, Zambrano on Courthouses
The Sheriff’s Office appears before the Palm Coast council to ask for six additional deputies, the school board begins its discussions on replacing Superintendent Jim Tager by the end of next June, Judge Raul Zambrano on the meaning of a courthouse.
County Threatens to Sue Clerk of Court Bexley in 48 Hours Over Space Request for Sheriff at Courthouse
The county commission will sue Clerk of Court Tom Bexley in 48 hours of he does not agree to a space study at the courthouse, and to abide with the study’s results, in the commission’s latest effort to gain extra space for the sheriff.
The Broader Attack Behind Trump’s ‘Go Back’ Where They Came From Slur
It would be a mistake to reduce President Trump’s tweets against four members of Congress to their racism. Rather, argues Jeffrey C. Isaac, they also articulated a broader reactionary agenda that goes beyond racism and that targets the left in general.
Chief Judge Warns Against ‘Taking’ of Courthouse As Sheriff’s Picture in Murder Investigation Lobbies Commission on Space
Chief Judge Raul Zambrano issued a forcefully written, potentially game-changing letter on the sheriff occupying space at the Flagler courthouse even as the sheriff himself was lobbying the county commission with an illustration of constraints on his troops.
School Board Chair Aims for Broad Search for Next Superintendent, Seeing No ‘Heart’ in Internal Pick
Janet McDonald, who chairs the Flagler County School Board through November, says she favors a broad search for the next superintendent but does not detect much interest from internal candidates to take on the job.
Total Cost of Governor’s Israel Trip: Taxpayers, $131,000. Political Donors: $311,500
While in Jerusalem, members of the delegations stayed at David Citadel, a five-star luxury hotel selected by Enterprise Florida which cost $425 per night.
Monday Briefing: Heat Index to 103, Frisky Turtles on A1A, Jungle HCut Road, Orientation
The County Commission takes on space issues at the courthouse between the sheriff and the clerk of court and a final decision on a development along Jungle Hut Road, construction’s effect on turtles along A1A.
Benjamin Allen, 16, Arrested In Shooting of Elijah Rizvan Over a $125-Drug Deal
Benjamin Allen, 16, was arrested and charged in the murder of Elijah Rizvan, 17, Friday night on Palm Coast’s Westford Lane, the consequence of what had been planned as a deal for marijuana.
John M. Clark, 47, Found Dead of Self-Inflicted Gunshot on His Boat in Palm Coast’s C-Section
The afternoon of July 10, Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies found John Michael Clark, 47, dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, an apparent suicide carried out on his boat.
Jim Tager Will Retire Next June, Ruling Out Return and Triggering Search For 5th Superintendent in 10 Years
Superintendent Jim Tager will retire in 11 months and will not subsequently return even if the Flagler County School Board were to make arrangements for it, he told the board in a letter.
Weekend Briefing: Movies in the Park, Just Photography Show, Lenhart on Election Issues, Sportsfishing’s Kids’ Clinic
The Art League opens its annual Just Photography Show, Elections Supervisor Kaiti Lenhart is at the Women’s Democratic Club to talk elections, the Sportsfishing Club holds its kids clinic.
Citing Police Role and Trust, South Miami Will Challenge New Law Banning Sanctuary Cities
“As soon as [police] are seen as somebody who might turn you in if you called for assistance, they’re no longer trusted and they can no longer do their primary job,” the South Miami mayor says.
Flagler School District Is Finally A-Rated Again, Ending 7-Year Drought With Broad Improvements
The drought ends seven straight years of Bs, after a four-year streak of As before that. Twenty-four of Florida’s 67 districts are A-rated, 54 are either A or B rated.
Michael Kolendo, 74, Dies in Medically Related Crash Near His Home in Palm Coast’s F Section
Michael Kolendo, 74, was dead for possibly more than an hour Wednesday evening in Palm Coast’s F Section when someone on Farmsworth Drive noticed Kolendo’s white car as if parked in a swale, still running, with Kolendo at the wheel.
Thursday Briefing: Heat Index to 103, School Board and Flagler Beach Commission Talk Money, Citrus Numbers
The Flagler Beach City Commission will consider setting a substantially higher proposed tax rate for next year, the school board discusses its general and capital funds, the transportation department completes a phase of A1A seawall construction.
Florida’s New Poll Tax Will Cost the State $365 Million a Year
A report by the Institute for Policy Studies cites new research illustrating the cost of felony disenfranchisement in Florida, where recidivism is higher and therefore more costly to taxpayers than in states where it’s lower.
Appeals Court Rules Florida Marijuana Law’s Restrictions Violate Amendment Legalizing Medical Pot
Florida’s law requiring pot operators to grow, process and distribute cannabis and related products created an “oligopoly” and runs afoul of a constitutional amendment that broadly legalized medical marijuana in the Sunshine State, an appellate court ruled Tuesday.
County Sends Ultimatum to Clerk of Court, Asking For Additional Space at Courthouse For Sheriff By July 31
The ultimatum was prompted by by County Commissioner Dave Sullivan, who pushed the administration to follow through on a county commission vote almost two months old to secure more space for the sheriff at the courthouse.
Dennis McDonald Now Owes County $70,000 Over Frivolous Case, But Says He Won’t Pay
An administrative law judge is recommending that Dennis McDonald, the former candidate for local office, pay $11,000 to cover the county’s costs in an appeal McDonald had filed against having to pay an earlier judgment of $59,000. So the combined amount he owes is now $70,000.
3 Crashes in Space of 33 Minutes on Flagler Roads: 4 Vehicles, 4 Injuries, All Minor
The crashes took place on Seminole Woods Boulevard, on I-95 near the State Road 100 intersection, and on State Road 100, near Blackpoint Road, all between 12:01 and 12:34 p.m. today.
Hammock Man Faces Kidnapping and Robbery Charges After Suspecting His Pot Was Stolen
Peter Palazzotto, 46, of 3 Hernandez Avenue in the Hammock, is charged with Kidnapping, Battery by Strangulation, Grand Theft, and Robbery, all felonies. The alleged incident took place early Wednesday.
Wednesday Briefing: Fruehan and Deoliveira Pre-Trials, Fearless and Focused Body Language, Sherwood Anderson
Pretrials are scheduled in the cases of Florence Fruehan, the former Palm Coast physician facing two felony battery counts, and Brandin Deoliveira, the former restaurant manager accused of engaging in unlawful sex with a minor.
Benefits of a $15 Minimum Wage: The Non-Partisan Evidence
The report from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office finds that a $15 minimum wage would increase the wages of millions of low wage workers, increase the average incomes of low and lower-middle-income families, reduce poverty, shift money from corporate profits to the wages of low-wage workers, and reduce inequality.
A Shooting Injures a 21-Year-Old Palm Coast Marine, But Stories, Including His Own, Conflict
Late the night of July 5, 21-year-old Carter Reding Goodman, of Ocean Oaks Lane in Palm Coast, was shot, possibly in the Hammock. He and his friends gave different stories about where and how, and physical evidence told yet another story.
Palm Coast Proposal Would Raise Property Taxes 9%; Sheriff’s Request for 6 New Deputies Not in the Budget
Though Palm Coast government is proposing to keep its property tax rate flat, a valuation increase of 9 percent will equate to a tax increase, though homesteaded property owners won’t feel it.
As Hepatatis Rates Continue to Rise, Flagler Health Department Offers Free Screenings Through July
Baby boomers are 75 percent of Hep C cases. That’s because blood products weren’t screened for Hepatitis C before 1992, and many were likely infected when the disease was at its height during the 70s and 80s.
Court Rules Brevard County Commission’s Prayer at Meetings Discriminatory Against Non-Believers
“Brevard County has selected invocation speakers in a way that favors certain monotheistic religions and categorically excludes from consideration other religions solely based on their belief systems,” a federal appeals court ruled.
Tuesday Briefing: Heat Index to 105, Palm Coast Budget, School Board Budget, Recommending a New New Judge
The Seventh Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission begins the process that will lead to recommending a new county judge for Flagler, the Palm Coast council and the school board discuss next year’s tax rate.
Bunnell Commission Ends Homeless Shelter Operations After 11 Years; Church Pledges Legal Fight
The Bunnell City Commission voted this evening to end the operations of the Sheltering Tree, the county’s only cold-weather homeless shelter, at a church in Bunnell. The church and Sheltering Tree organizers say they will pursue legal avenues.
Permits Cancelled For Palm Coast Wawa, But City Insists “All Indications” Store Still a Go. Just Not Yet.
The permitting process for a planned Wawa at the corner of State Road 100 and Bulldog Drive was cancelled last week, ostensibly so the developer could switch contractors, when plans would be resubmitted.
Flagler Property Values Rise Nearly 9%, Higher in Cities, Providing Windfall For Local Budgets
Property values are a driver of local government budgets. Generally, as values increase, local property tax revenue rises, assuming governments don’t proportionately reduce their tax rates.
Florida Is The Latest Republican-Led State To Adopt Clean Needle Exchanges
The timing of the statewide legalization of needle exchanges comes as Florida grapples with a huge heroin and fentanyl problem. When people share dirty needles to inject drugs, it puts them at high risk for spreading bloodborne infections like HIV and hepatitis C. For years, Florida has had America’s highest rates of HIV.
Monday Briefing: Last Chance for Sheltering Tree’s Survival, Parade Winners, Rationalism’s Disease, Louis Spohr
It’s the last chance for the Sheltering Tree, the cold-weather shelter battling Bunnell government’s desire to shut it down, a full list of the Fabulous 4th parade winners, Isaac Singer on rationalism.
Our Immigrant Prisons Are An Atrocity
As reports surface about immigrant children sleeping on concrete floors and people being forced to drink water from toilets, one fact has become unmistakably clear: It’s well past time to demand an end to Trump’s cruel and inhumane treatment of immigrants.
Some People Wouldn’t Count: How Citizenship Question Could Reshape State Politics
Some districts could get more in-state political power if Florida decides to use voting-age citizens as the basis for drawing districts, rather than total population, including children and immigrants who aren’t citizens.
A Little Over a Dozen Arrests, One Notable Fight, 2 Brush Fires and 30,000 People: A Heat-Soaked July 4 in Flagler
Flagler Beach witnessed one serious fight that led to two arrests, and two brush fires, while Palm Coast had a minor party-related disturbance and Bunnell seemed to verge on the brink of a serious commotion until an arrest defused the situation.
Costs Pile Up For Governor and Cabinet’s $400-a-Night Israel Junket, as Do Questions
When Florida Cabinet members jetted off to Israel in late May, some state employees who traveled at taxpayer expense stayed in a more than $400-a-night luxury hotel in Jerusalem, where a Cabinet meeting was held.
New Leadership Called ‘Capricious’ as 2 More High-Level Resignations Strike Palm Coast Government
Interim Communications Manager Jason Giraulo called the new city manager and council “capricious” and described his own managerial abilities as “castrated” in a resignation letter the new manager strongly disputed. Chief Building Official Ricky Lee also resigned.
After 3-Month Halt, Work Will Resume On U.S. 1 Roundabout at Old Dixie, With Road Closures
Work had stopped on the roundabout project at U.S. 1 and old Dixie Highway in mid-April and won’t resume until mid-July, with further road closures and detours. The $4.1 million project is the work of the state Department of Transportation.
In Big Breakthrough, County and City Will Jointly Accommodate Palm Coast Little League and Other Fields of Need
Palm Coast and county governments are drafting an agreement that would significantly relax the proprietary lock on each sides’ fields, instead prioretizing public need, with Palm Coast Little League the vanguard beneficiary.
Flagler Beach Fireworks and “Fabulous Fourth” Parade on July 4
Flagler Beach this year hosts its traditional July 4 celebration, with its Fabulous Fourth parade at 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. fireworks. In Palm Coast, fireworks are on July 3 in Town Center. Both events will feature kid zones and games.
Palm Coast’s Opelka Beats 4-Time Slam Champ Stan Wawrinka in Wimbledon Upset and Biggest Win Yet
Showing poise and maturity well beyond his years, the 21-year-old Opelka scored the biggest victory of his young career in the second round of Wimbledon, defeating three-time Slam champion Stan Wawrinka in five scintillating sets on Court 2.
Independence Weekend Briefing: Heat Index to 110 Wednesday, Parade and Fireworks, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Madness,’ World Cup Final
It’s all about July 4, with fireworks on July 3 in Central Park in Palm Coast band of course in Flagler Beach on the 4th, “A Midsummer Night’s Madness” all weekend at City Repertory Theatre, and a July 4 Willie concert right here.
Inside the Secret Border Patrol Facebook Group Where Agents Joke About Migrant Deaths and Post Sexist Memes
The three-year-old group, which has roughly 9,500 members, shared derogatory comments about Latina lawmakers who plan to visit a controversial Texas detention facility on Monday, calling them “scum buckets” and “hoes.”