The Flagler County Chamber of Commerce board is meeting this afternoon to dissolve the 60-year-old organization as the coronavirus crisis tipped it into bankruptcy. The move follows several years of struggles, downsizing, and layoffs as recent as early February, before the crisis struck.
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Restaurants Can Reopen at 25% Capacity, Many Restrictions Will Remain as Florida Moves to Reopening on Monday
Citing Florida as weathering the coronavirus crisis much better than many other states, especially those hardest hit, Gov. Ron DeSantis today said the state will begin reopening starting on May 4, except for three South Florida counties. But many existing restrictions will remain in effect.
County Elections Supervisors Describe Struggles With Felons’ Voting Law and Lack of Reliable Data
The state lacks a single database where felons, lawyers or elections officials can determine whether people have outstanding court-ordered financial obligations. Florida’s new but restrictive felon-voting law is the subject of a nationally watched trial this week.
Reality Check: What Antibody Studies Can Tell You — and More Importantly, What They Can’t
Coronavirus antibody studies and what they allegedly show have triggered fierce debates, further confusing public understanding, especially about fallacies about herd immunity. Here is some clarity and fact-checking around these crucial surveys.
FPL Customers’ Bills Will Drop 24% in May, Resulting from Lower Fuel Costs
The savings stem from lower-than-expected costs for natural gas to fuel power plants. Utilities are required to pass along savings to customers when fuel costs drop, but the money typically goes to customers gradually.
With $57,000 Raised and Tons of Food Boxed, Plan to Feed 5,000 Families Turns Palm Coast City Hall Into Relief Central
Feed Palm Coast has turned City Hall into a warehouse for a massive food aid operation relying on city staffers, volunteers and the donations of residents to feed 5,000 families with a week’s worth of groceries come May 2.
A Plea From Superintendent Tager To Telecoms: Students Need Reliable Internet Connections Across Flagler
As the Flagler school district went virtual in answer to the coronavirus crisis, it found that unreliable internet service in parts of the county puts some students at a disadvantage. Superintendent Jim Tager asks communications companies to address the gap.
2 Staffers at 2 Assisted Living Facilites in Palm Coast Test Positive as Local Covid Cases Rise; Antibody Tests On the Way
Flagler’s Covid-19 cases now total 127, two of them at assisted living facilities, as local officials caution against a too-swift relaxation of precautions or too high hopes on antibody testing on its way. The testing will be focused on health workers.
Rumor Control is Critical and Time-Consuming for States, With No Help From Trump or His Likes
In addition to battling the coronavirus, states and localities are spending time and increased effort batting down rumors and myths — everything from President Donald Trump’s suggestion last week that injecting poisonous disinfectants might help to rumors that National Guard troops are enforcing stay-at-home orders at gunpoint.
How Many Deaths Can We Live With?
The coronavirus emergency is raising ethical questions as communities reopen: how many deaths are we willing to live with, and whose deaths? The questions are at the heart of the debate on reopening, but are not being confronted honestly.
Anti-Vaccine Activists Latch Onto Coronavirus To Bolster Their Movement
While most of the world hungers for a vaccine to put an end to the death and economic destruction wrought by COVID-19, some anti-vaccine groups are joining with anti-lockdown protesters to challenge restrictions aimed at protecting public health.
Flagler Beach and County Reopen Beaches 24 Hours Sunday Morning, Maintaining Limits on Activities
Flagler County and Flagler Beach have agreed to reopen all 18 miles of beach in the county 24 hours starting Sunday at 7 a.m., while maintaining restrictions only on certain activities on the beach: “for leisure, no, for exercise, yes,” as Flagler Beach Police Chief Matt Doughney put it this afternoon.
Reopening Palm Coast: City Issues Cautious Plan Stretched Over Four Seasons, With Some Permanent Changes
Palm Coast government today issued a recovery plan that anticipates a three-phased reopening of the city and its economy over the next year, cautiously, gradually resuming mostly normal activities while permanently maintaining new norms such as the wearing of masks in public and re-configuring certain interactions.
Lost to Car Crash Last Week, Williams Family Will be Celebrated at Saturday Service in Palm Coast
Wilma Williams and her two daughters, Mozella and Kaleigh, 12 and 13, will be celebrated on the north campus of Palm Coast United Methodist Church Saturday at 11 a.m. in a drive-in service that will combine the requirements of social distancing with the ceremonial spirit of the solemn occasion.
Millions of People Face Stimulus Check Delays for a Strange Reason: They Are Poor
The IRS has had trouble getting money to people quickly because millions of Americans pay for their tax preparation through a baroque system of middlemen.
Confirmed Flagler Covid-19 Increase By 28 in One Day, to 106, But Local Hospitalizations Still ‘Stable’
Flagler County added 28 confirmed Covid-19 cases in a single day today, by far the largest single-day tally of new cases, for a total of 106. But there does not appear to be an equivalent increase in hospitalizations.
Local Religious Leaders Adapt Congregations to Coronavirus, and Answer the Question: How Does God Allow It?
Flagler County’s religious leaders are trying to keep worshipers connected while most everyone is sheltered-in-place, and wrestling with the theological question of how a deity could allow a pandemic like Covid-19 to so ravage its creation.
Flagler School Board Adopts Anti-Discrimination Policy Without Specified Protections for Transgender Students
In contrast with months of raucous public debate on the issue, the Flagler school board in a virtual meeting on Tuesday adopted a policy without two words–gender identity–that had triggered intense controversy.
Florida Jobless Claims Nearly Triple to Over Half a Million in a Week, U.S. Unemployment Over 16%
More than one in 10 new jobless claims–505,137 first-time applications of the 4.4 million new claims–across the United States last week were made to Florida’s overwhelmed unemployment system.
Verdego Garden Center, Palm Coast Government, School Board and County Mobilize for Local Food Aid
Verdego Garden Center’s effort, unique for its scope and generosity among local businesses, is part of a larger effort by private and charitable organizations and local governments, including a $30,000 drive by Palm Coast, to distribute or collect food and cash for community pantries and address growing needs for food among local families.
As Flagler’s Beaches Reopen for 3 Hours, Thumbs Up, Sighs of Relief, Sun Worship and More Caution
Flagler Beach and Palm Coast residents reacted with glee and gratefulness this morning as they walked the beaches again, but in surprisingly small numbers, while city officials continue to caution against a still-prevalent viral threat.
“We’re Not Opening Up The County,” Commission Chairman Cautions as Beaches Partially Reopen
The Flagler County Commission and Flagler Beach reopened their beaches partially starting Wednesday, but officials’ cautions against a premature, broader reopening are not all on the same page.
Consumer Confidence and Businesses Aggressively Implementing Safety Measures Will be Key to Rebound
Getting people to dine out, board airplanes and visit resorts will require increased confidence that businesses are aggressively implementing enhanced hygiene measures to reduce the spread of Covid-19, members of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ task force on reopening the state said Tuesday.
American Carnage: How Donald Trump Is Killing Us
The coronavirus has mutated into ideological variants. We are moving from a natural disaster to a man-made one, from statistically unavoidable deaths to deaths willed by indifference, ignorance, selfishness, and the political calculations of a single man. The consequences will compound rather than mitigate the pandemic.
Flagler County Will Sell Moldy Sears Building at $170,000 Loss and Indemnify Realtor in Settlement
The county will sell the building for $1 million, and will settle out of court with one of the three parties it threatened to sue–Realtor Margaret Sheehan-Jones–following the debacle of the original purchase a year ago.
Florida Task Force Looks for Answers on Reviving Economy and Making Testing More Widespread
The push to get businesses back open comes as public-health experts have warned social distancing restrictions should not be lifted until the numbers of new infections have slowed or stopped and there is widespread immunity.
Covid-19 Advice: 7 Lessons America’s Governors Should Not Ignore as They Reopen Economies
We spoke to frontline experts from around the globe and have compiled a list of recommendations for reopening U.S. states. Their consensus? It’s tough to find policies that simultaneously save lives and livelihoods.
County Falsely Claims Testing Increased ‘Significantly,’ But Positive Cases Have, to 75–And County Must Send Back 650 Junk Test Kits
Flagler County government issued false and misleading figures Friday regarding a surge in testing that never took place, and 650 kits that could have enabled a surge must be sent back because they’re flawed, officials now say.
The Risk Is Too Great to Reopen Palm Coast So Soon: An Open Letter from City Leaders
Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland, City Manager Matt Morton and Fire Chief Jerry Forte explain why the city is maintaining recommended restrictions to suppress the coronavirus and why “we must remain steadfast in our approach and see this through to the end.”
Schools Closed for Rest of School Year; Tager Says Decision Gives Families and Employees ‘Peace of Mind’
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ decision to keep schools closed comes amid pressure from the statewide teachers’ union and medical groups. The governor acknowledged “there was some division amongst folks” on the issue.
Caving to Pressure, Flagler Beach and the County Plan to Reopen Beaches on Limited Basis Next Week
After sustaining intense pressure from residents and from county officials, and with beaches reopened to the north and south, Flagler Beach plans to re-open its beach on a limited basis starting Monday morning, as would the county.
Four Killed, Including Two Flagler School Children, in 2-Vehicle Crash on SR100 in West Flagler
A two vehicle crash resulted in the death of four people Saturday night on a dark stretch of State Road 100 in Andalusia in West Flagler. It is the deadliest crash on Flagler roads since 2017.
Florida Infections Spike to Near Peak Again, Flagler Cases at 52; St. Johns Reopens Beaches Partially
Flagler County Covid-19 cases are expected to spike a little because of increased testing; AdventHealth Palm Coast’s ICU capacity at 28 percent and total capacity at 30 percent. Flagler County government defends its decision to open some trails as St. Johns opens its beaches for four hours a day, with limited use.
Only 4% of Florida’s Unemployed Have Received Checks Since Losing Their Jobs
The state’s benefit checks of $275 a week remain among the stingiest in the nation. Separately, 23,801 checks have gone out to people who have qualified for federal money under a new federal stimulus law. The federal payments go up to $600 a week.
Man Accused of Luring 10-Year-Old Girl Into His Apartment One of 3 Child Abuse Arrests in 3 Days
A 55-year-old Bunnell man is accused of luring a 10-year-old girl and abusing her in his Palm Pointe apartment; Sarah McAllister, 31, of Palm Coast faces drunk driving charges after crashing her car, with her 6-year-old child in a booster seat.
Millions of Americans Might Not Get Stimulus Checks. Some Might Be Tricked Into Paying TurboTax to Get Theirs.
Congress gave the IRS the job of sending out coronavirus rescue checks. But the underfunded agency is struggling, while for-profit companies like Intuit have started circling, hoping to convert Americans in need into paying customers.
Sharp Rift Emerges as Flagler County Will Open Some Parks and Trails Against Cities’ Opposition
Flagler County plans to reopen some of its parks and trails even though every city in the county is opposed and the apex of the coronavirus emergency is still two weeks away, according to public health officials.
5.2 Million More Initial Claims Push Unemployment Rate Past 13%, Nearing Great Depression Figures
In Florida, the last four weeks of claims totals 652,000 which, combined with 291,000 unemployed Floridians before the crisis–a five-decade low–approaches 1 million unemployed, placing the state’s current unemployment rate at around 9 percent and doubling Flagler’s unemployment rolls, past 4,000.
Covid-19 Peak Pushed Back to May 3; In Flagler, 47 Are Tested at Drive-Up Site and 400 Households Get Food Aid
More details about the first Covid-19 infection affecting a Flagler staffer at a nursing home as the county begins drive-up testing, officials warn relaxing distancing measures, and Palm Coast launches its Rise-Up Palm Coast initiative.
Flagler County’s Teachers Union Joins Call on Governor To Keep Schools Closed For Rest of the Year
Flagler County Education Association President Katie Hansen said today she was “absolutely” behind the state education association president’s call on Gov. Ron DeSantis to keep schools closed for the remainder of the year, for the safety of students, staff and families.
Spike in People Dying at Home Suggests Coronavirus Deaths Are Considerably Higher Than Reported
Coronavirus death counts are based on positive tests and driven by hospital deaths. But data from major metropolitan areas shows a spike in at-home deaths, prompting one expert to say current numbers were just “the tip of the iceberg.”
Covid-19 Tempers: How Palm Coast Residents With No Prior Records Are Ending Up In Jail on Domestic Violence Charges
Even as the sheriff stresses de-escalation before arrests, ordinary family members are losing tempers and acting violently at home in collateral consequences of the coronavirus emergency, as this weekend’s repeated examples from Palm Coast illustrate.
Oceanfront Property Owners Want Beach Closure Lifted. Federal Judge Says No.
Plaintiffs in the lawsuit, including former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, argued that the ordinance is unconstitutional on a series of grounds, including that it violates privacy and due-process rights.
1st Infection in Flagler Nursing Home; Flagler Opens Covid Testing Site at DSC Tuesday; Big Food Drop For Needy at FPC
Flagler opens its first drive-up Covid-19 testing site Tuesday and organizes a major food drop as infection numbers appear to be slowing but local officials say it’s still important to “stay the course” on distancing.
Lawsuit Challenging Florida’s “Poll Tax” on Felon Voting Rights Expanded to Hundreds of Thousands
U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle issued an order last week after saying he intended to grant class certification to plaintiffs, who allege that the 2019 law amounts to an unconstitutional “poll tax.”
Flagler County’s Crime Rate Falls 19% in 2019, After 22% Drop Year Before; Staly Credits Innovations
Much of the crime drop was in non-violent crimes, burglaries and larcenies especially. Vehicle thefts increased 26 percent despite the increasing use of license-plate readers. Rapes increased, and murders matched the previous year’s total: three.
How Do We Exit The Shutdown? Hire An Army Of Public Health Workers
The pandemic has exposed massive cracks in the foundations of the U.S. public health system. Getting the country back to normal, experts say, will require a major investment in Public Health 101: training a corps of workers who can track people with the virus and prevent them from passing it to others.
Second Flagler Resident Dies of Covid-19; Had Been at AdventHealth’s ICU
A second Flagler County resident has died of Covid-19, Flagler Health Department Chief Bob Snyder said this morning. The resident had been in treatment at AdventHealth Palm Coast hospital’s intensive care unit, and died in the early hours of on Easter Sunday.
Night Fire Guts House at 21st and South Daytona Avenue in Flagler Beach
A fire that broke out before 9 p.m. Saturday had by later that night engulfed and consumed a three-story house at South Daytona Avenue and South 21st Street in Flagler Beach. No one was hurt.
Coronavirus Traffic Lull Is Accelerating Work on I-4’s Widening Project, Now Nearly a Year behind Schedule
The $2.3 billion project is more than 250 days behind schedule. Sections of the massive Interstate 4 “Ultimate” project will see accelerated work as the state takes advantage of a coronavirus-created reduction in traffic.