Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland delivered the annual State of the City address and recognized the year’s recipients of three awards, including Citizen of the Year and the Public Safety Award. Here’s the full text.
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George Floyd-Inspired Bill Requiring Use-of-Force Training for Police, Termed a ‘Good Start,’ Clears Legislature
The measure seeks to address aspects of policing that came under scrutiny after the death of George Floyd, a Black man who was killed by ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin nearly a year ago. Chauvin, who was captured on video kneeling on Floyd’s neck, was found guilty by a jury last week of murdering Floyd.
Measure Banning Transgender Girls From High School and College Teams Heads for DeSantis Signature
Under the measure on its way to Gov. Ron DeSantis, female students’ eligibility for sports teams would be based on their “biological sex” on birth certificates issued “at or near the time of the student’s birth.”
Palm Coast Swipes Sheriff’s Peerless PR Director Brittany Kershaw in Latest Revamp, at a Salary of $105,000
Palm Coast is elevating Brittany Kershaw’s position to the level of director, and in all local governments, directors’ salaries begin in the 90,000 and go up from there. She takes over a communications division that has been in flux, to put it mildly, since City Manager Matt Morton’s arrival two years ago.
Flagler’s Population Increases at Fastest Pace in 13 Years as Housing Inventory Shrinks Despite Construction Boom
Flagler County in 2020 added 3,538 residents, after an almost equally strong gain in 2019. The gains are still less than half what they were at the peak of the county’s boom years, but they are remaking the landscape. The boomlet is reflected across other indicators–property values, the shrinking available inventory of single-family homes, and the sharp rise in permitting for new single-family homes.
In Flagler Beach, Bank of America’s Blockish Eyesore Will Be Replaced By Vacation Rentals and Shops
The blockish and unsightly Bank of America building that sat for decades at South 3rd and State Road A1A in Flagler Beach will be renovated into the unrecognizable Ocean Club, with seven short-term rentals upstairs and clothing and gift shops downstairs.
Palm Coast Songwriters Festival Returns, Starring “Same Ole” Paul Overstreet and 30 Top Songsmiths
The Palm Coast Song Festival runs April 29-May 2 at various area venues, featuring 30 songwriters who have penned hits, including more than 125 No. 1s, for such country stars as Garth Brooks, George Strait, Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw and many others – including George Jones and Randy Travis.
Sharp Acceleration of Shifting Tax Dollars to Private Schools Clears Senate and Heads for DeSantis Signature
The proposal also would increase the maximum income eligibility to receive vouchers to 375 percent of the federal poverty level, meaning a family of four making nearly $100,000 a year would qualify.
Contrary to Commissioner’s Claim, Flagler County Is Not at Herd Immunity, Health Officials Warn, Only Nearing It
Local health officials cautioned against ending covid-19 precautionary restrictions in response to a false claim by Flagler County Commissioner Joe Mullins that herd immunity has been reached, and that he would call for an end to restrictions at the next county commission meeting. Mullins often writes or speaks falsehoods or makes misleading statements about covid-19 and numerous other matters.
Greg Schwartz, Principal at South Daytona Elementary, is Named Tom Russell’s Replacement at FPC
Greg Schwartz, Principal at South Daytona Elementary, today was named principal at Flagler Palm Coast High School. Schwartz replaces Tom Russell, the popular and charismatic principal who’d led FPC for less than two years by the time of his death from covid last December.