Bob Snyder, who heads the state-controlled Flagler County Health Department, said he expects some more doses next week, but he doesn’t know how many, while the head of state emergency management blamed the federal government’s rollout, detailing its obstacles, in unusually blunt language for a member of the DeSantis administration.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
Sedition Is Not a 1st Amendment Right, and There’s No Comparison With BLM Marches
Mob participants claim they were only exercising their First Amendment right to protest, and that Black Lives Matter protests and riots didn’t draw the same scrutiny. Both narratives are factual and moral frauds that hide behind liberal rationales to perpetrate reactionary lies and justify the unconscionable.
After Molesting Her Mother Years Ago, Palm Coast Man, 70, Accused of Molesting Her Daughter, 15
James Lee McIntire of Florida Park Drive in Palm Coast faces a second-degree felony charge of molestation of a girl who’d been in his charge and who stayed with him every summer for 10 years.
Flagler Detectives Shut Down Bunnell Business Allegedly Used as Drug House, and Owned by Trafficker
Rodney Levon Hill, a 43-year-old resident of 17 Renmont Court in Palm Coast, was running a detailing business from a storefront on Hibiscus Avenue in Bunnell which the sheriff’s office says he used to sell drugs.
10 Republicans Join Democratic Majority to Impeach Trump for 2nd Time Over Insurrection; Waltz Votes No
U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz, the Republican representing Flagler County and surrounding areas, voted No. He had been among 125 Republican members of Congress and others beyond Congress baselessly calling the election of Joe Biden fraudulent.
Covid Vaccine Now Available to 65 and Over at 4 Publix Stores in Palm Coast and Flagler Beach
Publix Supermarkets is making “a limited number of Covid-19 vaccines” available at four Publix stores in Flagler County starting now. But as has been the case with vaccines offered by local health departments in Flagler and elsewhere, all available vaccine appointments were snapped up as soon as they were made available.
Big Savings and Unexpected Revenue Allow Palm Coast to Hire 2 More Cops and Restore Raises Despite Covid
Palm Coast’s ultra-conservative fiscal management is allowing the city to hire two additional sheriff’s deputies, restore employee raises, and restore the city manager’s own raise, which he had declined last year on the approach of Covid’s era of uncertainty.
Covid and Quarantines Force Flagler Beach City Commission to Cancel Its Meeting Thursday
After its interim city manager and a building department employee tested positive for the coronavirus, the city got a recommendation from the health department to not hold the meeting as some city officials who may have been exposed to infected personnel are required to be under quarantine until the weekend.
‘Zero Doses’ of Vaccines for Flagler This Week, ‘Few If Any’ Over Next 5 as Covid Surges Amid Warnings of Bleak Months
The state is sending what little supply of vaccines it has elsewhere for the next five weeks: The Villages qualify, Flagler does not. So even people due for their second shot may not get it as Flagler County’s Covid numbers surge to their worst levels yet. Bob Snyder, who heads the Flagler County Health Department, spoke as if at a wake when he updated government officials this morning, and in many ways it was.
Flagler Commissioners Again Give Defiant Mullins a Pass as Dance’s Call to Talk of ‘Behavior’ Gets Tepid Reception
County commissioners–who three times last year refused to discipline or censure Mullins–again mostly declined to address his recent talk of beheading liberals or sponsoring a trip to Washington, with one exception: newly-seated Commissioner Andy Dance recommended a commission “retreat” to discuss “commission norms, expectations and behavior or procedures.”
A Woman Is Shot in Palm Coast’s B Section, Her Partner Is Arrested, But For Different Reasons
Nicholas Edward LeBlanc, 36, of 6 Buffalo Bill Drive in Palm Coast, told deputies the shooting of his partner was accidental, though he gave conflicting accounts. He was arrested on charges of possessing a firearm by a convicted felon.
Ken Bryan, the Flagler Beach City Commissioner, Says Joe Mullins Violated Oath By Sponsoring Trip Before Insurrection
Addressing the Flagler County Commission this morning, and with Joe Mullins on the dais, Bryan said Mullins should resign his commission seat after calling on fellow-citizens to be beheaded and sponsoring a group of dozens to Washington last week, where the Capitol was overrun by a mob in an insurrection that went from rhetorical to violent.
Jon Netts, Longest-Serving Palm Coast Mayor and Council Member, the City’s Towering Founder, Dies at 78
Jon Netts, whose 15 years on the Palm Coast City Council shaped the young city and set the standard for measured, commanding and dignified leadership, died this evening at AdventHealth Palm Coast of complications from Covid-19. He was 78.
Three Floridians So Far Among 13 Arrested in Assault on U.S. Capitol
Three men identified as Floridians are among 13 individuals arrested for federal crimes involving the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. The U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday that Matthew Council of Riverview, Michael Curzio of Summerfield and Douglas Sweet were charged as part of an on-going investigation into the destruction of the building.
A Day of Grim Covid Records in Flagler County and the Nation as Local Hospital Is in ‘Red Status’ and Vaccines Dry Up
Flagler County’s coronavirus case load broke another record this week for the fourth successive week, with a quarter of the pandemic’s cases confirmed in just the last four weeks, overburdening local hospitals and triggering a “red status” there, meaning a triage system for certain procedures. Their vaccine supply depleted, Flagler officials have “no idea” when it will be replenished.
2 Arrested in ‘Targeted’ Circle K Murder in 2019 Following Extensive Investigation of 15 Months
A 15-month-long murder investigation the Flagler County sheriff called “the most extensive” in county history ended Thursday with the arrest of two men charged in the hit-style shooting at the Circle K on Palm Coast Parkway in October 2019. The shooting left Deon O’Neal Jenkins, 25, dead, and a friend injured.
Flagler Emergency Chief on Vaccines: ‘We Are Doing Our Best with the Resources that We Have’
Flagler County Emergency Management Chief Jonathan Lord explains the county’s covid-19 vaccine response, its constraints, what it’s learned from the experience and what lies ahead in the rollout.
Flagler Commissioners Strongly Repudiate Mullins Letter On County Letterhead Disputing Biden Election
Flagler County Commissioner Joe Mullins used commission letterhead, without other commissioners’ approval, to plagiarize a letter and send it to Florida’s congressional delegation, repeating baseless, false, misleading, conspiratorial and widely discredited claims that Biden’s election was fraudulent.
3-2 Vote Clears 268-Home Development on Matanzas Golf Course, But With Severe Restrictions
The plan the Palm Coast City Council approved strikes at the heart of the proposal, denying the developer authority to develop a key tract and upholding the city administration’s interpretation of protected golf views.
Flagler Auditorium Announces Lineup of Live and Multimedia Shows Celebrating the Community
Flagler Auditorium pays tribute to the vibrant Flagler County community with a special line-up of programs celebrating its history, artists, service organizations, and heroes starting later this month.
Gardens Development Agreement to Pay $719,000 to Offset School Overcrowding Raises ‘Worrisome’ Questions of Accuracy
Calling it “worrisome” and “nebulous,” Flagler County School Board members said today they are not ready to sign off on an agreement with the planned 335-home Gardens development on John Anderson Highway that would offset projected overcrowding costs in the district’s schools.
Fate of 268-Home Development on Matanzas Golf Course May Be Decided Tonight, But Hurdle Remains
The city says the developer has no legal right to build on one of 10 golf course tracts. The developer says he does. City staff is recommending approving the development as a whole, but against development on the disputed tract. The council will have to arbitrate, and in doing so, it will have to interpret the language of its Land Development Code.
Flagler Vaccine Slots Run Out Within Minutes as Callers Overwhelm County; New Local Cases Rage Out of Control
Appointments for a little over 900 vaccine doses available in Flagler for people 65 and over were snapped up within minutes this afternoon, leaving thousands disappointed, angry and questioning the rollout, though Flagler health and county officials are not responsible for the shortage of vaccines distributed locally so far.
Witness and Deputy Pull Crash Victim Away from Flames on Palm Coast Parkway
Christina M. Atwell, 42, a witness who was first at the scene of the crash, was helping the victim and was soon joined by Flagler County Sheriff Austin Darlymple to pull 18-year-old Tyler C. Jacques away from flames that had engulfed his moped and the car that struck him.
On WNZF, Flagler County Commissioner Joe Mullins Calls for Beheading Liberals
A few minutes into his latest weekly infomercial on WNZF radio Saturday morning, Joe Mullins, the Flagler County commissioner, called for the beheading of liberals while decrying responses to the Covid-19 pandemic.
600 Are Vaccinated at Flagler County Fairgrounds in 1st of Many Rounds As Crush of Cars Stretches to U.S. 1
Flagler County’s first large-scale vaccination event drew health care workers and people 65 and over. No one was turned away at the Flagler County Fairgrounds, where the next round is expected Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, but by appointment only.
Palm Coast Residents Invited to Take Part in Survey on City Government
City of Palm Coast residents are invited to give input to help shape the future of Palm Coast by taking the 2020-2021 Citizen Survey from Friday, Jan. 1, through Sunday, Jan. 31.
More Than 2,900 Health Care Workers Died This Year. The Government Barely Kept Track.
Fatalities from the coronavirus among health workers have skewed young, with the majority of victims under age 60. People of color have been disproportionately affected, accounting for about 65% of deaths. Yet disinformation continues to paint the wrong picture about who’s dying.
Festive New Year Atmosphere as Flagler County’s 1st Responders and Health Department Workers Get Vaccines
It was a festive atmosphere Tuesday afternoon in a classroom of Flagler County’s Emergency Operations Center, temporarily converted into a shooting gallery: over the course of an hour, some 20 people, most of them firefighter-paramedics, some of them Department of Health employees, sat for their first shot of the Covid-19 vaccine, Moderna edition.
Sharp-Eyed Policing on Christmas Leads to Man Packing Gallon-Sized Pot Stash and Buffet of Drugs
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office halted two alleged criminals in their tracks over the Christmas weekend by proactively investigating suspicious circumstances.
In-Person Jury Trials Suspended in Flagler Until at Least Late January as Covid Trolls
There will be no in-person jury trials in Flagler County until at least January 19 due to the very high incidence of coronavirus cases in the county. The county in the week ending last Saturday broke yet another record in confirmed cases for the previous seven days, with a total of 270, and a cumulative total exceeding 3,500.
More Than 1,000 Covid Vaccines Arrive at Flagler Health Department, Inoculations of 1st Responders Start Tuesday
The Flagler County Health Department on Monday took delivery of more than 1,000 vials of Moderna Covid-19 vaccine. Inoculations begin Tuesday and Wednesday with first responders and health care workers. It’s still not exactly known when doses will arrive for people 65 and over, who are next in line for the vaccine, but it’ll be soon.
The Trump Administration’s Final Push to Make It Easier for Religious Employers to Discriminate
Last-minute policies on religious freedom clear the way for employers to hire on the basis of faith. Some of the changes won’t be easy for Biden to undo.
Ahead of Frigid Christmas Nights, Beachfront Grille Cooks Up 150 Meals for Homeless and Needy
Beachfront Grille in Flagler Beach teamed up with the Sheltering Tree, the cold-weather shelter for the homeless, and Mayor Linda Provencher to provide 150 Christmas meals for the homeless and the needy.
Sheriff’s Deputies and Fire Flight Searching for Man in Palm Coast’s R-Section Following Armed Disturbance
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office this morning responded to a disturbance call on Rainbow Lane, involving a weapon. The firearm was located and not discharged, and there were no injuries. But the suspect fled on foot.
56-Year-Old Flagler Beach Man Surrenders Peacefully After Night of Threats and Barricading Himself For a Siege
Timothy Gibson, 56, who has a significant criminal history in the county, was arrested after a night of allegedly threatening to kill three women (his wife and daughter among them) and barricading himself with weapons against law enforcement in a siege of several hours.
Going Against CDC, DeSantis Orders Vaccine Priority for 65 and Older, Not Teachers and Other Essential Workers
The DeSantis order contradicts Centers for Disease Control guidelines issued on Tuesday that recommend that, once health care and long-term care workers and residents have received the vaccine, the next groups should not be defined only by age, but also by critical front-line jobs, including teachers and school employees, and underlying conditions.
Local Governments Seek Re-Hearing in Federal Case That Allowed ‘Conversion Therapy’ Targeting LGBTQ Youths
Local Florida ordinances that a federal court found unconstitutional had barred therapists from providing treatment or counseling that is designed to change minors’ sexual orientation or gender identity. Critics of such therapy say it harms minors who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.
Internal Tally Puts Flagler’s Covid Deaths at 50, Two More Than Public Dashboard; 4 Connected to Social Club
The internal Florida Health Department spreadsheet, obtained by FlaglerLive, consolidates some previously undisclosed information and much information that had been disclosed to some extent in different ways and places previously.
Covid Deaths in Flagler at 47, Week’s Positive Cases Shatter Record in Evidence of Thanksgiving Spike as Vaccines Arrive
The 220 confirmed positive coronavirus cases in Flagler County in the week ending Saturday set a new single-week record in the county since the pandemic began in February. Local health officials caution that the numbers may get worse with Christmas and cold weather ahead, and broad-based vaccination still weeks away.
Covid Testing Schedule and Locations in Flagler-Palm Coast Through the End of the Year
The Florida Department of Health in Flagler County reaffirmed its weekday Covid-19 testing schedule for the weeks leading up to and following the Christmas and New Year holidays.
Taser Twice Fails to Stop Alleged Assailant as Flagler Sheriff’s Deputies Faces Suicide-by-Cop Situation
Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy Benjamin Stamps and other deputies on Sunday morning had a perilous encounter with a seemingly suicidal individual who would have normally been Baker Acted, but ended up facing numerous charges for allegedly assaulting the officers as he sought to be shot by the deputies. Stamps’s Taser twice failed to stop the individual in the encounter.
Court’s Conservatives Are Right: Pandemic Limits on Houses of Worship Are Unconstitutional
The Supreme Court’s ruling overturning its own recent precedent to forbid attendance limits at houses of worship because of Covid was not an ideological decision so much as a victory for the First Amendment that liberals should be thankful for.
Man, 61, Killed in Midnight Crash at US 1 and Royal Palms; ‘Alcohol and Cocaine All Over the Car’
A 61-year-old man was killed in a single-vehicle crash on U.S. 1 and Royal Palms Parkway in Palm Coast shortly after midnight this morning. The cause of the crash is not known for now.
TR, as FPC Principal Tom Russell Was Known to Most, Is Celebrated as Learner, Leader, Tweeter and Jovial, Heroic Dad
James Tom Russell, who died on Dec. 9 after leading Flagler Palm Coast High School for just a year and a half after a long career in leadership of Volusia County schools, was celebrated at a memorial at Jackie Robinson Stadium Friday evening with broad-ranging affection and admiration.
Man Arrested in Armed Road Rage Incident on Belle Terre Faces New Charge of Armed Burglary
The new charge against Robert Wilson, 21, of Palm Coast was related to a May 26 incident where Wilson is alleged to have threatened individuals with an ax after entering their home on Rolls Royce Court in Palm Coast, uninvited.
DeSantis Passes Over Rendzio and Names Kenny Janesk Judge in 7th Judicial Circuit, Which Includes Flagler
Janesk has been a prosecutor in the Seventh Circuit State Attorney’s Office since 2011, working as the managing attorney of the Putnam County office. The appointment fills the position vacated by Circuit Judge Patti A. Christensen, who stepped down at the end of September.
Flagler’s Unemployment Rate Ticks Back Up, Florida’s Stalls as Covid’s Effects Take Economic Toll
Flagler County’s unemployment rate in November rose slightly to 5.9 percent, from a revised 5.5 percent in October, as Florida’s rate remained unchanged at 6.4 percent, signaling a deepening stall of economic activity since summer’s end as the coronavirus continues to take a human and economic toll in the state: seasonal hiring has not materialized as it has in less diseased years.
On Eve of Tom Russell Memorial, School Board’s McDonald Downplays Covid Deaths and Calls for ‘Backing Off This Fear’ of Virus
Flagler County School Board member Janet McDonald falsely claimed at a workshop that overall deaths are down this year, that masks are harmful, testing unreliable, and that the district should focus on “wellness” rather than additionally “ramp-up” safety measures. She did so days from the memorial for Tom Russell, the FPC principal who died of complications from Covid.
Flagler Schools Will Replace Most Covid-Positive Alert Letters With Web-Based Dashboard Updated Daily
A new dashboard tracking positive Covid cases throughout the school district will go live Jan. 4. Parents and others have grown increasingly jaded with the Flagler school district’s drizzle of notification letters whenever positive Covid cases are confirmed.