On July 24, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Division of Law Enforcement announced charges against four individuals involved in a fraudulent scheme to defraud hunters seeking Osceola turkey hunts. Larry William Collins, David Preston Mills, Paul Neil Beckham and Vernon Robert Flowers were charged with multiple felonies, including organized fraud, conspiracy to commit organized fraud, cheating and the unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
Bunnell
Flagler County Library’s $14 Million South Branch ‘Nexus Center’ Breaks Ground in August, Ending 10-Year Wait
Almost a decade after Holly Albanese and the Library Board of Trustees first conceived it, the south branch of the Flagler County Library–to be called the Nexus Center–will break ground on Aug. 5 on the 7-acre parcel opposite the Flagler County Sheriff’s Operations Center, a short walk down from the future Bunnell City Hall now under construction. The 23,000-square-foot, one-floor library, combined with the county’s social services offices, will open at the end of October 2025.
Bunnell Breaks Ground on Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion
The City of Bunnell, in collaboration with PC Construction and CPH Consulting, is marking a momentous milestone with the groundbreaking ceremony for the Bunnell Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion. This undertaking has been years in the making and is the first step of many as the City continues to focus our efforts to bring the plant up to advanced wastewater treatment and to meet environmental sustainability requirements.
Humbling Flagler, DeSantis Vetoes Almost a Third of Local Projects, Including YMCA, Tourist Center, and All Bunnell’s Asks
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday signed a $116.5 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year, after vetoing close to $950 million in spending approved by lawmakers in March. The vetoes include $46.52 million from what had been a record $151 million in appropriations for Flagler County, Palm Coast, Bunnell and Flagler Beach, a heavy loss that dampens earlier hopes for a big haul.
‘Iron Man’ Robber Is Re-Arrested on an Arson Charge After Truck Fire and Explosion at Bunnell Lot
Lakhram Mahadeo, the Palm Coast resident who drew attention as the so-called “Iron Man” bank robber in 2013, served eight years in prison and was serving probation for that armed robbery of the Wells Fargo branch on Belle Terre Parkway, was arrested again on an arson charge stemming from a bizarre incident involving a semi truck he allegedly set on fire after it broke down.
Nearly $1 Billion in New Construction Raises Flagler County Taxable Values 12% Over Last Year, a Salve to Budgets
“Humming along” is how Flagler County Property Appraiser Jay Gardner describes the year’s property values: powered by nearly $1 billion in new construction alone, $631 million of it in Palm Coast, taxable property values in Flagler County rose around 12 percent this year, and 13 percent in Palm Coast, about the same as last year. The estimates being finalized this week play a central role in local governments’ budgeting and taxing decisions.
Spectrum Launches Long-Awaited High-Speed Fiber Option for Western Flagler County
Charter Communications’ Spectrum, the internet, phone, cable television and wireless service company, last week launched high-speed internet and other services to more than 900 homes and small businesses in rural, western Flagler County. The fiber-optic network is now available in Andalusia, Bimini and Daytona North, also known as the Mondex, reaching into areas of the county that had been chronically underserved but for satellite connections.
Development Is Devouring the Tree Canopy. Palm Coast and Flagler Officials Say They’re Trying to Catch Up With Protection.
There was a bit of a disconnect today in a panel discussion by Flagler County’s five mayors and County Commission chair about how attractive Flagler County is to its residents and those who keep pouring in, and how quickly developments are razing swaths of tree canopy. They spoke of the importance of preserving the region’s quality of life, but also how the torrid growth rate is inevitably bringing congestion, and numerous developments, some of them–as with a 6,000-home plan in Bunnell–colossal.
Flagler School Board Supportive of Leasing Old Courthouse in Bunnell as Christian School Exits
The Flagler County school district is likely to take over the lease of the old Flagler County courthouse in Bunnell, which since August 2015 has been the home of First Baptist Academy, a Christian school. The school is leaving in August. The county has been looking for a new tenant. The school district has been looking to consolidate a half dozen programs under one roof. It would do so at the courthouse t a cost of at least $212,000 a year, not including the cost of reconstructing the building according to district needs.
Daytona North/Mondex Residents Have Been Paying a Special Tax Since the 1980s. Is It Fair, ‘Wise’ and Worth It?
Flagler County Commissioner Leann Pennington is hoping county government will rethink the special tax Daytona North–also known as the Mondex–residents have been paying since the 1980s for road maintenance, either to scrap it altogether or to better define its purpose, and lay out specifically what benefits residents get out of it.