Gov. Ron DeSantis said he will announce Friday additional “phase one” measures to reopen the state’s economy, with the moves expected to include allowing more people to be seated in restaurants and allowing gyms to operate.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
Flagler Beach Faces Decision Over Golf Course as Terry McManus Turns Himself In Over Fraud Charge
The felony charge against Terry McManus raises questions for Flagler Beach government, which owns the golf course he manages, regarding the future of that relationship. The relationship has been rocky from the start.
Mask-Wearing Is Not About Personal Liberty but Communal Health, Palm Coast Town Hall Experts Say
Is wearing a mask in public too much to ask for as Palm Coast and Flagler reopen? Does it infringe on individuals’ liberties? Two physicians, the Flagler Health Department’s chief and Palm Coast’s fire chief give an unequivocal No.
“Idiots” Remark Comes Back to Haunt Jack Howell as Fellow-Councilman Branquinho Berates Him
Palm Coast City Council member Eddie Branquinho excoriated fellow-Council member Jack Howell for six minutes at the end of Tuesday’s council meeting, over an article Howell wrote, proposing financial measures in light of the Covid-19 emergency. Branquinho said the article was politically motivated.
Palm Coast Man Accused of Raping Girl, 16, Denies Having Sex With Her Despite DNA Evidence
Kwentel Lakelvrick Moultrie, 21, of Palm Coast, seemed to borrow the argument of another man on trial for having sex with a minor the week detectives interviewed Moultrie, claiming he never touched his 16-year-old victim.
Caesar DePaço, Portugal’s Honorary Consul in Palm Coast Since 2014, Resigns Indignantly
Citing “unacceptable conduct” and “irreconcilable” differences with the Portuguese ambassador to the United States, Caesar DePaço resigned abruptly Tuesday evening, leaving the future of the honorary consulate in Palm Coast in doubt.
Flagler Beach’s Plan to Buy $571,000 Fire Truck Draws Opposition Over Timing and Recent History
The Flagler Beach Fire Department’s proposal to buy a $571,000 fire truck is triggering the sort of opposition mobilized against the 2015 purchase of a $600,000 “quint” fire truck, an odyssey that took 18 months. That truck was eventually delivered.
Rampant Covid Infection at Choir Practice Points to Dangers of Groups, Even Without Contact
As Gov. Ron DeSantis weighs when to move ahead with lifting additional coronavirus restrictions, a report issued Tuesday by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlighted how contagious the virus can be in group settings.
Manhunt in Palm Coast’s E-Section After Man Pulls Gun on Wife and Son Over a Dog
Larry Briggene Batson, a 41-year-old resident of 31 Ebb Tide Drive in Palm Coast, had allegedly pulled a gun on his wife because she would not turn the car around so he could go fetch his dog.
Flagler Beach and County Commissioners Call Out Joe Mullins Over a Baseless, Inflammatory Claim
Flagler County Commissioner Joe Mullins over the weekend made unsubstantiated accusations that unnamed Flagler Beach officials are hurting business and tourism in the city with their “stay on your side of the bridge mentality.” City commissioners corrected him.
Verdego Donates $32,000 to Grace Community Pantry after Diverting 5 Days’ Revenue
Verdego’s donation, more money than any amount Grace Community Food Pantry receives in a year, will translate into more than 236,000 pounds of food.
500 Images and Videos of Child Sexual Abuse Found in 46-Year-Old Palm Coast Man’s Tablet
The investigation reveals the extent to which law enforcement and at least some online platforms and internet service providers are cooperating with police to tip off, track down and facilitate investigations of individuals involved in child exploitation or abuse.
Palm Coast’s Grand Oaks Rehab Rejects Health Department’s Testing of Patients and Staff, Then Relents
After its corporate office overrode local resistance, Grand Oaks Rehab in Palm Coast agreed to have its 100 patients and 100 staff members tested for Covid-19 next week. The Flagler Health Department’s strike teams conducted 200 tests today at two other large nursing home facilities.
Florida’s Hair and Nail Salons and Barber Shops Reopen Monday, But Guidelines Are Scant
The reopening will follow what the governor called “enhanced safety protocols,” but the governor and state agencies had not issued guidelines for hair salons and barber shops as of Friday.
Terry McManus, Who Runs Flagler Beach’s City Golf Course, Wanted on Felony Insurance Fraud Charge
Terry McManus, the 54-year-old operator of Ocean Palms Golf Course, the Flagler Beach-owned 9-hole course, is accused of making up a bogus insurance claim and lying about a Caterpillar Skid Steer allegedly stolen at the golf course.
2 Suspects Face Felony Charges in BB Gun ‘Shooting Spree’ On I-95 in Palm Coast, Volusia and Jacksonville
Deon Jones, 21, and his girlfriend Tiyana Anderson, 22, are accused of shooting BB’s that shattered drivers’ vehicle windows and frightened them as they drove along I-4 and I-95 in Flagler, Duval and Volusia counties.
Flagler Health Officials Pledge to Keep Up Covid Testing as AdventHealth Phases Out Drive-Up Sites
There is some confusion about how much testing should take place–2 percent of the population per month or overall–and whether it will be available to the extent recommended as society reopens. The guideline from the federal government of testing 2 percent is a monthly goal, not an overall goal.
Florida’s Universities Weigh What May Be an Altered Reopening This Fall, With Emphasis on Remote Classes
FSU Provost Sally E. McRorie told faculty members in an email that it is likely the school will only offer in-person courses that cannot be done remotely. Many universities are considering keeping at least some instruction online.
Richard Adams, Who Carried Palm Coast’s Water for 43 Years, Retires as He Worked: Quietly
Richard Adams, Palm Coast’s towering but famously modest utility director since 2003 and a presence in the city’s water infrastructure for 43 years, retired at the end of last week to remote accolades and an honorary flush.
Flagler Health Department and Palm Coast Mayor Recognize Heroes of a Pandemic: Nurses
The Flagler Health Department is joining Palm Coast and thousands of organizations across the country in celebrating National Nurses Week starting today and through From May 6 through May 12.
A Woman Disputing Social Distancing Rules at Local Clinic Clashes With Cop and Faces Felony Charges
It was an incident out of Covid-19’s unwritten playbook, escalating from a simple social-distancing request at the Florida Health Care Plans office off Palm Coast Parkway to a scuffle, a woman’s arrest and felony charges and an injury to a Flagler County Sheriff’s sergeant.
Lumber Truck Driver Killed, Woman Seriously Injured in I-95 Crash North of Matanzas Interchange
A lumber truck driver was killed and a woman was seriously injured in a two-vehicle crash in the southbound lanes of I-95 early this morning (May 6), just north of the Matanzas Woods Parkway intersection.
Flagler’s Covid-19 Deaths Rise to 4 But New Positive Cases Slow as Broader-Criteria Testing Increases
Flagler’s deaths add to a statewide tally approaching 1,500 as one of the models most closely watched by state and federal officials revised significantly upward its estimate of deaths for Florida now that the state has begun reopening.
35-Year-Old Palm Coast Man Accused of Pushing His Daughter, 5, Off Her High Chair
Thomas Myers, of Blare Drive in Palm Coast, was arrested on a felony child abuse charge and two misdemeanor counts of assault and booked at the Flagler County jail on $4,500 bond.
‘Like Someone Went to Class and Didn’t Come Back’: Florida Universities Contend With Students’ Belongings
Universities across the state will allow students to have items delivered to them or return to campus at a safe time to pick up belongings. Some universities are even preparing to dispose of unwanted items at the students’ request.
The Joe Mullins Smear
Joe Mullins is a distasteful man whose behavior as an elected official is dangerous and should be held to account. But not by reporting as unsubstantiated as the allegations it’s based on. To play into them without strict and uncompromising authentication legitimizes them and gives journalism a bad name.
Eligible for Re-Trial, Dorothy Singer Pleads in 2017 Murder of Her Husband and Is Sentenced to 32.5 Years
She was eligible for a new trial. But facing daunting evidence against her, Dorothy Singer, formerly of west Flagler, pleaded to second-degree murder in the shooting death of her husband Charles in 2017.
Surprise Proposal to Raze Moldy Sheriff’s Ops and Build There Anew Introduces New Uncertainties in Projects
The Flagler County Commission chairman on Monday discussed the possibility of razing the building and constructing anew there–either a sheriff’s operations center or a south branch public library. That approach would nullify a recent agreement to locate both the operations center and a south branch library off Commerce Parkway in Bunnell.
At Gargantuan Feed Palm Coast Food Drop, Tears, Solidarity, and the Reality About Those ‘Late-Model Cars’
No government, no military contingent, no church or any other private organization had ever attempted what Palm Coast government and Parkview Church did Saturday: the distribution of 5,000 boxes packed with a week’s worth of groceries, and thousands of additional boxes of snacks and Easter candy, for families that streamed through the two drop locations.
Palm Coast Reopens a Few Passive Parks and Trails Monday as Flagler Beach Weighs Limited Pier Access
Palm Coast and Flagler Beach governments are reopening a few of their more passive parks, trails and other outdoor amenities Monday while keeping major parks closed and maintaining a strict focus on safety and social distancing.
Hair Salons, Barber Shops, Bars, Gyms and Theaters Will Remain Closed for Now
The governor said more consideration of employee and customer safety is needed before he can give the go-ahead for salons and barber shops to turn on the lights again.
Palm Coast Plan Will Allow Restaurant Use of Sidewalks and Parking Lots For Less Restricted Outdoor Seating
Palm Coast government is devising a plan that, in its broad outlines issued late this afternoon, would significantly relax rules on restaurant use of sidewalks and even parking lots, enabling restaurants to place tables there and compensate for the loss of business they would otherwise continue to suffer if they were limited to the 25 percent rule.
Saturday in Flagler: 3 Massive Food Drops at 4 Locations In Unprecedented Reflection of Aid and Hardship
Thousands of families will line up in cars for food distributions at Palm Coast City Hall, Parkview Church, on Education Way off U.S. 1 and at Wickline Center in Flagler Beach in a day of aid reflecting the crushing needs provoked by the coronavirus emergency.
Graduates, Start Your Engines: FPC and Matanzas Will Have In-Person Graduation at the Speedway on May 31
Flagler Palm Coast High School and Matanzas High School will hold their graduation ceremonies on May 31 at the International Speedway in Daytona Beach following a committee’s work on devising an original plan to ensure a safe, in-person event despite the coronavirus emergency.
Brave New Covid World at AdventHealth: Your Car as Waiting Room, Phone Check-Ins, Mandatory Tests and Masks
AdventHealth physicians outlined how the system’s hospitals, including AdventHealth Palm Coast, will operate from here on, with significantly new procedures for patients, visitors, staff and physicians and a heavy emphasis on technology, social distancing and the isolation of anything Covid-19, including air.
More than a Fifth of Americans Unemployed as 1st Time Claims Keep Surging and Checks Keep Lagging
The total number of first-time claims filed in Florida since the start of the coronavirus emergency totals 1.6 million in a civilian labor force of 10.5 million, placing the state’s unemployment rate at over 15 percent.
Facing Bankruptcy, Flagler County Chamber of Commerce Prepares to Dissolve, Ending 60-Year Run
The Flagler County Chamber of Commerce board is meeting this afternoon to dissolve the 60-year-old organization as the coronavirus crisis tipped it into bankruptcy. The move follows several years of struggles, downsizing, and layoffs as recent as early February, before the crisis struck.
Restaurants Can Reopen at 25% Capacity, Many Restrictions Will Remain as Florida Moves to Reopening on Monday
Citing Florida as weathering the coronavirus crisis much better than many other states, especially those hardest hit, Gov. Ron DeSantis today said the state will begin reopening starting on May 4, except for three South Florida counties. But many existing restrictions will remain in effect.
County Elections Supervisors Describe Struggles With Felons’ Voting Law and Lack of Reliable Data
The state lacks a single database where felons, lawyers or elections officials can determine whether people have outstanding court-ordered financial obligations. Florida’s new but restrictive felon-voting law is the subject of a nationally watched trial this week.
Reality Check: What Antibody Studies Can Tell You — and More Importantly, What They Can’t
Coronavirus antibody studies and what they allegedly show have triggered fierce debates, further confusing public understanding, especially about fallacies about herd immunity. Here is some clarity and fact-checking around these crucial surveys.
AdventHealth Foundation Donates 5,000 KN95 Masks for Distribution During Feed Palm Coast May 2
Palm Coast government this afternoon took delivery of 5,000 high-quality face masks from AdventHealth Palm Coast’s foundation. The masks will be distributed to 5,000 families during the major Feed Palm Coast food drop on May 2 at City Hall and at Parkview Church on Belle Terre Parkway.
With $57,000 Raised and Tons of Food Boxed, Plan to Feed 5,000 Families Turns Palm Coast City Hall Into Relief Central
Feed Palm Coast has turned City Hall into a warehouse for a massive food aid operation relying on city staffers, volunteers and the donations of residents to feed 5,000 families with a week’s worth of groceries come May 2.
A Plea From Superintendent Tager To Telecoms: Students Need Reliable Internet Connections Across Flagler
As the Flagler school district went virtual in answer to the coronavirus crisis, it found that unreliable internet service in parts of the county puts some students at a disadvantage. Superintendent Jim Tager asks communications companies to address the gap.
2 Staffers at 2 Assisted Living Facilites in Palm Coast Test Positive as Local Covid Cases Rise; Antibody Tests On the Way
Flagler’s Covid-19 cases now total 127, two of them at assisted living facilities, as local officials caution against a too-swift relaxation of precautions or too high hopes on antibody testing on its way. The testing will be focused on health workers.
Rumor Control is Critical and Time-Consuming for States, With No Help From Trump or His Likes
In addition to battling the coronavirus, states and localities are spending time and increased effort batting down rumors and myths — everything from President Donald Trump’s suggestion last week that injecting poisonous disinfectants might help to rumors that National Guard troops are enforcing stay-at-home orders at gunpoint.
Michelle Parker Noller, 48, of Flagler Beach, Dies of Self-Inflicted Gunshot
Michelle Parker Noller, a 48-year-old resident of 1007 South Flagler Avenue in Flagler Beach, died of a self-inflicted gunshot Wednesday (April 22) at her home.
Flagler Beach and County Reopen Beaches 24 Hours Sunday Morning, Maintaining Limits on Activities
Flagler County and Flagler Beach have agreed to reopen all 18 miles of beach in the county 24 hours starting Sunday at 7 a.m., while maintaining restrictions only on certain activities on the beach: “for leisure, no, for exercise, yes,” as Flagler Beach Police Chief Matt Doughney put it this afternoon.
In Flagler Beach, a Few Dozen Demonstrators Rally for Trump, Leaving Reopening ‘Amerika’ To an Afterthought
Some 35 to 40 people stretched along State Road A1A in Flagler Beach this morning in what had been dubbed as a reopen-the-economy rally, but proved to be mostly a campaign rally for President Trump.
Reopening Palm Coast: City Issues Cautious Plan Stretched Over Four Seasons, With Some Permanent Changes
Palm Coast government today issued a recovery plan that anticipates a three-phased reopening of the city and its economy over the next year, cautiously, gradually resuming mostly normal activities while permanently maintaining new norms such as the wearing of masks in public and re-configuring certain interactions.
Confirmed Flagler Covid-19 Increase By 28 in One Day, to 106, But Local Hospitalizations Still ‘Stable’
Flagler County added 28 confirmed Covid-19 cases in a single day today, by far the largest single-day tally of new cases, for a total of 106. But there does not appear to be an equivalent increase in hospitalizations.