The abuse of position and process (particularly by school board members) is egregious. The wasted hours in all three elected boards’ meetings (school board, county commission, Palm Coast council) on ridiculous, petty–or worse: imagined–problems has been sickening to endure, Jake Scully argues in a plea for well-researched votes in the coming elections.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
Developments Would Halt in Flagler, Devastating Economy, If County Voids School-Planning Accord
If the Flagler County Commission makes good on bailing from a crucial joint agreement with cities and the school board on school construction on Sept. 1, without a new agreement in place, it would be potentially devastating to the local economy: many local developments would stop. People would be out of work. The local economy would be needlessly jolted. The commission will decide later this month whether to agree to a later deadline enabling a new agreement to be in place by then.
2 Years of Probation for Woman Whose Dangerous Pitbull Bit Off Part of Child’s Nose
Melissa Gilham, 45, had faced a third-degree felony after bringing her dangerous dog to a running event in Palm Coast, without muzzling or designating it as such. The dog bit an 8-year-old girl, unprovoked, who had to undergo at least two surgeries to repair her nose.
School Board’s Colleen Conklin Rips Into ‘Inappropriate’ Developers’ Involvement in Policy Negotiations
The long-simmering tension between the school district and home builders surfaced today as Conklin addressed it directly, challenging the way developers have sought to influence public policy in the county and on the school board.
Solution in Sight in Months-Long Conflict Over School Construction as Halt to Big Developments Looms
A compromise proposal suggested by School Board member Trevor Tucker may resolve a conflict that has divided Flagler County government and the School Board, along with some of the county’s cities, over how builders and developers are billed for school construction. Absent a resolution, more than a dozen large developments could be brought to a halt.
Joe Mullins Declares Himself and His Companies ‘Insolvent,’ ‘Riddled with Debt’ and ‘Potentially Bankrupt’
County Commissioner Joe Mullins in court pleadings and testimony claims he has a net worth of negative $675,000, that his companies are juggling debt, his Ferrari and Mercedes vehicles are under water, and that he may be bankrupt. The self-portrait of relative indigence contrasts with his claims as a successful businessman and steward of the county’s finances, and appear to differ from his financial disclosure form filed filed ahead of this year’s election.
Greg Hansen, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Greg Hansen is a Republican candidate for Flagler County Commission, District 2 primary on Aug. 23. He faces Janet McDonald and Denise Calderwood. All registered voters in the county, regardless of party affiliation, get to cast a vote in this race, which will decide the next commissioner.
Matanzas High School Addition Leads $165 Million in Planned School Construction Over Next 5 Years
The Flagler County school district is tentatively projecting to spend $18 million for an expansion of Matanzas High School, $70 million for a new middle school and $77 million for a new high school over the next five years, not including additional millions for ongoing maintenance.
We Need More Homes and Apartments in Palm Coast. A Lot More.
With the median price of a home at $400,000 and fewer than six weeks’ inventory, Palm Coast is in an affordable housing crisis. Existing residents are exacerbating the crisis by opposing developments, opposing smaller-lot homes and opposing apartment complexes. It’s hypocritical and untenable.
Janet McDonald, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Janet McDonald is one of three the Republican candidates for Flagler County Commission, District 2, facing incumbent Greg Hansen and Denise Calderwood in the Aug. 23 primary.
In Hammock, $1.4 Million Paving of Dirt Roads in Rustic Neighborhood Draws Sharp Opposition
The Flagler County Commission in a 4-1 vote approved paving and building drainage improvements around some dirt roads branching from Apache Drive in the Hammock, a project several years in the making, even as hammock residents disputed the county’s claims of flooding issues and opposed paving.
Sally Hunt, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Sally Hunt is challenging incumbent Jill Woolbright in the District 1 race for Flagler County School Board. They are among seven candidates running for three seats on the school board.
Jill Woolbright, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Jill Woolbright is the incumbent candidate in the District 1 race for Flagler County School Board, running against Sally Hunt. Seven candidates are running for three school board seats.
As Commissioner Andy Dance Again Cites ‘Lines of Decorum’ Getting Crossed, Don O’Brien Walks Off
Flagler County Commissioner Andy Dance today pointed to yet another crossing of “the lines of decorum” by fellow-Commissioner Joe Mullins, and again called for a retreat so commissioners could get on the same page of decorum and procedures, only for Don O’Brien to walk off the dais and other commissioners to ignore him. It was the latest example of a commission chronically enabling conflict and corrosion over respect.
Gas Prices Below $4, Big Oil Profits Set Massive Records, Flagler Commissioners Gripe of Higher Local Costs
Gas prices in Palm Coast are a shade under $4 and not far from the Florida average of $3.93 a gallon, though Flagler County Commissioners want an explanation from the agriculture commissioner as to why higher prices continue in the county. Oil company profits, meanwhile, again shatter records.
Open Enrollment for Flagler Youth Orchestra’s After-School Strings Program
The Flagler Youth Orchestra Strings Program, a special project of the Flagler County School District, is launching its eighteenth season, with ongoing open enrollment for all Flagler County students ages 8 and up. An open house and information session will be held August 31 at the Flagler Auditorium.
Recovery of 90% of Human Skeleton Ends Toscana Subdivision Dig for Mystery Remains
Sheriff Rick Staly announced that the dig was declared over after the effort recovered 90 percent of a human skeleton. The investigation now enters a different stage, with efforts focused on identification through the use of DNA technology. Staly said that every missing-person file at the Sheriff’s Office includes DNA samples against which the find at Toscana will be tested.
10 Years After 1st Built, Belle Terre Pedestrian Bridge Replacement Project Underway
Replacement of the pedestrian bridge on Belle Terre Parkway just south of Buddy Taylor Middle School is underway, with demolition and replacement efforts being conducted by Custom Built Marine Construction, with oversight from the City of Palm Coast’s Stormwater & Engineering Department.
As Flagler Records Its First Case of Monkeypox, Florida and U.S. Cases Keep Rising
Florida is closing in on 400 monkeypox cases as of Friday, with the largest number of cases in South Florida and other urban settings. Flagler County recorded its first case this week. The United States is nearing 5,000 cases, more than in any country outside of endemic zones.
Crista Rainey Is State Association’s Officer of the Year, Capping Near-Sweep for Flagler Sheriff
Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy Crista Rainey, a seven-year veteran, combined bravery, life-saving and compassion on duty as she was named the Florida Sheriff’s Association’s Law Enforcement Officer of the Year.
Possible In-Patient Facility for Addicts in Place of Former Sheriff’s ‘Mold-Ops’ Raises Some Eyebrows
An in-patient drug-treatment facility that closed in St. Augustine is planning to re-open at the former, once mold-plagued Sheriff’s operations center off State Road 100. The sheriff had to abandon the building in 2018. The for-profit facility would be run by Dr. Duke Vinson.
There Will Be No Inquisition of Flagler Beach Mayor Suzie Johnston
Three Flagler Beach city commissioners had called for a special workshop to discuss what they perceived as Mayor Suzie Johnston overstepping her role. After conversations with City Attorney Drew Smith, the commissioners pulled back on holding that workshop this evening.
Over a Decade in the Making, Water Oak Road’s Paving in West Flagler Is Driving to Completion
Then-Flagler County Commissioner Nate McLaughlin had promised West Flagler residents that Water Oak Road would start getting paved in 2012. It did, but it’s only next month that the project he’d pushed for then will finally be completed with state and federal dollars.
City Repertory Theatre Hopscotches Through Love’s Multiverse with ‘Constellations’
The play, running Thursday through Sunday at Palm Coast’s City Repertory Theatre, is a 2012 comedy-drama by British playwright Nick Payne about the romantic ups and downs of a beekeeper and a theoretical physicist. The couple in “Constellations” take a trip down the rabbit hole of the multiverse, that freaky theory that posits there are an infinite number of parallel universes which exist simultaneously, and may be quite similar to or radically different from the one you and I inhabit.
Man Faces Felony for Forcibly Removing from Home 11-Year-Old Trying to Protect His Mother
Charles Morgan Sanders, 42, faces a felony child abuse charge and a domestic battery charge after he forcibly removed an 11-year-old boy from a P-Section house. Sanders was in a confrontation with the boy’s mother when the boy tried to intervene, further angering Sanders.
Lance Alred, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Lance Alred is one of seven candidates in three races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 23 primary election, one of three in the District 2 race. He faces Will Furry and Courtney VandeBunte. All Flagler voters, regardless of party affiliation and address, may cast a ballot in these races.
Unexpected Death of Dr. Bulic, Medical Examiner for Flagler and 2 Other Counties, Triggers Key Process
Dr. Predrag Bulic, the chief medical examiner for Flagler, St. Johns and Putnam counties–a position as low profile as it is critical to the justice system and families in the determination of the cause of death of thousands of individuals each year–died unexpectedly over the weekend of a severe stroke. His replacement’s highly political appointment will involve some of the top elected law enforcement and judicial officials in Flagler, St. Johns and Putnam counties.
Flagler Judge Melissa Distler Named President-Elect of Florida Conference of County Court Judges
Flagler County Court Judge D. Melissa Distler, in her 10th year on the bench, was elected President-Elect of the Florida Conference of County Court Judges last week at the judges’ summer education conference in Bonita Springs. Distler will be sworn in in July 2024, presiding over the conferences 335 county judges from 67 counties.
Joe Mullins, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Joe Mullins is a Republican candidate for Flagler County Commission, District 4 primary on Aug. 23. He faces Leann Pennington. Mullins has declined participation in the Live Interview.
Renner Embraces Anti-‘Woke’ Rhetoric and DeSantis Sees Red at GOP’s Sunshine Summit
Renner, who highlighted continued work to expand school choice, also said more attention is needed to address corporate pushes toward what are known as environmental, social and governance principles, which often include favoring investment in green energy over fossil fuels.
Two Boys, 15 at Time of Brutal Armed Home Invasion in Palm Coast, Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison
They were 15 years old–15, when Korie Jones and Darius Watts left their separate homes to join Carlos Dupree and a fourth man on a criminal scheme: to terrorize, brutalize and rob a Palm Coast family at gunpoint. They looked and acted every bit their age if not younger as they sat for their sentencing in court this afternoon at the Flagler County courthouse.
Palm Coast Pitches Breakthrough That Could End County Clash with District Over School Construction
The working group of local government staffers struggling to craft a formula requiring developers and builders to pay their fair share had a breakthrough at its last meeting, devising a new formula that could resolve a conflict and prevent the county from reaching the point where a lot of further development could be stopped, because of the absence of a formal agreement.
Christy Chong, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Christy Chong is one of seven candidates in three races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 23 primary election, opposing incumbent Trevor Tucker. all Flagler voters, regardless of party affiliation and address, may cast a ballot in these races.
Trevor Tucker, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Trevor Tucker is one of seven candidates in three races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 23 primary election. He is opposed by Christy Chong. All Flagler voters, regardless of party affiliation and address, may cast a ballot in these races.
Flagler Supervisor of Elections Is Looking For a Few Good Poll Workers
The Flagler County Supervisor of Elections Office needs you to work this year. Election poll workers are men and women who work at the polling places during Early Voting and on Election Day. They are a critical part of the election process.
Fresh From Hung Jury, Kwentel Moultrie Turns Down Another Deal on Rape Charge and Heads for Re-Trial
Kwentel Moultrie, who faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted, and a lifetime designation as a predator, spoke as if he had no reason to deal, and opted this morning for trial in a month after declining the prosecution’s latest offer to plead out his rape charge–and going against his own motion for a speedy trial.
Palm Coast United Methodist Church Takes Another Step Toward New Matanzas Woods Campus
Some 50 congregants of Palm Coast United Methodist Church gathered Wednesday for the groundbreaking of their new 25,500 square foot, $7.1 million campus at the southeast corner of Matanzas Woods Parkway and Belle Terre Parkway.
Joe Mullins Falsely Claims 2 Associations of Retired Cops Support Him, Drawing Sharp Disavowals
Reeling from publicity about his disrespect of Florida Highway Patrol troopers, Joe Mullins falsely claimed on Facebook this week that he had the “support” of local organizations of retired police officers, drawing disavowals from the presidents of both organizations and being forced to reword the post, which he still got wrong.
In Silver Lining for Flagler Beach, $25,000 Not Spent on Fireworks Redirected to Dodge Dunes Campaign
At the behest of Flagler Beach Commissioner Ken Bryan, Flagler’s Tourist Development Council this morning agreed by consensus to award some or all of the $25,000 that the city did not spend on its ill-fated July 4 fireworks show back to efforts focused on the Dodge the Dunes campaign, primarily in Flagler Beach.
Palm Coast Lands $739,000 Grant for Regional Recreation Center Through Tourism Council
Flagler County’s Tourist Development council this morning approved a $739,000 grant for Palm Coast government’s ongoing expansion of the city’s tennis center off Belle Terre Parkway into a Southern Regional Recreation Center, with a new and park-like trailhead, a community center, and a dozen pickleball courts. The grant will defray the cost of the pickleball courts.
Costco in St. Augustine Opens on Aug. 3 Near Buc-ee’s, Halving Distance for Palm Coast Shoppers
The new Costco is about a 34-mile distance from the intersection of I-95 and Palm Coast Parkway. Until now, Flagler County shoppers’ Costco options were either at a warehouse at the south end of Jacksonville, about 65 miles away, or in Altamonte Springs, 70 miles away.
The Music Plays On: School Board Renews Flagler Youth Orchestra, with Call for Indefinite Support
The Flagler County School Board Tuesday evening voted 5-0 to renew funding for the Flagler Youth Orchestra for an 18th year after hearing pleas and plaudits from some 20 community members, former and current participants and parents.
Human Remains Found at Toscana Development Off Old Kings Road in Palm Coast
Flagler County Sheriff’s detectives and partner agencies are investigating the discovery of human remains at a construction site expanding the Toscana subdivision off Old Kings Road in Palm Coast, Sheriff Rick Staly said this afternoon.
Palm Coast’s Chelsea Hawk, 39, Dies of Crash Injuries, as Does 12-Year-Old Son
Chelsea Hawk, a 39-year-old mother of three young children and one grown son and a fierce political activist, died late Monday night at Halifax hospital from injuries sustained in a car crash off I-95 Sunday. He 12-year-old son Died Tuesday.
Curtain Calls for Flagler Youth Orchestra as School Board Frets Either Encores or Coda
The Flagler County School Board this evening votes on whether to renew the Flagler Youth Orchestra for its 18th year. Renewal was not in question in previous years, as it has been this year. A former superintendent, parents, community members at large, current and former FYO student participants sent numerous letters and emails to school board members.
15 Years in Prison for Ian Davis as Child Victim of His Abuse Indicts Those Who Disbelieved or Blamed Her
Just before Ian Davis of Palm Coast was sentenced to 15 years in prison for molesting his 14-year-old niece, she described, in a remarkable impact statement, how her own grandmother disbelieved her and her own pastor turned the blame on her.
Alphonso Joseph, 48, Pastor at Bunnell Church, Charged With Molesting Teen on Golf Course
Alphonso Joseph, a 48-year-old Palm Coast resident and pastor associated with several Bunnell churches and spiritual organizations, was arrested Friday and charged with molesting a 15-year-old boy in a vehicle on the Matanzas Woods Golf Course.
Eddie Branquinho Walked Out of Palm Coast Council for Attention, and May Run for Mayor in 2 Years
Calling his move a pre-meditated ploy for attention, Palm Coast City council member Eddie Branquinho says he will be returning to council meetings after storming out at the beginning of last week’s workshop, and may run for mayor, challenging David Alfin, in two years.
As Joe Mullins Draws National Embarrassment Over Troopergate, Pennington Trounces Him in Straw Poll
It’s been the worst week of Joe Mullins’s nearly-four year tenure on the Flagler County Commission, less than six weeks from the Aug. 23 primary, with a Republican Party straw poll showing him far behind challenger Leann Pennington and major national media reporting on his abuse of authority with Florida Highway Patrol troopers.
Flagler Beach Commission Again Clashes, Reducing Mayor to Tears and Lawyering Up Over Roles
Flagler Beach commissioners today in a budget workshop again clashed sharply over Mayor Suzie Johnston’s, and commissioners’, respective roles, several of them charging that Johnston is overstepping her authority. The clash ended what only the night before had been a pledge on the panel to “reset” and seek a more collegial approach.