The vote moves the Senate closer to outlawing the cafes and arcades, a proposal that was approved by the House last year but never reached the Senate floor. The proposal drew concerns about the potential impact on other amusement games used by charities and amusement arcades.
Local Business
Internet Cafe Ban Picks Up Steam as House Committee Closes In on “Skills” Loophole
The new law would end a gray area in state statutes used by operators of Internet cafes that the games are contests of skill and that the contests are similar to regulated sweepstakes offerings by places like McDonalds, Coca Cola, Chucky Cheese and churches.
Sen. Thrasher Calls for Outright Shut-Down Of Internet Cafes in Wake of Scandal
Sen. John Thrasher, an influential senator who represents Flagler County, and who has sought to place a moratorium on new Internet cafes, said Wednesday that criminal allegations of racketeering and other wrongdoing in the industry should spur lawmakers to close the storefront businesses.
Lt. Gov. Carroll Resigns as Internet Cafe Scandal Sweeps Florida–and Palm Coast
As Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies were serving a search warrant on the Internet Cafe in the Home Depot shopping center, Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll was resigning in connection with the scandal, which has led to Allied officials’ arrests.
Fuego del Mar Restaurant in Flagler Beach Spices Up Town’s Gastronomic Renaissance
Nicholas Kimball’s Fuego del Mar restaurant on A1A’s Oceanshore Boulevard in Flagler Beach is expected to employ 100 people and provide high wages to full-timers while burnishing the city’s growing reputation as the county’s destination for authentic, original, non-chain restaurants.
Rue, Ziffra and Caldwell Rides Harleys Back to Law Firm’s Roots
The Rue, Ziffra and Caldwell name, beside its saturation of Central Florida media markets and word of mouth, is synonymous with motorcycles, especially around Bike Week. But there’s a history and purpose behind the association.
Sea Ray Boats in Palm Coast Benefits from Plant Closures Elsewhere, With Cautions
Consolidation will likely add to the payroll in Flagler County, and do so with well-paying manufacturing jobs. It also puts to rest, at least for now, worries that Sea Ray’s local plant would either close. But the company is facing tough economic headwinds even as it stock soars to seven-year highs.
Appeal Court Rejects Taxing Online Travel Bookings, a Blow to Flagler and Other Counties
The 1st District Court of Appeal, in a 2-1 ruling, said companies such as Expedia and Orbitz cannot be forced to pay local tourist-development taxes on part of the money they collect from customers. The majority found that the disputed amounts relate to reservation charges — not to the actual amounts paid to rent hotel rooms — and described the companies as “conduits.”
From Bankruptcy to Granny Nannies: Navigating the Shoals of Long-Term Care
Long-term care insurance is expensive, but the costs of long-term care are far more so. The experiences of local residents and businesses contending ding with reality almost everyone will eventually face illustrate the dilemmas of aging in a society with a meager safety net. A special report.
Youth Leadership Flagler Application Deadline Is March 15 for High School Sophomores
Modeled after Leadership Flagler, a program that develops aspiring leaders of Flagler County, the youth program will provide participating students with a better understanding of Flagler County for community-improvement purposes.
In a Blow to Workers and Home Rule, Florida Moves to Forbid Living-Wage Ordinances
The proposal would expand on legislation passed a decade ago to prevent cities from enacting their own minimum wage levels for private employers doing business within their jurisdictions. The proposal would also extend the ban to other employee benefits such as paid sick leave.
Answering Palm Coast, Thrasher Will Pitch Internet Cafe Bill, But Reach May Be Limited
Palm Coast officials want state lawmakers to either ban or more strictly regulate and possibly tax gambling parlor-like internet cafes. Sen. John Thrasher is proposing a moratorium on the parlors, which may not match local demands, as a moratorium was already executed in Palm Coast.
Named Chamber President, DeLorenzo Vows Openness and Redirected Focus on Businesses
The Flagler County Chamber of Commerce and Affiliates appointed Rebecca DeLorenzo its permanent president on Thursday, ending a three-month interim since Doug baxter’s abrupt departure in November.
Coastal Cloud, a Next-Generation Computing Management Firm, Unveils Plan for 100 Jobs
Coastal Cloud is a newly-formed subsidiary of Graphene LLC, a computing consultancy, that will provide cloud-based data management services while hiring locally some 100 jobs over three years, at an average wage of $46,500, the company announced to the county’s economic development council today.
Lea Stokes, Former Flagler Chamber Chairman, Arrested on 2nd Drunk Driving Charge
Lea Ann Stokes, who heads Flagler Beach’s Preferred Management Services, was on the way to a Super Bowl party Sunday evening when she was arrested in Flagler Beach, and tried unsuccessfully to use her connections to get out of the arrest.
As Flagler Beach Sees a Fortune From Parking Fees, Locals See Only Alienated Tourists
Flagler Beach government could make up to $3 million over 5 years by turning its streets into revenue-generating parking slots, but the city manager’s proposal faces stiff-but not unanimous–opposition from local residents and businesses, who fear jeopardizing the city’s charms and its appeal to tourists.
M. Louis, Palm Coast’s Oldest Salon, Defies Economy With a Spa Expansion
M. Louis’s Beauty Factor Spa, holding an open house Sunday (Feb. 3) at the salon’s new location, is an indication that small businesses in Palm Coast can still find ways to expand and broaden their reach despite the slow economy.
Rebecca DeLorenzo Strengthens Chamber President Candidacy With New Designation
Rebecca DeLorenzo, the interim president at the Flagler County Chamber of Commerce and Affiliates, has earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential from the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Association leadership, the highest professional credential in the association industry. The designation burnishes her already substantial credentials as she aims for the permanent presidency of the chamber.
Flagler Beach City Government Wants to Take Over July 4 Events, But Unsure How
Flagler Beach government, eager to replicate Palm Coast’s method of making money from special events, would take over July 4 festivities run until now by the chamber of commerce, but city commissioners are uncomfortable with a complete take-over.
The Funky Pelican Finally, Quietly Opens In Place of the Pier Restaurant in Flagler Beach
The Funky Pelican in Flagler Beach, a sister-restaurant of the River Grille in Ormond Beach, replaced–after protracted negotiations with the Flagler Beach City Commission–what had for years been the Pier Restaurant, which had long been in decline.
Milissa Holland Live: Former Commissioner Launches WNZF Show and FlaglerLive Column
Milissa Holland Live begins airing Fridays at 10 a.m. on WNZF on Jan. 9, and Holland’s FlaglerLive column begins running on Jan. 2 (every Wednesday) as the ex-commissioner aims to foster serious and sustained conversations on the most important state and local issues of the day.
When the End of the World Is Art’s Excuse to Remake It in Rapture’s Image
“I Decided Not to End the World,” an exhibit that opens at Hollingsworth Gallery Friday, marks the alleged end of the world (according to the Maya calendar) by remaking it anew with the art work of children, adults and students, curated by JJ Graham.
Palm Coast Approves Surtax Tool as It Looks To Recoup Old Kings Road Widening Costs
The Palm Coast City Council, still looking to repay the $6.2 million it cost to widen Old Kings Road, laid out plans to create a special taxing district next year that would levy a property surtax on property owners long the southern portion of Old Kings.
BOLO: Christmas With a Deputy Will Light Up Target With 100 Children Friday Evening
Don’t panic: more than 60 cop cars with lights flashing and sirens blaring will take 100 children, with $150 gift certificate each, to Target at Town Center Friday, starting at 6:30 p.m.
Conflict Over Hammock Vacation Rentals Dominates Legislative Meeting, To Little End
Florida House freshman Travis Hutson and John Thrasher, both Republicans and the sum total of Flagler County’s legislative delegation, listened to almost two hours of direct lobbying and appeal from local leaders and residents Tuesday evening in Bunnell, but distanced themselves from the evening’s most contentious issue: vacation rentals.
Carrabba’s Opens In Palm Coast, Edging the City’s Economic Center of Gravity a Little North
Palm Coast’s Carrabba’s, the Italian restaurant, will add some local 82 jobs and further solidify economic growth along Cypress Edge Drive, while Town Center continues to wait for its equivalent day in the sun.
Florida Hospital Flagler CEO David Ottati in Awe of EMS Response at Trauma Wreck Scene
Florida Hospital Flagler CEO David Ottati witnessed the wreck of motorcyclist Brian Davis on john Anderson Highway Friday night, called 911, assisted the victim, then was in awe of Flagler County Fire Rescue’s paramedics at work as he’d never seen them beyond the hospital.
Kangaroo Express Donates $110,000 To Florida Hospital’s Breast Cancer Pink Army
Florida Hospital Flagler received approximately $37,000 of the sums raised ntirely by customers’ donations at the Kangaroo Express registers throughout October in several counties, with the balance going to other Florida Hospital campuses.
Bullish on 2013: Palm Coast and Flagler Housing Markets in Full Recovery
Have we returned to a normal market? No yet, writes Toby Tobin, but in a bullish analysis of Palm Coast’s and Flagler County’s current housing markets, he expects momentum to build into 2013, with all segments of the market are rising.
Doug Baxter, Flagler Chamber President Since 2007, Resigns Unexpectedly; DeLorenzo Leads
Doug Baxter was president since 2007. Rebecca DeLorenzo is taking over for now. The chamber was facing some financial issues, and the resignation was not internally as surprising as it appears from beyond the chamber walls.
Growth Industry: Cops Bust Third Palm Coast Pot Grow House in 9 Months, on Wheatfield
Authorities arrested Jorge Rodriguez, 61, and charged him with marijuana cultivation at 15 Wheatfield Drive in Palm Coast, where some 48 plants with a potential street value of $86,000 were discovered Monday.
WNZF’s David Ayres, Voice of Flagler County, Is Named One of Nation’s Top Radio Managers
David Ayres, named one of Radio Ink’s 50 top radio managers in America, steered away from his parents’ tool and die shop to take on a career in radio and TV. He’s is ending one of his more successful years after overseeing the expansion of Flagler County Broadcasting to a fourth radio station.
Palm Coast City Council’s Bill Lewis: Two Minutes, Six Errors, Countless Sneers
When Palm Coast City Councilman Bill Lewis took to the floor of a council meeting to correct a fact in a FlaglerLive column, which had already been corrected, he committed more than six errors of his own, including about his own personal history. Lewis’s errors bear correcting as publicly as he committed them.
Unemployment Drops Sharply in Flagler, to 11.3%, as State and U.S. Trends Also Improve
Flagler County’s unemployment rate in September dropped sharply to 11.3 percent, from a revised 12 percent in August, as improving economies statewide and in the country continue to to trickle down. Flagler’s 11.3 percent rate is the lowest in four years: it was last at 11.3 in November 2008.
Daytona State Launches Social Media Course This Spring, Available Online (Naturally)
Daytona State College is offering Social Media Marketing, a college-credit, stand-alone course launching this spring semester, along with a parallel course, Advertising. Both courses will be offered online.
In Startling Confrontations, DeLorenzo Takes On Palm Coast’s Jim Landon–and Impact Fees
Palm Coast City Council member Jason DeLorenzo on Tuesday questioned the veracity of City Manager Jim Landon’s numbers and his “backroom” style while making the case for a two-year moratorium for impact fees on new construction in the city in a rare, direct and sustained public challenge to the assuming city manager.
Another Feather in Bird’s Cap as Fire Flight Rescues 2 Mud Muckers Lost Overnight
Wayne Oley, 30, and Brigett Madorma, 24, lost their ATV in the wilds of Mud Muckers’s 19,000 acres Sunday night, and were lost after that, until Fire Flight spotted them Monday morning, shivering from a cold night but otherwise fine.
Flagler’s Unemployment Rate Falls to 11.9%, Its Lowest Level Since December 2008
Flagler County may have a little something to cheer about: its unemployment rate in September fell to 11.9 percent, from 12.3 percent the month before. That’s the lowest unemployment rate in the county since December 2008, when it was 11.8 percent.
Another Major Blow to Palm Coast Data as Newsweek, a Major Account, Ends Print
Newsweek, with 1.5 million subscribers, is one of Palm Coast Data’s largest accounts. The company landed it less than two years ago, helping it stanch the loss of other titles. Newsweek will end its print publication in December, a move that will again hurt Palm Coast Data’s bottom line.
Save Your Teeth: Flagler Dentists Drill Halloween With $1-a-Pound Candy Buy-Back
Like the sheriff’s office’s gun buy-back and the DEA’s drug give-back, Flagler Dental, a group of dentists, is offering a $1-a-pound candy buy-back from Nov. 1 to Nov. 10 at its two locations, with the candy–or sugary drugs, if you prefer–being shipped off to troops overseas.
Live, “Loud” Music Again Riles Flagler Beach Residents, Who Demand a Rule Rewrite
Two years ago it was Hurricane Patty’s. This time it’s Johnny D’s whose live music is that’s drawing the ire of residents. One Johnny D’s neighbor is asking the Flagler Beach City Commission to more strictly rewrite its noise ordinance. A workshop is scheduled for November to consider the request.
Should You Keep Paying FPL and PEF For Nukes Plants that May Never Be Built?
The up-front nuclear costs for plant construction have become highly controversial, at least in part because there is no guarantee that FPL and Progress will build the planned reactors and because projected costs have risen to over $40 billion for four reactors. The Supreme Court will decide the matter.
Flagler Dental Expands South From North as 45-Year-Old Practice Taps Growth
Flagler Dental’s North and South locations–at Flagler Plaza and Office Park Drive–take a page out of Florida Hospital Flagler’s strategy of tracking demographic growth in the city. The South location just opened.
News-Journal Puts Up $120 Barrier to Online Access in Hopes of Improving Bottom Line
The News-Journal’s $120-a-year paywall for online readers follows the lead of more than 160 newspapers that have ended unlimited free access to websites to stop hemorrhaging print readers, where, most of the advertising revenue remains.
As Expected, Flagler County Suspends $1,707-a-Home Building Tax for 2 Years
The county’s moratorium is relatively small, but Flagler’s chamber of commerce and its home builders association hope to get the school board to approve a moratorium next, then move to Palm Coast, where impact fees add up to $15,270.
How Two Council Members, Out of View, Got WNZF to Back-Pedal on Synthetic Marijuana
What was behind what sounded like a retraction on synthetic marijuana by WNZF’s David Ayres on his Free For All Friday show last week? Private discussions between Palm Coast Council member Bill McGuire with Mayor Jon Netts, and a letter Netts wrote Ayres, that the council never discussed openly–even as the council has yet to vote finally on the matter.
FPL Begins Installing Smart Meters in Flagler as PSC Takes on Devices’ Emitted Controversies
FPL will begin installing 50,000 smart meters in Flagler County this month and continue installing them through the fall, while the Florida Public Service Commission on Thursday devotes a daylong workshop to questions about smart meters and health effects, privacy, data security and alternatives.
In Flagler and Across Florida, More Perky Housing Sales Point to Encouraging Trends
Sales of single family homes in Flagler were up 9.5 percent in August over a year ago, 10.8 percent across Florida, while pending sales have skyrocketed in further signs of health for the battered housing sector, even as prices still stagnate.
Palm Coast Data’s Latest Revenue Down 18.6% Over the Year But Ticks Up in 2012
Palm Coast Data revenue fell to $13.6 million in the quarter ending July 31, compared to $16.5 million a year ago, and $32 million in 2008. Parent-company Amrep Corp. posted its 12th loss of the last 16 quarters.
Russian Roulette With MSG
In today’s American restaurants, MSG has become so prevalent that it is in practically every kind of food. It’s no longer isolated to Chinese cuisine. And it can be very dangerous to eat, making eating out a gamble.