Many Flagler Beach residents worried that the city commission’s approval of $1.4 million in water and sewer projects were designed to accommodate the planned Gardens development along John Anderson Highway. Not so, city officials insist.
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Despite Repeated Calls For Unity, Democrats Throw Debate Punches On Health Plans
Unity was in the air on Thursday, as a trimmed-down cast of 10 Democratic presidential candidates met on the debate stage again and nodded to the stakes: the possibility of another four years of President Donald Trump.
Soon-To-Be Tropical Storm Humberto to Echo Dorian Path Up Florida Coast This Weekend
NHC expects the weather system they’re calling a “tropical disturbance” to move over the Bahamas today and turn into Tropical Storm Humberto either later today or overnight, then head for a path up or near the Florida coast.
Weekend Briefing: Museum Fund-Raiser, James Taylor in Court, Film Festival, Anna Maria Soprano
The Flagler Beach Museum hosts a fundraiser at Oceanside Beach Bar and Grille, Meshuggah Nuns” at the Daytona Playhouse, the Florida Film Academy’s inaugural International Student Film Festival.
From Social Security to Medicare to Great Public Works: America’s Socialism in Action
The GOP hopes the S-word will scare you, but great public works projects underpinned by socialist funding principles transformed this country for the better, as did socialist programs like Social Security and Medicare.
Contributions Are Pouring In For Assault Weapons Ban Aiming for 2020 Ballot
Ban Assault Weapons NOW, the political committee behind the proposed constitutional amendment, drew more than 28,000 contributions totaling $595,000 in August, by far the largest amount in a single month since the committee was launched in March 2018.
Flagler Schools Require Only One Hurricane Make-Up Day, Leaving Thanksgiving Week Off Intact
The Flagler School district’s extension of the school day by a few minutes a few years ago builds up enough time in the schedule to create a surplus from which the district can then account for hurricane days. A third day will convert a teacher work day into a hurricane make up day.
Gender-Conscious Flagler Beach Charter Commission Proposes Minor Changes for Ballot
The seven-member Flagler Beach Charter Review Commission that convened for the first time in 10 years this year had a hard time coming up with proposed changes to the city’s charter at its half-dozen meetings since late June.
Thursday Briefing: “Meshuggah Nuns,” $1.4 Million Water and Sewer Improvements, Charter Review
The Flagler Beach City Commission is set to approve four separate water and sewer improvement projects for close to $1.4 million, “Meshuggah Nuns” at the Daytona Playhouse, sea oats along A1A.
Obscenities Aside, Kimberle Weeks Appeal May Come Down to Judge’s Baffling Decree on ‘Public Meetings’ Definition
Circuit Judge Margaret Hudson refused to allow a definition of “public meetings” during ex-Elections Supervisor Kim Weeks’s trial last year even though both defense and prosecution wanted a definition, which went to the heart of the case. That’s now a central plank in Weeks’s appeal.
A 60-Year-Old Man Tied to Burglaries and a Car Theft Is Arrested in Palm Coast
Timothy Smith, 60, faces a series of charges, including grand theft auto, after being found in possession of stolen credit cards and been tied to burglaries in Palm Coast early Wednesday morning.
DeSantis Wants Federal Judge to Pause Felon Voting Rights Lawsuit Challenging Restrictions
The Republican governor and Secretary of State Laurel Lee on Tuesday asked U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle to put the federal lawsuit on hold until the Florida Supreme Court rules in a related case.
Bunnell’s John Cicalo, 50, Is Struck By Vehicle and Killed as He Walked on Mahogany Blvd.
John Cicalo, a 50-year-old resident of west Flagler, was killed Tuesday night and Julie Kerns, 39, was seriously injured when a man driving a pick-up truck on Mahogany Boulevard in the Mondex struck them as they were walking on the right shoulder of the road.
Wednesday Briefing: String Orchestra Open House, Palm Coast Budget Hearing, Suicide Awareness Walk
The Flagler Youth Orchestra holds its annual open house ahead of its 15th season at Indian Trails Middle School, the Palm Coast council holds the first of two budget hearings, Mario Vargas Llosa on New York after 9/11.
Palm Coast and Flagler Rally For the Bahamas, With Caution To Ensure Efforts Aren’t Wasted
Palm Coast businesses and individuals such as Shane Bonner are leading herculean efforts to help hurricane-shattered Bahamas. The Red Cross’s Rebecca DeLorenzo cautions against uncoordinated efforts that could lead supplies never delivered to their intended recipients.
Vaping-Related Illnesses and Deaths Rise, as Do Calls for More Stringent Regulations
E-cigarettes devices heat liquid into an aerosol that is inhaled into the lungs. The liquid can contain nicotine, flavorings and other ingredients. The liquid can also include marijuana.
Defense Tries to ‘Smear’ Victim in Case of HIV-Infected Man Accused of Raping 16 Year Old
Victor Williams, 42, of Palm Coast, is accused of drugging and raping a 16-year-old boy. His defense’s strategy is to portray the boy as promiscuous and not credible, in hopes of lessening the charges against Williams, who faces life in prison if convicted.
Tuesday Briefing: Intracoastal Waterway Cleanup, Tammy Almond in Court, Apollo’s 50th, Stetson Recital
Palm Coast’s 12th Annual Intracoastal Waterway Cleanup, Tammy Almond,, who’s accused of manslaughter, is in a pre-trial hearing, Tammara Phillips, flute, Kristie Born, piano, in concert at Stetson.
In Defeat for Conservationists, Court Rules Florida May Spend Trust Fund Money Liberally
An appeals court Monday overturned a circuit judge’s ruling that said Florida lawmakers improperly diverted money that flowed from a 2014 constitutional amendment designed to boost land and water conservation.
2 Men Complain of Cold Burgers at McDonald’s, Brandish Guns, and End Up Facing Felonies
Jawan Davis and Jordon Dunn, both 20, were unhappy with the five burgers they got from the McDonald’s on Belle Terre Parkway, and brandished guns at the restaurant employee early this morning.
In Wake of Measles Outbreak, A State Ends Religious Exemption for Vaccinations
New York has eliminated religious exemptions by law. Florida is a religious-exemption state, as well as a medical-exemption state. and Flagler County in 2017 had the second-highest proportion of kindergarten students in the state with an exemption, most of them for religious reasons.
Monday Briefing: Heat Index to 104, Victor Williams in Court, Grand Reserve Growth, Cancellations
Grand Reserve in Bunnell, the city’s and one of Flagler’s fastest-growing subdivision, plats for 117 new single-family residential lots, Victor Williams, the man accused of sex with an autistic child, is in court for various motions, a few cancellations resulting from Dorian.
What America Could Learn From Canada
Better health care, longer lives, a better standard of living, more overall well-being: Canada is becoming a model for what Americans aspired to but keep seeing eroded in their own lives.
William E. Carden, 37, Is Killed in Single-Vehicle Crash at Palm Coast Parkway Exit Off I-95
illiam Earl Carden, a 37-year-old resident of Palm Coast, formerly of Lake Worth, was killed early Saturday morning when his car overturned at the Palm Coast Parkway exit with I-95.
St. Augustine’s Flagler Hospital Planning Medical Inroad in AdventHealth’s Palm Coast Backyard, on Matanzas Woods Parkway
Flagler Hospital–now Flagler Health Plus–has a contract to buy 4 acres on Matanzas Woods Parkway, where it would build a small medical-village type development, down the road from AdventHealth’s planned stand-alone emergency room.
Palm Coast Teen Pleads Guilty to Lesser Felony Charge in Child Molestation Case, No Prison Time
Jose David Zayas, 18, of Palm Coast, was charged of molesting a family member after confessing to hundreds of assaults over many years. He faced up to 15 years in prison, but will serve five years on probation after pleading guilty to a third-degree felony child abuse charge.
Economy Adds 130,000 Jobs, Extending Streak to 107 Months, Keeping Unemployment at 3.7%
Job growth has averaged 158,000 a month this year, below the average monthly gain of 223,000 in 2018. August’s employment gain was helped by the federal government’s hiring of 25,000 temporary census workers in preparation for the 2020 census.
Flagler and Florida Shift to Dorian Assistance Mode; Hurricane Season May Have Other Ideas
State emergency response workers were advised that, based on meteorological forecasts, they should expect to be back within six weeks.
Long Stand-Off on Palm Coast’s Pheasant Drive Ends With Discovery of Dead Man
Federico Guevara Jr., 52, was discovered dead of an apparent suicide after law enforcement attempted for nearly five hours to make contact within him at 9 Pheasant Drive in Palm Coast today.
Groups Dispute Linking Financial Dues to Restoration of Felons’ Voting Rights
An amendment to the Florida Constitution restoring voting rights to felons who have completed their sentences does not require payment of “legal financial obligations,” plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit challenging the law argue in a new court filing.
County Emergency Management Ends Alert; Rising Waters Briefly a Concern in Flagler Beach
Rising waters from the Intracoastal in Flagler Beach were again a concern with high tide this evening, with reports of flooded streets and yards and water nearing homes.
Hurricane Dorian Closures and Reopenings In Flagler-Palm Coast
Hurricane Dorian closures in schools, government, courts and other sectors in Flagler County, Palm Coast, Flagler Beach and Bunnell. The rolling list of closures will be updated as needed.
72 Nursing Homes and Assisted Living facilities Evacuated Ahead of Storm Along East Coast
Palm Coast’s Grand Oaks Health and Rehabilitation Center off Palm Coast Parkway and Tuscan Gardens of Palm Coast on Colbert Lane are among those evacuated.
Hurricane Dorian in Pictures and Video, Flagler Edition
Hurricane Dorian has monopolized lives in Palm Coast and Flagler County. Here’s a rough visual draft of the emergency as it has unfolded over the past few days in various parts of Flagler.
Hurricane Dorian: Fuel, Telecommunications and Other Emergency Measures In Place
Comprehensive outline of measures in place or readied for deployment across Florida in preparation for Hurricane Dorian, according to state emergency officials and the governor’s office.
Hurricane Dorian, Day By Day
Hurricane Dorian: an archival record of the storm’s path day by day as it impacted Flagler County and Palm Coast, with sequenced National Hurricane Center maps of the cone of uncertainty.
Here’s What You Can Do With Yourself, Dorian
Hurricane Dorian’s fortunate shift away from the Florida peninsula must have at least something to do with the collective obscenities Floridians worn out from three years of hurricanes cussed its way, creating their own defiant weather system.
Florida Is Not Planning One-Way Evacuation Traffic on Highways, But Tolls Will Be Lifted
Since one-way traffic for evacuations could interfered with Hurricane Dorian safety preparations, the so-called “contraflow” approach is not being considered for now.
Hurricane Dorian: Sandbag Locations In Palm Coast, Bunnell, Flagler Beach and the County
Sandbag locations in Palm Coast, Bunnell, Flagler County in preparation for Hurricane Dorian. Most of the locations are self-serve.
Dorian Day Weekend Briefing: Hurricane Prep
Nothing else matters this weekend: it’s about hurricane-safety preparations as Dorian heads for somewhere on the east coast, with Flagler well within the cone of uncertainties.
Flagler County’s Own Prevail Exclusively as Nominating Commission Sends 6 Names
for County Judge to DeSantis
The recommended candidates for Flagler County judge are Alexander Alvarez, Craig Atack, Kip Miller, Scott Spradley, Andrea Totten and Alicia Washington. They were short-listed by the Judicial Nominating Commission, their names now before Gov. Ron DeSantis, who will make the appointment.
Opelka Injures His Back and Falls In 2nd Round at U.S. Open
Reilly Opelka injured his back-during his second-round U.S. Open match and wasn’t ever able to get into a groove, falling in straight sets to Dominik Koepfer.
With No Chance of Appointment, Jim Manfre’s Pledge to Run for Judge in 2 Years Still Sways Nominating Commission’s Questions
Former Sheriff Jim Manfre’s candidacy for county judge was dead on arrival at interviews for the job Wednesday, but he still managed to influence the process by advocating for a Flagler choice.
Thursday Briefing: High Anxiety, Heat Index to 102, Economic Development, Rep. Waltz at KALS
Rep. Mike Waltz visits KALK, a company at the Flagler County Airport responsible for emergency disaster response, the chamber’s Common Ground breakfast focuses on economic development, schools host open houses.
Interviews for Flagler County Judge: Several Convincing Choices, A Few Odd and Startling Ones
After 24 interviews by a nominating commission, several Flagler County based candidates for Flagler County judge stood out for the short-list that will go to Gov. Ron DeSantis, who’ll make the appointment later this year.
Wednesday Briefing: Interviews For County Judge, Parks and Recreation, Facing Grief, Handmaid’s Tale
A judicial nominating commission interviews 24 candidates for Flagler County judge all day at the county courthouse, the county parks and recreation board meets, Blue Power and Facing Grief Together.
Appeals Judges Punt on State Medical Pot Controls and Ask Florida Supreme Court to Decide
The 1st District Court of Appeal asked the Florida Supreme Court to decide whether the state’s “vertical integration” system of requiring licensed operators to grow, process and distribute cannabis and derivative products runs afoul of a constitutional amendment that broadly legalized medical marijuana in Florida.
Serial Scheming Couple Targeting and Defrauding Older Victims in Palm Coast’s Box-Store Parking Lots
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is warning of the scheme, staged by an older black couple at the expense of at least three Palm Coast victims since spring, usually in the parking lot of large shopping centers. They have yet to be found.
Tuesday Briefing: Heat Index to 103, AdventHealth’s Little League Hearts, Opioid Task Force, Appetizers With Anna
Concluding discussions on next year’s budget at Palm Coast council and Flagler Beach AdventHealth’s donation of AED devices to Palm Coast Little League, commission, Anna Crawford welcomes parents.
Palm Coast’s Rising Opelka Scores 1st U.S. Open Win, Upsetting World’s 11th Best Player
Reilly Opelka, the former Indian Trails Middle School student who is rocketing to tennis stardom more every day, scored the biggest upset of the first day of the U.S. Open Monday.