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.
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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.
206,000 Unemployment Claims Filed in Florida Last Week, On Eve of Phase 2 Reopening
Phase 2 reopening includes allowing bars, movie theaters and other entertainment venues to partially operate in all but three South Florida counties.
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.