Conspiracy theorists have been in overdrive, inventing the coming of violent protests, even in Palm Coast, designed to overthrow Trump this weekend. The rumors are false.
Wednesday Briefing: Dia de los Muertos, Auditorium’s Holiday Extravaganza, Philip Levine, Elephant Warriors
The Auditorium kicks off its new season with an evening open house, students at Old Kings Elementary introduce environmentally friendly dining room trays, warriors protecting elephants.
Gargiulo Foundation Committing to $100,000 Sculpture Garden in Palm Coast’s Town Center
The Gargiulo Art Foundation is proposing to put up a sculpture garden in Town Center, an echo of the Palm Coast Arts Foundation’s own plans for art in public places.
Obamacare Enrollment Opens Wednesday For 5th Year: 5 Things You Should Know
Despite the efforts of President Donald Trump and the Republican-led Congress, the Affordable Care Act is still the law of the land. But there are changes.
In Rare Rejection of Plea Deal, Judge Wants Prison For Woman In Molestation Case
Palm Coast’s Maria Howell, accused of molesting a teen, was ready to plead to 10 years’ probation, but Judge Dennis Craig rejected the plea, asking for prison time.
Sheriff Deploys Skeletal Traffic Unit To Chase After Speeders on Halloween
The Halloween detail is focusing on speeding and aggressive driving as deputies and detectives also visit 21 sex offenders banned from handing out candy.
Uncertainty On Generators at Nursing Homes After Governor’s Order Is Invalidated
Gov. Rick Scott’s administration appealed the order to the 1st District Court of Appeal and claims the rules remain in effect during the appeal.
Tuesday Briefing: Halloween Chill, Cultural Arts Grants, Maria Howell Plea, FEMA Deadline, Twain and Money
The Palm Coast Council awards $30,000 in cultural grants to 11 organizations, Maria Howell pleads over an accusation of molesting a teen on an Epic date, Hall of Terror and movie night.
Flagler Beach’s Golf Course Closed Again, Its Fate Uncertain, As Dispute With City Leads To Impasse
Golf course management and Flagler Beach government are at serious odds over money owed (by both sides) in a dispute that has the city talking about re-advertising for new management.
At State Conference, Democrats Mostly In Lockstep Begin to Line Up For Governor’s Race
There were few differences in the responses from former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham of Tallahassee, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum and Winter Park businessman Chris King.
Palm Coast Manager Jim Landon Sells Home, Bought in 2009, For $103,000 Profit
Landon sold the 2,600-square-foot house on Palm Coast’s Edge Place for $388,000, a price 36 percent above that paid in 2009, a significant profit for a city where property values are still well below their pre-crash peak.
Lawmakers Moving To Put a Leash On
Bogus Service Dogs As Abuses Proliferate
Though Florida two years ago tightened some service dog regulations, it’s still easy to acquire or pass off any animal as a service animal. Other states are working to tighten their laws.
County Road 13 Re-Construction Nears Completion $1 Million Under Budget
The project, started in May, was paid for through a pair of state grants totaling $3.6 million. Money not used returns to the state, to be awarded on other projects.
Verdego’s T.J. McNitt Appointed 21st Member of Florida Hospital Flagler Foundation
McNitt was born and raised in Flagler County and is the owner Verdego Landscaping Company. He cares deeply about the community and becoming a Foundation board member is his first step into community service.
Monday Briefing: L’Darius Smith Trial, Hall of Terror, Local Mitigation, FEMA Deadline, Daniil Trifonov
L’Darius Smith, a former foorball player for FPC, is on trial on accusations that he held a gun while forcing a pre-teen girl to masturbate him, Palm Coast’s Hall of Terror on its first of two nights.
Palm Coast Man Called Ringleader Of Heroin and Fentanyl Operation That Nets 9 Arrests
Julian Miller, 31, of Palm Coast, accused of running a heroin and fentanyl operation mostly in Volusia counties, was among nine people arrested Friday.
Fantasyland and the Liberal Delusion
Liberals’s hopes that the likes of Jeff Flake or Bob Corker in any way speak for today’s vanilla-white GOP is a refusal to concede that the Age of Trump is here to stay.
Palm Coast Says It Is 60% Done With Hurricane Debris Pick-Up But Urges More Patience
The cleanup is taking longer than previous cleanups. But that’s also because with Irma, the city did not contract with a different hauler as it did after Hurricane Matthew.
Treatment Overkill: Unneeded Scans, Therapy and Surgery Only Add To Patients’ Ills
Though ample evidence shows breast-cancer radiation treatment for many can be drastically cut down, less than half those eligible received it despite the additional cost and inconvenience.
At Flagler Jail, 4th Guard This Year Resigns Over “Affair” With Inmate, Whose Wife Was Also Jailed
Rookie Danielle Basciano, 23, resigned as she was being investigated form improprieties with Salina Cox, 29, an inmate at the jail whose own wife was also incarcerated at the jail at the time.
Sheriff Staly and Superintendent Tager Involved in Minor 3-Vehicle Crash
Superintendent Jim Tager rear-ended a pick-up truck that rear-ended the sheriff’s SUV when a driver in front of the sheriff abruptly stopped through a green light, causing the wreck.
Halloween Haunted Trails: Tonight Only, Flagler Beach
Tonight only: The 4th Annual Halloween Haunted Trails event. This annual event hosted by local families, gets bigger and creepier every year. It’s tonight from 7 pm -10 pm, with something fun for all ages. The address is 2009 S Daytona Ave., in Flagler Beach.
FPL Seeking To Charge Customers Extra $50 to $60 a Year Through 2020 To Pay Irma Costs
The $1.3 billion FPL wants to recover would start showing up in customers’ bills in March — just as they get done paying off an extra $40 a year from Hurricane Matthew in 2016.
Weekend Briefing: Drug Court Graduation, “Plaza Suite” at the Playhouse, Bed Race, Chamber Players, Bras
Neil Simon’s “Plaza Suite” opens at the Flagler Playhouse, the 8th Fun Coast Bed Race in Flagler Beach, The Chamber Players of Palm Coast present another baroque concert.
An Allegation of Rape On the Sands of Flagler Beach, But Beyond That, Mostly Blur
A 26-year-old woman reported being raped the morning of Oct. 14 somewhere between South 4th and South 9th Streets, but evidence and alcohol-blurred memories are scant.
Flagler Beach Residents and Businesses Will See a 25% Increase in Water, Sewer and Garbage Rates
Years of inattention by the city commission have led to a near-crisis point in Flagler Beach, requiring massive fee increases to keep up with the city’s critical infrastructure.
Old Kings Principal Ben Osypian and Indian Trails Assistant Principal Katherine Cooke Named Year’s Tops
Osypian is the 2017-18 Flagler Schools Principal of the Year and Katherine Crooke of Indian Trails Middle School is Assistant Principal of the Year. Both are now eligible for state honors.
Thursday Briefing: Model Yacht Club, Flagler Beach Water and Sewer Fee Increase, Charter Workshop, Fall Festival
The newly-formed Palm Coast Model Yacht Club meets at Palm Coast’s Central Park pond in Town Center at 2 p.m. to race its sailing boats, which vary in length from 3 to 5 feet.
A U.S. Soldier Died in Niger. What on Earth Are We Doing There?
If you were surprised to learn the U.S. has nearly a thousand troops in Niger, you’re not alone. But we’ve deployed troops to literally most of the planet, and our leading lawmakers don;t know it.
Florida Lawmakers Looking To Add Treatment Programs To Fight Opioid Epidemic
A combination of short-term intensive treatment beds, long-term outpatient services and medically assisted treatment could be the blueprint for a solution, a powerful lawmaker says.
Palm Coast Council Plays Up Charter Review. Until Its Lawyer Says It’s Not What It Seems.
Palm Coast government is paying the price of trying to have it both ways–appearing to hold a charter review process while at the same time distancing itself from a comprehensive review, as its charter calls for.
In Rare Case of Election Fraud, Palm Coast Felon Is Jailed For Casting Illegal Ballot
Jennifer Scott, 52, of Palm Coast’s R Section, faces two felony counts for allegedly fraudulently voting in the 2016 election, but an official says the issue is extremely rare.
Behind the Man Facing Monstrous Allegations of Incest, A History of Disabilities, But Not Incompetence
The mother of Paul Dykes, who goes on trial on charges of raping his own daughter next month, revealed in court today for the first time the personal history of the 20-year-old Palm Coast resident.
Wednesday Briefing: Paul Dykes, Economic Opportunity, Cypres Knoll Re-Dedication, Run, Rymfire Run
Paul Dykes, accused of numerous counts of child-sex crimes, may take the stand today, the Cypress Knoll golf course is rededicated, Flagler’s economic development board meets.
Bunnell Manager Dan Davis Placed on 6-Month Probation After Barrage of Criticism From Commissioners
Four of the five Bunnell city commissioners criticized Davis for his leadership style, his “demeaning” of employees or even commissioners, his lack of communications, but granted him a final reprieve.
Senators Angry At Delays In Medical Marijuana Licenses, Blaming Complacency
The head of the state’s medical-use office is blaming the delays on litigation over the constitutional amendment. Senators aren’t buying it, blaming complacency.
When Flagler’s Judicial System Makes a 10-Year Error In a 40-Year Prison Sentence
William Copeland is serving 40 years for shooting his daughter’s grandfather in Palm Coast in 2011. The court made a 10-year error in one of his sentences.
Officials Caution: Initial Rejection From FEMA Is Not The Last Word
Don’t just accept the initial response, because every resident has the right to appeal any decision of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Flagler officials say.
Tuesday Briefing: Copeland’s New Sentence, Humanitarian of the Year Nominations, Rymfire Morning Mile
William Copeland wants a lesser sentence than the 40 years he got in the attempted murder of Accursio Venezia in Palm Coast, a foster home is proposed in Bunnell, walking at Rymfire.
Flagler And Cities Submit Lists of Requests To Lawmakers, Who Dampen Expectations
Sen. Travis Hutson and Rep. Paul Renner listened to streams of requests from governments and constituents but made no promises in light of a “tough” legislative session ahead.
Washington, Jefferson, Madison: There’s No Defending Founders Who Practiced Slavery
It is still common, if not a norm, to hear founders’ ownership of slaves excused as part of the prevailing practices of their times rather than a contradiction with founders’ ideals.
At Hammock Beach Resort, A Woman Crashes A Wedding To Spy, And Violence Follows
Shelby McDowell, 26, crashed the wedding to which her boyfriend was invited and found him dancing with another woman, so she allegedly attacked them both.
Don Guldenschuh Jr. of Bunnell, 26, Is Killed in Biketoberfest Crash
Don Guldenschuh Jr., 26, was riding north on U.S. 1. when he lost control of his motorcycle as he took the on-ramp to I-95. He died at the scene.
Florida State Colleges Seeking Restoration of $30 Million Cut To Address “Employment Gap”
The money would help hire more faculty, provide more counseling services and create more programs aimed at closing the “employment gap” in high-demand jobs.
Monday Briefing: Navy Bombing In Ocala Forest, Stamp and Coin’s Last Meeting, Bunnell’s Manager
Live bombing, part of the Navy’s training, takes place all week at Ocala forest range, which may rattle Flagler windows, Bunnell’s manager’s job will be discussed in a commission meeting.
Short-Term Rentals in Flagler County: The View From Home Owners’ Associations
Paul C. Pershes, president of the 1,100-home Ocean Hammock Property Owners Association, addresses members of a key senate committee that will be hearing proposed regulations of short-term rentals.
In Kristen Hadeed’s “Permission To Screw Up,” A Cheerful, Nimble Corrective To Millennial Stereotypes
FPC Graduate Kristen Hadeed’s first book traces the stumbles of her 10-year journey as CEO of Student Maid, a cleaning company in Gainesville, with wit and counter-intuitive insights: a review.
Racist, Violent, Unpunished: A White Hate Group’s Campaign of Menace
the Rise Above Movement, one of whose men beat up protesters in Charlottesville, train to fight. They post their beatings online. And so far, they have little reason to fear the authorities.
Sheriff’s Domestic Violence Task Force’s Job Done, Attention Turns To Enacting Proposals
Several proposals the domestic violence task force put forth area already being enacted but many more remain unfunded or not yet fully analyzed.
Flagler’s Unemployment Rate Falls To 3.9%, A 10-Year Low, Even As Hurricane Whacks State’s Jobs Figures
Flagler’s sharp drop is even more remarkable for taking place during a month that saw Hurricane Irma cut across the region, severing power, work schedules and routines for almost 10 days.