A top Florida lawmaker and a national insurance fraud group criticized a law used by insurers to turn in injured undocumented workers and avoid paying workers’ comp benefits.
Economy
In the Hammock, A Concern That a Small Rule Change Will Turn Rustic A1A Into Commerce Central
The Flagler County administration is reinterpreting how the residential and commercial mix along A1A must be applied, raising fears that it’ll open the way to innumerable businesses there.
Palm Coast Approves Its First Microbrewery: Moonrise Brewing Co. at European Village
The brewpub and restaurant, opening in October, will produce about 15,000 pints a month. Its three owners, in the industry many years, expect it to become a big draw for European Village.
On Brink of Banning Medical Pot in Haze of Misinformation, County Opts for Compromise
Three Flagler commissioners nearly pulled off a medical-marijuana ban in the county before one of them surprisingly, and perhaps unintentionally, opposed the ban.
Former WyoTech President Jorge Gutierrez Named President of Flagler Chamber of Commerce
The chamber is eager to increase its membership, which has been stagnating around the 750 to 780 mark for years, while also improving its revenue after it was forced to sell its own building to meet expenses.
A Centenarian Eclipse Winks at Flagler’s Centennial in Hour of Luminous Awe
Flagler County couldn’t have asked for a more apt coda to its centennial, a centenary gift from moon and sun under a radiant sky witnessed to the delight of many in Flagler Beach this afternoon.
Beating Palm Coast and Flagler Beach, County Will Be 1st to Welcome Pot Dispensaries; Bunnell May Ban Them
The Flagler County Commission is expected to approve opening the county to medical pot dispensaries Monday, becoming the first local government formally to do so.
Flagler Unemployment Steady at 4.8%, Florida Adds 32,000 Jobs As Labor Force Grows
Compared to June, Flagler’s labor force didn’t budge, nor did the number of people with jobs, nor did the number of unemployed persons.
Deficit-Ridden Mosquito Control’s Bail-Out Includes $400,000 Property Deals With Palm Coast and County
Palm Coast government will contribute $293,000 and Flagler government $100,000 in property deals as a large part of East Flagler Mosquito Control’s plan to bail itself out of a $1.1 million hole.
School Board Declines $1.8 Million Offer From Island Walk Developer For Old ITT Property
The developer wants to redevelop the area with shops and restaurants, but the school board thinks the price is too low, it hasn’t appraised the property and it won’t sell it if it doesn’t have pressing needs for revenue.
Palm Coast Government Absorbs Golf Course’s Employees and Contracts With Golden Lion In Latest Attempt to Stem Losses
The city will pay a management firm $630,000 a year to maintain the golf course’s grounds while adding eight employees to the city’s payroll and running the operation itself.
Gov. Scott Seeks Amendment To Require Supermajority When Lawmakers Raise Taxes
Gov. Scott didn’t define the meaning of “supermajority” but 15 states, liberal and conservative, already have the requirement of from 60 to 75 percent supermajorities when lawmakers raise taxes.
In Reversal, Flagler Beach Will Allow Medical Pot Dispensaries, Limiting Them to Mainland
The Flagler Beach City Commission unanimously agreed to drop a proposed ban and allow dispensaries along State Road 100, but not on the beach side.
Big Pharma Bullies: How Insurers Force You To Buy Name-Brand Drugs Instead of Generic
Some pharmaceutical companies are cutting deals with insurance companies to favor their brand-name products over cheaper generics. Insurers pay less, but sometimes consumers pay more.
Ending Uncertainty, Palm Coast Will Welcome Medical Pot Dispensaries Starting In Fall
The Palm Coast Council emphatically decided that it would allow medical pot dispensaries in the city’s major business districts even as it may approve an extension of a moratorium to work out a zoning regulation.
Alarming Federal Report On Global Warming Elicits Fears Trump Will Suppress It
The report all but erases doubt that climate change is the result of human activity and that warming will worsen, but it’s awaiting President Trump’s approval and that of the Environmental Protection Agency.
County Votes To Buy Two Properties for $900,000 Even Though Appraisals, Still Due, May Be Lower
Flagler County commissioners, in a puzzling vote today, approved buying two parcels for a library and a future use even though the appraisals on the properties have not come in, and may be lower than the price paid.
Upwards Mobility Bunk: Don’t Lie to Poor Kids About Why They’re Poor, And Will Stay Poor
What happens when children born into poverty run face first into the crushing reality that the society they live in really isn’t that fair at all? Hard work has nothing to do with it.
In Some States, Sales Tax Holidays Lose Luster as Hype Overshadows Cost
Tax holidays don’t increase buying but merely concentrate it around specific dates. They’re regressive. They’re more political than useful: in Florida, the Legislature turned down Gov. Scott’s request for 10 days.
Economy Adds 209,000 Jobs in 82nd Straight Month of Growth, Unemployment at 4.3%
The unemployment rate was last this low in 2001, at the end of the Clinton boom, though wages have only recently started to improve at a pace ahead of inflation.
Half of Floridians Now Off Land Lines, Underscoring Need For Stronger Cell Coverage
An estimated 51 percent of homes in the state were wireless-only in 2015. Meanwhile, the number of traditional residential wirelines in the state dropped 15 percent from 2015 to 2016.
Palm Coast Hires $200,000 Consultant To Figure Out What Roads To Pave Next, and How
The consultant will help the city figure out cheaper ways to resurface its 550 miles of streets than the method it’s been using for years, starting with an inventory of roads, cracks and sidewalks.
Florida’s Back-To-School Sales Tax Holiday Is This Weekend: Here’s A Guide
Florida’s 2017 sales tax holiday on school supplies, clothing, shoes and personal computers and other select accessories is this weekend–starting at a minute after midnight Friday, Aug. 4, through midnight Sunday, Aug. 7.
Flagler Beach Marina Settlement With City Collapses, But This Time It’s a Sklar Thing
Flagler Beach and Marina owner Howard Sklar return to court in late September as their settlement talks over the Flagler Beach Marina collapsed when Sklar reversed course on a building requirement.
Widening and Resurfacing of County Road 305 From Haw Creek Bridge Begins Aug. 7
The project extends from the Haw Creek Bridge, just south of the S curve, for 2.7 miles towards County Road 304. The roadway will remain open during construction, with single-lane closures as needed.
IHOP Restaurant and Chipotle Mexican Grill Nearing Construction in Palm Coast
International House of Pancakes will open near the Island Walk Starbucks on Palm Coast Parkway. And Chipotle will open next to Panera Bread on State Road 100.
40% of Sea Ray Boats’ Workforce in Flagler Affected By Layoffs and Furloughs
Some 90 employees have been laid off and 130 furloughed out of a workforce of 560 at the Sea Ray Boats plant off Colbert Lane even as manufacturer’s parent company posts strong earnings in the second quarter.
Flagler Beach Delays Medical Pot Ban Vote For 2 Weeks, But Hazy Evidence Unchanged
The absence of one of the five commissioners led to the delay on the vote on a controversial measure that would ban the operation of medical pot dispensaries anywhere in Flagler Beach.
Hutson and Renner Try To Push Back Against Criticism on Home Rule, Taxes and Education
Sen. Travis Hutson and Rep. Paul Renner took credit for–and defended–several controversial bills that passed in the last session of the Legislature as they spoke to Flagler’s political and business leaders this morning.
Next Stations of the Cross In Obamacare’s Near-Death Experiences: Debate and Amendments
Senators are limited to 20 hours of debate, following which numberless amendments may be introduced–but not debated. It may get messy and difficult to follow.
It’s Not Just Palm Coast: Credit Card Skimming at Gas Stations Up 160% in Florida
State figures show 315 skimmers had been discovered at Florida gas pumps through July 18, compared to 120 skimmers discovered through the first seven months of 2016.
Flagler Beach’s Golden Lion Cafe Set To Take Over Palm Harbor Golf Restaurant
Golden Lion would sign a five-year lease to run the food and beverage operation, including a bar, catering in the clubhouse and on the golf course, and other amenities.
Patriotic Millionaire: There’s No ‘Free Market’ Solution to Health Care
Republican leaders claim they want affordable access to quality health care for all. It can’t be done by lowering taxes on businesses and the rich and letting the market run it all.
Flagler Unemployment Ticks Up But Remains Below 5%, Florida’s Hits Post-Recession Low
Flagler County’s unemployment rate ticked up three decimal points to 4.8 percent in June as the labor force shrank a little and the unemployment rolls grew.
With Sanford and Other Non-Mega Airport Posting Big Gains, Florida Passes Texas in Passengers
Florida recorded a nearly 4 percent growth in its overall outbound passenger count, from 78.07 million in 2015 to 81.17 million last year, according to annual FAA data.
Hypocrites on Crack
Thursday evening, Flagler Beach Commissioners Jane Mealy, Marshall Shupe and Joy McGrew flipped off voters and voted for a prohibition on medical pot dispensaries.
End of Citrus as We Squeezed It: Florida Harvest Is Lowest in Decades
Florida’s struggling citrus industry shows the orange crop falling 16 percent from the previous season — which, itself, had been at a five-decades low.
Countering 70% of Its Own Voters, Flagler Beach Prepares to Ban Medical Pot Dispensaries Outright
The City Commission this evening takes up an ordinance that would ban medical marijuana dispensaries anywhere in the city. The city fears not doing so would turn it into a pot hub.
Palm Coast Aldi Draws Hundreds Before Doors Open in Grocery Wars’ First Local Salvo
The Palm Coast opening of Aldi, the discount grocery store, generated unusual excitement and crowds this morning, signaling a coming disruption in the grocery-chain business.
Fireworks Stolen in Burglary From Bunnell Shop Blamed For Severe Injuries to 2 Boys
Fireworks that had been altered or corrupted and that injured two boys, ages 7 and 8, were traced to a burglary from a shop off U.S. 1 operated by Brett Lyons for one month a year.
There’s No Good Reason for Your Boss to Make 347 Times What You Do
It’s business executives through outsized CEO pay — not movie stars, professional athletes, or heiresses — who grabbed the dollars that once flowed to the American worker.
Discount Grocer Aldi Opens Its Palm Coast Store Thursday on State Road 100
Aldi’s prices are at significant discount as stores forego frills and luxuries for Aldi-brand products, customers who bag their own groceries and Costco-like shelving systems.
At Flagler Beach Pier, A Modest Re-Dedication For a Truncated Treasure
Officials from three governments gathered Saturday morning for a warm-hearted ribbon-cutting at the beleaguered Flagler Beach Pier, with eyes on a future structure.
Flagler Beach Again Offers Free Parking And Shuttles On and Off Island All Day July 4
Flagler Beach made arrangements to provide free parking at the Food Lion on SR100 and free shuttle service in and out of the city from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on July 4, with additional free parking at Santa Maria del Mar Church.
Palm Coast Data Settles Breach of Contract Lawsuit, Will Pay State $1.76 Million
Palm Coast Data had won $3 million in state incentives in 2008, when it also got $500,000 from Palm Coast and Flagler County, on promises of 700 new jobs that never materialized.
Palm Coast’s Paul Renner is to be House Speaker in 2022 in Historic Boost for Flagler
Renner will serve in the powerful post for two years, starting in 2022. Local governments anticipate having more pull with state government appropriations.
9% Garbage Fee Increase as Palm Coast Begins 5-Year Extension of Waste Pro Contract
After remaining flat for 10 years, garbage-pickup rates for Palm Coast residents this month kicked up 9 percent, to $20.36 a month, or $21 a year as the city renewed its contract with Waste Pro for five years.
Florida Tourism Officials Worry About Donald Trump’s Impact on Travel
Visit Florida President and CEO Ken Lawson said he and others have heard anecdotal reports, both positive and negative, about international travel due to Donald Trump.
In Palm Coast, A Small Protest Against GOP Health Bill Echoes Myriad Anxieties of Flesh and Blood
It wasn’t a large protest but every person gathered in support of Obamacare had a story to tell that looked past ideology to the human beings behind the numbers, and all those stories were local.
The GOP Senate Bill’s Hollow Promise To Protect Coverage For Preexisting Conditions
Built into the bill are loopholes for states to bypass protections and erode coverage for preexisting conditions, so insurers could cover chronically ill people but not the diseases they suffer from.