The Palm Coast Council again discusses issues surrounding Florida Park Drive, the countywide opioid task force meets, legislators debate a bill to lift a ban on smoking medical pot.
Flagler Jail’s Private Provider Says Its Nurses Did Nothing Wrong in Fennick’s Death–and Asks for Reimbursements
Armor Correctional Health relieved two nurses of duty at the Flagler jail at the sheriff’s request, placing them on administrative leave and asking the sheriff to pay their salaries and their replacements’ salaries.
Suspected Palm Coast Car Thief Takes Deputies on Chase Through Hospital Grounds Before He’s Tased
Yuli Ilchenko, a 29, a resident of Prescott Lane in Palm Coast, led deputies on a brief car chase and a foot chase before he was wrestled to the ground and Tased, then slapped with four felonies and two misdemeanors.
Senate Panel Weigh Watered Down ‘Sanctuary Cities’ Ban, Eliminating Sanctions on Local Governments
The anti-sanctuary cities bill may be now more appealing to the Florida Senate, which is viewed as the more moderate chamber and has blocked similar proposals in the past.
A Woman Is Seriously Hurt When Car Crashes Through Guardrail and Into West Flagler Canal
Jessica May, 34, was severely injured when she drove her car through a guardrail and went into a canal Sunday evening at State Road 100 and County Road 305.
Monday Briefing: FYO’s Strings Around the World Concert, James Wolfe’s Probation, Bunnell Special Events
The Flagler Youth Orchestra presents its Strings Around the World Concert at the Auditorium, ex-Matanzas teacher James Wolfe wants his probation ended after serving time for illegal sex with a minor, Bunnell rewrites its special events ordinance.
Flagler’s AAUW Branch Marks 35 Years of Advancing ‘Equity for Women and Girls’
What began with an organizational meeting of the Flagler Beach of the American Association of University Women is now an organization 50-member strong.
State GOP Targets ‘Sanctuary Cities’ Even Though There Are None in Florida
Critics of the bill argue efforts to outlaw “sanctuary cities” have more to do with partisanship than with thwarting an existing problem as there are no counties or cities in Florida that act as “sanctuaries” for undocumented immigrants.
Anthony Fennick Will Die Saturday Morning, Days After Degrading at Flagler Jail. Family Awaits Answers.
The family of Anthony Fennick, 23, will gather around him Saturday morning, when his breathing machine will be disconnected. He was brain dead after suffering days of high fevers at the Flagler jail, where his care was neglected, his family says.
Jim Cigler Is an Unlicensed Contractor. Repeat Judgments Against Him Don’t Stop Him
From Working.
Flagler County just won a judgment against Jim Cigler, an unlicensed contractor known as “The Gutter Guy,” but Cigler faced several judgments before and kept on falsely advertising his services as licensed and insured.
Governor Seeks More Generous Teacher Bonus Program, But Is Silent on Higher Salaries
DeSantis said the new program could provide bonuses of more than $9,000 to nearly 45,000 “highly effective” teachers, whose unions say higher salaries would be the best approach.
Weekend Briefing: Black History, Bobcat 5K Run, Hot and Spicy Food Fest, Turtle Preservation
Birds of a Feather Fest all weekend, AAUW on Black History, Belle Terre Elementary’s Bobcat Run, a talk on The Sheltering Tree, FPC’s thespians put on Shakespeare.
Costs and Concerns Muck Up Plantation Bay Utility as County Begs for $10 Million
The Flagler County Commission is asking for a state appropriation of $10 million to fix the Plantation Bay sewer plant partly from fears that a sewer tank may burst, but the decision was hasty and lacked ready analysis.
Man Who Threatened to Blow Up Sheriff’s Office and Kill the Sheriff Gets 3 Years in Prison
The sentence against Raymond Crown of Palm Coast is a reflection of the vanished tolerance even in the judiciary for threats inspired by bombings or mass shootings.
Sweeping Bill Would Allow Private, Armed Guards on Florida’s School Campuses
A sweeping proposal would allow districts to arm teachers, look to train guardians outside the counties where they would serve and allow districts to contract with guards through private security firms.
Thursday Briefing: Birds of a Feather Fest, FPC Theater, Critic’s Choice at Dahlia’s Mexican, Science Café
Palm Coast’s beloved Birds of a Feather Fest kicks off, FPC’s thespians do Shakespeare, Critic’s Choice diners try Dahlia’s Mexican Kitchen, the health survey is still open.
Inmate At Flagler Jail Complains Of High Fevers For Days and Is Pacified. He’s Now Brain Dead.
Anthony Fennick, 23, was at the jail on a minor drug charge, developed severe fevers, saw nurses but was not allowed to see a doctor, and on Monday went into cardiac arrest and lost all brain activity.
GPS Ankle Monitors Give Local Cops Stronger Means of Enforcing No-Contact Orders
Alleged domestic violence and other offenders released from jail to await trial usually must stay away from their victims, but such no-contact orders were harder to enforce until GPS devices have been attached to the offenders.
Wednesday Briefing: FPC’s Much Ado About Nothing, Human Trafficking, Blue Power, Health Survey
FPC’s Thespians stage “Much Ado About Nothing, 80s Style,” local law enforcement discuss human trafficking, take the community health survey, A1A construction, Elgar’s strings serenade.
Florida’s More Conservative Supreme Court Rejects Considering Minimum Wage Case
Tuesday’s actions could signal how the new majority will come down on future business-related disputes and could spark state lawmakers, whose annual session begins in March, to consider business-backed legislation to address issues that the old court had foiled.
Ollie North Patrols Flagler With Sheriff Staly, One of 5 Finalists for NRA’s Officer Of the Year
Oliver North, the ex-felon of Iran-Contra fame and current NRA president, was in town to film footage with Sheriff Rick Staly, one of five nominees for the NRA’s Officer of the Year Award.
After December Mistrial, Michael Bowling Will Be Tried Again on Molestation Charges Feb. 18
Michael Bowling is facing two counts of molesting a 15-year-old girl who’d been visiting his stepdaughter for a sleepover in Bunnell’s Mondex.
Flagler Pays $16,000 to Settle Website Access Suit, and Much More to Become ADA Compliant
As one commissioner calls it “a scam,” county government will settle a lawsuit and prepare to hire more staff to address Americans With Disability compliance with county websites.
Tuesday Briefing: Pinning Firefighters, Pulse Celebration, MHS Percussion, DSC Job Fair
Palm Coast firefighters in a pinning ceremony, a DSC job fair at the DeLand campus, a Stetson Alumni Recital features “PULSE: A Musical Celebration of Those Who Lived and Are Living Their True Lives.”
A Quarter of Florida’s Physicians Skip Required Opioid-Prescription Training
The Florida Department of Health now is preparing to send non-compliance letters advising the providers that they have 15 days to take the mandated course or face disciplinary action.
Billye Boyd Jones, 75, Dies of Self-Inflicted Gunshot in Palm Coast’s C-Section
Billye Boyd Jones, 75, of Coral Reef Court in Palm Coast, shot herself the evening of Feb. 4, greatly despondent over having recently retired from the company she built, according to her daughter.
Flagler Commission Narrows Interim Choices to 4, But Questions Remain About Interviews
Three of the four candidates are former city or county administrators. The exception is one internal county candidate. They’ll be interviewed Feb. 18, when the commission may choose among them.
Medicare for All: No Country for “Can’t”
Medicare for all could be the most efficient, cheapest, and provider-friendly—but not perfect—part of what could be a health system that promotes health, saves lives, and creates a sense of social solidarity.
W-Section Drainage Improvements Launch Aggressive Ditch-Upkeep in Palm Coast
Palm Coast’s just-launched ditch-maintenance targets overgrowth of aquatic vegetation and plans are being developed to address localized drainage issues in the W, E, F and R sections.
2 Severely Injured in Head-On Collision on U.S. 1 Near CR 304 After a Car Drives the Wrong Way
Two vehicles collided head on, igniting a fire, on U.S. 1 at County Road 304 Sunday night, sending two victims to the hospital with severe injuries and closing the highway’s southbound lanes.
Lisa McDevitt, Flagler Auditorium’s Vigor and Champion, Remembered as ‘Mama Lisa’ Of the Performing Arts
Paying tribute to Lisa McDevitt, the Flagler Auditorium’s long-time executive director, were some 300 people Saturday, including family, friends, and performers she’d shepherded through the stage over the years.
Monday Briefing: Flagler Health Survey, Shortlisting Administrator Candidates, A1A Construction Update
The Flagler County Commission meets to short-list applicants for the interim administrator job, the Flagler Health Department wants you to take part in a health survey, lawmakers consider a proposal to abolish the Constitution Revision Commission.
Starbucks’s Howard Schultz: Another Billionaire Presidential Candidate Who Doesn’t Get It
Privileged candidates from Donald Trump to Howard Schultz don’t have any idea what life is really like for a single parent raising two kids while working and attending night classes.
Lawsuit Allegations Detail How The Sackler Family Built An OxyContin Fortune
This is the first lawsuit among hundreds of others that were previously filed across the country to charge the Sacklers with personally profiting from the harm and death of people taking the company’s opioids.
DeSantis Backs More Money for Armed Staffers in Schools, But Also More Flexibility in District Spending
DeSantis is proposing renewing nearly $100 million in school security funds but wants school districts to have more choice in how they spend the money.
At GOLA and the Flagler County Art League:
Trish Vevera, Flagler Artist of the Year
Trish Vevera’s journey from Grinnell College to the Art Institute of Chicago’s galleries to Flagler County’s open-air inspirations lands her as the Gargiulo Art Foundation’s Artist of the Year, with upcoming shows at Flagler Beach’s GOLA and the Flagler County Art League.
DeSantis Pitches $91.3 Billion Budget, Including Education Increase of $224 Per Student
In what would be the largest budget in state history, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday released a proposed $91.3 billion spending plan that would increase school funding, pump money into water-quality projects and trim taxes.
Van Towing RV Flips on I-95, Closing Southbound Lanes South of Matanzas Woods
The crash closed I-95 southbound from Matanzas Woods. Southbound drivers are advised to exit I-95 at U.S. 1 at the Flagler-St. Johns county line.
Grade Average for IB Class of 2018 at FPC Exceeds World’s By a Shade as 40 Students Claim Diplomas
The FPC 40 students who earned an IB diploma or certificate dispersed to 14 colleges in Florida, two other states and the Philippines before returning to claim their diplomas at a recent ceremony at the school.
Weekend Briefing: Flagler Historical Society, Piano Scholars, A1A Clean-Up, FYO’s Winter, Rotary Tarmac Run, Lisa McDevitt
The Flagler Youth Orchestra’s top ensemble performs at the United Methodist Church’;s concert series, the Flagler and Palm Coast historical societies have events, Lisa McDevit’s life is celebrated.
DeSantis Calls for New Education Standards That Would Scrap Remains of Common Core
DeSantis’ announcement came five years after then-Gov. Rick Scott took aim at the Common Core standards, which were developed by officials in 48 states and have particularly drawn criticism from Republican voters.
Responding to Complaints, Waste Pro Adding 2 Trucks and Shortening Palm Coast Routes To Improve Service
Complaints about Waste Pro in Palm Coast were especially severe around the holidays with missed pick-ups for days at a time, but the company is shortening routes and adding staff to improve service.
Gargantuan Egos Gone, 3 Cities’ Managers And County Get Down to Unusual Business
Flagler County’s three city managers and its commission chairman led a Common Ground panel presentation reflecting the vast change-overs at the top of local government and anticipating a new way of doing business ahead.
Thursday Briefing: Sally’s Safe Haven, City Managers’ Common Ground, Johnny Mathis, Palm Coast Survey
Palm Coast’s, Flagler Beach’s and Bunnell’s managers update the world in the latest Common Ground Breakfast, only two days left to take the Palm Coast survey, an Abba tribute at the Auditorium.
As Rap Video Productions Take to South Bunnell, City Enacts Strict Regulations
Recent rap video productions in South Bunnell led the city to draft new permitting regulations that would require producers to have insurance, workers’ comp coverage and explain the scope of their project, among other requirements.
Report Details Ethics Allegations Against Gillum; His Attorney Calls It ‘Trivial Stuff’
The ethics commission also found probable cause to believe the former mayor “misused his position to accept things of value for himself and others in return for access and influence.”
Ramping Up Surveillance, Sheriff Will Have Access to Live Video and Data From 44 Palm Coast Traffic Intersections
Palm Coast government and the Flagler Sheriff’s Office are teaming up to use a “traffic-optimization” camera network at intersection as a surveillance mechanism as well.
Louis Mamakos, 85, Kills Himself With a Gun in B-Section After Citing Intolerable Pain
Louis Mamakos, a long-time resident of Palm Coast’s Boxwood Lane, had been Baker Acted two weeks earlier after attempting to kill himself with a gun. His wife had stopped him.
Wednesday Briefing: Sheltering Tree, Pianist Robert Milne, Blue Power, Church and State
The Sheltering Tree, Flagler County’s cold-weather shelter for the homeless, has been busy, the Democrats’ Blue Power 2020 Action Forum meets, pianist Robert Milne performs at Stetson.
DeSantis Would Eliminate Ban on Smoking Medical Pot, Supporting Senate Bill
But legislative leaders may not be keen on completely doing away with vertical integration, a move that could destabilize a growing and lucrative market in which one marijuana license recently sold for $63 million in cash.