Covid is back in force again in Flagler and Florida, and is on pace to be raging in the next few weeks. The public health response is vastly different than it was in the first two years of the pandemic, with a focus on a hands-off approach that leaves everything to personal choices while making a vast array of health measures freely available–if people choose to use them, and if they’re aware of them. Neither is necessarily the case, thus accelerating the spread of the latest variant.
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James Hirst Appointed Palm Coast Parks and Recreation Director
Hirst joined the City of Palm Coast in June of 2014 as an Aquatics Supervisor and has risen through the ranks, achieving Outdoor Recreation Manager in September of 2018.
Flagler County’s Unemployment Rate Falls to Record Low of 2.6%, Beating Housing and Pre-Pandemic Booms
In the two previous booms on record, Flagler’s unemployment rate had fallen to a low of 3.6 percent in December 2005, at the crest of the housing boom, before starting to rise the following year. In the late 1990s boom, the county’s unemployment hit 2.7 percent in September 1999 (when 486 people were unemployed), until now the lowest rate recorded.
Costco Opening Wholesale Club on International Speedway Boulevard in Daytona Beach in 2024
Costco Wholesale is opening a 150,000-square-foot store in Daytona Beach in 2024, bringing the members-only wholesale club retailer within 30 miles or less of most Palm Coast and Flagler County residents–just as a BJ’s wholesaler is planning a store on State Road 100 in Palm Coast.
Jury Finds Ian Davis of Palm Coast Guilty of Molesting His 14-Year-Old Niece
The verdict Friday followed a four-day trial, including jury selection, before Circuit Judge Terence Perkins. Each of the second-degree felony charges carry a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison when Davis, formerly of Seabreeze Trail in Palm Coast, is to be sentenced on July 18.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, May 20, 2022
The Lost Roadside Attractions of Florida, a free lecture at the Palm Coast library, Friends of the Library book sale, “The Odd Couple: Female version,” Amelia Earhart’s flight across the Atlantic, Balzac on journalists, an FYO trio performs a Haydn trio.
Intermittent Fasting to lose Weight? Here’s What the Science Says.
Numerous studies have shown that the weight reduction from intermittent fasting diets is no greater than the weight loss on a standard calorie-restricted diet. There are no studies on the long-term safety and efficacy of following this type of diet. And studies show that intermittent fasters don’t get enough of certain nutrients.
Replicating Math Textbook Censorship, Florida Tells Publishers to Kill Social Justice and CRT in History Books
The department is accepting bids from companies through June 10 to provide social-studies books for a five-year period starting in 2023. The department posted to its website a 29-page document that lists criteria for what is expected to be included in the books — and what’s expected to be left out.
Rezoning Would Clear the Way for 243 Apartments on Old Kings Road, Against Public Opposition
The Palm Coast Planning Board recommended approval to rezone acreage off Old Kings Road north of Town Center Boulevard for a 243-unit apartment complex. The proposal drew mis-statements by opponents of the project. A cover letter with a 100-name petition opposing falsely claims apartment dwellers do not “contribute anything to a community.”
Sharply Rising Property Values Could Net $12.3 Million for County Government, But Commissioners Want Prudence
Flagler County Administrator Heidi Petito projects a windfall of $12.3 million in addition to current revenue, yielding $7.5 million in new revenue for county government operations, $3.7 million for the Sheriff’s Office, and a little over $1 million between the other constitutional offices. Again, that’s assuming the county commission does not lower the property tax rate to account for the new revenue.