First-time unemployment claims jumped last week to 40,200 in Florida, up from 32,400 the previous week, as a growing number of major entertainment and travel-related businesses, including Disney and Universal cut hours and lay off employees.
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Aaron Carpenter, 43, Faces Child Rape Charges Involving Girl Since She Was 12, Last Meeting Her at Palm Coast Hotel
Aaron Duane Carpenter, 43, is at the Flagler County jail on a first-degree rape charge involving a girl over whom he had custody. Carpenter blamed the girl for his behavior, saying “it just happened.”
Federal Judge Weighs Extending Florida’s Voter-Registration Deadline After State System Crashes
A federal judge has fast-tracked a lawsuit seeking to extend the period of time for Floridians to register to vote in the November presidential election, after the state’s online system repeatedly crashed in the hours leading up to a registration deadline Monday.
Bunnell Joins Palm Coast and Ag Museum in Cancelling Halloween Gigs; Sheriff’s Car Event Gridlocks
Bunnell’s big annual Halloween event at Saw Mill Estates was cancelled as the city worried of becoming the next superspreader, and the CDC is advising against large trick-or-treating or trunk-or-treating events. The sheriff’s trunk-or-treat event at Rymfire Tuesday drew an outsized response and complaints about delays.
Bunnell Resident Accused of Threatening Census Worker With Assault Rifle and Firing a Shot
Michael Cooper is a 32-year-old resident of 4758 Clove Avenue in Daytona North, is accused of pointing an assault rifle at a Census worker then firing a shot after the worker got in his car to leave.
In Friendly But Sharp Terms, Flagler Beach Draws a Conditional Roadmap for the County on The Gardens Development
Flagler Beach’s city attorney has drawn up a nine-page document that amounts to a roadmap for the County Commission as the county attempts to balance The Gardens’ development on John Anderson Highway with residents’ serious concerns about the plan.
3rd Covid Death Linked to Social Club of Palm Coast Superspreaders, and 2 More Bring Flagler’s Total to 32
Less than two days after confirming three more covid-related deaths this week, the Flagler Health Department this morning confirmed three more, including a third death related to the August superspreader events at the Social Club of Palm Coast. The Club meanwhile has reopened and is advertising its social events on its Facebook page without a word about the victims.
UNF’s MedNexus Marks Palm Coast Entrance as State and University Leaders Credit Local Unity and Mayor’s Role
The University of North Florida’s MedNexus, an eventual $24 million hub for medical-professional education in Palm Coast’s Town Center, marked its official start at Palm Coast City Hall today with the signing of an agreement with Daytona State College and a ribbon-cutting hosted by Mayor Milissa Holland, who shepherded the initiative to the city.
State Extended Deadline After Online Registration System Crashed, But Voting-Rights Groups Say 1 Day Isn’t Enough
A meltdown of Florida’s online voter-registration system hours before Monday’s deadline to sign up to vote in the November election prompted Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration to extend the deadline until 7 p.m. Tuesday, but voting-rights groups quickly filed a lawsuit alleging the state’s action didn’t go far enough.
Three More Covid Deaths Bring Flagler’s Total to 29 Even as New Infection Numbers Stabilize
The continuing death toll is a reflection of covid’s unavoidable reality: while the number of new infections in the state and in Flagler have fallen and stabilized since the summer’s peak, the numbers have done so at a relatively high level.
Jevante Hamilton, 25, Indicted on 1st Degree Murder in Overdose Death of Timothy Davidson, 25
Hamilton is accused of killing Timothy J. Davidson, 25, by overdose on Aug. 24, 2019 in Palm Coast, after allegedly selling him fentanyl, and becomes the second man indicted on a murder charge following similar circumstances. In August, Joseph Colon, the first to be similarly charged in Flagler, was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
‘Don’t Be Afraid of Covid’? Not Buying It, Unless Businesses Do Their Job Right
As stores, restaurants, airlines and offices try to lure clients back, this is what they need to do to earn my business: Make me feel safe — no, make me be as safe as possible. As I’ve begun to explore old haunts, some are doing a fabulous job. Others are not.
Despite Bidder’s Better Ranking, Palm Coast City Attorney Told Council to Stick With Contractor His Firm Represents
An insurance company is accusing Palm Coast government of improperly awarding a bid to the Florida League of Cities a month ago–overriding recommendations by city staff, denying the insurance company due process, and following the city attorney’s recommendation to override staff and go with the League of Cities’ proposal even though the attorney’s firm represents the League of Cities.
Health Department Chief Rips Social Club of Palm Coast for Preventable Covid “Illness and Tragedy”
The County Commission asked Flagler Health Department Chief Bob Snyder to explain the superspreader event at the Social Club of Palm Coast that led to dozens of infections and two deaths, and Snyder did not hold back placing the responsibility for the “tragedy” squarely on the club’s non-enforcement of masking and social distancing rules.
Firefighter John Keppler Jr. Is Flagler’s Only Line-of-Duty Death. Florida and U.S. Honor Him. Flagler Does Not.
Even as John Keppler Jr., who died in 2002, has been previously honored by the state, Flagler County refuses to recognize his line-of-duty death–a recognition Keppler has received from two state memorials and one national memorial.
The Mysterious White House Testing Scheme That Did Not Protect Donald Trump
President Donald Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis is raising fresh questions about the White House’s strategy for testing and containing the virus for a president whose cavalier attitude about the coronavirus has persisted since it landed on American shores.
With 4 of 5 Council Seats In Play, Palm Coast Could Be In for Radical Redirection. Voters Face Far-Reaching Choice.
A comprehensive analysis of the 10 candidates for the four Palm Coast City Council seats, including mayor, illustrates to what extent voters are poised to make a choice that could either significantly shift the direction of the city, but with an uncertain destination, or maintain its course.
Statute of Limitations: Child Sex Abuse Victims Can’t Sue Church, Florida Supreme Court Rules
The Florida Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a statute of limitations bars two women from pursuing a lawsuit against an Orange County church and other defendants over allegations that the women were sexually abused by a church worker when they were children.
2 Men Pulled Out of Surf and Hospitalized, one in ICU, After Attempted Rescue of Their Cousin in Flagler Beach
Two men were pulled out of the ocean and hospitalized Thursday evening after they attempted to rescue a third man in distress off shore at South 26th Street in Flagler Beach Thursday evening. The third man made it to shore unharmed.
Unemployment Rate Falls to 7.9% But Jobs Recovered Slow By More Than Half, to 661,000
The national economy returned 661,000 jobs to the workplace in September, less than half the 1.5 million added in August, as the pace of the recovery slowed and the unemployment rate fell to 7.9 percent. Personal income flattened in August and spending slowed as unemployed Americans lost their supplemental federal unemployment benefits.
Palm Coast Planning Board Punts Matanzas Golf Course Development Back to Where It’d Been Stalemated For Months
City planners and the developer of a 268-home plan in the disused Matanzas Woods golf course disagree over where to place homes and ponds and whether new homes will block existing homeowners’ views. The Planning Board was supposed to break the stalemate. Instead, it threw the matter back to negotiations between planners and the developer.
As Disney Lays Off 6,700 Due to Low Attendance, DeSantis Congratulates Himself on Reopening
In mid-September, Universal Orlando extended furloughs of 5,398 workers at least six more months and SeaWorld of Florida announced it would lay off 1,896 of its previously furloughed workers.
Abridged by Pandemic, City Rep Theatre Season Kicks Off with Wacky Shakespeare in the Socially Distanced Park
Palm Coast’s City Repertory Theatre returns for the first time since the pandemic with “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” in an outdoors production at the Palm Coast Arts Foundation’s venue in Town Center, with socially distanced seating.
Our Toothless Mask Mandates
Americans have gotten used to all sorts of mandates, from cleaning up after dogs to stopping at intersections. There’s no reason it should be this hard to enforce ones around the coronavirus.
3 Flagler Residents Die of Covid, Raising Local Toll to 26; Health Department Expecting Rapid Tests Soon
The latest Flagler County victims of covid-19 were 67, 73 and 77. There are 16 patients with a covid diagnosis at AdventHealth Palm Coast, though covid-related numbers have declined in Flagler schools, nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
Palm Coast Offering $700-Credit to Up to 360 Lower-Income Households to Help Pay Utility Bills
Palm Coast government this week launched a utility-payment assistance program designed to help families or households cash-strapped by the covid-19 pandemic to defray the cost of utility bills. Renters and homeowners are both eligible.
Despite $749 million Profit in Last Quarter, FPL Says No to Giving Covid-Strapped Customers a Break on Disconnections
Florida Power & Light, Gulf Power, Duke Energy Florida and Tampa Electric Co. filed documents at the state Public Service Commission pushing back against a proposed emergency rule change that would halt disconnections for customers who can’t pay their bills.
Flagler Beach Commission Will Lay Down 4 Conditions for The Gardens Development, Adding to County’s Pressure
Placing its full weight behind its new approach, the Flagler Beach City Commission will condition its support for The Gardens on more explicit assurances about road, utility, flooding improvements, and more certainty about a “cap” on future development.
Rick Staly, Flagler County Sheriff Candidate: The Live Interview
Rick Staly is the incumbent Republican is a candidate for Flagler County Sheriff, facing retired Sgt. Larry Jones, a Democrat, in the Nov. 3 election. This is a rematch from the 2016 race, when Staly defeated Jones in a three-way race, with 54 percent of the vote.
Amendment 2 Would Gradually Raise Florida’s Minimum Wage to $15 By 2026. GOP Leaders Want It Defeated.
If approved, the proposal, known as Amendment 2, would increase the state’s minimum wage — currently $8.56 an hour — to $10 on Sept. 30, 2021, and incrementally increase the rate each year until reaching $15 on Sept. 30, 2026.
Giovanne Sylvain, 18-Year-Old Matanzas Student Missing Since Friday, Is Feared Dead at Graham Swamp
Giovanne Sylvain, the 18-year-old resident of Palm Coast’s R-Section who had gone missing since Friday, after he left his home on a bicycle, is feared dead following the discovery Monday of a body floating in the small lake at Graham Swamp, off Old Kings Road, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said early this evening.
Why Are Republicans Listed First on Election Ballots? Democrats Want Full Federal Court to Hear Challenge.
The petition was the latest move in a legal battle about a state law, initially passed in 1951, that requires candidates who are in the same party as the governor to appear first on the ballot. The law was passed during a time of Democratic dominance of Florida politics.
Grinding Past “Mini-Surge,” Flagler Records Its 24th Covid Death as Florida Exceeds 700,000 Cases
Flagler County continues to experience a significant number of infections, though totals have fallen for two successive weeks, down to 80 in the week ending Sept. 26, from 109 the previous week and 139 the week before that, with a little over 100 tests a day being administered on average.
A Real Vaccine Before the Election? It Would Take a Miracle.
There is a small chance that Pfizer’s vaccine trial will yield results by Nov. 3. But it could still take weeks for FDA review. Here’s everything that has to happen and how to tell a political stunt from a real vaccine.
Despite Amendment, Only a Fraction of 1 Million Disenfranchised Floridian Felons Will Have the Right to Vote
Supporters of the amendment blame the dearth of felons’ registering to vote on the coronavirus pandemic, uncertainty about voting eligibility and a series of contradictory court decisions culminating in a Sept. 11 ruling by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that upheld a 2019 law restricting registrations to those who have paid off fines.
Trump Supporter’s Obscenity-Laced Video Against Democrats in Town Center Draws Sheriff’s and Bi-Partisan Rebuke
Sheriff Rick Staly called for calm in the election season after a Palm Coast man’s video of himself hurling obscenities and provoking Democrats at a Town Center rally circulated on Facebook. Democrats, Republican and Trump Club officials all denounced the video.
DeSantis Lifts All Restrictions on Restaurants and Businesses and Prohibits Local Constraints
DeSantis is decoupling for good the connection between science and public health on one hand and the economy on the other, opting exclusively for a focus on business measures in hopes of spurring consumer confidence. That confidence, however, continues to lag as individuals’ apprehensions continue to drive behavior.
Joe Mullins’s Cowering Enablers
By refusing to censure Joe Mullins for insulting Greg Hansen and Charlie Ericksen, Commissioners Donald O’Brien and Dave Sullivan are cowering enablers of Mullins’s bigotry, his bullying, his indecency. They all demeaned the County Commission and the constituents they represent.
Candidates for County Commission and Sheriff Self-Promote Unchallenged in Tame Tiger Bay Forum
It was a rare in-person forum for the candidates in this covid era, without a live audience, but the restrictive and genteel format turned the occasion into something resembling a series of short infomercials for the candidates rather than a challenging political forum.
Bloomberg Seeks to Pay Felons’ Outstanding Fines So They Can Vote. DeSantis Wants Him Investigated.
Attorney General Moody at the request of DeSantis asked the FBI and FDLE to investigate Bloomberg raising at least $16 million for the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, contending it could be a violation of state laws against offering incentives to people or groups in exchange for voting in a particular manner.
The Gardens Development Again Rebuffed as Commission Seeks More Answers and Residents’ Buy-In
The Flagler County Commission on Monday opted unanimously to table The Gardens’ application for a 335-home development on John Anderson Highway, the latest in a series of obstacles the development has faced since reviving a plan first devised by developer Bobby Ginn a decade and a half ago.
Corinne Hermle, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Corinne Hermle is the Democratic Candidate for the Distritct 1 County Commission seat, facing Republican Andy Dance in the Nov. 3 election. All registered Flagler County voters may cast a ballot in the race regardless of address or party affiliation.
Flagler Sheriff’s New Real-Time Crime Center Merges Tactics, Technology and Powerful Surveillance Tools
The age of command, control, surveillance and crime-fighting in real time is here, and its nerve center at the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, operational since spring, is the Real-Time Crime Center. The sheriff opened it to reporters on Wednesday.
DeSantis Election-Keyed Proposal to Criminalize Certain Acts at Protests Sparks Partisan Furor
The proposal comes as Republicans double down on efforts to deliver a second presidential victory to Trump in Florida, a battleground state with 29 prized electoral votes, on Nov. 3.
Covid ‘Superspreader’ Night and Other Events at Social Club of Palm Coast Cause at Least 2 Deaths and Up to 50 Infections
An August 28 singing night at the Social Club of Palm Coast on Old Kings Road, where people sang and socialized, many without masks or social distancing, triggered a rare covid-19 superspreader event whose toll in infections and deaths the Flagler Health Department is still tallying.
Andy Dance, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Andy Dance is the Republican candidate for Flagler County Commission, District 1, facing Democrat Corinne Hermle, for the seat previously held by Charlie Ericksen. All registered Flagler County voters may cast a ballot in the race regardless of address or party affiliation.
Commissioners O’Brien and Sullivan Block Motion to Censure Joe Mullins Even as They Call Behavior ‘Unacceptable’
Don O’Brien and Dave Sullivan refused to censure Joe Mullins for insulting fellow-commissioners, saying it would be bad for Flagler’s reputation. Sullivan didn’t want to be the first chairman on whose watch a censure vote passed.
DeSantis Calls for Criminalizing Numerous Acts By Protesters While Protecting Those Who Hurt Them
DeSantis, a staunch supporter of Trump, calls for new felony crimes when property is damaged or when people are injured as a result of protests while drivers would not be liable for injuries or deaths “caused if fleeing for safety from a mob.”
Flagler Beach Commission Makes It Explicit: The City Will Provide Water and Sewer to The Gardens Development
Flagler Beach can and will provide water and sewer to The Gardens, one of the more controversial proposed developments on any local government’s agenda. Monday evening, the County Commission was set to hear The Gardens’ development applications in one of the last hurdles before it can start building.
Once Short-Listed for Manager, Palm Coast’s Don Kewley Resigns Ahead of Firing in City’s Latest Shake-Up
Don Kewley, who’d been short-listed for Palm Coast City Manager then hired as its innovations chief, resigned before getting fired by Matt Morton, who’d hired him. Morton says he is closing down the division Kewley was overseeing and turning it over to IT for management.