While the Spartan race appears set at a private ranch in Flagler next March, again, serious questions of transparency and patronage are undermining tiourism chief Matt Dunn’s latest approach.
Flagler
Conflict Concerns Raised Over Tourism’s Matt Dunn Moonlighting at His Own Agency
Flagler government tourism chief Matt Dunn, an $82,000-a-year employee, owns a company that offers services similar to those he provides the county, raising questions of conflicts of interest.
County Administrator’s and Attorney’s Contracts May Renew Through 2019 Without Discussion
Flagler County Administrator Craig Coffey’s contract renewal does not appear on this evening’s county commission agenda, and is set to renew automatically absent a decision by one of the commissioners to discuss the contract. The same standard applies to County Attorney Al Hadeed’s contract.
Unemployment Falls to 6% in Flagler and to Lowest Level in 7 Years in Florida
The unemployment rolls shrank by some 150 people in Flagler, bringing the total number of people out of work to 2,569. The labor force grew by about 150, but it remains lower than it was a year ago.
1-Acre Brush Fire Off SR 100 Mobilizes Division of Forestry and Flagler Fire Flight
A 1-acre brush fire broke out just after 4 this afternoon in an area difficult to reach for firefighters, just south of the Winn Dixie shopping center on State Road 100, and some 75 feet eastt of I-95.
Wednesday Briefing: Hammock’s Husband-Murderer Wants No Defense, FPC vs. Matanzas
Anna Pehota, 75, who murdered her husband in September at their Hammock trailer, wants to plead guilty and be done with it, Matanzas and FPC meet for a volleyball showdown.
Gail Wadsworth: Florida’s Court Clerks Spotlight Domestic Violence Awareness Month
According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, there were more than 106,000 cases of domestic violence reported in Florida last year. While this statistic is alarming enough, the numbers only continue to increase when factoring in the countless incidents of domestic violence that go unreported by victims.
Targeted Attack on Sea Ray Boats Results In Damage to 50 Employees’ Vehicle Tires
One or more individuals blanketed a section of Sea Ray Drive with roofing nails early the morning of Oct. 6, damaging tires on 50 Sea Ray Boats employees’ vehicles.
11 Bands for 11th Creekside Festival at Princess Place This Weekend
The Creekside Festival is an annual tradition that celebrates the natural beauty of Northeast Florida with live bluegrass music, a delicious variety of food, arts and craft vendors, historic re-enactors, family friendly activities, and of course every politician running for office this side of the Suwanee River.
County Administrator Is “Chastised” Over Cryptic Handling of Question in Open Forum
Flagler County Commissioner Barbara Revels said she felt treated like “a bad girl” speaking out of turn when this week when Administrator Coffey would not openly address a question she raised about legislative priorities. Coffey later explained he’d mishandled the matter.
Weekend Briefing: A Fitting Festival for Princess Place, Soccer Fall Classic, A Nobel for Tunisia, Godspell
A weekend filled with events in Flagler and Palm Coast, including “Godspell”‘s last three shows, the Flagler County Art League’s signature new show, Creekside Festival at Princess Place, and a lot more.
Thursday Briefing: FPC Chorus Solos, A Nobel for Belarus, Florida Senate’s Seal, Trump’s Diminishing Money
Flagler Palm Coast High School’s chorus in solos tonight, the Florida Senate takes up its Confederate-tainted seal, Belarusian author Svetlana Alexievich wins literature’s Nobel.
A Year Later, a Memorial to Deputy Delarosby Flickers Steps From Where He Took His Life
A few dozen people gathered at Heroes Park Tuesday evening to mark the one-year anniversary of Deputy Joe Delarosby’s suicide there, recalling memories, saying prayers and singing Amazing Grace.
Owners of Dog the County Declared Dangerous for Attacking Child Appeal to County Court
A rare and controversial case involving a dangerous-dog declaration after the dog bit an 8-year-old child enters a new phase, starting with a request from the dog owners that county court determine how the appeal is to proceed.
3 Flagler Emergency Operations Specialists In South Carolina as Part of Incident Team
It is the first time since the 2011 wildfires in Flagler that the Northeast Florida Incident Management Team was activated, this time with three members from Flagler County: Flagler County Fire Rescue Operations Chief Mike Bazanos, Captain Richard Bennett, and Laura Nelson, a Mitigation Planner at Flagler County Emergency Management.
At Pink Army Flag-Raising, a Shaved Head Attests to Cancer’s Ravages, and Hopes
The breast-cancer awareness flag-raising marks the beginning of a series of fund-raising events in Flagler and Palm Coast. It featured Commissioner Frank Meeker, barely out of his own battle through chemotherapy and colon cancer.
In Plantation Bay, 1,600 Customers Are Stuck Between Cruddy Water and Cruddier Bills
As Flagler government fully acquires the Plantation bay utility from Bunnell, residents have seen water bills more than double, and may see further rate increases yet if the shoddy water plant is to be improved.
Weekend Briefing: Guns’ 36-Kills-a-Day U.S. Habit, Hurricane Joaquin’s Waves, Godspell at CRT, Matt Beyrer at Ocean Art
Beyond the routine of the latest mass-shooting, Joaquin is moving away, Godspell should not be missed at City Repertory Theatre, Paul Krugman picks up on the resilience of vodoo economics.
Flagler County Youth Center Marks 10 Years in Continuing County-School Board Partnership
Flagler County government built the $1 million youth center as part of a tax-supported referendum 10 years ago. The school board staffs it, under the leadership of Cheryl Massaro, its one and only director.
Sheriff Shows Off New HQ to Public, But Commissioners Who Bought It Are No-Shows
None of the four county commissioners who voted for the $6.5 million acquisition and transformation of the old Memorial Hospital into the sheriff’s operations center showed up at Wednesday’s open house.
Flagler Fire Rescue Join Florida National Guard at Camp Blanding Search and Rescue Training
The 7th annual exercise, dubbed “Operation Integration,” involved statewide deployment of urban search and rescue teams with the Guard’s 83rd Troop Command.
Tuesday Briefing: Banned Books Week, Entrepreneur Night at Black Cloud, Why ISIS Demolishes History
It’s Banned Books Week, the Palm Coast City Cpouncil holds a special meeting to buy a dozen vehicles, Area entrepreneurs gather for their monthly meet-up, this time at Black Cloud,
Assistant State Attorney Jason Lewis Escapes Serious Injuries in 2-Vehicle Wreck on US1
The wreck at U.S. 1 and Royal Palms Parkway in Palm Coast also involved Lauren Mack, co-founder of The Well-Written Woman, a local blog with a national following.
Fearing Costs of Long and Losing Battle, Flagler Beach Surrenders to Sea Ray
Flagler Beach government approved a settlement agreement, 3-2, that ends its challenge of Sea Ray’s parking lot plans and the county’s land use changes.
Monday Briefing: Open House For Sheriff’s New Home, Free Clinic Fund-Raiser, Bunnell in the Money Again
The Flagler County Free Clinic holds a fund-raiser at the Turtle Shack in Flagler Beach from 6 to 8 p.m., Bunnell commissioners vote themselves a little money back, Carly Fiorina’s disasters.
“He Kept Pushing Me Mentally”: Anna and John Pehota’s Life Before She Shot Him
Anna Pehota shot dead her husband John in their Hammock trailer Sept. 23. John’s best friend recalls four decades of knowing the couple he calls “the sweetest in the world.”
Anna Pehota, 75, Charged With 2nd-Degree Murder for Shooting Husband in Hammock
The woman–Anna Pehota, who has owned the trailer with her husband John since 1993–called 911 just after 4:30 p.m. to say that she thought she’d killed her husband, and that she’d shot him three times.
Commissioners Ax Planning Board Chairman Who’d Opposed Controversial Developments, Replace Him With a Developer
The Flagler County Commission booted off Russ Reinke who’d long chaired the planning board and replaced him with developer Art Barr after Reinke had opposed several recent controversial developments.
Trash Bandits: Sheriff Looking for Rogues Who Dumped 18 Tons of Tires Off Old Kings Road
The 18 to 19 tons of use tires (37,000 pounds) were dumped off North Old Kings Road, between Matanzas Woods Parkway and Princess Place Preserve. Flagler government removed them.
FHP’s Cpl. Pete Young, Flagler’s Longest-Serving Cop By Far, Earns Singular Medal
With 500 traffic homicide investigations and into his 5th decade in law enforcement, Pete Young is the longest-serving uniformed cop in Flagler-Palm Coast. He has no plans to stop.
Thursday Briefing: Obama Likes Ahmed’s Coo Coo-Cop Clock, Maya at the GSB, Dexter Gordon’s Tunisia
The Flagler Commission holds its final budget and tax hearing, the annual Maya at the Playa conference kicks off at the GSB, Obama invites Ahmed Mohamed to the White House, with the clock that scared a teacher and cops.
Palm Coast Manager Apologizes for Ordering Work Without School Board Approval First
City Manager Jim Landon ordered utility work to proceed without securing an easement from the Flagler County School Board, though he’s been critical of the county over a similar issue.
Flagler Airport Pilot Flies Historic Cuba-Bound Flight From the United States
Local pilot Galin Hernandez’s historic flight to Cuba over Labor Day was among the first of its kind from the American mainland, though it took off from Hollywood.
County Approves Indefinite Halt to Road Impact Fees, May End Them in East Flagler
A moratorium has cost cost the county $810,000 in transportation impact fees and $145,000 in parks and recreation fees as a result.
Tuesday Briefing: County Talks Cell Towers, School Board Takes Up 5-Year, $16-Million Construction Plan
The Flagler County Commission is still hunting for an alternative site for a 320-foot cell tower near John Anderson Highway. The school board and Palm Coast City Council meet.
Wimbledon Champ Reilly Opelka Coming Home to Palm Coast Tennis Center Friday
The public is invited to the Palm Coast Tennis Center this Friday (Sept. 18), from 11 a.m. to noon, to welcome home 2015 Wimbledon Junior tennis champion Reilly Opelka. The Tennis Center is located at 1290 Belle Terre Pkwy.
County Rejects One Jumbo Cell Tower, Approves Another and Hedges On Third
The Flagler commission was responding to concerns about the height and visibility of three proposed communications towers rising between 320 and 350 feet–more than twice the allowable size under county rules.
County Declares Dangerous Dog That Bit 8-Year-Old Boy, Rejecting More Clement Recommendation
The commission’s 4-1 vote went against the recommendation of a hearing officer, who found that the dog was acting in defense of its owners’ home and was reacting to what amounted to a trespassing, uninvited person walking into the house.
Flagler’s Push For Trio of Cell Towers Rising Higher Than Statue of Liberty Beams Alarms
Flagler County Emergency Services wants the three towers, including an especially controversial one on John Anderson Highway in Flagler Beach, to improve its communications network, but residents and environmentalists are raising questions.
Dog Bites 8-Year-Old Boy: Should It be Declared Dangerous, Or Does Castle Doctrine Apply? County Commission Will Decide.
The Flagler County Commission on Sept. 9 must decide whether to declare a 2-year-old Labrador dangerous, or whether to rule that the dog was merely defending its home from an intruder.
Gov. Scott and Florida Cabinet Honor 3 From Flagler: John Seth, Rick Staly and Ed Wolff
Rick Staly until spring was the undersheriff in the Jim Manfre administration, John Seth is the long-time band director at Flagler Palm Coast High School, and Ed Wolff is the county’s teacher of the year.
Flagler, Among Top 10 Counties With Most Concealed-Weapon Licenses, Will Fast-Track Permitting
Flagler has 8.24 concealed carry permits for every 100 residents. Starting Jan. 1, the Flagler Tax Collector’s office will accept concealed-weapon permit applications for $134 and renewals for $72.
Disaster Economics 101: Flagler Businesses Are Made Part of County’s Recovery Plans
Kevin Guthrie, the county’s emergency services director, told some 80 Flagler business leaders what role they must play in the immediate recovery after a disaster to ensure that the local economy returns to normal.
Overselling Flagler: How County Tourism and Government Zeal Lost the Spartan Race Before It Started
An examination of the documents behind the Spartan Race proposed for Princess Place show tourism chief Matt Dunn repeatedly getting ahead of the process, showing little awareness of policy and protocols and virtually no appreciation for the political context that ultimately sank his biggest pet project to date.
Princess Place Saved Again: Flagler Pulls Extreme Race Out of Preserve and Looks Elsewhere
County Administrator Craig Coffey, conceding to the outpouring of opposition to holding such a race at the preserve—and to a majority of county commissioners’ categorical opposition to the event there—informed commissioners Sunday that the race would be pulled.
How County Government Is Pimping Princess Place While Spinning Fairy Tales
Flagler County’s justifications for holding a Spartan extreme-sport race at Princess Place Preserve fails the smell test on all counts and raise questions about how tourism chief Matt Dunn and County Administrator Craig Coffey got the deal so far to start with.
Princess Place Preserve Slated for Extreme-Sport-Type Endurance Race, and 6,000 Racers
The Spartan extreme-sport race in March will cover 8-10 miles and feature nearly 30 landscape-altering obstacles, with 6,000 racers and 2,000 spectators expected. The county is subsidizing the race.
For Fire Chief Don Petito, a Family Matter Escalates Into Confrontations and Complaints
Don Petito was seeking to help his father move out of a house when a deputy forbade either to enter the house, causing the fire chief to become “very animated,” in his own words.
County Government Will Take Over Flagler Tourism Office From Chamber in Latest Expansion
The tourism office’s four employees have been under contract through the Flagler chamber of commerce. By next fall, they’ll be county employees, but their budget will still be underwritten by the 4 percent surtax on short-term rentals.
Boat-Dock Permits Revoked, Flagler Re-Ignites Urgency to Finish Manatee Protection Plan
Federal officials have revoked all boat-dock permits for non-residential homes in Flagler because a manatee protection plan and an additional speed zone are not in place.