By moving to wealthier areas, hospitals can reduce the percent of uninsured and lower-paying Medicaid patients, but relocations often spark anger from those left behind, who worry about loss of jobs and of access to care, particularly for the poor.
Jobs & Unemployment
Blues No More: Island Grille Will Pick Up Where Famed Flagler Beach Restaurant Left Off
Island Grille Restaurant will open before Memorial Day where Blue Restaurant used to be, with a partnership bringing together Blue’s Chef Gary Maresca, Woody’s Joe Rizzo and Chris Zwirn, Realtor David Alfin, and Flagler Beach’s Carla Cline.
Job Creation Slows to 126,000, Unemployment Rate Stays at 5.5%
Several factors have slowed the economy in the first quarter: harsh winter conditions, recession in Europe and a surging dollar, which hurts exports. Even lower oil prices, which have benefited consumers at the pump, have crimped investment in the energy sector, reducing job expansion there.
Chick-fil-A Phenomenon Camps Out in Palm Coast: If Grateful Dead Fans Loved Chikin
Chick-fil-A’s grand opening in Palm Coast brought with it what has become a near-cult following of groupies, overwhelmingly from out of town, who camp out for 24 hours to earn their 52 free meals. A profile of the phenomenon, and the company.
Flagler’s Unemployment, No Longer Leading State, Plummets Below 7% For First Time Since 2007
Flagler’s 6.9 percent unemployment rate sent the county down to 14th place among counties with the worst unemployment, ending years of Flagler sitting at or near the top of that chart.
We Don’t Oppose Sea Ray. We Oppose Pollutants and Debasing Flagler Beach’s Quality of Life.
Two Flagler Beach residents lay out the case against Sea Ray’s proposed land use change to accommodate a parking lot, a change opponents say paves the way for more pollution without compelling the company to take stronger toxic-emission control measures.
Palm Coasters Rate Their Town: Great Bedroom, Terrible Workplace, Measly Shopping
Palm Coast residents love their government services even as they attack them in a broad survey, but they also find work opportunities dismal and shopping and cultural opportunities not much better.
Don’t Privatize The Postal Service.
Build On It.
Blaming deficits created by a bogus retirement-fund requirement, the USPS is closing distribution centers, cutting worker hours, eliminating delivery routes, and slashing jobs. It needn’t be that way, argues Katherine McFate.
Another Strong Month Adds 295,000 Jobs to Economy, Lowering Unemployment to 5.5%
Wages continue to sag, growing by just 3 cents over the month, and just 2 percent over the past year, not enough to overcome inflation, let alone give workers a sense that they’re getting ahead.
As FAA Issues Rules, New Palm Coast Drone Company Beguiles Realtors and Others
CAVU Aerial Photography, a drone company in Palm Coast since August, has been showing Realtors, communications companies and others the many uses of drone technology, which is expected to boom with the FAA’s new, more permissive rules.
Lawmakers Punt to Full Legislature on Millions in Tax Subsidies for Speedway and Jaguars
A process intended to reducing lobbying may do the opposite now that the Joint Legislative Budget Commission moved any funding decisions regarding the stadiums to the full Legislature.
“Halleluiah Jesus”: From “Project Hot Dog” to Foreign Investors, Flagler Sees Commercial Real Estate Turn-Around
Ukrainian entrepreneurs, Chinese investors and local businesses looking to expand are resulting in robust new activity on Flagler’s long-dormant commercial real estate sector, the county’s economic development council learned this morning.
Flagler Does Its Growing Part as Florida Attracts Record 97 Million Visitors in 2014
Monthly tax collections from Flagler’s 4 percent surtax (or bed tax) on fees at hotels, motels and other short-term rentals were up 13 percent by the end of the 2014 fiscal year (it ended in September), after increasing 5 percent the previous year.
Strong Job-Creation Pace Continues, Adding 1 Million in Last 3 Months
The U.S. economy added 257,000 jobs in January, continuing a job-creation pace not seen since 1999, when the economy added 3.18 million jobs overall. The unemployment rate ticked up to 5.7 percent.
South and West Palm Coast Getting 2, Possibly 3 New Gas Stations, With First Opening in June
A gas station on Pine Lakes Parkway and Wynnfield Drive will open in June while Race Trac is securing permits to open a station on SR100 and Seminole Woods Boulevard.
DSC’s Kristy Presswood Is “Fearless and Focused” Series Speaker at Feb. 12 Lunch
For $15 a spot, “The Importance of Education in the New Economy” is the topic for the Palm Coast Business Assistance Center’s first “Fearless and Focused: Women in Business” Lunch n Learn for 2015.
Flagler Unemployment Falls to 7.6%, Lowest Since April 2008, as State and Nation Improve
Flagler County’s better numbers in December are clouded by the fact that they are not do to healthier job creation, but rather to a decreasing in the county’s labor force.
As Showdown Looms Over Salamander’s Hammock Beach Hotel, County Asks For Delay
A hearing before the Flagler County Commission Monday evening was to decide the fate of a proposed 198-room hotel at Hammock Beach Resort. The county administration is asking for a delay until February.
Unemployment in Flagler Falls to 8.1%, But Labor Force and Employment Rolls Shrink
Flagler County’s unemployment rate continued to improve in November, falling to 8.2 percent, the fourth successive monthly improvement and the lowest rate since the Great Recession as Florida’s rate, too, fell in November, matching the national rate of 5.8 percent.
Florida’s Minimum Wage Going Up to $8.05 as Obama’s Push For $10.10 Remains Elusive
A Democratic bill in the Florida Legislature would seek the $10,10 threshold, but its chances of passing are slim to none. Business groups like the Florida Chamber of Commerce have argued against such proposals.
Projecting $1 Million Saving, Palm Coast Will Build $2.5 Million City Hall Addition Now Instead of 2019
The total Palm Coast City Hall cost rose to $9 million as the council agreed to build an 8,000 square foot addition as part of a broader construction plan that would net the city savings over five years.
Job Creation Surges to 321,000 as Year’s Totals Approach Best Showing Since 1999
The national economy added 321,000 in October, the best showing since February 2012, when it added 332,000 jobs, and job-creation figures for September and October were revised upward, adding 44,000 jobs to the tally, for a total of 835,000 in the last three months. But the unemployment rate, calculated from a different survey, held at last month’s 5.8 percent.
For Oceanside Grill in Flagler Beach, a Parking Lot Becomes Epic Battleground Over City Rules
The city told Oceanside Grill that it had inadequate parking, and when the restaurant bought a lot to comply, the city told it it could not use it for parking. The contradictions came to a head at a planning board meeting Tuesday, but a compromise is in the works.
Economic Development Director Helga van Eckert Is CareerSource’s Excellence Award Recipient
Flagler County’s Department of Economic Development Executive Director Helga van Eckert was awarded the “Partners in Workforce Excellence Award” by CareerSource Flagler Volusia at the Annual Board of Directors meeting on Nov. 21.
Palm Coast Data Wins Back Saturday Evening Post Account But Loses All American Crafts
Winning back the Saturday Evening Post account’s three magazines helps offset yet another loss for Palm Coast Data as All American Crafts, which published 11 niche magazines, stopped all publishing in August and declared bankruptcy, with $7.5 million in debts.
U.S. Unemployment Drops to 5.8% as Economy Adds 214,000 Jobs, Maintaining Average
The nation’s unemployment rate dropped to 5.8 percent in October, a level last seen in July 2008, when the rate was rapidly rising, and the economy added 214,000 jobs, continuing a steady if somewhat slow recovery.
Flagler Posts Biggest Single-Month Unemployment Drop Since Recession, to 8.4%, as 474 Residents Gain Jobs
Flagler County still has the second-highest unemployment rate in the state, but September was a banner month for the county’s economic health in almost every regard.
Family-Owned Beutlich Pharmaceuticals Bringing 25 to 30 Jobs to Flagler by January
Beutlich Pharmaceuticals, a family-owned pharmaceutical company based in Waukegan, Ill., is moving to a 20,000 square-foot warehouse in Bunnell, where it expects to hire 25 to 30 people. The company will operate locally by January 2015.
Despite Big Economic Impact, Flagler Beach Mostly Snubs Groundbreaking to Double Gamble Rogers Park’s Camping Sites
There were more top state and county officials than Flagler Beach officials at today’s groudbreaking at Gamble Rogers State Park, an echo of the city’s failed attempt to change the name of the recreation area back to Flagler Beach last month.
Pro Sports Plus on Palm Coast Parkway Closing After 17 Years
After 30 years in the sporting goods industry, Bo Ankrom has decided to close the doors of his sporting goods store, Pro Sports Plus that has been in Palm Coast since 1997.
Unemployment Falls to 5.9% as Economy Adds 248,000 Jobs, Brightening Outlook
After nine months in the 6 percent range, the national unemployment rate in September fell to 5.9 percent, reaching a level last seen in July 2008, when it was rising fast.
In a First for Flagler Schools, Student-Staffed VyStar Bank Branch Opens at Matanzas, Heralding Era of Business Partnerships
The opening of a nearly full-service VyStar Credit Union branch at Matanzas is part of a class, and part of the school’s–and the district’s–flagship programs, intended to bridge school and careers with hands-on opportunities.
Florida Sheds 4,000 Jobs and Unemployment Rate Ticks Up to 6.3%, Also Rising in Flagler
In Flagler County, the unemployment rate went up to 9.5 percent, the number of people with jobs fell by 207, and the labor force, an indicator of local economic vitality, fell by 186 after rising in previous months.
1st Quarter Revenue at Palm Coast Data Falls 13%, But CEO Paints Brighter Picture Ahead
Revenues from the company’s Media Services businesses, which include Palm Coast Data’s Subscription Fulfillment Services, fell from $20.3 million for the first quarter of 2014 to $17.5 million in the 1st quarter of fiscal year 2015. CEO Rory Burke said the company is “not teetering on the brink of disaster.”
Moving Minds, a Virtual Web Consultancy, Projects 50-Job Expansion in Flagler
Moving Minds, originally D.C.-based, is looking to have a physical office in Flagler and hire 50 people over the next three to five years. The announcement by the county’s economic development council today was one of three potential job producers in the pipeline.
Flagler’s Constitutional Officers, With Combined Salaries of $1 Million, Get 0.4% Bump
When the $140,406 in salaries to city elected officials is added to the figure, the combined total, for elected officials in Flagler County, stands at $1.13 million for the coming year, not including benefits.
Palm Coast and County Close to a Deal 4 Years in the Making, Resolving Conflict Over Airport
The Palm Coast City Council is still not entirely happy with the agreement because of uncertainty over a potential city park, and the county commission hasn’t even seen or discussed the agreement.
Tepid Jobs Report Leaves Unemployment at 6.1% With Lowest Job Creation Since January
The economy created just 142,000 jobs in August, the Labor Department reported this morning, the lowest total since January, when 129,000 jobs were created. The unemployment rate dropped by just a decimal point, to 6.1 percent.
Labor Day Realities: When Employers Have a Hiring Bias Against the Unemployed
About 3.2 million people have been out of work for 27 weeks or longer, and employers are punishing such job-seekers who have big gaps in their resumes, raising calls for anti-discrimination laws.
The End of Flagler Beach’s Blue Restaurant: A Loss Beyond Mahi Mahi Almondine
In her first interview since the announcement of the closure of Blue at the Topaz, Kelli O’Reilly describes the financial and other difficulties of keeping the business going, and many others reacted to the loss and its meaning.
Do the Math: You Couldn’t Live On Minimum Wage
Imagine living on $290 a week before taxes. It’s not a wage you can live on, Mark O’Brien, a minimum wage earner for a time recently, argues, challenging opponents of raising the minimum wage to try it for themselves.
Unemployment Down, Food Stamps Use Up, Pointing to Recovery’s Bane: Underemployment
The overall U.S. unemployment rate has steadily declined since the recession officially ended in June 2009. But many Americans still are finding it hard to get by, even if they do have jobs. A key indicator of economic hardship—enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps—is higher in every state than it was five years ago, even though unemployment has dropped in every state during the same period.
Florida Draws 50 Million Visitors in First 6 Months of the Year, Boosting Tax Revenue
Visitors spent $35.7 billion from January to May this year, up 7.4 percent from the same period in 2013, according to Visit Florida. That translates into increased sales-tax revenue for the state.
Fearing for Ybor City, Pam Bondi Calls Proposal to Regulate Cigars Like Cigarettes “Overbroad”
Bondi wrote in a letter that she wants the Food and Drug Administration to consider the potential impact of the announced rule changes on Ybor City cigar manufacturer J.C. Newman Cigar, urging the federal agency to “more narrowly tailor these overbroad regulations.”
Economy Adds 209,000 Jobs But Unemployment Rate Ticks Up to 6.2%
Mediocre: it’s the The best that can be said about the unemployment report for July as the economy added 209,000 jobs, about 20,000 jobs short of expectations, and the unemployment rate edged up to 6.2 percent, from 6.1 percent the previous month.
Palm Coast Data Lost 70% of Clients in 6 Years; Parent Company Posts $2.9 Million Loss for ’14
Palm Coast Data now performs subscription fulfillment services for 405 magazine titles representing 90 clients, down from 1,050 magazines and 300 clients when it inked a deal with Palm Coast government in 2008 to stay in the city and pledge to increase the workforce by 700. That increase never took place.
Consumer Confidence in Florida Hits Another Post-Recession High as US Economy Grows 4%
The consumer-confidence report coincides with the Department of Commerce’s report Wednesday morning that the national economy grew at a brisk annual 4 percent rate in the second quarter, compared to a shrinking of 2.1 percent in the first quarter.
In a Boon to Flagler, National Guard Will Bring “Hundreds of Troops” to County Airport in Long-Term Lease Agreement
The Army National Guard’s 10-year lease agreement with Flagler, to be revealed to the County Commission Wednesday, fills a 19,000-square-foot building at the airport, for $15,185 a month, after the county saw four tenants in eight years fail to make good on their leases there.
Flagler Unemployment Ticks Up For 2nd Straight Month, Masking Vast Improvements
Despite traditional unemployment figures, the jobs situation in Flagler County is vastly improved, and continues to improve, with a 38 percent drop in people without jobs since four years ago and a labor force stronger by 3,000.
Florida Giving Up 63,800 Jobs By Rejecting Federal Medicaid Expansion
Florida has not accepted the offer of federal funds — estimated at $51 billion over a decade — provided in the Affordable Care Act to cover uninsured people who fall into a gap. Florida has about 850,000 of them.
