Two years after GOP lawmakers launched it as a way to deregulate the health-care market for small businesses, Florida Health Choices still offers no coverage and faces an uncertain future.
Flagler Beach Man Arrested in Two Burglaries
Gary Haney is accused of stealing beer and cigarettes from two Flagler County convenience stores in April.
Rap Sheet Six Years Long Books
Flagler County Lay-Over
Matthew William Freeman faces charges of kidnapping, roberry and aggravated assault from a March 3 incident near Bunnell.
Palm Coast Hops on Bunnell Train Station Bandwagon
Palm Coast was absent from the May 1 Amtrak attention-grabber in Bunnell, but the city council is making amends with a resolution of support.
Palm Coast Resolution of Support for Amtrak/Florida East Coast Railroad Project (2010)
Text of the Palm Coast City Council resolution supporting an Amtrak train station in Bunnell or Flagler County.
County Employees’ New Health Plan: Higher Premiums, Lower Out-of-Pocket
County government is edging toward opening an in-house clinic for employees and dependents, but premiums would rise.
DOT Bypass “A Stake Right Through Bunnell’s Heart”
The bypass would accommodate a traffic surge from a Palm Coast development but might also accelerate Bunnell’s decline.
Construction Update: What’s Going Up, Where, When
From the movie theater in Town Center to Wal Mart to Red Lobster, Olive Garden and ABC liquors, a summary of visible and planned construction around Palm Coast.
Wildfire Spares Homes on Esperanto Dr.; Expect More Smoke
A wildfire on Esperanto Drive in Palm Coast broke out at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, forcing the evacuation of eight homes. None were charred.
Florida Regulators Stop Admissions to Troubled Youth Facility
Officials cut off admissions to Manatee Palms Youth Services, a 60-bed facility that serves 6 to 17 year olds when the facility failed to address violations.
Whip This: Roller Derby Jams Up Palm Coast
Palm Coast’s Derby Beaches are raising elbows, skirts and eyebrows as they storm their way into the nation’s naughtiest league sport.
Boners for Business
The Pat Rice era began at the $218-a-year News-Journal in late April. That’ll buy you a whole lot of Twinkies.
Palm Coast Man Accused of Abusing Girls for Almost a Decade
Two sisters, now young adults, claim Phillip Maida abused them from the time they were 12 until as recently as this year.
Gov. George W. Bush’s Jesus Day Proclamation in Texas
In 2000, while thick in his first campaign for the presidency, then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush issued a proclamation declaring June 10 “Jesus Day.” Here’s the full text and an image of the proclamation.
Crime Reports, May 3-9
Motorcycle speeding on Palm Coast Parkway on a suspended license, a mysterious windshield shattering on Radium Lane, and more.
Palm Coast Group Nails Historic Marker on Church-State Wall
The first-ever Day of Inclusivity was held at Palm Coast’s Heroes Park under the umbrella of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
Job Creation Soars by 290,000,
Unemployment at 9.9%
Job creation improved by the largest margin in four years in May, solidifying gains of 559,000 jobs in the past three months.
Best of the Rest: May 7-9, 2010
Conservatives fail to take over UK Parliament, the dome meets the oil slick, the US Senate votes for Wall Street, and more.
Best of the Rest: May 6, 2010
GOP wants its Crist money back, oil slick gambles, novel library censorship, we told you so: Progress Energy’s latest deceptions, and more.
Union Bid Fails Among Flagler Beach City Employees
Thirty of 39 eligible employees cast ballots. The unionization bid failed by two votes.
In Blow to Palm Coast, St. Johns Latest to Retreat from Desalination
With St. Johns’ role and money minimized, Palm Coast taxpayers must assume a far larger share of the $1.2 billion project.
Two Children Die in Dental Chair. Why?
Does parents’ desire to spare their children the anxiety of dental care lead them into taking unnecessary risks?
Liability Flops Color-Coded Safety Flags on Flagler Beaches
Adding warning flags to county beaches wouldn’t be costly, but exposing taxpayers to liability risks might be, so county commissioners are cool to the idea.
Stetson University’s Heather Grove a 2010 Udall Scholar
This is the third time in 10 years that a Stetson student has won a prestigious Udall scholarship, named after Morris Udall.
Best of the Rest: May 5, 2010
Tea party’s racism problem, BP’s cheapness, Jacksonville’s intolerance, black holes, Iranian nukes, and more.
City Walk, Home of Palm Coast Government, in Foreclosure
City government officials have kept mum for a year since foreclosure proceedings began on much of the 167,000-square-foot development.
How a Boating Guru Turned Manatee Advocate
Ed Caroe applied for a manatee-protection rules committee as a boating advocate. At the last minute, he switched to manatee advocate. Here’s how.
Best of the Rest: May 4, 2010
Crist goes on auction, Disney’s Tower of Terror wins even in death, the Gulf’s dying turtles, David Foster Wallace, and more.
Thomas Jefferson’s “Separation Between Church and State” Letter
Original text of Thomas Jefferson’s separation of church and state letter from Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptist association, 1802.
“Day of Inclusivity” Answers National Day of Prayer May 6
Americans United for Separation of Church and State’s Day of inclusivity is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Heroes Park in Palm Coast, with speakers including Merrill Shapiro and the ACLU’s George Griffin.
Harry Truman’s National Day of Prayer Proclamation, 1952
Harry Truman was the first American president to declare a National Day of Prayer, in 1952–on July 4 that year.
Barack Obama’s Presidential Proclamation
National Day of Prayer
On April 30, 2010, in contravention to a federal judge’s ruling in Wisconsin, President Obama issued a proclamation designating May 6 a National Day of Prayer.
10 Named to Flagler’s Manatee Rules Panel
A county-appointed rules committee has 60 days to recommend whether manatee speed zones are needed in Flagler’s waterways.
Florida Law on How New Manatee Protection Rules May Be Adopted
Complete language of Florida Statute § 379.2431(2)(f) which sets out the steps the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission and county governments must follow when adopting rules regulating “speed and operation of motorboats for purposes of manatee protection.”
How Old Kings Road Was Re-Routed for Wal Mart
An aerial view of the old Old Kings Road and its new route nearer I-95, in preparation for Wal Mart construction.
Best of the Rest: May 3, 2010
It’s all about the Gulf oil spill, plus Bill Maher’s Brazilian fact-checking, Hitler in Arizona, and more.
Bunnell and Flagler Whistle-Stop Amtrak
Bunnell and Flagler County put on a show for Amtrak’s 60-second slice through Bunnell as it considers resuming passenger service on the old Florida East Coast Railway tracks.
Photo Gallery:
Flagler’s Hopes Shimmer to the Glint of a Train
A photo gallery of Saturday’s turnout of some 150 people at Bunnell’s and Flagler’s plea to Amtrak to reestablish a stop in Bunnell.
Old Kings Road Reopens, Speeding Past History
Old Kings Road in Palm Coast reopens wider and newer, but also more distant from the history and intimacy that gave it its name.
Arts Foundation’s Music in the Air All Weekend
It’s went on all weekend at Central Park: live performances, small-town and big-name musicians, pop, jazz, soul, and plenty of food.
The Uses of Poetry
Reading poetry, Dave Riegel argues in his latest column, has a practical value in the board room, on the campaign trail, in advertising, and anywhere popular art is consumed.
Palm Coast Opens Fiber Optic Network To Local Companies
In a first for Florida, Palm Coast is opening its fiber optic network to business use beginning in hopes of spurring commerce.
New Summer Rates at Palm Harbor Golf Club
New rates: Golfers at Palm Coast’s Palm Harbor Golf Club can shoot eighteen holes of golf for $27.50 for Palm Coast residents, and $31.50 for non-residents.
In Forceful Terms, Flagler Beach Knocks KKK
In contrast with county and Palm coast statements, Flagler Beach explicitly slams KKK drive as “a hate message.”
Best of the Rest: April 30-May 2, 2010
Bush writes a book, Florida gets oil-slicked, Arizona keeps going nuts, and more on Knut Hamsun, Voltaire and reading in a digital age.
The Liberation of Charlie Crist
Charlie Crist, never foreign to transgression, transgressed what’s left of the Republican Party, which has no room for moderates.
Bunnell Bails from Billion-$ Desalination Band
Bunnell joins Flagler County, and possibly Flagler Beach soon, in dropping out of the $1 billion project.
Best of the Rest: April 29, 2010
An oil slick worse than Exxon Valdez spill, Charlie Crist goes independent, the Florida Legislature goes insane, and more.
Two-Car Wreck at Belle Terre & Rymfire Sends 2 to Hospital
Not quite worth the news splash, the wreck was more light show and twisted metal than injuries worth blessing-counts.
Crime Reports, April 26 – May 2
A suspected armed robber wanted since February turns up in Palm Coast, a botched ATM heist, a student’s convertible stolen while he’s in class, and more.