At the behest of Flagler Beach Commissioner Ken Bryan, Flagler’s Tourist Development Council this morning agreed by consensus to award some or all of the $25,000 that the city did not spend on its ill-fated July 4 fireworks show back to efforts focused on the Dodge the Dunes campaign, primarily in Flagler Beach.
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Palm Coast Lands $739,000 Grant for Regional Recreation Center Through Tourism Council
Flagler County’s Tourist Development council this morning approved a $739,000 grant for Palm Coast government’s ongoing expansion of the city’s tennis center off Belle Terre Parkway into a Southern Regional Recreation Center, with a new and park-like trailhead, a community center, and a dozen pickleball courts. The grant will defray the cost of the pickleball courts.
Costco in St. Augustine Opens on Aug. 3 Near Buc-ee’s, Halving Distance for Palm Coast Shoppers
The new Costco is about a 34-mile distance from the intersection of I-95 and Palm Coast Parkway. Until now, Flagler County shoppers’ Costco options were either at a warehouse at the south end of Jacksonville, about 65 miles away, or in Altamonte Springs, 70 miles away.
The Music Plays On: School Board Renews Flagler Youth Orchestra, with Call for Indefinite Support
The Flagler County School Board Tuesday evening voted 5-0 to renew funding for the Flagler Youth Orchestra for an 18th year after hearing pleas and plaudits from some 20 community members, former and current participants and parents.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, July 20, 2022
A working group meets to discuss the inter-local agreement on school concurrency, the Flagler county Tourist Development Council meets to decide the fate of a $739,000 grant Palm Coast is in line for.
Youth Sport and Safety During the Hottest Years on Record
At least 50 high school football players in the U.S. have died from heat stroke after falling ill on the field in the past 25 years. And high school athletes in other sports are not immune from the risks. The numbers are especially shocking when you consider that heat-related illnesses and deaths are entirely preventable.
Human Remains Found at Toscana Development Off Old Kings Road in Palm Coast
Flagler County Sheriff’s detectives and partner agencies are investigating the discovery of human remains at a construction site expanding the Toscana subdivision off Old Kings Road in Palm Coast, Sheriff Rick Staly said this afternoon.
Palm Coast’s Chelsea Hawk, 39, Dies of Crash Injuries, as Does 12-Year-Old Son
Chelsea Hawk, a 39-year-old mother of three young children and one grown son and a fierce political activist, died late Monday night at Halifax hospital from injuries sustained in a car crash off I-95 Sunday. He 12-year-old son Died Tuesday.
Curtain Calls for Flagler Youth Orchestra as School Board Frets Either Encores or Coda
The Flagler County School Board this evening votes on whether to renew the Flagler Youth Orchestra for its 18th year. Renewal was not in question in previous years, as it has been this year. A former superintendent, parents, community members at large, current and former FYO student participants sent numerous letters and emails to school board members.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, July 19, 2022
The Palm Coast City Council is expected to set the maximum, but tentative, property tax rate, the school board holds a pair of busy meetings, Food Truck Tuesdays, Pianist Alxeander Kantorow plays Saint Saens, Robinson Crusoe reflects.
Children Bombarded by Violent News: How to Help Them Cope
With gun violence, war and other tragedies in the news, children are often exposed to scary images and information. How can adults help children feel safe when imagery about tragedies abounds throughout the media?
15 Years in Prison for Ian Davis as Child Victim of His Abuse Indicts Those Who Disbelieved or Blamed Her
Just before Ian Davis of Palm Coast was sentenced to 15 years in prison for molesting his 14-year-old niece, she described, in a remarkable impact statement, how her own grandmother disbelieved her and her own pastor turned the blame on her.
Alphonso Joseph, 48, Pastor at Bunnell Church, Charged With Molesting Teen on Golf Course
Alphonso Joseph, a 48-year-old Palm Coast resident and pastor associated with several Bunnell churches and spiritual organizations, was arrested Friday and charged with molesting a 15-year-old boy in a vehicle on the Matanzas Woods Golf Course.
Eddie Branquinho Walked Out of Palm Coast Council for Attention, and May Run for Mayor in 2 Years
Calling his move a pre-meditated ploy for attention, Palm Coast City council member Eddie Branquinho says he will be returning to council meetings after storming out at the beginning of last week’s workshop, and may run for mayor, challenging David Alfin, in two years.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, July 18, 2022
A possible plea in the case of Jerami Talkington, Flagler County’s local mitigation strategy meeting, Nelson Mandela’s birthday and Nobel lecture.
Red Wave, Youth Wave: November’s Variables
People ages 18 to 29 have historically been less likely to vote than older adults. But in recent years, they have been spurred to organize and vote by major national controversies, like school shootings and police violence against Black people. The Supreme Court’s decision enabling states to ban abortion may be another spur.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, July 17, 2022
It is National Ice Cream Day, so head to Sally’s Ice Cream in Flagler Beach. The colossal uselessness of the B-1 bomber, Thoreau sailing from Fair Haven.
Is Disney a Religion?
People have been up in arms over a ruined Disney park proposal and a couple who opted to have Minnie and Mickey at their wedding instead of food. But just because many people treat Disney as sacred, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a religion.
As Joe Mullins Draws National Embarrassment Over Troopergate, Pennington Trounces Him in Straw Poll
It’s been the worst week of Joe Mullins’s nearly-four year tenure on the Flagler County Commission, less than six weeks from the Aug. 23 primary, with a Republican Party straw poll showing him far behind challenger Leann Pennington and major national media reporting on his abuse of authority with Florida Highway Patrol troopers.
DeSantis Calls on ‘Moms for Liberty’ at National Summit to Fight ‘Leftist’ Agenda
Claiming that Florida schools are undergoing “leftist indoctrination,” a “leftist agenda,” and “sexualization of children,” Gov. Ron DeSantis called on hundreds of members of “Moms For Liberty,” gathered in Tampa Friday, to fight.
Dr. Daniel T. Brauneck, 3rd Generation Dentists, Joins Flagler Dental
Flagler Dental Associates is pleased to welcome Dr. Daniel T. Brauneck, DMD to its practice. Dr. Brauneck is a third generation dentist who was born and raised in Palatka.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, July 16, 2022
Free Virtual Legal Name and Gender Marker Change Clinic, Flagler Beach Farmers Market, Amazon’s birthday, the Trinity atomic bomb test.
How Swelling Grocery Bills Are Crushing the Poorest
While all Americans have seen their grocery bills swell, many may not fully appreciate the enormous burden that rising food costs pose for low-income households. The reason is simple: Poor families spend a much larger share of their income on food than the median household.
Flagler Beach Commission Again Clashes, Reducing Mayor to Tears and Lawyering Up Over Roles
Flagler Beach commissioners today in a budget workshop again clashed sharply over Mayor Suzie Johnston’s, and commissioners’, respective roles, several of them charging that Johnston is overstepping her authority. The clash ended what only the night before had been a pledge on the panel to “reset” and seek a more collegial approach.
Pool Contractor Dan Priotti Sentenced to 5 Years’ Probation for 3rd DUI, and Gives Up Right of Appeal
Dan Priotti, the temperamental owner of Agua Construction Co., was found guilty of his third drunk driving charge in 10 years after a one-day trial last March. But the trial was flawed and ripe for appeal. The prosecution and the defense agreed to a deal that, in exchange for no prison time, Priotti would give up all rights of appeal.
On the Brink of War, Flagler Beach City Commission Agrees to ‘Reset,’ with Rescue from Ex-Mayor
The Flagler Beach City Commission, faced with a two-front war–with conflict over City Manager William Whitson’s future and growing conflict between the commission itself–pledged Thursday to “reset” after getting a peace-keeping assist from former Mayor Linda Provencher. It had been at the edge of a cliff.
Experts Say Florida’s Medicaid Ban for Transgender Health Lacks ‘Scientific or Medical Justification’
National medical and legal researchers have issued a report condemning Florida health officials’ plan to block Medicaid coverage for gender-dysphoria treatments. The critical report was released by Yale School of Medicine researchers and professors.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, July 15, 2022
The sentencing of Dan Priotti on his third DUI conviction in 10 years, affordable housing in Flagler, Trump’s Pandora’s box, Jacques Derrida’s impenetrable deconstruction.
James Webb Space Telescope: An Astronomer Explains the Stunning First Images
The buzz among professional astronomers like me has been electric since members of the Webb team shared tantalizing test images. And the real images are even better than anyone could have hoped for.
No ‘Lynching’ for Embattled Flagler Beach Manager Whitson, But a 90-Day Probation Period
Just 14 months into his tenure as Flagler Beach City Manager, William Whitson is on a 90-day probation period that could result in his firing if he doesn’t show the sort of reset in communications and management style a majority of commissioners want to see.
Drug Sweep on Flagler’s West Side Nets 13 Arrests as Sheriff Underscores Fentanyl’s Toll
The youngest offender was 18, the oldest 66, and most had trails of arrests behind them already–64 felony and 95 misdemeanor convictions between them, Sheriff Rick Staly said, including one, Twain Slater, who’s been arrested more than a dozen times since becoming an adult (he’s 31), for a combined 23 felony and misdemeanor convictions.
Threat Called In to FTC Campus Requires Building Evacuation and FPC Lockdown
A threat was called in to Flagler Technical College on the campus of Flagler Palm Coast High School late this morning, requiring evacuation of buildings at FTC and a lockdown at FPC, a district spokesman said.
Confirmed: Jersey Mike’s Subs Opening Restaurant at Palm Coast’s Island Walk, Near Brass Tap
Jersey Mike’s Subs, the famed franchise that opened its first restaurant in Point Pleasant, N.J., in 1956, and was the fastest-growing sandwich chain in 2022, will open its first Palm Coast restaurant in the Island Walk shopping center in late November.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, July 14, 2022
A working group meets to discuss the ILA on school concurrency, the Flagler Beach City Commission meets to discuss City Manager William Whitson’s future, speaking of insurrections.
‘We Need to Quit Mincing Words… What It Was Going to Be Was an Armed Revolution’
During its seventh hearing on July 12, 2022, the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol connected the dots between white nationalists and key allies of former President Donald Trump and their concerted efforts to overturn the 2020 election by interrupting the counting of Electoral College votes and inserting fake electors.
Embry-Riddle Re-Invigorates Its Study Abroad Slate
Study abroad programs at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University suspended during Covid are now back at full strength, hosting more than 200 students this summer to travel the world. Several of those students earned the opportunity thanks to rare scholarship funding.
Palm Coast Taxes Would Rise About 14% To Pay for 7% Budget Increase, Including 5 More Deputies
In its first comprehensive recommendation to the Palm Coast City Council for the coming year’s budget, the city administration is proposing a 7 percent budget increase that includes money for five new sheriff’s deputies, two new firefighters and a fire inspector, and nine additional administrative positions. But it would require a tax increase.
Robin C. Bloom, 63, and a Dog Die in Mobile Home Fire at Bulow RV Resort
Robin Bloom, a 63-year-old resident of the Bulow RV resort in Flagler Beach, died in an early morning fire Monday at the mobile home she was sharing with a roommate. Her roommate, Celina Fiorino, 65, was not injured. A dog also died in the blaze.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, July 13, 2022
A marble statue of educator and civil-rights leader Mary McLeod Bethune is unveiled in the U.S. Capitol, a Captain’s BBQ hearing in court, Queen at Wembley for Live Aid, “Somebody cuts you? Where it doesn’t show?”
What the Controversial 1972 ‘Limits to Growth’ Report Got Right
“The Limits to Growth,” an extension of biologist Paul Ehrlich’s bestselling “The Population Bomb,” was way off in some regards, but dead on in this one: Humans must limit and soon reduce their aggregate production of greenhouse gas emissions.
July Rains Relieve Northeast Florida of Abnormally Dry Conditions
Recent rainfall throughout the St. Johns River Water Management District’s 18-county region, which includes Flagler County, has relieved portions of northeast Florida that had been abnormally dry after below-average rainfall in June.
Why Can’t Florida’s Medical Pot Patients Buy Guns? Ag Commissioner Fried Challenges U.S. Law
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is relying on a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to support arguments in a challenge to federal regulations that make it illegal for medical-marijuana patients to buy guns.
From Controversy to Harmony: Ambitious, $11.4 Million Expansion of Tennis Center and Trailhead Draws Praise
In contrast with bitter controversy last year, a revised and largely expanded $11.35 million plan to remake the grounds of the Palm Coast tennis center with a luxurious community center, solar-power-arrayed pickle balls, a dog park and a trailhead as bucolic as it’ll be ritzy drew almost nothing but praise and no detectable resistance from four council members.
Kwentell Moultrie’s Re-Trial on Rape Charge Involving 16 Year Old Scheduled for Aug. 22
Kwentell Moultrie, the 23-year-old Bunnell resident facing a first-degree rape charge involving a 16-year-old girl will go on trial for that charge, for the second time in four months, on Aug. 22.
‘I Don’t Belong Here,’ Eddie Branquinho Says, Storming Out of Council Meeting After Not Getting His Way
Palm Coast City Council member Eddie Branquinho walked out of a workshop meeting this morning and is considering not completing the four months left in his term after fellow-council members refused to go along with his demand that they issue a tendentious two-question survey on apartment and single-family home construction in the city. Branquinho, a staunch opponent of apartment construction, likened current trends to turning Palm Coast into Newark–coded language about race and crime.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, July 12, 2022
Kwentell Moultrie’s many trials may be scheduled today, the Palm Coast City Council will hear a presentation on the regional tennis and racquet club construction, Buckminster Fuller speaks, Lewis and Clark set off.
1,200-Home Eagle Lakes/Radiance Development Clears County Commission Against Opposition, 3-1
In a victory as major for the developer of future phases of Eagle Lakes as it is a blow to existing residents of Eagle Lakes, the Flagler County Commission this evening cleared the way for a 1,200-home development on 612 acres at the south end of Old Kings Road, a development one commissioner likened to Palm Coast’s Grand Haven, at least by size.
Militant White Identity, Guns and GOP Campaign Ads
The use of guns in political ads has evolved as a coded appeal for white voters. While ads might have been a bit more ambiguous in the past, candidates are increasingly making these appeals appear more militant in their culture war against ideas and politicians they oppose.
Gas Below $4 a Gallon in Sight as Prices Continue to Fall
Gas prices in Florida have fallen by almost 50 cents over the past four weeks, with prices as low as $4.15 a gallon at some Orlando gas stations on Sunday, and falling below the $4.50 mark in most Palm Coast gas stations.
Florida Moving toward Medicaid Ban on Gender-Affirming Care for Transgender People
The DeSantis administration moved toward banning gender-affirming care for transgender Floridians under Medicaid, meaning that treatments such as hormone therapy and puberty blockers may soon be out of reach for many low-income members of the LGBTQ+ community.