Organizers for the 37th annual Palm Coast Holiday Boat Parade have extended the deadline for boat registrations to December 6. The parade is scheduled for Dec. 7. A record 47 boats participated in the parade last year.
Tuesday Briefing: FTI’s Heavy Equipment Simulator, Stetson Choral Union and Chamber Orchestra, Trump in South Florida
Techniques to cope with fatigue, frustration, isolation, and poor sleep at the Flagler Beach library, the Stetson Choral Union and Chamber Orchestra performs in DeLand, William Seward.
State Seeks to Strictly Deny Home Rule to Florida Cities and Counties on Gun Regulations
Pointing to a “hierarchical relationship” with local governments, the state late Friday asked an appeals court to uphold a 2011 law that has threatened tough penalties if city and county officials approve gun regulations.
Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission Begins Work on Replacing 2 Justices
The Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission is expected to finalize a short-list of candidates for Gov. Ron DeSantis before the end of January.
Belle Terre Elementary Principal Culver ‘Retires’ As District Investigates Allegations of Hostile Work Environment
Belle Terre Elementary Principal Terence Culver was under internal investigation over a hostile work environment when he announced his “retirement,” following other investigations that looked at unaccounted funds in the PTO account and issues with disciplining of a special education student.
Two Engineering Companies On Contract With Bunnell Giving City a “Gift” For Its Christmas Event
Kimley-Horn and CPH Engineers, on contract with Bunnell city government, made a combined $1,750 gift to the city for its Christmas event on Dec. 13, a gift city officials say is no different than any corporate sponsorship of city events.
Judiciary Lets Down Its Robes as It Celebrates Flagler County Judge Totten’s Investiture
Flagler County Judge Andrea Totten’s investiture at Channel Side in Palm Coast drew more than a dozen judges and nearly as many ceremonial presentations and speeches advising the judge on her new course.
Monday Briefing: Cooler, Citizens of the Year, Mitigation Strategy, Colin Kaepernick, Alateen Sereniteen
Anthony Butrym and Dawn Butrym were both awarded ‘Citizen of the Year’ for the State of Florida in recognition of their volunteer efforts that led to finding missing and endangered
juvenile Rickey Wheeler alive.
Political Committee Forms to Oppose 2020 Marijuana Legalization Ballot Initiative
Organizers of Floridians Against Recreational Marijuana, or FARM, issued a news release Friday announcing the formation of the political committee, aimed at combating “the mega-marijuana, out-of-state corporate interests” behind legalization.
Paytas Homes Begins Construction on Model Home at Marina del Palma
Ken Belshe, senior sales director for SunBelt Land Management, is pleased to announce Paytas Homes has broken ground on the construction of its model home at Marina del Palma.
Home Sales Were Steady In October
Single family home sales remained steady in October across the Daytona Beach area, according to the Wyse Report.
Indivisible-Flagler Brings Screening of New Film, “Witness At Tornillo”
Indivisible – Flagler will be hosting a 1-time screening of “Witness At Tornillo” at Regal Avenues Stadium 20 theater, 9525 Philips Hwy, Jacksonville FL, on Tuesday December 3rd at 7 – 8: 30 p.m.
A Wild Turkey Twist On a Thanksgiving Tradition
As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, everyone is starting to think about turkeys. Those hosting friends and family for the holiday feast are exploring ways to prepare the main course. An interesting option is to go organic by serving wild turkey for Thanksgiving.
Daytona Tortugas Respond to Major League Baseball’s Plan to Eliminate The Team
The owners and staff of the Daytona Tortugas minor league team in Daytona Beach respond to Major League Baseball’s plan to eliminate 42 minor league teams, including the Tortugas.
Fast-Track Enrollment Saturday at Daytona State College, Dec. 7
DSC offers an easy-access, no-cost session – Enrollment Day – on Saturday, Dec. 7, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at DSC’s Daytona Beach Campus, Wetherell Center, located at 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd.
Kentucky Fried Chicken on Old Kings Road Target of Bomb Threat
The Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant at 3 Old Kings Road North in Palm Coast was the target of a bomb threat Saturday evening, forcing the business to be evacuated and surrounding traffic rerouted for several hours. No bomb was discovered after a bomb squad from Volusia County searched the premises.
Richard Petkovsek, Decorated Sheriff’s Deputy, Is Arrested and Suspended Without Pay
Richard Petkovsek, a Flagler County Sheriff’s detective who just weeks ago received the latest in a series of commendations during his five years with the sheriff’s office, was arrested on misdemeanor charges of disorderly intoxication and resisting arrest without violence outside a St. Augustine bar early this morning. The sheriff’s office then suspended him without pay, in accordance with agency policy.
County Administrator Cameron Sells Land to Commissioner Joe Mullins’s Company for $405,000, then Pays Off Home Mortgage
Flagler County Administrator Jerry Cameron sold a parcel of land on U.S. 1 in St. Augustine to the Mullins Companies for $405,000 in August in what Cameron described as an “arms-length transaction” with Joe Mullins, the Flagler County county commissioner.
Broken Taillight Leads to Sex Offender Out on Bond, In Possession of Weapons and Drugs
Christopher E. Raymond, 33, of 7 Burma Place in Palm Coast, who’d spent 10 of the last 15 years in prison, was pulled over for a broken brake light and was found in possession of weaponry and drugs.
Weekend Briefing: Holiday Fair, All Things Christmas Sale, Judge Totten, Festival of Trees, Kate Miller at Salvo
Artist Kate Miller opens at Salvo, the Flagler County Public Library’s 18th annual Festival of Trees, Christmas sales at Trinity Presbyterian and Santa Maria del Mar, concerts and plays.
Flagler Health Department Increases In-School Flu Vaccinations by 13%
This year, the Flagler Health Department vaccinated 1,391 students and 114 faculty members, a 13 percent increase over 1,331 vaccinated in the 2017-18 school year.
Search Fatigue or Satisfaction Limit Turnout at Public Forum on Choosing Next School Superintendent
Just eight people participated in a public forum designed to hear ideas about what sort of school superintendent should be hired next, what challenges lay ahead and what works in the district today.
It’s All About Landing UNF as Palm Coast Rallies Cities and County in Show of Unity Before Legislative Delegation
Local cities and the county joined Palm Coast in an unprecedented show of unity and common goals at Thursday’s annual legislative delegation meeting, to press Rep. Paul Renner and Sen. Travis Hutson for support in bringing the University of North Florida to Palm Coast’s Town center.
Behind AdventHealth’s da Vinci Robot, Sharp Improvements in Patients’ Recovery and Lesser Pain
Dr. Steven Brown, a surgeon behind the da Vinci robot at AdventHealth Palm Coast, described the machine’s successes through 1,000 surgeries at a Common Ground breakfast presented by the Chamber of Commerce this morning.
Thursday Briefing: Legislative Delegation, Superintendent Search Public Forum, AdventHealth Robotics, Voltaire
Flagler County’s legislative delegation hears local concerns and hopes for the coming session, the public is invited to a forum on choosing the next school superintendent, the Inspired Mic is at Hidden Treasures.
Americans Love CBD Products, But It’s a Wild West
Americans’ exuberance for CBD could well be short-lived. That’s because many products currently marketed under the CBD banner are of low or variable quality.
Palm Coast Firefighters Host Mental Health and PTSD Awareness Training
The Palm Coast Fire Department is being proactive in taking steps to raise awareness to the effects of PTSD by participating in its first department-wide mental health training.
Appointments to Federal Bench Open Two More Seats on Florida Supreme Court
The U.S. Senate on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved Florida Supreme Court Justice Barbara Lagoa’s appointment to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, setting the stage for Gov. Ron DeSantis to make two appointments to the state’s highest court.
A Case of Bruising Corporal Punishment Is Deemed Child Abuse and a 46-Year-Old Father Is Jailed
Ramon Pardo, 45, faces a felony child abuse charge after school authorities alerted DCF of bruising on his 10-year-old son’s body, the result of a “spanking” with a belt because the child had allegedly lied.
Dave Sullivan Is New County Commission Chairman, McDonald Retains School Board Chair
The titles don’t necessarily mean as much as they imply. No chairman or vice-chairman has more power than he or she would have had without the title, though some try to use more heft than they have.
Wednesday Briefing: Paws to Read, Dan Wagner at Tiger Bay, Bombing in Ocala Forest, Stetson Jazz
Nuclear and national security expert Dan Wagner is at Flagler Tiger Bay, A1A construction in pictures, Humane Society’s Paws to Read at the public library, the Stetson Jazz Ensemble performs.
Whose News Literacy? What’s ‘Fake News’? Resources for Teachers and Students Raise Questions.
Inappropriately named “fake news” is real, pernicious and dangerous, but the tools developed to detect it and teach students savvy media literacy can be problematic, with an over-reliance on the status quo.
DeSantis Wants $1 Billion Injection into Public Education, Mostly For Teacher Pay
After dubbing next year the “Year of the Teacher,” DeSantis has made two major teacher-compensation packages the centerpiece of his education spending plan for the 2020-2021 fiscal year.
School Board Rules Out Prayers at Meetings, Ending Controversy Started by August ‘Invocation’
School Board members Colleen Conklin and Andy Dance argued against the “circus” and divisiveness that would be invited if the board abandoned its custom of the last four decades and resumed opening meetings with prayers, ending a controversy began in August when Board Chairman Janet McDonald unexpectedly invited a pastor to offer an invocation.
Video Captures High-Speed Fleeing Through Bunnell and Capture of 2 in a Palm Coast Garage
Franklin Crawley, 37, of 34 Woodhollow Lane in Palm Coast, is accused of stealing his grandmother’s car before taking airborne and ground-based cops on a chase through Bunnell and Palm Coast. He and Christian Grasso, 37, were arrested. Both face felony charges.
UNF’s MedNex Plan With Palm Coast as Hub Creating “A Lot of Buzz” as Committee Deliberates
University of North Florida President David Szymanski this morning briefed a committee of the university system’s Board of Governors on UNF’s plans for an innovative “medical nexus” that would include Palm Coast and AdventHealth as key partners.
Tuesday Briefing: School Board Prayer, UNF-Palm Coast, Board Reorganizations, Food Truck Tuesday
A committee of the state university system’s board discusses legislative budget requests, among them Palm Coast’s UNF partnership, the school board debates prayers before meetings, Palm Coast adds a cell tower.
Flagler County Tells Sellers, Realtor and Inspector of Damaged Sears Building to Buy It Back or Get Sued
Flagler County commissioners voted to offer the sellers of the $1.25 million Sears building the chance to buy back the damaged structure or face a lawsuit. Flagler bought the building in November and discovered it to be damaged from a pre-existing water-intrusion condition.
Happy Birthday to Sen. Inhofe, Undisputed Champion Climate Denier in U.S. Politics
Jim Inhofe, the Senate’s unwavering climate denier, turns 85 on Sunday. Peter Dysktra requested a Q&A with him when he turns 100 to see how the “hoax” has turned out.
New Cell Tower At Frieda Zamba Pool Will Improve Coverage for P and W Sections Starting Next Year
The Palm Coast City Council Tuesday is expected to approve leasing yet another site for a tall cell tower, the fourth in the past year and a half, to improve cell coverage in the city. AT&T is signed up for the 150-foot tower at Frieda Zamba pool, behind Wadsworth Elementary School.
DeSantis Proposes $91.4 Billion Budget, With Focus on Teachers and Environment
Lawmakers will decide whether to move forward with DeSantis’ priorities, such as his plan to set minimum teacher salaries at $47,500 — an idea that would cost $603 million next year.
Visiting Flagler, State Board of Education Singles Out Wadsworth’s Anna Crawford, a Finalist for State Award
Wadsworth Elementary Principal Anna Crawford is one of three finalists for the 2019-2020 Innovative Principal Award, and was recognized, along with one of her sixth grade students, during a state Board of Education meeting in Bunnell.
Fact Check: Surgeon General’s Marijuana Warning of ‘Gateway Effect’ Revives Controversial Claim
Whether marijuana can “prime your brain for addiction” elicits responses all over the map — reflecting just how contested this issue is and how difficult it is to speak definitively about marijuana’s impact.
Monday Briefing: What To Do With the Worthless Sears Building, Mosquitos, Flagler Youth Orchestra’s Legends Concert
The Flagler County Commission reorganizes and decides what to do with its plagued and unwanted Sears building, the Flagler Youth Orchestra holds its first major concert of the season at the Flagler Auditorium.
Daytona State College Announces New Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting
Daytona State College’s Bachelor of Science in Accounting brings the total number of bachelor’s degrees offered by DSC to seven. The new program is scheduled to begin fall 2020.
Flagler Professor Discovers Unknown Spanish-Timucua Book While on Sabbatical
Timothy J. Johnson, Craig and Audrey Thorn Distinguished Professor of Religion at Flagler College, recently discovered a Spanish-Timucua book by the Franciscan Friar Francisco Pareja. The book, previously unknown to scholars, was published in Mexico in 1628.
La Bonne Vieille Veuve Clicquot: History of Champagne’s Great Widow
As you get ready for New Year’s Eve, be sure to pick up the real stuff. Like Veuve Clicquot, the champagne served at Rick’s Cafe in Casablanca. Here’s a brief history of the Veuve Clicquot Champagne and its maker, Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin.
Some 33 Pounds of Cocaine Wash Up on the Beach Near Surfside Condos in North Flagler
The dark gym bag was dark and covered in barnacles and seaweed, and the 15 bricks within were covered in sand and seashells, suggesting that the bag had been in the ocean a long time.
Coastal Flooding Warning for Palm Coast East of I-95 and Flagler Beach
The National Weather Service Sunday morning issued a coastal flooding warning for Palm Coast and Flagler County east of I-95 and the entirety of the barrier island, including Flagler Beach.
DeSantis Pitches Bonuses for Teachers and Principals Based on School Grades
Bonuses would be up to $7,500 for teachers and up to $10,000 for principals, drawing immediate criticism from the teachers union, which has long pushed for salary increases rather than bonuses.