Badcock Furniture will open in mid-summer in Flagler Square, as will a sweet shop, completing a remarkable revival of that commercial strip eight years after it had become a gaping hole for business.
Flagler Beach
In Unprecedented Flagler Beach Town Hall, Old Kings Elementary Students Become All Stars of Ideas
Mayor Linda Provencher’s Kids Town Hall drew a standing-room-only crowd, almost the entire city commission and the city’s top staff for a lively hour of ideas and suggestions from Old Kings Elementary students.
2017 Flagler Jail Bookings and Sheriff’s Crime and Incident Reports (Archived)
Archived 2017 Flagler County jail bookings, day and night shift commanders’ crime and incident reports investigated by Sheriff’s deputies and archive.
State Transportation Department Asks Flagler Beach Police to Crack Down on A1A Rock Art
Flagler Beach City Manager Larry Newsom said police officers will not suddenly arrest people who build rock structures on A1A, but will use a more friendly, educational approach.
Storm Damages Newly Repaired Dune Areas Along A1A, Stressing Urgency of Permanent Fix
Tuesday’s storm left various parts of A1A’s dunes–what’s left of them–damaged, but from an unexpected direction: officials have been fearing a breach from the ocean. The problem this time was rainwater pushing out.
David Dalecki, True Floridian and Gentle Soul, 1969-2017
Dave Dalecki’s quiet, gentle soul will be remembered by everyone he ever met and beyond for his deep involvement in his community and elsewhere. He is survived by (among others) his wife of 23 years, Cindy, his sons Dalton and Tyler.
Flagler Beach Pastor Who Defrauded Church Members of Hundreds of Thousands Blames Others As He’s Sentenced to 7.5 Years
Wesley Brown, the 54-year-old pastor who’d won the trust of church members only to defraud them, sought to lay blame on others even as he was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison, after facing a potential 100 years.
After 11 Years, Flagler Beach’s First Fridays Events Get Their First Written Policy
The proposed four-page policy formalizes what had been verbally agreed to, or assumed, over the years, but doesn’t change the focus on favoring local businesses while outlining documentation requirements.
O’Brien Beach-Funding Proposal Prevails, And Flagler Beach Gets $2 Million Pledge
County Commissioner Donald O’Brien’s proposal to shift more money toward beach restoration prevailed today in a joint meeting of the County Commission and the county’s tourism board, and the county administrator pledged to allocate $2 million to Flagler Beach’s needs.
Flagler Tourism “Promotions” Slush Fund Jumps 76% in 3 Years, And We’re Counting Pennies For Beach Repairs?
Paying for critical repairs to Flagler County’s beaches is hostages to a tourism budget’s scandalous and unaccountable promotions spending, which the county administration wants to increase despite the emergency.
Flagler Beach’s Mary Ann Dominessy Reese, Who’d Made Her Battle With ALS Unsparingly Public, Dies at 63
For more than two years Mary Ann Dominessy Reese, a retired teacher, had painstakingly chronicled her decline through ALS on a widely read Facebook page, organizing campaigns and fund-raisers, along the way.
Revealing Look at How Flagler Beach Commission, in Closed-Door Meeting, Settled Wrongful Arrest Claim
Vassili Mironov had sued the Flagler Beach Police Department for $89,000 after his arrest at Finns for a fight he says he did not start. He got $6,000 in a settlement that revealed how divided city commissioners arrived at their 3-2 vote.
City Elections: Flagler Beach Voters Stay With Shupe and Carney, Bunnell Elects John Sowell and Re-Elects Rogers
Flagler Beach voters gave Marshall Shupe and Kim Carney solid re-election numbers, while Bunnell voted out Bonita Robinson, replacing her with John Sowell, and re-electing John Rogers to three-year terms.
Flagler Beach Could Have an 1,100-Foot Pier, But On Concrete, and Not Before 2021
Concepts of a future Flagler Beach pier were unveiled, projecting greater length but less wooden rusticity, and still a lot of uncertainty regarding cost. The earliest date for a new pier would be 2021.
Heads Scratch as Mysterious Lift-Boat Appears Near Shore in Flagler Beach
An oil-rig like platform that’s actually a “liftboat” appeared near shore, traveling south, in Flagler Beach tonight, and stopped, raising pylons and more questions than answers.
Palm Coast, Flagler Beach and Bunnell Officials May Face Stronger Financial Disclosure Requirements
Financial disclosure forms filed by elected city officials are cursory compared to the detailed forms filed by county and other officials. That may soon change as the Legislature considers extending the stricter requirements.
Flagler Beach Pier To Be Repaired and Opened By May 1, But More Concrete Plans in Its Future
The $918,000 contract will stabilize the Flagler Beach pier but will not restore the 160 feet it lost during Hurricane Matthew. That’ll be the long-term fix, which may entail pouring concrete.
Flagler Beach Is Proposing Draconian Restrictions and Prohibitions on Drones
Flagler Beach would even further than an Orlando ordinance that just passed, banning drones over public buildings, parks, assemblies and other places absent permission from the city.
Behind Woman’s Suicide in Flagler Beach, Despair and a Last Evening With Caring Strangers
Janis Washburn, the 68-year-old Palm Coast resident found dead in the Intracoastal last week, had spent the last three hours of her life with a group of strangers who took her in to cheer her up. She had long spoken of suicide.
Tax Collector’s New Branch Office in Flagler Beach Compelled By Rising Traffic–and Guns
The new tax collector’s branch at the Food Lion shopping center in Flagler Beach will be the exclusive location for the boom in concealed weapons permitting, and possibly a commercial seed for the long-moribund Flagler Square.
Qualifying Over in Flagler Beach and Bunnell March 7 Elections, Still Time to Register to Vote
Both cities’ incumbents and one challenger in each have qualified–Marshall Shupe, Kim Carney and Paul Eik in Flagler Beach, Bonita Robinson, John Rogers and John Sowell in Bunnell, with two seats in play in each government.
In Flagler Again, Gov. Scott Issues $15.8 Million For Beach Fix in 4 Counties, $5.4M for Flagler
The $15.8 million is not necessarily new money but includes at least $5.3 million Flagler County has been lobbying for to rebuild dunes. Gov. Scott made the announcement at Washington Oaks Gardens State Park’s beach.
Short-Listed for Top Job in Jackson County, Flagler Beach Manager Newsom Says He’s Not Interested
Flagler Beach City Manager Larry Newsom, who’s been in the middle of a different job-hunt swirl this week, had applied for the Panhandle job last summer, just six months into his job locally, as a back-up plan, he said.
Flagler Beach Approves $40 Million State Plan to Rebuild Dunes, With Sea Wall at City’s North End
In a surprising shift, Flagler Beach City Commissioners agreed to a state plan to build a sea wall at the city’s north end in exchange for a beach management plan the state would pay for.
County Commission Chairman Nate McLaughlin Apologizes to Flagler Beach Officials Over Interference
Commissioner Nate McLaughlin apologized in person to Flagler Beach City Manager Larry Newsom and City Commissioners Jane Mealy and Marshall Shupe over comments he claimed were misconstrued.
Why Is the County Chairman Meddling in Flagler Beach’s Business, and Why Was Flagler Beach’s Manager Job-Hunting in Bunnell?
Flagler Beach officials were perplexed and angered by County Commission Chairman Nate McLaughlin’s apparent interference in their city manager’s–and their city’s–business at a time when county and city are trying to work out difficult issues.
Janis Washburn, 68, Found Dead in Intracoastal Near Hidden Treasures By Flagler Beach Bridge
Janis Washburn, 68, of Palm Coast’s E-Section, was detected by a jogger on the Flagler Beach bridge just before 11 a.m. She had lived in Palm Coast since 2008.
Rift Opens Between County and Flagler Beach Over Dunes Fix; County Depletes TDC Fund
Flagler County commissioners agreed today to deplete a $1.5 million fund for beach management as part of a match to draw down state dollars, but none of the money would benefit Flagler Beach, angering officials there.
2016 Sets Global Heat Record For 3rd Straight Year, Raising Alarms of Irreparable Threats
Central Florida felt the heat: Orlando’s temperature average for 2016 was 1.80 degrees above normal in 2016. From late November through December, it was 5, 6 and 7 degrees above normal day after day.
Pier Repairs, 52 Dune Walkovers, A1A: Flagler Beach Manager Newsom’s Post-Hurricane Status Report
Among other plans, Flagler Beach City Manager Larry Newsom wants the city to have the longest pier in Florida, but getting there will take a while yet as he updates all repair plans.
Why a Seawall in Flagler Beach Could Harm Sea Turtles and Violate the Law
Flagler Beach’s situation on the ground has changed enough between Hurricane Matthew and recent findings about sea turtles that state transportation department construction plans should be rethought in light of those developments, argues Chad Boda.
Numerous Concerns, Elusive Certainties as Flagler Beach and County Governments Talk Beach Renovation
Assurances Flagler Beach was looking for–that there would be no sea walls anywhere, that the city’s beaches would have priority–proved elusive in a joint meeting with county government.
Help With Beach Recovery and an Additional County Judge Dominate Requests to Flagler’s Lawmakers
Post-Hurricane Matthew recovery occupied almost half the requests at the annual legislative delegation meeting Wednesday, when Flagler’s governments, non-profits, private associations and citizens submit wish lists to state lawmakers.
County Tallies Up Almost $60 Million Cost of Repairing Beaches But Lacks Comprehensive Plan
Flagler County commissioners heard sobering costs of repairing 18 miles of beaches but a “unified” plan local cities, state and federal agencies can agree to is entirely lacking.
Flagler Beach and Bunnell Will Have Contested City Elections in March as 2 Challengers Qualify
Flagler Beach incumbents Marshal Shupe and Kim Carney have drawn Paul Eik as an opponent. In Bunnell, John Sowell, a former pilot for Flagler County Fire Flight, will challenge incumbents Bonita Robinson and John Rogers.
Hurricanes Matthew and Hermine Damages Reach $1.59 Billion, A1A a Big Bite
By comparison the University of Florida’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research has placed damages from the 2004 hurricane season, in which four hurricanes hit the state, at $45 billion.
New A1A Options Include Moving It to Central and Daytona Avenues, and 5.2-Mile Sea Wall
Six options for the future A1A in Flagler Beach were unveiled by the stat Transportation Department Thursday, three of them including a huge (but buried) sea wall, and three shifting traffic to Central and Daytona Avenues.
Flagler Beach’s Closed-Door Session Ends With Agreement to Negotiate Settlement With Sklar and Marina
Spurred by a court order largely siding with Howard Sklar’s Marina, scuttled in disputes and litigation for years, the Flagler Beach City Commission voted 5-0 following a closed meeting to negotiate a final settlement and bypass appeals.
In Flagler Beach Again, Sen. Nelson Conveys Feds’ Message on Beach Fix: No Seawalls
Sen. Bill Nelson was back in Flagler Beach to tout the passage of a water bill that includes authorization for $15.6 million in federal beach renourishment dollars for Flagler County. But it’s conditional on the state not building sea walls.
Parents in Mourning Candle-Lighting Set for Sunday in Flagler Beach’s Veterans Park
The ceremony, organized by Donna Lunsford and Carol Fisher, is part of the Compassionate Friends Worldwide Candle Lighting that takes place on the same day in every part of the world.
Crime in Flagler and Palm Coast Continued Decline in 2016, But Violence Is Up Again
Overall crime declined in the first six months of the year but violent crime was on the rise again, with increases in murders (there were two in 2015), rapes, and aggravated assault.
Court Ruling Mostly Favoring Developer May End Nearly 2-Decade Wrangle Over Flagler Beach Marina
Howard Sklar’s marina and boat-works on the Intracoastal in Flagler Beach has been mired in conflict with the city almost since its inception in the late 1990s. A circuit court ruling may finally clear the way for its operations.
Not a Storm Too Soon, Worst Hurricane Season In 11 Years Ends as Flagler Continues Recovery
Florida ended its 2016 hurricane season Wednesday, marking the first time in more than a decade that the Sunshine State was hit by a hurricane–and the closest Flagler County came to a direct hit in decades.
Flagler Beach Holiday at the Beach Parade Set for Saturday: Late Participants Welcome
The Rotary Club of Flagler Beach is once again hosting the Holiday at the Beach parade this Saturday, Dec. 3, along resilient State Road A1A in the city and is welcoming last minute parade applicants this week. See the application below.
Man Charged With 2 Counts of DUI Manslaughter and Vehicular Homicide in Deaths of Kathleen and Carl Boos on A1A
William G. Schwarz, 52, of Ormond Beach, is being held on $400,000 bond at the Flagler jail. His blood-alcohol level was 0.252 at the time of the March 11 wreck involvinf four cars near Painters Hill.
Feed Flagler Beach at Thanksgiving
Feed Flagler Beach is a sit down community based Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving day, November 24, 2016, from 1-3 p.m. at The Wickline Center.
Man Injures Flagler Beach Police Officer in Escape Attempt After Arrest
David Scott, who’d been put on three years’ probation over a violent incident in February, smashed a patrol car’s window and injured a Flagler Beach police officer after an arrest over a probation violation.
Repairs on Speed: A1A Reopens to Governor’s Applause as Businesses Cheer With Relief
The remarkably swift emergency repairs to the road on a state government emergency contract to Halifax Paving turned what could have been a death knell to many businesses into a setback, now overcome.
Contractor Gunning to Reopen A1A 30 Days Ahead of Schedule. The Reason: $1 Million Bonus
Halifax Paving is set to reopen State Road A1A in Flagler Beach next week, some 30 days ahead of schedule, earning itself a $1 million bonus on top of the original $4 million emergency contract. Businesses and others are cheering.
Biting Error: Flagler Mosquito Control Race Missing From Nearly 1,600 Ballots in Beachside Precincts
The mosquito control race was missing from 1,200 mail ballots, an error that was being fixed, but also from 363 early voting ballots already cast, creating a dilemma for the supervisor of elections. The error was caught Monday and stopped by the time voting resumed Tuesday.