Osypian is the 2017-18 Flagler Schools Principal of the Year and Katherine Crooke of Indian Trails Middle School is Assistant Principal of the Year. Both are now eligible for state honors.
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Florida Lawmakers Looking To Add Treatment Programs To Fight Opioid Epidemic
A combination of short-term intensive treatment beds, long-term outpatient services and medically assisted treatment could be the blueprint for a solution, a powerful lawmaker says.
Palm Coast Council Plays Up Charter Review. Until Its Lawyer Says It’s Not What It Seems.
Palm Coast government is paying the price of trying to have it both ways–appearing to hold a charter review process while at the same time distancing itself from a comprehensive review, as its charter calls for.
In Rare Case of Election Fraud, Palm Coast Felon Is Jailed For Casting Illegal Ballot
Jennifer Scott, 52, of Palm Coast’s R Section, faces two felony counts for allegedly fraudulently voting in the 2016 election, but an official says the issue is extremely rare.
Behind the Man Facing Monstrous Allegations of Incest, A History of Disabilities, But Not Incompetence
The mother of Paul Dykes, who goes on trial on charges of raping his own daughter next month, revealed in court today for the first time the personal history of the 20-year-old Palm Coast resident.
Bunnell Manager Dan Davis Placed on 6-Month Probation After Barrage of Criticism From Commissioners
Four of the five Bunnell city commissioners criticized Davis for his leadership style, his “demeaning” of employees or even commissioners, his lack of communications, but granted him a final reprieve.
Senators Angry At Delays In Medical Marijuana Licenses, Blaming Complacency
The head of the state’s medical-use office is blaming the delays on litigation over the constitutional amendment. Senators aren’t buying it, blaming complacency.
When Flagler’s Judicial System Makes a 10-Year Error In a 40-Year Prison Sentence
William Copeland is serving 40 years for shooting his daughter’s grandfather in Palm Coast in 2011. The court made a 10-year error in one of his sentences.
Flagler And Cities Submit Lists of Requests To Lawmakers, Who Dampen Expectations
Sen. Travis Hutson and Rep. Paul Renner listened to streams of requests from governments and constituents but made no promises in light of a “tough” legislative session ahead.
At Hammock Beach Resort, A Woman Crashes A Wedding To Spy, And Violence Follows
Shelby McDowell, 26, crashed the wedding to which her boyfriend was invited and found him dancing with another woman, so she allegedly attacked them both.
Don Guldenschuh Jr. of Bunnell, 26, Is Killed in Biketoberfest Crash
Don Guldenschuh Jr., 26, was riding north on U.S. 1. when he lost control of his motorcycle as he took the on-ramp to I-95. He died at the scene.
Florida State Colleges Seeking Restoration of $30 Million Cut To Address “Employment Gap”
The money would help hire more faculty, provide more counseling services and create more programs aimed at closing the “employment gap” in high-demand jobs.
Short-Term Rentals in Flagler County: The View From Home Owners’ Associations
Paul C. Pershes, president of the 1,100-home Ocean Hammock Property Owners Association, addresses members of a key senate committee that will be hearing proposed regulations of short-term rentals.
In Kristen Hadeed’s “Permission To Screw Up,” A Cheerful, Nimble Corrective To Millennial Stereotypes
FPC Graduate Kristen Hadeed’s first book traces the stumbles of her 10-year journey as CEO of Student Maid, a cleaning company in Gainesville, with wit and counter-intuitive insights: a review.
Racist, Violent, Unpunished: A White Hate Group’s Campaign of Menace
the Rise Above Movement, one of whose men beat up protesters in Charlottesville, train to fight. They post their beatings online. And so far, they have little reason to fear the authorities.
Sheriff’s Domestic Violence Task Force’s Job Done, Attention Turns To Enacting Proposals
Several proposals the domestic violence task force put forth area already being enacted but many more remain unfunded or not yet fully analyzed.
Flagler’s Unemployment Rate Falls To 3.9%, A 10-Year Low, Even As Hurricane Whacks State’s Jobs Figures
Flagler’s sharp drop is even more remarkable for taking place during a month that saw Hurricane Irma cut across the region, severing power, work schedules and routines for almost 10 days.
FPC Grad, CEO and Author Kristen Hadeed Interviewed By Megyn Kelly On Today
Kristen Hadeed, a 2006 FPC graduate, was interviewed this morning on Megyn Kelly Today about her first book: “Permission To Screw Up.”
You’re Not Reading Wrong: [Title of Show] Sings Anthem To Selfie Culture In CRT Musical
The latest musical to be staged at Palm Coast’s City Rep Theatre is about creating a show that takes its name – brackets and all – from the entry form used to submit a finished work to a festival.
An Aryan Ass Vomits At UF
Protesting honors the flag, so does taking a knee during the anthem, but so does letting an idiotic white bigot have his 90 minutes on a stage at UF. Freedom of thought can take it.
Paul Dykes Goes On Trial Over Accusations Of Child Rape and 21 Related Counts In November
The trial of the Palm Coast 20-year-old will be the latest chapter in an extensive and lurid case that involves Dykes’s one-time girlfriend, Erin Vickers, 23, whom a jury found guilty a month ago of raping her 1-year-old daughter.
No Maternity Wing or Trauma Unit Any Time Soon, But Florida Hospital Flagler Thrives On
Florida Hospital Flagler’s top leadership appeared at the Chamber of Commerce’s Common Ground breakfast Thursday morning with a sum-up of making it through recent stormy challenges and glimpses of what’s new within the hospital’s walls.
Stanley Wykretowicz Acquitted On Aggravated Child Abuse Charge, May Face Negligence
The 42-year-old Palm Coast resident was looking at up to 30 years in prison had he been found guilty on a charge that he’d brutalized his 2-year-old niece. The defense said the girl was merely ill.
Us? “Hateful?” White Nationalists Deny Charge as Richard Spencer Readies UF Appearance
At the Charlottesville rally, Spencer supporters carried torches and chanted “Jews will not replace us” before a car plowed into a group of counter-protesters, killing Heather Heyer.
FPL Marks Opening of Its Palm Coast Service Center, a Category 5-Resistant Building
The 25,000-square-foot building near Florida Hospital Flagler can house some 100 workers in emergencies and would help speed repairs after a storm.
Constitution Revision Panel Advances Proposal to Restrict Abortion Rights and Privacy
The controversial proposals are among the very few, out of 2,000, put forth by the public, as opposed to by the commission itself, for potential inclusion on a referendum ballot.
Prosecution Stymied In Ex-Jail Guard’s Trial Over 2-Year-Old Girl’s Alleged Brutalization
Stanley Wykretowicz, 41, was the sole caregiver to his 2-year-old niece when he brought her to Florida Hospital Flagler, comatose and bruised, but his lawyers say she was merely ill, not abused.
Two Flagler Rescue Crews and 11 Sheriff’s Deputies Heading to Alachua as Part of Emergency Over Supremacist’s Event
Flagler County’s paramedics and deputies are part of a larger public safety response to prevent a Charlottesville-like degradation ahead of white supremacist Richard Spencer’s UF speech on Thursday.
Flagler Commissioners’ Legislative Priorities Unravel in Messy Amateur Hour
Less than five days from presenting their legislative priorities to lawmakers, Flagler County commissioners’ priority list devolved into a chaotic process that could undermine its goals.
Scott Declares State of Emergency in Alachua as White Supremacist Prepares to Speak at UF
Sheriff Sadie Darnell sought the emergency declaration “more so of being able to get the resources needed to prepare, rather than a sense of alarm regarding the protest.”
Flagler’s Domestic Violence Task Force Spurs Sheriff’s Action Ahead of Final Report’s Recommendations
Flagler County now has its own “batterer-intervention program” and Sheriff Staly will devote a detective full-time to pursuing domestic violence cases as his task force prepares to submit its recommendations Friday.
Flagler Commissioners Approving $400,000 In Grants to Six Critical Social Service Agencies
The grants subsidize free healthcare for the poor, a shelter for abused women, interventions for victims of rape, and help for addicts and individuals with mental health needs, among other services.
Stunner On Birth Control: Trump’s Moral Exemption Is Geared To Just 2 Groups
A separate rule allowing employers that are not religious organization to deny contraceptive coverage to employees is geared toward anti-abortion groups, but its legal status is doubtful.
How One City Gets Its Guns: Not Big Trafficking Rings, But Mostly Through Little Guys
Unlike the drug trade — often dominated by powerful cartels or gangs — illegal gun markets operate more like the way teenagers get beer, “where every adult is potentially a source.”
Man Who Killed Himself at U.S. 1 BP Had Murdered His Step-Daughter Hours Earlier
Edward Douglas Ratcliffe, 73, had murdered Amy Mitchell, 54, in Brevard before driving through Flagler and shooting himself outside a BP gas station on U.S. 1.
Trump Blows Up Obamacare Subsidies: What You Need To Know
Some of Trump’s actions could have an immediate effect on the enrollment for 2018 ACA coverage that starts Nov. 1. Here are five things you should know.
Palm Coast Spree: 7 Days, 7 Vehicle Thefts, 6 Stolen Guns, 2 Arrests, 3 Cars Recovered
Thefts included the brazed theft of a pizza delivery man’s car as he was at the door of a house and six weapons stolen from a garage on Postman Lane.
In Startling Avowal, Rep. Renner Says State Will Attack Home Rule to Discipline “Rogue,” Leftist Cities
“The reason we think they’re going rogue is because it’s Bernie Sanders in charge of your local city government or county government in some cases,” Rep. Paul Renner, who represents Flagler, says.
From Mosquito Control to National Guard, Hurricane Costs Taking a Toll on Budgets
Hurricane recovery efforts have already cost the state budget more than $141 million and are likely to increase, with $25 million for the Florida National Guard; $36 million for debris removal and $6 million for mosquito control.
A Frustrated Shipley Will Not Run Again For Palm Coast Council, But Ex-Mayor Netts Eyeing Her Seat
Dissatisfaction with the council and Manager Jim Landon is spurring Shipley not to run again, , and former Mayor Jon Netts says he still has a lot to give, though he’s also considering a county commission run.
Flagler District’s Bombardments Battling Mosquito Surge Not Seen in 65 Years As County Seeks State Aid
Stagnant waters left from two massive storms have led to record numbers of mosquitoes in Flagler, with aerial bombardments resuming Thursday and likely more coming.
After “Ugly” Confrontation With City Clerk, Bunnell Manager Skirts Close To Getting Fired
City Manager Dan Davis’s job appears secure for now after a commissioner laid out a series of conditions Davis has to meet. The confrontation with City Clerk Sandi Bolser was over a meeting snafu.
Florida Cuts Payments To HMOs Caring For Poor, Elderly and Disabled By 3.7 Percent
The hospital cuts accounted for 94 percent of the reduction in rates, which the state says is attributable to lower pharmaceutical costs. Long-term care is seeing an increase.
Throngs of Residents Opposing Big A1A Development Fail to Stop Board’s Unanimous OK
The Flagler County Planning Board Tuesday evening voted to recommend approval of a pair of developments totaling 190 homes that would bookend north and south side of Lakeside By the Sea.
Florida Lawmakers Hear Grim Picture of Worsening Opioid Crisis and Lack of Treatment
In the first six months of 2016, deaths caused by fentanyl increased by nearly 140 percent, deaths from heroin overdoses jumped by 25 percent, compared to the same period in 2015.
Flagler Again Takes Vacation-Rental Case To Tallahassee as New Battle Lines Are Drawn
Willing to deal and compromise, County Administrator Craig Coffey and County Attorney Al Hadeed addressed a Senate committee workshop today in Tallahassee, ahead of what’s expected to be another fierce battle over vacation-rental regulations.
Why Lakeside By The Sea Residents See a Pair of Proposed Developments Turning Their Properties Into “Little Lakes”
A developer plans to build 185 homes at the north and south ends of Lakeside By The Sea, the subdivision in the Matanzas Shores area at the northern end of Flagler County, on the barrier island.
In Boost To Flagler, Committee Approves Bills Including $50 Million a Year For Beach Repair
If the bills survive the coming legislative hurdles, there may be new money for Flagler County to tap into to repair its severely eroded beaches.
Palm Coast Drops Lobbyist of 17 Years To Hire Southern Strategy, Mayor’s Former Employer
Southern Strategy Group is one of Tallahassee’s most powerful lobbying firms. Mayor Milissa Holland worked there from 2013 to 2015.
State Awards Flagler Sheriff’s Office $158,000 To Pay For Three Victims’ Advocates
Victim advocates work as a support system to victims, survivors, and their families following traumatic events. These professionals give emotional support and guidance during traumatic events.