The University of North Florida’s plan to build a satellite presence in Palm Coast’s Town Center as a feeder of health care practitioners to regional hospitals and clinics is a go as the $24 million dollar MedNex initiative survived Gov. Ron DeSantis’s veto pen today.
Featured
Sanitized of Israeli Responsibility, Memorial to USS Liberty Victims Quietly Goes Up at Palm Coast’s Heroes Park
Three years after the Palm Coast City Council had rejected an earlier version, a new memorial plaque honoring the victims and survivors of Israel’s attack on the USS Liberty in 1967 was installed at Palm Coast’s Heroes Park, a few feet away from the Purple Heart Memorial.
Blaming Covid Spike on Young People and Bars, DeSantis Sends Mixed Messages on ‘Way Forward’
Gov. Ron DeSantis said Sunday the state is “trying to figure out a way forward” for bars, nightclubs and craft breweries that are essentially having to shut down again because of “widespread non-compliance” with coronavirus guidelines.
Covid-19 Total Nears 10,000 in Florida; Half Of State’s 132,500 Cases Reported in Last 17 Days
The Florida Department of Health today reported 9,636 new Covid-19 cases as of Friday, again shattering a record, the last set only the day before, when just under 8,900 cases were reported. Flagler recorded 60 new cases in seven days.
Consequences of Florida’s Careless Reopening: 8,933 Cases in 1 Day; Surge Reaches Flagler With 50 Cases in 6 Days
The numbers are a grim reflection of the consequences of Florida’s rapid and largely haphazard and careless reopening of society and the economy since the end of April, and of dangerous complacency among residents.
Republican Leaders File Suit Challenging Leon County’s Mandatory Mask Rule
Calling it a “radical infringement” of constitutional rights, the head of the Republican Party in Leon County teamed with a conservative state representative Thursday to challenge a local ordinance requiring people to wear face coverings to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Behind Belle Terre Elementary Principal’s Resignation: Claims of Theft, Nepotism and Bullying
Details of the Flagler school district’s investigation into ex-Belle Terre Elementary Principal Terence Culver point to a series of incidents involving bullying, favoritism and irregular management of the PTA’s funds.
Swimmer Feared Drowned: “Oh My God, I Feel Terrible, I Think They’re Talking About Me.”
The swimmer who’s apparent disappearance triggered an 18-hour search Wednesday into this morning emerged today after reading accounts of the search and and explained how his disappearance may have been misconstrued.
Starting Teacher Pay Will Be at Least $47,500 as DeSantis Signs $500 Million Education Boost
The budget will then set aside $400 million for school districts and charter schools to increase minimum salaries of full-time teachers and certified pre-kindergarten teachers and $100 million to raise the pay of veteran teachers, librarians and counselors.
Flagler’s Covid Numbers Spike by 26 in 4 Days Even as Testing Slows; Florida Sees Record 5,500 in 1 Day
After rising by 20 cases last week, the highest total since the end of May, Flagler County has recorded another 26 Covid-19 infections in the first four days of this week, while Florida cases continue to break records, turning the state into a leading national hot spot.
Florida Universities Cleared to Open Even as Infections Spike Among Young Adults
Board of Governors Chairman Syd Kitson acknowledged it is likely schools will see new cases pop up as students and employees return to campus in the fall.
Flagler Fire Chief Don Petito on Leave Pending Investigation of ‘Discrimination and Retaliation’ Complaint
Flagler County Fire Chief Don Petito has had a rocky relationship with County Administrator Jerry Cameron since Hurricane Dorian last year and is now embroiled in serious employment matters.
66-Year-Old Scientist Arrested on Charges of Drugging and Raping Runaway Juvenile Girls
George Arthur Proulx, 66, is accused of taking four girls ages 15 to 18, missing from Volusia County, to his Palm Coast house for sex after plying them with drugs. He was about to travel to Thailand when he was arrested.
Federal Court Rejects Attempt to Stop Removal of Confederate Monument in Lakeland
A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that opponents did not have legal standing to challenge the monument’s move, saying they did not allege “a concrete, particularized injury.”
A Candidate’s False Claims Against Mayor Holland Mix With Troubling Email Revelations
Michael Schottey, challenging Milissa Holland for Palm Coast Mayor, made false claims that the FDLE was conducting a criminal investigation but revealed two emails where she mixed city with private business.
Flagler Beach Manager Larry Newsom Again on Leave; Commission Postpones ‘Behavior’ Workshop
For the second time in two months Flagler Beach City Manager Larry Newsom is on medical leave, prompting the city commission to cancel a workshop where his and the public’s behavior at meetings were to be discussed.
Florida Again Shatters Record With 4,049 New Covid Cases in One Day as Alarming Spike Continues
Florida’s cumulative total is near 94,000. Flagler’s total is 224, a one-day jump eight cases–one of the largest one-day increases since the beginning of the pandemic, and a warning sign that the county’s relative success in containing the disease may be eroding.
Staffer at Grand Oaks and Resident at Tuscan Gardens Test Positive; Florida Cases Again Soar to New Record
The Covid cases at local long-term care facilities break a streak of negative testing as Flagler officials wearily eye surging numbers around the county and plan some strategies to keep Flagler’s low.
Flagler Unemployment at 14.8% in Slight Improvement from April, But Florida Rate Rises to 14.5%
Flagler County’s unemployment rate was at 14.8 percent, a slight decline from the 15.2 percent rate in April but a smaller decline than expected as the economy began swiftly reopening at the beginning of the month.
Florida’s ‘Dreamers’ Hail Supreme Court Decision Barring Immediate Deportation
The U.S. Supreme Court’s 5-4 majority found that Trump failed to adequately justify the decision to shut down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, but the door remains open for him to do so.
Long-Awaited, Weirdly Revered Wawa Finally Opens to Cheers in Palm Coast
At 8 this morning, Palm Coast’s Wawa, with its hoagies, its coffees, its interiors lit brighter than the set of a sitcom, and of course its plexiglass and social distancing markers, opened to the public after a four-year wait.
18% of Florida’s Total Covid Cases Have Been Recorded Just in Last 7 Days in ‘Astronomical’ Spike
Flagler County public health, emergency and government officials are concerned about sharply rising Covid-19 numbers across the state, even though locally numbers have been kept in check for now. But Gov. Ron DeSantis says there is no rolling-back on reopenings.
Scaled Back Gardens Development, at 453 Homes, Expected to Clear Regulatory Hurdle
The Gardens, at one point a 3,966-home and apartment development planned for the two sides of John Anderson Highway in Flagler County, is now almost a tenth the original proposal.
Palm Coast Council Raises Parks and Fire Fees on Builders, Largely Returning to Pre-2012 Levels
The Palm Coast City Council voted to raise fire and park impact fees, the one-time levies builders pay on residential and commercial construction. The fees will defray the cost of a new fire station in Seminole Woods and a new community center, among other plans.
Landmark Ruling Spurs Calls for LGBTQ Protections in Florida, Where No Law Bans Discrimination
Florida is one of more than two dozen states that do not have laws banning discrimination based on gender, and Republican legislative leaders during the past several years have thwarted efforts to pass such measures.
Sheriff Investigating Apparent Drowning of 18-Year-Old Man Who Washed Up at Varn Park
Flagler County Sheriff’s detectives are investigating the death by apparent drowning of an 18-year-old man who washed up in the surf at Varn Park, just north of Beverly Beach, Monday afternoon.
Sheriff Staly Calls Defunding Police ‘Knee Jerk’ as Study Calls for 70 More Flagler Deputies by 2025
If in Flagler, the school board, Palm Coast and the county are nowhere near defunding law enforcement, Sheriff Staly credits a policing approach focused on collaboration rather than confrontation.
Stunning Victory for Transgender and Gay Rights as Supreme Court Makes Protections Explicit
The decision will have far-reaching consequences regarding LGBTQ rights beyond employment, as it now explicitly lays out a prohibition against discrimination that cannot apply in employment situations without also applying in housing, education, the military and elsewhere.
Still Unsigned, Florida Budget Is Eyed for Cuts as Virus Hits Revenues
Florida TaxWatch wants more than $136 million in projects cut from the proposed state budget, but the fiscal-watchdog group acknowledges that might be far less than what is needed because of the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on state revenues.
Jim Tager’s and Janet McDonald’s Tweets Bisected the Flagler School Board. McDonald Won.
If School Superintendent Jim Tager left this week, it’s not because he had to–he amassed an excellent record–but because the School Board let just one of its members–Janet McDonald–drive him out. It’s an unsettling precedent.
Don’t Let Bogus Claims Fool You: Voting By Mail in Flagler County Is Safe and Secure
Flagler County Supervisor of Elections Kaiti Lenhart counters bogus claims and misinformation by explaining the safety, reliability and accuracy of voting by mail.
With Coronavirus Cases Climbing, Texas Gov. Abbott Says ‘No Real Need’ to Scale Back Business Reopenings
In Texas as in Florida, new cases of Covid-19 have been breaking records as the two states have continued reopening, but the Texas governor says available hospital beds make the trend less than alarming.
Half the Car Crashes Under a Semi Truck on I-95, But Three Occupants Escape Major Injuries
A woman and two men escaped serious injuries after their car’s roof was sheared off and half the front end of the car ended up under a semi on I-95 Friday evening.
Public Health Officials Are Facing a Wave Of Threats and Firings Amid Coronavirus Response
Rebekah Jones, a top Florida Department of Health data manager Gov. Ron DeSantis fired last month, is just one of many officials in 27 states who have been fired or been forced to resign over Covid-related matters.
Special Session Set to Discuss Larry Newsom’s “Behavior” After He Is Asked to Leave Flagler Beach Commission Meeting
The mayor asked Flagler Beach City Manager Larry Newsom to leave a city commission meeting and start his vacation early Thursday night after Newsom had two public confrontations with constituents. Newsom said he was defending himself against insults.
Bexley, Johnston, Gardner and Lenhart Re-Elected Without Opposition in Near-Sweep for Flagler Constitutionals
Three dozen candidates will contest local Flagler County and Palm Coast elections, while Clerk of Court Tom Bexley, Tax Collector Suzanne Johnston, Property Appraiser Jay Gardner, and Elections Supervisor Kaiti Lenhart were re-elected without opposition.
Extensive, All Night Air-Ground Search Leads to Rescue of Kayaker Lost in Bulow Creek Marshes
An all-night search and rescue effort involving more than half a dozen public safety agencies led to the rescue of a 62-year-old Flagler Beach man who’d taken his kayak through the waters of Bulow Creek Thursday afternoon and gotten lost deep in its marshes.
What Flagler County Schools May Look Like as They Plan to Reopen Aug. 10
Flagler County schools plan to reopen on time on Aug. 10 for the 2020-21 school-year, but state recommendations issued today mean campuses will be vastly different, more restrictive places than students, parents and staff are used to.
$6.6 Million Headed to Flagler County and Cities as DeSantis Releases Covid Aid After Withholding It 2 Months
More than two months after Florida received the money, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday that the state will start to release nearly $1.3 billion in federal funds to cash-strapped counties struggling amid a recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Palm Coast Considers Sharply Raising One-Time Fire Levies on Future Homes and Businesses
Homeowners would see a negligible impact on fees despite a proposed 65 percent increase in the one-time levy assessed on a new home, a cost generally folded into the price of that new home. The impact fee is not levied on existing homes.
Replacing Mullins, Sheriff Takes Leadership of Public Safety Council and Pledges More Focused, Productive Approach
Sheriff Rick Staly was elected chairman of the potentially powerful Public Safety Coordinating Council, which in the past couple of years had “wandered” away from its mission. The Family Life Center’s Trish Giaccone is vice chair.
165 Teachers and Other Staffers Qualify for School District’s Offer of Voluntary Early Retirement
Nearly 10 percent of the Flagler County school district’s workforce qualify for an early-retirement offer, the first in a decade as employees contend with Covid-19 anxieties and the district weighs difficult budget years ahead.
A Confederate Flag Is Spray-Painted on a Gym Wall At Matanzas High School
The Confederate flag graffiti, left at Matanzas High School over the weekend, stands in aberration to the more civil and conciliatory atmosphere of the last few days in the county.
Flagler Keeping New Covid-19 Cases In Check Better Than Florida, Where Cases Are Rising
Flagler County has tested 3,000 people in the last three weeks, more than the total for the previous eight weeks, with just 1.3 percent of those testing positive for Covid-19, and not a single person testing positive in a nursing home or assisted living facility.
Society Is Reopening. Prepare To Hunker Down At Home Again.
So while it may seem counterintuitive as people finally come out of the woodwork, now is an opportune moment to talk about doubling down on preparations for the duration of the pandemic.
Short-Term Vacation Rental Regulations Vary Unpredictably From County to County
Some counties are mandating a 24-hour wait between bookings, while others are requiring “sufficient” or “adequate” time for cleaning and disinfecting.
Tear-Gassing Protesters During An Infectious Outbreak ‘A Recipe For Disaster’
There are strong calls for police to stop using these chemical irritants because they can damage the body in ways that can spread the coronavirus and increase the severity of Covid-19.
Flagler’s Taxable Values Rise at Slowest Pace in 4 Years, But Still Enough to Help Budgets
Local governments are looking to keep tax rates flat. Flagler Beach’s valuations increased 5.3 percent, Palm Coast’s by 5.8 percent, Bunnell’s by nearly 10 percent and the school board’s by 4.7 percent.
Flagler Beach Pier Reopens Friday, and a New, 1,000-Ft Concrete Pier Is In the Works
The Flagler Beach pier, symbol of the city’s breezy resilience, will reopen to the public Friday morning at 9 a.m. after a 73-day hiatus imposed by the coronavirus emergency.
Throngs Impassion Flagler Beach March Against Racism as Teach-In Forms Around Bullhorn
Flagler Beach’s late afternoon march Wednesday to protest the murder of George Floyd at police’s hands drew upwards of 300 people and briefly turned into a teach-in at Veterans Park.