Palm Coast government is proposing an ambitious, multimillion transformation of the city’s tennis center off Belle Terre Parkway into a “Regional Racquet Center” featuring 42 tennis and pickleball courts, a clubhouse, space for events and other amenities. But the plan is based on largely speculative assertions of need even as tennis declines as a sport and the school board is rethinking its own racquet club’s future.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
‘Inattentive’ Palm Coast City Council Member Victor Barbosa Cited in T-Bone Crash in F Section
Palm Coast City Council member Victor Barbosa was cited for inattention in a t-bone crash he provoked last week at the intersection of Old Kings Road and Forest Grove Drive in Palm Coast.
Almost a Quarter of Flagler Is Vaccinated, But Cases Rise; CDC Says Fully Vaccinated May Unmask In Some Cases
As the CDC issues mask guidelines that provide some relief for those fully vaccinated, Flagler County nears the 25 percent mark for those who have at least one shot, but new cases of covid have spiked for the third straight week, signaling a still-raging pandemic.
Three Palm Coast Teens, 16 and 17, Accused of Terrorizing and Beating an Autistic Woman
Three teens, ages 16 and 17, face a list of felony and misdemeanor charges after allegedly briefly imprisoning and terrorizing a 19-year-old autistic and developmentally disabled woman in a car in a W-Section cul de sac in Palm Coast.
Why We Can’t Make Vaccine Doses Any Faster
President Biden has promised enough doses for all American adults by this summer. There’s not much even the Defense Production Act can do to deliver doses before then.
The Golden Rule Is Not Cancel Culture
The Dr. Seuss estate’s decision to pull six books from reprints has nothing to do with cancel culture. That pair of terms has become its own dogmatic dumbbell anyway. Our misplaced nostalgia for books we were so fond of isn’t more important than the golden rule of looking out for our neighbors, to whom the same nostalgia translates as insult or put-down.
Now Florida’s Only 2nd All-American Road, Storied A1A Has Long Navigated Between Quaint and Crass
State Road A1A is now an All-American Road, adding to the road’s paradoxes of beauty and history on one side and and relentless commercialization and development on the other, though the same people who applaud its scenic designation are also those who endanger it most.
Vast Voucher Expansion Would Include Homeschooled and Private-School Students, at Taxpayers’ Expense
The plan would allow students who have never been enrolled in public schools to participate in the tax-supported program. The expansion would include students who attend private or religious school or are homeschooled.
County Attorney Raises Prospect of Jail for Dennis McDonald Over Protracted Contempt of Court
County Attorney Al Hadeed on Monday raised the prospect of jail for Dennis McDonald, the former candidate for various offices, if McDonald remains in contempt of court over a charge of $80,000 plus interest in legal fees he owes Flagler County government.
Scaling ‘Dramatization,’ Indian Trails Middle’s Daniel Belkin Wins Flagler Spelling Bee and Will Compete Statewide
Indian Trails Middle School 7th grader Daniel Belkin was declared the winner, spelling the word “dramatization.” Cal Zwirn, a Bunnell Elementary 5th grader was runner-up, slipping up on the word “centipede” in the 16th round.
Woman Said to Have Mental Issues Attempts to Abduct a 3-Year-Old Child in Palm Coast’s W Section
Zarut Jean Pierre-Theolin, a 26-year-old resident of nearby 60 Wellwood Lane, entered the house on Wellham uninvited Wednesday, grabbed a 3-year-old child by the arm in front of his mother and tried to walk off with him, saying, “this is my baby.”
Pro-Trump ‘Rally’ Planned Without a Permit Near Palm Coast City Hall Has Building in Tizzy
Palm Coast city officials learned on Monday that an obscure out-of-town group was planning a “rally” on City Hall property, and that Flagler Commissioner Joe Mullins had directed them there. The city had not issued a permit, and declined to do so on such short-notice.
Palm Coast Council Retreats On Closing Slow Way in Seminole Woods, Seeking More Input
Two weeks after voting to close Slow Way, a tiny road connecting Slow Drift Turn with County Road 325 in Seminole Woods, the Palm Coast City Council voted 5-0 to table the issue after being subjected to a long stream of resident voices in opposition to the closure.
Sharply Rebuking More McDonald Falsehoods, School Board Says No Mask-Rule Changes This Year
School Board member Janet McDonald was again the outlier on Tuesday as she pressed for a relaxation of mask rules while repeating falsehoods about masks and vaccines. Superintendent Cathy Mittelstadt took her strongest stand yet, saying the district would not alter its current covid-safety protocols. A majority of the school board agreed.
Suzie Johnston Is Flagler Beach’s New Mayor; Eric Cooley Is Re-Elected Commissioner
Suzie Johnston was elected mayor with over 50 percent of the vote in a three-way race and Eric Cooley won re-election with 54 percent of the vote, defeating Paul Harrington.
It’s a County Priority, But Quest to Bring Broadband to Flagler’s West Side Runs Into County Hurdles
County Commissioner Joe Mullins is seeking county staff’s help with an informal broadband “task force” he leads to land a grant that could improve internet services on the west side, raising questions about the extent to which the county can get involved in a group it has not formally recognized or knew much about even though broadband access is now a county priority.
More Than Half of Flagler’s Seniors Have Been Vaccinated, But County’s Covid Deaths Now at 92
So far 19,311 of Flagler County’s 36,500 people who are 65 and over have been vaccinated with at least one shot, representing 53 percent of the senior population (age 65 and over), up from 45 percent seven days ago.
What Do You Want From Your Next Garbage Hauler? Palm Coast Surveys Your Preferences.
Palm Coast will be considering whether to stick with Waste Pro for the next five years, alter its contract, including recycling or number of weekly pick-ups, or go with a new garbage hauler . The city is seeking residents’ input about what they want from their hauler.
County Administrator Leaves in June. Four Commissioners Aren’t Interested in Planning for Replacement Yet.
Flagler County Administrator Jerry Cameron announced last month he’d be retiring by June’s end, a relatively short time as far as finding a replacement is concerned. Commissioner Andy Dance is interested in starting a process for his replacement. Dance’s colleagues, in a startling rebuke of deliberate planning, aren’t interested yet.
Two Palm Coast Teens Arrested in ‘Prank’ Bomb Threat at KFC and BB-Gun Shooting Spree
Christian Boyd, 18, and Kyle Sanderson, 16, thought they were just pranking as they called in a bomb threat at a KFC and went on a BB shooting spree the next day that injured a teen and damaged two cars in Palm Coast.
A Driver’s License and a Beer: Tax Collector Will Open New Location Next to Brown Dog Pub at St. Joe Plaza
The Flagler County Tax Collector will replaced its closed branch location at the Staples shopping center with a new branch at St. Joe Plaza on Palm Coast Parkway later this month.
When You Get Your Chance for a Covid Vaccine, Don’t Worry About Effectiveness Numbers
When getting vaccinated against covid-19, there’s no sense being picky. You should take the first authorized vaccine that’s offered, experts say, whether it’s Moderna, Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson, no matter what the effectiveness numbers say.
Stampeding Elephants! Raging Typhoons! Runaway Trains! City Rep Theatre Goes ‘Around the World in 80 Days’
A handful of actors play dozens of roles in City Repertory Theatre’s new production of Jules Verne’s “Around the World in 80 Days” at the outdoors, socially distanced stage in Palm Coast’s Town Center of the Palm Coast Arts Foundation this weekend.
Flagler Beach Commission Candidate Paul Harrington Hospitalized With Grave Illness, Upending Election
Paul Harrington, a candidate in next Tuesday’s election for the Flagler Beach City Commission, was hospitalized Sunday, has been largely incapacitated by a grave illness and was undergoing surgery for the removal of brain tumors today. Many questions remain unanswered if he were to win the election but be unable to serve.
In 3rd Arrest in 6 Months, Owner of Dessert Bar in Flagler Beach Charged With Threats to Kill Ex-Employee in Racist Rants
Daniel Fernando Catalan, 41, owner of the Dessert Bar in Flagler Beach, allegedly texted numerous racist threats to kill a former employee months after he’d been arrested on an aggravated battery charge in one incident and a domestic battery charge in another, triggering an “Officer Safety Bulletin” about his behavior.
School Board Will Not Sell the County 20 Acres of Pristine Hammock Land It’s Owned Since 1984
Flagler County government’s Environmentally Sensitive Lands program began showing interest in the district’s 20 acres on the Intracoastal around the same time that a flood-control issue had arisen at nearby Pamela Parkway, involving residents there.
Body of Ritchy Volmar, 18, Recovered by Divers in Intracoastal Near Bings Landing After Nearly 24-Hour Search
Local and state authorities have been searching for an 18-year-old man, a Flagler County resident, since mid-afternoon Wednesday after he fell off his jet ski in the Intracoastal near Bings Landing.
County Administrator Jerry Cameron Prepares to Leave by End of June and Pushes Internal Succession
Jerry Cameron, 75, left the door open to stay longer but is pushing for a successor from within county staff. The County Commission was to have been looking for a permanent successor since his hiring as an interim two years ago but has yet to start a process.
Janet McDonald Again Hawks False and ‘Dangerous’ Claims About Masks and Vaccines at School Board Meeting
Calling for rejecting “outside” guidelines on the pandemic, Janet McDonald said communities with mask-wearing have more virus transmission than those without and claimed the covid-19 vaccine “is not a vaccine.” She spoke at a school board workshop, and offered no evidence.
As Captain’s BBQ Case Against County Nears Trial, Details Emerge of Bitter Conflicts, Jockeying and Blunders
As Captain’s BBQ’s breach-of-contract case against Flagler County government slowly moves to trial, Circuit Judge Terence Perkins today opened the door to having County Attorney Al Hadeed and County Administrator Jerry Cameron deposed by Captain’s attorneys, a move the county has strenuously resisted. But there are conditions.
“It’s No Longer Suicidal It’s Now Homicidal’: Palm Coast Ex Faces Felony Counts Over Threats and Stalking
Darrell Dee Bowens, a 28-year-old former resident of Palm Coast’s C-Section, allegedly sent numerous texts threatening to kill his ex and the mother of his two daughters, and stalking her at night outside her home.
Outta’ Sight: Flagler Auditorium Celebrates Community with Covid-Conscious Concert Series
The Cherry Drops’s Feb. 27 show will be Flagler Auditorium’s second in its Community Celebration Series, a multi-artist, multi-media string of spring performances that lives up to its title. Along with concerts by mostly area music artists, each event will include presentations and activities by area civic and cultural groups such as the Flagler County Historical Society, and the Palm Coast Cruisers with their car show.
Belle Terre Swim Club, in Deficit, is Not Closing Yet. But the School Board Needs Help Keeping It Open.
School board members don’t want to close the facility. But for the second time in six years, the club is in deficit and the district is using dollars designed to run its K-12 operations to keep it afloat, though the club is used primarily by adults. That’s not a tenable situation.
Bunnell City Commission Raises Its Lawyers’ Pay to $90,000 After Seven Years
The Bunnell City Commission for the first time in over seven years approved an amendment to its contract with its city attorneys of the Winter Park-based Vose Law Firm, raising the contract’s value to from $84,000 a year to $90,000 a year.
Teachers and Cops 50 and Older Can Soon Get Vaccinated at Federal Sites in Florida
Newly announced Federal Emergency Management Agency-supported sites in Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando and Tampa, will offer vaccinations to people ages 65 and older, with a portion of vaccines available for teachers and cops who are 50 and older.
Covid Vaccination Report: 17.1% in Flagler Have at Least 1 Shot, 45.2% of 65 and Over
The latest proportions of people vaccinated for Covid-19 in Flagler County, Florida and the United States, according to the Florida Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control.
At Belle Terre Park, a Confederate Flag, a Swastika and Other Obscenities Elicit Distress But Little Action
Twin 5 year olds and their mother found a swastika and other obscenities spray-painted on play equipment and concrete at Belle Terre Park Sunday, where teens later brandished and paraded a Confederate flag , daring a reporter to photograph it.
Seminole Woods Man Said to Threaten Murder-Suicide and Shoot Cops in 8-Hour Stand-Off
Charles Kenneth Zinzow, 48, of Sedley Place in Palm Coast, allegedly threatened to shoot his parents and himself after an argument, and later threatened to shoot cops if they came to get him.
Bunnell Commissioners Holding Secret Session to Devise Strategy in Fired Employee’s Lawsuit
The Bunnell City Commission is going behind closed doors this evening to discuss how to proceed with–and whether to settle–a lawsuit brought against the city by Lisa Moore, a former custodian who claims she was forced to resign at the end of 2019.
Addiction Is Not a Crime. The Drug War Is.
To continue with our cruel and sadistic drug war is the daily crime. The only way out is to decriminalize all drugs, treat, repair and, somehow, atone for lawmakers’ and the judicial system’s half-century assault on their own citizens.
In Flagler Beach, 4 of 5 Candidates for City Commission and Mayor Liven Only Forum Ahead of March 2 Election
The Flagler Woman’s Club hosted a forum featuring incumbent Commissioner Eric Cooley, whose opponent, Paul Harrington, was a no-show, and all three candidates vying to replace Linda Provencher as mayor: Kim Carney, Suzy Johnston and Pat Quinn. Here’s a full summary of the evening.
Palm Coast Takes Delivery of $1 Million Ladder Truck That Will Service Whole County
The Palm Coast Fire Department’s latest acquisition, the second-most substantial firetruck in the city’s fleet, combines versatility in firefighting and life-saving with subtle safety features that diminish firefighters’ exposure to carcinogens, noise and the chance of electrocution. It may also save the county a $1 million expense.
Palm Coast’s Elijah Hudson, 24, Is Arrested on 17 Felony Charges of Possession and Transmission of Child Sexual Abuse Videos
Elijah De’Shawn Hudson, a 24-year-old resident of 21 Rymen Lane in Palm Coast, faces 17 felony charges of possession of images or videos of sexual abuse of children, including second-degree felony charges of transmission of images of sexual abuse of minors. He’s being held at the Flagler County jail on $255,000 bond.
New Galleria d’Arte Lights Up Contemporary Art in Palm Coast, Countering Sharp Decline in Exhibit Space
Lisette Otero-Lewis’s Galleria d’Arte in Palm Coast’s St. Joe Plaza has informal partnerships with the Gargiulo Art Foundation and with artist J.J. Graham of Salvo Art Project. Otero-Lewis is seeking to counter the effects of the pandemic, which hs limited art exhibits.
Flagler Beach Chooses William Whitson, Veteran of Municipal Leadership, as Its Next City Manager
Whitson’s style and personality, if not his career path and sense of humor, could often evoke that of the late Larry Newsom, and may have played a strong role in the decision of a commission that had grown to depend on Newsom’s command of local and state issues.
Steven Barneski Had ‘Bad Feeling’ Moments Before 3 Flagler Deputies Shot Him, But FDLE Investigation Points to His Trigger
Steven Barneski, the 30-year-old man shot several times by three Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies last July, was aware that he was surrounded by police and claims he was worried they’d find out he illegally had a gun, yet pulled it out anyway, supposedly to show it to deputies, a Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation reveals.
Mother Arrested for Child Neglect After Toddler Wanders Streets of B-Section Alone for an Hour
Tessie L. Clark, the 28-year-old mother of a 3-year-old boy, was charged with felony child neglect Tuesday (Feb. 16) after the boy was found wandering around Palm Coast’s B-Section unsupervised for an hour around midday.
Controversial Vacation Rental Proposal All But Eliminating Local Regulation Advances in Senate
The ongoing battle over short-term rental regulation is of special interest to Flagler County and its local government, which last decade initiated the movement that led to the 2014 law granting local governments the power to regulate short-term rentals up to a point.
Joshua LeMaster’s Long History of Crime and Prison Avoidance Ends With 7-Year Sentence
Joshua LeMaster’s nearly eight years of criminal charges, convictions and avoidance of prison ended today when he was sentenced to seven years in state prison for a series of probation violations, drug sales and weapon possession.
Palm Coast Votes to Close Slow Way Permanently, Ending “Cut-Through” Access in Seminole Woods Neighborhood
The slither of Slow Way connects Slow Drift Turn to County Road 325, which crosses County Road 330 before ending at U.S. 1. It’s been used as a shortcut out of and into the otherwise quiet Seminole Woods neighborhood.