It must be summer: it’s time for the Flagler County Scholarship Pageants. Meet them all, the 54 contestants in each category, as they vie for the crowns in Sunday’s pageants at the Flagler Auditorium.
Economy
A Dissent on Canceling July 4 Fireworks: When Palm Coast Dictates to Flagler Beach
Canceling the fireworks in Town Center was justified, canceling them in Flagler Beach was not, argues Jeremy Mahoney, who sees the decision as another way of making Flagler Beach subservient to Palm Coast.
Foregoing Raise to Top Staff, School Board Awards 2% to Most Others But Cuts Schedules
High and middle school students will lose 45 minutes a day in instructional time, the equivalent of 21 days, and the 2 percent raise won’t make up for salary losses from higher pension and insurance costs and a shorter work year.
Adding to Mounting Legal Challenges for Scott, Public Employees Sue Over 3% Pension Hit
The class-action lawsuit is filed on behalf of 556,296 public employees, including state workers, teachers and police officers. It echoes frustrations that led the Flagler County School Board to talk lawsuit last week.
Risk-Avoidance: July 4 Fireworks Canceled in Flagler Beach and Palm Coast’s Town Center
The Flagler County Commission canceled both fireworks shows, saying it would be too risky in fire-prone, drought conditions despite projected rains. The $30,000 worth of fireworks may be staged around Labor Day.
20% Down Mortgage Requirement Would End Middle Class Home-Ownership As We Know It
If a proposed Qualified Residential Mortgage Rule (QRM) of 20% down and spending less than 28% of monthly gross income on the mortgage takes effect, Marc Morial of the National Urban League argues, middle class home ownership will be a thing of the past.
Double Chest CT Scans: More Radiation and Costs; FHF’s 8% Rate Higher Than Average
Nationwide, hospitals performed double scans on 5.4 percent of Medicare patients who received chest CTs, but 618 hospitals performed the tests on at least 10 percent of Medicare patients, though experts say the double scans are unnecessary.
Flagler Unemployment at 13.8%,
Florida’s Down to 10.6%
Flagler County’s April unemployment was revised upward to 14 percent, so May’s figure is, officially, another decline. The county’s labor force grew by 64 over the month, but declined by more than 1,000 over the year.
Finally, Flagler Beach Agrees to Long-Term Pier Restaurant Deal With River Grille Owner
Paying the city $3,000 a month in base rent, Ray Barshay, owner of River Grille in Ormond and Crabby Joe’s in Daytona, plans to revamp the Pier Restaurant into an American, Southern, New Orleans cuisine destination.
Sprawl-Fighting State Oversight Agency Is Dissolved, To the Delight of Local Developers
The Florida Department of Community Affairs, created in 1969 to manager growth, is being diluted into other agencies, leaving local governments much freer to develop as they choose.