Several private colleges and universities such as Harvard, Howard, Stanford, Syracuse and Northwestern plan to resume classes in a virtual setting for at least part of the spring semester. So far, none of Florida’s public universities are making that transition, despite concerns from faculty union leaders that officials aren’t making the right decisions to protect campus communities throughout Florida.
Economy
Flagler’s Omicron-Led Covid Infections Surge Toward Record as DeSantis Sees Schools and Business as Usual
Infection numbers are surging across Florida, but in a 50-minute news conference this morning, Gov. Ron DeSantis and Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo not only projected a business-as-usual approach, but said testing protocols will be revised toward less testing, with testing and treatment focused on higher-risk patients, while schools are to remain open and operating under previously relaxed guidelines that de-emphasize quarantines, masking and distancing.
Florida’s 1st Time Unemployment Claims Now at Pre-Pandemic Levels
If unchanged, the estimate would be the fewest number of claims for a single week since another holiday-shortened week in late December 2019 and would put the average of new claims over the past four weeks at 5,347.
FPL Rate Fight Goes to Florida Supreme Court
The group Floridians Against Increased Rates filed a notice this week that it is appealing a decision by the state Public Service Commission to approve a settlement that will lead to FPL rate increases starting in January.
Flagler Access Mental Health Center Will Have Its Ceremonial Opening on Jan. 11
Flagler County and its partners SMA Healthcare and Flagler Health+ are hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the Flagler Access Center, which will provide an open door for education, screening, and connection to behavioral healthcare services in the area. The event will be held at 10 a.m. January 11, 2022 at the center located at 103 E. Moody Boulevard, Bunnell.
Liberal Flagellant: George Packer’s Last Best Hope
George Packer’s “The Last best Hope,” published in June, attempts to explain how the United States devolved into the furies of Donald Trump’s last year–the pandemic, the BLM marches, the Jan. 6 insurrection–by diagnosing four separate Americas that no longer communicate. It’s a dour, guilt-ridden book by a liberal looking for penance in all the wrong places.
Election Police, Gas Tax Cut, Cryptocurrency, Deportation: 10 Things DeSantis Wants in 2022 Session
Gov. Ron DeSantis recently released a $99.7 billion budget blueprint for the 2022 legislative session and has touted a series of other proposals. Here are 10 of DeSantis’ priorities — big and small — for the session, which will start Jan. 11.
A Few Magnificent Things That Happened in 2021
It would be easy to survey the end of 2021 and see another year in wreckage. There’s the pandemic that won’t end. Rising inflation. Climate disasters. A democracy that looks creakier by the day. But there’s unusual comfort out there.
Sheriff Staly Says Target’s Ties to Shop With a Cop Irreparably Destroyed as Company’s Statements Vacillate
What started with an email from target to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office’s Shop with a Cop charity in October and a puzzled response that went unanswered has turned into a full-bore and continuing assault on the company by Sheriff Rick Staly, who has been lambasting Target for “talking out of both sides of their mouths” after abruptly severing a 13-year relationship with what had previously been known as Christmas with a Deputy.
Manchin Killed Build Back Better Over Inflation Fears. He’s Wrong.
What really matters is how much the bill would spend in excess of any taxes raised to pay for the program. The higher taxes on the wealthy and corporations that the House version of the bill calls for would reduce economic activity – by taking money out of the economy – offsetting some of the impact of the spending that would stimulate it.
What Renovations? Between County and New Owner, Same Old Stalemate Returns Over Old Dixie Motel
Time after time, Flagler County government has battled with owners of the derelict Country Hearth Inn on Old Dixie Highway to get it repaired, or at least to move it past the eyesore and nuisance stage to something less unattractive–and less attractive to vandals and mischief. Time after time, the owners have fallen short of meeting benchmarks.
Angela TenBroeck, Marineland Mayor and 4th Generation Farmer, Is Florida Woman of the Year in Agriculture
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried named Marineland Mayor Angela TenBroeck, an innovator of sustainable and innovative farming techniques, Florida Woman of the Year in Agriculture. TenBroeck is CEO of a 30-acre aquaponics farm in East Palatka and heads the non-profit Center for Sustainable Agricultural Excellence and Conservation.
AdventHealth Tops Out Landmark ‘Innovation Tower’
In a spectacular nighttime display, AdventHealth ceremonially “topped out” its newest structure, a landmark 12-story building that will be known as “Innovation Tower,” alongside Interstate 4 in downtown Orlando earlier this week.
The Problems With Banning Cell Phones in the Workplace
Bans on employees using cellphones are relatively common in workplaces such as factories, farms and fast-food chains. Such employer rules are legal, and there is relatively little that employees can do about it. But different situations have indicated the necessity for workers to have access to their phones, for safety’s sake.
Florida Democrats Call on DeSantis to Declare Emergency Over Affordable Housing
The Democrats cite data from the National Low Income Housing Coalition showing 40 percent of middle-income households in Florida are “cost-burdened” in terms of housing expense and that 89 percent of poor households pay more than 30 percent of their monthly income for rent.
Flagler Health+ Completes 70-Acre Buy at Palm Coast Parkway for Eventual Hospital, Challenging AdventHealth
The purchase was not unexpected. It has had the acreage under contract since August. The purchase is part of its ongoing efforts to challenge AdventHealth’s supremacy in Flagler, a supremacy AdventHealth is defending just as aggressively: the hospital system is building its second hospital in Palm Coast, a 100-bed facility, almost within sight of the Flagler Health + acreage.
Palm Coast’s R-Section Getting 1st Large-Scale Apartment Complex, a 216-Unit Plan Near Rymfire Elementary
The Palm Coast Planning Board recommended approval of a development plan for a 216-unit apartment complex at the southwest end of the R Section. It is to be called Red Mill Pointe, and would become the first large-scale apartment complex of the R-Section. The second tract zoned for it, in the central-west portion of the R Section, is yet undeveloped.
Arsenic Laces Up Concerns at 200-Home Lakeview Estate Development on Ex-Matanzas Golf Course, But Board Clears Project
Relying on state regulations that require the land to be cleaned up of arsenic and any other contaminants before development can go forward, the Palm Coast Planning Board this evening voted unanimously–6-0–to approve the latest step, with more to go, in a large-scale residential home development in the L-Section that will over the next few years replace much of what used to be the Matanzas Woods Golf Course over time.
Judge Orders Walgreens to Turn Over Company Data on Opioid Profits in Florida
Pasco County Circuit Judge Kimberly Sharpe Byrd on Friday gave Walgreens until Dec. 31 to start turning over “financial information sufficient to show all rebates, discounts, chargebacks, coupon reimbursements and any other money back it received on opioids” it purchased or sold in Florida since 1996.
Palm Coast, Gig City: MetroNet Will Wire All Residential Neighborhoods With Fiber Optic By 2023, Rocketing Speeds
To much fanfare, Indiana-based MetroNet and Palm Coast government jointly announced today a plan to have the city’s entire 550 miles of residential streets wired with high-speed fiber optic within two years. The plan is entirely financed by the company. Neither the city nor taxpayers are on the hook for anything–other than monthly fees once the service is available.
Flagler Beach Committee’s July 4 Report: Fireworks On, Scaled Back Parade, Stepped Up Policing
The committee the Flagler Beach City Commission appointed to study the future and feasibility of Independence Day activities on the increasingly crowded barrier-island city has dropped all controversial ideas from its final report, adopting instead a moderate, stay-the-course approach that will be recognizable by all, with a few notable improvements planned or proposed.
Shop With a Cop, In Its 14th Year and Under a New Name, Lights Up Walmart
By the time Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies were done donating for this year’s Shop With a Cop spectacular, they’d raised enough money–close to $16,000–to ensure that more than 90 children would each get $175 gift certificate to spend on presents for themselves and their families.
Risks of Development At Palm Harbor Golf Course Vanish for Good as Builder Jim Jacoby Donates Driving Range
Two years ago Palm Coast was in negotiations with Jim Jacoby to build 120 apartments on the Palm Harbor Golf Club property. Fierce resistance stopped the project, and now Jacoby is donating to Palm Coast the last remaining land of the golf course not yet in the city’s ownership.
Reconfigured 1,200-Home Eagle Lakes Development on Old Kings Road Draws Sharp Opposition from Neighbors
Long approved for 824 homes, the developers of Eagle Lakes’s next phases are asking for a land-use changes that would allow 1,215 homes on the acreage along Old Kings Road toward the south end of the county. Neighbors from the existing Eagle Lakes development and others are opposed to the smaller lots and higher density.
DeSantis Ramps Up Inaccurate Anti-Asylum Rhetoric In Legally-Dubious Assault on Federal Policy
Gov. Ron DeSantis wants the Legislature to give him $8 million to ship asylum seekers transported by the Biden administration into Florida off to other states in an expanding initiative against what the governor inaccurately calls President Joe Biden’s “open borders policy.” Republicans’ overall complaint vastly distorts Biden’s policy, according to an analysis published by the libertarian Cato Institute.
Flagler Beach Commission Signs Off on Revolving Loan of Up to $17.6 Million to Rebuild Sewer Plant
The Flagler Beach City Commission Thursday unanimously approved authorization for a loan of up to $17.6 million to rebuild and expand the city’s sewer plant, a more-than $2 million difference from when the commission was first presented figures in June, when it voted to borrow up to $15 million. In 2019, the cost of the project had been pegged at $11 million.
DeSantis Pitches Election-Year Budget Just Shy of $100 Billion, With Big Subsidies from Federal Aid
Saying that Florida is “clicking on all cylinders,” Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday proposed an election-year $99.7 billion budget that would funnel money to education, the environment and law-enforcement officers while giving motorists a temporary gas-tax break thanks to federal subsidies.
Typical FPL Bill Will Rise $7 a Month as Panel Approves Increase Due to Fuel Costs
FPL and other utilities, which are heavily dependent on natural gas, have grappled in recent months with higher fuel costs. Utilities pass along such costs to consumers and are not supposed to earn profits on them.
Boxed in Between Flagler School Board and Builders, County Corrects the Record on Impact Fees
The Flagler County administration issued a tightly argued and at times caustic memo that draws a line between facts and polemics and between legal and speculative arguments in the ongoing debate over school impact fees,. While it corrects the school district in no uncertain terms on several points of law–or math–it also comes close to ridiculing the Flagler Home Builders Association’s arguments as simplistic. It also appears to forge a way out of the impasse for the County Commission.
Divided Federal Court Denies DeSantis Request for Injunction in Health Care Vaccination Fight
Sunday’s decision, however, did not mean the Biden administration can move forward with the health-care worker vaccination requirement Monday, as originally planned. That is because a Louisiana federal judge last week issued a nationwide preliminary injunction against the Biden administration rule.
With Bells, Santa and Starry Nights, First Friday Returns in Flagler Beach After Nearly 2-Year Absence
First Friday returned in Flagler Beach Friday evening for the first time since the Covid pandemic sent the monthly festival on hiatus in the spring of 2020. Friday’s return event coincided with the second-year edition of the launch of Starry Nights, the city’s newest addition to its Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Ramadan and Christmas celebrations as the Flagler Beach pier, many other city landmarks, businesses and homes light up in unison.
City Repertory Theatre’s ‘Blithe Spirit’ to Honor the Late Anne Kraft, Veteran CRT Performer
When City Repertory Theatre presents a staged reading Dec. 2-5 of Sir Noel Coward’s “Blithe Spirit,” which the English playwright called “a light comedy about death,” the poignancy of the production will be plain to see: CRT is paying tribute to Anne Kraft, who’d performed with most of the company’s actors over the years.
Florida’s Share of Biden Infrastructure Bill for Roads, Bridges and More: $16.7 Billion in 5 Years
Florida is expected to receive $2.6 billion to improve public transportation, $1.6 billion for water improvements, $1.2 billion for airport development, $29 million for cybersecurity, $26 million to protect against wildfires, and a minimum of $100 million to expand broadband coverage, with a projection that it will provide access to at least 707,000 Floridians.
Sen. Travis Hutson’s Business-Protectionist Bill Has Counties and Cities Worried About Reign of Lawsuits
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 7-4 to back the proposal (SB 620), which would allow businesses to sue if local ordinances cause at least 15 percent losses of revenue or profits. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Travis Hutson, the St. Augustine Republican who represents Flagler, would apply to businesses that have been operating for at least three years.
Palm Coast Was Set to Recommend New Garbage Hauler. Waste Pro Protested. City Will Re-Start Entire Bid Process.
Palm Coast government issued a “Notice of Intent” to award the city’s next five-year garbage contract to Texas-based FCC Environmental, ending Palm Coast’s 15-year relationship with Waste Pro. Waste Pro filed a bid protest. The city will now re-start the process and hope to have a hauler in place by the time Waste Pro’s contract expires on May 31–whether Waste Pro or another company.
Between Jorge Salinas and Generous Federal Subsidies, Broadband May Finally Connect West Flagler By End of 2023
A slew of federal subsidies, including Covid-relief funds and an auction with broadband providers, is making possible what Flagler County commissioners have only talked about for several years. The commission approved negotiating a no-bid contract with Charter Communications, itself the beneficiary of over $1 billion in federal subsidies, to extend broadband to underserved areas in West Flagler by the end of 20223 or early 2024.
Grand Chanukah Celebration at European Village Monday
Chabad of Palm Coast will ignite a 6-foot Menorah at European Village, an event to be followed by a community-wide celebration on Nov 29, the second night of the eight-day holiday of Chanukah. The ceremony, organized by Chabad Jewish Center Rabbi Levi Ezagui, will feature Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin and Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly.
Future July 4 Celebrations Take Shape Between Certainty of Fireworks and Uncertainty of Flagler Beach’s Geography
The July 4 committee the Flagler Beach City Commission appointed last August to figure out whether there is a future for the Independence Day fireworks that light up much of the city’s historical identity is close to finishing its work, with a final report now in preparation.
Flush With Federal Money, DeSantis Pitches Temporarily Eliminating State Gas Tax, Reducing Revenue by $1 Billion
Continuing to contrast his economic approach to the Biden White House–which ensured that Florida would get billions in Covid and infrastructure subsidies–DeSantis said the approximately 25-cent-a-gallon “gas tax relief” proposal could save the average Florida family up to $200 over a five- to six-month period, while reducing state revenue by more than $1 billion. DeSantis wants lawmakers to approve it during the legislative session that starts Jan. 11.
Flagler Unemployment Flat at 4.4% But County Builds on Record Employment and Workforce Approaching 50,000
Flagler County’s unemployment rate stayed flat at 4.4 percent in October, with the county’s workforce growing by a few hundred people, the number of people employed growing by some 245 people and the number of unemployed growing by two dozen.
Florida House Votes to Reject Federal OSHA Protections for Workers and Replace them With State Alternative
With Republicans angry about a vaccination rule issued by the federal Occupational and Safety and Health Administration, the Florida House on Wednesday approved a proposal that could lead to the state taking over regulation of worker safety and health issues.
Covid Isn’t Over, But in Flagler It’s Receded from Menace to Nuisance, at Least For Now
Covid isn’t gone. It may never end. But for now, it’s more nuisance than menace in Flagler. Weekly case loads fell in 10 of the last 11 weeks and for the past four weeks have been averaging around 50 per week–not as low as the spring of 2020, but still the lowest numbers by far since the arrival of the Delta variant, the supersize equivalent of the coronavirus.
Building More Homes Isn’t Affordable Housing For Those Who Need It Most
There is not a single state, metropolitan area or county in which a full-time minimum wage worker can afford the “fair market rent” for a two-bedroom home, as designated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Even the smallest, most basic housing units are often unaffordable to people with very low incomes.
If You’re a Sucky Employer, Don’t Be Surprised Your Workers Are Quitting
The U.S. labor market is expected to become far more diverse going forward in terms of gender, ethnicity and age. Thus, employers that cannot provide greater flexibility and variety in their working environment will struggle to attract and retain workers.
The Federal Poverty Line Is Out of Step With the Way The Other Half Lives
In 2021, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, a worker needs to earn $20.40 per hour to be able to afford a modest one-bedroom apartment anywhere in the country. That’s an annual salary of $40,800 – more than twice what Brookings refers to as the median wage for low-wage work.
Almost As Bad as Hurricane Matthew: Post-Storm Survey in Flagler Reveals Substantial Loss of Dunes
Last weekend’s nor’easter ripped through Flagler County’s dune structures and caused a lot more damage than originally thought, further weakening the dune line that has steadily been losing sand since it was rebuilt in 2018 for $20 million after Hurricanes Matthew and Irma.
100-Room Hotel in Heart of Flagler Beach, ‘A Good Fit,’ Could Break Ground in 2nd or 3rd Quarter of 2022
After buying the 1.3 acres that used to be a farmer’s market in the heart of Flagler Beach for $3.8 million in July, the CEO of the Ormond Beach-based hotel development firm redeveloping the land promises a 100-room, 3-story hotel that will reflect the Flagler Beach lifestyle and will not be “a cookie cutter Hampton Inn.”
In Shift, Flagler Beach Will Not Abandon July 4 Fireworks. It’s Now How, Not Whether, to Preserve Tradition.
After considering abandoning July 4 fireworks due to overcrowding and safety concerns, a committee appointed by the Flagler Beach City Commission to study the matter will recommend keeping the fireworks while proposing a series of management and policing approaches to better control crowds, minimize underage drinking and provide alternatives to driving and parking on the island.
Big Box Store ‘Everyone in the County Will Be Happy About’ Coming to SR100 Near Airport
A developer is seeking to rezone 40 acres of agricultural land to industrial along State Road 100 near the county airport, land owned by Jay Gardner, the county property appraiser. He says the developer plans a big-box store anchoring a commercial development with restaurants and other out-parcel type businesses. Industrial uses are less clear.
FPC Team Wins Inaugural UNF MedNexus Innovation Challenge
Twenty-four teams with a total of 86 students submitted applications and their ideas in hopes of joining the competition. The MedNexus Innovation Challenge is a team-based entrepreneurship competition that showcased top regional high school students tasked to pitch their solutions to Florida’s evolving healthcare needs.