Phase 2 reopening includes allowing bars, movie theaters and other entertainment venues to partially operate in all but three South Florida counties.
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In Palm Coast, More Fervor than Fury, More Solidarity than Rage in March for George Floyd
The first of two marches in Flagler County against racism and the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police drew upwards of 200 people in Palm Coast and unfolded peacefully through the heart of town.
Palm Coast Manager Morton Turns Down $7,000 Raise After Solid Performance Review of 1st Year
Palm Coast City Manager Matt Morton got a 3.73 out of 5 in his first annual evaluation, 14 months into his job, and turned down a 5 percent raise as an example, he said, of the sacrifices he’s asked of the rest of city staff.
Teachers Union Offers Proposal for Reopening Schools With Several Changes
Widespread testing of students, staff and visitors for the virus, adjustments to class sizes and student transportation, changes to the school calendar, promoting hybrid instruction and pushing to hire more school counselors and psychologists to help students’ social and emotional well-being are among the proposal.
A Post-Graduation Letter of Thanks for an Extraordinary Graduation from Superintendent Jim Tager
We would never be able to make up for missed moments, but for the biggest moment in their K-12 journey, Flagler Schools was able to showcase these graduates on one of the biggest stages, says Superintendent Jim Tager.
Wearing a Mask Is “BS” Says Flagler Commissioner Hansen in Latest Reflection of Mixed Signals and Division
A discussion about mask-wearing between Flagler County commissioners exposed continuing but fundamental misunderstandings about the purpose of masks and why they are intended to protect.
Animal Cruelty Charge for 16 Year Old Filmed Beating Small Dog in Snapchat Clips
A 16-year-old Palm Coast boy captured on a pair of Snapchat clips repeatedly whipping a small, whimpering and yelping dog, was arrested at his B-Section home Monday and faces a felony charge of animal cruelty.
Richard Dunn, Found Insane in Father’s Murder in 2006, Wants Unconditional Freedom Restored
Richard Dunn was 46 when he stabbed his 89-year-old father to death at their Palm Coast home in 2006. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity, and conditions on his release have progressively diminished over the last 14 years.
As Hurricane Season Begins on Top of Pandemic, Flagler Prepares for Battle on Two Fronts
Flagler County’s emergency and public health officials are preparing for an unprecedented battle on two fronts, with reconfigured shelters and rules but the same stress on compliance with evacuation orders if and when they’re issued, regardless of Covid-19 fears.
Protests Rage and Reactions Abound Over Killing of George Floyd, But DeSantis Maintains Silence
In Miami, squad cars were damaged and police fired tear gas at a crowd of protesters. In Tallahassee, the driver of a pickup truck plowed through a street packed with demonstrators, just blocks from the state Capitol building.
Bob Cuff, Palm Coast City Council’s Centering Intellect and Wit, Will Not Run Again
Bob Cuff, the former ITT attorney who won election to the Palm Coast City Council in 2016 and has since been the panel’s most balancing factor, has opted not to run for re-election.
100,000 Dead: Palm Coast Joins Communities Across the Nation in Day of Mourning at Noon Today
Faith leaders have ecumenically joined in a call for a National Day of Mourning and Lament at noon today. Many governments have embraced the call, among them Palm Coast.
FPC and Matanzas Graduates Cross Finish Line at Speedway in Indelible, Pandemic-Defying Ceremonies
Over 1,000 graduates of Matanzas and Flagler Palm Coast High School gathered at the Daytona International Speedway to receive their diplomas today in two ceremonies that broke with precedent even as they rousingly reaffirmed tradition in the face of limitations imposed by the coronavirus emergency.
County Elections Supervisors Ordered to Comply With Order Enabling Felons to Vote
The state’s elections director advised county supervisors of elections to be in line with a federal court decision overturning major parts of a 2019 law requiring felons to pay fines, fees, costs and restitution associated with their convictions to be eligible to vote.
The “Chinese Virus” Slur
Calling Covid-19 the “Chinese virus” has nothing to do with geographical correctness and everything to do with ideological motives tapping into a century and a half of anti-Asian bigotry.
County, Flagler Beach and School Board Resuming In-Person Meetings, With Some Mask Requirements
Local governments and the school board are preparing to resume in-person meetings in June, some starting next week, but with varying degrees of limitations and requirements–from distancing rules to attendance limits to mask requirements.
80-Year-Old Palm Coast Resident Feared Dead from Drowning in Flagler Beach
An 80-year-old Palm Coast resident was pulled from the water in Flagler Beach this morning, not breathing and without a pulse, authorities say.
Countywide Burn Ban Lifts Saturday, and Parking Restrictions End Along Flagler Beach’s Boardwalk
More normalcy returns starting this weekend as Flagler Beach will end its parking restrictions along the boardwalk, while the county will lift the burn ban that’s been in effect just one week. But the pier and Wadsworth park remain closed.
Commissioner Nikki Fried Says DeSantis Is Leaving Cabinet ‘In the Dark’ During Pandemic
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried asserted Thursday the governor and state Cabinet members should have been jointly coordinating the response to the coronavirus pandemic, as a new report showed another 173,731 first-time unemployment claims were filed last week in Florida.
Glass Menagerie: Lee Richards Slices His Way to Flagler County Artist of the Year
Two exhibits that would have featured Artist of the Year Lee Richards’s works were cancelled–one because a gallery closed, the next, scheduled for this month, because of the pandemic.
5th District Court Affirms Convictions of Sex Offenders Shaun Whitt and Ex-Bunnell Cop Mike Stavris
In a trio of decisions today, the Fifth District Court of Appeal let stand convictions of Sean Whitt, who is serving a life term for raping an 11 year old, and Michael Stavris, who is serving 15 years on charges of felony child abuse, stalking and impersonating a child.
Child Vaccination Rate Drops Sharply, Worrying Pediatricians of Public Health Consequences
While a growing number of people are refusing to vaccinate their children in Florida, Some attributed the precipitous drop to the cancellation of pediatrician appointments during the pandemic.
DeSantis Picks Jamaican-American Renatha Francis and Cuban-American John Couriel for Supreme Court
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday appointed John Couriel and Renatha Francis to the Florida Supreme Court, choosing two justices expected to cement the court’s conservative majority for years to come.
Flagler School District Builds Mosaic Honoring Decades of Graduates on Front Lines of Covid Pandemic
The district’s Jason Wheeler sought out graduates of FPC and Matanzas who’d gone on to fill health care and public safety jobs anywhere in the county, the state or the country, and honor them on the district’s Facebook page. There’s been some 200 responses, and counting.
Florida Colleges and Universities Wrestling With When and How to Reopen
Some of the questions gnawing at school leaders are: Who will need to be tested for the virus? Will temperature checks be required before entering classrooms? What will student housing look like? What restrictions will at-risk students and faculty face? What’s the plan for people who get sick mid-semester?
Hundreds of Thousands of Florida Felons Cleared to Vote as Federal Judge Strikes Down Poll Tax-Like Law
U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle’s highly anticipated ruling also laid out a procedure for state elections officials to determine whether felons seeking to vote have outstanding legal financial obligations and are unable to pay court-ordered debts.
Flagler Declares County-Wide Burn Ban, Including Prohibition on Fireworks and Charcoal Grills
Flagler County is enacting a countywide burn ban, including in all cities, starting Saturday, as the drought index continues to rise and firefighters are being deployed on an increasing number of fires.
Flagler County’s Unemployment Vaults to 15.4%, 6th Worst in Florida, With Record 7,000 Jobless
In April, the number of jobless Flagler County residents was at 6,795, a number never seen in Flagler’s or Palm Coast’s history. The figure is an undercount: many more have filed for unemployment since, according to weekly initial claims.
L&M Farms in Flagler, St. Johns and Putnam Gets $1.9 Million to Provide 200 Tons of Produce a Week to Food Banks
The program will help alleviate the pressure food banks have experienced from the crush of people whose breadwinners have lost jobs since the beginning of the coronavirus emergency.
Worrisome Growth of Covid-19 Related Illnesses in Children, Including 12 in Jacksonville Area
Florida has a growing number of children with a Covid-19 related illness, but how long it has been attacking children and the number of pediatric patients who have been treated remains a mystery.
Due To Be Fired, Ex-Coach Ripley Is Allowed to Resign Over ‘Excessive’ Force On 8 Year Old, and Keeps Getting Paid
Ex-Matanzas football coach Robert Ripley was suspended with pay after using excessive force on an 8-year-old boy at Wadsworth Elementary in February. His firing was recommended in March. He’s been kept on through his resignation on May 29.
Before a Fast-Track Covid-19 Vaccine, a Series of Challenges, Risks and Pitfalls
Scientists have expressed skepticism at the breakneck timetable put forward by some Trump administration officials, who say that 100 million doses of a vaccine could be available by November.
Joe Mullins Wanted Sheriff to Fix Speeding Ticket in 2017; He Invoked Staly’s Name in Traffic Stop Last Week
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said he refused to fix a speeding ticket for Commissioner Joe Mullins three years ago. Last week, Mullins invoked both his own name and Staly’s during a traffic stop in Palm Coast.
Palm Coast Data Laying Off 150, Closing Shop on Commerce Blvd. and Looking For New Home in the City
A combination of legal wrangles and financial difficulties led to Palm Coast Data’s eviction from its Commerce Boulevard location and layoffs of 40 percent of its workforce as it outsources core services. The company pledges to remain in Palm Coast.
Alleged Arsonist Arrested for 2 Fires Near Publix and Citgo on Belle Terre Parkway
Daniel Da Costa, 26, of Palm Coast, faces two counts of arson and a count of manufacturing a fire bomb. He blamed an argument with his mother earlier that night as causing him to light the fires.
County Ready to Settle Lawsuit With Captain’s BBQ at Bing’s Landing, With Concessions From Both Sides
The county would make numerous financial and building concessions to Captain’s. In exchange, Captain’s agrees to remain at the current location, end its litigation, and pay a somewhat higher rent over time.
Ex-Tourism Chief Matt Dunn Did Business With Friends, But No ‘Kick-Backs’: FDLE Drops Investigation
Flagler County’s ex-tourism director Matt Dunn was suspended 13 months ago and fired in October following allegations of embezzlement. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement Agency now says no evidence warrants a criminal investigation.
Flagler Beach Cancels July 4 Parade and Fireworks, Palm Coast Does Likewise in Latest Covid Casualties
For the first time in 22 years, Flagler Beach will not hold its traditional July 4 parade and fireworks, nor will Palm Coast hold its own Independence Day festivities, which would have normally taken place in Central Park on July 3.
14-Year-Old Girl Takes Deputies on High-Speed Chase Through Palm Coast’s P-Section
The 14-year-old girl was driving a Jeep Wrangler at high speed through the P Section, with a 15-year-old passenger, before stop sticks forced her to pull over. She was arrested.
Shuttered Almost Two Months, Vacation Rentals May Reopen, With County and State Approval
Counties can submit vacation-rental reopening plans to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, which will have to sign off on the proposals.
Food Drops Are Not Enough. Expand Food Stamps Programs Now.
Big food drops like Palm Coast’s effort to feed 5,000 families are fine, but only an expanded SNAP (or food stamps) program can reach all families in need with an existing system that also acts as an economic stimulus for local business.
“Immune to Evidence”: How Dangerous Coronavirus Conspiracies Spread
Conspiratorial videos and websites about COVID-19 are going viral. Here’s how one of the authors of “The Conspiracy Theory Handbook” says you can fight back. One big takeaway: Focus your efforts on people who can hear evidence and think rationally.
AdventHealth Acknowledges 25,000 Covid-19 Tests Were Unreliable, Putting Recent Results In Doubt
AdventHealth blamed the unreliability of some 25,000 tests, including over 1,000 provided in Palm Coast, on Orlando-based MicroGenDX, a company that won emergency FDA approval to provide spit tests on the promise of accuracy and quick turn-arounds.
Gyms Reopen Monday at 50% Capacity, Restaurants and Shops Expand to 50%, Theaters Remain Dark
Gov. Ron DeSantis today announced what he described as a “full Phase 1” reopening of society and the economy even as the state recorded more than 40 deaths from Covid-19 for the fourth straight day, and an average of 600 daily infections in the past two weeks.
Why You’re Not Hearing Back on Your Covid-19 Test Results
Numerous residents in Palm Coast and Flagler County have been complaining of not getting back Covid-19 test results. The problem issued from a backlogged lab in Texas AdventHealth was using, but no longer is.
Flagler Beach’s $571,000 Fire Truck Buy Delayed Until Public Can Voice Concerns In Person
The decision to delay a decision followed a 40-minute discussion on the truck by the city commission, including a presentation by Fire Chief Bobby Pace, who defended the purchase.
DeSantis Signals Restaurant Seating Capacity Will Expand and Gyms Will Reopen
Gov. Ron DeSantis said he will announce Friday additional “phase one” measures to reopen the state’s economy, with the moves expected to include allowing more people to be seated in restaurants and allowing gyms to operate.
Mask-Wearing Is Not About Personal Liberty but Communal Health, Palm Coast Town Hall Experts Say
Is wearing a mask in public too much to ask for as Palm Coast and Flagler reopen? Does it infringe on individuals’ liberties? Two physicians, the Flagler Health Department’s chief and Palm Coast’s fire chief give an unequivocal No.
“Idiots” Remark Comes Back to Haunt Jack Howell as Fellow-Councilman Branquinho Berates Him
Palm Coast City Council member Eddie Branquinho excoriated fellow-Council member Jack Howell for six minutes at the end of Tuesday’s council meeting, over an article Howell wrote, proposing financial measures in light of the Covid-19 emergency. Branquinho said the article was politically motivated.
Florida as Sports Hub: DeSantis Wants Professional and Youth Teams to Resume Playing in State
The Washington Post reported that Major League Soccer is looking to house players in large resorts near Disney World as a way for games to resume for all 26 teams in Orlando.