Flagler County’s labor force reached nearly 51,000 in August and October, falling back modestly to 50,676 in November, with an employed labor force of 49,000, out of a population of about 120,000, and 1,600 unemployed people.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
Two Inmates at Flagler Jail Who Attempted Suicide Within 24 Hours Each Had a Disturbing Backstory
On Dec. 8 and 9, in the span of 24 hours, detention deputies–and an inmate in the first case–intervened and halted the attempted suicides of two inmates, a man and a woman, in unrelated incidents. Each had a harrowing back-story, suggesting that the individuals’ attempts may not be their last.
Perry Mitrano Elected Flagler’s REC Chair, Defeating Renner-Backed Jill Woolbright By Big Margin
Internal party elections are not ordinarily newsworthy. This one, however, reflects political dynamics that reverberate beyond the party and the county, especially as Republicans control all but a handful of Flagler’s elected seats, when Renner is House speaker, and in his last term, and when Republicans are cleaved by fierce divisions, in Flagler as elsewhere, over the direction of their party.
Lawsuit Cites Splash Pad Contractors’ ‘Collective Negligence’ and Bond Company’s Refusal to Pick Up Pieces
The lawsuit Palm Coast government filed to recover damages from the broken splash pad at Holland Park names three contractor, accusing them of negligence, breach of contract and warranties, and violations of Florida’s building code. The lawsuit also names the bonding company, revealing that the company has allegedly refused to comply by the bond’s terms.
Jury Convicts Rene Laso In Smiles Bar Stabbing After Propositioning Woman; He Faces Up to 30 Years
A jury on Wednesday convicted Rene Laso, a 56-year-old resident of Zachary Place in Palm Coast, on two counts of aggravated assault in the stabbing of a man and a woman at Smiles night club a year and a half ago. The incident was triggered after Laso propositioned the woman for sexual favors in exchange for $5,000.
My Massive Heart Attack, and a Bit of Advice from a Departed Medical Examiner
Former Assistant Public Defender Raymond Warren describes for the first time his 2016 experience of a heart attack and offers advice derived from what he learned deposing the late Predrag Bulic, the circuit’s medical examiner who died earlier this year of a stroke.
Flagler Public Health Officials Reassert Efficacy of Covid Vaccines as DeSantis Intensifies Denialism
In a sharp escalation of Covid vaccine denialism by a sitting governor, Ron DeSantis on Tuesday called on the state Supreme Court to empanel a grand jury to investigate alleged “wrongdoing” related to the vaccine, as Flagler County’s architects of the response to the pandemic reasserted the efficacy of the vaccine and relied on the latest science.
Flagler County Sues Cynthia d’Angiolini, Lone Dunes Hold-Out, And Her Attorney Wants Off Bankruptcy Case
Flagler County government today filed a federal suit against Cynthia d’Angiolini, the lone remaining obstacle to a dune-rebuilding project intended to protest 2.6 miles of shore and State Road A1A in Flagler Beach, asking the court to revoke the discharge from bankruptcy d’Angiolini secured only a few weeks ago. The move occurs as other steps are severely complicating–and darkening–d’Angiolini’s posture against the county, including a motion today by her bankruptcy attorney to stop representing her.
County Commissioner Dave Sullivan Is Recovering from a Stroke, Hoping to Be Home By Christmas
Days after suffering a smaller episode, Flagler County Commissioner Dave Sullivan on Dec. 7 suffered a stroke that numbed his left side and required his hospitalization since, first in Palm Coast, now in AdventHealth’s rehab facility in Ormond Beach.
Community Center Employee’s Alertness Leads to Arrest of Echo Caretaker Accused of Abusing Disabled Man
Chelsey Payne, a 30-year-old employee with Palm Coast-based East Coast Habilitation Options, known as Echo, was fired and arrested on a felony charge over the violent way she handled a client during a trip to the Palm Coast Community Center.