We can’t afford permanent enmity or exile from each other. Secession and civil war might be a nice distraction but consumer splurging suggests that’s not in the cards. So for all of us grass-leaved Americans, “Moby-Dick” is the book for us, in this moment, in this whale of whiteness delirium. “Moby-Dick” is our book of revelation.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
In a Reversal, Flagler Beach Commission Declines to Raise Utility, Garbage and Stormwater Fees for Now
After months of preparation, the Flagler Beach City Commission on Thursday, declined to raise water, sewer and sanitation rates 3.5 percent, what would have been in line with inflation, even though the funds are not self-sustaining without increases, and also declined to raise the stormwater rate a more significant 37 percent. Commissioner Jane Mealy is warning that the city is putting itself in a hole.
Flagler County’s Unemployment Stays at 4.4%, But Job-Holders Fall to Lowest Level Since February 2023
Florida had a drop in private-sector employment in October in the wake of hurricanes Helene and Milton, but the state’s unemployment rate remained at 3.3 percent for a seventh consecutive month. The Flagler County unemployment rate of 4.4 percent was unchanged for the third consecutive month.
Justin Maddox, 31, Indicted on Capital Murder Charge in Drug-Overdose Death of Jeremy Kocorowski
A Flagler County grand jury on Thursday indicted Justin Maddox, a 31-year-old resident of 51 Pepper Lane in Palm Coast, on a capital felony murder charge in the drug-overdose death of 40-year-old Jeremy Kocorowski of Bunnell in March. Kocorowski had a daughter.
Pilot Faces Eviction from County Airport After Emergency Landing Infringed on Director’s ‘Authority’
Roy Sieger, director of Flagler County Executive Airport, is allegedly threatening to evict a pilot from the hangar he’s leasing there after the pilot made an emergency landing during Hurricane Milton, when the airport was closed. The pilot, who cites federal regulation in his defense, said he worried that Sieger’s anger would devolve into a physical altercation when Sieger confronted him soon after he landed.
Sheriff’s Office Investigating Discovery of Human Blood and Bullet at Hidden Trails, and Seeking Public’s Help
Flagler County Sheriff’s detectives are investigating a suspicious incident that left a substantial amount of blood and an unused bullet at the Hidden Trails county park off Mahogany Boulevard in Daytona North, or the Mondex, early Monday morning.
Palm Coast Developers Will Pay Public Arts Fee on Projects Above $1 Million, But Spending Is Unclear
The Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday approved imposing a 0.5 percent fee on all commercial projects in the city with a value of $1 million or more. The city will use parts of the money to fund its long-standing cultural arts grants, but it’s unclear how else it will use the money. It would largely be the purview of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, with a more specific policy to come to set out spending and installation criteria.
Palm Coast Will Provide Free Dirt to Help Homeowners’ Drainage Problems, With Limiting Caveats
The Palm Coast City Council approved a plan by its drainage committee to provide 5 cubic yards of free dirt to homeowners who need to regrade their yards to address drainage problems. The dirt was declared surplus property, enabling the city to dispense of it, but at homeowners’ expense. One homeowner ridiculed the offer.
Council Rejects Naming Palm Coast Community Center for Jon Netts in Striking Snub of Major Legacy
The Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday rejected a long-standing proposal to rename the Palm Coast Community Center for Jon Netts, a former mayor and City Council member whose 15-year tenure in city government shaped Palm Coast more than any other elected official in the city’s history.
He Served 5 Years in Prison for Robbing the Flagler Beach Publix. On Tuesday, He Tried Robbing It Again.
Daniel J. Fountain, a 57-year-old resident of Flagler Beach who served five years in prison for armed robbery of the Flagler Beach Publix, was arrested on a robbery charge stemming from his alleged attempt again to rob the same store on Tuesday. He was still on probation for the 2015 robbery.
In a First, Palm Coast Council Censures an Absent Ed Danko Over ‘Disconcerting’ Behavior
In an unprecedented motion in the city’s 25 years, the Palm Coast City Council today censured Council member Ed Danko in a 3-1 vote, in his absence, in a rebuke of his perceived role against the city in a lawsuit and of his loutish behavior in his years on the council.
Palm Coast Walmart Will Build 10-Pump Gas Station in Its Store Parking Lot Off Cypress Point Parkway
Palm Coast’s Walmart in the heart of the city has submitted a site plan to build a 10-pump gas station and convenience store that will take up a substantial portion of the parking lot at that store. The 10-pump station will be located in the northwest corner of the parking lot, toward the corner of the property along Cypress Point Parkway and Cypress Edge Drive.
The Live Profile
Belfast Fire: The Colleen Conklin You Never Knew
When Colleen Conklin is celebrated as she leaves 24 years of service on the Flagler County School Board, the focus will be on those 24 years. But where had she come from, and what made her who she was? Here’s the story of the Colleen Conklin who grew up in back of her parents’ bars, the Conklin who drove trucks, started her teaching career in the South Bronx, founded human rights chapters, conquered learning obstacles all the way to a doctorate but also nearly dropped out of college in favor of a career in insurance.
Alan Lowe Drops Lawsuit Against Palm Coast in Debt Referendum
Alan Lowe, the former candidate for mayor who sued the Palm Coast City Council over the proposed ballot referendum to loose the city’s restrictions on borrowing and leasing, dropped his lawsuit the day after the Nov. 5 election, which saw the ballot measure decisively defeated.
A Mile-Long Veterans Day Parade of 1,000 Participants Unites Flagler’s Cities, County and Schools in Salute
After a Veterans Day parade of more than 1,000 participants representing all cities, the county and the School Board, among others, ambled through Bunnell in a mile-long procession, hundreds of people gathered at the Government Services building for the day’s ceremonies, including a Veteran Day essay by middle schooler Mellissa Ryon, a keynote speech by Randall Stapleford, and musical performances.
Flagler and Gomorrah
The outcome of local elections will affect us at least as much as anything that happens nationally. With that in mind it’s worth taking stock of our local political landscape post-apocalypse, because it’s a whole lot better than Gomorrah and, ironically, almost entirely Republican.
Cheryl Andrews, Aide at Indian Trails Middle, Arrested on Charge of Child Abuse Against Disabled Student
Cheryl Ann Andrews, a 69-year-old paraprofessional, or teacher’s aide, at Indian Trail Middle School and a resident of Rolland Lane in Palm Coast, was arrested Thursday on a felony charge of child abuse after video footage appears to show her hitting a disabled student and briefly adding to the abuse.
Developer of Cascades in Seminole Woods Readies to Sue Palm Coast Over 416-Home Limit, Instead of 850
The Palm Coast City Council on Wednesday got warning from a developer that the city may soon face a lawsuit to make up for over $12 million in estimated losses from a council decision to limit a development to less than half the housing units applied for at the Cascades, the Seminole Woods development the council approved earlier this year. The applicant had asked for 850 housing units, including apartments. The council limited the development to 416.
Flagler Beach Prepares to Raise Water, Sewer, Trash and Stormwater Rates by $8.76 a Month
The Flagler Beach City Commission on Nov. 14 is expected to vote on a series of utility-rate increases for water, sewer, stormwater and trash services that would increase the bill on a residential household by $8.76 per month, or $105 for the year.
Judge Declares Old Dixie Motel Owners in Contempt Over Continued Snubs, $1,000-a-Day Fines Loom
After warning them that he would do so if they did not comply with his previous orders, Circuit Judge Chris France last week declared the owners of the Old Dixie Motel in contempt of court and warned of $1,000-a-dy fines starting on Nov. 15 if they do not comply with a pair of orders.
Flagler County’s New Ban on Homeless Sleeping in Public Ignores Allowance for Designating Safe Space
Since Oct. 1 it has been illegal for the homeless to camp out or sleep on public grounds in Florida. The law authorizes counties to designate a local government property for use as a public camping or sleeping space for homeless individuals for up to a year–essentially, a safe, regulated space. On Monday, the Flagler County Commission approved on second reading an ordinance that ratifies the state law, but without designating a safe space for overnight stays, though such de-facto campgrounds are well known to local authorities.
Car-Crash Death of Debra Ashrafi: 3 Years in Prison, 10 Years Probation, Lifetime Driving Ban for John Garrison
John Garrison was facing a minimum-mandatory nine-year sentence if he was found guilty of causing the crash that ended the life of 59-year-old Debra Ashrafi in a head-on collision on State Road 11 in Bunnell in 2022. In a significant reduction, he pleaded in exchange for a maximum sentence of three years in prison and 10 years on probation. The plea terms include a permanent revocation of Garrison’s driver’s license and driving privileges.
Ten Years in Prison for Palm Coast Man Who’d Filmed His Own Rape of Unconscious Girlfriend
Lloyd Allen Parrish, a 62-year-old resident of Radcliffe Drive in Palm Coast, is being held without bond at the Flagler County jail on a first-degree felony rape charge and a lesser charge of video voyeurism after his girlfriend of 17 years saw him on video sexually assaulting her while she was unconscious.
Florida’s Abortion Rights and Recreational Pot Amendments Fail
A ballot proposal that would have enshrined abortion rights in the Florida Constitution failed Tuesday, giving a major political victory to Gov. Ron DeSantis — and dealing a huge blow to abortion-rights supporters. A $150 million-plus effort to allow recreational use of marijuana in Florida fizzled out.
Mike Norris Is Palm Coast’s New Mayor, Ty Miller and Ray Stevens Win Council, Debt Amendment Defeated
Mike Norris will be Palm Coast’s new mayor, winning his election, against Cornelia Manfre handily while Ty Miller defeated Jeff Sieb and Ray Stevens was poised to defeat Andrew Werner for the two other seats on the Palm Coast City Council, as early but all but insurmountable results were announced this evening.
As Flagler County Went Red, School Students Went Redder, But a Mock Election Takes a Turn for the ‘Divisive’
Just eight years ago, the 6,500 students from Flagler County district and private schools gave Hillary Clinton a 1 percent edge over Donald Trump in that year’s election, conducted a few days before that election night, when Trump shocked country and world by taking the Midwest and the election. Since then, however, students in Flagler’s schools have turned Trump’s way more decisively–just as their parents have.
Daniel Rodriguez, 27, Rejects Plea, Opting for Trial and Risk of Life in Prison in Molestation of Young Boy
Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols tried in several different ways and in the gentlest, most realistic and objective terms to impress on Daniel Rodriguez that the evidence against him is overwhelming, that perhaps a trial was not the best choice he could make. Rodriguez, who’d refused to be brought to court (he “wasn’t feeling well”) and spoke to the judge through a video connection, wouldn’t budge. He wants a trial on charges of raping and molesting a minor.
Tips for Surviving Election Day
No matter what, we all need some tips for surviving the shouting, the demonstrating, the tantrum-throwing, the reality-denying, and the lawsuits, which are the habitual response of our fellow citizens when they don’t get their way. Here you go.
Renner, on His Last Day, and Staly on His 2,497th, Break Ground on Florida Guard’s Training Facility in Bunnell
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly, who all but birthed the concept, and Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, joined with state and local officials this afternoon to break ground on the future $10 million Florida State Guard multi agency, regional training facility in Bunnell. The facility will serve the State Guard, which Gov. Ron DeSantis revived four years ago, but also all local police and fire agencies, and some regional law enforcement agencies as well in a more advanced training complex than they’ve known to date.
For Ex-Montessori School Owner Kerri Huckabee, 30 Days in Jail and 3 Years Probation Over Attacks on Neighbors
Kerri Anne Huckabee, the 55-year-old Flagler Beach resident and former Montessori school owner arrested 14 months ago on felony charges after attacking and destroying her neighbors’ surveillance cameras in the culmination of chronic hostility toward them, was sentenced today to 30 days in jail and three years on probation in a plea agreement that reduced the charges and closed the case.
81-Year-Old Man Killed in Car Collision on Royal Palms and U.S. 1 Was 5th Pedestrian Killed This Year in Flagler
An 81-year-old Palm Coast resident on foot was killed in a collision with a car as he was crossing the road at U.S. 1 and Royal Palms Parkway early Saturday morning. The 20-year-old Daytona Beach man driving the car suffered minor injuries, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The victim is the fifth pedestrian killed on Flagler County roads so far this year, representing a third of all road fatalities.
Palm Coast Debt Referendum Will Be Counted as Judge Rules Ballot Language Unambiguous
Circuit Judge Chris France this morning issued an order denying a motion to nullify the Palm Coast City Council’s referendum that, if approved, would remove limits on the city’s borrowing and leasing authority. The decision is a victory for the City Council, sharply divided though it is about it and pyrrhic though the victory may end up being, if the referendum fails and sours voters on a subsequent attempt to pass one with less controversy and more clarity.
Why Trump Beat Harris By 312 Electoral Votes
Monday-morning-quarterbacking Democrats’ mistakes is a dead end. It wouldn’t have mattered what Harris did or who the Democrats ran. The result would have been the same. Trump didn’t make this moment. It was made for him, in no small part by liberalism’s abdication. The more liberalism projected self-loathing without a hint of pride in country or redemptive hope for it, the more it ceded the ground to “a bottom-up populist revolt” let by a strongman who reflects their belief: America’s democratic moment is over.
Chick-Fil-A Will Open Second Palm Coast Restaurant in BJ’s Wholesale Shopping Center
Chick-fil-A, the popular restaurant chain that drew a small tent city of eager customers before it opened its first franchise in Palm Coast eight years ago, will be opening its second restaurant in the city in the BJ’s Wholesale shopping center, according to construction plans recently submitted to the city. City Manager Lauren Johnston dropped a hint about the restaurant in a presentation at a local chamber event earlier this week.
Judge France Will Rule on Whether to Nullify Palm Coast’s Debt Referendum Before Close of Election Day
With Election Day four days away, Circuit Judge Chris France today said he will rule before Tuesday evening after hearing arguments in a citizen’s challenge of a controversial ballot proposal that would remove borrowing limits on Palm Coast.
Daisy Henry Street Now Glides Through the Heart of Bunnell, Along Carver Gym Late Pastor Championed and Saved
This morning, a stretch of four blocks of East Drain Street, along the gym’s ballfields on one side and family homes on the other, became Daisy Henry Street, so renamed for the former city commissioner and pastor by a city that wanted to “honor a legacy,” in the words of City Manager Alvin Jackson, and bolden Henry’s already distinguished mark on Bunnell’s history.
The Sex Wars Through Neil Simon’s Wit: City Rep Stages “Jake’s Women,” a Comedy in Dramatic Acts
In Neil Simon’s “Jake’s Women,” opening tonight at City Repertory Theatre in Palm Coast, Jake is a novelist who has issues with intimacy, guilt, trust and all sorts of other familiar themes of the sex wars as he navigates the shoals of upper-class middle-age American dynamics, back when those problems were all we had to worry about. But it’s not a traditional play, as Neil Simon has a lot of fun breaking the fourth wall–that imaginary divide between the stage and the audience.
Ethics Commission Tosses Yet Another Complaint Against Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin, This One from Familiar Name
For the third time in six months, the Florida Ethics Commission has dismissed a complaint filed against Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin, finding it legally insufficient. The complaint was filed by Jeani Duarte, who in September twice filed suit in Flagler County Circuit Court in an attempt to stop the city’s referendum on a charter amendment. A judge called Duarte’s pleadings “nonsensical.”
Noisy Planes at Low Altitude Will Spray Mosquitoes Swarming in Aftermath of Hurricane Milton Starting Nov. 2
One or two Beechcraft King Air turboprop planes will start spraying mosquitoes across most of Flagler County at very low altitude–just 300 feet–starting Nov. 2, to reduce the multiplying population of mosquitoes in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton. The spraying is paid for with state emergency funds and the planes are contracted through the state rather than through the East Flagler Mosquito Control District.
Almost 60 Percent of Flagler County’s Registered Voters Have Cast a Ballot, 6th Highest Turnout in Florida
Turnout in the general election in Flagler County was approaching 60 percent Thursday, with two more days of early voting and Election Day next Tuesday, ahead of the pace of the 2020 election, which resulted in a turnout of 78.6 percent among registered voters. The supervisor of elections and local Democratic and Republican party leaders are describing a nearly issues-free election of historic proportion.
Gov. DeSantis Appoints Derek Barrs, Who Lost to Janie Ruddy by 291 Votes, to School Board Seat Hunt Resigned
Gov. Ron DeSantis Wednesday appointed Derek Barrs, the former Florida Highway Patrol troop commander and chief who lost to Janie Ruddy by 290 votes in a School Board race in August, to the board seat Sally Hunt resigned a month after the primary.
At Chamber’s Future of Flagler Forum, Rousing Cheer for Years Ahead from City, County and School Leaders
The Palm Coast-Flagler Regional Chamber of Commerce gave a crowd of over 100 people the chance to hear the state of Flagler County’s cities, county and school board in less than 60 minutes, presented in rapid, compelling, and at times rousing succession by men and women more knowledgeable, less vapid and generally more intelligent than the elected officials who hire them: city and county managers and the school superintendent.
Flagler Beach City Manager Dale Martin Accepts ‘Tough Love’ Evaluation of His First Year
With one exception, Flagler Beach City Manager Dale Martin did not get past “meets job standards” from four city commissioners and the mayor in the evaluation of his first year, and barely made it into that category (a few decimal points above “improvement needed) from one of them as he tallied an average score of 3.65 points out of a possible 5.
Texts Show Ed Danko Seeking to Recruit Resident to File Lawsuit Against His Own Council’s Debt Referendum
Dozens of texts Palm Coast Councilman Danko exchanged with a Palm Coast resident who was willing to be the plaintiff in a lawsuit show to what extent Danko was strategizing against the a referendum that would facilitate city debt. Texts show Danko predicating at least one council vote’s outcome on a lawsuit, discussed lawyers, sought information from his potential recruit and spoke of “our lawsuit.” A friend, Alan Lowe, eventually filed the lawsuit. Council member Theresa Pontieri says Danko’s involvement is a “blatant” conflict.
Flagler Government’s Former HR Manager Sues the County, Describing Hostile and Indifferent Environment
Samatha Whitfield, the former human resources manager for Flagler County government, is suing the county in a whistleblower action, claiming she was terminated last summer in retaliation for reporting violations of rules and misconduct by one of her colleagues, to which the county administration responded with indifference.
Bunnell, Palm Coast and County Will Host Joint Veterans Day Ceremony and Parade Nov. 11
The parade will travel east on Moody Boulevard and conclude at the Government Services Building where the traditional ceremony will begin. Retired U.S. Naval Captain James Randall “Randy” Stapleford – a career naval aviator who served from 1972 to 2003 – will be the grand marshal of the parade and will share a few words at the ceremony.
Palm Coast Council Sharply Divided Over Making Large Developers Pay ‘Minuscule’ Fee for Public Art
The Palm Coast City Council is divided over a modest program to fund public art installations that would require larger developers to devote half of a percent of the value of their project to the arts. One council member calls it “awesome.” Another says it “makes no sense.” A third is “torn.”
Two Flagler Beach Residents Prevail Over Veranda Bay’s Parent Company, Ending 5-Year-Old Defamation Suit
Sunbelt Land Management, the company affiliated with the Veranda Bay development on John Anderson Highway, has lost a defamation suit the company filed in 2020 against Sallee Aernoff and Ken Bryan, two Flagler Beach residents who spoke up about its land-clearing practices. Circuit Judge Chris France, in a strong opinion in defense of expression on public issues free of intimidation, granted the two residents’ motion for summary judgment last week.
Palm Coast Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary with Quilts, Cake and a ‘Living Time Capsule’
In contrast with the rain-soaked 10th anniversary celebration, the skies were cloudless Saturday and the sun blazing as Palm Coast marked its 25th anniversary with speeches, a blue and yellow cake, quilts and a “living time capsule” that looks back at the past quarter century.
Portions of East Drain Street in Bunnell Will Be Renamed in Honor of Former Commissioner Daisy Henry
Following a vote by the Bunnell City Commission in July, Bunnell government will rename a portion of East Drain Street in the south part of the city after Daisy Henry, the long-time city commissioner and a local icon who was all but synonymous with life around and beyond Drain Street. The street will be called Daisy Henry Street. That ceremony is scheduled for Nov. 1 at 8:30 a.m. at the intersection of East Drain Street and South Pine St. in Bunnell, with ample parking near Carver Gym.