All electricity customers in Flagler County are serviced by FPL and will see the cost, albeit modest, reflected in their bills even though the leak took place in South Florida.
Local Business
County Calls Waste Pro On the Carpet, Only to Lavish Praise, Flattery and Excuses
The county administration’s account of Waste Pro trash-hauling service contrasted sharply with commissioners’ stories of complaints, or documented complaints in Palm Coast.
FPC’s Dancers, Singers and Artists Bring Talents and Christmas Cheer to Assisted Living Residents
The residents of Brookdale, an assisted living community in Palm Coast, were treated to a spectacular holiday show on November 29 by students from Flagler Palm Coast High School.
At Flagler Playhouse, An Urbane Expansion for a Community Theater Celebrating 4th Decade
The Flagler Playhouse, now in its fourth decade, marked the opening of a new, 2000 square-foot wing that’ll give theater-goers a place to chill, drink and snack before shows and at intermissions.
Getting Over Resistance Against Apartments in Palm Coast: Less Prejudice, A Bit More Height
Housing, real estate and local government officials this morning diagnosed the sources of Flagler-Palm Coast’s affordable housing crisis and proposed a few solutions in a unique discussion at the Hilton Garden Inn.
Flagler Education Foundation’s Connect Bus Showcases School District’s Tech Evolution
The Connect Bus, which just scored a $15,000 donation from Ameris Bank, is appearing more and more around town, a school district showcase of evolving classroom technology.
Not Dead Yet: County Must Formalize Medical Pot Ban By Ordinance, Giving Advocates Another Go
The Flagler County Commission’s Nov. 20 vote to ban medical marijuana dispensaries was only one step: commissioners must still pass an ordinance formalizing the ban, twice, giving proponents of dispensaries another chance to make their case.
New Regulations Give Flagler Government Policing Powers Over Towing Companies
A new Flagler County ordinance sets out requirements, fees and penalties for the county’s three towing companies, reining in what the county administration said had been some abuses in the industry.
How Residents of One Street, Citing False Information, Got 3 Flagler Commissioners To Ban Medical Pot Dispensaries
Residents of Treetop Circle in Plantation Bay made false but popular claims about medical pot dispensaries to convince Commissioners Greg Hansen, Charlie Ericksen and Dave Sullivan to ban dispensaries in unincorporated Flagler.
7-Eleven Owner Eric Cooley Will Run for Joy McGrew’s Flagler Beach Commission Seat
Eric Cooley, 43, serves on three Flagler Beach advisory boards and has been a near-permanent presence at city commission meetings, speaking for business and echoing McGrew, who may not run again.
Flagler Beach And Troubled Golf Course Aim For Reset But Still At Odds Over “Bad Business”
The president of the troubled Ocean Palms Golf Course promised city government to be more hands-on, but the two sides remain at odds over how much compensation is owed.
Waste Pro Falls Down On the Job In Palm Coast And Flagler But Refuses To Say Why
After winning a contract renewal in Palm Coast last year fines against Waste Pro have been piling up to the thousands of dollars every month since spring.
Verdego’s T.J. McNitt Appointed 21st Member of Florida Hospital Flagler Foundation
McNitt was born and raised in Flagler County and is the owner Verdego Landscaping Company. He cares deeply about the community and becoming a Foundation board member is his first step into community service.
Short-Term Rentals in Flagler County: The View From Home Owners’ Associations
Paul C. Pershes, president of the 1,100-home Ocean Hammock Property Owners Association, addresses members of a key senate committee that will be hearing proposed regulations of short-term rentals.
In Kristen Hadeed’s “Permission To Screw Up,” A Cheerful, Nimble Corrective To Millennial Stereotypes
FPC Graduate Kristen Hadeed’s first book traces the stumbles of her 10-year journey as CEO of Student Maid, a cleaning company in Gainesville, with wit and counter-intuitive insights: a review.
FPC Grad, CEO and Author Kristen Hadeed Interviewed By Megyn Kelly On Today
Kristen Hadeed, a 2006 FPC graduate, was interviewed this morning on Megyn Kelly Today about her first book: “Permission To Screw Up.”
No Maternity Wing or Trauma Unit Any Time Soon, But Florida Hospital Flagler Thrives On
Florida Hospital Flagler’s top leadership appeared at the Chamber of Commerce’s Common Ground breakfast Thursday morning with a sum-up of making it through recent stormy challenges and glimpses of what’s new within the hospital’s walls.
FPL Marks Opening of Its Palm Coast Service Center, a Category 5-Resistant Building
The 25,000-square-foot building near Florida Hospital Flagler can house some 100 workers in emergencies and would help speed repairs after a storm.
Flagler Again Takes Vacation-Rental Case To Tallahassee as New Battle Lines Are Drawn
Willing to deal and compromise, County Administrator Craig Coffey and County Attorney Al Hadeed addressed a Senate committee workshop today in Tallahassee, ahead of what’s expected to be another fierce battle over vacation-rental regulations.
Stonework Company From Former Soviet Republic Opening 30-Job Distribution Hub in Palm Coast
Kamara Stone USA is based in Georgia, the nation in Southwest Asia, and plans to create 30 jobs over the next four years, distributing granite, marble and mosaics from its Hargrove Grade location.
Flagler Kills Pot Decriminalization Proposal, But Approves Medical Marijuana Zoning
The end of the de-criminalization proposal is a reflection of a much harsher approach by the county commission and a new sheriff on marijuana matters.
At Flagler’s Pink Army Flag-Raising, Eloquence of Grief and Hope No Matter the Gender
Florida Hospital Flagler’s Pink Army launch of Breast-Cancer Awareness Month with the County Commission was a mostly male production, but no less moving in message and aims.
“A Major Disaster Has Taken Place Here”: Flagler Beach Pleads Amid Crisis Affecting Up to 400 Homes
Mold is the growing, silent enemy in hundreds of flooded homes in Flagler Beach, making them potentially unlivable and creating new crises for residents with nowhere to go.
It Is Done: Sklar And Flagler Beach Sign Settlement Over Marina, Ending Decade Battle
A legal battle that immobilized the Flagler Beach marina since 2010 ended when owner Howard Sklar signed a settlement agreement Monday, and the mayor signed it today.
FPL Lies
FPL’s response to Hurricane Irma in Flagler has been disgraceful and secretive, both at the expense of local emergency responses and at the expense of residents.
Florida Shellshock: Blanket Outages, Floodwaters, and This: Irma Could Cost “Billions Upon Billions”
Millions of people continued to lack electricity as cleanup work expected to reach into the billions of dollars began in the wake of deadly Hurricane Irma.
Hurricane Irma Closures and Re-Openings in Palm Coast and Across Flagler
Hurricane Irma-related notices of closures, business reopenings and other related notices from government, hospitals, schools and colleges and businesses.
Damages: 50,250 Lose Power, Flagler Beach, Beverly Beach Heavily Flooded, Less So in Palm Coast, No Systematic Devastation; Curfew Extended On Island, Schools Closed Wednesday
While Flagler and Palm Coast made it through Hurricane Irma without devastation, there was heavy flooding in homes in South Flagler Beach and the west end of the county.
FPL Says 10 Percent of Flagler Residents Expected to Lose Power, Millions More Across Florida
FPL is deploying nearly 17,000 line workers across the state and conducting repairs between Hurricane Irma feeder bands to minimize outages.
What To Expect in Flagler In Next 48 Hours on Shelters, Evacuations, Storm Effects and Hunkering Down
As Hurricane Irma approaches, a complete run-down of what you should expect from emergency responders and what you should do in the next 48 hours.
Palm Coast’s Big-Box Stores All Out of Water, Shipments Expected But No Promises
Aldi, Publix, Target and Winn-Dixie all show bare water shelves and few promises about when the next shipments are due, as supply lines are dependent on state conditions.
A Little Hurricane Greediness: Hammock Dunes Bridge Still Charging Tolls Until Tonight
Gov. Scott suspended tolls on all state bridges and roads Tuesday, but the privately-run and very profitable Hammock Dunes Bridge is still charging motorists $2 until Wednesday evening.
Behind Solar Shades Soon in Palm Coast, A “Voluntary” FPL Program of Limited Benefit But Ample Marketing
FPL’s SolarNow program bills willing customers $9 a month then uses the money to build solar-power installations like those coming to Holland Park, City Hall and the Community Center.
In Flagler Beach, Palm Coast and County, More Contempt For Medical Pot
Elected officials in Palm Coast, Flagler County and Flagler Beach are still peddling false or misleading assumptions as they draw up more restrictive medical pot dispensary zoning.
In the Hammock, A Concern That a Small Rule Change Will Turn Rustic A1A Into Commerce Central
The Flagler County administration is reinterpreting how the residential and commercial mix along A1A must be applied, raising fears that it’ll open the way to innumerable businesses there.
Palm Coast Approves Its First Microbrewery: Moonrise Brewing Co. at European Village
The brewpub and restaurant, opening in October, will produce about 15,000 pints a month. Its three owners, in the industry many years, expect it to become a big draw for European Village.
On Brink of Banning Medical Pot in Haze of Misinformation, County Opts for Compromise
Three Flagler commissioners nearly pulled off a medical-marijuana ban in the county before one of them surprisingly, and perhaps unintentionally, opposed the ban.
Former WyoTech President Jorge Gutierrez Named President of Flagler Chamber of Commerce
The chamber is eager to increase its membership, which has been stagnating around the 750 to 780 mark for years, while also improving its revenue after it was forced to sell its own building to meet expenses.
Beating Palm Coast and Flagler Beach, County Will Be 1st to Welcome Pot Dispensaries; Bunnell May Ban Them
The Flagler County Commission is expected to approve opening the county to medical pot dispensaries Monday, becoming the first local government formally to do so.
Palm Coast Government Absorbs Golf Course’s Employees and Contracts With Golden Lion In Latest Attempt to Stem Losses
The city will pay a management firm $630,000 a year to maintain the golf course’s grounds while adding eight employees to the city’s payroll and running the operation itself.
In Reversal, Flagler Beach Will Allow Medical Pot Dispensaries, Limiting Them to Mainland
The Flagler Beach City Commission unanimously agreed to drop a proposed ban and allow dispensaries along State Road 100, but not on the beach side.
Ending Uncertainty, Palm Coast Will Welcome Medical Pot Dispensaries Starting In Fall
The Palm Coast Council emphatically decided that it would allow medical pot dispensaries in the city’s major business districts even as it may approve an extension of a moratorium to work out a zoning regulation.
In Some States, Sales Tax Holidays Lose Luster as Hype Overshadows Cost
Tax holidays don’t increase buying but merely concentrate it around specific dates. They’re regressive. They’re more political than useful: in Florida, the Legislature turned down Gov. Scott’s request for 10 days.
Florida’s Back-To-School Sales Tax Holiday Is This Weekend: Here’s A Guide
Florida’s 2017 sales tax holiday on school supplies, clothing, shoes and personal computers and other select accessories is this weekend–starting at a minute after midnight Friday, Aug. 4, through midnight Sunday, Aug. 7.
Flagler Beach Marina Settlement With City Collapses, But This Time It’s a Sklar Thing
Flagler Beach and Marina owner Howard Sklar return to court in late September as their settlement talks over the Flagler Beach Marina collapsed when Sklar reversed course on a building requirement.
IHOP Restaurant and Chipotle Mexican Grill Nearing Construction in Palm Coast
International House of Pancakes will open near the Island Walk Starbucks on Palm Coast Parkway. And Chipotle will open next to Panera Bread on State Road 100.
40% of Sea Ray Boats’ Workforce in Flagler Affected By Layoffs and Furloughs
Some 90 employees have been laid off and 130 furloughed out of a workforce of 560 at the Sea Ray Boats plant off Colbert Lane even as manufacturer’s parent company posts strong earnings in the second quarter.
Flagler Beach Delays Medical Pot Ban Vote For 2 Weeks, But Hazy Evidence Unchanged
The absence of one of the five commissioners led to the delay on the vote on a controversial measure that would ban the operation of medical pot dispensaries anywhere in Flagler Beach.
Hutson and Renner Try To Push Back Against Criticism on Home Rule, Taxes and Education
Sen. Travis Hutson and Rep. Paul Renner took credit for–and defended–several controversial bills that passed in the last session of the Legislature as they spoke to Flagler’s political and business leaders this morning.
It’s Not Just Palm Coast: Credit Card Skimming at Gas Stations Up 160% in Florida
State figures show 315 skimmers had been discovered at Florida gas pumps through July 18, compared to 120 skimmers discovered through the first seven months of 2016.