In a brief supporting a citizens’ initiative to legalize recreational marijuana use, the ACLU accuses the Florida Supreme Court of abusing its authority to strike proposed state constitutional amendments from the ballot.
Economy
Will Furry’s Rate Plan for Belle Terre Swim Club Is ‘Ludicrous’ and Disconnected from Reality
School Board member Will Furry is demanding a new rate structure for Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club that is based on “personal belief unmoored to any study or research,” Doug Courtney, who leads the club’s advisory board, argues. The rates would increase sharply, and be split into tiers. The board is voting on the new rates Tuesday evening.
Now DeSantis Is Going After Bud Light Maker Over Transgender Promotion
Pointing to concerns about a hit to Florida’s pension fund, Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to know if the state can take legal action against beer company AB InBev, which has been embroiled in a controversy involving transgender social-media influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
Daytona Area Home Sales Remain Steady in June
461 existing single-family homes (detached) were sold in the Daytona Beach area with median home sales price of $377,500. That’s a more than 4 percent increase in total home sales compared to June 2022, but it’s 3.5 percent lower than home sales in May.
Palm Coast Planning Board Approves 275 Town Homes Off Citation Boulevard Near Belle Terre Blvd.
The Palm Coast Planning Board Wednesday evening recommended approval of the development of 275 upscale town-home apartments in a gated community on 40 acres at the southeast corner of Citation Boulevard and Belle Terre Boulevard. One of the developer’s representatives described the project as “an upscale community without being unaffordable,” which may have broken new ground in real estate doublespeak.
“Summer of 1969” Exhibit at AACS Launches Series of Events Celebrating Florida’s Black Culture and Music
The African American Cultural Society is launching “The Summer of 1969,” a student-produced, intergenerational exhibition created by AACS college intern Savannah Aziza Ryan. It is the first of numerous, wide-ranging cultural events at AACS throughout this summer and fall.
Palm Coast Rezones Coquina Shores for 750 Homes as Details of Development North of SR100 Emerge
Coquina Shores, the 750-home development planned as a 505-acre gated community in a north-south rectangle north of State road 100 and east of Old Kings Road in Palm Coast, will be built with $65 million in infrastructure and run as its own community development district, or CDD, like Grand Haven and Hammock Dunes.
Flagler County Faces a $5.6 Million Deficit in Road Costs Over Next 5 Years; Gas Tax Is Tapped Out
Flagler County government is facing an estimated $5.6 million deficit in the next five years in the required local match for nearly a dozen road projects the state Department of Transportation is financing. That’s in addition to a need for $2.6 million in annual dollars for maintenance of the county’s roads. The County Commission is planning to approve only $2 million next year.
Palm Coast in Ugly Meeting Votes to Lower Tax Rate Substantially and Add New, Modest Fee for Now
In another unseemly, disconcerting meeting that included coarse language and flaring tempers from the dais and rowdy and name-calling behavior from a floor thronged with residents, the Palm Coast City Council today substantially lowered the property tax rate in one vote and with another approved new fee or tax–a very modest one for now–on power bills.
Ed Danko Makes Inaccurate Claims in Campaign Ad Ahead of Council Vote on New Electric Fee (or Tax)
On Tuesday morning, the Palm Coast City Council will consider adopting a utility franchise fee that could add up to 6 percent to the cost of residents’ electric utility bills and significantly add to the city’s tax-revenue structure. In his opposition to the proposal, Palm Coast City Council member Ed Danko circulated a campaign email that made inaccurate and misleading statements.
As Fleet Ages, Flagler Schools Looks to Finance Purchase of 16 New Buses, With Interest
The district has cleared the way for its financial adviser to prepare a request for proposal that would seek bankers’ offers to finance what would amount to a $2.6 or $2.8 million purchase of 16 buses that would be delivered during the 2024-25 school year. That would replace 16 buses that are today 15 years old.
Pandemic Wanes, But Attacks on Public Health and Misinformation About Vaccines Don’t
Over the course of the pandemic, lawsuits came from every direction, questioning public health policies and hospitals’ authority. Petitioners argued for care to be provided in a different way, they questioned mandates on mask and vaccine use, and they attacked restrictions on gatherings. That’s not over.
$15,000 in Go Girl Grants Now Available Through Professional Women of Flagler County
The Go Girl Grant is an initiative by The Professional Women of Flagler County to foster the growth and success of professional women in Flagler County. By providing financial aid, the grant money can be used to remove some of the barriers that may hinder the advancement of these women in their respective fields.
Yes, There Is a Free Lunch
Step back a moment and take stock of the paradox. On one hand a community can and should take pride in its willingness to rally for those in need. On the other hand, there should not be such things as food drives–not in a country that presumes itself wealthy and civilized. There should not be food insecurity, period. Basic nutrition is a human right, as ought to be universal food assistance where necessary and free school meals whether necessary or not.
Mayor David Alfin and Dr. Steven Bickel’s Arm-Wrestling Match Will Launch $1 Million Food-A-Thon
Dr. Stephen Bickel, the medical director at the Flagler Health Department and the county’s leading philanthropist, will arm-wrestle in a best-of-three match with Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin to launch this year’s $1 million Food-a-Thon, an effort to raise $200,000 that will e leveraged into $1 million worth of food for needy families, through Grace Tabernacle Food Pantry.
Disney’s Bob Iger Calls ‘Preposterous and Inaccurate’ DeSantis Claims of ‘Sexualizing’ Children
Disney CEO Bob Iger dismissed as “preposterous” arguments by Gov. Ron DeSantis that the company is “sexualizing children” or experiencing a drop in attendance at its Florida resorts because of a long-running fight with the governor.
Public Meeting Set for July 20 on Re-Paving of SR A1A in Flagler Beach
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is to hold a public meeting at 5:30 p.m. July 20 (Tuesday) about the resurfacing project plans for State Road A1A from South 8th Street to North 18th Street in Flagler Beach.
Flagler Beach in 4-1 Vote Approves a 39-Unit Apartment Complex Off Leslie Street, Near SR100
The Flagler Beach City Commission Wednesday evening cleared the way for a 39-unit, two-building apartment complex on 3.2 acres between Leslie and Joyce streets, off of John Anderson Highway and just south of State Road 100. The 4-1 vote followed insistance from commissioners that the development’s recreational amenities be more enhanced as such.
Ugly as Tin, the Glaring, $12 Million Bridge Over SR100 Is Radiating Concerns–and Publicity
The just-completed A-frame pedestrian bridge over State Road 100 has turned into a recurring joke and a legitimate traffic concern that the county is addressing. But some officials see an opportunity in the bad publicity the bridge is attracting, because with it comes tourist interest and a potential marketing coup.
District ‘Playing Games’ With Belle Terre Swim Club Books, Hurting Revenue Picture
Flagler County School Board member Colleen Conklin is objecting to the way the district is accounting for the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club’s revenue numbers and pointing to a shell game that has made the club’s balance sheet look much worse than it is.
Farmers Insurance Exiting Florida, Ending Home and Car Policies for Tens of Thousands
The Florida insurance market took a hit Tuesday, as Farmers Insurance said it will end residential, auto and umbrella policies in the state, forcing tens of thousands of customers to look elsewhere for coverage.
Palm Coast Explores 6% Tax on All Electric Bills Through ‘Franchise Fee’ Repeatedly Opposed in Past
For the third time in 11 years, the Palm Coast City Council is exploring the imposition of a new, 6 percent tax on all electricity bills by way of a so-called “franchise fee” that would be levied on Florida Power and Light and passed down to customers.
Cancer Will Have New Foe in Town as AdventHealth Palm Coast Announces $30 Million Center on SR 100
AdventHealth Palm Coast officials and benefactors unveiled the latest expansion of the State Road 100 campus: the Freytag Health Plaza, a $30 million, 30,000 square foot, two-level cancer and rehab center that will open with the newest technology at the beginning of 2025.
Flagler County Library’s Budget, Hours and Staffing Shrunk as Population Increased 25%
Flagler County’s population has increased 25 percent since 2010, but the budget of the county library has shrunk 3 percent when adjusted for inflation, the library’s hours have been cut, it’s lost staffing and its materials budget has declined.
Court Revives One-Handed Man’s Disability Case Against Universal’s Volcano Bay
A federal appeals court Friday cleared the way for a lawsuit filed by a man who was barred from a ride at an Orlando water park because he has only one hand.
Flagler and Palm Coast July 4 Holiday Schedules, Travel and Safety Advisories
Independence Day this year falls on a Tuesday, slicing through the earlier part of the week and creating a checkerboard of work schedules and closed offices. The one constant are safety and travel advisories. Here’s a run-down.
How Often Do Health Insurers Say No to Patients? No One Knows.
Insurers’ denial rates — a critical measure of how reliably they pay for customers’ care — remain mostly secret to the public. Federal and state regulators have done little to change that.
Ruling Denies 1.5 Million Eligible Floridians Student Debt Relief
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to reject the legal arguments behind President Joe Biden’s student loan debt forgiveness plan ruined the chances of relief for more than 1.5 million Floridians who applied for or were eligible under the plan.
Matanzas Woods Pkwy Will Close from Lakeview to Londonderry Drive for 10 Days
Matanzas Woods Pkwy from Lakeview Boulevard to Londonderry Drive will be closed to traffic from July 5 to July 15 as crews repair and repave that segment, one of Palm Coast’s major arteries.
Palm Coast Issues Certificate of Occupancy to AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway
The City of Palm Coast is excited to announce that the Certificate of Occupancy was signed on Thursday, June 29, for AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway, a 100-bed, four-story state-of-the-art hospital.
DeSantis Vetoes EV Bill House Approved 115-1 and Senate 38-0
Gov. Ron DeSantis today vetoed a bill that could have made it easier for officials to choose electric cars when buying vehicles for government fleets. The measure was approved 115-1 in the House and 38-0 in the Senate.
Obama-Era Plan Allows Flagler Schools to Provide Free Lunches For All Students Starting in August
In what may be a game-changer for many food-insecure families, an Obama-era child-nutrition program expanding under Biden will allow Flagler County Schools to provide free lunches in addition to the existing free breakfasts to all students, regardless of income, year-round at all nine traditional public schools starting on Aug. 10, when classes resume.
With $1.2 Billion for Florida, Biden Unveils $42.5 Billion Plan to Connect All Americans to Broadband
The Biden administration on Monday announced $42.45 billion to connect all Americans to high-speed broadband internet by the end of the decade, likening the ambitious goal to FDR’s New Deal-era rural electrification program that brought the then-modern technology to farms and rural areas across the United States.
School Vouchers, Teaching Muzzles, Diversity Bans, Looser Guns: 200 New Laws Take Effect Saturday
More than 200 laws passed during the 2023 legislative session, including a record $116.5 billion budget, will take effect Saturday, including a massive expansion of public money available for private schooling, permitless gun-carrying, and more restrictions or bans on what teachers may say or teach.
How the Wall Street Journal Accused ProPublica of Misleading Readers in a Story It Had Not Yet Published
Behind the scenes of Justice Samuel Alito’s unprecedented Wall Street Journal pre-buttal, Alito’s behavior underscores that the “no surprises” approach involves taking a risk, allowing subjects to “spit in our soup,” as Paul Steiger, the former Journal editor who founded ProPublica, liked to say.
On EVs, Palm Coast and Flagler County Choose Backwardness
Flagler County, this self-deluded mecca of economic development, is not only an electric vehicle charging station desert. It is actually hostile to electric vehicles. It is sending a loud and shrill message to tourists and forward-looking businesses and the residents they’d bring along: we like to fossilize. Progress is elsewhere.
Florida Law Banning Kids at Drag Shows Blocked and Termed Unconstitutionally Vague
Operators of Orlando restaurant Hamburger Mary’s, which has run “family friendly” drag shows for 15 years, filed a legal challenge shortly after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the law restricting children from attending “adult live performances.”
Day Fees Waived All Weekend at Belle Terre Swim Club in Push For New Members
The Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club is hosting its summer open house weekend Saturday and Sunday, June 24-25, waiving its daily admission fees to all pool users and offering free food as the School Board continues to wrangle over how to make the club a viable operation, at least through next year.
Settling Lawsuit with Flagler Beach, Ocean Palms Golf Company Has 9 Months to Find A Buyer
The Flagler Beach City Commission this evening voted 4-1 to approve a settlement with Flagler Golf Management, the company that took over management of the nine-hole Ocean Palms golf club at the south end of town in 2015 after years of disuse. The city filed suit to evict the company last year, and the company also sued the city.
Strip Mall Will End Matanzas Shores’ Shop-Free Days, and There’s Nothing Residents Can Do About It
Matanzas Shores will soon lose its distinction as an upscale community free of shops, restaurants and the traffic that goes with it all as a developer is about to build a strip mall on 2.25 acres at the southwest corner of State Road A1A and San Carlos Drive.
Florida Cracker Ranch and Flagler Broadcasting Team Up for Red White and Boom Weekend
Flagler Broadcasting and Florida Cracker Ranch are collaborating in the production of Red White and Boom, a three-day weekend from June 30 to July 1 in the run-up to Independence Day, with camping, off-roading, entertainment and fireworks.
Flagler Beach Achieves One Goal in Meeting With Other Governments: Agreement that the City Needs Help
Flagler Beach convinced other cities and the county in a joint meeting this evening that it cannot contend with the ongoing onslaught of visitors alone, and only in Flagler Beach, when the county has plenty of unused beaches and cities can contribute other strategies.
At Tiger Bay, a Triumphal Paul Renner Reaps Adulation and Delivers a Few Inaccurate Jabs
House Speaker Paul Renner today exulted in considerable adoration and a standing ovation at Flagler Tiger Bay like no bringer of bacon before him, tempered though both Renner and the audience were by the club’s disfavor with uncivil partisanship.
Council Approves 1st Leg of Beltway from Matanzas Woods to Palm Coast Parkway, Opening West
The Palm Coast City Council approved an engineering contract for the first phase of what will be a three-phase, 7-mile beltway connecting Matanzas Woods Parkway and Palm Coast Parkway west of U.S. 1. The ambitious road incursion through 12,000 acres of empty wilds would open that part of the city to development.
Tampa Is Latest City to Unveil Climate Action Plan, Tapping Tax Credits
Tampa’s plan comes just days after two federal agencies released guidance that will for the first time allow local and state governments and nonprofit organizations to access clean energy tax credits that come from 2022’s Inflation Reduction Act, which contained nearly $370 billion in climate provisions.
As Florida Floods Private Schools with Public Money, Schools Raise Tuition to Capitalize
The Florida allocation of public money per private school student is expected to be about $8,000 a year — more than some private schools were charging for annual tuition. As a result, some private schools raised their prices.
Sheriff Negotiates $10 Million Joint Training Facility for Local Police, Fire and State Guard HQ
The Flagler County Commission and the Florida State Guard are preparing to sign a lease agreement conceived by Sheriff Rick Staly that would have the Guard build a $10 million headquarters and training facility in Bunnell that would also be a training ground for all local law enforcement and firefighting agencies.
Crumbl Cookies Set to Open in Palm Coast With Its Giant Repertoire of Sweet-Spot Marketing
As Crumbl Cookies opens its first store in Palm Coast Friday, and the first in the Flagler-Putnam-St. Johns market, the marketing machine that has made the dessert chain the fastest-growing in the nation–800 stores and growing–will be on full display, along with its rotating cast of 250 cookie flavors.
Lower Fuel Costs Will Trim Your FPL Power Bill By About $4 a Month
Customers who are in areas served by FPL and use 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity will see their monthly bills decrease from the current $139.95 to $136, according to the utility and the state’s public service commission.
Marketing 2 Go’s Cindy Dalecki Leads Series on AI and Content Creation for Businesses
VMA is excited to announce the launch of an upcoming two-part social media series designed to help not only manufacturers, but any business learn the fundamentals of content creation, analyzing your efforts, and how AI can help increase efficiency, effectiveness and ROI.
