A few minutes into his latest weekly infomercial on WNZF radio Saturday morning, Joe Mullins, the Flagler County commissioner, called for the beheading of liberals while decrying responses to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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600 Are Vaccinated at Flagler County Fairgrounds in 1st of Many Rounds As Crush of Cars Stretches to U.S. 1
Flagler County’s first large-scale vaccination event drew health care workers and people 65 and over. No one was turned away at the Flagler County Fairgrounds, where the next round is expected Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, but by appointment only.
Is the Hobbled Distribution of Vaccines the Biggest Trump Screw Up Yet?
Some 7.7 million first doses of vaccines have been shipped to date (two million shots have been given), with a target of 16 million by the end of the year. This is warp speed?
Palm Coast Residents Invited to Take Part in Survey on City Government
City of Palm Coast residents are invited to give input to help shape the future of Palm Coast by taking the 2020-2021 Citizen Survey from Friday, Jan. 1, through Sunday, Jan. 31.
Questions Remain About Added Jobless Benefits for Floridians
Questions remained Wednesday about when extended unemployment benefits from a newly signed federal stimulus package will be available for Floridians out of work because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
More Than 2,900 Health Care Workers Died This Year. The Government Barely Kept Track.
Fatalities from the coronavirus among health workers have skewed young, with the majority of victims under age 60. People of color have been disproportionately affected, accounting for about 65% of deaths. Yet disinformation continues to paint the wrong picture about who’s dying.
Festive New Year Atmosphere as Flagler County’s 1st Responders and Health Department Workers Get Vaccines
It was a festive atmosphere Tuesday afternoon in a classroom of Flagler County’s Emergency Operations Center, temporarily converted into a shooting gallery: over the course of an hour, some 20 people, most of them firefighter-paramedics, some of them Department of Health employees, sat for their first shot of the Covid-19 vaccine, Moderna edition.
Sharp-Eyed Policing on Christmas Leads to Man Packing Gallon-Sized Pot Stash and Buffet of Drugs
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office halted two alleged criminals in their tracks over the Christmas weekend by proactively investigating suspicious circumstances.
In-Person Jury Trials Suspended in Flagler Until at Least Late January as Covid Trolls
There will be no in-person jury trials in Flagler County until at least January 19 due to the very high incidence of coronavirus cases in the county. The county in the week ending last Saturday broke yet another record in confirmed cases for the previous seven days, with a total of 270, and a cumulative total exceeding 3,500.
Ending Trump’s Lies About Immigrants
“Relative to undocumented immigrants, U.S.-born citizens are over 2 times more likely to be arrested for violent crimes, 2.5 times more likely to be arrested for drug crimes, and over 4 times more likely to be arrested for property crimes,” a study finds.
New Laws Take Effect This Week: School Bus Safety, Politicians’ Ethics, Voting Equipment
New laws enact a voter-approved prohibition on public officials and employees using their offices to benefit themselves and fines for driving past stopped school buses and focus on insurance policy statements and election equipment used for recounts.
Attorney General Warns of Scams Tied to Stimulus Money
Attorney General Ashley Moody on Monday warned Floridians to be leery of stimulus-related scams, a day after President Donald Trump signed a massive coronavirus relief package. “Scammers are always looking for new opportunities, and the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 makes the pandemic the perfect tool for fraudsters to target victims,” Moody said in a video. “Another […]
More Than 1,000 Covid Vaccines Arrive at Flagler Health Department, Inoculations of 1st Responders Start Tuesday
The Flagler County Health Department on Monday took delivery of more than 1,000 vials of Moderna Covid-19 vaccine. Inoculations begin Tuesday and Wednesday with first responders and health care workers. It’s still not exactly known when doses will arrive for people 65 and over, who are next in line for the vaccine, but it’ll be soon.
The Trump Administration’s Final Push to Make It Easier for Religious Employers to Discriminate
Last-minute policies on religious freedom clear the way for employers to hire on the basis of faith. Some of the changes won’t be easy for Biden to undo.
Ahead of Frigid Christmas Nights, Beachfront Grille Cooks Up 150 Meals for Homeless and Needy
Beachfront Grille in Flagler Beach teamed up with the Sheltering Tree, the cold-weather shelter for the homeless, and Mayor Linda Provencher to provide 150 Christmas meals for the homeless and the needy.
Sheriff’s Deputies and Fire Flight Searching for Man in Palm Coast’s R-Section Following Armed Disturbance
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office this morning responded to a disturbance call on Rainbow Lane, involving a weapon. The firearm was located and not discharged, and there were no injuries. But the suspect fled on foot.
Stimulus Bill Is a Welcome Stopgap, But Not Nearly Enough
The Covid-19 relief bill will help, but much more needs to be done to combat the pandemic and make the country stronger in the face of future crises.
56-Year-Old Flagler Beach Man Surrenders Peacefully After Night of Threats and Barricading Himself For a Siege
Timothy Gibson, 56, who has a significant criminal history in the county, was arrested after a night of allegedly threatening to kill three women (his wife and daughter among them) and barricading himself with weapons against law enforcement in a siege of several hours.
November Tax Revenue Is Up 2.1% Over Last Year, Topping Expectations
Net general revenue last month totaled $2.698 billion, up 2.1 percent from $2.642.2 billion in November 2019, according to the report from the Legislature’s Office of Economic & Demographic Research.
DeSantis Names 5 to Halifax Health Board of Commissioners
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the re-appointment of Glenn Ritchey, Carl “Rick” Lentz and Ed Connor to the Halifax Health Board of Commissioners, as well as the appointment of Alan Florez and Michael Munier to the seven-member board, which oversees Halifax hospital in Daytona Beach.
Going Against CDC, DeSantis Orders Vaccine Priority for 65 and Older, Not Teachers and Other Essential Workers
The DeSantis order contradicts Centers for Disease Control guidelines issued on Tuesday that recommend that, once health care and long-term care workers and residents have received the vaccine, the next groups should not be defined only by age, but also by critical front-line jobs, including teachers and school employees, and underlying conditions.
Local Governments Seek Re-Hearing in Federal Case That Allowed ‘Conversion Therapy’ Targeting LGBTQ Youths
Local Florida ordinances that a federal court found unconstitutional had barred therapists from providing treatment or counseling that is designed to change minors’ sexual orientation or gender identity. Critics of such therapy say it harms minors who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.
Internal Tally Puts Flagler’s Covid Deaths at 50, Two More Than Public Dashboard; 4 Connected to Social Club
The internal Florida Health Department spreadsheet, obtained by FlaglerLive, consolidates some previously undisclosed information and much information that had been disclosed to some extent in different ways and places previously.
As Biden Gets Sworn In, White House Will Get Deepest Scrub-Down
The General Services Administration will oversee a thorough cleaning and disinfection of every doorknob, toilet handle, light switch, stair railing, telephone, elevator button, computer keyboard and other objects inside the 55,000-square-foot mansion at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Fired Analyst Rebekah Jones Sues FDLE Over Search of Her Home
Attorneys for fired Florida Department of Health analyst Rebekah Jones, who has drawn national attention for her battles with the DeSantis administration, argued in the lawsuit that a search warrant to enter her home Dec. 7 “was obtained in bad faith and with no legitimate object or purpose.”
Covid Deaths in Flagler at 47, Week’s Positive Cases Shatter Record in Evidence of Thanksgiving Spike as Vaccines Arrive
The 220 confirmed positive coronavirus cases in Flagler County in the week ending Saturday set a new single-week record in the county since the pandemic began in February. Local health officials caution that the numbers may get worse with Christmas and cold weather ahead, and broad-based vaccination still weeks away.
Covid Testing Schedule and Locations in Flagler-Palm Coast Through the End of the Year
The Florida Department of Health in Flagler County reaffirmed its weekday Covid-19 testing schedule for the weeks leading up to and following the Christmas and New Year holidays.
Taser Twice Fails to Stop Alleged Assailant as Flagler Sheriff’s Deputies Faces Suicide-by-Cop Situation
Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy Benjamin Stamps and other deputies on Sunday morning had a perilous encounter with a seemingly suicidal individual who would have normally been Baker Acted, but ended up facing numerous charges for allegedly assaulting the officers as he sought to be shot by the deputies. Stamps’s Taser twice failed to stop the individual in the encounter.
Covid-19 Vaccinations Begin at AdventHealth Daytona Beach
None of the vaccines are available to the general public yet because of limited supply, with some estimates predicting that it will be more available in the spring.
In Predominantly Black Hospital, Only a Third of Employees Sign Up for Covid Vaccine
Although hesitancy toward the vaccine is a challenge nationally, it’s a significant problem among Black adults because of their generations-long distrust of the medical community and racial inequities in health care.
Court’s Conservatives Are Right: Pandemic Limits on Houses of Worship Are Unconstitutional
The Supreme Court’s ruling overturning its own recent precedent to forbid attendance limits at houses of worship because of Covid was not an ideological decision so much as a victory for the First Amendment that liberals should be thankful for.
Man, 61, Killed in Midnight Crash at US 1 and Royal Palms; ‘Alcohol and Cocaine All Over the Car’
A 61-year-old man was killed in a single-vehicle crash on U.S. 1 and Royal Palms Parkway in Palm Coast shortly after midnight this morning. The cause of the crash is not known for now.
Positive News Only: How China’s Army of Paid Internet Trolls Helped Censor the Coronavirus
As the coronavirus spread in China, the government stage-managed what appeared on the domestic internet to make the virus look less severe and the authorities more capable, according to thousands of leaked directives and other files.
TR, as FPC Principal Tom Russell Was Known to Most, Is Celebrated as Learner, Leader, Tweeter and Jovial, Heroic Dad
James Tom Russell, who died on Dec. 9 after leading Flagler Palm Coast High School for just a year and a half after a long career in leadership of Volusia County schools, was celebrated at a memorial at Jackie Robinson Stadium Friday evening with broad-ranging affection and admiration.
Man Arrested in Armed Road Rage Incident on Belle Terre Faces New Charge of Armed Burglary
The new charge against Robert Wilson, 21, of Palm Coast was related to a May 26 incident where Wilson is alleged to have threatened individuals with an ax after entering their home on Rolls Royce Court in Palm Coast, uninvited.
DeSantis Passes Over Rendzio and Names Kenny Janesk Judge in 7th Judicial Circuit, Which Includes Flagler
Janesk has been a prosecutor in the Seventh Circuit State Attorney’s Office since 2011, working as the managing attorney of the Putnam County office. The appointment fills the position vacated by Circuit Judge Patti A. Christensen, who stepped down at the end of September.
Flagler’s Unemployment Rate Ticks Back Up, Florida’s Stalls as Covid’s Effects Take Economic Toll
Flagler County’s unemployment rate in November rose slightly to 5.9 percent, from a revised 5.5 percent in October, as Florida’s rate remained unchanged at 6.4 percent, signaling a deepening stall of economic activity since summer’s end as the coronavirus continues to take a human and economic toll in the state: seasonal hiring has not materialized as it has in less diseased years.
Agriculture Commissioner Raises Alarms Over EPA Shifting Federal Wetlands Regulations to Florida
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, the only statewide elected Democrat, and some environmental groups criticized the decision, saying it will reduce protections for wetlands. They also pointed to the announcement’s timing as Republican President Donald Trump is slated to leave office next month.
Flagler Sheriff’s Office Partners With Local Group to Repair Bicycles for Local Youth
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) donated 13 bicycles on Thursday from the abandoned property section of the FCSO Evidence Unit. These bicycles are in need of repair but have the potential to become a beloved form of recreation for a child.
Flagler County Democratic Party Installs New Officers
Janet Sullivan has become the new Chair of the Flagler County Democratic Executive Committee following the election and installation of officers for the upcoming four years.
AdventHealth Marks ‘Milestone Week’ of Covid-19 Vaccinations
Capping a fast-moving and historic week in medical history, AdventHealth leaders shared optimism, celebrated triumphs, and continued their focus on administering vaccines to help conquer Covid-19.
On Eve of Tom Russell Memorial, School Board’s McDonald Downplays Covid Deaths and Calls for ‘Backing Off This Fear’ of Virus
Flagler County School Board member Janet McDonald falsely claimed at a workshop that overall deaths are down this year, that masks are harmful, testing unreliable, and that the district should focus on “wellness” rather than additionally “ramp-up” safety measures. She did so days from the memorial for Tom Russell, the FPC principal who died of complications from Covid.
Florida Lawmakers Again Will Consider Requiring Moment of Silence in Schools
An effort to require public-school students to engage in a moment of silence at the start of each school day is back before the state Legislature. Sen. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, refiled legislation (SB 282) on Thursday that would require principals to direct first-period teachers to set aside one to two minutes for “quiet reflection.”
Flagler Schools Will Replace Most Covid-Positive Alert Letters With Web-Based Dashboard Updated Daily
A new dashboard tracking positive Covid cases throughout the school district will go live Jan. 4. Parents and others have grown increasingly jaded with the Flagler school district’s drizzle of notification letters whenever positive Covid cases are confirmed.
Holland Park Will Reopen, Partially, on Friday
Holland Park will partially reopen Friday, Dec. 18. A limited section of the playground will be open for families to enjoy which includes the zip line, rock climbing wall, slides, tunnel, a rocker that accommodates wheelchairs and walkers, and more! The hours are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
New Training Program Addresses Post-Traumatic Stress in Law Enforcement Officers Across Florida
Officers are frequently exposed to violence and suffering while on duty, and experiencing extremely stressful events not only causes emotional stress, but can impact the brain and body, resulting in post-traumatic stress. However, officers often don’t recognize or have the tools to handle their own needs related to witnessing these stressful events.
‘Each Day Matters’: Covid Vaccinations Start at Nursing Homes in Florida
Florida received 179,400 doses of the Pfizer vaccine this week. About 100,000 were sent to five Florida hospitals, and tens of thousands of doses went to CVS and Walgreens, which signed agreements with the federal government to vaccinate residents and staff members at long-term care facilities.
Flagler Beach Commissioners Narrow Manager Applicants to 5, Aiming for February Appointment
The Flagler Beach City Commission on Tuesday evening shuffled and narrowed its list of prospective city managers from seven to five. The commission is on pace to hire a new manager, replacing the late Larry Newsom, by February.
Nathaniel Shimmel, 25, Sentenced to 50 Years in Stabbing Death of His Mother, Michele, at Their Palm Coast Home
Shimmel had faced the possibility of life in prison. His 50-year sentence will be followed by lifetime probation. Between time served and early release, he may be eligible to leave prison in 2060, when he will be 64. The family of the victim agreed to the plea deal to bring closure to the homicide case of longest date on the court’s docket.
At Groundbreaking on $23 Million Sheriff’s Operations Center, County Hopes ‘Difficult’ Years of Errors Are Over
Sheriff’s, county, Bunnell and Flagler Beach officials broke ground today on a 51,000-square foot, $23 million Sheriff’s Operations Center on the future Commerce Parkway in Bunnell, possibly ending eight years of costly errors and misjudgments and what will be a four-year exile for the sheriff’s agency from a place of its own.