• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
MENUMENU
MENUMENU
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • FlaglerLive Board of Directors
    • Comment Policy
    • Mission Statement
    • Our Values
    • Privacy Policy
  • Live Calendar
  • Submit Obituary
  • Submit an Event
  • Support FlaglerLive
  • Advertise on FlaglerLive (386) 503-3808
  • Search Results

FlaglerLive

No Bull, no Fluff, No Smudges

MENUMENU
  • Flagler
    • Flagler County Commission
    • Beverly Beach
    • Economic Development Council
    • Flagler History
    • Mondex/Daytona North
    • The Hammock
    • Tourist Development Council
  • Palm Coast
    • Palm Coast City Council
    • Palm Coast Crime
  • Bunnell
    • Bunnell City Commission
    • Bunnell Crime
  • Flagler Beach
    • Flagler Beach City Commission
    • Flagler Beach Crime
  • Cops/Courts
    • Circuit & County Court
    • Florida Supreme Court
    • Federal Courts
    • Flagler 911
    • Fire House
    • Flagler County Sheriff
    • Flagler Jail Bookings
    • Traffic Accidents
  • Rights & Liberties
    • Fourth Amendment
    • First Amendment
    • Privacy
    • Second Amendment
    • Seventh Amendment
    • Sixth Amendment
    • Sunshine Law
    • Third Amendment
    • Religion & Beliefs
    • Human Rights
    • Immigration
    • Labor Rights
    • 14th Amendment
    • Civil Rights
  • Schools
    • Adult Education
    • Belle Terre Elementary
    • Buddy Taylor Middle
    • Bunnell Elementary
    • Charter Schools
    • Daytona State College
    • Flagler County School Board
    • Flagler Palm Coast High School
    • Higher Education
    • Imagine School
    • Indian Trails Middle
    • Matanzas High School
    • Old Kings Elementary
    • Rymfire Elementary
    • Stetson University
    • Wadsworth Elementary
    • University of Florida/Florida State
  • Economy
    • Jobs & Unemployment
    • Business & Economy
    • Development & Sprawl
    • Leisure & Tourism
    • Local Business
    • Local Media
    • Real Estate & Development
    • Taxes
  • Commentary
    • The Conversation
    • Pierre Tristam
    • Diane Roberts
    • Guest Columns
    • Byblos
    • Editor's Blog
  • Culture
    • African American Cultural Society
    • Arts in Palm Coast & Flagler
    • Books
    • City Repertory Theatre
    • Flagler Auditorium
    • Flagler Playhouse
    • Flagler Youth Orchestra
    • Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra
    • Palm Coast Arts Foundation
    • Special Events
  • Elections 2024
    • Amendments and Referendums
    • Presidential Election
    • Campaign Finance
    • City Elections
    • Congressional
    • Constitutionals
    • Courts
    • Governor
    • Polls
    • Voting Rights
  • Florida
    • Federal Politics
    • Florida History
    • Florida Legislature
    • Florida Legislature
    • Ron DeSantis
  • Health & Society
    • Flagler County Health Department
    • Ask the Doctor Column
    • Health Care
    • Health Care Business
    • Covid-19
    • Children and Families
    • Medicaid and Medicare
    • Mental Health
    • Poverty
    • Violence
  • All Else
    • Daily Briefing
    • Americana
    • Obituaries
    • News Briefs
    • Weather and Climate
    • Wildlife

Flagler

Chick-Fil-A Will Open Second Palm Coast Restaurant in BJ’s Wholesale Shopping Center

November 1, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 23 Comments

The Chick-fil-A on Palm Coast Parkway is getting company on the south side of the city. (© FlaglerLive)

Chick-fil-A, the popular restaurant chain that drew a small tent city of eager customers before it opened its first franchise in Palm Coast eight years ago, will be opening its second restaurant in the city in the BJ’s Wholesale shopping center, according to construction plans recently submitted to the city. City Manager Lauren Johnston dropped a hint about the restaurant in a presentation at a local chamber event earlier this week.

Daisy Henry Street Now Glides Through the Heart of Bunnell, Along Carver Gym Late Pastor Championed and Saved

November 1, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 1 Comment

It's Daisy henry's street now. (© FlaglerLive)

This morning, a stretch of four blocks of East Drain Street, along the gym’s ballfields on one side and family homes on the other, became Daisy Henry Street, so renamed for the former city commissioner and pastor by a city that wanted to “honor a legacy,” in the words of City Manager Alvin Jackson, and bolden Henry’s already distinguished mark on Bunnell’s history.

Noisy Planes at Low Altitude Will Spray Mosquitoes Swarming in Aftermath of Hurricane Milton Starting Nov. 2

October 31, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 31 Comments

One or two Beechcraft King Air turboprop planes will start spraying mosquitoes across most of Flagler County at very low altitude–just 300 feet–starting Nov. 2, to reduce the multiplying population of mosquitoes in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton. The spraying is paid for with state emergency funds and the planes are contracted through the state rather than through the East Flagler Mosquito Control District. 

Almost 60 Percent of Flagler County’s Registered Voters Have Cast a Ballot, 6th Highest Turnout in Florida

October 31, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 12 Comments

The early voting line at the Supervisor of Elections' office on Wednesday. (© FlaglerLive)

Turnout in the general election in Flagler County was approaching 60 percent Thursday, with two more days of early voting and Election Day next Tuesday, ahead of the pace of the 2020 election, which resulted in a turnout of 78.6 percent among registered voters. The supervisor of elections and local Democratic and Republican party leaders are describing a nearly issues-free election of historic proportion. 

At Chamber’s Future of Flagler Forum, Rousing Cheer for Years Ahead from City, County and School Leaders

October 30, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 7 Comments

It isn't often that Superintendent LaShakia Moore is upstaged at an event, as she was today by the pulsating Alvin Jackson, the Bunnel city manager, who had an audience of more than 100 on the edge of its seats. (© FlaglerLive)

The Palm Coast-Flagler Regional Chamber of Commerce gave a crowd of over 100 people the chance to hear the state of Flagler County’s cities, county and school board in less than 60 minutes, presented in rapid, compelling, and at times rousing succession by men and women more knowledgeable, less vapid and generally more intelligent than the elected officials who hire them: city and county managers and the school superintendent. 

Flagler Government’s Former HR Manager Sues the County, Describing Hostile and Indifferent Environment

October 29, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 19 Comments

Samatha Whitfield speaking with Flagler County Sheriff's Cmdr. Jeff Stuart during a 2019 meeting, when Whitfield was employed by the Sheriff's Office. (© FlaglerLive)

Samatha Whitfield, the former human resources manager for Flagler County government, is suing the county in a whistleblower action, claiming she was terminated last summer in retaliation for reporting violations of rules and misconduct by one of her colleagues, to which the county administration responded with indifference.

Bunnell, Palm Coast and County Will Host Joint Veterans Day Ceremony and Parade Nov. 11

October 29, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 2 Comments

Commemorative bricks at Heroes Park in palm Coast. (© FlaglerLive)

The parade will travel east on Moody Boulevard and conclude at the Government Services Building where the traditional ceremony will begin. Retired U.S. Naval Captain James Randall “Randy” Stapleford – a career naval aviator who served from 1972 to 2003 – will be the grand marshal of the parade and will share a few words at the ceremony.

Two Flagler Beach Residents Prevail Over Veranda Bay’s Parent Company, Ending 5-Year-Old Defamation Suit

October 28, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 13 Comments

The meeting that cast shadows over the lives of several Flagler Beach residents or member of the group Preserve Flagler Beach and Bulow Creeek, after the parent company of the Veranda Bay development seized on some statements to sue for defamation. A judge has ruled against the company five years later. (© FlaglerLive)

Sunbelt Land Management, the company affiliated with the Veranda Bay development on John Anderson Highway, has lost a defamation suit the company filed in 2020 against Sallee Aernoff and Ken Bryan, two Flagler Beach residents who spoke up about its land-clearing practices. Circuit Judge Chris France, in a strong opinion in defense of expression on public issues free of intimidation, granted the two residents’ motion for summary judgment last week.

‘Significant Reservations’ About Approving 2,735 Homes at Veranda Bay as Development Advances on 4-1 Vote

October 23, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 11 Comments

The entrance to Veranda Bay off John Anderson Highway. (© FlaglerLive)

The Flagler Beach City Commission is slowly moving toward approval of annexing Veranda Bay, the 900-acre development along that could potentially double the population of the city, change its character as a small town and upend its political center of gravity. But commissioners are pushing back against the number of homes, which could be a deal-breaker. The developer has made several concessions and is continuing to negotiate, but the total number of homes has so far been a hard line.

In Flagler and Florida, Democrats Lose Vote-By-Mail Edge as Republicans Rally in Early Voting

October 23, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 39 Comments

Early voting has been brisk in Flagler County as in the rest of Florida, wiping out any advantage Democrats might have built in mailed-in ballots. Above, a scene at the Flagler County Public Library on Palm Coast Parkway, one of five early-voting sites for a fortnight. (© FlaglerLive)

After falling behind in voting by mail, Florida Republicans quickly moved ahead of Democrats in ballots cast in the November election on the strength of turning out to early voting sites. In Flagler County, ballots turned in by registered Democrats had an edge before early voting started on Monday, and Democrats were clinging to a bare difference of a few dozen ballots in that category by midday today. But a record turnout in the first two days of early voting quickly wiped out that advantage.

Touch-and-Go Noise Around Flagler County Airport: Residents Hear Facts, and Contempt

October 22, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 131 Comments

The view from the Flagler airport's control tower. (© FlaglerLive)

A group of residents surrounding the Flagler County airport in Palm Coast have for years complained about the constant stream of touch-and-go student flights, about noise, about pollution, and about the county’s own dismissive attitude toward them. On Monday, the group got more of the same, with at times overt contempt from Airport Director Roy Sieger.

Hammock and Barrier Island Outside Cities Would Pay New Tax to Help Pay for Flagler’s $8.2 Million Beach Plan

October 22, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 36 Comments

The county has a plan. (© FlaglerLive)

Flagler County government has devised a plan to generate $8.2 million a year in local dollars to rebuild and maintain the 11.6 miles of beach north of Beverly Beach to the border of Marineland. The County Commission intends to vote on that plan, which includes a new tax for portions of the barrier island, on Nov. 4.

Early Voting at Flagler County’s Five Locations Breaks Single-Day Record; 12,100 Mail Ballots Already In

October 21, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 32 Comments

Turnout was brisk at the Flagler County Public Library on Palm Coast Parkway, one of five early-voting locations. The library location was the busiest this morning, with a line snaking around the sidewalk and halfway down the parking lot, toward the entrance. (© FlaglerLive)

With some 12,100 votes already turned in by mail so far, early voting in Flagler County began its 13-day run today with record-breaking turnout despite slow lines as a ballot with two dozen races and a half dozen constitutional and charter amendments took voters time to read and fill out.

Aviation Company Aura Aero Selects Volusia Over Flagler County for for 500,000-Square-Foot Manufacturing Plant and 1,000 Jobs

October 17, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 74 Comments

AURA AERO Inc. plans to open a manufacturing and assembly plant in Volusia County at the Daytona Beach International Airport. A rendering of the facility is pictured here. (Photo: AURA AERO Inc.)

Aura Aero Inc., the French designer and manufacturer of next-generation aircraft, has announced its intent to build a 500,000-square-foot manufacturing and assembly plant in Volusia County at the Daytona Beach International Airport. The facility will create more than 1,000 high-paying jobs in the area. Flagler County had been in contention for the facility.

Total Hurricane Milton Damage to Private Property in Flagler and Cities: $18.8 million, Government Costs Yet to Be Tallied

October 15, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 14 Comments

In Palm Coast's Woodlands on Oct. 11. (© FlaglerLive)

Flagler County suffered an estimated $18.8 million in private property damages countywide from Hurricane Milton, and an additional $14 million in damages to just under 11 miles of beachfront, with additional estimates yet to be calculated such as costs to government infrastructure and services, and losses to the federal portion of the beach in Flagler Beach–the 2.6 miles the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers just renourished.

Hurricane Milton’s Flagler Path in Pictures: Flooding, Beach Erosion, Damaged Roads and Roofs, but Nothing Disastrous

October 14, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 5 Comments

Old Kings Road near Graham Swamp suffered severe damage and remained closed on Monday. (Palm Coast)

Hurricane Milton barreled through the midsection of the Florida Peninsula Thursday morning, lashing Flagler County with tropical-storm-force winds (and a few hurricane-force gusts) and up top 19 inches of rain in parts of the county. But damage overall was mostly minor despite floodwaters. Here’s an album in pictures and video.

Flagler County in Federal Disaster Declaration: Residents Can Seek Help; Beach Will Be Repaired at 100% U.S. Expense

October 13, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 11 Comments

Flagler Beach's newly rebuilt beach, which had extended some 100 feet or more, suffered severe erosion during Hurricane Milton, but did the job of preserving State Road A1A intact. Now that a federal disaster has been declared, the beach is eligible for repair funds, and will be rebuilt 100 percent at the federal government's expense. (© FlaglerLive)

President Joe Biden on Friday approved a major disaster declaration for 34 Florida counties that suffered damage from Hurricane Milton, including Flagler, Volusia, St. Johns and Putnam counties. The declaration will help individuals and local governments to shoulder recovery costs, including–for governments–reimbursements for the majority of costs incurred by damage sustained or services provided during the storm and the recovery period. 

Who Controls the Flagler Beach Bridge? City and Sheriff Iron Out Bridge-Closure Mix-Up for Future Reference

October 11, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 2 Comments

The Flagler Beach bridge is not under Flagler Beach's control. (© FlaglerLive)

Flagler Beach officials and Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly have ironed out a confusing mix-up over who has authority to close the Flagler Beach bridge and under what circumstances, after the city approved a resolution that appeared to grant that authority to the sheriff. The sheriff did not agree with the resolution. The matter’s disposition sets a precedent, or at least clarifies one of the more frequently misunderstood local issues during emergencies–when an how the bridge is closed, if at all, and by whom–and may prevent a similar misunderstanding in the future.

Over 100 Homes in Palm Coast Damaged by Wind; Woodlands a Flood Concern; Surge in Flagler Beach Was Limited

October 11, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 9 Comments

In Palm Coast's Woodlands this afternoon. (© FlaglerLive)

Flagler County and city officials are breathing a collective sigh of relief. Despite the worst rain event Palm Coast has known in its history, despite some floodwaters in Flagler Beach’s low-lying areas and severe winds during Hurricane Milton’s passage over the region, the number of homes that experienced water intrusion have been limited to “a handful,” while the number of homes reporting wind damage, in Palm Coast, stands at 57. The numbers in Flagler Beach are not yet known. The shelter will close today, the night curfew will be rescinded.

Water Surging in Flagler Beach’s Low-Lying Areas, Flooding Some Homes; 44,800 Still Without Power in Flagler

October 10, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 48 Comments

A house on South Flagler this evening. The water was still rising. (© FlaglerLive)

“This horror will grow mild, this darkness light,” Floridians may be telling themselves–perhaps in not so many words–as Hurricane Milton edged off the coast of Florida this morning, still as a hurricane that left a wide swath of destruction and 3.2 million customers without power in its enormous path.

With Hurricane Milton’s Worst Ahead, Torrential Rains Raise Flooding Concerns in Palm Coast and Close Roads

October 9, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 6 Comments

Stormwater cavalry: City of Palm Coast crews special-delivered sand bags to some residents in the B-Section, where water levels have been a particular concern due to today's torrential rains--with the worst yet ahead. (Palm Coast)

Torrential rain in Palm Coast ahead of Hurricane Milton has “severely overwhelmed” the city’s stormwater system. Milton’s advance rain bands have led to a few street closures in the B Section, to city crews special-delivering sand bags to some residents, and to an alert from the city to residents to minimize water usage as the stormwater system is being overwhelmed by precipitation–with the worst yet to come.

Commissioner ‘Disheartened’ By Lack of Evacuations in Flagler Beach, Where Milton Preparations Are Plainly Low Key

October 9, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 27 Comments

The property owner at a house on flood-prone South Flagler Avenue installed a water-hose barrier in hopes of staving off floodwaters from Hurricane Milton's storm sturge on the Intracoastal. The Intracoastal is only a few feet away from Flagler Avenue, and barely a few in ches below its asphalt. (© FlaglerLive)

But for significantly less traffic on most roads, you’d be hard-pressed to see that the largest part of Flagler County under an evacuation order was heeding the warning this morning. From the looks of the Barrier Island and the mainland part of Flagler Beach in the first hours after the 8 a.m. evacuation order, there were many more cars parked in driveways than getting packed or driving off. Homes with sandbags or other storm preparations were the exception. Businesses were more likely to be boarded up than homes, though that was the exception even for businesses, most of which were closed.

Evacuations Ordered for Entire Barrier Island and Much of Mainland East of I-95, Curfew Wednesday Night

October 8, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 31 Comments

Hurricane Milton’s projected path has remained remarkably steady with very slight variations north or south, but with models agreeing on landfall in the Tampa Bay area after midnight Thursday and now mostly merging to agree on a path along or a bit south of I-4, toward Merritt Island and the Space Coast, where it would exit, still as a hurricane, Thursday afternoon. Tropical-storm force winds ranging between 40 and 70 mph are expected in Flagler County, with the possibility of hurricane-force winds especially on the barrier island.

County Has No Intention of Closing SR100 Bridge and Sheriff Says It’s Not His Call Alone. Flagler Beach Had Other Ideas.

October 8, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 6 Comments

The Flagler Beach bridge is not the city's to close, being a state road, except in narrowly defined circumstances. (© FlaglerLive)

The Flagler Beach City Commission in an emergency meeting Monday approved a resolution asking the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office to “exercise appropriate measures” regarding the State Road 100 bridge. The resolution does not explicitly ask the sheriff to close the bridge if need be, but the commission’s discussion before voting on the resolution indicated that intent, even though it appears to clash with the county’s emergency declaration, state law, and the sheriff’s own position.

County Commission Recognizes Domestic Violence Awareness Month and ‘Red Ribbon’ Week

October 7, 2024 | FlaglerLive | Leave a Comment

the Flagler County Commission on Monday recognized National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and the county's Family Life Center

In a pair of proclamations that shed light on some of society’s grimmer realities, the Flagler County Commission on Monday recognized National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and the county’s Family Life Center as well as “Red Ribbon Week,” an annual effort to bring attention to alcohol and drug abuse–or misuse, as professionals in the field prefer to call it–which has nevertheless only grown since the inception of Red Ribbon Week in 1988. 

On an Unsettled Day, Judge Dawn Nichols Brings Order to Court as She Begins Post-Perkins Tenure

October 7, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 2 Comments

Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols got immediately to work, as if she'd been doing the job for years--which, of course, she has: she's been on the bench for 10 years, but in Volusia County. Now she's Flagler County's felony judge. (© FlaglerLive)

A week after Terence Perkins’s retirement, Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols walked into court at 1:35 this afternoon, wished the lawyers, a half dozen inmates inmates and a dozen people in the gallery a good afternoon, and got to work with pleas, a couple of sentencing hearings, bond and status hearings with workmanlike cheer and speed just shy of breathless.

Milton Could Be Among ‘Most Destructive Hurricanes on Record,’ NHC Warns; Flagler Readies for Flooding; Cancellations Multiply

October 7, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 29 Comments

Hurricane Milton's track according to the European forecast model has it making landfall at Tampa Bay and crossing the peninsula just south of the I-4 corridor. (Tropical Tidbits)

Hurricane Milton, now a monster storm, had sustained winds of 180 miles per hour, making it one of the most intense and dangerous hurricanes ever recorded. It had crashed NHC’s site in early evening Monday, as Florida’s midsection was bracing for a direct hit in the Tampa Bay area and Flagler County was preparing for severe impacts and potential hurricane-force winds that it did not record even during Hurricanes Mathew and Ian in 2016 and 2017.

Hurricane Milton, Gaining Force Quicker, Is Barreling Toward Florida’s I-4 Corridor and Flagler By Midweek

October 6, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 6 Comments

The expected path of Tropical Storm/Hurricane Milton over the next five days according to to the American forecasting model. (Tropical Tidbits)

Eleven days after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend, Tropical Storm Milton, expected to be Hurricane Milton by tonight, is rapidly gaining strength and is expected to become a major hurricane by Tuesday. It is mobilizing Florida from Tampa Bay through the north-central midsection of the state, including Flagler County, where severe conditions and impacts are expected. Tropical-storm-force winds are expected in Flagler County late Tuesday night into Wednesday. The rainfall potential over the next five days for coastal Flagler County, including Flagler Beach and Beverly Beach, is in the 8 to 12-inch range, and in the 6 to 8 inch range for inland Flagler.

Get to Know Our Sand Dunes: Community Presentations in Flagler County

October 1, 2024 | FlaglerLive | Leave a Comment

Sea oats. (UF/IFAS)

Participants will learn about beach dynamics, the role of sand dunes, and how to identify many of the species of plants that grow on our dunes. We will also be sharing information about the participatory science dune monitoring pilot program starting soon along Flagler County beaches and how you can get involved with monitoring the growth of newly planted sea oats.

Southern Recreation Center in Palm Coast Added as Fifth Early Voting Site

October 1, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 2 Comments

early voting southern recreation center

In preparation for a very high turnout during this Presidential Election, the Flagler County Supervisor of Elections will opened a new early voting site at Palm Coast’s Southern Recreation Center, at 1290 Belle Terre Parkway, Palm Coast, bringing the total of early voting sites to five in Flagler County. The addition is in expectation of a heavy-turnout election and in response to a growing population.

The Fireman’s Son: Flagler County’s Even-Handed, Learned Judge Terence Perkins Retires

September 30, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 6 Comments

Circuit Judge Terence Perkins in his chambers on the fourth floor of the Flagler County courthouse. (© FlaglerLive)

Circuit Judge Terence Perkins retires today after six years as Flagler County’s chief judge and 14 years as a judge in the Seventh Judicial Circuit, including stints as chief judge. In a long interview with FlaglerLive, Perkins reflected on a storied career that included a private practice at a firm he co-founded with colleagues, almost all of whom went on to become circuit or appellate judges, on the purpose of local judges, on his personal life, on the isolation and anguish judges feel at times, and on what’s next.

County Judge Andrea Totten on Circuit Judge Terence Perkins’s Retirement: ‘He Will be Profoundly Missed’

September 30, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 2 Comments

County Judge Andrea Totten, center, at her investiture in November 2019, with County Judge Melissa Distler and Circuit Judge Terence Perkins. (© FlaglerLive)

County Judge Andrea Totten has known Circuit Judge Terence R. Perkins–who is retiring today–for 13 years, starting from when she clerked for him as a staff attorney in the Seventh Judicial Circuit to when he championed her candidacy for a new county judge seat in Flagler County, to which she was appointed in 2019. Totten reflects on those years, providing a unique perspective on Perkins beyond the courtroom.

Hurricane Helene Leaves 3.2 Million Without Power, Including Thousands in Flagler; Local Damage Minor

September 27, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 20 Comments

Marine deputies on a rescue mission near Ft. Myers Beach in a pair of stills from videos posted by the Lee County Sheriff's Office Thursday night.

As dawn broke over Florida and the Southeast today, 3.2 million people were without power in the wake of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall as a Category 4 storm  at 11:10 p.m. in Florida’s Big Bend area–10 miles west of Perry, in Taylor County–and as one of the most destructive storms on record for the area, with winds of 140 miles per hour and a storm surge of 10 to 20 feet. In Flagler County, while power losses reached 10,000, only a few houses reported being struck by trees, with many more trees down on roads.

Matters of Temper and Temperament at Tiger Bay Forum, Many Evaded Questions, Some Revealing Moments

September 26, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 20 Comments

tiger bay candidates

The 35 or so people who turned up for Wednesday evening’s Flagler Tiger Bay Club candidate forum would have gotten a general understanding of where the candidates stood on local issues. But sharp differences were surprisingly rare, and specific answers to questions even rarer. Too many questions lent themselves to open-ended speculation and the sort of bromides no one can quibble with. A few questions about temperament, public private partnerships and the “westward expansion” yielded more insights, and the candidates themselves had moments more revealing than they may have intended.

Flagler Beach Hears Substantial Opposition to Veranda Bay Annexation as Developer Counters: ‘I Have Agreed to a Lot Here’

September 25, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 35 Comments

At least 60 people filled the Flagler Beach City Commission's chamber for a special workshop on the Veranda Bay annexation Tuesday evening, not including commission members, staff and the developer and his attorney. (© FlaglerLive)

More than two dozen people in an audience of 60 spoke against Flagler Beach’s annexation of the 2,700-unit Veranda Bay development as crafted in a special workshop Tuesday evening. Three commissioners raised substantial concerns as well. But none of it appears to be a deal-breaker as the developer agreed to continue negotiating, and to make several pledges and concessions.

Helene Will Be Major Hurricane by Landfall in Big Bend, Flagler at Edge of Concerns; Expect Messy Thursday

September 25, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 3 Comments

Hurricane Helene's forecast path according to the European model. It is expected to make landfall as a major, Category 3 hurricane in Florida's Big Bend, bringing heavy rain and some wind to Flagler County especially on Thursday. (Tropical Tidbits)

Tropical Storm Helene is forecast to strengthen and move rapidly, becoming a major Category 3 hurricane–with winds above 111 miles per hour–before landfall along Florida’s Big Bend and Nature Coasts on Thursday evening. Helene will become very large, so impacts will be experienced far from the center. The potential for direct impacts is increasing for northeast Florida, according to the National Weather Service in Jacksonville, with local impacts including heavy rain and some flooding possible beginning on Wednesday night and lasting through early Friday morning. Thursday will be messy locally.

In Flagler Expect More Rain as PTC9 Morphs into Helene; State of Emergency for Panhandle and West Florida

September 23, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 3 Comments

hurricane helene

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday declared a state of emergency for 41 counties as a storm system is expected to rapidly grow into a powerful hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico. The counties do not include Flagler or its surrounding region, which is expected to be spared the brunt of the storm. But Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord said Flagler could see up to 4 inches of rain on already saturated grounds over the next four days from what is currently known as Potential Tropical Cyclone 9, and will be known as Helene.

Judge Rejects ‘SLAPP’ Suit by Veranda Bay Developer Against Opponents Who’d Challenged County’s Approval

September 23, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 6 Comments

Circuit Judge Chris France

Rejecting what he saw as an attempt to silence an advocacy organization’s right to challenge development, Circuit Judge Chris France on Friday ruled in favor of Preserve Flagler Beach and Bulow Creek, ending a year-and-a-half-old lawsuit filed against the group by Palm Coast Intracoastal. France termed PCI’s action a SLAPP suit impermissible under state law, handing the grass-roots group a major victory against the chilling effect of such lawsuits on speech and participation in matters of public concern. PCI is under the umbrella of SunBelt Land Management, the company overseeing Veranda Bay near Flagler Beach.

Lawyer for Victim of Alleged Rape by Flagler Paramedic Informs County of Her Intention to Sue

September 23, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 6 Comments

The interior of a new Flagler County Fire Rescue ambulance before it went into service. (© FlaglerLive)

A lawyer representing the victim of an alleged sexual assault as she was being transported unconscious aboard a Flagler County Fire Rescue ambulance has notified county government of her intention to sue. The notice is not a surprise. James Tyler Melady, who had worked as a paramedic with Flagler County Fire Rescue since 2018, had a checkered record and was going to be fired when he resigned in June, was arrested on Sept. 12 on a charge of sexual battery–or rape–of a patient who was passed out with intoxication and was being transported by ambulance to a local hospital the night of Oct.16-17, 2021.

Flagler County’s Inventory of Homes for Sale Reaches 13-Year High as Unemployment Remains Above 4%

September 20, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 15 Comments

unemployment august 2024 flagler florida

After rising to a three-year high last month, Flagler County’s unemployment rate declined a statistically insignificant fraction, to 4.4 percent. In one troubling indicator: The local inventory of available housing is now at 1,225 single family homes–the highest number in 13 years. It was last at that level in may 2012, when the inventory was shrinking fast in the recovery from the housing boom.

Annexation Into Flagler Beach of 2,700-Home Development Crosses Key 1st Hurdles, With Some Public Opposition

September 18, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 16 Comments

The proposed annexation of Veranda Bay into Flagler Beach drew a standing-room-only audience at Tuesday's special meeting. The audience had dwindled by the time the commission voted three hours later. (© FlaglerLive)

The Flagler Beach City Commission Tuesday night substantially moved forward with the annexation of Veranda Bay, a 2,700-home development along John Anderson Highway that will double the city’s population, hugely increase its tax revenue but also likely change its identity, its politics and its center of gravity as well as the character of its unincorporated surroundings by the time it’s built out near the middle of the century.

Greg Blose’s Sudden Exit from Chamber Was Preceded by Bitter Letter to Board About ‘Toxic and Unethical Behavior’

September 13, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 27 Comments

Greg Blose, left, at a public meeting last year during his tenure as the Chamber of Commerce's CEO. Michael Chiumento, the attorney and current chair of the chamber, is in the front row at right.

In a lengthy and detailed letter days before his sudden exit as leader of the Palm Coast-Flagler Regional Chamber of Commerce, Greg Blose described what he perceived as serious problems in the organization, including “toxic and unethical behavior” among the chamber leadership and an attempt to undermine him with his staff. Blose’s tenure ended this week after four years.

County Approves Old Dixie Motel’s Plan for ‘Hotel Henry’ Even as Harsh Disputes in Court Continue

September 12, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 7 Comments

They have plans to fix it up. (© FlaglerLive)

Flagler County government still doesn’t think the owners of the ruin known as the Old Dixie motel are admirable people by any stretch. But the Flagler County Planning Board on Tuesday finally approved on a 6-1 vote the owners’ site plan for a refurbished “Henry Hotel.” The vote does not end the county’s three-year-old legal dispute with the owners nor does it scrap the county’s pending order to demolish the motel–unless construction begins swiftly and proceeds earnestly.

Bronx House Pizza Parking Lot Approved Over Objections as Owner and Planning Board Member Attacks Resident

September 11, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 34 Comments

Bronx House Pizzza in the Hammock won approval of a special exception allowing it to have a separate parking lot a distance from the facility. (© FlaglerLive)

Though stand-alone parking zones are not allowed in the Hammock, the Flagler County Planning Board Tuesday evening voted unanimously to approve a special exception allowing Bronx House Pizza to operate a valet parking lot south of 17th Road to alleviate overflow parking. Planning Board member Mike Goodman abstained from the vote, since he co-owns Bronx House Pizza. He did not abstain from a personal and–in the words of attorney Dennis Bayer–a “highly inappropriate” tirade against Dennis Clark, a Hammock resident and the chair of the Scenic A1A committee that opposed the parking lot plan.

Bronx House Pizza in Hammock Sees Valet Parking Lot as Solution to Overflow, Scenic A1A Sees Hazards

September 9, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 7 Comments

Bronx House Pizza on State Road A1A in the Hammock, where parking has been an issue. The restaurant is proposing to have overflow parking on four lots to its south, past the billboard. (© FlaglerLive)

Almost since it opened several years ago, Bronx House Pizza in the Hammock has been the victim of its success: its popularity has grown in proportion to neighborhood parking headaches as rights-of-way became de-facto parking zones. On Tuesday, Bronx House Pizza goes before Flagler County’s Planning Board, seeking approval of an overflow parking lot it would build south of the restaurant, but not contiguous to it, on four lots totaling 20,000 square feet south of 17th Road. It’s facing opposition.

Fewer Problems at Bulow RV Park, But Evictions and Code Violations Loom as Deadline Approaches

September 5, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 4 Comments

A travel trailer that had grown a house attachment was one of the examples of a site out of compliance with park and county rules at Bulow RV Park when the County Commission examined the issue in january. Most of the non-compliant sites are now compliant, but 13 remain out of compliance, with other issues concerning residents. (© FlaglerLive via Flagler County)

The conflict between residents of the Bulow RV Park off Old Kings Road is not as intense as it was last year. Numerous issues have been resolved. But some problems persist, with more than a dozen residents still out of compliance with county and park rules, and with water pressure and water cleanliness issues now coming to the fore. The county continues to attempt to mediate a solution, with limited success. In the assistant county attorney’s characterization, the matter can be “intractable.”

County Bans Smoking, Vaping and Toking In Parks and Public Recreation Areas, With an Exception for Cigars

September 3, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 32 Comments

County parks like Princess Place are now smoke-free. (© FlaglerLive)

Mirroring Flagler Beach, which passed a similar ordinance two years ago, the Flagler County Commission today approved on first reading a prohibition on smoking or vaping in any public park or public recreation area, with a notable exception: unfiltered cigars. While the ban applies to county-owned portions of the beach, it does not apply in most portions.

Six Joe Mullins Properties Ordered Into Receivership in Georgia; 2 Local Properties’ Delinquent Taxes on Installment Plan

August 30, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 33 Comments

Joe Mullins. (© FlaglerLive)

A court has ordered Joe Mullins, the former Flagler County commissioner and a delegate to the recent Republican National Convention, to surrender into receivership three apartment buildings and three residential buildings in Georgia owned by Mullins Properties after Mullins’s lender accused him of breach of contract. In Flagler County, 2023 taxes owed on two Mullins properties were delinquent until an installment plan began in June.

Flagler Humane Society Critics Urged to ‘Stop Accusations’ as County and City Seek Oversight and Expansion Plans

August 29, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 26 Comments

He was adopted: a cat at the Flagler Humane Society. (© FlaglerLive)

Officials at a joint meeting of the Flagler County Commission and the Palm Coast City Council on Wednesday agreed to place representation from either government on the board of the Flagler Humane Society, which has faced significant criticism from current and former volunteers. while the 20-year-old shelter on U.S. 1 is old, overcrowded and growing more so, and the society’s director says it’s been outgrown, the Humane Society has neither capital plan nor savings either to build larger shelter or move to one, though it would be prohibitively expensive to do so. Local officials want that plan.

BJ’s Wholesale Club and Traffic Nightmares on SR100: County Says Pain Will Ease With Coming Turn Lanes

August 29, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 10 Comments

The new turning lanes, in orange, along State Road 100, facilitating right turns onto Seminole Woods and Town Center Boulevard, in orange, as depicted by a Department of Transportation graphic.

With BJ’s Wholesale’s impending opening and traffic congestion already exacerbated by road construction, Flagler County and Palm Coast officials sought to allay public anxieties with assurances of a pair of turning lanes off of State Road 100, near BJ’s, that should relieve some of the bottlenecks. That construction is possibly slated for November. But larger concerns about traffic backups in the area are still looking for solutions, even as some transportation impact fee revenue is available to facilitate them.

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Page 3
  • Page 4
  • Page 5
  • Page 6
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 76
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

  • grand living realty
  • politis matovina attorneys for justice personal injury law auto truck accidents

Recent Comments

  • Ray on DeSantis Seizes Land in Everglades to Open ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ Mass Migrant Detention Center
  • Ray W, on The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, June 28, 2025
  • Michael J Cocchiola on DeSantis Seizes Land in Everglades to Open ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ Mass Migrant Detention Center
  • Dr.Shawn M. Berry on Flagler Beach Commissioners Blister Design for New A-Frame and Boardwalk as ‘Expensive Gingerbread’
  • joseph falis on DeSantis Joins Other Southern States to Develop Anti-‘Woke’ University Accreditation System
  • CP on Flagler Beach Commissioners Blister Design for New A-Frame and Boardwalk as ‘Expensive Gingerbread’
  • Jake from state farm on Understanding the Supreme Court Ruling Against Universal Injunctions
  • Bonnie Simms on Flagler County Attorney Al Hadeed Awarded State Association Honor for ‘Outstanding Contributions to Local Government Law’
  • Jake from state farm on Flagler County Attorney Al Hadeed Awarded State Association Honor for ‘Outstanding Contributions to Local Government Law’
  • Skibum on Smartphones vs. ICE
  • Taters and Cabbage on Bunnell Mayor in Stunning Maneuver Revives 8,000-Home Development Commission Killed 2 Weeks Ago
  • A Frame in a D Frame County on Flagler Beach Commissioners Blister Design for New A-Frame and Boardwalk as ‘Expensive Gingerbread’
  • Just my thought on Flagler County Attorney Al Hadeed Awarded State Association Honor for ‘Outstanding Contributions to Local Government Law’
  • Just my thought on Flagler Beach Commissioners Blister Design for New A-Frame and Boardwalk as ‘Expensive Gingerbread’
  • Steve on Still on Warpath, Palm Coast Mayor Files Records Requests Targeting City Manager’s Communications 
  • Beware J.P.A on Flagler Beach Commissioners Blister Design for New A-Frame and Boardwalk as ‘Expensive Gingerbread’

Log in