The Palm Coast City Council approved a plan by its drainage committee to provide 5 cubic yards of free dirt to homeowners who need to regrade their yards to address drainage problems. The dirt was declared surplus property, enabling the city to dispense of it, but at homeowners’ expense. One homeowner ridiculed the offer.
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Council Rejects Naming Palm Coast Community Center for Jon Netts in Striking Snub of Major Legacy
The Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday rejected a long-standing proposal to rename the Palm Coast Community Center for Jon Netts, a former mayor and City Council member whose 15-year tenure in city government shaped Palm Coast more than any other elected official in the city’s history.
He Served 5 Years in Prison for Robbing the Flagler Beach Publix. On Tuesday, He Tried Robbing It Again.
Daniel J. Fountain, a 57-year-old resident of Flagler Beach who served five years in prison for armed robbery of the Flagler Beach Publix, was arrested on a robbery charge stemming from his alleged attempt again to rob the same store on Tuesday. He was still on probation for the 2015 robbery.
In a First, Palm Coast Council Censures an Absent Ed Danko Over ‘Disconcerting’ Behavior
In an unprecedented motion in the city’s 25 years, the Palm Coast City Council today censured Council member Ed Danko in a 3-1 vote, in his absence, in a rebuke of his perceived role against the city in a lawsuit and of his loutish behavior in his years on the council.
The Live Profile
Belfast Fire: The Colleen Conklin You Never Knew
When Colleen Conklin is celebrated as she leaves 24 years of service on the Flagler County School Board, the focus will be on those 24 years. But where had she come from, and what made her who she was? Here’s the story of the Colleen Conklin who grew up in back of her parents’ bars, the Conklin who drove trucks, started her teaching career in the South Bronx, founded human rights chapters, conquered learning obstacles all the way to a doctorate but also nearly dropped out of college in favor of a career in insurance.
A Mile-Long Veterans Day Parade of 1,000 Participants Unites Flagler’s Cities, County and Schools in Salute
After a Veterans Day parade of more than 1,000 participants representing all cities, the county and the School Board, among others, ambled through Bunnell in a mile-long procession, hundreds of people gathered at the Government Services building for the day’s ceremonies, including a Veteran Day essay by middle schooler Mellissa Ryon, a keynote speech by Randall Stapleford, and musical performances.
Despite Trump’s Win, School Vouchers Were Again Rejected by Majorities of Voters
In several Republican-led states, popular sentiment on the voucher issue has been overridden by the efforts of special interest groups and powerful governors who have enacted sweeping voucher programs that often benefit affluent families.
Flagler and Gomorrah
The outcome of local elections will affect us at least as much as anything that happens nationally. With that in mind it’s worth taking stock of our local political landscape post-apocalypse, because it’s a whole lot better than Gomorrah and, ironically, almost entirely Republican.
Biden Policy Shielding Migrant Spouses and Children from Deportation is Struck Down
A federal judge late Thursday struck down a White House policy that created a pathway to citizenship for people in the country lacking permanent status who were married to a U.S. citizen. Eastern District of Texas Judge J. Campbell Barker ruled that the Biden administration overstepped its authority and the program “stretches legal interpretation past its breaking point” of U.S. immigration law. The suit was brought by Texas and other Republican-led states.
Cheryl Andrews, Aide at Indian Trails Middle, Arrested on Charge of Child Abuse Against Disabled Student
Cheryl Ann Andrews, a 69-year-old paraprofessional, or teacher’s aide, at Indian Trail Middle School and a resident of Rolland Lane in Palm Coast, was arrested Thursday on a felony charge of child abuse after video footage appears to show her hitting a disabled student and briefly adding to the abuse.
Developer of Cascades in Seminole Woods Readies to Sue Palm Coast Over 416-Home Limit, Instead of 850
The Palm Coast City Council on Wednesday got warning from a developer that the city may soon face a lawsuit to make up for over $12 million in estimated losses from a council decision to limit a development to less than half the housing units applied for at the Cascades, the Seminole Woods development the council approved earlier this year. The applicant had asked for 850 housing units, including apartments. The council limited the development to 416.
Florida’s Legislative Leaders Issue Roadmap for Leaner Years Ahead
The House memo provided to the press shows that House Speaker Danny Perez plans to try to curb the size of the state budget. He announced he’s scrapping the long-standing House Appropriations Committee (and subcommittees) and replacing them with the Budget Committee and subcommittees. He noted it’s more than just a name change and that it “carries a deeper philosophical point.”
Judge Declares Old Dixie Motel Owners in Contempt Over Continued Snubs, $1,000-a-Day Fines Loom
After warning them that he would do so if they did not comply with his previous orders, Circuit Judge Chris France last week declared the owners of the Old Dixie Motel in contempt of court and warned of $1,000-a-dy fines starting on Nov. 15 if they do not comply with a pair of orders.
Flagler County’s New Ban on Homeless Sleeping in Public Ignores Allowance for Designating Safe Space
Since Oct. 1 it has been illegal for the homeless to camp out or sleep on public grounds in Florida. The law authorizes counties to designate a local government property for use as a public camping or sleeping space for homeless individuals for up to a year–essentially, a safe, regulated space. On Monday, the Flagler County Commission approved on second reading an ordinance that ratifies the state law, but without designating a safe space for overnight stays, though such de-facto campgrounds are well known to local authorities.
Harris Concedes Presidential Race to Trump But Not ‘The Fight That Fueled This Campaign’
Steven Cheung, the Trump campaign communications director said in a statement that during the call Trump “acknowledged Vice President Harris on her strength, professionalism, and tenacity throughout the campaign, and both leaders agreed on the importance of unifying the country.” Harris delivered a concession speech at 4 p.m. Eastern to her supporters at Howard University in Washington, D.C.
Car-Crash Death of Debra Ashrafi: 3 Years in Prison, 10 Years Probation, Lifetime Driving Ban for John Garrison
John Garrison was facing a minimum-mandatory nine-year sentence if he was found guilty of causing the crash that ended the life of 59-year-old Debra Ashrafi in a head-on collision on State Road 11 in Bunnell in 2022. In a significant reduction, he pleaded in exchange for a maximum sentence of three years in prison and 10 years on probation. The plea terms include a permanent revocation of Garrison’s driver’s license and driving privileges.
Florida’s Abortion Rights and Recreational Pot Amendments Fail
A ballot proposal that would have enshrined abortion rights in the Florida Constitution failed Tuesday, giving a major political victory to Gov. Ron DeSantis — and dealing a huge blow to abortion-rights supporters. A $150 million-plus effort to allow recreational use of marijuana in Florida fizzled out.
Mike Norris Is Palm Coast’s New Mayor, Ty Miller and Ray Stevens Win Council, Debt Amendment Defeated
Mike Norris will be Palm Coast’s new mayor, winning his election, against Cornelia Manfre handily while Ty Miller defeated Jeff Sieb and Ray Stevens was poised to defeat Andrew Werner for the two other seats on the Palm Coast City Council, as early but all but insurmountable results were announced this evening.
As Flagler County Went Red, School Students Went Redder, But a Mock Election Takes a Turn for the ‘Divisive’
Just eight years ago, the 6,500 students from Flagler County district and private schools gave Hillary Clinton a 1 percent edge over Donald Trump in that year’s election, conducted a few days before that election night, when Trump shocked country and world by taking the Midwest and the election. Since then, however, students in Flagler’s schools have turned Trump’s way more decisively–just as their parents have.
Daniel Rodriguez, 27, Rejects Plea, Opting for Trial and Risk of Life in Prison in Molestation of Young Boy
Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols tried in several different ways and in the gentlest, most realistic and objective terms to impress on Daniel Rodriguez that the evidence against him is overwhelming, that perhaps a trial was not the best choice he could make. Rodriguez, who’d refused to be brought to court (he “wasn’t feeling well”) and spoke to the judge through a video connection, wouldn’t budge. He wants a trial on charges of raping and molesting a minor.
Tips for Surviving Election Day
No matter what, we all need some tips for surviving the shouting, the demonstrating, the tantrum-throwing, the reality-denying, and the lawsuits, which are the habitual response of our fellow citizens when they don’t get their way. Here you go.
For Ex-Montessori School Owner Kerri Huckabee, 30 Days in Jail and 3 Years Probation Over Attacks on Neighbors
Kerri Anne Huckabee, the 55-year-old Flagler Beach resident and former Montessori school owner arrested 14 months ago on felony charges after attacking and destroying her neighbors’ surveillance cameras in the culmination of chronic hostility toward them, was sentenced today to 30 days in jail and three years on probation in a plea agreement that reduced the charges and closed the case.
81-Year-Old Man Killed in Car Collision on Royal Palms and U.S. 1 Was 5th Pedestrian Killed This Year in Flagler
An 81-year-old Palm Coast resident on foot was killed in a collision with a car as he was crossing the road at U.S. 1 and Royal Palms Parkway early Saturday morning. The 20-year-old Daytona Beach man driving the car suffered minor injuries, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The victim is the fifth pedestrian killed on Flagler County roads so far this year, representing a third of all road fatalities.
Palm Coast Debt Referendum Will Be Counted as Judge Rules Ballot Language Unambiguous
Circuit Judge Chris France this morning issued an order denying a motion to nullify the Palm Coast City Council’s referendum that, if approved, would remove limits on the city’s borrowing and leasing authority. The decision is a victory for the City Council, sharply divided though it is about it and pyrrhic though the victory may end up being, if the referendum fails and sours voters on a subsequent attempt to pass one with less controversy and more clarity.
Behind the Desperate Attempt to Defeat Abortion-Rights Amendment: GOP’s Contempt for Women’s Autonomy
DeSantis knows the majority of Floridians — like the majority of Americans — support a woman’s right to choose whether to have a baby, and he’s so scared Amendment 4 will pass he’s resorting to using every dirty trick in the patriarchal book to stop it. Like Donald Trump, he despises women, for whose right to determine what happens with their own bodies is nothing short of obsessive.
Threatening ‘The Enemy Within’ with Force: The Danger to Americans
Former President Donald Trump has declared that there is “the outside enemy, and then we have the enemy from within, and the enemy from within, in my opinion, is more dangerous,” with past actions suggesting he would use the military to suppress opposition at home. For that reason, in a time of increasing political polarization, military educational institutions are focusing even more explicitly on the oath military members take to the Constitution, rather than to a person or an office.
Why Trump Beat Harris By 312 Electoral Votes
Monday-morning-quarterbacking Democrats’ mistakes is a dead end. It wouldn’t have mattered what Harris did or who the Democrats ran. The result would have been the same. Trump didn’t make this moment. It was made for him, in no small part by liberalism’s abdication. The more liberalism projected self-loathing without a hint of pride in country or redemptive hope for it, the more it ceded the ground to “a bottom-up populist revolt” let by a strongman who reflects their belief: America’s democratic moment is over.
Judge France Will Rule on Whether to Nullify Palm Coast’s Debt Referendum Before Close of Election Day
With Election Day four days away, Circuit Judge Chris France today said he will rule before Tuesday evening after hearing arguments in a citizen’s challenge of a controversial ballot proposal that would remove borrowing limits on Palm Coast.
Daisy Henry Street Now Glides Through the Heart of Bunnell, Along Carver Gym Late Pastor Championed and Saved
This morning, a stretch of four blocks of East Drain Street, along the gym’s ballfields on one side and family homes on the other, became Daisy Henry Street, so renamed for the former city commissioner and pastor by a city that wanted to “honor a legacy,” in the words of City Manager Alvin Jackson, and bolden Henry’s already distinguished mark on Bunnell’s history.
The Sex Wars Through Neil Simon’s Wit: City Rep Stages “Jake’s Women,” a Comedy in Dramatic Acts
In Neil Simon’s “Jake’s Women,” opening tonight at City Repertory Theatre in Palm Coast, Jake is a novelist who has issues with intimacy, guilt, trust and all sorts of other familiar themes of the sex wars as he navigates the shoals of upper-class middle-age American dynamics, back when those problems were all we had to worry about. But it’s not a traditional play, as Neil Simon has a lot of fun breaking the fourth wall–that imaginary divide between the stage and the audience.
Noisy Planes at Low Altitude Will Spray Mosquitoes Swarming in Aftermath of Hurricane Milton Starting Nov. 2
One or two Beechcraft King Air turboprop planes will start spraying mosquitoes across most of Flagler County at very low altitude–just 300 feet–starting Nov. 2, to reduce the multiplying population of mosquitoes in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton. The spraying is paid for with state emergency funds and the planes are contracted through the state rather than through the East Flagler Mosquito Control District.
Almost 60 Percent of Flagler County’s Registered Voters Have Cast a Ballot, 6th Highest Turnout in Florida
Turnout in the general election in Flagler County was approaching 60 percent Thursday, with two more days of early voting and Election Day next Tuesday, ahead of the pace of the 2020 election, which resulted in a turnout of 78.6 percent among registered voters. The supervisor of elections and local Democratic and Republican party leaders are describing a nearly issues-free election of historic proportion.
Gov. DeSantis Appoints Derek Barrs, Who Lost to Janie Ruddy by 291 Votes, to School Board Seat Hunt Resigned
Gov. Ron DeSantis Wednesday appointed Derek Barrs, the former Florida Highway Patrol troop commander and chief who lost to Janie Ruddy by 290 votes in a School Board race in August, to the board seat Sally Hunt resigned a month after the primary.
At Chamber’s Future of Flagler Forum, Rousing Cheer for Years Ahead from City, County and School Leaders
The Palm Coast-Flagler Regional Chamber of Commerce gave a crowd of over 100 people the chance to hear the state of Flagler County’s cities, county and school board in less than 60 minutes, presented in rapid, compelling, and at times rousing succession by men and women more knowledgeable, less vapid and generally more intelligent than the elected officials who hire them: city and county managers and the school superintendent.
Flagler Beach City Manager Dale Martin Accepts ‘Tough Love’ Evaluation of His First Year
With one exception, Flagler Beach City Manager Dale Martin did not get past “meets job standards” from four city commissioners and the mayor in the evaluation of his first year, and barely made it into that category (a few decimal points above “improvement needed) from one of them as he tallied an average score of 3.65 points out of a possible 5.
Texts Show Ed Danko Seeking to Recruit Resident to File Lawsuit Against His Own Council’s Debt Referendum
Dozens of texts Palm Coast Councilman Danko exchanged with a Palm Coast resident who was willing to be the plaintiff in a lawsuit show to what extent Danko was strategizing against the a referendum that would facilitate city debt. Texts show Danko predicating at least one council vote’s outcome on a lawsuit, discussed lawyers, sought information from his potential recruit and spoke of “our lawsuit.” A friend, Alan Lowe, eventually filed the lawsuit. Council member Theresa Pontieri says Danko’s involvement is a “blatant” conflict.
Flagler Government’s Former HR Manager Sues the County, Describing Hostile and Indifferent Environment
Samatha Whitfield, the former human resources manager for Flagler County government, is suing the county in a whistleblower action, claiming she was terminated last summer in retaliation for reporting violations of rules and misconduct by one of her colleagues, to which the county administration responded with indifference.
Internet Groups File Constitutional Challenge to Renner-Led Social Media Law Restricting Access
In a long-anticipated move, two internet-industry groups Monday filed a constitutional challenge to a new Florida law aimed at keeping children off social-media platforms. The Computer & Communications Industry Association and NetChoice, whose members include tech giants such as Google and Meta Platforms, said in a federal lawsuit that the law violates First Amendment rights and that parents should make decisions about children’s social-media use.
Palm Coast Council Sharply Divided Over Making Large Developers Pay ‘Minuscule’ Fee for Public Art
The Palm Coast City Council is divided over a modest program to fund public art installations that would require larger developers to devote half of a percent of the value of their project to the arts. One council member calls it “awesome.” Another says it “makes no sense.” A third is “torn.”
Two Flagler Beach Residents Prevail Over Veranda Bay’s Parent Company, Ending 5-Year-Old Defamation Suit
Sunbelt Land Management, the company affiliated with the Veranda Bay development on John Anderson Highway, has lost a defamation suit the company filed in 2020 against Sallee Aernoff and Ken Bryan, two Flagler Beach residents who spoke up about its land-clearing practices. Circuit Judge Chris France, in a strong opinion in defense of expression on public issues free of intimidation, granted the two residents’ motion for summary judgment last week.
Palm Coast Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary with Quilts, Cake and a ‘Living Time Capsule’
In contrast with the rain-soaked 10th anniversary celebration, the skies were cloudless Saturday and the sun blazing as Palm Coast marked its 25th anniversary with speeches, a blue and yellow cake, quilts and a “living time capsule” that looks back at the past quarter century.
Florida Politicians Owned by Polluters: A Database Helps Show How
Vote Water recently rolled out what it calls its “Dirty Money Project.” It’s a searchable database to track donations to Florida politicians from polluting industries such as Big Sugar and the rest of the agricultural industry, the phosphate miners, the major utilities, the developers and even the sneaky “polluter PACs” — committees that function as cash machines and get significant funding from these industries.
The Affordable Care Act Is Back in the Bull’s Eye in Final Days of the Campaign
Health care is suddenly front and center in the final sprint to the presidential election, and the outcome will shape the Affordable Care Act and the coverage it gives to more than 40 million people. Besides reproductive rights, health care for most of the campaign has been an in-the-shadows issue. However, recent comments from former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, about possible changes to the ACA have opened Republicans up to heavier scrutiny.
A ‘Firehose’ of Disinformation as Trump and Musk Spread Lies About Voter Fraud in Campaign’s Final Days
Fanned by former President Donald Trump and notable allies such as tech tycoon Elon Musk, election disinformation is warping voters’ faith in the integrity of the democratic process, polls show, and setting the stage once again for potential public unrest if the Republican nominee fails to win the presidency. Their lies about noncitizens voting, the vulnerability of mail-in ballots and the security of voting machines are spreading widely over social media.
Speech Codes at Flagler School Board and Palm Coast Council Are Now Illegal, Thanks to Moms for Liberty
A decision by the federal 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, controlling law in Flagler County, invalidates local governments’ speech codes that prohibit public speakers from addressing individual members of elected boards, or citing employees by name, or quoting from school library books, no matter how racy, or speaking offensively, which is considered a point of view. But rules against disruption and obscenity remain. The question is: will local governments correct their rules accordingly?
A Third of Flagler County Voters Have Already Cast a Ballot, Compared to 24% in Florida
Early voting in Flagler County have significantly exceeded the numbers in the 2020 and 2016 general elections, with the total of mailed-in votes almost at parity with early voting. By early afternoon Friday, just the fifth of 13 days of early voting, a third of Flagler County’s registered voters–almost 32,000—had cast a ballot, well ahead of the 24 percent who have done so statewide.
Flagler Auditorium’s New Season Launches with St. Augustine Orchestra, and a Special Violinist, Sunday
When the SAO, which lacks its own permanent performing space in St. Augustine and plays at high schools, churches and other venues across Northeast Florida, reached out to the Fitzgerald to rent its theater for a concert, Fulmer and the performing arts center governing board saw an opportunity they didn’t want to slip away: to bring back classical music performances to the local stage.
Florida, in Turf War, Sues U.S. Attorney General Over Trump Assassination Investigation
In a dispute over federal law following the second attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court against U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland.
Company Building Data Center in Palm Coast Clears Undersea Cables’ Final Hurdle in Flagler Beach
Flagler Beach’s South 6th Street will soon be the landing point for up to six of the 600-some transatlantic data cables that form the backbone of the internet. The cables will then snake underground, across State Road 100 and into Town center, where DX Blox, the Atlanta-based company, will build a “cable landing station,” or a data center, near the intersection of Town Center Boulevard and Royal Palms Parkway.
As Seminole Woods Soon Gets Its Own Fire Station, Emergency Response Times May By Cut in Half for Many
The Palm Coast Fire Department and city government officials hosted a groundbreaking for the $10.5 million Fire Station 26 in Seminole Woods, what will be the city’s sixth fire station. It is expected to drastically reduce emergency response time in Seminole Woods and Quayle Hollow when the building is finished in January 2026.
