All of Flagler’s schools’ physical campuses will remain closed at least through April 15 by order of Gov. Ron DeSantis, but distance learning will be instituted starting March 31. State tests are cancelled for the remainder of the year in response to the coronavirus emergency.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
Flagler’s Businesses Bristle as Bars Are Ordered Closed for 30 Days, Restaurants Restricted and Beach Crowds Urged Limited
Restaurant-bars like the Brown Dog and Moonrise Brewing in Palm Coast are facing difficult choices even as they’re allowed to remain open, while business on the beach has been brisk, but for a scarier reason, according to a business owner and commissioner there.
Flagler Schools Will Distribute Free Breakfast and Lunch Daily; Restaurants Implored to Offer Take-Out Only
The food distributions will be to all children up to age 18 regardless of qualification for free or reduced lunch, but children must be present and adults will not qualify for the free food, though arrangements with food banks are in the works to address those needs as well.
Why Flagler’s Covid-19 Cases May Not Be What They Are: Infected Non-County Residents Are Not Reported Locally
Flagler County may well have one, two or three confirmed cases of coronavirus. If those cases were confirmed in non-Flagler County residents who happened to be in Flagler County, you will not know about them locally, according to Florida Department of Health rules.
Palm Coast Broadens and Extends Cancellations of Activities Through End of April as Florida Cases Rise to 155
Palm Coast was taking a more aggressive coronavirus-mitigation approach as measures against “community spread” of the virus were affecting all levels of local governments even as cases of Covid-19 remained, for now, at bay.
2 Flagler Sheriff’s Deputies, “Multiple” EMPros and AdventHealth Palm Coast Personnel on Quarantine as Protocols Evolve
The two Flagler sheriff’s deputies were on a death investigation involving a man who died of the flu. EMPros manages emergency departments in several cities in Volusia and Flagler. One of its physicians and the Assistant EMS Medical Director for all EMS agencies in Flagler County was placed under quarantine.
Palm Coast Paramedics Will Limit Responses to ‘Life-Threatening’ Medical Calls as City and County Declare Emergency
Rather than double-up with county fire rescue personnel, Palm Coast firefighter-paramedics will limit their calls to “life-threatening” emergencies to reduce the chances of either being infected or infecting others with the coronavirus.
39 New Covid-19 Cases Raise Florida’s to 100 as Evidence of Exponential Spread Emerges; Flagler Still at Zero
The Flagler Health Department, under orders from the state Health Department, is not disclosing how many people have been tested locally. Nor is it disclosing how many people are under monitoring for potential exposure in the community.
Grace Community Pantry Steps Up to Offer Food Bridge to Flagler District’s Neediest Children During Emergency
Grace Community Food Pantry, Flagler County’s largest food operation for the neediest, is offering to provide substantial food aid during the coronavirus emergency for distribution to Flagler County schoolchildren who would normally get free or reduced meals at school.
Volusia Sheriff Chitwood Releases Numbers Health Department Is Censoring and Criticizes ‘Lack of Certain Information’
“When the public is kept in the dark and when their legitimate questions aren’t answered several days into a national emergency, that’s when we start to see panic,” Sheriff Chitwood writes.
Palm Coast Cancels All City-Sponsored Activities and ‘Non-Essential’ Meetings and Restricts Access to Fire Stations
Palm Coast government Saturday afternoon announced that all city-run activities at city facilities are cancelled from Sunday, March 15, at least through Saturday, March 21. The city will reevaluate scheduled events on a weekly basis.
Florida Coronavirus Cases Triple in 2 Days to 64; Floridian Dies in California; AdventHealth Announces Measures
Coronavirus cases have jumped to 64 as of early Saturday morning, from just 21 two days ago, according to the Florida Department of Health, with nine cases in Florida unrelated to travel and 16 cases whose origins are still under investigation. Four Floridians have died from Covid-19, one of them in California.
Schools Closed Through March 30, Jury Trials at Flagler Courthouse Suspended as Coronavirus Fallout Continues
All jury trials have been suspended at the Flagler County courthouse through March 30, and all public schools in the state have been ordered to remain closed through March 30 as well.
Biden and Trump Still Want You: Early Voting and March 17 Presidential Primary Still On in Flagler
Early voting for the presidential primary still has a day to go Saturday, March 14, and Election Day is still on the for primary next Tuesday, March 17, Flagler County Supervisor of Elections Kaiti Lenhart says.
Weekend Briefing: Movies in the Park (Probably), Plant Sale (Maybe), Suffragettes (Cancelled), Fishing 101
Many events were scheduled for this weekend but patrons are advised to check with event organizers before they go as the coronavirus situation is causing cancellations.
Pick-Up Driver Deborah Perfetto, 60, Is Killed, Capping 4 Crashes Involving 9 Vehicles in 4 Hours on I-95
It all happened within a four-mile stretch of I-95 northbound in Palm Coast between 3 and 7 p.m.: four crashes involving a combined nine vehicles, none with serious injuries until the fourth crash, which claimed the life of a pick-up driver.
Even in Flagler, Virus-Related Postponements and Restrictions Begin to Accumulate
The Flagler school district is scrapping out of state travel, the Sheriff’s Office is postponing the Safety Expo, Flagler College is moving classes online, Bethune Cookman is cancelling them, among other schedule disruptions.
Coronavirus Prevention Is Not Overreaction: Flagler Schools Should Extend Spring Break
With the coronavirus and its many knowns and unknowns, what may look like an overreaction today is the most effective form of prevention, and should not be given the chance to look like playing catch-up weeks from now.
Long-Awaited CDC Report on Disused Sheriff’s Operations Center Lands With Thud
County and sheriff’s officials have moved on, making the recently delivered CDC report on the old Sheriff’s Operations Center essentially moot, and largely redundant anyway.
Bunnell Police Conducting Death Investigation in Shooting of Man in Duplex on S. Bacher Street
A man died of a gunshot early this afternoon at 203 South Bacher Street in Bunnell, in the nearby presence of two other individuals. The Bunnell Police Department was conducting what it was calling a death investigation.
Money Issues Raise New Questions on Locating Sheriff’s Operations Center Near Palm Coast Library
Architectural and engineering plans are continuing for the new Sheriff’s Operations Center in Palm Coast, but its location is again in question as the county faces new financial challenges and commissioners consider options.
Seemingly Spared So Far, Flagler School, Emergency and Health Officials Prepare for Likely Spread as Coronavirus Cases Jump to 21 in Florida
Flagler school officials are discussing remote instruction and instituting deep cleanings, county and health officials are preparing businesses and government staffs for “social distancing” and other measures as they prepare for what they see as the likely spread of coronavirus locally.
Wednesday Briefing: Dorothy Singer Back in Court, 90/90 Challenge, Forum on Government and Public Policy
Accused murderer Dorothy Singer, who won her conviction’s reversal on appeal, at least for a new trial, is back in court for a pre-trial, Melanie Saltzman, reporter and producer for PBS NewsHour Weekend, presents “The Future of Food” at a Flagler College lecture.
Flagler School Board Chooses St. Johns’s Cathy Mittelstadt To Be Its Next Superintendent
The Flagler County School Board this afternoon chose Cathy Mittelstadt, the assistant school superintendent in St. Johns County, to be the district’s next superintendent, starting July 1 in place of Jim Tager, who will end a three-year tenure.
Palm Coast Man Accused of Threatening Ex’s Life Over Food Stamps Card at Her Workplace
Travis Montrell Williams, 40, is accused of going to his ex-girlfriend’s workplace at an assisted living facility in Palm Coast and threatening her life over the food stamps card she had. The sheriff assisted in the arrest.
AdventHealth Launches Coronavirus Information Line as Palm Coast Fire Chief Urges Fewer In-Person Dr. Visits
AdventHealth is launching a free phone service for Floridians who have questions about coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, including the opportunity to speak with a nurse as appropriate. The 24-hour line is in addition to a similar line operated by the Florida Department of Health.
Volusia/Flagler Chapter Marks ACLU’s Centennial With “Future Voters Essay Contest” and $500 Prize
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) ‘s Volusia/Flagler chapter is celebrating the ACLU’s 100th birthday with an essay contest open to all students, with a $500 prize and publication of the winning essay in FlaglerLive.
‘I’m Tired and Sorry to Pick This Way to Go,’ Elderly Palm Coast Man Writes Wife Before Suicide
Robert Reinert, 88, of Palm Coast, wrote to his wife that he did not wish to end up in a hospital, hooked up to things just to prolong his life, before ending it on Feb. 6.
Public Responses to 4 Superintendent Candidates Draw Sharp Distinctions on Eve of Board’s Choice
there is no clear-out, absolute favorite in public responses, but there are certainly sharper opinions, good and bad and in descending order, about Earl Johnson, Vernon Orndorff and Cathy Mitteldstadt.
Surging Health Care and First-Responder Worker Quarantines Raise Concerns As Coronavirus Spreads
The number of health care and first-responder workers ordered to self-quarantine because of potential exposure to an infected patient is rising at an exponential pace.
Monday Briefing: Mad Dogs, Sheriff’s Operations Update, Coronavirus Response, Women’s Equality
Mad Dogs Palm Coast flag football ends its winter season and opens its spring registration, Flagler County Administrator Jerry Cameron provides an update on the Sheriff’s Operations Center.
Two Florida Seniors, in Lee and Santa Rosa Counties, Die From Coronavirus
One of the deaths involved a 72-year-old Santa Rosa County man who had previously been disclosed as having the virus. The other death involved a Lee County resident, whose case had not been disclosed.
Teacher and Ex-Matanzas Coach Ripley Faces Accusation of Excessive Force With Special Ed Student, 8
Wadsworth ESE teacher Robert Ripley was caught on school video twice pushing an 8-year-old student, behavior deemed impermissible by the school board attorney, in an incident that took place just one day after another ESE teacher was fired for using excessive force toward a student.
False Coronavirus Alarm at AdventHealth Palm Coast Briefly Heightens Anxieties Before Case Is Ruled Out
The case illustrated the heightened awareness–and fears–surrounding the outbreak, which has not yet spread to Florida with the exception of two cases in the Tampa area, and the knowledge gap that may be pushing some health workers too quickly to go on the alert.
School Board Superintendent Interviews: Earl Johnson
Earl Johnson has been the executive director of leadership and operations for Flagler County schools–a position similar to that of deputy superintendent–for the past three years.
School Board Superintendent Interviews: Cathy Mittelstadt
Cathy Mittelstadt, an assistant superintendent for operations in St. Johns County for the past three years, spent the majority of her professional years, almost all of them in leadership positions, in Florida’s top-ranked school district.
School Board Superintendent Interviews: Janet Womack
Janet Womack, a 2016 Alabama Superintendent of the Year and the second of four candidates the Flagler school board interviewed for superintendent today, spoke repeatedly of framing her leadership aims toward excellence: “What is the cherry on top of the ice cream sundae, what will set us apart from the rest?”
School Board Superintendent Interviews: Vernon Orndorff
Vernon Orndorff, a 12-year veteran of Flagler schools who rose to the No. 2 administrative position before taking a job in a small Texas district three years ago, was first up this morning among four candidates for superintendent interviewing with the Flagler County School Board.
Thursday Briefing: Equal Pay, Superintendent Interviews, Flagler PAL Open House
The school board interviews the four superintendent candidates, then the candidates meet the public in a meet-and-greet, a Flagler PAL open house, “The Women.”
Misplaced Inquisitions: Mayor Holland, Coastal Cloud and the Palm Coast Observer
Mayor Milissa Holland and Coastal Cloud Co-owner Tim Hale repeatedly–and unfairly–invoked Palm Coast Observer Editor Brian McMillan’s name in poor light during a 90-minute city council segment devoted entirely to refuting critical allegations about the city’s contract with the company.
Florida Agricultural Museum Is On Track with New Train, ‘Dirt Detectives’ and Other Projects
Four years ago the Florida Agriculture Museum at the north end of Palm Coast was heading for closure. Today, it’s bustling with a half dozen programs, including an equestrian boarding and riding program, and more ahead.
Wednesday Briefing: 90/90 Challenge, Clare Boothe Luce’s “Women,” Presidential Age
Clare Boothe Luce’s “The Women” is presented by the Flagler College Department of Visual and Performing Arts, a hole in Mars, and are presidents getting older?
Opponents Question Structure as State Approves FPL Plan to Add 20 Solar Farms By 2021
Opponents contended the program would have costs and financial risks for the vast majority of customers who would not participate. As an example, credits received by SolarTogether participants would come from money that all customers pay to cover power-plant fuel expenses.
News-Journal Lays Off London (Again) and Flagler Bureau Editor; News-Tribune’s Future in Doubt
The Daytona Beach News-Journal this week is laying off two of its four remaining employees in the Flagler County bureau–long-time reporter Aaron London and Nick Klasne, an assistant managing editor in charge of the Flagler Bureau.
2 Brothers Face Child Neglect Charges After Uncle Is Accused of Hiding Pot Stash in 11-Year-Old’s Underpants
A man and his brother were charged with child neglect after the man’s brother hid a stash of pot in his 11-year-old nephew’s underwear before a traffic stop.
Tuesday Briefing: Flagler Free Clinic at 15, Thomas LeGault Case, Suicide Prevention, Palm Coast Connect
Former County Commission candidate Thomas LeGault’s debt to WNZF in a small claims case on the court docket, Mayor Milissa Holland and others may address the city’s arrangement with Coastal Cloud that gave rise to Palm Coast Connect, Chess on the Porch at the Humidor.
Judge Sets Stern Ground Rules Ahead of Keith Johansen Murder Trial in Shooting Death of Brandi Celenza
The trial judge admonished the families of both Brandi Celenza and Keith Johansen after a hearing where he’d ruled on admitting or limiting variously disturbing evidence-and prohibiting prejudicial courtroom antics in the gallery.
‘We Will See It In Our Community,’ Flagler Emergency Chief Warns of Coronavirus, Detailing Local Response
Flagler Emergency Chief Jonathan Lord and Health Department Chief Bob Snyder briefed the County Commission on the creation of a local “pandemic working group” and measures in place to address the coronavirus, whose arrival locally is almost certain.
Two Espanola Parents Arrested After 5 Children Lived in Filth, Fear and Neglect for Years
DCF took custody of five children–ages 12, 11, 7, 3 and 2–who year after year had been either homeless or living in a deplorable house in Espanola. Their parents, Tiffany Berry and Nicholas Carter, were arrested for neglect.
Monday Briefing: Vacation Rentals, County v. McDonald, ACLU Meeting, Detective Totten, Blanche Gardin
A Senate panel takes up vacation rentals as opponents demonstrate against the bill, County Attorney Al Hadeed presents a response to Dennis McDonald allegations on the former Sheriff’s Operations Center, French comic Blanche Gardin.