Not a single candidate got unanimity from all nine council members. Only one candidate got eight votes but the circumstances of his departure from his last job are very cloudy.
Flagler
Prayer Becomes Official Policy at Bunnell Meetings; “You Can Wait Outside” If Offended
Bunnell voted to open its government meetings with one or more prayers, an idea proposed by Commissioner Elbert Tucker. The city attorney offered cautionary guidance rather than objections.
Feed Flagler: Community-Wide Celebration Wraps-Up With 3,000 Meals Served
We’re reporting live this afternoon from various Feed Flagler locations as the community-wide Thanksgiving celebration takes place from 3 to 6 p.m.
Feed Flagler Raises $25,000 as Don Fleming Reminds Suzanne Johnston Who’s Sheriff
The $25,000 raised largely on the strength of the sheriff and the tax collector’s efforts is $10,000 more than last year, and means that $14,000 of it will be split between two Flagler County food pantries. The rest pays for today’s 4,000 free Thanksgiving meals across the county.
Sunshine Lessons Clouded By Possibly Dimmer Visibility as Jobs Council Meets for 1st Time
Flagler’s nine-member Economic Development Council conducted the equivalent of a meet-and-greet for itself on Tuesday and promptly reversed a promise that all meetings would be televised live, opting instead for audio broadcasts.
Routine County Appointments Get Testy As Commissioner McLaughlin Challenges Holland
Barbara Revels’s appointment as chairman of the Flagler County Commission was overshadowed by Alan Peterson’s and Nate McLaughlin’s unsuccessful attempts to replace Milissa Holland on two boards. McLaughlin did not take the rejection happily.
Flagler’s Firefighters and Paramedics Sweep Another Competition, This Time in Nebraska
Flagler County’s firefighters-paramedics took first, third and fourth-place honors in an annual competition in advanced life support in Omaha, Neb., and second place in the basic life support category.
John Feind Is Leaving After 8 Years; Joy McGrew and Sandra Mason In the Race
When it convenes in February, the Flagler Beach City Commission will look vastly different than it did just a year ago, with three of its commission seats and the mayor’s seat having turned over, but the four candidates running for a commission seat and the mayor’s seat are not quite newcomers.
Feed Flagler Heats: Sheriff and Tax Collector Top $6,000, Chicks With Cans Up Tonnage
Suzanne Johnston and Don Fleming are racing to top each other in fund-raising, and all else is set to go go next Wednesday’s Feed Flagler serving of 4,000 meals at 11 locations across the county.
Exodus at Flagler Chamber of Commerce As Four Staffers Resign in Four Weeks
After Peggy Heiser announced her resignation as tourism’s VP, Lauren Walsh, Nick Langille and Laura Gamba followed, though Chamber President Doug Baxter assures: “It’s got nothing to do with me,” while the TDC wondered if pay is adequate.
Alice Baker Stepping Down in Flagler Beach, Feind May Follow, Joy McGrew Wants Back In
Flagler Beach’s next election is scheduled for Jan. 31 to coincide with the presidential primary and save money. The mayor’s seat has drawn three candidates. One commission seat is up.
Sisco Deen on the Meaning of Veterans Day, Frank W. Buckles and Mackenzie’s Card
In a moving tribute to veterans and Frank Buckles, the late, last World War I veteran, Sisco Deen, Flagler County’s archivist, reminds us why we must “always remember and honor those who have served and dedicated their lives to our country.”
A Matter of Heart: Tommy Tant Surf Classic Returns to Roil Flagler Beach
The annual Tommy Tant Memorial Surf Classic, a competitive surfing celebration of the late Tommy Tant, runs Saturday and Sunday in Flagler Beach with a focus this year on heart health, as Tommy died of an aortic aneurysm 13 years ago.
Angela Wray, a Cop’s Wife, Jailed Over Embezzling $59,000 from Celico Auto
Angela Wray worked as Celico Auto Body’s bookkeeper and secretary from January 2007 to December 2010, committing 127 individual acts of thefts, according to the FDLE, and cashing checks or paying personal bills at various banks or financial institutions.
Flashgate: Internal Investigation Clears Bunnell Cop, Citing Another for “Honest Mistake”
Cpl. Sergio Pina was exonerated of acting improperly when he deleted files off the flash drive of a former Bunnell cop that had been turned into the department. Lt. Randy Burke was cited for “improper procedure” without malice.
Expedia v. Florida: Claims of Harassment And Privilege in Online Booking Tax Brawl
Rep. Rick Kriseman, the St. Petersburg Republican, distributed Expedia documents that showed the company knew as early as 2003 that it should pay Florida’s bed taxes. The company wants him to explain his role in court. The Legislature is claiming that lawmakers cannot be forced to testify about issues in the legislative process.
McGuire Ahead of Moorman by 54 Votes, DeLorenzo Ahead of Cross by 37
Our earlier report that Holsey Moorman had won the election may have been premature. An additional tally by the Supervisor of Elections, this one including absentee ballots, shows McGuire beating Moorman by 54 votes, and Jason DeLorenzo beating Dennis Cross just under 40 votes.
Too Close to Call: Early Voting Gives Slim Lead to Moorman, Cross and DeLorenzo Closer
Results of the Palm Coast City Council election between Holsey Moorman and Bill McGuire, and Jason DeLorenzo and Dennis Cross.
Revels + 8 As Commission Appoints Economic Development Council, With Dash of Snub
The seven men and two women on the economic development council have more business than racial, political or geographic diversity, with one voice from western Flagler and one–Revels–from Flagler Beach.
Young Father in Jail Over Severe Head, Eye and Leg Injuries to His 17-Week-Old Child
Edward Parker, 18, of the Mondex, was preparing for a run when his son began crying. The child was taken to the hospital with a brain hemorrhage, a contusion to the eye and a fractured femur.
Running on Faith: Flagler County’s Free Clinic Is a Refuge For Health Care’s Untouchables
The Flagler County Free Clinic in Bunnell has been a commitment of grit and conviction by cancer survivor Faith Coleman and Dr. John Canakaris for the past six years. Now Coleman’s cancer is back, and like all her patients, she has no insurance.
This Week in Flagler and Tallahassee: Elections, Weldon Ryan, Tommy Tant
Weldon Ryan, the Flagler County Artist of the Year, opens at the Hollingsworth Gallery Saturday, the annual Tommy Tant Surf Classic is this weekend, governments are on low simmer.
Sheriff’s In for $5,000, Tax Collector for $6,000; Let’s Do Our Part for Feed Flagler
The third annual Team Feed Flagler challenge kicks off, raising money and food for 4,000 free meals the day before Thanksgiving. Help us rival Tax Collector Suzanne Johnston, last year’s fund-raising winner.
From Quiet Alabama and Unquiet Daytona, Georgia Turner Is Flagler’s New Tourism Chief
Georgia Turner, a sharp, congenial 30-year veteran of public relations and marketing hired out of the Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, follows Peggy Heiser, who resigned two weeks ago from the $65,000-a-year job.
News-Journal Circulation Drops Another 4.5%, Now Below 9,000 in Flagler Households
The News-Journal’s losses–the paper now reaches just a fifth of Flagler households–are at odds with gains at the St. Augustine Record and an end to declines, for now, at the Orlando Sentinel and the Jacksonville Times-Union.
Bunnell Commission, With 14 Jobs in Jeopardy, Calls Emergency Meeting for Today
The Florida Department of Transportation has contracted with Bunnell for the past six years for road maintenance. Now Bunnell is one of 24 bidders on the same contract, and it’s heavily disfavored as Gov. Rick Scott pushes for privatization.
Small Crowd, Loud Responses as Awake the State Demonstration Occupies Palm Coast
Some 50 to 60 protesters grabbed drivers’ attention at Palm Coast Parkway and Belle Terre Tuesday afternoon, echoing in signs much of the outrage that the Occupy Wall Street movement is making familiar across the nation.
Occupy Flagler Awakes the State Today as Movements Merge in Defense of Middle Class
The Occupy Flagler-Awake the State demonstration is taking place today at Belle Terre Parkway and Palm Coast Parkway, on the Kohl’s side of the street, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
In a Switch, Flagler Beach Backs Doggie Dining At Some Restaurants, With Regulations
Dog-friendly dining in Flagler Beach, never exactly absent from some restaurants, is now entirely legal and embraced by the city commission that had sought to ban it just a few weeks ago.
Swell of Surfers Beats Back Flagler Beach Bid to Broaden Pier’s No-Go Zone, For Now
Flagler Beach’s proposal to double the no-surf zone to 300 feet around the Flagler Beach pier petered out before it was considered, with a caveat: commissioners want more self-policing from surfers, or else.
Subtle Revelations as Commissioners Speed-Date Through 15 Job Council Candidates
An inside look at today’s rapid-fire one-on-one job interviews with 15 of the 36 candidates looking to fill the county commission’s nine-member economic development council.
300-Ft. No-Surf Zone Plan Around Flagler Beach Pier Has Surfers Angling for Battle
A season rich in storms, good waves and good fishing resulted in renewed clashes between fishermen and surfers around the Flagler Beach pier, and the latest proposal to extend the no-surf zone around it, priming angers before Thursday’s Flagler Beach City Commission meeting.
This Week in Flagler and Tallahassee: “Talking With…” and Job Interviews
The county commission interviews some two dozen candidates for its new economic development council, the City Repertory Theatre opens “Talking With…”, a new play, Flagler Beach talks surfing.
Heiser Time Over: Tourism Council’s Trusted Executive Resigns; Turbulence Ahead
Peggy Heiser’s resignation, attributed to family priorities, will have political and economic ramifications as the Chamber of Commerce’s Doug Baxter–not the tourism council or the county commission–chooses a successor.
Bunnell’s James Hayes, 22, Arrested for Carjacking an 81-Year-Old Woman
James Hayes had been jailed a dozen times in Flagler, on petty charges, until the Oct. 6 carjacking outside a Burger King on U.S. 1 and Grenada Blvd. in Volusia. The car was found Monday in Bunnell.
Palm Coast Pinch-Hits for Troubled Marathon Promoter Dean Reinke, Securing TDC Grant
Half-Marathon promoter Dean Reinke’s Dean Reinke Sports Group attempted three times to get Tourist Development Council subsidies in the last two years and was turned down because of deceptive practices. Palm Coast government stepped in and got the grant for the January event.
Pink Armies Invade Flagler In Varieties Of Breast Cancer Awareness Campaigns
The Flagler County fire department, Palm Coast government, Florida Hospital Flagler, schools and organizations are all in on raising awareness to battle breast cancer in October.
This Week in Flagler and Tallahassee: School Uniforms Again and Andrew Young
The African American Cultural Society’s 20th anniversary celebration culminates with a talk by former UN Ambassador and civil rights leader Andrew Young on Oct. 23 at 2 p.m. at Matanzas High’s Pirate Theater.
Bruce Campbell Appointed Flagler Beach Manager, 5-0, Ending 18-Month Spectacle
With Commission Chairman John Feind switching from opposition to endorsement, Bruce Campbell was finally given the permanent job, unanimously, a year and a half after the city began its search for Bernie Murphy’s replacement.
Flagler’s State Lawmakers Lend an Ear to Local Pleas in Annual Wish-Listing Ritual
Gambling regulations, state dollars for Flagler’s roads, warnings against the unintended consequences of state budget cuts and numerous more local concerns busied the nearly two-hour meeting between Flagler’s state lawmakers and local politicians, organizations and citizens.
John McDonald, Long-Time Beverly Beach City Commissioner, Dies at 76
John McDonald, a Beverly Beach city commissioner for almost 11 years, had retired there in 1986 after serving 26 years in the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office.
Universities Defend Against Rick Scott’s Primitive War on Anthropologists
Not wanting tax dollars spent educating anthropologists, Rick Scott appeared unaware that the science is among the STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering and math) he himself is emphasizing to add jobs in Florida.
Bunnell Manager Wants His Gun Back–as a Reserve Officer for Sheriff or Flagler Beach
Even though it’s a personal matter to the manager, the Bunnell City Commission agreed to use its city attorney, at $145 an hour, to seek out a state Attorney General’s opinion on whether Manager Armando Martinez may serve as a reserve cop elsewhere.
Flirting With the Bizarre and the Unconstitutional, Bunnell Retains 4 Lawyers
A Bunnell city commissioner opened Monday’s commission meeting with a hard-core Christian prayer as seven lawyers, including the city attorney, looked on–and took the fifth on the matter, as most were angling for a contract with the city.
This Week in Flagler and Tallahassee: Local Legislators’ Annual Drive-By Natter
Sid Nowell’s job is on the line in Bunnell, Bruce Campbell’s job may finally become more permanent in Flagler Beach, the African American Cultural Society’s 20th anniversary celebrations all week, dire state revenue estimates, and more.
Acting Time May Be Over in Flagler Beach As Commission Takes Up Manager’s Fate
It’s been nine months since Bruce Campbell started as actingcity manager, making it the longest job interview in memory for any local government executive. The wait appears to be over as two commissioners who’ve opposed his permanent appointment so far face a reckoning next Thursday.
Saturday’s Great Bed Race in Flagler Beach Postponed Until Dec. 3
Weather is causing the postponement of the third annual Great Bed Race, which means that there’s two more months to enter the contest, which has already drawn a record 17 beds.
All-Business Snub: Flagler County Can’t Fill Its Own Economic Development Council Seats
Only four people have applied for the county commission’s eight-member economic development council, an embarrassing result for the government that dissolved Enterprise Flagler, claiming it could do the job better.
Animal Refuge Regulations: Advocates Call Them Overbearing; Flagler Holds Off, For Now
Conceding that it overreacted, the Flagler County Commission tabled a proposal that would have imposed stringent rules on animal shelters and sanctuaries, pending more inclusive public meetings with animal advocates.
This Week in Flagler and Tallahassee: Arts Galore, Taser Time and Creekside
The Flagler school board is set to approve Tasers on campus, the county commission talks sustainable farming, Palm Coast revisits the Palm Coast Park DRI (a major planned development) and three galleries have show openings Friday and Saturday.