The Flagler Beach City Commission took stock of Hurricane Ian’s impact on the city at a hastily arranged emergency meeting at noon today, balancing the fact that the hurricane largely spared Flagler County of severe impacts but still left Flagler Beach with the most damage locally.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
Flagler’s ‘Victory Lap’ as Circuit’s 1st Black Women Judges Are Celebrated, With Pointed Sidebars
Alicia Washington and Joan Anthony were among nine judges of the Seventh Judicial Circuit marking the historic occasions of the two Black judges’ election, along with the accessions of Supreme Court Justice Jackson and Florida Supreme Court Justice Francis, in a “Night of Celebration” at the Flagler County courthouse Monday evening.
Gas Prices Drop to Near $3 a Gallon, But Don’t Be Fooled By the Political Ploy
Regular unleaded gas prices fell to near $3 a gallon in places even in the wake of Hurricane Ian, reaching the lowest levels since January. But the drop is the result of a one-month suspension of the 25.3-cent state gas tax, timed by the Republican-dominated Legislature to coincide with the final month ahead of the 2022 mid-term election.
Rep. Paul Renner Headlines Flagler Humane Society’s 40th Anniversary as Hanneke Frederick’s Name Looms
There was a constellation of stars at Sunday afternoon’s 40th anniversary celebration of the Flagler Humane Society at the Florida Agricultural Museum in Palm Coast, not least among the Paul Renner, the soon-to-be Speaker of the Florida House and Palm Coast resident.
Only One Arrest for Curfew Violation Throughout Flagler During Ian Emergency
Law enforcement authorities in Flagler County and its cities made all of one arrest for a curfew violation, and even then, only because the woman was also in violation of drug laws. A companion she was with was only issued a warning.
Flagler’s Ian Tally: 132 Homes With at Least 20% Damage, FEMA Aid Coming, So Are More Floodwaters
A tally of Hurricane Ian’s impacts on Flagler County reveals damage to 132 homes, with only seven experiencing severe damage or flooding from rainfalls totaling 15 inches in places. Flagler County is qualifying for three levels of aid from the Federal Emergency Management Administration, including aid to individuals. But there may yet be more flooding as the St. Johns River’s surge continues flowing north through Flagler.
Catastrophic Loss: Dunes All But Gone Along Flagler’s 18-Mile Shore, Leaving A1A and Properties Dangerously Exposed
While Flagler County was spared the brunt of Hurricane Ian’s fury, its shoreline was ravaged, and what remained of its already battered dunes and rock revetments sacrificed themselves to protect A1A and properties. There is no more protection should another storm strike. The disappearance of the dunes is stunning in Flagler Beach north of the pier, and in many other places along the 18 miles of beach.
Hurricane Ian’s Death Toll in Florida Is Up to 67 as Lee County Grapples With Delayed Evacuation
Gov. Ron DeSantis defended officials in Lee County, who delayed evacuation orders until Tuesday, while several other counties had issued evacuation orders and the National Hurricane Center was warning of a storm surge regardless.
Spradley’s Beachside Blog: Closing the Book on Ian
Scott Spradley, a long-time resident of Flagler Beach, a photographer and an attorney who remained on the the barrier island throughout the storm, continues documenting the effects of Hurricane Ian.
Flagler Recovery Roundup: Curfew Lifted, Latest Power Update, Storm Numbers, Schools’ Reopening Plans
Here’s a roundup of the latest conditions in Flagler County and its cities, status of closures and openings, where to seek help for repairs, when to expect schools and colleges to reopen, and what the latest power cut numbers are.
Palm Coast’s Water, Sewer and Stormwater Rates Go Up by Combined $8 a Month Starting Oct. 1
The Palm Coast City Council in 2018 approved gradually doubling the stormwater fee and increasing water and sewer rates 21 percent over four years. Combined, those rate increases will now equate to an $8-a-month hike, or nearly $100 a year.
In Palm Coast’s Woodlands, Water Is Still Rising and Sandbags Are Being Distributed
In Palm Coast’s Woodlands, the Hurricane Ian emergency is not over, and may not be over for another 48 hours: waters are still, literally, rising in parts of the neighborhood as Graham Swamp overflows. City officials are worried that the water may not stop rising in time to keep it from intruding into some homes.
Pier’s End Collapses, More Flagler Areas Evacuated, 70% of County Without Power, Dunes Damaged
The severity of tropical Storm Ian continues this afternoon, demolishing parts of the Flagler Beach pier, inundating larger areas of Palm Coast and Flagler Beach, and downing trees and power lines as 57 percent of residents are without power.
Toddler’s Father Faces Kidnapping Charge After Fleeing with Child; He Is Tased and Bitten in Arrest
Brandon Leohner, 27, of Palm Coast, was arrested on charges of kidnapping after taking the toddler he has in common with his girlfriend and driving off against his girlfriend’s wish. He drove recklessly through Palm Coast and was arrested after a violent encounter with deputies and a police dog at McDonald’s.
Cat 4 Hurricane Ian Slams Florida, Local Night Curfew Declared, Flagler Rains Up to 20 Inches Possible
Hurricane Ian crashed into Charlotte County with catastrophic force as a nearly Category 5 hurricane and was crossing the state slowly on its way to the Volusia-Flagler area. Gov. Ron DeSantis outlined a massive rescue and recovery effort involving 7,000 National Guards personnel and 41,000 linemen, among thousands of others.
If You’re Sheltering In Place in Hurricane Ian’s Path, Fill Out This Survey For Your Safety
If you’re sheltering in place and your home is in the path of Hurricane Ian or Tropical Storm Ian, the state wants you to fill out a survey that may help in rescuing you should you need it in the immediate aftermath of the storm.
Don’t Expect Flagler To Be At Top of FPL’s List for Power Restoration After Ian
Flagler County has an unhappy history of finding itself near the bottom of the list of counties to have their power restored in previous hurricanes. That may yet again be the case in the wake of Hurricane Ian’s devastation as more populous counties get attention first.
‘Extremely Dangerous’ Hurricane Ian Landfall, Then Path Through Flagler; Local Evacuations Readied
Hurricane Ian forecasts continue to worsen for both sides of Florida, with a Category 3 or more landfall in Tampa Bay and a path bringing a tropical storm to Flagler by Friday. Evacuation orders for parts of Flagler are imminent, schools are closed starting Wednesday.
Rymfire Elementary Will Open as Special-Needs Shelter, Bunnell Elementary as General Population and Pets Shelter
The special-needs shelter at Rymfire Elementary will open at 1 p.m. Wednesday in anticipation of deteriorating weather from Hurricane Ian. The timing of the first shelter for general population and pets, to open at Bunnell Elementary, has not yet been determined. That time will be announced Wednesday morning.
Sheriff Preparing to Mobilize Over 200 Deputies and Air Boat, Courts Ramping Down Ahead of Ian
Courts are ramping down, law enforcement is ramping up in Flagler County in preparation for Hurricane Ian’s impact, now projected to be more serious than projected even as late as Monday evening. Curfews could become a possibility in the days ahead.
Hurricane Ian’s 2-Day Stall Off Tampa Could Bring Flooding Rains and Wind to Flagler
Hurricane Ian is expected to nearly stall as a major hurricane off the coast of Tampa Bay, lashing the northeast of Florida with torrential rain and raising the potential for floods in addition to some tropical storm-force winds. Flagler governments are beginning to shut down regular operations and declare states of emergency.
Canopy Walk Resident Faces 4 Felony Charges After Confrontation with 3 Boys He Claims Were Trespassing
58-year-old Gerald McCarthy faces two second-degree felony charges and other charges after a physical confrontation with three boys–13, 13 and 12–at Canopy Walk, where he claims they were trespassing. The boys claim they’d been given the code to get in.
Flagler Tiger Bay Elections Forum Re-Scheduled to Oct. 6
The Flagler Tiger Bay Club has rescheduled the non-partisan Flagler Tiger Bay Club Election Forums featuring candidates for the general election, to the new date of Thursday, October 6, 2022, due to the approach of Hurricane Ian. The forum was originally scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 28.
Flagler Making Sandbags Available Starting Today as Flooding Is in Forecast
Flagler County officials are starting sandbag operations Sunday as the one certainty about Tropical Storm Ian is that it will bring plenty of rain with it and a high likelihood of flooding in some areas. Two locations will open about noon today – one on the barrier island and the other in western Flagler County.
Tropical Storm Ian: Intensity of Coming Hurricane Certain, Landfall Location Less So
The models are in largely in agreement about Tropical Storm Ian’s path over the next three days as it becomes Hurricane Ian: a slight arc around western Cuba and into the Gulf of Mexico. But the models diverge after that, with some projecting a more westerly path and some having Ian strike Florida at Tampa Bay.
County Approves BJ’s Wholesale Club Despite Unresolved Jam of Traffic Problems Ahead
A traffic nightmare may be developing on State Road 100 and on Seminole Woods Boulevard as several new commercial developments are crunching their way through the county’s regulatory steps. But the biggest development, a BJ’s Club and five satellite businesses, is moving along despite lacking a full analysis of traffic issues ahead.
Flagler Playhouse Opens 2022-23 Season with “Oliver!”
Oliver, Nurse Ratched, Miss Daisy and P.T. Barnum will grace Flagler Playhouse during the community theater’s 2022-23 season. The five-play season opens Friday Sept. 23 with the musical “Oliver!” and concludes in May with the musical “Barnum.” The musical “Rent” and the dramas “Driving Miss Daisy” and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” are also on tap.
Palm Coast Man Points Loaded Gun at Deputy Jacob West During Traffic Stop
A 42-year-old Palm Coast driver who appeared drunk allegedly pointed a loaded gun at a Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy during a traffic stop on Palm Coast Parkway late Thursday night before complying with orders to drop the gun. It was the latest successful de-escalation of what could have resulted in an officer-involved shooting.
As Hurricane Hermine Ian Gestates, King Tide Flooding Is More Immediate Concern in Flagler
What is expected to become Hurricane Hermine is now Tropical Depression 9. But Flagler County residents should be more immediately concerned about the effects of a king tide combining with remnants of Hurricane Fiona and the approach of Hermine, all of which will create significant flooding conditions along the Intracoastal and low-lying areas of Palm Coast and western Flagler.
This Time Without Temper Tantrums or Deceptions, Palm Coast Adopts Tax Rate and Budget
The Palm Coast City Council approved the 2022-23 budget and the city’s property tax rate at its second and final hearing with a series of 4-1 votes. Compared to previous tax hearings at the county and the city this season, the hearing was anticlimactic, with all but numbers getting filled in and ratified.
At Flagler Public Library, Freedom Readers’ Club and Other Page-Turners Boldly Defy Book Bans
Freedom Readers, a book club for teens focused on banned and challenged books, emerged at the Flagler County Public Library in response to the book-banning controversies at the Flagler school board last fall. The club is one of several initiatives countering “what feels like a lot of repression,” in the words of Youth Services Librarian Gemma Rose.
Armed Employees or Guards in Flagler Schools Would Cost $150,000 to $600,000 in 1st Year
The Flagler County School board would have to pay initial annual costs of over $150,000 to nearly $600,000 for any of three options to have armed staffers or guards on its nine campuses, in addition to the $1 million it is paying annually to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
He Served 18 Months for a Sex Offense. He’s Re-Imprisoned Anyway, Possibly for Life.
William Walsh, a 57-year-old former homeless man and sex offender from Bunnell, was committed potentially for life to a prison-like state facility after a trial in Flagler Tuesday, even though he did not commit a new offense and none of his previous offenses ranked him as a predator.
Sondheim’s ‘Assassins’ Opens City Repertory Theatre’s New Season, and Dares Go From There
“Assassins,” the 1990 play with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by John Weidman, weaves the true-life histories of nine presidential assassins and would-be assassins into a bizarro musical fantasy. The characters include John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Oswald, the shooters of Ronald Reagan and Ford, and other rogues.
Plan for a Massive Apartment Tower at Harborside Draws Opposition, Accusations and Delay
In a meeting that featured a developer’s representatives lashing into the city administration’s planning staff, the Palm Coast planning board late Tuesday night tabled to next month a controversial plan to rezone 18 acres at the Harborside marina. The proposal would make room for a massive 80-foot, U-shaped apartment tower, town houses, and maybe a hotel, that would add 432 apartments and housing units next to Palm Coast Resort’s existing, 72-apartment tower.
Flagler District Pays $6 Million for 685 Students to Attend Private Schools, Many Out of County, or Homeschooled
A new state law requires the Flagler County school district this year to pay just over $6 million to underwrite the private-school education of 685 students, including at parochial and out-of-county schools. The money also goes to families home-schooling their children.
Flagler Library Director Holly Albanese Is 24-County Network’s Member of the Year
Flagler County Public Library Director Holly Albanese was named the 2022 Northeast Florida Library Information Network (NEFLIN) “Member of the Year” at its annual conference last week in recognition of her “significant positive impact” on the library and the community it serves.
416-Unit Apartment Complex on SR100 Near Colbert Ln. Adds to Growth Cluster Totaling 1,320 Units
The Ocean Village development is part of a new cluster of residential developments in the region, when paired with projects on nearby Roberts Road and John Anderson Highway that total 656 apartment units and 664 single family homes.
Head of Local Chamber of Commerce Among 7 Applicants for Palm Coast Planning Board
The Palm Coast City Councill will make three appointments to its seven-member planning board–the city’s most powerful, non-elected advisory board. Seven candidates have applied, including two incumbents, two existing alternate members of the board, and a member of the county planning board, along with the head of the local chamber of commerce.
Flagler Schools Just Barely Set New Enrollment Record, Matanzas High Exceeds 2,000 Students
While the Flagler County school district set an enrollment record for the first time in 13 years, it is still not the substantial growth that the district has been speaking of for the past year and a half, or the sort of growth that might have been expected to parallel the ongoing building boom in Palm Coast and the rest of the county.
Argument Over Chess Leads to Knife Attack and Felony Assault Charge
Kenneth Stephens, 54, of Sloganeer Trail in Palm Coast, was playing chess with his 41-year-old neighbor at his neighbor’s house Friday evening when the two started arguing. Before it was over, Stephens was captured in surveillance video footage pulling a knife and lunging at his neighbor before retreating to his house.
DeSantis Pledges More Migrant Flights Out of Florida at State’s Expense
The flights Wednesday mostly involved Venezuelan migrants and included about 10 children. Two planes went from San Antonio, Texas, to the Florida Panhandle community of Crestview before going north.
20-Year-Old Ormond Beach Motorcyclist Killed Rear-Ending SUV on I-95
A 20-year-old Ormond Beach man was killed in a rear-end collision as he traveled north on I-95 late Friday night, two miles north of the Old Dixie Highway interchange in Flagler County.
21 Months in Prison for Woman Who ‘Did Nothing’ as Infant Was Repeatedly Tortured by Boyfriend
Luciana Celestin, 29, was present as her boyfriend, Deviaun Toler, repeatedly whipped, beat and once burned his infant son, but she did not intervene to end the abuse, report it, or seek medical attention for the boy, who nearly died as the abuse continued in Palm Coast in early 2018.
Building Plans for BJ’s Wholesale Club, Gas Station and Several Stores on SR100 Clear County Board
It’s almost all over but the permitting before Palm Coast’s BJ’s Wholesale Club, a big gas station and a half dozen satellite stores begin going up on a 31.5-acre site of State Road 100, just west of Seminole Woods Boulevard.
Distant Recession Signs Flash Even as Flagler Unemployment Remains at 3.2% and Labor Force Grows
If a national recession is looming–by one traditional measure, it is already happening–the signs are mostly not apparent in Flagler County and in Florida. But there are glimmers of warnings.
Only One Bid Filed Near Deadline for Green Lion Restaurant Replacement, so City Extends Window
Palm Coast government issued a request for proposals on Aug. 24 to replace the Green Lion Cafe at Palm Harbor Golf Club. It did not receive a single bid. So it is extending the bidding window to September 29, based at least on some interest shown by two parties.
Man, 40, Killed at Old Dixie Roundabout in First Fatal Crash There Since Structure’s Completion
A 40-year-old Ormond Beach man lost his life in a single-vehicle car crash at the roundabout at U.S. 1 and Old Dixie Highway in the early hours of Wednesday (Sept. 14), the Florida Highway Patrol reports.
A Non-Existent Eagle’s Nest in Palm Coast Plantation Leads County to Improvise Risky Rule-Making
A couple wants to build a home in Palm Coast Plantation that would partly violate an existing eagle-protection zone. The Flagler County Planning Board on Tuesday gave it the go-ahead, reasoning that the eagles haven’t been seen in the area for years, and that the protection zone should be scrapped anyway. But that’s not the planning board’s call.
Westward Ho, Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin Tells Realtors, with View to Double City’s Footprint
Palm Coast Mayor offered a bullish vision of Palm Coast’s westward expansion past U.S. 1 while speaking to fellow-Realtors at the annual Meet the Mayors event Wednesday, along side County Commissioner Greg Hansen, Bunnell mayor Catherine Robinson, Flagler Beach Mayor Suzie Johnston and Beverly beach Mayor Steve Emmett.