Three Flagler Beach city commissioners had called for a special workshop to discuss what they perceived as Mayor Suzie Johnston overstepping her role. After conversations with City Attorney Drew Smith, the commissioners pulled back on holding that workshop this evening.
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DeSantis and the Mis-Education of Florida’s Schoolchildren. With Test for Extra Credit.
Ron DeSantis wants the young ’uns educated with no unfair criticism of the Greatest Country that Ever Was. To that end, he’s bringing in a curriculum from Hillsdale College, a righteous institution where they love the Lord, the flag, and capitalism — not necessarily in that order.
Over a Decade in the Making, Water Oak Road’s Paving in West Flagler Is Driving to Completion
Then-Flagler County Commissioner Nate McLaughlin had promised West Flagler residents that Water Oak Road would start getting paved in 2012. It did, but it’s only next month that the project he’d pushed for then will finally be completed with state and federal dollars.
City Repertory Theatre Hopscotches Through Love’s Multiverse with ‘Constellations’
The play, running Thursday through Sunday at Palm Coast’s City Repertory Theatre, is a 2012 comedy-drama by British playwright Nick Payne about the romantic ups and downs of a beekeeper and a theoretical physicist. The couple in “Constellations” take a trip down the rabbit hole of the multiverse, that freaky theory that posits there are an infinite number of parallel universes which exist simultaneously, and may be quite similar to or radically different from the one you and I inhabit.
Four School Boards Sued Over Enforcing ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Law, Charging Violation of 1st Amendment
The lawsuit, filed Monday in federal court in Orlando, seeks to block the school boards in Orange, Indian River, Duval and Palm Beach counties from carrying out the law (HB 1557), which restricts instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation in classrooms. The lawsuit charges the law is unconstitutional.
Man Faces Felony for Forcibly Removing from Home 11-Year-Old Trying to Protect His Mother
Charles Morgan Sanders, 42, faces a felony child abuse charge and a domestic battery charge after he forcibly removed an 11-year-old boy from a P-Section house. Sanders was in a confrontation with the boy’s mother when the boy tried to intervene, further angering Sanders.
Lance Alred, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Lance Alred is one of seven candidates in three races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 23 primary election, one of three in the District 2 race. He faces Will Furry and Courtney VandeBunte. All Flagler voters, regardless of party affiliation and address, may cast a ballot in these races.
Unexpected Death of Dr. Bulic, Medical Examiner for Flagler and 2 Other Counties, Triggers Key Process
Dr. Predrag Bulic, the chief medical examiner for Flagler, St. Johns and Putnam counties–a position as low profile as it is critical to the justice system and families in the determination of the cause of death of thousands of individuals each year–died unexpectedly over the weekend of a severe stroke. His replacement’s highly political appointment will involve some of the top elected law enforcement and judicial officials in Flagler, St. Johns and Putnam counties.
Flagler Judge Melissa Distler Named President-Elect of Florida Conference of County Court Judges
Flagler County Court Judge D. Melissa Distler, in her 10th year on the bench, was elected President-Elect of the Florida Conference of County Court Judges last week at the judges’ summer education conference in Bonita Springs. Distler will be sworn in in July 2024, presiding over the conferences 335 county judges from 67 counties.
Monkeypox Declared International Public Health Emergency; Florida’s 260 Cases Rank 3rd in U.S.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Saturday that the monkeypox outbreak that’s expanded globally is now a public health emergency of international concern. The Florida Department of Health shows monkeypox cases of 260 in 16 counties as of Saturday, none in Flagler.
Renner Embraces Anti-‘Woke’ Rhetoric and DeSantis Sees Red at GOP’s Sunshine Summit
Renner, who highlighted continued work to expand school choice, also said more attention is needed to address corporate pushes toward what are known as environmental, social and governance principles, which often include favoring investment in green energy over fossil fuels.
Two Boys, 15 at Time of Brutal Armed Home Invasion in Palm Coast, Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison
They were 15 years old–15, when Korie Jones and Darius Watts left their separate homes to join Carlos Dupree and a fourth man on a criminal scheme: to terrorize, brutalize and rob a Palm Coast family at gunpoint. They looked and acted every bit their age if not younger as they sat for their sentencing in court this afternoon at the Flagler County courthouse.
Palm Coast Pitches Breakthrough That Could End County Clash with District Over School Construction
The working group of local government staffers struggling to craft a formula requiring developers and builders to pay their fair share had a breakthrough at its last meeting, devising a new formula that could resolve a conflict and prevent the county from reaching the point where a lot of further development could be stopped, because of the absence of a formal agreement.
Christy Chong, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Christy Chong is one of seven candidates in three races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 23 primary election, opposing incumbent Trevor Tucker. all Flagler voters, regardless of party affiliation and address, may cast a ballot in these races.
Trevor Tucker, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Trevor Tucker is one of seven candidates in three races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 23 primary election. He is opposed by Christy Chong. All Flagler voters, regardless of party affiliation and address, may cast a ballot in these races.
Florida’s 15-Week Abortion Ban Remains in Place as Appellate Court Signals It Will Uphold It
A split state appeals court has refused to reinstate a temporary injunction blocking enforcement of Florida’s new 15-week abortion ban, meaning Florida’s 15-week abortion ban remains in effect.
Fresh From Hung Jury, Kwentel Moultrie Turns Down Another Deal on Rape Charge and Heads for Re-Trial
Kwentel Moultrie, who faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted, and a lifetime designation as a predator, spoke as if he had no reason to deal, and opted this morning for trial in a month after declining the prosecution’s latest offer to plead out his rape charge–and going against his own motion for a speedy trial.
Palm Coast United Methodist Church Takes Another Step Toward New Matanzas Woods Campus
Some 50 congregants of Palm Coast United Methodist Church gathered Wednesday for the groundbreaking of their new 25,500 square foot, $7.1 million campus at the southeast corner of Matanzas Woods Parkway and Belle Terre Parkway.
Joe Mullins Falsely Claims 2 Associations of Retired Cops Support Him, Drawing Sharp Disavowals
Reeling from publicity about his disrespect of Florida Highway Patrol troopers, Joe Mullins falsely claimed on Facebook this week that he had the “support” of local organizations of retired police officers, drawing disavowals from the presidents of both organizations and being forced to reword the post, which he still got wrong.
Palm Coast Lands $739,000 Grant for Regional Recreation Center Through Tourism Council
Flagler County’s Tourist Development council this morning approved a $739,000 grant for Palm Coast government’s ongoing expansion of the city’s tennis center off Belle Terre Parkway into a Southern Regional Recreation Center, with a new and park-like trailhead, a community center, and a dozen pickleball courts. The grant will defray the cost of the pickleball courts.
The Music Plays On: School Board Renews Flagler Youth Orchestra, with Call for Indefinite Support
The Flagler County School Board Tuesday evening voted 5-0 to renew funding for the Flagler Youth Orchestra for an 18th year after hearing pleas and plaudits from some 20 community members, former and current participants and parents.
Human Remains Found at Toscana Development Off Old Kings Road in Palm Coast
Flagler County Sheriff’s detectives and partner agencies are investigating the discovery of human remains at a construction site expanding the Toscana subdivision off Old Kings Road in Palm Coast, Sheriff Rick Staly said this afternoon.
Palm Coast’s Chelsea Hawk, 39, Dies of Crash Injuries, as Does 12-Year-Old Son
Chelsea Hawk, a 39-year-old mother of three young children and one grown son and a fierce political activist, died late Monday night at Halifax hospital from injuries sustained in a car crash off I-95 Sunday. He 12-year-old son Died Tuesday.
Curtain Calls for Flagler Youth Orchestra as School Board Frets Either Encores or Coda
The Flagler County School Board this evening votes on whether to renew the Flagler Youth Orchestra for its 18th year. Renewal was not in question in previous years, as it has been this year. A former superintendent, parents, community members at large, current and former FYO student participants sent numerous letters and emails to school board members.
15 Years in Prison for Ian Davis as Child Victim of His Abuse Indicts Those Who Disbelieved or Blamed Her
Just before Ian Davis of Palm Coast was sentenced to 15 years in prison for molesting his 14-year-old niece, she described, in a remarkable impact statement, how her own grandmother disbelieved her and her own pastor turned the blame on her.
Alphonso Joseph, 48, Pastor at Bunnell Church, Charged With Molesting Teen on Golf Course
Alphonso Joseph, a 48-year-old Palm Coast resident and pastor associated with several Bunnell churches and spiritual organizations, was arrested Friday and charged with molesting a 15-year-old boy in a vehicle on the Matanzas Woods Golf Course.
Eddie Branquinho Walked Out of Palm Coast Council for Attention, and May Run for Mayor in 2 Years
Calling his move a pre-meditated ploy for attention, Palm Coast City council member Eddie Branquinho says he will be returning to council meetings after storming out at the beginning of last week’s workshop, and may run for mayor, challenging David Alfin, in two years.
As Joe Mullins Draws National Embarrassment Over Troopergate, Pennington Trounces Him in Straw Poll
It’s been the worst week of Joe Mullins’s nearly-four year tenure on the Flagler County Commission, less than six weeks from the Aug. 23 primary, with a Republican Party straw poll showing him far behind challenger Leann Pennington and major national media reporting on his abuse of authority with Florida Highway Patrol troopers.
DeSantis Calls on ‘Moms for Liberty’ at National Summit to Fight ‘Leftist’ Agenda
Claiming that Florida schools are undergoing “leftist indoctrination,” a “leftist agenda,” and “sexualization of children,” Gov. Ron DeSantis called on hundreds of members of “Moms For Liberty,” gathered in Tampa Friday, to fight.
Flagler Beach Commission Again Clashes, Reducing Mayor to Tears and Lawyering Up Over Roles
Flagler Beach commissioners today in a budget workshop again clashed sharply over Mayor Suzie Johnston’s, and commissioners’, respective roles, several of them charging that Johnston is overstepping her authority. The clash ended what only the night before had been a pledge on the panel to “reset” and seek a more collegial approach.
Pool Contractor Dan Priotti Sentenced to 5 Years’ Probation for 3rd DUI, and Gives Up Right of Appeal
Dan Priotti, the temperamental owner of Agua Construction Co., was found guilty of his third drunk driving charge in 10 years after a one-day trial last March. But the trial was flawed and ripe for appeal. The prosecution and the defense agreed to a deal that, in exchange for no prison time, Priotti would give up all rights of appeal.
On the Brink of War, Flagler Beach City Commission Agrees to ‘Reset,’ with Rescue from Ex-Mayor
The Flagler Beach City Commission, faced with a two-front war–with conflict over City Manager William Whitson’s future and growing conflict between the commission itself–pledged Thursday to “reset” after getting a peace-keeping assist from former Mayor Linda Provencher. It had been at the edge of a cliff.
Experts Say Florida’s Medicaid Ban for Transgender Health Lacks ‘Scientific or Medical Justification’
National medical and legal researchers have issued a report condemning Florida health officials’ plan to block Medicaid coverage for gender-dysphoria treatments. The critical report was released by Yale School of Medicine researchers and professors.
No ‘Lynching’ for Embattled Flagler Beach Manager Whitson, But a 90-Day Probation Period
Just 14 months into his tenure as Flagler Beach City Manager, William Whitson is on a 90-day probation period that could result in his firing if he doesn’t show the sort of reset in communications and management style a majority of commissioners want to see.
Drug Sweep on Flagler’s West Side Nets 13 Arrests as Sheriff Underscores Fentanyl’s Toll
The youngest offender was 18, the oldest 66, and most had trails of arrests behind them already–64 felony and 95 misdemeanor convictions between them, Sheriff Rick Staly said, including one, Twain Slater, who’s been arrested more than a dozen times since becoming an adult (he’s 31), for a combined 23 felony and misdemeanor convictions.
Confirmed: Jersey Mike’s Subs Opening Restaurant at Palm Coast’s Island Walk, Near Brass Tap
Jersey Mike’s Subs, the famed franchise that opened its first restaurant in Point Pleasant, N.J., in 1956, and was the fastest-growing sandwich chain in 2022, will open its first Palm Coast restaurant in the Island Walk shopping center in late November.
Palm Coast Taxes Would Rise About 14% To Pay for 7% Budget Increase, Including 5 More Deputies
In its first comprehensive recommendation to the Palm Coast City Council for the coming year’s budget, the city administration is proposing a 7 percent budget increase that includes money for five new sheriff’s deputies, two new firefighters and a fire inspector, and nine additional administrative positions. But it would require a tax increase.
From Controversy to Harmony: Ambitious, $11.4 Million Expansion of Tennis Center and Trailhead Draws Praise
In contrast with bitter controversy last year, a revised and largely expanded $11.35 million plan to remake the grounds of the Palm Coast tennis center with a luxurious community center, solar-power-arrayed pickle balls, a dog park and a trailhead as bucolic as it’ll be ritzy drew almost nothing but praise and no detectable resistance from four council members.
‘I Don’t Belong Here,’ Eddie Branquinho Says, Storming Out of Council Meeting After Not Getting His Way
Palm Coast City Council member Eddie Branquinho walked out of a workshop meeting this morning and is considering not completing the four months left in his term after fellow-council members refused to go along with his demand that they issue a tendentious two-question survey on apartment and single-family home construction in the city. Branquinho, a staunch opponent of apartment construction, likened current trends to turning Palm Coast into Newark–coded language about race and crime.
1,200-Home Eagle Lakes/Radiance Development Clears County Commission Against Opposition, 3-1
In a victory as major for the developer of future phases of Eagle Lakes as it is a blow to existing residents of Eagle Lakes, the Flagler County Commission this evening cleared the way for a 1,200-home development on 612 acres at the south end of Old Kings Road, a development one commissioner likened to Palm Coast’s Grand Haven, at least by size.
Florida Moving toward Medicaid Ban on Gender-Affirming Care for Transgender People
The DeSantis administration moved toward banning gender-affirming care for transgender Floridians under Medicaid, meaning that treatments such as hormone therapy and puberty blockers may soon be out of reach for many low-income members of the LGBTQ+ community.
‘I Run the County,’ Commissioner Joe Mullins Tells FHP; A Trooper Calls Him ‘Belligerent’ and ‘Disrespectful’
Flagler County Commissioner Joe Mullins, who has made a chronic habit of speeding, getting pulled over then attempt to get out of a ticket by abusing his authority, told a Florida Highway Patrol trooper that “I run the county” in one such attempt on I-4 last month, video of the encounter shows, and another trooper called him “extremely condescending, belligerent, illogical, and disrespectful.”
In a First, Mary McLeod Bethune’s Statue Is Unveiled at U.S. Capitol Wednesday in Place of Confederate General
The likeness of Bethune will replace a statue of Confederate Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith, which stood in the Capitol for nearly a century. Bethune, who died in 1955, will be the first Black person to represent a state in the collection.
By Focusing Only on ‘Resilience,’ Florida’s Governor Ignores Climate Change’s Deadly Heat
“Resilience” is the word politicians use when they mean “climate change is an opportunity for me to hand out lots of big government contracts for construction work that will try to cope with rising sea levels.” But resiliency does nothing to reverse dangerous courses.
Attempt to Extend Olive Branch to Green Lion Fails as Council Cites ‘Disrespect’; City Will Issue RFP
Palm Coast government’s relationship with the Green Lion Cafe is over, and an attempt by City Council member Nick Klufas to extend a two-week grace period and hold a workshop with the restaurant’s owners failed. The Green Lion now has six months to clear out of Palm Harbor, and the city must pay a year’s back rent, or $7,200.
Developments Could Stall If County, Cities and District Can’t Agree on School Construction Payments
As they hurtle toward an arbitrary Aug. 31 deadline that could potentially bring some local development to a halt, the Flagler County School Board on one side and the county, Palm Coast and Bunnell on the other remain in sharp opposition over how to collect money developers owe the district to ensure there are enough schools for incoming students.
Portables Are Back: Buddy Taylor Middle Takes Delivery of 7 Classrooms, Leased for $105,000
After an absence of 14 years, Buddy Taylor Middle School this week was again the scene of installations of portable classrooms, a trend the Flagler County school district has been trying to avoid by planning for new construction. But wrangles with the county and cities over school financing is increasing the likelihood of more portables ahead.
In the Shadow of Tom Joad: Pride in Flagler’s Food-A-Thon, Wrath That It Is Still Needed
One naturally feels proud about a community capable of generosity on the scale of Flagler Radio’s Friday Food-A-Thon. But there’s no pride in the persistent poverty it speaks of: There’s something pathologically wrong about any community in what is supposedly the wealthiest country on earth still having to do this to ensure something as basic as putting food on the table for 3,500 families every week.
School Board at Impasse With County and Palm Coast Over Billing Developers for New Schools
The Flagler County School Board says it needs to collect a larger portion of impact fees up front to plan for $175 million in new school construction. The County Commission and Palm Coast object, proposing a plan that would let developers pay a smaller share up front, and pay as they go.
Taxable Values Surge at Highest Pace in 16 Years, Setting Up Windfall for Government
Taxable values in Flagler County rose 18 percent in 2021, higher than initially estimated two months ago. Values rose nearly 20 percent in Palm Coast, 14.5 percent in Flagler Beach and 22 percent in Bunnell. The school board’s taxable values increased by 25 percent. For local governments, the surging values can translate to surging revenue–if the governments do not hold the line on tax rates.