Florida’s unemployment rate held at 3.7 percent in May, after inching up earlier in the year, while Flagler County’s unemployment remained at 4.2 percent, where it was last month. In Flagler, 2,339 residents are unemployed, almost exactly the same number as last month but about 300 more than at this time last year. The labor force was flat, adding barely two dozen people to a total of 55,625. The labor force is an indication of the number of working-age people and families moving to the county. It is almost unchanged from a year ago.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
Palm Coast Planning Board Rejects Rezoning That Would Allow Concrete Mixing Plant on Hargrove Grade, Citing Pollution
The Palm Coast Planning Board rejected a request to rezone 37 acres on Hargrove Grade on the west side of U.S. 1 to heavy industrial so a national could build a concrete mixing plant there. The land includes 10 acres of wetlands, overlaps within the protection zone of two public well sites that furnish water to the city, and would not be far from acreage zoned for a hospital or a medical building. The batch plant would be the only one in Palm Coast. Those factors, along with traffic, noise and pollution, played into the reasoning of board members and members of the public who opposed the rezoning.
Ryan Nelson, 33, Accused of Marital Rape on Mother’s Day, Among Other Domestic Violence Charges
Ryan William Nelson, a 33-year-old Bunnell resident of County Road 2006, has been at the Flagler County jail since Wednesday on four felony charges, including a second-degree felony count of marital rape, an alleged assault that took place last Mother’s Day, and a first-degree felony count of tampering with a witness.
Double-Edged Resolution Calling on Mayor Norris To Do Better Falls Short at Flagler GOP After Sharp Debate
In a remarkable display of the polarizing effect Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris is having within his own party–and the party’s own internal strains– the Flagler County Republican Party could not agree on a double-edged resolution about Norris at its monthly meeting last week. The voice vote was not a failure of support for Norris, exactly. It spoke more about the party, its fractured membership and its complicated relationship with Norris.
Charter Review Committee’s 5 Slots Draw 27 Applicants With Variety of Backgrounds Except in Age
After a slow start, the call for applicants to Palm Coast government’s Charter Review Committee drew 27 candidates by the time the window closed at 5 p.m. this evening, 11 of them over the weekend. The applicants bring a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. The council wanted choices. It now has them and then some but for its pronounced boomer skew.
A Commissioner Is Surprised That Closing Palm Coast Library Is Among Options After Questioning Need for 2 Branches
With County Commissioner Pam Richardson questioning the necessity of one library and Commissioner Kim Carney questioning its staffing requirements, the future of Flagler County’s two county libraries is uncertain. The Palm Coast library isn’t going away, and the new South Side library, called the Nexus Center, will open later this summer. But how either will be managed is unsettled in a way that the local library system hasn’t ever been before, with Richardson at one point ready to stop construction on the new building and Carney promising not to add a single employee to staff it.
Palm Coast Approves Sharply Increasing Development Impact Fees on Builders, Citing ‘Extraordinary Circumstances’
With some pushback from the Flagler Home Builders Association but notable unanimity from the dais and no complaints from the public, the City Council today approved sharply increasing fire, parks and transportation impact fees in hopes of further shifting the burden of development toward new residents. Last year the council did likewise with water and sewer impact fees.
Commissioners Punt on Appointing Sean Moylan Interim County Attorney in Motion That Possibly Violates Sunshine
The Flagler County Commission on Monday voted 4-1 to delay considering appointing Assistant County Attorney Sean Moylan the interim county attorney, and required each of its members to submit three candidates’ names to the administration’s human resources department by July 14 for consideration for the position. The motion was vague, leaving it to HR possibly to rank the candidates outside of a meeting. That would be a violation of the sunshine law.
Palm Coast Gets Just $5 Million for Wastewater Projects and $125,000 for YMCA In $115.1 Billion State Budget
One of the more-contentious legislative sessions in recent history came to a close late Monday as lawmakers approved a $115.1 billion budget for next fiscal year and prepared to send it to Gov. Ron DeSantis. It is about $3.5 billion smaller than the budget for the current fiscal year. Lawmakers also approved a $1.3 billion package of tax cuts, dominated by the elimination of a commercial-lease tax that has long been a target of business lobbyists, but no broad cuts in the sales tax.
County Officials Say There Will be No Fuel Depot Or Landfill on 1,900 Acres Bunnell Seeks to Rezone Industrial
There will be no fuel depot or fuel farm, nor a landfill, at the nearly 1,900 acres Bunnell city government is speeding through a rezoning from an agricultural designation to industrial, Flagler County officials said this evening.
Plan to Save the Beaches Still Elusive With No Solid Alternative to Sales Tax, But Commissioners Agree to Keep Talking
Flagler County commissioners agree that the county’s beach-management plan must include all 18 miles of beach, and do not dispute its $120 million cost over the next six years. As accomplishments, that was no small thing today for the issue that has most vexed and divided the commission’s five members. But with three commissioners still opposed to increasing the county sales tax, a funding plan remains elusive. Without it, the rest is moot as a viable beach well into the future.
Man, 26, Faces Felonies for Placing Secret Video Cameras in His Ex’s and Her Daughter’s Bedrooms
The State Attorney’s Office on Friday filed a second-degree felony charge of video voyeurism against Jonathan Bernard Mahan, a 26-year-old Bunnell resident, after his video cameras were allegedly found in the bedrooms of his 43-year-old ex-girlfriend and of her 18-year-old daughter’s.
Jim Guines, Mentor, Maverick and Force to Be Reckoned With on Flagler County School Board for 11 Years, Dies at 93
Jim Guines, the forceful, witty, always independent and at times unpredictable member of the Flagler County School Board for 11 years until 2007–the man many had known as Smokin’ Jim for his storied barbecue–died this morning (June 15) at 93 after battling many illnesses and what Lawrence Durrell called “the slow disgracing of the mind.”
Four ‘No Kings’ Protests of Trump’s Authoritarian Swerve Draw Upward of 1,000 in Palm Coast and Flagler Beach
Demonstrators by the hundreds in Palm Coast and Flagler Beach this morning peacefully but loudly, festively and–for Flagler County–massively transformed major intersections, a bridge overpass and a 1,000-ft. stretch of State Road 100 in Palm Coast into the largest anti-Trump protests to date. The size of the protests surprised even organizers and frequent participants, two of whom, after attending every protest this year on State Road 100, said today’s was more than double any previous one.
American Intifada
Of course the intifada against the ICE invasion doesn’t have that much to do with saving migrants from the raids to ethnic-cleanse the country of darker skins lacking a paper or two. Or at least not as much to do with it as even the protesters would have you believe. These are proxy protests. And they’re overdue.
Opening No Wrong Doors to Dignity, Flagler Cares Marks 10 Years of Closing Gaps For the Most Stressed and Depleted
As Flagler Cares marks its 10th year anniversary with a Legacy of Care celebration at the Palm Coast Community Center Saturday, its no-wrong-door approach under the leadership of Carrie Baird has served nearly 5,000 clients to date, including 765 last year with over $11 million in grants. Its rent, mortgage and utility programs alone have provided nearly $2 million in emergency help to keep people in their homes. The organization is navigating an increasingly challenging landscape for social service non-profits.
Commerce Parkway Slated for August Opening. But Why Is a County Release Snubbing Bunnell?
Flagler County government, upstaging Bunnell–and the Bunnell city manager’s reflexive incantation about his city–is calling it a “splendid day” when, sometime in August, the newly constructed roadway corridor called Commerce Parkway will open for traffic, linking State Road 100 to U.S. 1 in a 1.7-mile, two-lane loop.
As Pier Construction Begins in Flagler Beach, Major Changes to Pedestrians, Traffic, Boardwalk, Parking and Beach Access
Significant restrictions to beach-goers, pedestrians, boardwalk buffs and parking are about to change the complexion of two and a half blocks near the Flagler Beach pier as its demolition begins in coming days and for the next year and a half. Here’s a rundown.
Palm Coast Woman Arrested for Chasing Down 14 Year Old on E-Bike on Pine Lakes Parkway Footpath
Julia Lynn Kalthof, 65, faces a felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge after she was captured on video driving off the road and onto a foot-and-bike path to chase a 14-year-old boy on an e-bike on June 7. The incident underscores the increasing prevalence of electric bikes on public roadways and foot paths. The boy was not at fault in any way and did not commit infractions. But certain cities are adopting tough new rules to regulate e-bikes.
Ex-Council Member Ed Danko’s Ethics Complaint Against Mayor Norris Found ‘Legally Insufficient’
The Florida Ethics Commission on Friday tossed out a complaint by former Palm Coast City Council member Ed Danko against Mayor Mike Norris, finding it “legally insufficient.” As often as not, that sort of dining is equivalent to saying: “Not the Ethics Commission’s venue.” It is not necessarily to the discredit of the complaint’s allegation, as indeed several of those allegations are either in the public record, have been corroborated in an investigation conducted on behalf of the city, or have been argued in a city filing in Circuit Court.
Taxable Property Values Rise 9% Over Last Year, But Rate Is 3rd Decline in a Row in Cooler Housing Market
Annual taxable property value increases local governments depend on to fuel growth in their budgets have continued their descent from a post-crash high of 18 percent in 2022, to just 9 percent as of June 1 in Flagler County, according to figures released by the Flagler County Property Appraiser. In Palm Coast, values increased 9.29 percent in 2025, with more than half of that powered by new construction. In Flagler Beach, it was 7.56 percent, and in Bunnell it was just 5.5 percent.
Coaches in All Local Sports Organizations Will Need Higher-Level Criminal Background Checks; Palm Coast Seeks Standards
Palm Coast government wants to align city policy with a new state law requiring more detailed criminal backgrounding of youth athletic coaches and others who supervise children in organized sports even when they do not work for the city. The backgrounding could result in disqualification from coaching in some cases, but council members want to more precisely define those thresholds so that, say, a drug offense from 10 years ago isn’t a life sentence away from coaching. The city attorney is cautioning council members to be consistent, whichever policy they adopt.
Abandoning Most Public Responsibilities, But Not Pay, Palm Coast Mayor Norris Forces Council Members to Pick Up Slack
Attending and chairing most meetings aside, a piqued and vengeful Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris is no longer fulfilling basic public and administrative council responsibilities that his four colleagues are fulfilling, in some cases causing his colleagues to carry the weight of the responsibilities he’s shrugging off. He has abandoned all but one of his committee responsibilities, he refuses to meet with the acting city manager to prepare for meetings, his petulance or absence has required Theresa Pontieri, as vice mayor, to step in and lead high-profile public functions, and he’s now refusing to participate in town halls.
Bunnell Kills 8,000-Home ‘Reserve’ Development as Commission Reflects Public Furor Over ‘Enormity’ in 4-1 Vote
The Bunnell City Commission in a 4-1 vote on Monday rejected the planned Reserve at Haw Creek, a stunning defeat for a proposed 2,787-acre, 8,000-home development and 800-site RV park that would have increased Bunnell’s population sixfold and in the words of a commissioner, “forever change the face of the city of Bunnell” and Flagler County. The Reserve–a name as disingenuous as its representative’s recurring claim that it was “everything you as a city asked for to grow orderly in a controlled manner,” or that it would shower the city in dollars–would have been the largest single development in the county since ITT planned Palm Coast in the 1960s.
28-Unit Affordable Apartment Complex for Foster Youth and Poor Wins Swift Approval in Bunnell
Without discussion, the Bunnell City Commission on Monday evening unanimously approved the development agreement for Phoenix Crossings, the 28-apartment complex breaking ground this summer on 8 acres off North Bay Street, not far from the city’s sewer plant. The project overcame some strident but localized public opposition in recent months. In contrast, Monday’s hearing drew no public participation, and the commission approved the development order in barely a minute.
Facing $3 Million Deficit, Flagler County Asks Sheriff, Court Clerk and Other Constitutionals for Doge-Like Cuts
The Flagler County Commission must close a $2.9 million deficit as it prepares a $150 million 2026 budget that goes in effect on Oct. 1. The county and its five constitutional officers are projecting a 10.7 percent growth in their collective budgets, from $137.2 million this year to a requested $151.9 million. Projected revenue will grow by 9.6 percent, or $11.8 million. But that is not enough to fully cover the gap.
Charter Review Committee Field Grows to 10, With Notably Experienced Additions
The list of applicants to serve on the five-member Palm Coast Charter Review Committee has grown to 10, with a little over a week left before the application window closes. The four new applicants since last week bring distinct and varied experience, including Donald O’Brien, who just ended an eight-year tenure as county commissioner, two of them as chair, Jake Scully, the data architect, former member of the Palm Coast Planning Board and former long-time owner of PC Bike, and Karen Sousa, a 10-year employee of the Flagler County Supervisor of Elections office.
One for the History Books: Inaugural Bunnell History Day Explores Past of “The Crossroads of Flagler County”
The inaugural Bunnell History Day drew drew visitors, vendors, artists and activists to the county’s 108-year-old city Saturday. Co-organizers Ed Siarkowicz, the president of the Flagler County Historical Society, and Pete Johnson, a 32-year-old handyman and former Palm Coast mayoral candidate, credit Elaine Studnicki, the immediate past president of the Palm Coast Historical Society and a grant writer for the Flagler County Historical Society, with coming up with the idea to celebrate Bunnell’s history.
Moral Collapse: Florida Thinks Letting Prisoners Live in 100-Degree Heat with No Air Flow Isn’t Cruel Enough
The Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. You’d think that would settle the question of whether a person should be left to endure 100-degree heat in a locked dormitory with no air conditioning, no airflow, and no escape. But in Florida, the state argues that this kind of heat doesn’t rise to the level of cruelty. It’s just part of the sentence.
Pam Richardson and Kim Carney Are Killing Flagler County’s Beaches
Flagler County Commissioners Pam Richardson and Kim Carney are sacrificing our beaches to an ideological fantasy. They are opposing an increase in the half-cent sales tax that would fund beach protection, claiming there are alternatives. They have not offered a single viable proposal, preventing the enactment of a beach management plan. Their poorly informed obstructionism only ensures accelerated erosion and a shorter lifespan for the beaches–and the barrier island.
8,000 Homes, 800 RV Sites: Biggest Development Since Palm Coast Seeks Bunnell Commission Approval
The development agreement for the controversial 8,000-house development and 800 RV sites known The Reserve at Haw Creek goes before as Bunnell City Commission Monday evening. The outcome of the controversial proposal–the single largest development in Flagler County’s history after ITT started Palm Coast in the late 1960s–is uncertain.
Without Prior Discussion, Palm Coast Council Approves $300,000 Plan Integrating City Surveillance with Sheriff’s Crime Center
The Palm Coast City Council approved the first phase of a five-year, $304,000 plan to integrate all city surveillance cameras–on streets, on and inside buildings, at utility and other facilities–with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Real Time Crime Center. Integration will significantly expand the center’s capabilities and give the Sheriff’s Office immediate and unimpeded access to the camera streams, though the city will retain control of the network, the software, and the implementation of the system.
Palm Coast Will Not Charge Residents ACH Autopay Check Fees in Utility Payments After All
The Palm Coast City Council agreed to scrap plans to charge residents and businesses bank or digital check fees–the ACH autopay system, or ACH debit–when making electronic payments for utility bills and other city-related costs. But the transaction fee applying to credit or debit card transactions will remain.
1.3-Mile Sea Wall at South End of Flagler Complete But for Turtle Nest’s Delay, Giving A1A ‘Highest Protection’
In time for hurricane season projected to spin 13 to 19 named storms, the 1.3-mile seawall at the south end of Flagler County is complete but for a 50-foot stretch–delayed because of a turtle nest. An equally long sea wall 6 miles south, in Volusia County, will be completed by early fall, with a cover of vegetation completed by year’s end. The combined $117 million Florida Department of Transportation projects were financed mostly with federal money. DOT built them after Hurricanes Ian and Nicole again severely damaged State Road A1A south of the pier.
Judge Dismayed as Hit-and-Run Defendant Rejects 1-Year Deal to Risk Up to 15 in Prison
Joao Fernandes adamantly asked for a trial for his hit-and-run charge. He’d been willing to serve a single year on probation–an admission of guilt for his hit and run that left a 25-year-old motorcyclist a heap of broken bones–but nothing more. His attorney, Brian Penney, seemed as convinced as his client. Fernandes turned down an offer of serving one year in prison. Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols told them their idea of a settlement was “offensive to the state.”
New Cell Towers Planned for Palm Coast Parkway East of I-95 and in Seminole Woods, as Business and Safety ‘Necessity’
Two more cell towers will rise over Palm Coast to add to the seven existing ones as the Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved leasing two city-owned land parcels. One is at the future Fire Station 22 on the north side of Palm Coast Parkway near Colbert Lane–the station is under construction–the other is at 50 Citation Boulevard, co-located with the city’s Water Treatment Plant #2. Palm Coast government will generate some revenue from each, which will be built by private companies at their own expense.
Palm Coast Council Approves Hiring of Sheriff’s Chief Strobridge on 4-1 Vote; Staly Addresses Risks
The Palm Coast City Council on a 4-1 vote Tuesday night approved hiring Mark Strobridge, the Flagler County Sheriff’s chief of staff, as the assistant city manager for at least three months. With little discussion, the majority of the council was supportive. Mayor Mike Norris was not. Strobridge has described his responsibilities as focusing on the utility department hire and on improving process and efficiencies across the city. A source familiar with the hire says some already-designated personnel may be losing their job during Strobridge’s tenure.
Judge Dresses Down Ex-Palm Coast Physician John Cascone Over Probation Violation
Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols on Tuesday sharply rebuked John Cascone, the surgeon formerly of Palm Coast, after he pleaded to violating his probation less than a year after he was sentenced. The judge did not impose new penalties beyond reinstituting probation, which runs until June 2026.
Led by Paul Renner, Board of Governors Rejects Ono’s Appointment as President of UF Over Past Views on DEI
After a coordinated campaign by conservatives attacking his “evolution” on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, a divided state university system Board of Governors on Tuesday blocked Santa Ono from becoming the University of Florida’s next president. Ono’s assurances didn’t convince some of his harshest critics on the board, including former state House Speaker Paul Renner, who posted a 22-page document titled “The Case Against Dr. Santa Ono” on social media after Tuesday’s meeting began.
Mark Strobridge, Sheriff’s Chief of Staff, Set to Be Assistant City Manager in Palm Coast for 3 Months
In an unusual arrangement, the Palm Coast City Council is set to vote on an agreement that would bring Mark Strobridge, Sheriff Rick Staly’s chief of staff and right-hand man, as assistant city manager for a few months, with a focus on operations and the city’s leaderless Utilities Department. Acting Palm Coast City Manager Lauren Johnston finalized the plans today after approaching Strobridge about it a few weeks ago. The Sheriff’s Office has the largest contract out of the city’s general fund, and Strobridge has negotiated that contract every year.
County Kills Half-Cent Sales Tax for Beaches as It Seeks Mystery ‘Alternatives’ to Save 18 Miles of Shoreline
The half-cent sales tax increase the county administration proposed to pay for the long-term management and preservation of Flagler County’s 18 miles of beaches died today after weeks of comatose uncertainty. Commissioners Kim Carney and Pam Richardson summarily killed it. The 18-mile beach-management plan itself may not be dead. At least the sales tax’s executioners don’t think it is. Carney moved for the commission to workshop a deep dive into the management and funding plan with alternatives to the sales tax that would generate the $12 million a year necessary to pay for beach maintenance.
Deputy’s Son Jayden Jackson, 23, Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Hit-and-Run Death of Shaunta Cain
Jayden Jackson, the 23-year-old resident of Daytona North facing a first-degree felony hit-and-run charge in the death of Shaunta Cain, 54, on U.S. 1 almost three years ago, was sentenced to five years in state prison followed by five years on probation, plus restitution and other requirements. Jackson is the son of Brian Jackson, a long-time deputy with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Flagler County Will Buy 5.2-Acre Parcel on Intracoastal North of Hammock Dune Bridge for Preservation as Parkland
The Flagler County Commission this morning approved the purchase for up to $1.9 million of 5.2 acres of scrub land fronting the west side of the Intracoastal Waterway in Palm Coast, immediately north of the Hammock Dunes bridge, for perpetual preservation and possible transformation into a park. County officials say the price is worth the future preservation of a prime piece of land in an area prone to high-density development. The parcel is not isolated, but would become part of Palm Coast’s network of connected trails and parks.
John Thrasher, Who’d Represented Flagler County in the Senate and Led FSU, Dies at 81
Former Florida State University President and House Speaker John Thrasher, whose career in politics and public service spanned more than three decades, died Friday after a battle with cancer, his family announced. Thrasher, 81, served in the House and the Senate before being tapped in 2014 as president of FSU, where he had earned his bachelor’s and law degrees. He had represented Flagler County while in the Senate.
Answering Lawsuit, Palm Coast Accuses Mayor Norris of Frivolously Weaponizing Court Against Gambaro’s Legitimacy
Palm Coast has mordantly and vigorously answered Mayor Mike Norris’s claim that Charles Gambaro should be booted off the council and a special election held to replace him. Attorney Rachael Crews, who represents the city, is giving Circuit Judge Chris France a buffet of arguments to find Norris’ claim “frivolous,” falsely urgent, legally groundless, injurious to the city charter, and not least, without standing. Norris sued Palm Coast and Gambaro on May 5, claiming that Gambaro’s appointment last fall should have ended in November.
Ethics Opinion Recommends Restricting Flagler School Board’s Lauren Ramirez’s Business Activities in Schools
A proposed opinion by the staff attorney of the Florida Ethics Commission recommends restricting Flagler County School Board member Lauren Ramirez’s private-business activities in Flagler schools to unbranded and neutral volunteering. If ratified, the opinion would prohibit Ramirez from marketing her company on school grounds, recruiting students to her various programs, employing any school personnel either as company staffers or as volunteers, sponsoring any teams or events beyond unmarked donations, or using a district-wide communication tool to market her company’s fliers to students.
Flagler Beach Secures All FEMA Funds for New Pier, Construction of $14 Million Replacement Begins June 16
Flagler Beach today secured $10 million from FEMA in addition to the $4.5 million awarded by the state for the reconstruction of an 800-foot concrete pier. The city announced that the demolition of the old pier will begin June 16. The late Larry Newsom, the former city manager, first sought FEMA funds after the pier was damaged by Hurricane Matthew. It has been damaged much more since, and closed since October 2022.
Flagler County’s Beach-Saving Plan All But Killed by Opposition to Sales Tax Increase Despite Last-Minute Switch
Flagler County’s long-debated $114 million beach-management plan looked all but dead at the end of a contentious two-hour meeting of the County Commission Monday, with only two commissioners willing to support an increase in the half-cent sales tax to fund the plan. The commission needs four votes to enact the higher tax. At the last minute, and after at times angrily denouncing the information the administration has provided her–and not provided her–Commissioner Kim Carney said she would support the tax. But the switch may be short-lived.
Palm Coast Man, 55, Arrested on Felony Animal Cruelty Charge for Asphyxiating Dog That Attacked His Chihuahua
Howard Taft Blair, a 55-year-old resident of Warwick Place in Palm Coast, was arrested and charged with aggravated animal cruelty, a third-degree felony, for killing one of his dogs by asphyxiation. Blair told Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies that killing Nutmeg, a 15-month-old American bulldog and labrador retriever mix, was necessary after Nutmeg attacked one of the family’s four other dogs.
Palm Coast’s Fire, Parks and Road Impact Fees Are About to Jump 90 to 160% as City Capitalizes Future on Development
The Palm Coast City Council is about to raise development impact fees for transportation, fire and parks from 95 percent to over 160 percent in some cases. The new fees would go in effect in full in mid-September. Impact fees are the one-time fee builders or developers pay on new construction to defray the cost of the “impact” of their development on infrastructure. The revenue helps pay for new roads, new parks or recreation centers and new fire stations or fire trucks.