The Flagler Tourist Development Council awards a few quality-of-life grants to local groups and businesses, rezoning for 348 homes along US1 in Palm Coast’s K Section, Scott McClanahan on Crapalachia.
Palm Coast’s New Founders:
Steven Nobile’s Multi-Generational Vision
Inspired by the muti-generational households he knew in Brooklyn, N.Y., Councilman Steven Nobile sees a Palm Coast where young families raise children, have plenty of work opportunities, and retire all in place.
2 Killed in T-Bone Crash on Palm Coast Parkway; Felon Ran Red Light; Road Rage Possible Factor
Two people were killed, including Terri Lynn Wickel, in a two-vehicle crash on Palm Coast Parkway at Pine Code Drive. Tyler L. Wilkinson is alleged to have blown through a red light.
Maxine Kronick, Fierce Doyenne of Local Arts and Children’s Theater, Dies On Approach of 80
Maxine Kronick, actress, special events coordinator and arts champion, had co-founder Theaterrific in the late 1980s in Palm Coast, a theater program for poorer children, and remained involved in local theater at Buddy Taylor Middle School and elsewhere.
Tuesday Briefing: The John Seth Difference, Flagler Schools’ Rezoning, Flagler Playhouse Expansion, Pink Army
FPC Band Leader John Seth gets national recognition, the Flagler School Board considers various rezoning proposals, the Flagler Playhouse wants to expand, The Palm Coast City Council refinances again, and Narciso Yepes plays on.
Feelin’ Alright: Rock Hall of Fame Member Dave Mason Traffics at Flagler Auditorium
Dave Mason was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 as a founding member of Traffic and has played with the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and Fleetwood Mac.
Sheriff’s Chief Cole Places 1st in Crimestoppers’ 5K
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Chief Steve Cole, an avid runner and bicyclist, represented the Sheriff’s Office in Crimestoppers’ seventh Run to Stop Crime 5K race Saturday (Jan. 14) in Ormond Beach and placed first in his age group, 45-49.
Going Gray: Can Our Car-Centric Towns Adjust to Aging Baby Boomers?
The millions of boomers who will grow old in Palm Coast-like exurbs will put pressure on local governments to spend more on everything from transportation to senior services.
Flagler Superintendent Jacob Oliva Is Named Florida Vice Chancellor for K-12 Education, Will Leave in June
Superintendent Jacob Oliva’s three-year tenure has been largely controversy-free and saw the expansion of technology and classroom-to-career programs. He leaves in May.
Epic Theaters Evacuated After Gun Fears; Sheriff Warns: “This Is Not Going To Continue”
A brawl and fear of a gun at Epic Theaters Friday night triggered a panic and a massive police response. No weapon was found, but Sheriff Rick Staly is demanding that Epic come up with a better security plan.
Explosion and Fire Flare in J.T.’s Seafood Shack’s Kitchen in Hammock Injure Two Employees
The incident at J.T.’s Seafood Shack is believed to have been caused by a fire flare in the kitchen. Patrons were in the restaurant but were not affected.
Palm Coast’s New Founders:
Nick Klufas Trains Vigilant Eyes on the City
In his picture of Palm Coast for the next four years, City Councilman Nick Klufas lays out his goals for a city with better cell coverage and emergency communications, among other needs.
Gov. Scott Appoints Greg Hansen, Local GOP Activist, to Frank Meeker’s County Commission Seat
Greg Hansen, 70, will fill the remaining year and a half on the late Frank Meeker’s term. He outflanked other local favorites who had included Palm Coast Mayor Jon Netts and Larry Jones, an ally of County Administrator Craig Coffey.
Tyler M. Allen, 21, Is Killed, 2 Injured as Motorcycle Rams Car on Palm Coast Parkway Near Canopy Walk
Tyler Allen, 21, of Palm Coast, was killed and two women, including county government spokeswoman Julie Murphy, were injured this evening as Allen, riding a motorcycle, slammed into the back of the car the women were driving.
Matanzas Physics Teacher Andrew Hutcheson and Youth Center’s Brandon Seminara Are School District’s Best of Year
Andrew Hutcheson, an Advanced Placement Physics teacher at Matanzas High School, and Brandon Seminara, the Assistant Director of the Flagler County Youth Center, were named the Flagler School District Teacher and Employee of the Year for 2017.
Weekend Briefing: Drug Court Graduation, Next to Normal Musical, Adam Trent Magic, RPOF Annual Meeting, Democrats’ New Leader
Retired Judge J. David Walsh presides over the 27th Drug Court Graduation ceremony, the fabulous Next to Normal musical at City Repertory Theatre, a magic show and Dave Mason at the Auditorium, MLK Day on Monday.
3 Teens Linger in Jail Over Epic Theater Armed Robbery Allegation Even as Accuser, in Switch, Is Implicated
The accuser who claimed three teens robbed him at gunpoint at Epic Theaters last Friday was in fact there to sell a gun, a FlaglerLive investigation reveals. Yet the three teens he accused are still in jail.
From Women’s Ob-Gyn Rights to ER Cost Controls, 6 Items That Could Disappear With Obamacare Repeal
Some of these Obamacare measures enjoy broad support and are taken for granted even though people often don’t realize they spring from the Affordable Care Act, which Republicans are working to repeal.
Craig Coffey, Jim Landon, Now Dan Davis: For 3rd Time in 2 Years, Top Manager’s Raise Request Is Rebuffed
Bunnell’s Dan Davis this week joined Palm Coast’s Jim Landon and Flagler’s Craig Coffey, all of whose elected boards rejected their raise requests in the past two years, though Davis and Coffey still got smaller raises.
If You Still Have Damaged Property, You Could Knock Hundreds of Dollars Off 2017 Tax Bill
Property owners anywhere in Flagler and its cities who still have lost or damaged assets as of Jan. 1, such as lost screened-in areas, are eligible for re-assessments that could bring down their property tax bills.
Thursday Briefing: Flagler Teacher and Employee of the Year, Pirates in Flagler Beach, Trump’s Conflicts
The 2017 Flagler County Teacher of the Year and Service Employee of the Year are crowned at the Flagler Auditorium, a Palm Coast promotion company explores holding a pirates festival in Flagler Beach, Trumpology of the day.
Palm Coast’s New Founders:
Heidi Shipley On Safety, Seniors and Youths
From the eyes and ears of neighborhood watch groups to programs for youths and the elderly, Palm Coast City Council member Heidi Shipley envisions the best the city has to offer in the third of five articles on the future by council members.
Attention Florida Patients: You May Start Buying Your Pot Treatment in 90 Days
Florida’s top pot cop said today it’s up to doctors to decide to order marijuana for patients with eligible conditions, months before new rules are expected to go into effect.
Two Suicides in 24 Hours in Flagler as County Officials Seek Renewed Focus on Mental Health
Steven J. Fortier, 27, of Bunnell, was found dead in the Mondex Tuesday, and 73-year-old William Dessing took his own life Wednesday morning at his Flagler Beach home.
4th Flagler Film Festival Strings Variety of Themes, With Benefit to Tommy Tant Classic
The Flagler Film Festival at Palm Coast’s Hilton garden Inn starting Friday accepted 60 of 150 submissions from around the world, with question-and-answer sessions with filmmakers concluding most blocks of screenings.
Wednesday Briefing: Humane Society Expansion, Public Safety Council talks Jail Inspection, Bad Journalism
The Public Safety Coordinating Council meets for the first time under its new chairman, Commissioner Nate McLaughlin, and with a new Sheriff, Rick Staly, the Humane Society expands, focusing more on bad journalism than fake news.
Palm Coast’s New Founders:
Robert Cuff On A City’s Subtle Evolution
Palm Coast City Council member Robert Cuff, a Palm Coast founder in the ITT days before the city incorporated, sees deliberate but recognizable change in the four years ahead for the city.
Lawmakers File Bill to Ban AR-15-Like
Weapon Used in Orlando Massacre
Sen. Gary Farmer, D-Fort Lauderdale, and Sen. Linda Stewart, D-Orlando, announced they are sponsoring a proposal (SB 254) that would ban so-called assault rifles and “large capacity” ammunition magazines.
Three Teens Charged in Armed Robbery of 15 Year Old at Epic Theaters, Over a Belt
Three teens, two of them students at Matanzas High School, were charged with armed robbery of an Indian Trails Middle School student at Epic Theaters in Palm Coast Friday evening.
Palm Coast Community Center’s $7.8 Million Renovation, After Postponement, Will Cost Double Initial Estimate
City Manager Jim Landon had first estimated a “$3 to $4 million” renovation cost, but then delayed it to build an addition to City Hall, ostensibly to save money. Community Center costs have now more than erased those savings, Council member Steven Nobile says.
Attorney General Pam Bondi Downplays Speculation of Job in Trump Administration
Bondi has been rumored as a possible candidate to head the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, a position informally known as the drug czar.
Palm Coast’s 2017 Birds of a Feather Fest and Art Show in February
The three-day birding and nature festival invites everyone to enjoy a weekend of birding, photography, workshops, nature art show, social events, and family activities.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide Ranked 1st For Online Education By U.S. News
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide has been ranked No. 1 in U.S. News & World Report’s 2017 list for best online bachelor’s degrees in the nation.
Tuesday Briefing: Rebuilding Palm Coast Community Center, Flagler Auditorium Update, What Is Woman
The Palm Coast City Council is about to undergo a makeover, the Flagler County School Board holds another workshop with the Flagler Auditorium board, John Paul Stevens on Citizens United.
Teacher May Be Disciplined But Not Fired Over Disparaging Transgender Student
An administrative law judge reversed the decision of the Lee County School Board, which had moved to terminate Angel Villanueva, a Junior ROTC instructor at East Lee County High School.
Palm Coast’s New Founders:
Milissa Holland On the Continuity of Change
In the first of five articles by each member of the Palm Coast City Council, Mayor Milissa Holland imagines the city four years from now, seeing a more developed and vibrant but equally serene city to live in.
Alleged Chicago Assault Reignites
Issue of Hate Crimes Against Whites
As Chicago authorities waited before filing hate-crime charges against four young adult blacks for an alleged attack on a white disabled man, the Internet raged.
Palm Coast Woman, 19, Arrested on Molestation Charges In 3rd Incident Involving Runaway Girls
Maria Rose Howell, a 19-year-old resident of Biddle Place in Palm Coast who’d attended Matanzas High School, was booked at the Flagler County jail over the weekend on charges of molesting a 14-year-old girl she’d taken to Epic Theater for a date.
Crashes at Red-Light Camera Intersections Up 10%, Incapacitating Injuries Up 27%
A new report by the Florida highway safety department shows crash increases that belie claims that red-light cameras have made intersections safer. Palm Coast’s cameras are set to come down this year.
Conservatives Plot Their Course on the Rising ‘Sea of Red’ in State Capitals
The American Legislative Exchange Council sees bright future for its agenda now that Republicans control 68 of the nation’s 99 state legislative bodies and 33 governor’s mansions.
Only 20 Percent Of Americans Support Health Law Repeal Without Replacement Plan
More than a third of those said they would not want the law repealed after being told that some people with preexisting health problems would no longer be able to get insurance.
Pier Repairs, 52 Dune Walkovers, A1A: Flagler Beach Manager Newsom’s Post-Hurricane Status Report
Among other plans, Flagler Beach City Manager Larry Newsom wants the city to have the longest pier in Florida, but getting there will take a while yet as he updates all repair plans.
72 Hours Into the Job, Sheriff Staly Calls His 1st News Conference to Highlight Burglary Busts
Sheriff Rick Staly said he took the first burglary on his watch “personally” as he described how deputies and detectives recovered and seized items from recent thefts.
Another Emblem of Disarray for Florida Democrats: 12 Counties Have No Organizational Structure
In a state where presidential votes have decided by 1 percent margins, Democrats’ absence even in small counties point to a fatal weakness for the party.
16-Year-Old Kelvin Smith Had Been Pulled Over By Deputy 10 Minutes Before He Was Killed
Kelvin Smith Jr., 16, of Palm Coast, killed by a hit-and-run driver as he rode his bike on Old Kings Road on New Year’s Eve with a friend, had been pulled over with his friend by a deputy moments before the crash. The driver is still being sought.
Bunnell Manager Dan Davis Gets Mixed Reviews on 1st Evaluation, With Concerns About Communication
Depending on which of the Bunnell City Commission’s members you ask, City Manager Dan Davis is doing either an outstanding job, a satisfactory job, or a job that needs improvement.
Why a Seawall in Flagler Beach Could Harm Sea Turtles and Violate the Law
Flagler Beach’s situation on the ground has changed enough between Hurricane Matthew and recent findings about sea turtles that state transportation department construction plans should be rethought in light of those developments, argues Chad Boda.
Weekend Briefing: Top Stories of 2016, First Friday in Flagler Beach, DSC Enrollment Saturday, Orwell
WNZF’s Free For All Friday takes on the top stories of 2016, it’s the year’s First Fridays in Flagler Beach, easy enrollment at Daytona State College, George Orwell on political writing.
Shoplifters Target Kohl’s in Palm Coast Twice in 2 Days; 4 Arrested, 3 Sought
Kohl’s department store off Belle Terre Parkway in Palm Coast was twice the target of coordinated shoplifting sprees Tuesday and Wednesday, each time by suspects swiping either electronics or clothes.
Missing Palm Coast Man, 22, Considered Endangered, Is Found
Ricardo Leon-Hernandez, a 22-year-old Palm Coast man has been reported missing since Jan. 3 from his R-Section home and may possibly be a danger to himself.