The measure (SB 48), filed by Republican Sen. Manny Diaz of Hialeah, would expand eligibility for school-voucher programs and allow parents to use taxpayer-backed education savings accounts for private schools and other costs.
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Palm Coast Fire Department Resumes Home Inspections Through Community Outreach Programs Following Covid Response
The City of Palm Coast Fire Department is resuming home safety inspections through its community outreach programs after suspending them in 2020 due to Covid-19.
Flagler Student Is Arrested on Felony Charge of Threatening School Shooting For 3rd Time in 8 Days
A 12-year-old student at Bunnell Elementary School on Wednesday told classmates not to show up for school today as he’d be shooting up campus. He was arrested and charged the way an 11-year-old and an 18-year-old were charged last week for similar, joking threats.
All But 4 Easements Secured, Flagler Beach Dunes Project Will Go Forward as Will Court Action Against Holdouts
A year-long effort between Flagler County government and a grass-roots group and its Go Fund Me campaign to secure easements from 13 hold-outs so 2.6 miles of shore can be rebuilt with ample dunes in Flagler Beach has paid off. Only three owners and holding four parcels remain. All others have signed.
Even With Remote Option, Enrollment in Flagler’s 9 Traditional Schools Is at Lowest Level Since 2005
With Flagler schools reflecting some decline, Florida legislators and local education officials are trying to pinpoint what happened to nearly 90,000 “missing” public school students across the state, as public school enrollment estimates have dropped amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Renner Warns of ‘Massive Shortfall’ in State Budget Even as He Projects a Stronger Economy in Flagler
While he warns of a nearly $3 billion state budget deficit, Paul Renner, the Palm Coast Republican and chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said Flagler is running out of houses to sell and the arrival of two universities and Boston Whaler will significantly improve the local economy.
GOP Lawmaker Wants Teen and Felon Exception to Florida’s Voter-Approved $15 Minimum Wage
Senate Judiciary Chairman Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, said his proposal to amend the state Constitution to allow the Legislature to exempt convicted felons and people under 21 from the new minimum-wage requirements would help them get jobs in the future.
Palm Coast Man Arrested in Bogus Scheme to Frame Girlfriend’s Ex in Shootings
Ariel Diaz, a 35-year-old resident of Eastern Place in Palm Coast, was arrested Friday on charges of fabricating evidence, making up a story of being shot at, and making bogus calls to 911 in an alleged attempt to frame another man for supposedly shooting at him and his car. The other man previously dated the woman Diaz is now dating.
Repeatedly Rebuked for ‘Knee-Jerk’ Decisions, County Retreats From Boat-Ramp Giveaway in Hammock
County Commissioner Andy Dance repeatedly spoke against making hurried decisions without study or community input as commissioners voted 4-1 to reject the administration’s plan to give away a public boat ramp and right of way on the Intracoastal in the Hammock.
2 Buddy Taylor Middle Students Struck By a Car at Belle Terre and White View Parkway
Two eighth graders, students at Buddy Taylor Middle School, were struck by a car early Monday morning (Feb. 1) as they were walking to school, sheriff’s office and school officials say. Both students were taken to AdventHealth Palm Coast.
Teacher Khady Harmon and Plant Services’ Chuck Coates Are Flagler Schools’ Employees of the Year
In a first for Flagler Schools, this year’s District Teacher and Employee Celebration was held entirely online. In all, 17 employees and 11 teachers from across the district were honored.
Edgar Alloway Jr., 77, Arrested at His Palm Coast Home Over a Dozen Images of Child Abuse
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office arrested Edgar Leon Alloway Jr., a 77-year-old resident of 18 Banton Lane in Palm Coast, faces 12 third-degree felony counts of possession of images of sexual abuse.
Tampa’s Mayor Faces Twin Challenges of a Covid-Era Super Bowl and Ron DeSantis
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, a Democrat who switched from the Republican Party in 2015 and a former Tampa police chief, would like to take stronger action to stop the spread of the coronavirus. But Gov. Ron DeSantis has limited what local officials can do.
School Chancellor Jacob Oliva Makes English-Proficiency Exam Optional for Now
In a win for advocates of English-language learners, Florida is allowing students to opt out of taking an annual English proficiency exam that is administered in person. Florida has more than 265,000 students for whom English is not a first language. They collectively speak more than 300 languages.
Flagler County Government Will Host Weekly Feel-Good Show on Local Radio
Flagler County commissioners haven’t discussed it publicly yet–or agreed to it–but the county administration is preparing to host a weekly radio show, or infomercial, on WNZF, the Flagler Broadcasting station, starting likely in February. The sponsored half-hour show would focus on feel-good stories, profiles of county employees, and highlights of county doings.
3 Arrested in Shooting Spree at K-Section House Involving 3 Guns and at Least 35 Bullets
Three men were arrested two minutes after they allegedly were involving in a shooting spree at a house on Kalamazoo Trail Thursday evening, a shooting that caused ripples of alarm in the neighborhood.
Two Flagler Beach Residents Arrested After Refusing to Comply With Mask Mandate at Commission Meeting
In a first at a local government meeting, two Flagler Beach residents were arrested Thursday evening after defiantly delaying a Flagler Beach City Commission meeting for 12 minutes, refusing to don a mask, in accordance with a city ordinance, and refusing to leave the commission room on their own. They were not arrested for a mask violation, but for trespassing after warnings.
Punting Responsibility, County Pits Hammock Neighbors Against Each Other Over Its Public Boat Ramp Giveaway
Flagler County government owns the unmarked, unguarded road segment of Pamela Parkway in the Hammock that ends as a boat ramp and that once cost a woman her life as she unknowingly drove into the Intracoastal. The county wants to give away the right of way to two homeowners in exchange for the homeowners building a seawall. Other residents object.
Flagler Government Planning Code Amendment Specifically to Permit Boat Storage Facility in the Hammock
After losing two court decisions, Hammock Harbour, the developer of a planned 240-boat storage facility near Hammock Hardware on State Road A1A, has filed a new application while the county is preparing an amendment to the Land Development Code that would specifically allow the business.
Upholding Requirement, Court Compares Mask Mandate to Smoking Bans in Public Places
A state appeals court Wednesday rejected a challenge to a Palm Beach County requirement that people wear face masks in businesses and other public places to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
11-Year-Old Student at Palm Coast Catholic School Arrested Over Threats to Bomb Campus
For the second time in two days, a student in a Palm Coast school was arrested on a felony charge of related to threats against the school.
Controversial Bill Requiring ‘Viewpoint Diversity’ Surveys on Florida Campuses Wins Senate Backing
A controversial Senate proposal that would require Florida state colleges and universities to survey students about “intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity” on campus cleared its first hurdle Tuesday.
Flager Beach Rotary’s Race for the Runways 5K Is On at County Airport, With Strong Covid Safety Guidelines
The pandemic requires format changes and safety guidelines for everyone’s comfort and safety, participant and volunteer peace of mind and safety being paramount in this 10th Anniversary Race. Participants will also be required to sign a release.
18-Year-Old Matanzas High Student Faces Felony Charge Over Song Threatening to Kill Administrator
Joseph Washington, a senior at Matanzas High School, wrote, sang, recorded and posted a song about a Matanzas administrator who’d suspended him over a dress-code violation. The song is a succession of obscenities, racism, sexual put-downs, misogynism, and explicit threats to kill not only the administrator but his family.
Flagler Sheriff Severs All Ties With Popular Christmas With a Deputy, Pivoting to Its Own ‘Shop With a Cop’
Last week, the Sheriff’s Office’s relationship with Christmas With a Deputy abruptly and surprisingly ended. Part of the rationale is entirely logical and reasonable. Part of it appears less so.
Appeals Court Sides With Hammock Association Against County and Developer on 240-Boat Storage Facility
The Hammock Community Association won another victory today as a district court denied the appeal by a developer of a lower court decision quashing redevelopment of a boat yard into a 240-boat storage facility next to Hammock Hardware on State Road A1A.
A Blustering Jonathan Canales Calls Court ‘Satanistic’ as He Loses Latest Appeal of Life-Term Conviction
Jonathan Canales, the 34-year-old former Mondex man serving a life term for shooting his then-girlfriend, accused the prison system of exposing him to beatings and the courts for being “satanistic” and skewed against defendants, but could not show any evidence that he’d had poor legal representation.
7 Days, 11 Additional Covid Deaths in Flagler, Totaling 68 as County Passes 5,000 Cases; 2nd Dose Vaccines Begin
It was the deadliest seven-day stretch of the pandemic for Flagler County. Over the weekend the tally rose to 60, and today the Health Department reported eight additional deaths, all senior citizens, bringing Flagler County’s total to 68. Second-dose shot vaccines were set to begin this week, along with a new batch of first-dose vaccines.
Anti-Vaccine Activists Are Peddling False Claims That Covid Shots Are Deadly, Undermining Vaccination
Anti-vaccine groups are exploiting the suffering and death of people who happen to fall ill after receiving a covid shot, threatening to undermine the largest vaccination campaign in U.S. history. In some cases, anti-vaccine activists are fabricating stories of deaths that never occurred.
5 Contestants, 2 Seats: Flagler Beach Woman’s Club Hosting Candidates’ Night Ahead of City Election
Flagler Beach and Beverly Beach are holding the year’s first local elections on March 2. The Beverly Beach races are uncontested, though the city will have two new commissioners. The Flagler Beach races for mayor and one commission seat very much are contested.
Sea Ray Plant Will Reopen as Boston Whaler, Bringing Back 300 to 400 Jobs and Annexing Into Palm Coast
Capping a whirling six months of major economic-development victories for Palm Coast, and two and a half years after the Sea Ray plant shut down off Colbert Lane, eliminating some 440 high-paying jobs, the plant will reopen very soon under the banner of Boston Whaler, a boat builder owned by Sea Ray’s parent, Brunswick Corp.
Ask the Doctor: No, Vaccines Contain No Aborted Fetus Tissue, Socializing Without Masks, Politics of Vaccines
Dr. Stephen Bickel answers two dozen new questions, including about the politics and logistics of the vaccine rollout, whether vaccinated people may socialize without masks, and numerous specific questions about the vaccine and beyond it.
Senate Pandemic Preparedness Chairman to Advocates of Covid-Safety Lockdowns: Drop Dead
Businesses will remain open for the economic well-being of the state even as covid-19 cases continue to surge in Florida, the head of a Senate select committee on the pandemic said this week.
“We’ve Let the Worst Happen”: Reflecting on 400,000 Dead
A reporter who’s covered the pandemic from the start examines the toll covid-19 has taken on the country and what to expect from a new president.
Flagler Unemployment Flat for 4th Month in a Row as Economy Struggles To Regain Pre-Covid Confidence
Flagler County’s and Florida’s December unemployment figure reflect continued struggles in an economy dominated by a hospitality industry, including bars and restaurants, that lost yet more jobs as the pandemic ramped up in the state.
Almost 20 Years Later, Construction Begins on The Gardens Along John Anderson, But Lawsuit Looms
Crews began clearing acreage for The Gardens, a development along John Anderson Highway first proposed under a different name almost 20 years ago, but the controversies and obstacles that have dogged the project since continue, including a lawsuit filed just weeks ago.
Thomas Aquinas O’Dea Sr., 1935-2021
Thomas Aquinas O’Dea Sr. passed on to be with God on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021, at Morristown Medical Center.
Daytona State College Campuses Evacuated Following Emailed Threat of ‘Shooting and Explosives’
An emailed threat sent to Daytona State College this morning prompted the immediate evacuation of the school’s buildings in Volusia County and the dispatching of police units to the Palm Coast campus.
Florida Senate Proposal Would Vastly Expand “School Choice” and Use of Tax Dollars for Private Schools
The legislation, filed by Republican Sen. Manny Diaz of Hialeah, would expand eligibility for school-voucher programs, consolidate existing school-choice programs and allow parents to use taxpayer-backed education savings accounts for private schools and other costs.
Timothy Daniel Hardie, 56, of Palm Coast, Is Killed in Motorcycle Crash on U.S. 1
Timothy Daniel Hardie, a 56-year-old resident of North State Street in Bunnell, was killed Wednesday afternoon in a traffic crash on U.S. 1 in Ormond Beach, police said.
American Impressionism at the Lightner Museum
This spring, the Lightner Museum in St. Augustine celebrates the evocative, timeless beauty of late 19th and early 20th century American art with two exhibitions of American Impressionist paintings.
Sentenced to Life in Prison for Shooting Girlfriend, Jonathan Canales Returns to Court to Plead Leniency
Jonathan Canales was sentenced to life in prison for the attempted murder of Tiffany Norman in the Mondex in 2014 as her three children slept. He will represent himself when he appears before Circuit Judge Terence Perkins next week, arguing defendants’ last hope: that his attorney had been ineffective.
Flagler Grand Jury Issues 4 Indictments for Murder, 2 More in Drug Deaths, 2 in Killing of Deon O’Neal Jenkins
The indictments of Allyson Dawn Bennett, 39, and Javian Neesmith, 21, are Flagler County’s second and third for murder stemming from the death of individuals from drug overdoses–a relatively new, rapidly expanding but also increasingly controversial trend in criminal prosecutions that began with the emergence of the fentanyl epidemic.
Surgeon General: No Idea When Florida Will Get More Vaccines, Or How Many Doses
Surgeon General Scott Rivkees said in the statewide phone call that he does not know when additional “first doses” of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be sent to the state or how many doses would be in a potential future delivery.
Joe Biden’s Inauguration, and Amanda Gorman’s Beacon
President Joe Biden’s moving and restorative inauguration was upstaged by Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman, whose words reflected the unvanquished voice of the American we idealize, the possible and the impossibly scaled in this country of the “battered and beautiful.”
AdventHealth Palm Coast Will Build a $100 Million, 100-Bed Hospital on Palm Coast Parkway
In a surprise, AdventHealth officials today announced the system will build a $100 million, 100-bed hospital on the south side of Palm Coast Parkway, adjacent to Market Street, the assisted living facility, with construction starting in September.
Flagler’s Covid Deaths Jump by 4, to 57; 800 New Vaccines Delivered; Second Dose Shipment Due Friday
As has become almost ritualistically routine since before Christmas, grimmer reports of covid’s toll are colliding with more hopeful if fitful news. That was the case again today in Flagler with a new vaccine shipment and the first decline in confirmed covid cases in five weeks, though case loads remain very high.
Under Threat of Lawsuit and Sharp Public Opposition, Palm Coast Council Rejects Palm Harbor Cell Tower
Ending one of the most furious backlashes against a city initiative in recent years, the Palm Coast City Council voted 5-0 to deny the city’s own contractor a proposed lease to build a 150-foot cell tower in the heart of the city-owned Palm Harbor golf course.
Final 4-1 Vote Clears Lakeview Estates Development in Place of Matanzas Golf Course, With Yet More Restrictions
The city’s template for the Matanzas golf course prizes compromise and pragmatism over an all-or-nothing approach–pleasing neither side entirely, but also carving out enough room for reasonable development within ample green bands, and without seriously endangering existing residents’ views.
5 Reasons to Wear a Mask Even After You’re Vaccinated
Even people who are receiving their second dose of the vaccine are choosing to keep wearing masks, as much to protect themselves as to protect others, since the vaccines may not prevent you from spreading the coronavirus and herd or community immunity is still a very long way off.