The FAA Center for Management and Executive Leadership training facility will remain in Palm Coast for the foreseeable future, U.S. Rep. John Mica said Friday, but Palm Coast will still have to compete with other cities in the future to keep the facility and its 80 to 100 jobs.
Jobs & Unemployment
Maintaining Momentum, Economy Adds 223,000 Jobs; Unemployment Stays at 8.3%
The U.S. economy is maintaining its job-creation momentum, adding 223,000 jobs in January, and revising upward previous job-creation figures for December and January by 61,000 jobs. Over the past three months, the economy added 730,000 jobs.
Public Mostly Rejects State Proposal for 2.7 Miles of Manatee Speed Zones in Flagler Waters
Three-quarters of the people who addressed a Florida Fish and Wildlife delegation on the proposed speed zones on the Intracoastal Waterway rejected the argument that manatees are endangered, or that further regulation is needed.
Florida’s Misguided Lunge for Internet Sales Taxes
Nancy Nally, a Flagler County-based web publisher, argues that Florida’s proposed law to compel internet merchants to pay sales taxes won’t level the playing field or increase revenue, but hurt local businesses like her own.
Ear, Nose, Throat, Hard Hat:
Florida Hospital Flagler Shows Off Its New Digs
Florida Hospital Flagler’s new Parkway Medical Plaza, opening in July between Walmart and Golden Corral, is a $15 million expansion–and a signal of intensifying head-to-head competition in such fields as imaging and lab work.
Flagler School District Mobilizing Against 18 Job Cuts and Lost Services to Disabled Adults
Flagler County is in danger of losing several programs that train and help the disabled find self-sustaining jobs as the Florida Senate ends funding for those programs. The cuts would affect 248 adult in the county, including 36 students in the transition program for 18 to 22 year olds.
Ice Cream Truck 1, Jane Mealy 0: Mobile Vendor Restrictions Fail in Flagler Beach
A proposed ordinance to restrict mobile vendors and favored by Commissioner Mealy had no support and was tabled indefinitely as a popular rally on behalf of an ice cream truck owner Sandy Kinney proved successful.
US Economy Adds 243,000 Jobs in January, Unemployment Rate Falls to 8.3%
The economy’s recovery continued to solidify as employers added 243,000 jobs in January, the third-best total in three years, and the unemployment rate fell to 8.3 percent.
Flagler’s Unemployment Falls to 13.9%, But Labor Force Is Down 3.6% Over the Past Year
Flagler’s rate is the lowest in three years, suggesting sustained, if slow, improvement, but the workforce has shrunk by 1,200, raising concerns that the county is losing population or attraction as a place to work.
“Hire a Hero” Program Designed to Spur Hiring of Veterans in Palm Coast and Flagler County
The Palm Coast Business Assistance Center and the Flagler County Chamber of Commerce are partnering to implement a new “Hire a Hero‟ program to encourage local businesses to employ local veterans and to guide new applicants through the intricate hiring process.