Lauren Johnston, acting Palm Coast City Manager since March 2024, returns to her former role as assistant city manager on Dec. 17, the day Michael McGlothlin assumes the title of City Manager. Johnston released the following message this week.
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Birthright Citizenship Is Hanging By a Phrase
The Supreme Court on Dec. 5, 2025, agreed to review the long-simmering controversy over birthright citizenship. It will likely hand down a ruling next summer. When the justices weigh the arguments, they will focus on the meaning of the first sentence of the 14th Amendment, known as the citizenship clause. Both sides agree that to be granted birthright citizenship under the Constitution, a child must be born inside U.S. borders and the parents must be “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States. However, each side will give a very different interpretation of what the second requirement means.
Palm Coast and Flagler Beach Cancel Holiday Parades as Weather Hijacks Santa’s Sleigh; No Rain Dates
There was no Santa parachuting from a plane this morning in Flagler Beach and there will be no Santa on a firetruck this evening in Palm Coast’s Town center as grayly grinchy weather forced both cities to cancel their holiday parades. For Palm Coast, it is the fifth time in six years that the Starlight Parade has had to be cancelled, with 2024 the only year in that span when it was held without a hitch.
How the Government, and ICE, Are Tracking Your Location
If you use a mobile phone with location services turned on, it is likely that data about where you live and work, where you shop for groceries, where you go to church and see your doctor, and where you traveled to over the holidays is up for sale. And U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is one of the customers.
The Phoenix Declaration’s Serenade of Dog Whistles
The Heritage Foundation’s “Phoenix” doctrine, recently adopted by Florida, is a Christian nationalist manifesto designed to eradicate educational dissent. It prioritizes “parental omnipotence” over children’s intellectual freedom. By diverting public funds to private vouchers and sanitizing history, the doctrine cements a decades-long conservative war against public education and enforces a “pinched, angry” monoculture that suppresses critical thinking in favor of dogmatic, exclusionary patriotism.
Preservation of Bulow Creek Verging on Reality as Developer Agrees to Conservation Sale, Clearing Annexation Path
In a major breakthrough, Flagler County and the developer of the 2,400-home Veranda Bay/Summertown project have tentatively agreed to preserve 150 acres of floodplain around Bulow Creek. Orchestrated by Commissioner Andy Dance, the deal involves the county applying for state “Florida Forever” funds by Dec. 8 to purchase the land. This compromise largely satisfies the “Preserve Flagler Beach” non-profit and clears the path for the development’s annexation into Flagler Beach in January. Despite the agreement, tension remains regarding traffic on John Anderson Highway.
County Opens Nexus Center in Bunnell, Giving West Side ‘True Jewel’ Library Albanese Imagined 19 Years Ago
Flagler County officials opened the $16 million Nexus Center in Bunnell on Thursday, delivering a long-awaited standalone library to the county’s west side. The 23,000-square-foot facility on Commerce Parkway replaces a cramped storefront and now houses both the library branch and the Health and Human Services Department.
Citing ‘Age of Darkness and Deceit,’ DeSantis Moves to Curb AI Growth and Data Centers
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday proposed an artificial intelligence “bill of rights” to stymie unfettered AI growth, crack down on sexual AI chatbots, and restrict AI data centers in Florida. Hinted at for months, these legislative proposals come in sharp contrast to pro-tech push marking President Donald Trump’s second term in office. Trump — allied with technology titans like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg — toyed with an executive order to thwart state-level AI regulations earlier this month.
County Administrator Heidi Petito ‘Does Not Meet Expectations,’ 3 of 5 Commissioners Say, Putting Her Future in Doubt
In a set of evaluations potentially devastating to Flagler County Administrator Heidi Petito’s tenure, three of her commissioners—Chair Leann Pennington, Kim Carney, and Pam Richardson—concluded in their evaluations of Petito that she “does not meet expectations.” They each rated her a failing 2 out of 5, sharply criticized her leadership, and two of them explicitly said Petito is no longer the person for the job.
Flagler County Paramedic, Step-Father and Homeless Man All Facing Grave Sex Charges and Life Terms Set for Trials
Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols this morning scheduled three men for trials on unrelated sex-assault charges after each man declined to plead out, opting instead to risk facing 55 years to life in prison if convicted. The men are former Flagler County Fire Rescue paramedic James Melady, whose alleged victim was a patient he is accused of raping in an ambulance; Kristopher Henriqson, who is accused of raping his prepubescent stepdaughter for years; and Jose Valerio-Rodriguez, a homeless man accused of statutorily raping a minor.
McGlothlin Applauds ‘Due Diligence’ as Palm Coast Council Strips Several Clauses Before Approving His Contract
The Palm Coast City Council unanimously approved a nearly $300,000 compensation package for incoming City Manager Michael McGlothlin, but not before deleting several clauses from the contract, including a provision that would have made him eligible for additional pay during emergencies. McGlothlin followed the council’s deliberations on YouTube last night, and told FlaglerLive this morning that “I heard absolutely nothing that gives me any pause.”
Mosquito Board’s Julius “Jules” Kwiatkowski, Flagler County’s 2nd Longest-Serving Elected Official, Dies at 90
Jules “Julius” Kwiatkowski, Flagler County’s longest-serving elected official after Bunnell Mayor Catherine Robinson–with 17 years on the East Flagler Mosquito Control District, many of them as chair–died Monday in Palm Coast, the district announced this evening. He would have been 91 on Jan. 4. Kwiatkowski was one of only two Democrats still serving in elected office in Flagler County or its cities.
A Year and A Half Investigation of Drive-By Shooting Leads to Arrest, and Almost Immediate Release
Traycan Verdell, 27, accused of a drive-by shooting into an occupied house in Bunnell in June 2024, was arrested on a Flagler County warrant in Daytona Beach last week, but was almost immediately released after posting bond, and after Bunnell police spent a year and a half investigating the shooting.
Palm Coast Charter Revisions Take Shape: Easier to Run, Stricter Term Limits, No More Health Benefits
As Palm Coast’s Charter Review Committee continues to meet bi-weekly as it did last night, and before audiences that can be counted on one hand, its proposed revisions are taking shape well ahead of a March 1 deadline: the committee expects to be done next month. The council will then decide what, if any, proposals make it onto next November’s ballot. The council may edit, delete, rewrite or accept in whole the committee’s proposals. The committee itself may meet only one or two more times, likely in January. Here’s what it’s come up with.
Defying Trump Threat of Court Martial, Senator Stands by Call for Military to Refuse Illegal Orders
Arizona Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly said Monday the threat of a court-martial for a video he and other senators released telling military members not to follow illegal orders is an effort to silence the president’s political opponents. Kelly, a retired Navy captain, was one of six Democratic lawmakers with backgrounds in the military or intelligence agencies who appeared in the video that was posted on social media in mid-November. President Donald Trump alleged the lawmakers had committed “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”
Consultant’s Report Finds Lead Levels Insignificant at Flagler County Airport as Complaints Again Take-Off
An analysis of lead levels at Flagler County airport yielded insignificant levels in the air and in the soil at four locations, according to the county attorney’s office. Flagler County last winter commissioned the lead analysis from Timothy Scott of Melbourne-based Consolidated Environmental Engineering, what appears to be a one-man shop. The tests he conducted at the far edges of each runway at the airport showed levels of lead exposure to be well below the permissible exposure limits established by OSHA.
Palm Coast City Manager McGlothlin Set for Pay Package of Close to $300,000 and ‘Disaster Pay’ Bonus in Emergencies
Incoming Palm Coast City Manager Michael McGlothlin would be paid $225,000 a year and have a total compensation package that would push the total near the $300,000 mark based on the proposed contract the City Council is set to approve on Tuesday. The base pay is 29 percent higher than that of his predecessor in the permanent job. McGlothlin would be eligible for hourly pay at his base rate for every hour he works during an emergency, past his regular 40-hour week, a first for local government executives.
4-Day School Weeks Winning Popularity But Fail Data Test
Four-day school weeks come down to staff recruitment and retention, fewer discipline problems and improved attendance, while they also help stretch tight school budgets. But the promised benefits have not shown up in the data as longer school days can harm academic performance. Such concerns might not matter as four-day school weeks become more popular nationwide.
Eliminating Property Taxes in These Florida Counties Means ‘Dismemberment of Vital Services’
Local government officials statewide are wary of plans by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state Legislature to slash or abolish homestead property taxes, but one group of counties is particularly worried. They are Florida’s “fiscally constrained” counties: 29 mostly rural counties with small populations, few industries and lots of agricultural or conservation land — and therefore small tax bases. Without property tax revenue, there would be very little left for roadwork, emergency services, fire protection, libraries, parks” or cultural efforts such as historic preservation and festivals.
Drone Video Shows Progress of Pier Project as Contractor Nears Demolition; $145,000 Change Order Ahead
Drone footage released by the project engineer of the $16 million Flagler Beach pier reconstruction shows a parallel trestle almost completed as the project nears the point where demolition of the century-old structure will begin. The contractor is asking for a $145,000 change order and a 40-day extension to complete the project, pushing it to mid-January 2027.
From Mentorship to Tradition: Celebrating Student Success in South Bunnell as Bossardet Keeps 2018 Promise to Sugar Pop
The annual Bulldog Block Party returned to Bunnell’s Carver Gym on November 19, drawing 450 people to celebrate student academic progress. FPC Principal Bobby Bossardet honored the late Elijah “Sugar Pop” Emmanuel, keeping a promise made in 2018 to keep the event going. Originally launched to boost GPAs at Buddy Taylor Middle School, the event connects families with support services and celebrates achievements. Superintendent LaShakia Moore praised the initiative for “setting the standard” in community-oriented leadership, continuing a legacy of mentorship.”
Housing Authority Will Demolish 132 Duplexes in Bunnell and Build 272-Unit Apartment Complex in Privatizing Scheme
In the most consequential change affecting affordable housing in the county in 75 years, the Flagler County Housing Authority plans to demolish its 132 public housing duplexes in South Bunnell, seek private investors, and rebuild what it calls Carver Village into a huge apartment complex of 272 apartments in three- and four-story buildings, including an 80-apartment senior-housing building. Public housing will be privatized as all the units will be turned into Section 8 housing under what the federal Housing and Urban Development department calls “repositioning,”
Army Corps Invites Flagler to Apply for Emergency Renourishment to Repair Beach It Rebuilt Just Last Year
The long Nor’easter that sheared through the area in late September and early October caused enough damage to Flagler County beaches that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is inviting the county to apply for a renourishment of the 2.8 miles of shore the Corps renourished only last year. The county could be eligible for an emergency renourishment that would be 100 percent paid for with federal funds. But the county is required to take a few steps first to ensure that the project is evaluated by the Corps, starting with a letter to the federal agency stating the county wishes to proceed. The letter’s deadline is Dec. 12.
Home Health Care Nurse Who Brutalized Disabled Man Is Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison and Faces Civil Suit
John Roy Jenkins, a 69-year-old former home healthcare nurse arrested in February on accusations that he repeatedly brutalized a disabled and voiceless client in Palm Coast, was sentenced to seven years in prison on Monday following an open plea before Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols at the Flagler County courthouse. Jenkins and the company he worked for, Maxim Healthcare Services of Daytona Beach, also face a civil lawsuit charging negligence and seeking more than $50,000 in damages.
Marineland Will Lose a Third of Its Property Tax Revenue When Dolphin Attraction Is Purchased by Non-Profit
The Marineland Town Commission is relieved that the town’s defining landmark and business–Marineland Dolphin Adventure–will be pulled out of bankruptcy and sold to a new owner. But when the facility transfers to what will be a non-profit, it will stop paying property taxes, costing struggling Marineland a third of its property tax revenue. That has town officials nervous.
Bill Cotterell, an ‘Institution’ in Political Coverage and a Long-Time Columnist, Dies
Bill Cotterell, a reporter and columnist who covered Florida government and politics for more than four decades with a blend of doggedness and humor, died Monday as he tried to recover at a rehabilitation center from norovirus and a bleeding ulcer. Cotterell, 82, who for the past two years wrote a once-a-week column for The News Service of Florida that was distributed statewide, was a newshound. He could be curmudgeonly and sometimes wasn’t politically correct. But he also stood behind the First Amendment and tried to tell the truth about what was happening in government.
Facing Identical Charges for Gun Burglaries, 17-Year-Old Held on $190,000 Bond, Brother, 18, Posts $60,000 Bond
A 16-year-old boy arrested with his 18-year-old brother and two other young adults in connection with a spree of burglaries and the theft of several guns in West Flagler last August has been charged as an adult and faces five counts punishable by life in prison. Like his co-defendants, he now faces 12 felony charges in all. His bond was set at $190,000. His 18-year-old brother, who faces identical charges, posted bond set at $60,000 in Suwanee County, and a third defendant has a $120,000 bond, also in a different county. One circuit’s bond schedule has no control over another’s.
How DeSantis Demolished Florida’s New College
New College of Florida is on its intellectual deathbed. Once an authority-challenging, free-thinking institution for students passionate about learning, a place where difference was celebrated and creativity encouraged. Now, it is becoming a third-rate jock school with over-paid administrators and under-achieving freshmen, a casualty of Ron DeSantis’ culture wars.
Audit of State Funding Of School Vouchers Reveals ‘Myriad of Accountability Problems’
The state’s school voucher program has exhibited “a myriad of accountability problems” and caused a funding shortfall for public schools, a state audit released this week shows. The audit, encompassing the 2024-2025 school year, was presented this week to lawmakers, who are spending the weeks leading up to the legislative session learning the woes of […]
The CDC’s Baseless New Guidance on Autism
The rewriting of a page on the CDC’s website to assert the false claim that vaccines may cause autism sparked a torrent of anger and anguish from doctors, scientists, and parents who say Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is wrecking the credibility of an agency they’ve long relied on for unbiased […]
Furry and Chong Won Their Sleazy Battle. Ramirez and Ruddy Won the School Board.
Will Furry and Christy Chong are chair and vice chair of the School Board in title only. In a grab for Furry’s title they fought an ugly, vulgar nine-hour battle that mirrored their character. They won the battle. They lost the School Board, and whatever respect they imagined they still bore in this community. The future, like the true leadership of this board, belongs to Ramirez and Ruddy.
Flagler Beach’s Planned Sewer Plant Cost Increases 320% in 6 Years, to $47 Million, Shocking Commission
Shocked by the steep cost increase of its planned new sewer plant–a certain precursor of sharp rate increases–the Flagler Beach City Commission Thursday voted unanimously to table approval of a $47 million loan to finance the project until commissioners can question the design, explore potential cost savings, and possibly rebid the project. The project has been on the drawing board for over six years, crossing the desks of three city managers. The city is facing a 2032 deadline to have it done.
The Root Cause of Palm Coast’s Infrastructure Problems Is Beneath Your Feet
ITT built Palm Coast with a water and sewer piping infrastructure designed to serve 225,000. The city has half that population, leaving rate-payers saddled with the cost of upkeep of the aging infrastructure. Lacking population growth, utility budgets will continue to be strained, chasing too few taxpayers and ratepayers, as the system ages.
FPL Customers Face $6.9 Billion Rate Increase in 4 Years as Regulators Approve Controversial ‘Settlement’
The Florida Public Service Commission approved a four-year settlement with Florida Power & Light Thursday for about $6.9 billion, which opponents claim is the largest rate hike in U.S. history. FPL says that in 2026, its “typical” 1,000-kWh residential customer bill in most of Florida will increase by $2.50 a month, or about 2%, from the existing $134.14 to $136.64. There would be additional increases in 2027, 2028 and 2029.
Re-Appointed Vice Mayor, Theresa Pontieri Rebuffs Mayor’s Attempt to Take Back Committee Roles He’d Abandoned
The Palm Coast City Council re-elected Theresa Pontieri as its vice mayor in a 4-1 vote Tuesday. The dissent was from Mayor Mike Norris. Norris wanted to be the council representative to the Flagler County Tourist Development Council and the Cultural Council. Pontieri rebuffed him on both counts, saying he’d “abdicated” those roles, whereas she was now elbow-deep in them, and was not prepared to relinquish them. A miffed Norris stuck to minimal committee assignments.
Palm Coast Council’s Theresa Pontieri Calls for Stronger Controls on City Utility to Protect Against Privatization
As more than a dozen states, including Florida, are encouraging the privatization of utilities, Palm Coast City Council member Theresa Pontieri wants new guardrails protecting the city’s water and sewer utility from being bought by a private company. Palm Coast bought the water and sewer utility in 2003 for $82.3 million. The utility is not for sale. Council members are not interested in a sale. No company has proposed buying the utility. But Pontieri is proposing that if the utility were to be considered for a sale, a non-binding referendum would be required first, as well as a supermajority of the five-member council before approval is ratified.
A Brief History of Palm Coast’s Water and Sewer Utility
Palm Coast’s first utility department was established in 1970 by ITT, the developer, when Palm Coast was the size of a small subdivision. ITT sold the utility to Florida Water Services in 1999, the year Palm Coast incorporated. Palm Coast bought the utility for $82.3 million in 2003.
In Milestone, SMA Breaks Ground on Flagler’s 1st Residential Treatment Facility for Men, Closing a Critical Gap in Care
SMA Healthcare, the behavioral health and addiction-recovery non-profit, broke ground Tuesday on what will be Flagler County’s first residential care facility for men in treatment for addiction and mental health issues. The 23,600-square-foot facility broke ground off Justice Lane in Bunnell, next door to the nearly 20-year-old Vince Carter Sanctuary, where SMA operates a 70-bed treatment facility for women. It will also be Flagler County’s first Baker Act receiving facility, ending the need to transport patients to Volusia County.
After 9 Hours, 103 Votes and Immeasurable Entitlement, Will Furry Grasps Vice Chair for School Board
In possibly the most embarrassing and cringeworthy meetings of a board that has not lacked for contemptible meetings over the last few years, the Flagler County School Board, after nine hours and 103 votes, elected Will Furry its vice chair, after Furry had been chair for two years, denying the position to Lauren Ramirez. A divided board the previous day–in the same meeting–had elected Christy Chong chair. For most of Tuesday night and early this morning, the board deadlocked in 2-2 votes over the vice chair nomination.
Facing Life in Prison, Man Wants to Represent Himself and Depose Step-Daughter Accusing Him of Rape
Kristopher Henriqson is a 47-year-old state and federal felon and Palm Coast resident facing accusations of having routinely raped and abused his stepdaughter since she was 9. He has turned down a deal to serve 45 years. He faces 11 felonies, including two capital felonies, and life in prison if convicted. Today, a judge granted his request to represent himself, and has indicated he wants to depose his allege victim, now 12. He would also have the right to cross-examine her at trial.
Palm Coast Council Chooses Michael McGlothlin to Be 7th City Manager, Ending 20-Month Interim
The Palm Coast City Council this morning appointed Michael McGlothlin, a former city manager in Florida, North Carolina and Oregon who also spent a decade as a police chief, its next city manager. McGlothlin outlasted David Fraser, a candidate who built his career in the West. The formal vote was 5-0, following a 3-2 vote by ballot, when Mayor Norris, Council members Charles Gambaro and Theresa Pontieri were in the majority, with Ty Miller and Dave Sullivan in the minority. Both dissenters had no objections to joining the majority for the formal vote to ensure unanimity.
No Wrong Choice: Between Fraser and McGlothlin, Palm Coast Council Faces Difficult, Welcome Decision on City Manager
When the Palm Coast City Council meets Tuesday morning, it will almost certainly vote on a new city manager. It’ll be either David Fraser or Michael McGlothlin. neither of whom appears to have an inside track, both of whom seem to have an equal chance by the time the council votes. It’ll be among the more difficult council votes, a difficulty the council welcomes. At least three council members think there’s no wrong choice, whoever is picked.
2 Wounded in Shooting at Palm Coast’s Beach Village Apartments, Both Claim Stand Your Ground
A 22-year-old man and a 17-year-old juvenile injured in a shooting Sunday night at Beach Village Apartments in Palm Coast both claim Stand Your Ground, according to Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly. The shooting stemmed from an earlier confrontation between the 22-year-old and his girlfriend. Both the man and the juvenile suffered non-life-threatening wounds in the shooting. Two firearms were recovered. It is not yet clear whether both firearms were discharged, or whether the wounds resulted from a single gun.
Charles ‘Skeeter’ Cowart Back in Jail for 1st Time in 7 Years After Axe-Wielding Rampage at His Apartment
Charles Larkin Cowart, the 42-year-old West Flagler resident known as Skeeter, spent a decade and a half until 2018 in and out of jail, often resulting from bizarre behavior. Last Wednesday, Cowart was back in jail facing three felony charges, including two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, after allegedly splitting with an axe the door to his apartment where a teenage boy–his wife’s son–was staying, and allegedly nearly striking another man with his car. But the arrest report by Bunnell police may be problematic.
Behind BlackRock’s Deal to Buy Allete, Major Landholder in Palm Coast’s Town Center
The seizure of public utilities for the sake of profit may lead to a disaster for consumers — and the planet. Ratepayers across the U.S. are facing rising electric bills — a trend that could be turbocharged by Wall Street’s growing effort to capture the electric utilities we all depend on. A critical turning point in this development occurred in October when Minnesota state regulators greenlit the acquisition of Allete by asset management behemoth BlackRock. Allete subsidiaries own large portions of Palm Coast’s Town Center.
Florida’s 1,100 Natural Springs Are Under Threat
North and central Florida comprise one of the largest concentrations of freshwater springs in the world. Many of these springs provide a home to a variety of wild animals and plants. But they are also canaries in the coal mine for Florida’s groundwater system, because they draw upon the same groundwater that many Floridians depend on for drinking water, farm irrigation and industrial use. Right now, many Florida springs suffer from reduced flow and habitat loss, as well as excessive algae and heavy pressure from human use.
The U.S. Citizenship Test Shouldn’t Be Like Trivia Night at Tortugas
The new citizenship test “for aspiring Americans” is out. It is supposedly longer and harder than its predecessor. In fact, it’s not a civics test. It’s certainly not a citizenship test. It’s the sort of questions Jay Scherr baritones between nachos at his weekly trivia night at Tortugas, and it is riddled with errors while projecting an unrecognizably chauvinist America.
Flagler Beach a Putt Away from Selling Off Golf Course, But Ethics Complaint Takes Beaver Pelt to 3-2 Vote
Ocean Palm Golf Course, for 12 years a Flagler Beach city property and a quarry of millstones around commissioners’ necks, is one ordinance reading away from returning to private ownership. The 3-2 vote was marred by the report of a pending ethics complaint against City Manager Dale Martin alleging that he negotiated the sale out of public view. The state Ethics Commission is unlikely to find probable cause of wrongdoing.
Flagler Beach Takes Momentous Step to Annexing Veranda Bay as Developer Pledges Protections for Bulow Creek
In a momentous step that would reconfigure the city’s boundaries, character and political center of gravity, the Flagler Beach City Commission on Thursday evening voted 4-1 to approve on first reading the annexation of 514 acres on the west side of John Anderson Highway, a segment of the Veranda Bay development that’s been rebranded Summertown. The annexation would enlarge Flagler Beach’s current acreage of 2,291 by more than a fifth while the population of the annexed land at build-out at 2,400 homes, a few decades in the future, would more than double Flagler Beach’s current population of 5,500.
Jury Exonerates ‘Ed Boy’ Sampson of Shoving Pregnant Woman; He Would Have Faced Up to 30 Years in Prison
After a trial of barely three hours, a six-member jury–four women, two men, one Black–took 105 minutes this afternoon to find Edward “Ed Boy” Sampson, 30, not guilty of aggravated battery on a pregnant woman. On its face, it was not a significant case. But because of his criminal history, a conviction for Sampson would have doubled his punishment to up to 30 years in prison, with 15 of that mandatory, to be served day for day. Sampson would have been in his mid-40s or 50s before he would have seen another day’s freedom.
