The Flagler Fish Company in Flagler Beach completed an expansion of their pet-friendly outdoor dining area.
Flagler Beach
Mystery Midnight “Fireball” Serves Up Barroom Speculation, and Vain Search, In Flagler Beach
Patrons at an oceanfront Flagler Beach bar reported seeing a fireball over the ocean around midnight Tuesday, triggering speculation about a plane crash. It turned out to be no more than speculation.
Pilot Falls Asleep Aboard Shark-Fishing Boat, Sending It Aground in Flagler Beach
The Lady Maritza, registered to Clearwater-based Demar Fishing Inc., was shark-fishing when its pilot fell asleep, sending the boat aground just before dawn. It was freed by early afternoon.
Possible Suicide Victim Washes Up on Gamble Rogers Recreation Sands in Flagler Beach
The body of the victim, a man believed to be in his 40s, washed up before 11 Friday morning, with lacerations on the wrist. Portions of the beach were closed.
In Flagler Beach, Anger and Hyperbole Over an Acting Manager’s Half-Year Limbo
Bruce Campbell has been in the job as acting manager since Jan. 2, a seven-month job interview unlikely to end until September, if then, as a deadlocked city commission battles messy politics and personalities.
Coalition of Cities Meets, Its Mission As Fuzzy as Its Place in Flagler’s Economic Bog
The Coalition of Cities is Flagler’s smaller cities’ answer to being snubbed at a larger economic-development table. But the snub is over. The coalition remains. It’s not exactly clear why, and it underscores the frayed political landscape behind facades of unity.
DEP Forbids Deck on Flagler Pier Restaurant–Unless It’s Called a “Pier Extension”
The regulatory word game unsettled several members of the Flagler Beach City Commission, which nevertheless went for it in a 4-1 vote, clearing the way for a permit application to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
Economic Development Summit Cancelled Again as “Coalition of Cities” Revs Up
Cancelled once on June, the county-wide economic development summit set for July 27 was cancelled again as Bunnell and Flagler Beach’s break-away “coalition of cities” meets for the first time Friday.
City Commission Cheers Flagler Beach Turtle Patrol
The Flagler Beach City Commission’s Alice Baker recognized the city’s Turtle Patrol volunteers, whose work from May to September ensures protecting for nesting turtles.
Flagler Beach Bids Last Shuttle a Wistful Farewell as It Soars Invisibly Beyond Clouds
Space Shuttle Atlantis lifted off on schedule, but no one could see it on Flagler’s beaches or at the pier, though imagination was enough to sense the end of a 30-year journey.
Space Shuttle Launch Schedule: Atlantis’s Last Voyage
Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral’s Kennedy Space Center at 11:26 Eastern Daylight Time on Friday, July 8. Weather may delay it. Watch video of the countdown.
Fireworks Blaze Over Flagler Beach In a Thundering Display of Color and Pomp
Anticipation gave way to an explosive display of colors and sounds as Flagler Beach’s July 4th celebration culminated with its traditional fireworks show.
Parades of Radiance From Heroes Park To Flagler Beach on America’s 235th
Solemnity and celebration at Heroes Park was followed by Flagler Beach’s July 4th parade at the start of a day and evening of revelry. A full image gallery of the celebrations.
They’re On: County Repeals Ban On Flagler Beach Fireworks in 4-1 Vote
Eleven days after cancelling the county’s Independence Day fireworks shows, the Flagler County Commission this afternoon voted to allow the Flagler Beach show to go on.
Unveiling “Flagler Beach First!”: A Common Market for an Uncommon Island City
The idea of Flagler Beach First!, its founders say, is to enable Flagler Beach businesses to promote each other and educate residents and visitors about the importance of buying products and services from Flagler Beach businesses.
First Fridays in Flagler Beach: The Halifax Country Band
This month’s edition of Flagler Beach’s First Fridays also features tie-dye t-shirt making, corn hole game face painting and balloon sculptures.
County Likely to Reverse Fireworks Ban in Flagler Beach In Special Meeting Friday
A majority of county commissioners are now in favor of overturning the ban on Flagler Beach’s Independence Day fireworks. They’ll decide at a special meeting 4 p.m. Friday.
A Dissent on Canceling July 4 Fireworks: When Palm Coast Dictates to Flagler Beach
Canceling the fireworks in Town Center was justified, canceling them in Flagler Beach was not, argues Jeremy Mahoney, who sees the decision as another way of making Flagler Beach subservient to Palm Coast.
Fires and Hurricane Predictions Motivate Ham Radio Operators’ Field Day This Weekend
This annual event in Palm Coast and Flagler Beach is the climax of the week long “Amateur Radio Week” sponsored by the ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio.
Finally, Flagler Beach Agrees to Long-Term Pier Restaurant Deal With River Grille Owner
Paying the city $3,000 a month in base rent, Ray Barshay, owner of River Grille in Ormond and Crabby Joe’s in Daytona, plans to revamp the Pier Restaurant into an American, Southern, New Orleans cuisine destination.
Bunnell and Flagler Beach Angrily Denounce Enterprise Flagler’s Secretive “Done Deal”
A closed meeting restructuring Enterprise Flagler last week is unraveling into angry reactions by those left out, putting at risk half a year of economic development discussions and further miring the public-private partnership in controversy.
Lessons Against Drowning: Tom Gillin’s Water Tutorials Before Schools Let Out for Summer
Tom Gillen, Flagler Beach’s parks and recreation director and its life-guard-in-chief, has taken his junior-lifeguard lecture on the road to local schools to prepare children for summer break’s biggest attraction.
Flagler Beach Eyes Reserves and
More Taxes to Make Up Latest Revenue Loss
Flagler Beach has raised taxes for three successive years to make up for falling revenue from collapsing property values. It has a relatively large $3 million reserve, which it will likely use in combination with another tax hike to balance next year’s budget.
Endeavour Arcs Beyond Flagler Beach and Into History As Throngs Squint Goodbye
Space Shuttle Endeavour lifted off for the last time Monday morning as the ritual throngs of launch enthusiasts lined Flagler Beach’s boardwalk, pier and beaches.
At Flagler Beach Commission’s Goal-Setting, Grim Numbers, Limited Possibilities
Flagler Beach is facing a 20 percent drop in revenue to its general fund, and other revenue losses elsewhere. Setting goals in that environment can be an exercise in exasperation.
County Property Values Fall Another 14%; Palm Coast: -12%; Tax Rates Heading Up
The declines, for the fourth year in a row, will define to what extent local governments must either raise taxes or cut services as they prepare next year’s budgets. Governments have little room to cut anymore, short of vitals services.
Armed Robbery at Flagler Beach’s CVS on SR100; Oxycontin-Filching Suspects Caught
At least two suspects entered the CVS just after 5 p.m., one of them brandishing a gun. They were caught at Old Dixie Highway and I-95. No one was injured. Oxycontin appears again to be the motive.
It’s Not Enough to Say No to a Seawall in Flagler Beach: An Action Plan Past Opposition
Sherry Epley, a resident of Flagler Beach, lays out a six-point action plan on how to build and sustain opposition to a seawall while developing a viable alternative that saves the beach and State Road A1A.
Flagler Power: From Bunnell By-Pass to Weigh Station to A1A Seawall, FDOT Retreats
Three times in the past 12 months, Florida Department of Transportation projects in Flagler County have foundered on the well-organized shoals of local opposition across government boundaries and fiefdoms.
William Gregory Sentenced to Death for 2007 Double-Murder in Flagler Beach
William Gregory murdered ex-girlfriend Skyler Meekins, 17, and Daniel Dyer, 22, by shooting them in the head with a 12-gauge shotgun as they slept together in August 2007. “You have forfeited your right to live at all,” the judge told him.
From Robert Penn Warren to Stanley Drescher: Flagler Beach Names Its First Poet Laureate
Stanley Drescher, a son of New York’s Lower East Side, has lived in Flagler Beach less than two years. He’s already left his mark on the city’s water tower, wielding his poetry like a crusader’s mightiest weapon.
Flagler Beach’s Steve Settle Will Again Attempt to Appoint Bruce Campbell Manager
Settle has three votes to make Bruce Campbell’s appointment permanent as Flagler Beach city manager. He needs four when he makes his proposal Thursday. Commissioners Jane Mealy and John Feind are mum.
Flagler Beach Against DOT’s Seawall: County Joins City’s Opposition, With Conditions
Flagler County doesn’t want a seawall in Flagler Beach either, but the county doesn’t want to lose $6 million in highway funding–earmarked for SR A1A’s protection–that it hopes to shift either toward a study or toward an alternative to the seawall.
Tour de Goodwill: 460 Cyclists Set Off in Flagler Beach Rotary’s 8th Annual Ride
The Flagler Beach Rotary’s Cycle Flagler drew the largest number of cyclists and raised upward of $14,000 for the Rotary’s Christmas and scholarship funds. Riders cycled from 24 to 100 miles.
Fire At Eagles Nest Storage in Flagler Beach Claims or Damages 8 Units
The fire broke out between 5:30 and 5:45 p.m. in a storage unit where tenants had been working on an older Volkswagen all day. Something ignited and they were unable to control the flames.
July 4th Twice Over Again As Flagler Beach And Palm Coast Will Each Launch Fireworks
The Tourist Development Council would grant each city $15,000. Flagler Beach will have the July 4 display this time, while Palm Coast will launch on July 3rd, at Town Center. Last year, they did it in reverse.
Flagler Beach Dog Lovers: “If We Wanted More Rules We’d Go To Palm Coast”
More enforcement of existing rules and more self-policing, but no change in Flagler Beach’s dogs-on-the-beach ordinance, city commissioners decided after hearing from 38 people over 90 minutes Thursday evening.
Their Battle Already Won, Flagler Beach Dog Owners Still Mobilizing to Ward Off Ban
Flagler Beach resident Vicky Mulvaney kicked off a firestorm of opposition to her proposal to ban dogs altogether from the city’s beaches. The city commission, unlikely to go along, hears from Mulvaney and her opponents Thursday.
Trailer Trap: Flagler Beach Commission Still Circling Around Changes to RV Ordinance
Changes to the ordinance would make it difficult for some to park their RVs by their home. The city commission decided to further analyze the matter until May, when it may produce yet another version of the ordinance.
Latest Irish Migration: St. Patrick’s Day in Flagler Beach
Flagler Beach held its first St. Patrick’s Day Parade Saturday, after Palm Coast’s Irish Social Club could no longer hold its parade down Old Kings Road. A few pictures from the event.
Pier Restaurant Lease Hobbling Again As DEP Rejects Permitting a New Deck
Flagler Beach was going to pay for and build the $50,000 deck as a concession to potential restaurant owner Ray Barshay. Until DEP’s decision, Barshay and the city were very close to a long-term, deal.
Two Alumni of Flagler Beach Follies Make City Manager Shortlist in Diminutive Polk City
Caryn Miller, the former Flagler Beach Community Redevelopment Agency director, and Scott Janke, whose wife’s porn-star flicks cost him a job and subsequent candidacies, are candidates for Polk City’s $60,000-a-year job.
Flagler Beach Police Officer Brett Smith Jailed on DUI Charge (Updated With Arrest Report)
Brett Smith, 30, was found passed out in a vehicle in the Daytona North (Mondex) area of the county Saturday evening. He was not on duty.
New Flagler Beach Commission Is Seated–and Pier Restaurant Deal Almost Unravels
Unexpected discussion about breaking the bait and tackle shop at the pier out of the restaurant lease, and inviting others to bid for running it, almost demolished months of negotiations over the restaurant lease.
Election Winners: Carney and Shupe in Flagler Beach, Crain-Brady and Rogers in Bunnell
Kim Carney and Marshall Shupe replace Ron Vath and Joy McGrew in Flagler Beach, beating out Phil Busch. Incumbent Jenny Crain-Brady is re-elected, and John Rogers replaces fellow-wrecker and nine-year incumbent Jimmy Flynt.
Familiar Slogans and More Familiar Questions as 2-Day Economic Development Summit Ends
It was left up to Palm Coast City Manager Jim Landon to remind the assembled that slogans don’t make economic development policy, and unity of message is still far from a given in a county with diverse interests and constituencies.
Economic Development Summit: Diagnostic Kumbayas Drown Out Harder Questions
Day one of the summit produced generous and optimistic self-evaluations from some 60 elected and had-picked representatives of local governments, but no breakthrough on fundamental differences on economic development financing or leadership.
Obstacles Cleared: Flagler Beach’s Iconic Pier Restaurant Will Have a New Owner
Every previous deal-breaker dissolved as prospective owner Raymond Barshay and city commissioners relented in turn on various issues. Neither side was an outright victor. But the city’s iconic restaurant will have new life.
Flagler Beach Commission To Noisy Restaurants and Irritable Residents: Cooperate
Flagler Beach city commissioners turned up the volume on the status quo Wednesday as they analyzed noise levels first-hand and agreed to document and analyze noise complaints for a while before changing the noise ordinance.
Flagler Beach City Commission Election: 3 Candidates Mostly of 1 Mind for 2 Open Seats
Phil Busch, Kim Carney and Marshall Shupe, candidates for the Flagler Beach City Commission election on March 8, more or less agree on most issues, making the race mostly a matter of personalities.