Flagler County has been meeting with municipalities as part of an economic development initiative to create a single, unified plan aimed at diversifying the tax base for the benefit of all its residents.
News Briefs
Bill Shielding Businesses and Insurance Companies from Lawsuits Is Now Law
After the Senate gave final approval Thursday, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday quickly signed a bill aimed at helping shield businesses and insurance companies from lawsuits. DeSantis formally received the bill (HB 837) on Friday, and the House and Senate websites said he signed it.
Proposed Law Would Keep DeSantis’s Travel Records Secret
The bill would create a public-records exemption for records held by law-enforcement agencies related to “transportation and protective services” provided to the governor, the governor’s immediate family, visiting governors and “other persons as requested by certain state officers.”
Tara Gugliara and John Aguiar Named Vice Presidents at Intracoastal Bank
Bruce Page, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, today announced the promotion of Tara Gugliara to Assistant Vice President/Assistant Manager, Volusia Banking Center for the Bank. Last week, Page announced the appointment of John Aguiar as Vice President/Business Relationship Manager for the Bank.
Florida Gas Prices Spike Above National Average, But Relief May Be on the Way
In Palm Coast, regular, unleaded gas was selling for 3.45 to $3.49 a gallon at most stations along State Road 100, but lower gas prices are expected soon, with oil prices dropping to their lowest level in over two years.
NASCAR’s Hailie Deegan and AdventHealth Partner to Mark Women’s History Month
AdventHealth is launching a platform in March during Women’s History Month to celebrate the women working in NASCAR, including women drivers and the business professionals who serve as the backbone of race teams, tracks, agencies and media organizations.
Varn Park Will Close for 3 Months as It Turns Into Latest Dune-Rebuilding Staging Area
Varn Park will be closed beginning March 27 for about three months as Flagler County undertakes two emergency sand operations – the first in Painters Hill and Beverly Beach, and the second north through the park into the Hammock Dunes Homeowners Association property.
Soft Landing? Daytona Beach Condo Sales Down But Improving
110 condo units were sold around the Daytona Beach area in February with a median sales price of $241,250. That’s a 71 percent increase over January, but a nearly 31 percent decline from February 2022.
Open Burning Regulations Adopted in Bunnell
This ordinance enabled regulations for open burning and requirements for open burning permits for properties within the City limits.
Fashion Show Fundraiser Raises $1,260 for Women United Flagler
Chez Jacqueline Boutique in Palm Coast hosted a charity fashion show on March 10 to benefit women and children in Flagler County via the Women United Flagler group. The sold-out event raised $1,260 for Women United Flagler.
Florida House Advances Proposal to Renew Medical Pot Cards by Telehealth
A Florida House panel on Thursday unanimously signed off on a proposal that would allow doctors to renew patients’ medical-marijuana approvals using telehealth.
Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin Seeks Resident’s Vision of City’s Future
The City of Palm Coast is announces ‘Share with the Mayor,’ an all-new initiative to get residents involved in planning and building the future of Palm Coast for tomorrow and beyond.
Vast Expansion of Public Funding of Private Education Heads for House Floor
A proposal that would make all Florida students eligible to receive taxpayer-backed school vouchers is headed to the full House, after getting some changes Friday. The Republican-controlled House Education Quality Subcommittee approved the proposal (HB 1) in a near party-line vote.
Florida Lawmakers Fast-Tracking Bill Eliminating Unanimous Jury Requirements in Death Penalty
The House measure would require judges to impose death sentences if recommended by at least eight jurors. That differs from the Senate bill, which would require death sentences if at least 10 jurors recommend the death penalty.
Annual Mental Health Summit Set for March 29 at St. Augustine Amphitheatre
The third annual BRAVE Summit, a free event for teens that aims to break the stigma surrounding mental health, will the held on March 29, 2023, at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre. The event, hosted by Flagler Health+, is free and open to all high school students throughout Florida.
Jacksonville Republican Files Bill Targeting Public Sector Unions, With Exceptions
The bill would prevent public-employee union members from having dues deducted from their paychecks. Members would have to separately pay dues.
Backers of Recreational Pot Initiative Reach Halfway Point in Signatures for Ballot
The Florida Division of Elections had received 420,072 valid signatures from the political committee Smart & Safe Florida as of Wednesday, according to the division’s website. The committee would need to submit at least 891,589 signatures to get on the ballot.
Ride SunRail for Free Saturday From Afternoon to Midnight
SunRail is running a special service on Saturday, March 4, between 2 p.m. and 12:45 a.m., sponsored by Orlando Downtown Development Board. Ride free and save on parking for events in Downtown Orlando.
CareSource Foundation Opens $400,000 Funding Competition
The CareSource Foundation Grant Challenge will award a total of $400,000 to Florida community-based organizations and nonprofits focused on demonstrating effective, practical solutions to address the needs of children and youth in medically complex care.
Daytona Beach Home Sales Hit an 11-Year Low
Daytona Beach area home sales plummeted in January to low levels not seen since the last major recession. The last time Daytona Beach home sales started the year below 215 homes sold was 2012.
State Agency Holds Office Hours in Bunnell to Help Residents with Post-Hurricane Permitting
The office hours will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 2 (Thursday) in the Engineering Conference Room (located on the third floor) at the Flagler County Government Building, 1769 E. Moody Boulevard, Bunnell.
Flagler County Cultural Council Drives Local Survey Collection for a Study
Administered by Americans for the Arts approximately every five years, the culture survey will examine the economic impact of the arts and culture in Flagler County and 400 additional communities representing all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia.
Group Seeks to Legalize Homegrown Medical Pot with 2024 Ballot Proposal
A political committee has started moving forward with a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow medical-marijuana patients and patients’ caregivers to grow cannabis at home.
FPC Fire Academy’s Kyle Gardner Finds a Career with the Palm Coast Fire Department
By joining the Flagler Palm Coast High School Fire Academy Leadership program as a freshman in 2017, Kyle Gardner was able to get a jumpstart on his fire school studies during the week while spending his weekends at Palm Coast Fire Stations 21 and 24.
Flagler Sheriff’s Office Announces Death of K-9 Keanu Just Shy of His 4th Birthday
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office this morning announced the death of K-9 Keanu, a few weeks shy of his fourth birthday and a little over two years into his service with the Sheriff’s Office.
Gabi Adrian Boitan of Romania Wins 2023 Palm Coast Open Singles Title
The 2023 Palm Coast Open singles title went to Gabi Adrian Boitan of Romania and the doubles title went to Mac Kriger and George Goldhoff, both from the United States.
Flagler Beach Cancels Boil-Water Notice Scheduled for This Week
Update: Flagler Beach on Monday (Feb. 13) cancelled the boil-water notice that was scheduled for this week, saying the tie-in will be rescheduled to a later date.
Dr. Hiram Powell to Be Honored at Volusia Cultural Alliance’s Annual Celebration
The Volusia County Cultural Alliance (VCCA) will honor Dr. Hiram Powell for his service to Arts and Culture at its Annual Celebration and Awards Ceremony on Feb. 22, 2023 from 6 pm to 8 pm at The Shores Community Center in Daytona Beach Shores.
Bethune-Cookman University Names Raymond Woodie Head Football Coach
Bethune-Cookman University Director of Athletics Reggie Theus announced the appointment of Raymond Woodie as Head Football Coach. Woodie, 49, becomes the 16th head coach of Bethune-Cookman Football.
Buddy Taylor Middle’s Mitchell Spencer Edelstein Is Spelling Bee Champion Again
Buddy Taylor Middle School 8th-grader Mitchell Spencer Edelstein had the stamina to survive the challenge and emerged as the Flagler Schools Spelling Bee Champion for the second consecutive year.
Flagler County’s Emergency Management Team Makes Its Mark at State Association
Flagler County’s Emergency Management team made its mark last week at the Florida Emergency Preparedness Association’s (FEPA) Annual Meeting.
Palm Coast’s Water Treatment Plant #1 Will Be Down for a Week
The electrical upgrade will require the plant, one of the City’s three water treatment plants, to be shut down on February 7, 2023, to approximately February 14, 2023.
Flagler County Maintains Favorable ISO, or Fire Protection, Rating
The rating takes into account the 9-1-1 emergency reporting system, local fire departments, water supply, and community risk reduction.
Volunteers Collect Half a Ton of Litter in Keep Palm Coast Clean Event
Volunteers collected over 85 bags of trash equivalent to more than 1000 pounds of debris. This does not include heavy miscellaneous items collected such as a discarded mattress, misc. automobile parts, construction materials, and tires.
Sheriff’s Community Engagement Unit Trains 3,000th Woman in Self-Defense
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office’s Community Engagement Unit hosted its 203rd Women’s Self-Defense Course and trained its 3,000th female participant on Thursday, January 26th. The class was hosted at the Palm Coast Community Center for City of Palm Coast employees.
Flagler Woman’s Club Hosts Casino Night Fund-Raiser Feb. 25
Flagler Woman’s Club invites you to the organization’s biggest fundraiser ever on Saturday, February 25 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. The Casino Night event will be held at the Italian American Social Club, 45 N. Old Kings Road in Palm Coast.
For 3rd Time in 2 Months, Matanzas High School and Deputies Confront Bogus Threat
Matanzas High School was the target of a third false threat in two months. Classes were not interrupted nor were evacuations called for as the sheriff’s office swept the school and found nothing.
AdventHealth Daytona Beach Breaks Ground on Medical Office Building and Surgery Center
The 3-floor, 60,000-square-foot AdventHealth medical building will contain four operating rooms and two catheterization labs, and will be the medical office home to the Cardiology Physicians Group and North Florida Surgeons specialty group. It is slated to open in January 2024.
Flagler Firefighters Aiding State Agencies in Containing 2-Month-Old Favoretta Fire
Flagler County Fire Rescue continues to provide mutual aid to the Florida Forest Service and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection – the lead response agencies – for an extremely dense mulch fire in Favoretta that has been burning for two months. The property owner has been dismantling the large pile to create smaller, less dense piles that will be easier to extinguish.
Stetson President Roellke Discusses the Future of Higher Education in New Book
Stetson University President Christopher F. Roellke, PhD, joins more than 100 college presidents who offer insights into the forces reshaping higher education in the new book, “Commencement: The Beginning of a New Era in Higher Education.”
New AdventHealth Clinic Researches Treatment for Long Covid
AdventHealth has opened a multidisciplinary clinic to diagnose, treat and research Long-haul COVID, a critical next step in the health care system’s pandemic response that will help physicians better understand the puzzling syndrome caused by COVID-19.
Women United Flagler Chapter Announces 2023 board members
The Women United Flagler Chapter is announcing the group’s 2023 board members. Women United Flagler is best known for their food-raising project Chicks with Cans, collecting monetary donations totaling $77,895 since 2021.
Prescribed Fire Will Limit Access to Princess Place Preserve Thursday Through Sunday
Park visitors to Princess Place Preserve may experience limited access Thursday through Sunday as Flagler County Land Management will be conducting prescribed-fire operations over four days – January 26 through 29.
Lehigh Trail Closure and Detour Begins Jan. 25
The contractor will begin work on the restroom facility, which will cause closures to the trail from Royal Palms Parkway and Belle Terre Parkway to Royal Palms Parkway and Town Center Boulevard.
$3.67 Million Dune Reconstruction Begins Wednesday From Malacompra Park North
Flagler County’s contractor for $3.67 million Hurricane Dorian dunes restoration project from south MalaCompra Park to north Washington Oaks Gardens State Park mobilized on Monday and construction will begin on Wednesday.
Four Arrested in Drug Raid At Rivera Lane House in Palm Coast
On Thursday, January 19, 2023, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) Special Investigations Unit (SIU) and SWAT Team executed a narcotics-related search warrant at 10 Rivera Lane in Palm Coast. This search warrant stemmed from a previous undercover operation conducted by SIU.
National Security Agency Redesignates DSC’s Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense
The National Security Agency (NSA) has redesignated Daytona State College as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense through 2028.
2022 Ends Home Sales Down Across The Daytona Beach Area
In another year of economic uncertainty marred by an ongoing pandemic, inflation, and 2 major hurricanes, prices continued to climb as home sales fell across the Daytona Beach area in 2022.
Construction Begins on $2.5 Million Lehigh Trailhead in Palm Coast
Construction on the Lehigh Trailhead Project off of Belle Terre Parkway will start on January 23. The $2.5 million project enhances the popular path by providing disability-access paved parking with more than 60 parking spaces, a restroom, and a water fountain. The project also includes community gardens, a dog park, lighting, and pavilions.
Artist Berdella ‘Birdie’ Gibbs’s One-Person Show and Talk at Pineapple Gallery
Artist Berdella Gibbs’s photography exhibit runs from Feb. 3 to 5 at Pineapple Gallery, 208 S. Central Avenue, across the street from the Flagler Beach Museum. The gallery will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Gibbs will present an artist’s talk on the 4th at 5:30 p.m., as part of a free reception, open to all.