An “incident management team” was created to respond to any infectious disease emergency in Flagler, with Emergency Management, Florida Hospital Flagler and the the Health Department leading the response, should one ever be necessary.
Flagler
Dave Sullivan Won’t Give Way to Trevor Tucker in Race for House as Hankerson Joins It; Democrats Are No-Shows
Flagler School Board member Trevor Tucker said he was seriously thinking of running for an open Florida House seat in the Jan. 27 primary, but only if REC Chairman Dave Sullivan chose not to run, as Tucker doesn’t want to split the vote., Sullivan says he’s in it to stay.
Flagler Briefly Pauses On 100th Anniversary Year of the War that Led to Veterans Day
The commemoration of Veterans Day this morning in Bunnell featured a Florida Army National Guard commander who traced the conflict-ridden history of the day since its inception at the end of World War I.
Feed Flagler, in Its 6th Year, Launches Food Drive and Free Thanksgiving Meals Plan
Feed Flagler, the community-wide effort to provide meals for the needy (or anyone who requests one) at Thanksgiving, is off to its 6th year, with renewed emphasis on food collection for families.
Sheriff Manfre Faces Federal Lawsuit Over Unpaid Wages, Jeopardizing Raise for Troops
Four ex-deputies have sued Sheriff Jim Manfre in federal court over briefings they were forced to attend without being paid, causing the Sheriff to shelve a 1 percent raise previously due the agency’s employees.
UF and FSU Get New Presidents, Flagler Loses Sen. Thrasher, Special Election Next
The Board of Governors unanimously ratified Thrasher’s and Kent Fuchs’s appointments. Thrasher’s resignation is expected to set off a feeding frenzy in a special election for what may turn into a Senate seat and two House seats.
Gail Wadsworth Will Not Seek to Resume Family Dynasty in Florida Legislature–For Now
Despite getting ready to retire in two years and having three Wadsworths behind her who served in Tallahassee, Gail Wadsworth said the timing is not right for her to run in the special election soon to be announced for either a House or Senate seat representing Flagler.
From Washington to Palm Coast City Council, Elections Herald Less Change Than Advertised
Tuesday’s election looked more revolutionary than it was, as political dynamics changed very little, even at the Palm Coast City Council, where two seats turned over, and even more so at the school board and the county commission, where change may be imperceptible.
Commission Incumbents Meeker and McLaughlin Win, McDonald Beats Fischer for School Board, Shipley and Nobile Win Palm Coast; Scott Wins, Pot Busts
With 21,000 votes in–early vote tallies and absentee ballots–County Commission incumbents Frank Meeker and Nate McLaughlin have taken commanding leads against challengers Howard Holley and Denise Calderwood, with Meeker polling 58 percent and McLaughlin close to 60 percent.
Even as Election Culminates, Supervisor Weeks Finds a New Target: Commission Chairman George Hanns
In her latest attempts to recast the Flagler Canvassing Board, Elections Supervisor Kimberle Weeks tried to have County Commission Chairman Gorge Hanns removed and raised issues with the appointment of alternate and Commissioner Barbara Revels.
Motorcyclist Richard K. Taylor of Palm Coast Killed in Head-On Collision With Pick-Up Truck on SR11
Palm Coast’s Richard K. Taylor was killed this morning on State Road 11 when DeLand driver E. Gonzalez attempted to pass a car in his pick-up truck and ran head-on into Taylor’s motorcycle.
Flagler GOP Chief Dave Sullivan Plans to Run for Hutson’s House Seat in Special Election
Dave Sullivan, chairman of the Flagler County Republican Executive Committee, said he will make a run for the seat to ensure that it has a chance to be filled by someone from Flagler.
Flagler Gives Initial Approval to Vacation Rental Regulations and Pledges Revisions
Some Hammock property owners applauded the Flagler County Commission’s proposed rules for short-term rental properties, others excoriated them for being too draconian. The commission will consider a revised proposal in late November or December.
Vaulting from Hollingsworth to Salvo Art: JJ Graham Opens Gallery of Revelations in Bunnell
With the opening of the Salvo Art Project gallery Saturday evening on the grounds of Nature Scapes in Bunnell–the reincarnation of Hollingsworth Gallery in Palm Coast–JJ Graham is creating an artists’ colony devoted to expressionist art in a space at once immense and intimate.
Miscounts Stretch Marathon Canvassing Board Meeting to 16 Hours, Ending After Midnight
Aside from Supervisor Kimberle Weeks hiring a stenographer without the Canvassing Board’s authorization, the meeting Thursday was dominated by attempts to reconcile a four-ballot difference.
From Heroes to Suspects and Back Again: All Charges Dropped For European Village Saviors
The three young Palm Coast residents who stopped an Uzi-yielding assailant at European Village in March spent the next six months fighting bogus charges that they’d provoked a fight at Finn’s bar in Flagler Beach. All charges have been dropped.
“I Know I Should Have Died on US 1”: Jack Howell Survives Another Bike Crash
Teens-in-Flight chief Jack Howell, the retired Marine Colonel, was riding at 60 mph in the annual Frank Celico fund-raising ride Saturday when a tire on his motorcycle blew, sending him scraping against the highway.
Elections Supervisor Weeks Suspends Canvassing Business for Radio Gig, Stunning Fellow Board Members
Supervisor of Elections Kimberle Week suspended a Canvassing Board meeting Friday to do a radio interview, without telling fellow-board members, who had other commitments, that that was the reason.
Raising Issues of Accuracy, Canvassing Board Rejects Elections Supervisor Weeks’s Minutes in Latest Strains
It was a striking vote of no-confidence in the veracity of Weeks’s version of events that Canvassing Board Chair Melissa Moore-Stens made even more striking by including disclaimers on each set of minutes, stressing that they are not the official minutes of the board, but Weeks’s own.
Welcome Home, Bunnell: City Celebrates Its New Digs After Five Years’ Squatting
The four-building, $600,000 Bunnell City Hall complex has more space than the city knows what to do with, but acquired at a tenth the price it might have had to pay had it moved into the old county courthouse.
2 Women Killed, 2 Seriously Hurt in 3-Vehicle Crash Termed “Horrific” on SR100 and CR305
The third wreck involving fatalities in six days was triggered by a vehicle rear-ending another, and causing it to crash head-on into an oncoming car.
Denise Calderwood, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Independent Denise Calderwood is challenging Republican incumbent Nate McLaughlin in the District 4 race for Flagler County Commission in the Nov. 4 election. All registered Flagler County and and municipal residents may cast ballot in the race.
Howard Holley, Flagler County Commission Candidates: The Live Interview
Howard Holley is an Independent candidate for the Flagler County Commission in the Nov. 4 election, challenging incumbent Republican Frank Meeker. All registered voters may cast a ballot in this race.
Canvassing Board Rejects Weeks Attempt to Remove Hadeed as Attorney in Latest Clashes
Another Canvassing Board meeting that should have been routine turned into a three-hour test of wills between Supervisor Kimberle Weeks and the two other members of the board, while Weeks’s issues with Palm Coast remain unresolved.
Flagler Posts Biggest Single-Month Unemployment Drop Since Recession, to 8.4%, as 474 Residents Gain Jobs
Flagler County still has the second-highest unemployment rate in the state, but September was a banner month for the county’s economic health in almost every regard.
Family-Owned Beutlich Pharmaceuticals Bringing 25 to 30 Jobs to Flagler by January
Beutlich Pharmaceuticals, a family-owned pharmaceutical company based in Waukegan, Ill., is moving to a 20,000 square-foot warehouse in Bunnell, where it expects to hire 25 to 30 people. The company will operate locally by January 2015.
In Chamber’s Straw Poll, Shipley and Nobile Win Palm Coast, Incumbents Win all County and State Offices and Pot Loses
There were few surprises in a straw poll of 124 participants conducted by the Flagler Chamber of Commerce at a political forum and at Creekside Festival in the last few days, but the sample is too small to be indicative of more than hints.
Thrasher’s FSU Contract: $430,000 a Year for Five Years. Special Election Cost: $1 Million.
The Flagler County Commission is not relishing a special election, as it means contending with a supplemental budget request from Supervisor of Elections Kimberle Weeks, whose relationship with the commission–among other local government agencies–is at an all-time low.
A Community Bids Former Deputy Joe Delarosby Farewell, Mixing Anger With Remembrance
Services for Joseph Delarosby, the sheriff’s deputy edged into retirement 7 weeks before he killed himself on Oct. 7, included a stunning public rebuke of Sheriff Manfre by Delarosby’s father.
Flagler Beach Mayor Calls Special Meeting on Fire Truck Only To Be Outmaneuvered With Planned Vote
Flagler Beach Mayor Linda Provencher wanted a meeting to further investigate what she considers a dubious $600,000 fire truck buy. Instead, she got a meeting where the commission may finally vote to go ahead with the purchase this evening.
Bruce Campbell Resigns As Flagler Beach City Manager
Flagler Beach City Manager Bruce Campbell on Friday told his staff he was resigning after three years on the job. He did not give any reasons.
A1A Pride Votes 7-3 to Reject Salamander Plan for 198-Room Hotel at Hammock Beach
Today’s vote is only advisory ahead of action before the county’s planning board and the County Commission. But A1A’s membership represents a powerful constituency in the Hammock, as its previous displays of political muscle indicate.
Past Day 5 of Crashed-Plane Recovery Efforts, a Barge Will Attempt Wreckage Excavation From 9 Feet of Muck
Several attempts to recover Ray Miller;’s crashed plane have failed because of challenging conditions and the plane’s location, but a barge is on its way to conduct a salvaging operation starting this evening as officials hope to have plane and body recovered by Thursday.
Pink Army’s Cancer-Whipping Flags Rise Over Flagler as Awareness Campaign Broadens
At a flag-raising ceremony this morning, elected officials and Florida Hospital Flagler CEO Ken Mattison spoke of cancer’s toll and improvements in life expectancy thanks to awareness and early detection.
County Road 305 Culvert Replacements Will Not Be Completed Until 2015
One culvert has been delayed by heavy rains and won’t be finished until October, two more won’t be done until January 2015, the county administration said.
FDLE Serves Search Warrant as Supervisor of Elections Weeks Is Now Formally Under Investigation
Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents this morning served a search warrant at Flagler County Supervisor of Elections Kimberle Weeks’s office. Agents were there several hours today.
“Sexsomnia” Case: Man Convicted of Molesting 7-Year-Old Girl Is Sentenced to 30 Years
Caleb Ruh, a 29-year-old Flagler County man accused two years ago of molesting a 7-year-old girl in his care, claimed he was asleep at the time. He faces life in prison when sentenmced on Sept. 29.
34 Homes Report Damage in Latest Flooding Totals as Rain Resumes; Graham Swamp Overflows
After 36 hours of calm, the National Weather Service has issued a flood advisory, in effect until 1:30 p.m., and a flood watch through this evening for Palm Coast, Bunnell, Flagler Beach and the rest of Flagler County, with rain aggravating flood-prone conditions from the weekend.
FDLE Looking Into Alleged Secret Taping and Sunshine Violation by Elections Supervisor
It’s the first step to an investigation of Kimberle Weeks, if laws are found to have been broken. It takes place on the heels of withering criticism of Weeks’s methods and questions by the county commission chairman about the integrity of the elections she is supervising.
County Calls Supervisor of Elections Kim Weeks’s Taping of a Conversation “Illegal”
County Administrator Craig Coffey says Weeks’s secret recording of a conversation between the county attorney and a county commissioner on Aug. 25 was illegal, so was its distribution, though nothing in the recording speaks ill of either men in the conversation.
15 Inches of Rain In Heart of Palm Coast; B-Section Pounded; Wastewater Systems Strained
15 inches of rainfall had been reported at Palm Coast Parkway and Belle Terre Parkway by 9:35 this morning, with the third flood warning issued in 18 hours, valid through 1:15 p.m.
“You Are the Shining Stars,” Flagler’s Drug Court Graduates Are Told at Inspirational Ceremony
Five graduates joined today the 101 who have graduated from Flagler County Drug Court at a ceremony before Judge J. David Walsh, where emotions, celebrations and relief gripped much of the full house.
Supervisor of Elections’ Husband Duane Weeks in Threatening Altercation With Flagler Commissioner Meeker
The brief confrontation, which entailed Duane Weeks at one point inviting Frank Meeker outside, took place before an NAACP meeting where Sheriff Manfre was to address the fallout from the racial events in Ferguson, Mo.
John Thrasher Is Named FSU’s Next President, Opening Big Void in Flagler’s Legislative Pull; Hutson Considering Run
For Flagler County, Thrasher’s move is the second major blow to the county’s political pull, after losing John Mica in Congress to redistricting two years ago. Flagler had specific needs that may now go unfilled in Tallahassee.
Tax Collector Suzanne Johnston Gets State Safety Award For Using Drunk Buster Impairment Goggles
The statewide award is presented each year by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles for an outstanding program in Florida promoting highway safety.
Tenacity Charlie: County Commissioner Ericksen, 71, Completes 24,902-Mile Bike Trek, Equivalent to Circling the Equator
Charlie Ericksen’s odometer turned the last mile early this morning after six years or 2,263 days, biking an average of 77 miles a week around Flagler and Palm Coast, despite three tips to the hospital along the way and many more repairs for his bike.
Commission Chairman Questions Election’s Integrity in Broad Criticism of Supervisor Kim Weeks’ Methods
George Hanns unleashed an unusually blunt and broad critique of Weeks at the end of a county commission meeting and went as far as questioning whether it was time to involve the state Division of Elections “about some of the things that are transpiring.”
Gamble Rogers Rec Area Will Keep Its Name as Flagler Beach Concedes: “Not Worth the Fight”
The Flagler Beach City Commission and the County Commission both retreated from a push to remove Gamble Rogers’s name from the Flagler Beach recreation area following a series of setbacks and a public backlash against the idea.
Elections Supervisor Weeks Scuttles Latest Attempt to Resolve Elections Conflicts in Heated Meeting
A Canvassing Board meeting Friday devolved into a partisan and often heated debate, but no resolution, as many conflicts that have framed Kimberle Weeks’s supervision of the last election remain unresolved ahead of November’s election.
Sgt. Frank Celico’s Name Added to Memorial In 9/11 Commemoration at Heroes Park
During the early morning ceremony at Heroes Park, Palm Coast Mayor Jon Netts spoke of the Callery pear tree that survived the attacks of 9/11 at Ground Zero and has come to symbolize resilience and rebirth at the site.