Normalcy shouldn’t be news. At the Palm Coast City Council’s workshop on Tuesday, it was. Normalcy returned, if perhaps temporarily, after a string of meetings going back months that degraded proceedings with embarrassing regularity, derailing the city’s search for a city manager and culminating in the mayor’s censure and his retaliatory lawsuit against the city he leads. The tone on Tuesday was oddly, radically different. Mayor Mike Norris was on vacation. And Vice Mayor Theresa Pontieri chaired the workshop.
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By Law, $10 Million Hope Florida Deal Should Have Been Audited. It Wasn’t.
The Florida statute that governs money owed to the state requires the CFO to audit the “accounts of all the officers of the state” in regard to transactions like last year’s controversial settlement with Medicaid contractor Centene Corp. that saw $10 million in public proceeds funneled through the Casey DeSantis-affiliated Hope Florida Foundation to attack a referendum staunchly opposed by her husband, Gov. Ron DeSantis, to legalize cannabis. No such review or audit was conducted.
With New Cat-5 Resistant Roof, Flagler’s Emergency Management Prepares for Hurricane Season of 13 to 19 Named Storms
Aside from his annual briefing on the coming hurricane season’s 13 to 19 named storms, Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord said the county’s Emergency Operations Center now has an $830,000 roof that can resist 180 miles per hour winds, his department is just one of six certified departments ou of the state’s 67 counties, and a new, $10 million stand-alone emergency shelter is scheduled to be completed at the county fairgrounds by next summer.
At Flagler Tiger Bay, Ex-US Attorney General Gives Bullish View of ‘Unitary’ Executive Power, With Nod to Calvin Coolidge
Jesse Panuccio is the former executive director of the Florida Department of Executive Opportunity, general counsel to former Gov. Rick Scott and twice the acting U.S. Attorney General during the first Trump administration. He focused on the record spate of recent presidential executive orders and “their legal status,” drawing from headlines about the most aggressive use of executive power since the Civil War in combination with Panuccio’s interpretation of history in the founding era to endorse the current president’s conduct as legally justified.
Solemnity and Dissonance at Palm Coast’s Memorial Day Ceremony as Congressman Invokes 1.2 Million Casualties
Vice Mayor Theresa Pontieri led Palm Coast’s traditional commemoration of Memorial Day at Heroes Park with a tribute to Gold Star families as U.S. Rep. Randy Fine invoked the “stupendous” deaths of 1.2 million American casualties in wars over the years, four days after implying that nuking 2 million Palestinians was justified.
Don’t Buy the False Narrative that Palm Coast’s Infrastructure Isn’t Keeping Up with Growth
No one disputes that Palm Coast has grown significantly and faster than most communities in the country. The city’s population has grown by 150 percent in 20 years. That kind of growth naturally brings challenges, and anyone who suggests otherwise is being disingenuous. But to claim that our infrastructure is incapable of supporting this growth, or worse, that the city has been sitting idly by, is to ignore a mountain of evidence.
Democracy’s Sunset: There’s a 70% Chance the Constitution Will Be Suspended Before 2028
The democratic moment is over. There’s a 70 percent chance that the Constitution will be suspended before the legal end of the current administration. The chance of a suspension grows to 110 percent in case of an actual emergency, like a 9/11-style attack. But a majority of Americans aren’t interested in democracy anymore. They want their strongman. Nothing else explains the country’s surrender to the degradation of the country’s institutions since Jan. 20.
Why the Far Right Fabricated the Myth of a Migrant ‘Invasion’
The current administration is using the claim that immigrants have “invaded” the country to justify possibly suspending habeas corpus, part of the constitutional right to due process. A faction of the far right has been building this case for years. By 2022, invasion rhetoric, which had previously been relegated to white nationalist circles, had become such a staple of Republican campaign ads that most of the public agreed an invasion of the U.S. via the southern border was underway.
Danko No Longer District Director for Randy Fine; Congressman Calls for Nuking Gaza’s 2 Million Palestinians
Ed Danko and U.S. Rep. Randy Fine have parted ways a week after the former Palm Coast City Council member was named Fine’s district director in Flagler, Volusia and St. Johns Counties. On Thursday, Fine called for the nuking of Gaza, the small enclave of 2 million Palestinians. Fine will be a featured speaker at Palm Coast’s Memorial Day commemoration, and at the county’s commemoration later on Monday.
Flagler Beach’s Farmers Market Will Move to South 2nd Street by City Hall After Losing Wickline Park
The Flagler Beach farmers market that’s jazzed up the grounds of the Wickline Center off South Daytona Avenue since 2022 will have a new home after July 4: along South 2nd Street between State Road A1A and South Central Avenue, in front of City Hall. The city nudged the market out of Wickline Park where it had been operating since 2022, after complaints about the misuse of the park. The new location will significantly improve visibility for the market, which is run by Flagler Strong, a nonprofit.
Federal Judge Hears Challenge to Florida’s Law Sharply Restricting Ballot Initiatives
Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker listened to about three hours of testimony on Florida Decides Healthcare’s and Smart & Safe Florida’s request that he block certain provisions of the law while the legal challenge moves ahead — including a requirement that sponsors turn in completed petitions within 10 days after the voter signs the petition, as well as stepped up fines and criminal penalties.
Palm Coast City Attorney Calls Mayor Norris ‘Unprofessional and Inappropriate’ 3 Weeks After Censure for Similar Behavior
Palm Coast City Attorney Jeremiah Blocker last week told Mayor Mike Norris that his conduct with the city’s two attorneys was “unprofessional and inappropriate” following a suggestion by Norris that the attorneys were ignoring him. It was the latest in a series of incidents involving Norris’s often brusque conduct involving city staffers, council members or members of the business community. The latest revelations are notable for having occurred after Norris was censured by the rest of the City Council for his conduct, and after he had offered something resembling an apology.
Maga’s Fearful War on Universities
Ron DeSantis has been trying for years to regulate speech in colleges and universities, impose restrictions on what teachers can teach in schools, and decree which books the state of Florida finds “acceptable.” DeSantis, nothing if not energetic in his rage, is now determined to shield our precious college students from Dangerous Thoughts. He’s the model for someone else in charge.
Margaritaville’s Compass Hotel in Flagler Beach Opens in Buffett-Themed Celebration of a Downtown Remade
“Total excitement. Fantastic. Finally.” With those words, Flagler Beach Mayor Patti King summed up the response to today’s opening of the 100-room Compass Hotel by Margaritaville in the heart of Flagler Beach, more than half a century after its three-story predecessor in the same spot closed its door on its last guest. The $27 million project includes a pair of bars and restaurants totaling 240 seats and employs some 80 people, most from Flagler Beach and Palm Coast.
Flagler County Clears Construction of 124 Single-Family Houses at Veranda Bay in Latest Phases of 453-Unit Development
The Flagler County Commission approved Monday the final plat for 124 single-family house lots at Veranda Bay near Flagler Beach, the last two of six phases totaling 335 houses in the development along John Anderson Highway, which was permitted for 453 housing units in 2020. Veranda Bay’s ultimate plan is for 2,400 housing units and annexation into Flagler Beach. That plan is on a hiatus.
State Attorney Investigating Records Linked to Casey DeSantis’ Hope Florida
Records related to a state House probe of a nonprofit linked to First Lady Casey DeSantis’ signature Hope Florida assistance program are part of an “open” investigation, Leon County State Attorney Jack Campbell’s office said Tuesday. House Health Care Budget Chairman Alex Andrade, R-Pensacola, submitted records to Campbell’s office late last month after concluding a House inquiry into the Hope Florida Foundation, a nonprofit linked to the Hope Florida program.
Reversing Planning Board’s Decision, Palm Coast Council Approves 100,000-Sq.-Ft. Storage Facility on Pine Lakes Pkwy
Overriding a decision by its Planning Board, the Palm Coast City Council today granted a special zoning exception to allow construction of a 100,000-square-foot storage facility on 6.8 acres off Pine Lakes Parkway, halfway between Belle Terre and Palm Coast Parkway. The Planning board, in an unusual decision, voted 4-2 to deny the special exception, saying there were enough self-storage facilities as it is: social media pages are rife with screeds about a surfeit of storage facilities.
Flagler Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord Warns of a Different Disaster Ahead: the Vanishing of FEMA Money
With or without FEMA, Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord cautioned, local governments must be prepared to assume more costs of recovery than they have in the past, especially if the federal government declares fewer disasters, as appears to be the plan. Fewer declarations will mean far less reimbursements and far fewer grants for innumerable projects and services local governments depend on in the recovery phase of what are becoming routine climate disasters.
Marineland Mayor Gary Inks Dies at 79; Had Led Career in Resort and Dolphin Attraction Marketing
Gary Paul Inks, the mayor of Marineland since last year, a member of that town’s commission since 2020, and a former marketing director for Marineland Dolphin Adventure, died over the weekend after battling illness for weeks. He was 79.
Reversing Planning Board’s Decision, Bunnell Commission Clears the Way for ‘Historic’ 28-Unit Affordable Housing Project
Reversing a recommendation by its planning board and significant public opposition neighboring the proposed development, the Bunnell City Commission unanimously approved the final site plan for Phoenix Crossings, a planned 28-unit affordable-housing apartment complex for people with disabilities and other difficulties, and for the elderly. None like it exists in Palm Coast or Flagler County. The 5-year-old proposal is the work of Sandra Shank and her Abundant Life Ministries, a non-profit. The Bunnell Planning Board on April 1 recommended denial of the site plan on a 3-2 vote.
Judge Lauren Blocker’s Elevation and Judge Stasia Warren’s Retirement Open 2 More Seats on 7th Circuit Bench
With the retirement of Circuit Judge Stacia Warren and the elevation to Circuit Court of County Judge Lauren Blocker, the Judicial Nominating Commission for the circuit will conduct a new round of interviews for candidates looking to fill the two vacancies. Applications are due by June 23.
Palm Coast Council’s Charles Gambaro Calls Norris Lawsuit Against Him ‘Frivolous’ and Mayor’s Conduct an ‘Abdication’
In a letter to the community, Palm Coast Council member Charles Gambaro on Sunday said Mayor Mike Norris’s conduct, from suing to get Gambaro off the council to conspiracy theories to evading City Hall deeply concerning, and the mayor’s refusal to fulfill numerous responsibilities “a troubling and unprecedented abdication of the fundamental duties he swore to uphold when taking office and deprive our citizens of full representation in their government.” Gambaro, for his part, intends to continue to serve.
Dog Surfing Hilarity Conquers Flagler Beach as Chi-weenie, Corgis and Costumes Thrill to 4th Hang 8 Extravaganza
The Hang 8 Dog Surfing and Costume Contest returned to Flagler Beach for its fourth edition Saturday with a few repeat winners as the six-hour event south of the pier combined hilarity with humane causes against a picture-perfect backdrop of blue skies, blue oceans and gentle waves perfectly calibrated to surfing paws. Hang 8 was conceived by Suzie Johnston and Eric Cooley four years ago, becoming a signature event for Flagler Beach since.
NRA, Raging That 18 Year Olds Can’t Buy Rifles in Florida, Appeals to US Supreme Court
Calling split appellate-court decisions “intolerable,” the National Rifle Association on Friday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to take up a challenge to a Florida law that raised the minimum age to purchase rifles and other long guns from 18 to 21. Friday’s move was the latest in seven years of legal wrangling over the law passed after a February 2018 mass shooting at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that killed 17 students and faculty members.
How Florida’s Wildlife Corridor Aims to Save Panthers and Black Bears
The Florida Wildlife Corridor is a statewide system of interconnected wildlife habitat that turns 15 this year. It is built on conservation efforts that date back to the 1980s and 1990s, when researchers from the University of Florida created maps of existing and proposed conservation areas that interlinked across the state. Today, the Florida Wildlife Corridor spans 18 million acres – about half of the state. Ten million of these acres are protected from development.
In Palm Coast Town Hall, David Jolly Gives Local Democrats Something to Cheer About as He Readies Run for Governor
David Jolly gave a crowd of a couple of hundred Democrats something to cheer about in a town hall-style appearance Wednesday evening at Palm Coast United Methodist Church. Two weeks ago he also launched an electoral committee, Florida 2026, and now says he’s “actively considering running for governor.” Based on his polished, carefully calibrated and stump-like appearance in Palm Coast–and based on the rousing response he received–his announcement appears to be a matter of when, not if.
Palm Coast Will Charge Transaction Fees on Electronic Utility and Other Payments 2 Months After Rate Increases Kicked In
Starting June 1, all Palm Coast customers paying their utility bills by credit or debit card–67 percent of customers last year–will see their bills increase by $1.95 per month, or 3.5 percent if they pay in person. Payments by electronic checks will cost 43 cents per transaction. The Palm Coast City Council in February, overriding its finance director’s recommendation, unanimously approved changing the payment model to pass those costs on to customers. Until now, the city was absorbing $700,000 worth of such fees. Customers may still avoid paying the new transaction fees if they pay bills by check or in cash, in person.
Majority of Palm Coast Council Willing To Scrap Certain Restrictions on Commercial Vehicles in Residential Driveways
Palm Coast may finally revise its commercial-vehicle ordinance, removing a ban on the parking of commercial vehicles in residential driveways. The proposed allowance would apply to commercial pick-up trucks, work vans and similar work trucks, including trucks with ladders and racks and a few other allowances. Commercial messaging–or any messaging, including political, poetic or polemical messaging–willl no longer have to be covered up if it exceeds 3 square feet on each side.
Court Sets Arguments for July 3 on Legitimacy of Charles Gambaro’s Palm Coast Council Seat
A July 3 hearing is set before Flagler County Circuit Judge Chris France to determine the validity of Palm Coast Mayor Norris’s lawsuit claiming that Council member Charles Gambaro was appointed to fill out a two-year term last October in violation of the city charter. Norris contends the council should have held a special election for the District 4 seat, and Gambaro should not have continued past Election Day in November.
Broward County Circuit Judge Gary Farmer Indefinitely Suspended Over ‘Pervasive’ Behavior Unfit for the Bench
The Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday indefinitely suspended Broward County Circuit Judge Gary Farmer, a former Senate Democratic leader, after an investigative panel accused him of “pervasive and extensive” behavior demonstrating “unfitness to hold office.” Farmer was elected as a judge in Broward County’s 17th Judicial Circuit in 2022 after six years in the Florida Senate. He served as minority leader during the 2021 legislative session but was ousted after a vote of no confidence by fellow Democrats.
Florida University System Leaders Plead with Court To Restore Discriminatory Restrictions on Chinese Students
Saying Florida is trying to protect against “nefarious foreign-government influence,” higher-education leaders this week asked a federal appeals court to overturn a ruling that blocked part of a 2023 law restricting ties between state universities and colleges and China. The March 28 injunction ruling focused on the students, who are from China and say the law has prevented them from working as graduate teaching assistants, positions that carry stipends and other benefits.
Matanzas High School Celebrates Airy New $23 Million Project, Which May Be Last Needed Expansion in the District
A few months ahead of time, Matanzas High School on Tuesday marked a ceremonial opening of “the space that we have dreamed about and planned for for so long,” the naturally cheery Principal Kristin Bozeman told a crowd of a few dozen people who’d gathered for the occasion. They stood at the foot of the expanded Building 5, a 20,000 square foot addition. Projected student population declines this could be the last needed expansion in the district.
Palm Coast Council Launches Review of City Charter, This Time Seeking an Actual Advisory Committee
The Palm Coast City Council is launching a review of the city charter. The year-long process will include the appointment of a five-member committee and public hearings. Any proposed amendments will appear on the Nov. 3, 2026 general election ballot, should the council vote to place them there. Theoretically, the council could vote down any amendment recommended by the charter review committee, which, like all other council committees, sits only in an advisory capacity.
Palm Coast Will Consider Lowering Citywide Speed Limit to 25 and Let Residents Request Traffic-Calming Devices in Neighborhoods
Palm Coast government will develop a process to let residents request traffic-calming measures on certain streets almost citywide. The Palm Coast City Council’s decision is the result of a $100,000 pilot study that included installing three different traffic-calming methods in the F-Section, among them speed cushions on Florida Park Drive and Cimmaron Drive.
AdventHealth Palm Coast’s 3rd Robotic Surgical System Vastly Expands ‘Equity of Care’ While Improving Outcomes
AdventHealth Palm Coast’s two hospitals now have three robotic systems and four surgeons trained on them, enabling the machines’ tiny incisions and great precision to reduce recovery time and pain for patients while improving outcomes. The $2.6 million da Vinci 5, just unveiled locally, was funded through the AdventHealth Palm Coast Foundation, the non-profit arm of the hospital.
Superintendent LaShakia Moore Is Taking on ‘School Choice’ on Her Terms: Stop Competing with Vouchers at a Disadvantage
Flagler County School Superintendent LaShakia Moore is all for school choice. Choice is good. Choice is necessary. But choice, to be authentic, must be fair. In Florida and in Flagler County, school choice isn’t a choice of equals. It forces public schools to compete at a vast disadvantage, while underwriting private and homeschooling. Students have been draining away from the district. Moore wants to take that on. “It will reflect who we are and how I lead. So we will take it on,” Moore says, as the district prepares a new strategy to project Flagler County’s public schools as still the best choice.
First New College. Now University of West Florida: President Resigns Ahead of DeSantis Reeducation Campaign
University of West Florida President Martha Saunders will resign months ahead of the expiration of her contract on Dec. 31, she announced Monday morning. She has served as president since 2017. The resignation came after Gov. Ron DeSantis made clear his intention to overhaul the Pensacola university as he did New College, including controversial trustee appointments and criticisms of university research and student activities.
Flagler Beach Will Crack Down on Contractors Trashing the City and Flouting Rules at Residents’ Expense
Flagler Beach commissioners want to crack down on contractors who are trashing the city, not respecting its rules or its residents, and leaving behind messes without being accountable. Commissioners are asking for stepped-up enforcement–either through a new ordinance or through the building official, who can issue stop-work orders if contractors continue to break rules.
Flagler Schools Face $2.5 Million Deficit as 400 Students Leave District for Private Vouchers in 3% Enrollment Decline
Private and homeschool vouchers are beginning to take a heavier toll on the Flagler County school district as enrollment is forecast to decline by 432 students by fall, a 3 percent decline, reducing the district’s funding by $2.5 million. That’s equivalent to 30 fewer teachers. Flagler Schools Superintendent LaShakia Moore is concerned that the pattern may be unsustainable as the district analyzes needs and resources over the next three, four and five years and as the shift to vouchers accelerates.
To Protect Florida’s Environment, Conservation Is Cheaper Than Restoration
Restoration projects are a major industry all over Florida. The biggest example is the Everglades, which has become the largest and most expensive environmental restoration project in human history. The Everglades were once regarded as an obstacle to progress, development, and farming, all of which conspired to get rid of it. Then we learned our lesson: the Everglades are a vital natural habitat. Despite the clear lesson of the Everglades, our shortsighted leaders keep allowing the same damage or destruction of other precious parcels of Florida’s ecosystems.
County Judge Lauren Peffer Faces Charges Over Fabricated Phone Call
A judicial panel filed a “notice of formal charges” against Broward County Judge Lauren Peffer, who used a deepfake phone call, fabricated with artificial intelligence, to claim that the judiciary was in crisis. She did not verify the recording before using it during her campaign.
Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris Thinks the FBI or CIA Is Bugging His Phone
In the course of a lengthy conversation with a Palm Coast resident who was investigating why and how a six-second voice mail from Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris’s phone ended up disseminated publicly in a clumsy attempt to accuse a council member of corruption, Norris suggested he may have been “wiretapped” by the FBI or CIA. It was the latest in a continuing series of bizarre behavior and statements by the mayor.
Florida Republicans Devour Their Own
Florida’s elected representatives are fighting like weasels in a sack. The Senate versus the House; the House versus the governor; the governor versus everybody. Senate President Ben Albritton politely insists he won’t pass massive tax cuts “at the expense of the long-term financial stability of our state.” Such tax cuts would pretty much ensure county and municipal governments — police, firefighters, parks, roads, libraries — would take an enormous hit.
NOAA Cuts Are Putting Our Coastal Communities At Risk
For Americans on the Gulf or Atlantic coasts, the daily weather forecast always comes with a constant thrum of worry — any small disturbance in the Atlantic has the potential to evolve into a major storm. And as hurricane season gets underway, the palace intrigue, staffing cuts at NOAA, and general upheaval of national leadership could have dire effects for people on these coasts.
$2.8 Billion Tax Cut Deal Collapses as Senate President Calls It Unsustainable in Light of Coming Budget Shortfalls
A $2.8 billion tax cut deal reached between Senate President Ben Albritton and House Speaker Daniel Perez last week to help bring the 2025 regular session to a close is now off the table. The breakdown means legislators are nowhere near coming up with a new budget, which needs to be in place by July 1 or the state risks a government shutdown.
Flagler Beach Will Consider Selling Ocean Palm Golf Club to Leaseholder, With Conditional Milestones
The Flagler Beach City Commission gave the leaseholder of the city-owned Ocean Palm Golf Club a month to submit a proposal to buy the 37-acre property, paired with a capital improvement plan. If there is to be a sale, it would be conditional on Jeff Ryan, the leaseholder, meeting a series of milestones to prove that he is capable of securing the money necessary to do the work, and to do the work to the high standard he is promising. Those milestones will have to be negotiated.
Without a Single Question, Bunnell Board Approves Rezoning of Nearly 1,900 Acres to Industrial, Outraging Residents
The Bunnell planning board on Tuesday approved the comprehensive plan change and rezoning of nearly 1,900 acres from agriculture to industrial, on land stretching from U.S. 1 to County Road 304. It is the single-largest rezoning of the kind in the city’s or county’s history and would reshape the character of both as surely as would the massive 8,000-home residential development proposed for west of the city. Yet the planning board recommended approval on a pair of 3-1 votes without a single question, inquiry or comment.
Mayor Mike Norris’s Lawsuit Against Palm Coast Has Merit. And Limits.
It is one of the mocking ironies of the Palm Coast reality show known as America’s Next Top Mayor that the same man found to have violated the city charter is now invoking it to boot fellow Councilman Charles Gambaro off the island. Yet the lawsuit Norris filed against the city this week, arguing that the council violated the charter when it appointed Gambaro last October, has merit. The strict wording of the charter, poorly written though it is, is on Norris’s side. But a less fundamentalist interpretation of the charter is not.
Metronet Contractor Punctures Flagler Beach Water Main for 2nd Time in 24 Hours, Again Affecting City’s Water
A contractor for the high-speed internet company Metronet whose boring machine punctured Flagler Beach’s main water line Wednesday morning, cutting off water to the city, did so again this morning, 100 yards west of yesterday’s mistake. The puncture again sent potable water gushing into a ditch, forcing the city to shut down service to enable repairs.
DeSantis Stands By Attorney General’s Defiance of Federal Court Order Halting Cops’ Arrests of Migrants
Gov. Ron DeSantis is standing by Attorney General James Uthmeier’s open defiance of a federal court order requiring law enforcement agencies in Florida to halt immigration arrests under a new state immigration law. Talking with reporters in Tampa, the governor said the episode raises a “larger issue” of who can enact public policy in the United States.