Expanded from three days last year, the tax holiday has drawn added attention after Florida experienced hurricanes in 2016 and 2017 after a decade’s calm.
Economy
To Protect Public Use of Private Beachfronts, Flagler Calls on Memories of
Long-Timers’ Customs
To ward off a new state law potentially allowing private property owners to fence off beach sands, the Flagler County Commission is enacting an ordinance to preserve public use and forbid fencing.
Shirley “Bird” Blanton, 1928-2018
Shirley “Bird” Blanton, 89, of St. Augustine, Florida went to her heavenly home to be her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on May 20, 2018.
Flagler Government Wants $284,000 Contract For Tourism Website Revamp
The proposal never went before the Tourist Development Council. The county administrator says the $284,000 cost will actually be less than the existing contract.
FPL Will Reimburse Customers Modest Amount Following Overcharge For Matthew Recovery
For a residential customer who uses 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity a month, the credit would amount to $3.18, to be credited in a future bill.
Construction Brisk in Flagler and Palm Coast, Prompting Glimmers of Steady Boomlet
Brisk construction activity in Palm Coast and Flagler is sending building inspections soaring, reflecting healthy but not boom-like activity in the sector.
After Worst Harvest in 8 Decades, Florida Citrus Industry Is Losing Its Iconic Status
Florida’s overall citrus production for the current season to 49.65 million boxes, the lowest cumulative mark since the 1937-38 season, when 40.87 million boxes were filled.
Flagler Palm Coast High Thespians Go Big With ‘Little Mermaid’ and Again Raise Bar
For Local Musicals
The $18,000 production of FPC “Little Mermaid” is, Like Matanzas’s “Sherk” last month, giving Flagler audiences a new look at high school musicals that have little to differentiate them from professional productions.
Swip-Swappers Get a Safer Trading and Exchange Zone Outside Flagler Sheriff’s Office
To minimize transactions going wrong, the Flagler Sheriff’s Office has set up a safe-trade -e-commerce exchange zone under video surveillance outside its operations center.
New Gambling Rule Would End ‘Designated-Player’ Card Games, Costing Millions
Florida gambling regulators’ rule could cost $50 million a year and hundreds of jobs, according to a lawyer representing several of the state’s cardroom operators.
Accusing Palm Coast of Making ‘Blatantly False’ Claims, County Talks Mediation and Litigation Over SR100 Development
A proposed commercial development on State Road 100 by the airport has county and Palm Coast government relations at their lowest ebb in years.
Disaster-Response Company Gets $40,000 County Subsidy and Moves to Flagler Airport
Kimble’s Aviation Logistical Services pledged to create 40 jobs over the next seven years, basing its disaster-recovery operation at the Flagler County Airport.
Sheriff’s Palm Coast Precinct Moving Near Island Walk for $1 Million, Ending Nomadic Years
The Flagler Sheriff’s Palm Coast Precinct will move from City Marketplace to Palm Harbor Way, in the old Wachovia bank building that will be county property.
Palm Coast’s City Repertory Theatre Leaps Into Faith and Murder with ‘Agnes of God’
“Agnes of God” is an investigation of religion, of faith, of science, of what, how and why we believe, says City Repertory Theatre John Sbordone. The play opens Friday.
Jane Gentile-Youd for Flagler County Commission, District 4
Jane Gentile-Youd is running for Flagler County Commission District 4, 2018 election.
Roundabout Construction at US1 and Old Dixie Will Start In a Few Months Despite Opposition
Construction of the much-opposed roundabout at U.S. 1 and Old Dixie Highway in Flagler is expected to start after August absent intervention by the governor or lawmakers.
For Working Poor’s Sake, Bring Back May Day
Nearly one in five families have zero or negative net worth. That number rises to over a quarter of Latin American households and 30 percent of black households.
Citing Net Losses Near End of 2017, Report Raises Questions About Job Growth in Florida
A new federal report cast Florida in an unusual role: as the state with the most net job losses, at least for the third quarter of 2017, contrasting with Gov. Rick Scott claims.
Florida Angling Closer to More Restrictions On Shark-Fishing From Beaches and Piers
Calls to restrict or ban shark fishing from beaches, piers and bridges led the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to direct staff to craft new rules.
With “Shrek The Musical,” Matanzas High School Mega-Production Aims To Make Everyone a Believer
“Shrek the Musical” at Matanzas’s Pirate Theatre Wednesday through Saturday is a huge, roaring production involving a cast and crew of 90, with a 20-piece live orchestra.
The Latest Assault on Food Stamps Holders
The draconian work requirement to receive food stamps could throw 1 million people off the rolls and cause more job losses than job gains.
Flagler and Florida Unemployment in Holding Pattern For Seventh Month In a Row
Flagler’s unemployment rate is at a healthy 4.1 percent, where it’s been, give or take a few decimal points, for seven months, with the state’s unemployment mirroring the holding pattern.
Tax-Evaders Beware: Flagler Will Take Over Local Collection From Short-Term Renters, Projecting Jump in Revenue
The Flagler County Tax Collector, not the state Department of Revenue, will be collecting the 5 percent tax on short term rentals starting in July–a tax hundreds of property owners are evading currently.
Florida Hospitals and Halifax Health Named Among 150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare
Adventist Health System, which includes the Florida Hospitals in Volusia and Flagler counties, was recognized by Becker’s Hospital Review as one of the top places to work in health care.
Flagler Moves to Protect Public’s Use Of Beaches Ahead of Law Granting Property Owners Restrictive Rights
The new law allows beachfront private property owners to trespass the public from private beaches, something not allowed currently, and never done in Flagler.
In Praise of Pops: Jax Symphony’s Palm Coast Picnic Returns in Salute To Bracing Favorites
The Jacksonville Symphony’s 11th Picnics and Pops concert with the Palm Coast Arts Foundation is an exploration of the worlds of pop music’s Mozarts.
Water War Flares Again Between Palm Coast and County Over Planned Shops Near Airport
A proposed commercial development at the southeast corner of State Road 100 and the entrance to the county airport, opposite Bulldog Drive, is at the center of the latest water dispute between Palm Coast and the county.
On Florida Park Drive, Council Wants a Stop To Traffic-Calming Proposals That Dead-End
Palm Coast council member blames the city administration for not acting on several proposals to help reduce traffic, pollution and noise along Florida Park Drive.
Flagler Beach Without a Beach? Researcher Lays Out Erosion’s Implications at Workshop
Flagler Beach native and beach-erosion expert Chad Boda presents findings from his recently-defended dissertation on beach sustainability at a city workshop.
RaceTrac Station at Old Kings and SR100 Starts Construction in June as Kings Pointe Resurrects
The new RaceTrac gas station is a breakthrough for the long-dormant Kings Pointe development, until now one of the symbols of the housing collapse.
Trump’s Census Whitewash
The Trump administration’s decision to include a question on the census about citizenship is intended to under-count immigrants and skew numbers to favor whiter voting districts.
New Law Gives Property Owners Right to Restrict Beach Access. Flagler Working On Protecting Public’s “Customary Use”
The new and unusual Florida law allows beachfront property owners the right to wall off or restrict dry-sand areas from public use, but Flagler government intends to protect that “customary use” despite the law.
Flagler’s Labor Force and Number of Job-Holders Jump to New Highs as Unemployment Falls
Flagler County’s labor force has grown by 42 percent since the recovery began in 2010, and more impressively, the rate of people holding jobs has grown 63 percent, by a net 17,500 people.
Flagler-Palm Coast’s Population Grows 2.5% in a Year, to 110,510
Flagler County gained an estimated 2,705 residents in the last 12 months calculated by the U.S. Census Bureau, suggesting a need for more housing.
City Rep’s ‘Blood Knot’ Peels Off Limits of Black and White Skins Through Apartheid
The Athol Fugard play tells the story of two South African brothers in the early 1960s, one of whom returns to live with his sibling after years of passing as white.
Iconic Geodesic Dome at North End of Flagler Beach Collapses and Won’t Be Rebuilt
The two geodesic-domed houses, totaling close to 10,000 square feet between them, have been at Flagler Beach’s north end since the early 1980s. The owner says the dome will be replaced with a flat roof.
Nursing Home Industry Successfully Quashes Residents’ Bill of Rights
Florida Constitution Revision Commission member Brecht Heuchan withdrew a proposal that would have guaranteed rights to nursing-home residents and allowed them to sue facilities if those rights were violated.
Tiny RV Park Proposed for Colbert Lane Revs Up Residents’ Rebellion, and Is Denied
Upscale or not, Palm Coast Plantation and Grand Haven residents saw a proposed RV park on Colbert Lane as a trailer park, and the county commission rejected it Monday evening.
The New Palm Coast Community Center: A Bounty of Spaces Welcoming Uses and Nature
The $8 million renovation more than triples the size of the old building to 18,000 square feet, with ample and handsome spaces inside and out, including a renovated public park.
Post-Hurricane Initiatives Fall Short of Measures to Prevent Fuel Crises In Next Storms
A strategic fuel-reserve task force and using rail-tank cars to bring fuel into evacuation areas to avoid a repeat of runs on gas stations were among initiatives that failed at this year’s legislative session.
From Guns To Opioids To Education, A Legislative Session That Got A Few Things Done
The session became dominated in February by the aftermath of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Broward County.
Flagler Unemployment Ticks Up by 0.6%, Mirroring Increases in Surrounding Counties
Flagler, St. Johns, Duval and Volusia all saw unemployment figures increase by 0.5 to 06 percent in January, with Flagler’s increase also due to a larger labor force.
“It Stinks,” Palm Coast Manager Says of WastePro’s Service as Mayor Speaks of Ending Contract
Mayor Milissa Holland is raising the possibility of finding a new garbage hauler for Palm Coast after losing patience with complaints about WastePro.
School Board Will Yet Again Try To Sell Corporate One Property Off Palm Coast Parkway
The school board will most likely have to sell the 7-acre property–now without a building–at a loss, after owning it since 2003 but for far more trouble than it was worth.
Another Exhausting But Short-Term Victory For Flagler Government as Vacation-Rental Deregulation Fails Again
Flagler County government had staunchly opposed lawmakers’ attempts to eliminate local regulation of short-term vacation rentals, regulations crafted in 2014 largely at Flagler’s behest.
Hammock Beach “Dragging Their Feet” Over Dunes-Repair Agreement, Vexing County
The agreement with Hammock Beach is the last piece of a mosaic of agreements framing the reconstruction of protective dunes along the beach. But hammock Beach has yet to sign.
Palm Coast Tells Matanzas Golf That Foreclosure Is On Again as Deadline Passes
Matanzas Golf Club owners did not comply with a deadline to demolish or renovate a cart barn at the site and now face a resumption of Palm Coast’s foreclosure proceedings.
Gov. Scott’s Boasts of “Recovering” $1.2 Million From Palm Coast Data Aside, New Documents Detail Extent of Deal’s Failures
Documents obtained by FlaglerLive and disclosed for the first time show the extent of Palm Coast Data’s difficulties and some of Palm Coast government’s own deception along the way.
Palm Coast and Matanzas Golf Course Owners Reach Agreement, With Conditions
Palm Coast government has agreed to significantly code enforcement reduce its lien on the Matanzas golf course in exchange for a dismissal of all pending litigation.
Ding Dong! The Obamacare Tax Penalty Is(n’t) Dead–Not Until 2019
That means you still will owe an Obamacare tax penalty if you didn’t have health insurance or an exemption from the mandate in 2017. The same holds true for this year.