Pointing to concerns about a hit to Florida’s pension fund, Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to know if the state can take legal action against beer company AB InBev, which has been embroiled in a controversy involving transgender social-media influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
Barack Obama’s Defense of Librarians Amid ‘Profoundly Misguided’ Book Bans and Attacks
“You’re on the front lines – fighting every day to make the widest possible range of viewpoints, opinions, and ideas available to everyone,” Obama tells librarians in a letter. “Your dedication and professional expertise allow us to freely read and consider information and ideas, and decide for ourselves which ones we agree with.”
Florida’s Magical Negro History Standards
We now have the Magical Negro elevated to an entire curriculum. It’s Florida’s African American History standards. The standards are an excellent illustration of what American history looks like through white eyes, and how whites are the best thing that ever happened to Black people, who apparently should worship the Middle Passage down the chains of their ancestry.
Confrontation and Felony Charge Over a Private Walkway and a Seawall Point to Erosion of Different Kind
Jason Wiles, a beachside resident north of Flagler Beach–and the husband of an assistant county attorney–faces a felony battery charge after a confrontation with a neighbor over a private walkway. The incident is illustrative of new kinds of tensions becoming part of beachside norms as recurring consequences of rising seas erode more than just shorelines: the fabric of beachside culture is also fraying.
Excessive Heat Warning for Flagler and Palm Coast Today as Heat Index Will Reach 113
The National Weather Service in Jacksonville has issued a rare excessive heat warning for Flagler County and Northeast Florida. Near record heat will combine with summertime humidity today to produce dangerous heat index values. The heat index is expected to reach 113 in the Palm Coast-Flagler area today, and 112 Saturday, before falling to 106 on Sunday and 100 on Monday.
Jury Finds Nysean Giddens Not Guilty in Overdose Drug Death of Shaun Callahan, 1st Such Acquittal in Flagler
After deliberating nearly four hours, a 12-member jury this afternoon acquitted Nysean Giddens, 25, of first degree murder in the overdose drug death of Shaun James Callahan, 37, at his Palm Coast home in September 2020. It is the first time a person charged with murder or manslaughter in an overdose death in Flagler County was found not guilty at trial.
Palm Coast Planning Board Approves 275 Town Homes Off Citation Boulevard Near Belle Terre Blvd.
The Palm Coast Planning Board Wednesday evening recommended approval of the development of 275 upscale town-home apartments in a gated community on 40 acres at the southeast corner of Citation Boulevard and Belle Terre Boulevard. One of the developer’s representatives described the project as “an upscale community without being unaffordable,” which may have broken new ground in real estate doublespeak.
“Summer of 1969” Exhibit at AACS Launches Series of Events Celebrating Florida’s Black Culture and Music
The African American Cultural Society is launching “The Summer of 1969,” a student-produced, intergenerational exhibition created by AACS college intern Savannah Aziza Ryan. It is the first of numerous, wide-ranging cultural events at AACS throughout this summer and fall.
Arrested in Drunk-Driving Killing of Lee-Ann Daley, Joseph Siano Is Denied Bond Until Trial in Rare Ruling
Joseph Siano, 64, was denied bond in a rare ruling following his arrest on a drunk driving manslaughter charge in the death of 46-year-old Lee-Ann Daley as he drove the wrong way on U.S. 1 in Palm Coast last December, after he was cut off from drinking at Pine Lakes Golf Club.
Palm Coast Rezones Coquina Shores for 750 Homes as Details of Development North of SR100 Emerge
Coquina Shores, the 750-home development planned as a 505-acre gated community in a north-south rectangle north of State road 100 and east of Old Kings Road in Palm Coast, will be built with $65 million in infrastructure and run as its own community development district, or CDD, like Grand Haven and Hammock Dunes.
Tone-Deaf Flagler County Wants Palm Coast and Other Cities to Support Sales Tax Increase
The Flagler County Commission will seek letters of support from Palm Coast, Flagler Beach and Bunnell to raise the county’s sales surtax to 7.5 percent and generate an additional $10 million that would be shared between the four governments and used at their discretion. Palm Coast’s answer may well be: Read the room.
Flagler County Faces a $5.6 Million Deficit in Road Costs Over Next 5 Years; Gas Tax Is Tapped Out
Flagler County government is facing an estimated $5.6 million deficit in the next five years in the required local match for nearly a dozen road projects the state Department of Transportation is financing. That’s in addition to a need for $2.6 million in annual dollars for maintenance of the county’s roads. The County Commission is planning to approve only $2 million next year.
Palm Coast in Ugly Meeting Votes to Lower Tax Rate Substantially and Add New, Modest Fee for Now
In another unseemly, disconcerting meeting that included coarse language and flaring tempers from the dais and rowdy and name-calling behavior from a floor thronged with residents, the Palm Coast City Council today substantially lowered the property tax rate in one vote and with another approved new fee or tax–a very modest one for now–on power bills.
Ed Danko Makes Inaccurate Claims in Campaign Ad Ahead of Council Vote on New Electric Fee (or Tax)
On Tuesday morning, the Palm Coast City Council will consider adopting a utility franchise fee that could add up to 6 percent to the cost of residents’ electric utility bills and significantly add to the city’s tax-revenue structure. In his opposition to the proposal, Palm Coast City Council member Ed Danko circulated a campaign email that made inaccurate and misleading statements.
As Fleet Ages, Flagler Schools Looks to Finance Purchase of 16 New Buses, With Interest
The district has cleared the way for its financial adviser to prepare a request for proposal that would seek bankers’ offers to finance what would amount to a $2.6 or $2.8 million purchase of 16 buses that would be delivered during the 2024-25 school year. That would replace 16 buses that are today 15 years old.
26-Year-Old Man Ends His Own Life By Gun in Surf South of Varn Park
A 26-year-old man took his own life by gun Sunday morning in the surf at Varn Park north of Beverly Beach, as law enforcement officers had spotted him and tried to stop him, according to a Flagler County Sheriff’s incident report.
Ron DeSantis’ Very Gay Ad
Ron DeSantis wants you to know he’s a manly man, a manlier man than any manly man ever born, with mighty currents of 100-proof androgen surging through his sinews. He made a video about it. Diane Roberts asks: how could this steaming pile of bovine excrement (and lightning bolts shooting out of the governor’s eyes) get released by his campaign?
$15,000 in Go Girl Grants Now Available Through Professional Women of Flagler County
The Go Girl Grant is an initiative by The Professional Women of Flagler County to foster the growth and success of professional women in Flagler County. By providing financial aid, the grant money can be used to remove some of the barriers that may hinder the advancement of these women in their respective fields.
Flagler Beach Offers City Manager’s Job, By Acclamation, to Dale Martin of Fernandina Beach
The Flagler Beach City Commission today voted to hire Dale Martin, the city manager in Fernandina Beach for seven years until last March, as its next city manager. If each commissioner could vote twice for him, that’s what would have happened: he was that acclaimed.
Verdict in Teron’s 2nd Trial Means Life in Prison or Acquittal as Judge Prods Lawyers Toward Last Plea Attempt
Weeks after a hung jury and days from Monserrate Teron’s second trial on capital charges of raping his 7-year-old granddaughter, a judge today spurred lawyers on both sides to give a plea deal one more go, but chances of such a deal are slim. The trial begins July 24.
Yes, There Is a Free Lunch
Step back a moment and take stock of the paradox. On one hand a community can and should take pride in its willingness to rally for those in need. On the other hand, there should not be such things as food drives–not in a country that presumes itself wealthy and civilized. There should not be food insecurity, period. Basic nutrition is a human right, as ought to be universal food assistance where necessary and free school meals whether necessary or not.
Bored, a 13-Year-Old Boy Floods a House Under Construction, Takes Video, and Now Faces Felony Charge
A 13-year-old resident of Palm Coast’s B-Section broke into a house under construction on Bud Hollow Drive, clogged its two toilets and ran the water, flooding the house with an inch of water, all the while taking video and laughing about it. He faces three charges, including felony burglary.
Flagler Beach in 4-1 Vote Approves a 39-Unit Apartment Complex Off Leslie Street, Near SR100
The Flagler Beach City Commission Wednesday evening cleared the way for a 39-unit, two-building apartment complex on 3.2 acres between Leslie and Joyce streets, off of John Anderson Highway and just south of State Road 100. The 4-1 vote followed insistance from commissioners that the development’s recreational amenities be more enhanced as such.
Semi Crash on I-95 Spills Chemicals and Shuts Down All Northbound Lanes Near Matanzas Woods
A tandem tractor trailer that crashed into a disabled car on I-95 early this morning spilled hazardous chemicals and caused the closure of the highway’s northbound lanes and two of its southbound lanes. No one was injured, and the chemical spill was deemed of no danger to the public, according to the Palm Coast Fire Department.
Ugly as Tin, the Glaring, $12 Million Bridge Over SR100 Is Radiating Concerns–and Publicity
The just-completed A-frame pedestrian bridge over State Road 100 has turned into a recurring joke and a legitimate traffic concern that the county is addressing. But some officials see an opportunity in the bad publicity the bridge is attracting, because with it comes tourist interest and a potential marketing coup.
Brendan Depa’s Attorney Meeting with Prosecutor Friday for Negotiations
The attorney representing Brendan Depa, the 17-year-old former Matanzas High School student facing a first-degree felony in the beating of a school employee, is meeting with the prosecutor on Friday for negotiations signaling the possibility of a plea.
District ‘Playing Games’ With Belle Terre Swim Club Books, Hurting Revenue Picture
Flagler County School Board member Colleen Conklin is objecting to the way the district is accounting for the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club’s revenue numbers and pointing to a shell game that has made the club’s balance sheet look much worse than it is.
A Suicidal Felon Is Tased Twice After Assaulting an Elderly Man
Leo Vincent Ford, a 51-year-old resident of 60 Rickenbacker Drive in Palm Coast, was tased twice by a Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy after Ford ignored commands and later said he was hoping the deputy would shoot him and end his life.
Palm Coast Explores 6% Tax on All Electric Bills Through ‘Franchise Fee’ Repeatedly Opposed in Past
For the third time in 11 years, the Palm Coast City Council is exploring the imposition of a new, 6 percent tax on all electricity bills by way of a so-called “franchise fee” that would be levied on Florida Power and Light and passed down to customers.
Cancer Will Have New Foe in Town as AdventHealth Palm Coast Announces $30 Million Center on SR 100
AdventHealth Palm Coast officials and benefactors unveiled the latest expansion of the State Road 100 campus: the Freytag Health Plaza, a $30 million, 30,000 square foot, two-level cancer and rehab center that will open with the newest technology at the beginning of 2025.
Flagler County Approves 1st Step to Doubling Levy in the Mondex, Angering Residents
The Flagler County Commission today voted 4-1 to potentially double the special assessment rate residents of Daytona North pay for some road maintenance and other infrastructure improvements. Residents attending the meeting were not happy. Nor was County Commissioner Leann Pennington.
Flagler County Whirs Closer to Buying $5.4 Million Replacement for FireFlight Helicopter
In a busy pair of meetings today, the Flagler County Commission got closer to buying a new emergency helicopter, set the maximum tax rate for next year, and set proposed rates that would increase garbage pick-up costs by 45 percent.
Flagler County Library’s Budget, Hours and Staffing Shrunk as Population Increased 25%
Flagler County’s population has increased 25 percent since 2010, but the budget of the county library has shrunk 3 percent when adjusted for inflation, the library’s hours have been cut, it’s lost staffing and its materials budget has declined.
Harsher Drug Penalties Aren’t Helping Addicts Recover
A former drug addict who now helps others overcome their addiction describes his experience: Compassionate treatment and care make it possible to recover. Putting punishment before healing does not. But state laws are getting harsher, at addicts’ expense.
In Flagler Beach, Warning Tickets Can Be Commuted Into Christmas Toys for Needy
The Flagler Beach Police Department is proud to announce that the summer version of our “Toys for Tickets”, titled “Christmas in July,” has returned.
District Looks to Get Past Turmoil at Wadsworth Elementary with Amy Neuenfeldt as New Principal
A month after the termination of Paul Peacock’s principalship at Wadsworth Elementary School, Interim Superintendent LaShakia Moore today appointed a new principal for Wadsworth, the third in as many years: Amy Neuenfeldt, the county’s 2021 assistant principal of the year.
No Criminal Charges Against Sheriff’s Sergeant in Bar Incident; Internal Investigation Begins
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Sgt. Michael Breckwoldt will not face criminal charges following an investigation of an incident at Finn’s bar in Flagler Beach late the night of May 26, in which a man alleged Breckwoldt had battered him and abused his authority. Breckwoldt now faces an internal investigation at the agency where he’s served 20 years.
Michael Jennelle, 51, Faces Capital Charge in Accusations of Rape and Molestation of Children
Michael Jennelle, a 51-year-old resident of Palm Coast, was arrested on a capital felony charge of raping a child younger than 12. He also faces a felony punishable by life for molestation, and a second degree felony for lewd and lascivious exhibition in front of a victim younger than 16.
Florida’s New College Board Seeks $2 Million to Counter ‘Cancel Culture’
The New College of Florida Board of Trustees on Thursday moved forward with a plan to request $2 million in funding from the state Legislature to set up a “Freedom Institute” aimed at combating “cancel culture” in higher education. The bulk of the $2 million request would go toward hiring “scholars to work and teach” on the New College campus.
County’s Heidi Petito Gets Strong to Glowing Evaluations, at Least From Those Turned In
County Administrator Heidi Petito got glowing evaluations from Commissioners Greg Hansen and Dave Sullivan, and a less glowing but strong one from Andy Dance. Donald O’Brien didn’t bother turning one in, and Leann Pennington wasn’t allowed to fill one out, being told that the evaluation window didn’t coincide with her tenure on the commission.
Smoldering Fireworks in Trash Can Trigger House Fire in Palm Coast’s P-Section
A fire caused by fireworks remnants seriously damaged at house in Palm Coast’s P-Section the night of July 4, authorities reported. There were no injuries.
Complex 4-Week Trial Over Splash Pad Set for Late 2024 as Parties Duel and Pad Remains Barren
The length of the civil trial is a reflection of the immense technical and legal complexities of the case and the number of parties involved. Each named party has responded to the suit, rejecting the city’s allegations and pointing fingers either back at the city or at other contractors.
Water Main Break on Palm Coast Parkway
The City of Palm Coast Utility Department responded to a water main break on Wednesday morning on Palm Coast Parkway near the Hammock Dunes toll plaza. The water main break is currently affecting homes and businesses on Palm Coast Parkway and east of I-95, but fewer than originally feared.
Palm Coast Man, 70, Pulls a Gun on Neighbors Shooting Off Fireworks
Christopher Todd Lemke, 70, was charged with two felony counts of aggravated assault after allegedly pointing his gun at neighbors and threatening to shoot them if they continued setting off fireworks the night of July 4. A pregnant woman and children were among the neighbors watching the fireworks.
Daylong July 4 Celebration in Flagler Beach, Then Fireworks at County Airport
Independence Day celebrations on July 4 will be a cross-county affair, stretching from Flagler Beach with the parade and daylong events there, then shifting to the county airport for evening ceremonies and the fireworks over the runways. Parking options are detailed.
Ms. Cheryl: Why I Am Leaving the Flagler Youth Orchestra
“As of today I am no longer the director of the Flagler Youth Orchestra,” writes Cheryl Tristam, ending an 18-year relationship with the school district program she led since 2005. “It isn’t what I wanted to do. But the conduct of some of our school board members toward me personally and toward the program leaves me no choice.”
Flagler and Palm Coast July 4 Holiday Schedules, Travel and Safety Advisories
Independence Day this year falls on a Tuesday, slicing through the earlier part of the week and creating a checkerboard of work schedules and closed offices. The one constant are safety and travel advisories. Here’s a run-down.
Multi-Vehicle Severe Crash at Belle Terre and Whiteview Parkways Sends 3 to Hospitals
A multiple-vehicle crash, including a roll-over and a head-on collision, resulted in six injuries and three hospitalizations, one of them a trauma alert, early this afternoon at Belle Terre Parkway and Whiteview Parkway in Palm Coast.
Divine Right of DeSantis: Vengeful, Petty and Cruel
DeSantis is using taxpayer money to punish his enemies, a warning to those who cross him. Through the budget, he’s pushing his hate-fueled vision onto us, trying to transform Florida into a subtropical version of Massachusetts under the Puritans: intolerant, ignorant, repressive, and cruel.
Matanzas Woods Pkwy Will Close from Lakeview to Londonderry Drive for 10 Days
Matanzas Woods Pkwy from Lakeview Boulevard to Londonderry Drive will be closed to traffic from July 5 to July 15 as crews repair and repave that segment, one of Palm Coast’s major arteries.