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Featured

Libraries Are Cornerstones of Our Communities. They Need Our Help.

July 13, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 3 Comments

public libraries treasures

In the ongoing culture war, conservative politicians have been taking drastic measures to stop the distribution of “age-inappropriate books,” which primarily target children’s books by and about LGBTQ+ individuals and people of color. These measures ignore the crucial role that libraries serve in their communities in combating the effects of economic inequality by providing essential resources to those in need.

Promenade Breaks Ground at Town Center’s 1st Mix of 200 Apartments and Array of Shops After 20-Year Wait

July 12, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 24 Comments

Bill Angrick, who is financing the Promenade at Town center project, preparing to address this morning's crowd at the groundbreaking on the 17 acres of what will be six four-story buildings mixing apartments and commercial space, opposite Central Park. (© FlaglerLive)

When it opens in 22 months, Promenade will be Town Center’s largest–well, its only–mixed use development to date, and what so much of Town Center was imagined to be when it was conceived out of 2,000 acres of scrub 22 years ago. The developer, the architect, city and county officials gathered on the project’s 17 acres this morning for a groundbreaking and a few insights into what’s coming.

Flagler Beach Gush of Drainage Complaints Mirror Palm Coast’s as Commission Rebuffs Moratorium

July 12, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 18 Comments

The houses at 2708 and 2706 South Daytona Avenue in a block where newer houses have been built at significantly higher fill elevations than older onces, resulting in drainage problems that are now leaking into the city commissioners' in-boxes and meetings. (© FlaglerLive)

The Flagler Beach City Commission tabled a proposal to stop construction in flood zones for six months. The administration was proposing the moratorium on using fill at work sites to give it time to rewrite the city’s building regulations, which the city engineer blamed for drainage issues on residential lot. Commissioners disagree, saying the problem is the city’s own non-enforcement of its existing regulations.

Judge France Rejects Latest Attempt by Old Dixie Motel Owners to Renege on $250,000 They Owe, Now Past Due

July 11, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 18 Comments

Circuit Judge Chris France

Circuit Judge Chris France this morning denied the latest attempt by the owners of the derelict Old Dixie Motel not to post a $250,000 bond with the county, as they have been contractually obliged to do for three years. They may face contempt proceedings next. The judge reminded the owners’ attorney that the money owed is past due, and the clock continues to tick.

Friday Food-A-Thon Aims for $200,000 for Flagler Food Bank, Underscoring Need Approaching 6,000 Families

July 11, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 10 Comments

On the air all day Friday. (WNZF for FlaglerLive)

Close to 6,000 families have registered with Flagler County’s Grace Community Food Pantry, 2,000 more than last year, as WNZF and Flagler Broadcasting launch the third annual Food-a-Thon in hopes of raising $200,000, money that can be leveraged into $1 million worth of food. The drive is aiming for a bounty of small donations this year.

Fernando Melendez, Flagler County Commission Candidate District 1: The Live Interview

July 11, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 17 Comments

Fernando Melendez. (© FlaglerLive)

Fernando Melendez is a Republican candidate for Flagler County Commission, District 1. He is challenging incumbent Andy Dance in the Aug. 20 primary. Since no non-Republicans filed to run, it will be an open primary: all registered Flagler County voters from all parties or no-party affiliation may cast a ballot in this race, which will be decided on Aug. 20.

2 Parents Suing Over Book Bans in St. Johns Schools Tell Flagler Freedom to Read Activists: ‘Be Loud and Proud’

July 10, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 14 Comments

Anne Watts's message was clear. (© FlaglerLive)

Nancy Tray and Anne Watts, parents suing in federal court over book bans in St. Johns County, were guests today of the weekly meeting in Palm Coast of the Atlantic Chapter of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, a non-profit Chaired by Rabbi Merrill Shapiro. The group took stock of the state of book bans in the two counties and the state, how to counter them, and what to expect next.

Flagler School District Will Negotiate Lease of Old Courthouse With the County, Eying Room for Historical Society

July 10, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 9 Comments

The old county courthouse may soon get its third tenant in its century history. (© FlaglerLive)

The Flagler County school district’s plan to lease the old courthouse in Bunnell to shift half a dozen programs there would cost $632,000 in up-front renovations and $202,000 a year in rent and utilities. The Flagler County Historical Society had plans of its own for the old courthouse. The district will negotiate with both the county and the historical society in hopes of reaching mutually agreeable accommodations.

Andy Dance, Flagler County Commission Candidate, District 1: The Live Interview

July 10, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 8 Comments

County Commissioner Andy Dance. (© FlaglerLive)

Andy Dance is the incumbent candidate for Flagler County Commission, District 1. Fernando Melendez is challenging him in the Aug. 20 primary. Both candidates are Republicans. Since no non-Republicans filed to run, it will be an open primary: all registered Flagler County voters from all parties or no-party affiliation may cast a ballot in this race, which will be decided on Aug. 20. There is no run-off.

4 Palm Coast Council Members Uninterested in Rolling Back Taxes Yet Still Inexplicably Defer to Danko’s ‘Starting Point’

July 9, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 14 Comments

The Palm Coast City Council's majority gavel was elusive today. (© FlaglerLive)

Four of the five Palm Coast City Council members voiced opposition today to adopting the rolled-back property tax rate as they did last year, with one week to go before they have to vote on a tentative rate. Nevertheless, the fifth and lone dissenter, Ed Danko, inexplicably carried the day staving off a decision and keeping the rollback proposal alive.

Hurricane Forecast Ramps Up, Adding 2 Named Storms for Total of 25 as Beryl Is Termed ‘Harbinger’

July 9, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 8 Comments

A palm tree at the south end of Flagler County teeters on the edge of a vanished dune, three-quarters of its roots exposed, ready to tumble. The tree symbolizes the consequences of Tropical Storm Nicole on Flagler County's coast, where A1A, homes and the county's tourism economy are similarly teetering. (© FlaglerLive)

A day after deadly Hurricane Beryl pounded Texas, experts at Colorado State University on Tuesday increased their storm forecast for what was already expected to be an above-average hurricane season. Including Beryl and short-lived tropical storms Alberto and Chris, the department’s forecast now calls for 25 named storms this season, up from 23 when the first forecast was released in April.

Alan Lowe, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview

July 9, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 14 Comments

Alan Lowe. (© FlaglerLive)

Alan Lowe is a candidate for Palm Coast Mayor in the Aug. 20 primary. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.

Florida Renewing Push for Nuclear Power, Starting with Military Installations

July 8, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 10 Comments

Photo by Daniele La Rosa Messina on Unsplash

The Florida Public Service Commission has scheduled a Sept. 5 workshop as it begins carrying out a legislative directive to submit a report by April 2025 about the possibility of using “advanced” nuclear technologies. That includes the possibility of adding nuclear power at military bases.

Palm Coast Administration Proposing Flat Tax Rate to Pay for Increases in Sheriff and Fire Services

July 8, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 23 Comments

The city administration and some members of the council don't see eye to eye on the budget. (© FlaglerLive)

The $61 million general fund budget would include an increase of $5.6 million over the current budget but no increases in city staffing paid through the general fund. That staffing stands at 271. By far the single-largest line item increase in the budget would be for public safety, starting with policing through the city’s contract with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, and the addition of nine deputies to the city’s contract, for a total of 57.

Behind the Smear of Palm Coast Mayoral Candidate Peter Johnson

July 8, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 38 Comments

Peter Johnson in a screen capture from a Sheriff's Office body cam video during a June 2023 incident over a feral cat feeding station.

Peter Johnson, a candidate for Palm Coast mayor, has been the target of the most vicious slander in Flagler County in this year’s election. The claim has been spread through an alleged screenshot of an alleged slur he used, but all the evidence gathered so far points to a fabrication intended to defame Johnson and peddled by discreditable operatives, among them one of Johnson’s opponents in the mayoral race.

Mike Norris, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview

July 8, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 28 Comments

Mike Norris palm coast mayor candidate interview

Mike Norris is a candidate for Palm Coast Mayor in the Aug. 20 primary. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.

Florida Among 13 States With GOP Governors Rejecting Summer Food Program for Kids

July 7, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 52 Comments

florida lunch program

A new, permanent summer grocery program will help nearly 21 million kids across 37 states get enough to eat this year while school’s out. Not in Florida. Gov. Ron DeSantis is among 13 Republican governors whose states opted out of the federal program, citing their opposition to what they deride as “welfare” and their unwillingness to cover administrative costs.

Donald Trump’s Ten Commandments, Updated

July 6, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 12 Comments

A scene from "History of the World, Part 1," right after Moses breaks five commandments, reducing the total to 10. (YouTube)

Diane Roberts lets Donald Trump speak his soul: Like I told the Faith and Freedom Coalition (great people), “If I took this shirt off you’d see a beautiful, beautiful person, but you’d see wounds all over me. I’ve taken a lot of wounds.” You know who else took a lot of wounds? Jesus.

Americans Once United Over Tragic Events. No Longer.

July 5, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 3 Comments

Charles McMillan, a witness to George Floyd’s murder, speaks at the site where Floyd was killed on May 25, 2020, in Minneapolis.

Public tragedies have contributed to the increasing political polarization and the sectarian tone of political rhetoric today because the public’s understanding of tragic events has changed. After a tragedy, accounts now focus on assigning blame, typically centering on social blame, in which societal institutions such as the government, industry, civil society and even American culture are held responsible.

Plaintiffs Ask Judge to Order Return of Banned Books to School Library Shelves as Lawsuit Continues

July 5, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 6 Comments

A display at the Lynx Bookshop in Gainesville. (© FlaglerLive)

Lawyers for the plaintiffs said Escambia officials had restricted 1,031 books under the county’s review process. As of June 27, “some 178 challenged books remain restricted, although no decision has been made about the validity of the challenge,” according to the motion. The motion said that, while restrictions should be lifted on all books, the request for an injunction was limited to seven books.

Judge Blocks Biden Rule Preventing Gender-Identity Discrimination in Florida

July 4, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 3 Comments

gender identity rule

The rule, which was scheduled to take effect Friday, is designed to help carry out a federal law that prevents discrimination in health-care programs that receive federal money. The law prevents discrimination based on “sex,” and the rule would apply that to include discrimination based on gender identity.

With Nod to ‘Slippery Slope,’ Palm Coast Will Ask Voters for More Borrowing Power Through Vague Ballot Measure

July 3, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 24 Comments

The Palm Coast City Council has eyes on easier borrowing. (© FlaglerLive)

In an understated way that has so far drawn little public attention or interest, the Palm Coast City Council is hoping to convince voters to approve a momentous change in the way the city does business, clearing the way for more borrowing ahead. The council approved a proposed referendum that would go before city voters in November, asking them whether they’d be in favor of eliminating borrowing limits in place since 1999.

Palm Coast Will Draft a Vacation-Rental Ordinance as Din of Complaints Continue and Coalition Forms

July 3, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 13 Comments

They've been teeming all over Flagler County and Palm Coast. (© FlaglerLive)

The Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday directed its administration to draft an ordinance regulating short-term or vacation rentals in the city to address mounting complaints from permanent residents who say the fabric of their neighborhoods is fraying from the disruptions of such rentals turning single-family homes into party houses. Some 60 households, mostly in the C-Section, have formed the Canal Community Coalition to press the effort.

Drive Begins to Get Medicaid Expansion on Ballot as 653,000 Floridians Lost Coverage in Past Year

July 3, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 5 Comments

Angela Dumala speaking at a press conference in Tampa on March 27, 2024. (Photo by Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix)

More than 653,000 Floridians who lost their Medicaid coverage over the past year because the state determined they were ineligible. Nearly 315,000 Floridians in the so-called coverage gap, ineligible for Medicaid or insurance through the Affordable Care Act. Florida Voices for Health, a nonprofit advocacy group that works on multiple health issues including expanding Medicaid, is pushing to get Florida to join the majority of states that have expanded Medicaid.

10 Years and 520 Shows Later, Toby Tobin and WNZF Cross a Milestone of Real Estate Matters in Flagler

July 2, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 2 Comments

Annamaria Long, executive officer of the Flagler Home Builders Association, today taped her first show as co-host of Real Estate Matters, the show that marked its 10-year anniversary today, with Toby Tobin as its permanent host since its inception. (© FlaglerLive)

WNZF and Don Tobin, better known to Flagler County and the world as Toby Tobin, today marked the 10th anniversary and the 520th show of Tobin’s Real Estate Matters, on the air weekly since 2014. The occasion was marked with a cake, vodka, a mini-reunion of past co-hosts and the introduction of Tobin’s latest co-host, Annamaria Long, executive officer of the Flagler Home Builders Association.

No Change in Sheriff’s Resource Deputies Assigned to Flagler Schools But Surging Costs Raise Questions

July 2, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 10 Comments

Crossing guard Yvonne Fertall at Rymfire Elementary last spring. The surging cost of crossing guards to the school district, even though the number of guards isn;t changing, raised questions among school board members, as did the rising cost of school deputies. (Flagler Schools)

The Flagler County School District is preparing to approve a $1.38 million contract for its share of school resource deputies (SRDs) and crossing guards for the school year starting on Aug. 12, a 16 percent increase over this year’s $1.19 million contract. The increases drew questions from School Board member Colleen Conklin, who was startled by a 68 percent increase in the cost of crossing guards and the increase in deputies’ costs even though the number of guards or deputies isn’t changing.

Law Still Blurry as Supreme Court Punts on Florida’s Social Media Law

July 1, 2024 | FlaglerLive | Leave a Comment

first amendment social media

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday vacated appeals court decisions involving Florida and Texas laws designed to restrict the power of social media companies to curb content that those platforms consider objectionable, sending Florida’s case back to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and the Texas case to the Fifth Circuit.

Peter Johnson, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview

July 1, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 36 Comments

Peter Johnson. (© FlaglerLive)

Peter Johnson is a candidate for Palm Coast Mayor in the Aug. 20 primary. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.

Cornelia Downing Downing Manfre, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview

July 1, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 18 Comments

Cornelia Downing Manfre. (© FlaglerLive)

Cornelia Downing Manfre is a candidate for Palm Coast Mayor in the Aug. 20 primary. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.

David Alfin, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview

July 1, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 22 Comments

Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin. (© FlaglerLive)

David Alfin is a candidate for Palm Coast Mayor in the Aug. 20 primary. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.

Gov. DeSantis’s War on the Arts

June 30, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 18 Comments

A work by Sheila Goloborotko on exhibit at the Orlando Museum of Art, part of the 2024 Florida Prize in Contemporary Art Exhibit.

Some people are ignorant and proud of it. Ron DeSantis is one of those people. The man just vetoed almost every pitiful penny of arts and culture funding in the state budget. Museums, music, youth programs, local treasures, historic houses, Black heritage centers, performing arts spaces, dance companies, kids’ music programs, even renowned institutions such as the Ringling Museum of Art. With his characteristic eloquence, DeSantis snarled, “Some of the stuff I don’t think was appropriate for state tax dollars.”

Panel Moves Forward on Black History Museum in St. Johns County,

June 29, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 2 Comments

Sen. Geraldine Thompson chairs the Florida Museum of Black History Task Force but dissented Friday.

Facing a Monday deadline, members of a state task force Friday voted to submit a report to the governor and the Legislature that outlines suggestions on how to build, market, operate and eventually make self-sufficient a Black history museum proposed for St. Johns County.

Trump Is No Longer the Greatest Danger to the Country. Biden Is.

June 29, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 188 Comments

biden danger election

Biden has a choice: certain defeat and a Trump win, or stepping aside and letting Democrats take the only kind of gamble that gives them at least a competitive chance to win in November, with either California’s Gavin Newsom or Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer at the top of the ticket–and with Whitmer clearly the better of the two. If the Democratic Party allows Biden to dig in, the party loses all legitimacy going forward.

Data Company Seeking Easements Discovers Flagler Beach Commissioners Won’t Be Cowed Into Submission

June 28, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 11 Comments

The significant portion of Veterans Park in Flagler Beach that DC Blox, the data company, was seeking an easement for is demarcated by the sidewalk, going north toward the monument and State Road 100. (© FlaglerLive)

The Flagler Beach City Commission will not grant a data-center company a perpetual easement over almost a third of Veterans Park in the heart of the city as a landing point for undersea internet cables. The company was attempting to save money at the city’s expense. City commissioners explicitly called out the scheme, tabling the proposal until DC Blox returns with a feasible proposal to use South 6th Street as a landing site, without disrupting the city-owned parking lot there or compromising its future value to the city.

DeSantis Veto of Vacation-Rental Bill Opens the Way for Palm Coast Regulations with Flagler’s as Model

June 28, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 16 Comments

Some of Airbnb's current listings in Palm Coast, from an online screenshot.

Facing pressure, Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed the measure a bill that deregulated local control of vacation rentals, saying the proposal would create “bureaucratic red tape” for local officials. Now, Palm Coast has another chance to write its own vacation-rental ordinance, or at least craft some city-specific regulations. City Council member Theresa Pontieri said this morning she intends to open the way for just such a proposal, with caution, as residents increasingly complain of rentals.

Two Years Later, Star Teacher Fired Over a TikTok Second Signs Settlement and Hopes to Resume Career

June 27, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 13 Comments

Abbey Cooke at a Flagler Pride event in Palm Coast in 2021. She was fired the next year. (© FlaglerLive)

Two years after Flagler County schools ended her stellar 12-year teaching career over a 15-second TikTok video of her dancing with some of her sixth-grade students to the sound of Lizzo and an errant, barely audible four-letter word that many students sing or mouth a dozen times a day, Abbey Cooke has signed a settlement agreement with the state, neither admitting nor denying guilt, and preserving her teaching license.

In Latest Delay, Old Dixie Motel Owners Want a Stay on Judge’s Order to Pay $250,000 Security

June 27, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 5 Comments

old dixie motel

The owners of the Old Dixe Motel appear still unwilling to pay a $250,000 deposit they’ve owed the county for three years and that Circuit Judge Chris France ordered them to pay last week. They have filed a motion through their attorney to stay the order, pending a July 11 hearing before France.

Secretive Data Company Getting Stiff Resistance from Flagler Beach Over Perpetual Easement at Veterans Park

June 26, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 23 Comments

DC Blox, a company planning to build a data center in Palm Coast, wants an easement over the northern segment of Veterans Park in Flagler Beach, beneath which it would "land" undersea internet cables. The city has issues both with the company's terms and its opaque methods. (© FlaglerLive)

DC Blox, the Atlanta-based data company working with Palm Coast to open a data center there, is about to face stiff resistance from some Flagler Beach City Commissioners as it seeks a permanent easement through Veterans Park, one of the city’s iconic treasures. Officials are not happy with the choice they’re being given at Veterans Park, the paltry, one-time compensation the city is being offered–$100,000 per cable landing–or the way DC Blox has attempted to keep negotiations out of the public eye, especially about money.

Ocala Prayer Vigil Organized by Police and City Officials to End Violent Crime Ruled Unconstitutional

June 26, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 11 Comments

Overt, explicitly Christian prayers are routine at the Bunnell City Commission. (© FlaglerLive)

Nearly a decade after the event was held amid a crime spree, a federal judge Wednesday ruled that the city of Ocala violated the U.S. Constitution in organizing and carrying out a prayer vigil. U.S. District Judge Timothy Corrigan issued a 50-page decision that sided with atheists, who argued the prayer vigil in a town square violated the Establishment Clause of the Constitution.

Flagler Tiger Bay Prepares for Largest Candidate Meet-and-Greet of Primary, Waving Off Fret Over Straw Poll

June 26, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 14 Comments

Flagler Tiger Bay's meet-and-greet featuring almost all the local candidates in the August primary election follows in the tradition of similar events, like the former Chamber of Commerce's hob knob of 2018, above, at the Palm Coast Community Center. (© FlaglerLive)

As of Monday some 40 local and state candidates had confirmed attendance at Thursday’s Tiger Bay Meet and Greet, what is expected to be the largest election gathering of the sort for Flagler County and Palm Coast politics ahead of the Aug. 20 primary. The three-hour free event starting at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Palm Coast Community Center will include a voter-registration drive organized by the Supervisor of Elections’ office, and a straw poll, which one candidate is criticizing as a “sham.” He appears isolated.

Sales Tax Is Lifted On Slew of Recreational Items For All of July

June 25, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 8 Comments

florida sales tax holiday recreational

Sales taxes won’t be collected in July on many supplies for boating, fishing and camping and tickets purchased for live music events, sporting events, fairs, festivals, theater performances and movies. Last year, the state offered the tax holiday for three months, but it will be limited to July this year.

Palm Coast Mayor Alfin’s Sudden Spate of City-Aided ‘Town Halls,’ 2 Months from Election, Raises Red Flag

June 25, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 14 Comments

Mayor David Alfin at a town hall style meeting at Panera Bread in April. (© FlaglerLive)

Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin’s decision to hold weekly “Share with the Mayor” gatherings at the City Hall flagpole is drawing criticism from an opponent in the mayoral race and a request by the council as a whole for a legal opinion on the legality of city aided town hall style meetings in proximity to an election. Alfin defends the practice, saying he is continuing the practice of “Share with the Mayor,” in effect throughout his term, by other means.

Palm Coast Reels Back Talk of Firing Its Lobbyists as Southern Group’s Emissaries Deliver Veto-Proof Defense

June 25, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 7 Comments

Laura Boehmer and Oscar Anderson of Southern Group, Palm Coast's lobbying firm, in a screen capture from one of the firm's videos. Boehmer and Anderson appeared before the Palm Coast City Council this morning.

A presentation to the Palm Coast City Council today by its Southern Group lobbyists was a response to an inquisition, albeit an inquisition that, by the time the pair of lobbyists had sat down in person in front of the council, had already been sharply dialed down to a sort of Marriage Encounter session. The council critics’ aim was no longer to criticize or threaten dissolution but to learn, recalibrate and grow, especially as the lobbyists twice reminded them of Palm Coast’s record appropriation hauls of the last two years.

Convicted Murderer With Prior Stalking History Sentenced to 15 Months for Stalking Girl, 15, in R-Section

June 25, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 9 Comments

Daniel Hilbert, left, with his attorney on Monday, before Circuit Judge Terence Perkins. (© FlaglerLive via zoom)

It was a disturbing report of a repeat offense by a convicted violent felon several times over: A 15-year-old Matanzas High School student told authorities Daniel Hilbert, 53, a neighbor, had been accosting her, befriending her, then stalking her at her R-Section bus stop, and once assaulting her physically. She had pictures and video. The former convict was sentenced to 15 months in prison and nearly four years on sex-offender probation.

Some Hammock Residents Tell Flagler County: Tax Us for Beach Protection, and a Commissioner Sees Opportunity

June 24, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 35 Comments

Even though it struck Flagler County only as a tropical storm, Hurricane Matthew in 2016 left a trail of damaged homes hanging on cliffs at the edge of severely eroded dunes in the unincorporated north part of the county. Those property owners remember well, and some are now urging the county to move forward with a special taxing district, even if they are singled out. (© FlaglerLive)

Even as cities’ unhappy reactions have forced Flagler County quickly to retreat from a proposal to create a new tax for almost all residents and businesses in the county, Flagler County Commissioner Donald O’Brien is encouraging his colleagues on the commission to consider a special taxing district that would target just the northern 10 miles of the barrier island in the unincorporated part of the county.

Supreme Court Will Decide Legality of Transgender Care Bans in Decision That Will Affect Florida Law

June 24, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 1 Comment

supreme court trans care

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to decide whether a Tennessee law restricting puberty blockers and hormone therapy for transgender children is unconstitutional, in a closely watched case that is almost certain to affect similar laws in Florida and more than a dozen other states. Justices will hear the case in the fall, with a decision likely coming in June or July 2025.

15-Month-Old Hospitalized After Seizing from Pot Ingestion; Father Charged With Felony Child Neglect

June 24, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 5 Comments

Cody Robert Spiegelhalter.

A 15-month-old Flagler County girl who ingested marijuana her father allegedly left unattended was hospitalized at Wolfson’s Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville for Sunday after seizing and developing a distended stomach. Her 26-year-old father, Cody Robert Spiegelhalter, was booked at the Flagler County jail on a felony charge of child neglect.

The Write-In Fraud

June 23, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 53 Comments

"What District am I running for?" Jose Fabiani asked as he was filling paperwork to run as a write-in in a County Commission race on June 13, with his handler, Dennis McDonald, standing by to the right, and Supervisor of Elections Kaiti Lenhart looking on. Fabiani had to redo the paperwork. (© FlaglerLive)

Two people who have zero intention to run campaigns have filed to run as write-ins, closing two Flagler County Commission races to 51 percent of the electorate in cynical maneuvers to benefit Ed Danko and Kim Carney in their respective races, against Pam Richardson in one and Nick Klufas and Bill Clark in the other. The write-in fraud takes advantage of a loophole in the law that enables anyone, without paying a dime or showing any intention to campaign, to be a write-in, thus closing otherwise open primaries.

DeSantis Protects Left-Lane Laggards and Residents Who Shoot Bears in ‘Stand Your Ground’ Encounters

June 23, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 7 Comments

The killing of bears is about to increase in Florida. (FWC)

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed a controversial measure that will bolster self-defense arguments for people who kill bears on their property, while vetoing a bill that would have prevented motorists from cruising in the left lanes of highways.

Celebrated Ex-County Engineer Faith al-Khatib Sues Over Termination, Citing Racism and Illegalities

June 21, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 55 Comments

Then-County Engineer Faith al-Khatib during one of her last public appearances for Flagler County, at a meeting on the beach renourishment project in Flagler Beach. She had worked for the county for 18 years. (© FlaglerLive)

Faith al-Khatib, for 18 years the Flagler County engineer and public works director repeatedly praised for securing millions in state and federal dollars for county projects, is suing the county for wrongful termination and retaliation, citing favoritism, illegal acts she refused to perform for the administration, and racism. Al-Khatib is of Palestinian extraction. It is the second lawsuit filed against the county by a former employee alleging discrimination in the past year.

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