Incorporated in 1999, Palm Coast is one of Florida’s youngest cities, and we are excited to celebrate 25 years of being Florida’s city on the rise. We invite all Palm Coast residents to commemorate this milestone through a series of special events highlighting our community’s vibrant spirit and history.
Teacher and Support Staff Vacancies Near 10,000 in Florida, About 1,150 Fewer Than a Year Ago
Nearly 10,000 public school teacher and staff positions are vacant as the 2024-2025 school year opens, according to Florida Education Association data. Of the 9,842 vacancies, 5,007 are instructional positions and 4,835 are support staff. The number of vacancies is down from 11,992 in August 2023.
Embattled Old Dixie Motel Submits Makeover as ‘Hotel Henry,’ But a Suspicious Flagler Planning Board Balks
For three years, the cryptic owners of the decrepit Old Dixie motel have been promising county officials that they’re getting ready to submit renovation plans and end the building’s history as an eyesore to nearby residents and a legal ordeal for the county. On Tuesday, the county’s Planning Board finally got to review that plan. But it couldn’t bring itself to approve it as board members fear the motel owners are “trying to pull the wool over eyes,” while the owners had yet to secure key steps for development.
Flagler County’s 4.6% Unemployment Is Highest in Three Years; Florida’s Rate Stays at 3.3% for 4th Month
Flagler County’s unemployment rate of 46 percent in July was the highest since August 2021, when it was 4.9 percent and rapidly falling from its Covid-era high of 11.1 percent the year before. he labor force had also been gaining steadily until last August, when it peaked at 52,293, a record. It has fallen since. In July, it was 51,739, about where it stood in January. That suggests the county’s influx of new residents, especially working-age families, has slowed.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, August 16, 2024
Flagler and Florida Unemployment Numbers Released this morning, early voting winds down to its last two days, the BBC World Service’s theme meets Henry Purcell.
When Public Access TV Was an LGBTQ Safe Space
While many people might think LGBTQ+ representation on TV began in the 1990s on shows like “Ellen” and “Will & Grace,” LGBTQ+ people had already been producing their own television programming on local stations in the U.S. and Canada for decades. Hundreds of LGBTQ+ public access series were produced across the country. In a media environment historically hostile to LGBTQ+ people and issues, LGBTQ+ people created their own local programming to shine a spotlight on their lives, communities and concerns.
New Lines of Attack Form Against Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act is back under attack. Not as in the repeal-and-replace debates of yore, but in a fresher take from Republican lawmakers who say key parts of the ACA cost taxpayers too much and provide incentive for fraud. Several House Republican leaders have called on two watchdog agencies to investigate, while Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) fired off more than half a dozen questions in a recent letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Senator Proposes Banning Smoking in All Florida Public Places
While he supports a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow recreational use of marijuana, state Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, said Thursday he will propose legislation that would ban smoking of all types in public places.
Palm Coast’s Michael Louis Pilla, 71, Charged with Capital Felony in Recurring Rapes of Child Over 7-Year Span
Michael Louis Pilla, a 71-year-old resident of 24 Lema Lane in Palm Coast for the last 20 years, was charged on Wednesday under a new Florida law that makes him eligible for the death penalty over the alleged rape of a child under 12. He was also charged with additional counts of rape related to alleged assaults that took place after the child turned 12.
Flagler’s Election Turnout Tracks Down from 2020 But Elections Supervisor Lenhart Applauds Candidates’ Civility
Flagler County’s election turnout is tracking lower than in the 2020 primary as a variety of factors, including new laws restricting voter freedoms, have taken full effect. As of today turnout is less than 16 percent in the primary election in Flagler, with two days of early voting plus election day left. But Supervisor of Elections Kaiti Lenhart said she was proud of local candidates, who have maintained a level of civility unseen in years.