• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
MENUMENU
MENUMENU
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • FlaglerLive Board of Directors
    • Comment Policy
    • Mission Statement
    • Our Values
    • Privacy Policy
  • Live Calendar
  • Submit Obituary
  • Submit an Event
  • Support FlaglerLive
  • Advertise on FlaglerLive (386) 503-3808
  • Search Results

FlaglerLive

No Bull, no Fluff, No Smudges

MENUMENU
  • Flagler
    • Flagler County Commission
    • Beverly Beach
    • Economic Development Council
    • Flagler History
    • Mondex/Daytona North
    • The Hammock
    • Tourist Development Council
  • Palm Coast
    • Palm Coast City Council
    • Palm Coast Crime
  • Bunnell
    • Bunnell City Commission
    • Bunnell Crime
  • Flagler Beach
    • Flagler Beach City Commission
    • Flagler Beach Crime
  • Cops/Courts
    • Circuit & County Court
    • Florida Supreme Court
    • Federal Courts
    • Flagler 911
    • Fire House
    • Flagler County Sheriff
    • Flagler Jail Bookings
    • Traffic Accidents
  • Rights & Liberties
    • Fourth Amendment
    • First Amendment
    • Privacy
    • Second Amendment
    • Seventh Amendment
    • Sixth Amendment
    • Sunshine Law
    • Third Amendment
    • Religion & Beliefs
    • Human Rights
    • Immigration
    • Labor Rights
    • 14th Amendment
    • Civil Rights
  • Schools
    • Adult Education
    • Belle Terre Elementary
    • Buddy Taylor Middle
    • Bunnell Elementary
    • Charter Schools
    • Daytona State College
    • Flagler County School Board
    • Flagler Palm Coast High School
    • Higher Education
    • Imagine School
    • Indian Trails Middle
    • Matanzas High School
    • Old Kings Elementary
    • Rymfire Elementary
    • Stetson University
    • Wadsworth Elementary
    • University of Florida/Florida State
  • Economy
    • Jobs & Unemployment
    • Business & Economy
    • Development & Sprawl
    • Leisure & Tourism
    • Local Business
    • Local Media
    • Real Estate & Development
    • Taxes
  • Commentary
    • The Conversation
    • Pierre Tristam
    • Diane Roberts
    • Guest Columns
    • Byblos
    • Editor's Blog
  • Culture
    • African American Cultural Society
    • Arts in Palm Coast & Flagler
    • Books
    • City Repertory Theatre
    • Flagler Auditorium
    • Flagler Playhouse
    • Flagler Youth Orchestra
    • Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra
    • Palm Coast Arts Foundation
    • Special Events
  • Elections 2024
    • Amendments and Referendums
    • Presidential Election
    • Campaign Finance
    • City Elections
    • Congressional
    • Constitutionals
    • Courts
    • Governor
    • Polls
    • Voting Rights
  • Florida
    • Federal Politics
    • Florida History
    • Florida Legislature
    • Florida Legislature
    • Ron DeSantis
  • Health & Society
    • Flagler County Health Department
    • Ask the Doctor Column
    • Health Care
    • Health Care Business
    • Covid-19
    • Children and Families
    • Medicaid and Medicare
    • Mental Health
    • Poverty
    • Violence
  • All Else
    • Daily Briefing
    • Americana
    • Obituaries
    • News Briefs
    • Weather and Climate
    • Wildlife

Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News

Ed Danko, Flagler County Commission Candidate District 5: The Live Interview

July 19, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 9 Comments

ed danko live interview

Ed Danko is one of two Republican candidates for Flagler County Commission, District 5, in the Aug. 20 primary. It’s an open seat as Commissioner Donald O’Brien has elected not to run for a third term. Danko, a one-term Palm Coast City Council member, faces Pam Richardson.

Sheriff Staly Rejects as ‘Misleading’ Ed Danko Campaign Claim of Endorsement in Latest Ollie North Video

July 18, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 11 Comments

One of the two images Ed Danko uses of himself with Sheriff Rick Staly in a campaign video for Danko's race for County Commission. (YouTube)

As he did in 2022 regarding a different campaign using almost identical techniques and using Oliver North, Sheriff Rick Staly today said he was never endorsed by Ed Danko, as a Danko campaign video claims, and called the Danko video–which uses two images of Staly with Danko–“misleading” at best. Danko said he’s frequently spoken of his support of the sheriff and equates support with endorsement.

Alien Menace and Combustible Dancing Shake Up City Repertory Theatre with “The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals”   

July 18, 2024 | FlaglerLive | Leave a Comment

Sam (Seth Kirk) is infected by the aliens’ blue stuff in the City Repertory Theatre production of “The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals.” Photo by Mike Kitaif

“The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals,” which opens tonight at City Repertory Theatre in Palm Coast, takes its cue from the body snatching school: After an extraterrestrial presence stealthily arrives via a meteor that crashes into a small-town theater and proceeds to uncork “some kind of blue” something, the townsfolk are suddenly and inexplicably breaking into song and dance routines in everyday life situations. Soon the infected townsfolk begin acting more and more like zombies.

Bill Clark, Flagler County Commission Candidate District 3: The Live Interview

July 18, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 4 Comments

Bill Clark.

Bill Clark is a Republican candidate for Flagler County Commission, District 3, in an open-seat election, as Dave Sullivan has opted not to run again. Clark faces Republicans Kim Carney and Nick Klufas in the Aug. 20 primary.

Flagler County Library’s $14 Million South Branch ‘Nexus Center’ Breaks Ground in August, Ending 10-Year Wait

July 17, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 12 Comments

A rendering of the future south branch of the Flagler County Public Library on Commerce Parkway, breaking ground in August and opening in late October 2025.

Almost a decade after Holly Albanese and the Library Board of Trustees first conceived it, the south branch of the Flagler County Library–to be called the Nexus Center–will break ground on Aug. 5 on the 7-acre parcel opposite the Flagler County Sheriff’s Operations Center, a short walk down from the future Bunnell City Hall now under construction. The 23,000-square-foot, one-floor library, combined with the county’s social services offices, will open at the end of October 2025.

Jury Finds Man Guilty on 9 Counts in Video Voyeurism of 12-Year-Old Stepdaughter in Her Bathroom

July 17, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 3 Comments

Tyler Habdas, right, with his attorney, Spencer O'Neal, at the beginning of this week's three-day trial. (© FlaglerLive)

At the end of a three-day trial today, and after deliberating barely an hour, a jury found Tyler Habdas, now 32, guilty on nine charges of voyeurism of an underage child, child abuse, and illegal use of a cell phone. He’d secretly and repeatedly taken video of his 12-year-old daughter as she showered at her grandmother’s home in Flagler County. He faces up to 75 years in prison when he is sentenced in September.

Kim Carney, Flagler County Commission Candidate District 3: The Live Interview

July 17, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 3 Comments

Kim Carney. (© FlaglerLive)

Kim Carney is a Republican candidate for Flagler County Commission, District 3, in an open-seat election, as Dave Sullivan has opted not to run again. Carney faces Republicans Bill Clark and Nick Klufas in the Aug. 20 primary.

‘I Don’t Want to Wrestle With Pigs’: Palm Coast Rejects Danko Push to Lock City Into $2.3 Million Budget Cut

July 16, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 12 Comments

"I don't want to wrestle with pigs because at some point, you realize that the pigs like to wrestle in the mud and everybody gets dirty when we do it," Palm Coast City Council member Nick Klufas said in a veiled reference to fellow-Council member Ed Danko's continued attempts to propose a tax rate the rest of the council did not want. Both are contending for separate County Commission seats in the Aug. 20 primary. (© FlaglerLive)

Overcoming what Council member Nick Klufas called fellow Councilman Ed Danko’s “pontification,” the Palm Coast City Council today rebuffed an attempt by Danko to remove $2.3 million from the city’s proposed budget and adopted instead a slightly reduced tax rate for next year while preserving funding for the addition of nine new sheriff’s deputies and three new firefighter-paramedics.

BJ’s Wholesale Club Readies to Open as County Raises Traffic Concerns and Palm Coast Annexes

July 16, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 48 Comments

BJ's Wholesale Club in Palm Coast will be the company's 38th store. Its walls went up in March, its pavement was just put down, and the store itself is preparing to open in a matter of weeks. (© FlaglerLive)

BJ’s Wholesale Club on State Road 1100 will open in a matter of weeks, its parking lot paved on Monday and its certificate of occupancy soon to be issued, Flagler County’s planning director said, while Palm Coast government today took the first step toward annexing the property. But county officials raised concerns about traffic lights and traffic patterns ahead. The 32-acre property will consist of BJ’s and its gas station, Miller’s Ale House, opening around Aug. 1, Longhorn Steakhouse and Chase Bank.

Nick Klufas, Flagler County Commission District 3 Candidate: The Live Interview

July 16, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 24 Comments

Nick Klufas. (© FlaglerLive)

Nick Klufas is a Republican candidate for Flagler County Commission, District 3. The two-term Palm Coast City Council member, who is term-limited, faces Kim Carney and Bill Clark, both Republicans, in the Aug. 20 primary. Because a write-in candidate has filed expressly to close the election to non-Republicans, only registered Republicans may cast a ballot in this race.

Reviled Daytona North Special Tax Will End as County Adopts Proposed 2025 Budget with Modest Tax Increase

July 15, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 6 Comments

Flagler County Commissioner Leann Pennington has reason to smile as the Daytona North special assessment is no more. (© FlaglerLive)

The Flagler County Commission this afternoon adopted a proposed tax rate for next year that, absent further decreases before two September hearings, will be a hair lower than the existing rate. County Administrator Heidi Petito, in a shift from last year, is proposing suspending the increasingly reviled special tax in Daytona North (or the Mondex), eliminating $260,000 in revenue to the general fund that will be more than made up by tax collections.

On Eve of Trial, Tyrese Patterson Pleads to Murdering Noah Smith, 16, and Faces Up to 50 Years in Prison

July 15, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 2 Comments

Tyrese Patterson. (© FlaglerLive)

Three days before his jury trial on a first-degree murder charge that could have resulted in a prison term for life if he were found guilty, Tyrese Patterson, 23, pleaded to second degree murder in the January 2022 shooting death of Noah Smith, then a 16-year-old student at Flagler Palm Coast High School. Patterson faces between 25 and 50 years in prison when he is sentenced in September.

4 Arrested in Sheriff’s Sting Operation Involving Seekers of Under-Age Girls, Including 2 on Trafficking Charges

July 15, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 3 Comments

The Flagler County Sheriff and other law enforcement agencies conducted a sting operation this weekend targeting men seeking sex with underage girls, and made several arrests, including outside the Madison Green apartment complex in Palm Coast. (Google)

The Flagler County Sheriff in cooperation with other agencies in the region arrested four men Saturday and Sunday following a sting operation targeting individuals who sought out what the men allegedly thought were underage girls for sex.

49-Year-Old Motorcyclist Killed in Rear-End Collision Against Pick-Up on I-95 in Palm Coast

July 15, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 5 Comments

The area of the fatal crash just north of the I-95-State Road 100 interchange. (Google)

A 40-year-old man from Ballwin, a suburb of St. Louis, Mo., rear-ended a pick-up truck on I-95 late Saturday night, was thrown off the motorcycle and landed on the pavement, near the center guard rail. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Assassination Merch

July 14, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 48 Comments

clay jones trump assassination merch

Medieval pilgrims traded gold for relics such as the alleged thumb of John the Baptist or vials of the alleged blood of Christ from his crucifixion. This will be the first presidential race in history when blood will feature front and center in the Trump campaign’s most iconic image, the candidate bloodied but fist-pumping as an Iwo Jima-flag-like clutch of brawn props him up. Trump is the flag. Trump is America. Welcome to assassination merch.

Promenade Breaks Ground at Town Center’s 1st Mix of 200 Apartments and Array of Shops After 20-Year Wait

July 12, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 24 Comments

Bill Angrick, who is financing the Promenade at Town center project, preparing to address this morning's crowd at the groundbreaking on the 17 acres of what will be six four-story buildings mixing apartments and commercial space, opposite Central Park. (© FlaglerLive)

When it opens in 22 months, Promenade will be Town Center’s largest–well, its only–mixed use development to date, and what so much of Town Center was imagined to be when it was conceived out of 2,000 acres of scrub 22 years ago. The developer, the architect, city and county officials gathered on the project’s 17 acres this morning for a groundbreaking and a few insights into what’s coming.

Flagler Beach Gush of Drainage Complaints Mirror Palm Coast’s as Commission Rebuffs Moratorium

July 12, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 18 Comments

The houses at 2708 and 2706 South Daytona Avenue in a block where newer houses have been built at significantly higher fill elevations than older onces, resulting in drainage problems that are now leaking into the city commissioners' in-boxes and meetings. (© FlaglerLive)

The Flagler Beach City Commission tabled a proposal to stop construction in flood zones for six months. The administration was proposing the moratorium on using fill at work sites to give it time to rewrite the city’s building regulations, which the city engineer blamed for drainage issues on residential lot. Commissioners disagree, saying the problem is the city’s own non-enforcement of its existing regulations.

Judge France Rejects Latest Attempt by Old Dixie Motel Owners to Renege on $250,000 They Owe, Now Past Due

July 11, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 18 Comments

Circuit Judge Chris France

Circuit Judge Chris France this morning denied the latest attempt by the owners of the derelict Old Dixie Motel not to post a $250,000 bond with the county, as they have been contractually obliged to do for three years. They may face contempt proceedings next. The judge reminded the owners’ attorney that the money owed is past due, and the clock continues to tick.

Friday Food-A-Thon Aims for $200,000 for Flagler Food Bank, Underscoring Need Approaching 6,000 Families

July 11, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 10 Comments

On the air all day Friday. (WNZF for FlaglerLive)

Close to 6,000 families have registered with Flagler County’s Grace Community Food Pantry, 2,000 more than last year, as WNZF and Flagler Broadcasting launch the third annual Food-a-Thon in hopes of raising $200,000, money that can be leveraged into $1 million worth of food. The drive is aiming for a bounty of small donations this year.

Fernando Melendez, Flagler County Commission Candidate District 1: The Live Interview

July 11, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 17 Comments

Fernando Melendez. (© FlaglerLive)

Fernando Melendez is a Republican candidate for Flagler County Commission, District 1. He is challenging incumbent Andy Dance in the Aug. 20 primary. Since no non-Republicans filed to run, it will be an open primary: all registered Flagler County voters from all parties or no-party affiliation may cast a ballot in this race, which will be decided on Aug. 20.

2 Parents Suing Over Book Bans in St. Johns Schools Tell Flagler Freedom to Read Activists: ‘Be Loud and Proud’

July 10, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 14 Comments

Anne Watts's message was clear. (© FlaglerLive)

Nancy Tray and Anne Watts, parents suing in federal court over book bans in St. Johns County, were guests today of the weekly meeting in Palm Coast of the Atlantic Chapter of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, a non-profit Chaired by Rabbi Merrill Shapiro. The group took stock of the state of book bans in the two counties and the state, how to counter them, and what to expect next.

Flagler School District Will Negotiate Lease of Old Courthouse With the County, Eying Room for Historical Society

July 10, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 9 Comments

The old county courthouse may soon get its third tenant in its century history. (© FlaglerLive)

The Flagler County school district’s plan to lease the old courthouse in Bunnell to shift half a dozen programs there would cost $632,000 in up-front renovations and $202,000 a year in rent and utilities. The Flagler County Historical Society had plans of its own for the old courthouse. The district will negotiate with both the county and the historical society in hopes of reaching mutually agreeable accommodations.

Andy Dance, Flagler County Commission Candidate, District 1: The Live Interview

July 10, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 8 Comments

County Commissioner Andy Dance. (© FlaglerLive)

Andy Dance is the incumbent candidate for Flagler County Commission, District 1. Fernando Melendez is challenging him in the Aug. 20 primary. Both candidates are Republicans. Since no non-Republicans filed to run, it will be an open primary: all registered Flagler County voters from all parties or no-party affiliation may cast a ballot in this race, which will be decided on Aug. 20. There is no run-off.

4 Palm Coast Council Members Uninterested in Rolling Back Taxes Yet Still Inexplicably Defer to Danko’s ‘Starting Point’

July 9, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 14 Comments

The Palm Coast City Council's majority gavel was elusive today. (© FlaglerLive)

Four of the five Palm Coast City Council members voiced opposition today to adopting the rolled-back property tax rate as they did last year, with one week to go before they have to vote on a tentative rate. Nevertheless, the fifth and lone dissenter, Ed Danko, inexplicably carried the day staving off a decision and keeping the rollback proposal alive.

Alan Lowe, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview

July 9, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 14 Comments

Alan Lowe. (© FlaglerLive)

Alan Lowe is a candidate for Palm Coast Mayor in the Aug. 20 primary. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.

Palm Coast Administration Proposing Flat Tax Rate to Pay for Increases in Sheriff and Fire Services

July 8, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 23 Comments

The city administration and some members of the council don't see eye to eye on the budget. (© FlaglerLive)

The $61 million general fund budget would include an increase of $5.6 million over the current budget but no increases in city staffing paid through the general fund. That staffing stands at 271. By far the single-largest line item increase in the budget would be for public safety, starting with policing through the city’s contract with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, and the addition of nine deputies to the city’s contract, for a total of 57.

Behind the Smear of Palm Coast Mayoral Candidate Peter Johnson

July 8, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 38 Comments

Peter Johnson in a screen capture from a Sheriff's Office body cam video during a June 2023 incident over a feral cat feeding station.

Peter Johnson, a candidate for Palm Coast mayor, has been the target of the most vicious slander in Flagler County in this year’s election. The claim has been spread through an alleged screenshot of an alleged slur he used, but all the evidence gathered so far points to a fabrication intended to defame Johnson and peddled by discreditable operatives, among them one of Johnson’s opponents in the mayoral race.

Mike Norris, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview

July 8, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 28 Comments

Mike Norris palm coast mayor candidate interview

Mike Norris is a candidate for Palm Coast Mayor in the Aug. 20 primary. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.

Plaintiffs Ask Judge to Order Return of Banned Books to School Library Shelves as Lawsuit Continues

July 5, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 6 Comments

A display at the Lynx Bookshop in Gainesville. (© FlaglerLive)

Lawyers for the plaintiffs said Escambia officials had restricted 1,031 books under the county’s review process. As of June 27, “some 178 challenged books remain restricted, although no decision has been made about the validity of the challenge,” according to the motion. The motion said that, while restrictions should be lifted on all books, the request for an injunction was limited to seven books.

With Nod to ‘Slippery Slope,’ Palm Coast Will Ask Voters for More Borrowing Power Through Vague Ballot Measure

July 3, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 24 Comments

The Palm Coast City Council has eyes on easier borrowing. (© FlaglerLive)

In an understated way that has so far drawn little public attention or interest, the Palm Coast City Council is hoping to convince voters to approve a momentous change in the way the city does business, clearing the way for more borrowing ahead. The council approved a proposed referendum that would go before city voters in November, asking them whether they’d be in favor of eliminating borrowing limits in place since 1999.

Palm Coast Will Draft a Vacation-Rental Ordinance as Din of Complaints Continue and Coalition Forms

July 3, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 12 Comments

They've been teeming all over Flagler County and Palm Coast. (© FlaglerLive)

The Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday directed its administration to draft an ordinance regulating short-term or vacation rentals in the city to address mounting complaints from permanent residents who say the fabric of their neighborhoods is fraying from the disruptions of such rentals turning single-family homes into party houses. Some 60 households, mostly in the C-Section, have formed the Canal Community Coalition to press the effort.

2-Year-Old Boy’s Mom Charged With Felony Child Neglect When He’s Found Wandering Near Clubhouse Drive

July 3, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 8 Comments

Isabella Tucci.

Isabella Tucci, 22, of Palm Coast, faces a felony child neglect charge after her 2-year-old son was found wandering outside the Palm Club condominiums while she was asleep.

10 Years and 520 Shows Later, Toby Tobin and WNZF Cross a Milestone of Real Estate Matters in Flagler

July 2, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 2 Comments

Annamaria Long, executive officer of the Flagler Home Builders Association, today taped her first show as co-host of Real Estate Matters, the show that marked its 10-year anniversary today, with Toby Tobin as its permanent host since its inception. (© FlaglerLive)

WNZF and Don Tobin, better known to Flagler County and the world as Toby Tobin, today marked the 10th anniversary and the 520th show of Tobin’s Real Estate Matters, on the air weekly since 2014. The occasion was marked with a cake, vodka, a mini-reunion of past co-hosts and the introduction of Tobin’s latest co-host, Annamaria Long, executive officer of the Flagler Home Builders Association.

No Change in Sheriff’s Resource Deputies Assigned to Flagler Schools But Surging Costs Raise Questions

July 2, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 10 Comments

Crossing guard Yvonne Fertall at Rymfire Elementary last spring. The surging cost of crossing guards to the school district, even though the number of guards isn;t changing, raised questions among school board members, as did the rising cost of school deputies. (Flagler Schools)

The Flagler County School District is preparing to approve a $1.38 million contract for its share of school resource deputies (SRDs) and crossing guards for the school year starting on Aug. 12, a 16 percent increase over this year’s $1.19 million contract. The increases drew questions from School Board member Colleen Conklin, who was startled by a 68 percent increase in the cost of crossing guards and the increase in deputies’ costs even though the number of guards or deputies isn’t changing.

Michael Stephens, 48, Arrested on Sex Assault and Child Abuse Charges Involving Step-Daughter

July 2, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 12 Comments

Michael Travis Stephens.

Michael Travis Stephens, a 48-year-old resident of Sedgwick Trail in Palm Coast, is at the Flagler County jail on $125,000 bond after allegedly sexually assaulting his minor stepchild while she feigned sleep. Before his arrest, Stephens allegedly threatened to law enforcement that anyone going into his house would not leave alive.

Peter Johnson, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview

July 1, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 36 Comments

Peter Johnson. (© FlaglerLive)

Peter Johnson is a candidate for Palm Coast Mayor in the Aug. 20 primary. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.

Cornelia Downing Downing Manfre, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview

July 1, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 18 Comments

Cornelia Downing Manfre. (© FlaglerLive)

Cornelia Downing Manfre is a candidate for Palm Coast Mayor in the Aug. 20 primary. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.

David Alfin, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview

July 1, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 22 Comments

Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin. (© FlaglerLive)

David Alfin is a candidate for Palm Coast Mayor in the Aug. 20 primary. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.

Trump Is No Longer the Greatest Danger to the Country. Biden Is.

June 29, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 188 Comments

biden danger election

Biden has a choice: certain defeat and a Trump win, or stepping aside and letting Democrats take the only kind of gamble that gives them at least a competitive chance to win in November, with either California’s Gavin Newsom or Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer at the top of the ticket–and with Whitmer clearly the better of the two. If the Democratic Party allows Biden to dig in, the party loses all legitimacy going forward.

Data Company Seeking Easements Discovers Flagler Beach Commissioners Won’t Be Cowed Into Submission

June 28, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 11 Comments

The significant portion of Veterans Park in Flagler Beach that DC Blox, the data company, was seeking an easement for is demarcated by the sidewalk, going north toward the monument and State Road 100. (© FlaglerLive)

The Flagler Beach City Commission will not grant a data-center company a perpetual easement over almost a third of Veterans Park in the heart of the city as a landing point for undersea internet cables. The company was attempting to save money at the city’s expense. City commissioners explicitly called out the scheme, tabling the proposal until DC Blox returns with a feasible proposal to use South 6th Street as a landing site, without disrupting the city-owned parking lot there or compromising its future value to the city.

DeSantis Veto of Vacation-Rental Bill Opens the Way for Palm Coast Regulations with Flagler’s as Model

June 28, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 16 Comments

Some of Airbnb's current listings in Palm Coast, from an online screenshot.

Facing pressure, Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed the measure a bill that deregulated local control of vacation rentals, saying the proposal would create “bureaucratic red tape” for local officials. Now, Palm Coast has another chance to write its own vacation-rental ordinance, or at least craft some city-specific regulations. City Council member Theresa Pontieri said this morning she intends to open the way for just such a proposal, with caution, as residents increasingly complain of rentals.

Tiger Bay Straw Poll: Richardson Trounces Danko; Derek Barrs and Lauren Ramirez Take Schools, Alfin Hangs On

June 28, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 6 Comments

Thursday's Flagler Tioger Bay Meet and Greet at the Palm Coast Community Center drew some 300 people and almost every candidate on the local Aug. 20 primary ballot. (© FlaglerLive)

Thursday’s Flagler Tiger Bay Meet and Greet at the Palm Coast Community Center drew some 300 people and almost every local election candidate on the Aug. 20 primary ballot. A straw poll consisting of some 225 votes yielded a few arresting results, such as County Commission candidate Pam Richardson’s trouncing of an absent Ed Danko, and a not-too surprising tight race for mayor in Palm Coast.

Two Years Later, Star Teacher Fired Over a TikTok Second Signs Settlement and Hopes to Resume Career

June 27, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 13 Comments

Abbey Cooke at a Flagler Pride event in Palm Coast in 2021. She was fired the next year. (© FlaglerLive)

Two years after Flagler County schools ended her stellar 12-year teaching career over a 15-second TikTok video of her dancing with some of her sixth-grade students to the sound of Lizzo and an errant, barely audible four-letter word that many students sing or mouth a dozen times a day, Abbey Cooke has signed a settlement agreement with the state, neither admitting nor denying guilt, and preserving her teaching license.

Secretive Data Company Getting Stiff Resistance from Flagler Beach Over Perpetual Easement at Veterans Park

June 26, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 23 Comments

DC Blox, a company planning to build a data center in Palm Coast, wants an easement over the northern segment of Veterans Park in Flagler Beach, beneath which it would "land" undersea internet cables. The city has issues both with the company's terms and its opaque methods. (© FlaglerLive)

DC Blox, the Atlanta-based data company working with Palm Coast to open a data center there, is about to face stiff resistance from some Flagler Beach City Commissioners as it seeks a permanent easement through Veterans Park, one of the city’s iconic treasures. Officials are not happy with the choice they’re being given at Veterans Park, the paltry, one-time compensation the city is being offered–$100,000 per cable landing–or the way DC Blox has attempted to keep negotiations out of the public eye, especially about money.

Flagler Tiger Bay Prepares for Largest Candidate Meet-and-Greet of Primary, Waving Off Fret Over Straw Poll

June 26, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 14 Comments

Flagler Tiger Bay's meet-and-greet featuring almost all the local candidates in the August primary election follows in the tradition of similar events, like the former Chamber of Commerce's hob knob of 2018, above, at the Palm Coast Community Center. (© FlaglerLive)

As of Monday some 40 local and state candidates had confirmed attendance at Thursday’s Tiger Bay Meet and Greet, what is expected to be the largest election gathering of the sort for Flagler County and Palm Coast politics ahead of the Aug. 20 primary. The three-hour free event starting at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Palm Coast Community Center will include a voter-registration drive organized by the Supervisor of Elections’ office, and a straw poll, which one candidate is criticizing as a “sham.” He appears isolated.

Palm Coast Mayor Alfin’s Sudden Spate of City-Aided ‘Town Halls,’ 2 Months from Election, Raises Red Flag

June 25, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 14 Comments

Mayor David Alfin at a town hall style meeting at Panera Bread in April. (© FlaglerLive)

Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin’s decision to hold weekly “Share with the Mayor” gatherings at the City Hall flagpole is drawing criticism from an opponent in the mayoral race and a request by the council as a whole for a legal opinion on the legality of city aided town hall style meetings in proximity to an election. Alfin defends the practice, saying he is continuing the practice of “Share with the Mayor,” in effect throughout his term, by other means.

Palm Coast Reels Back Talk of Firing Its Lobbyists as Southern Group’s Emissaries Deliver Veto-Proof Defense

June 25, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 7 Comments

Laura Boehmer and Oscar Anderson of Southern Group, Palm Coast's lobbying firm, in a screen capture from one of the firm's videos. Boehmer and Anderson appeared before the Palm Coast City Council this morning.

A presentation to the Palm Coast City Council today by its Southern Group lobbyists was a response to an inquisition, albeit an inquisition that, by the time the pair of lobbyists had sat down in person in front of the council, had already been sharply dialed down to a sort of Marriage Encounter session. The council critics’ aim was no longer to criticize or threaten dissolution but to learn, recalibrate and grow, especially as the lobbyists twice reminded them of Palm Coast’s record appropriation hauls of the last two years.

Convicted Murderer With Prior Stalking History Sentenced to 15 Months for Stalking Girl, 15, in R-Section

June 25, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 9 Comments

Daniel Hilbert, left, with his attorney on Monday, before Circuit Judge Terence Perkins. (© FlaglerLive via zoom)

It was a disturbing report of a repeat offense by a convicted violent felon several times over: A 15-year-old Matanzas High School student told authorities Daniel Hilbert, 53, a neighbor, had been accosting her, befriending her, then stalking her at her R-Section bus stop, and once assaulting her physically. She had pictures and video. The former convict was sentenced to 15 months in prison and nearly four years on sex-offender probation.

Some Hammock Residents Tell Flagler County: Tax Us for Beach Protection, and a Commissioner Sees Opportunity

June 24, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 35 Comments

Even though it struck Flagler County only as a tropical storm, Hurricane Matthew in 2016 left a trail of damaged homes hanging on cliffs at the edge of severely eroded dunes in the unincorporated north part of the county. Those property owners remember well, and some are now urging the county to move forward with a special taxing district, even if they are singled out. (© FlaglerLive)

Even as cities’ unhappy reactions have forced Flagler County quickly to retreat from a proposal to create a new tax for almost all residents and businesses in the county, Flagler County Commissioner Donald O’Brien is encouraging his colleagues on the commission to consider a special taxing district that would target just the northern 10 miles of the barrier island in the unincorporated part of the county.

15-Month-Old Hospitalized After Seizing from Pot Ingestion; Father Charged With Felony Child Neglect

June 24, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 5 Comments

Cody Robert Spiegelhalter.

A 15-month-old Flagler County girl who ingested marijuana her father allegedly left unattended was hospitalized at Wolfson’s Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville for Sunday after seizing and developing a distended stomach. Her 26-year-old father, Cody Robert Spiegelhalter, was booked at the Flagler County jail on a felony charge of child neglect.

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Page 1
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 17
  • Page 18
  • Page 19
  • Page 20
  • Page 21
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 235
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

  • grand living realty
  • politis matovina attorneys for justice personal injury law auto truck accidents

Recent Comments

  • What Else Is New on DeSantis Says He’s an Equal-Opportunity Executioner
  • Ray W, on The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, August 29, 2025
  • Ray W, on The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, August 29, 2025
  • problems on Would You Favor a Half-Cent Sales Tax Referendum for Beach Protection? Local Governments Consider It.
  • Ray W, on The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, August 29, 2025
  • Pogo on Would You Favor a Half-Cent Sales Tax Referendum for Beach Protection? Local Governments Consider It.
  • Ed Danko, former Vice Mayor PC on Would You Favor a Half-Cent Sales Tax Referendum for Beach Protection? Local Governments Consider It.
  • Leila on Would You Favor a Half-Cent Sales Tax Referendum for Beach Protection? Local Governments Consider It.
  • Ed White on Flagler County Issues Statement Explaining Letter About New Tax to Be Levied on Barrier Island Property Owners
  • FlaglerLive on Would You Favor a Half-Cent Sales Tax Referendum for Beach Protection? Local Governments Consider It.
  • FlaglerLive on Flagler County Issues Statement Explaining Letter About New Tax to Be Levied on Barrier Island Property Owners
  • FlaglerLive on Would You Favor a Half-Cent Sales Tax Referendum for Beach Protection? Local Governments Consider It.
  • R.S. on Would You Favor a Half-Cent Sales Tax Referendum for Beach Protection? Local Governments Consider It.
  • DoubleGator on Would You Favor a Half-Cent Sales Tax Referendum for Beach Protection? Local Governments Consider It.
  • Joe D on The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, August 27, 2025
  • Joe D on Data Center Planned for 2028 in Palm Coast Cloaked in More Secrecy and Undocumented Boasts than Answers

Log in