The 3-2 vote was an unusual split over the difference between growth management and helping a developer be as economically viable as possible.
Flagler
The Epic Is Here: Bigwigs Sneak Preview Town Center Theater Tonight Before Friday Opening
The 14-screen theater in Town Center is opening to great anticipation for action on screen and, economically, beyond its walls.
Flagler Has 30 Days Left to respond to 5 Proposed Manatee-Protection Speed Zones
Flagler’s committee is at the half-way point of responding the state’s proposed speed zones in the Intracoastal.
How Race and Deception Are Cleaving the Fate of Bunnell’s Carver Gym
The County Commission seems insensitively disconnected from the consequences of closing the black community’s only gym and community center in Bunnell.
No Conflicts Resolved as Elections Supervisor Weeks Blame-Blasts County Commission
The 150-minute meeting designed to work out issues ahead of fall’s big elections devolved into accusations and recriminations by Weeks against all.
Community Rallies to Find Courtney Cobb, FPC Student Missing Since June 10
A 10th grader at FPC and a Palm Coast resident since she was 3, Courtney Cobb is believed to have run away with a boyfriend.
What’s Eating Kimberle Weeks?
The Flagler County Supervisor of Elections and the County Commission have been at each other for over a year. They’re meeting Monday. Buckle up.
Census Jobs Help Lower Unemployment; Flagler at 15.1%, Florida at 11.7%
As in the rest of the nation, census employment is lowering the unemployment rate. But will it last?
Crime Reports, June 14-20
An inmate with likely mental health issues, bad blood between a baseball team and an umpire, gunplay and an Xbox, and more.
Florida Law on Wrecker-Operators and Penalties for Skirting the System
Florida law prohibits unauthorized wrecker operators from monitoring police communications to scout for potential business.
2 Bunnell Cops Arrested; Commissioner Flynt Embroiled in Favoritism Allegations
Bunnell Commissioner Jimmy Flynt’s Saxon’s Wrecking service is at the center of pattern of police favoritism and misconduct.
Timeline: Bunnell Police Department Firings and Resignations, 2005-2012
The Bunnell Police Department has been riddled with serious internal problems for the past several years. The following is a list of firings, resignations and allegations going back only to 2005.
Flagler Libraries Avoid Service Cuts; Expansion of Community Space and Café Planned
Retirements and cost-savings enable Flagler’s library system to save more than $100,000, keep the same hours in 2010-11 and 18 people employed, and plan for a modest expansion.
Citing School Board Flux, Conklin Opts Out of Taking on Thrasher Or Others Until 2012
Her eyes set on higher office in 2012, School Board member Colleen Conklin said she came close to running against John Thrasher but will let a Duval Democrat take him on.
2 Women, Both 19, Killed in Single-Truck Flip on US 1’s “Triple-A Curve,” 1 Man Injured
The young people, from Ormond Beach, were returning from the beach and carried evidence of a party. None wore seat-belts.
How the Oil Slick Is Fouling Florida’s Government Budgets–And What To Do About It
The oil spill is Florida’s 9/11. People won’t die. A way of life will. The Florida Legislature should be in crisis mode, not in recess, anticipating what to do next.
Flagler Crowns Its Nascent
Entertainers of the Year
Sophia Paterno Peper is Flagler’s Youth Entertainer of the Year in the junior division, Caitlin Hanna, Zack Harris and Jeff McDevitt took senior honor.
Mica: Bunnell Still Has “Fighting Chance” for a Train Station; Data and State’s Will Are Key
In an interview with FlaglerLive, John Mica outlines what Bunnell has going for and against it as it angles for a train station.
Old Courthouse Revival Plans Die with Sheriff’s No-Show
The sheriff pulls out of an arrangement that would have filled the old courthouse with his offices, the Bunnell city administration and a library.
House-Hunting Bunnell Hopes for an End to Old Courthouse Feuds Tonight
Absent a miracle with the old Flagler County Courthouse, the Bunnell city administration may have no home it can call its own for a few more years yet.
Commission Approves Chamber’s Tax Referendum for November Ballot
The Flagler County Commission voted unanimously to include the referendum on the November ballot after raising some questions and making slight amendments to the proposal.
Holland Fails in Move to Fire County Administrator Coffey; He Gets 1 More Year
County Commissioner Milissa Holland leveled a withering attack on Administrator Craig Coffey’s record, but she got little support from a majority of commissioners.
County Administrator Craig Coffey’s Consent Problem
Against commission direction, County administrator Craig Coffee placed his contract renegotiation on a portion of the agenda that doesn’t usually get discussed.
How the Chamber’s Tax Proposal Undermines Schools, Cities and the County
Ignoring leery voters and a building bust, the Flagler chamber’s tax for commercial construction is jeopardizing local governments’ own urgent tax referendums in 2011 and 2012.
Marineland Mobilizes Against BP Oil Spill — and Beyond
Florida has no contingency plan if dolphins, turtles and manatees begin showing up coated in oil. Marineland’s Jim Jacoby wants to fix a blind spot in planning dating back to two Jeb Bush vetoes in 2000 and 2001.
Steeling It Up at the Caribbean Festival (Parking Grinches Aside)
The two-day festival, running through Sunday, is a celebration of the senses in music, food and dance. Bring empty stomachs and open ears.
What’s the State of Ecumenism in Flagler (And What on Earth is Ecumenism Anyway)?
Saturday evening’s music and fellowship program at Santa Maria del Mar brings together six churches and five denominations in a historic display of unity in Flagler County.
Flagler Paramedics Take 2nd and 14th Place in Czech Competition
Flagler’s paramedics competed against 10 countries and 23 teams. Photo gallery included.
Hanging With Manatees
It’s not just seeing manatees upclose alone that moves you. It’s seeing their injuries, and their utter helplessness.
County Administrator Craig Coffey Wants More Job Security
Flagler County Administrator Craig Coffey fears being fired without severance when his contract runs out this fall.
Taxable Property Values Plummet a Record 20%; Dire Numbers for Local Governments
The drop is the steepest of the last three years. Some $5 billion in taxable values have been wiped out since 2007.
Old Courthouse Plans Collapse; Holland Charges County Administrator “Railroaded” Her
A meeting on what to do with the old Flagler County Courthouse turned into a bitter clash between Commissioner Milissa Holland and County Administrator Craig Coffey.
Who has Dibs on This Old Thing?
(Hint: Sheriff Not Too Interested)
Three years on, the Flagler County Commission is still trying to decide what to do with the old courthouse, with Bunnell and the Sheriff at the top of the list of possibilities.
Youth Orchestra’s 200 Take a Bow in Year’s Final Concert
The Flagler Youth Orchestra’s musicians, under the new direction of Caren Umbarger, dedicate the final concert to Superintendent Bill Delbrugge.
Crime Reports, May 24-30
A suicide thwarted, a home health aid accused of having sticky fingers, a mom unaware that her teens are stealing while she shops, and more.
Bunnell Approves Bypass Study as Part of Broader City Planning
Looking to capitalize on developers’ dollars funding the study, the Bunnell City Commission approved a broader look at the city’s road needs in the future.
FPC Commencement Stirs Tassels and Circumstance at Daytona’s Ocean Center
Anthony DeAugustino, Taylor Tofal and Brandon Dean headline Flagler Palm Coast High School’s Class of 2010’s commencement.
How Flagler County Is Preparing for the BP Oil Slick–If It Hits (And What You Need to Know)
Flagler County’s emergency response to the oil slick hitting Flagler Beaches is similar to hurricane preparation. It’s happening now.
Bunnell Residents Demolish Bypass Proposal; Planning Board Recommends Broad Study
After a lengthy, at times contentious public meeting on the bypass, the Bunnell planing board recommended in favor of a study as long it takes in “the big picture.”
Crime Reports, May 17-23
A good samaritan holds a teen vandal at gunpoint until deputies arrive, domestic disturbance turns up backyard pot plant, a caller demands phone sex, and more.
Weigh Station Loads Up Realtors’ Forum with Mayors
Questions were gentle, answers more so, revealing little new in a public forum with Flagler’s mayors on Wednesday morning.
Tea Party Throng Fills FPC’s Dawg House Cafe
The third meeting of the local tea party movement to be held at FPC drew 228 people, but discussions were standard and relatively tame.
Bohemian Rhapsody: Flagler Firefighters Go Czech to Defend World Title
They were world champions last year. This week, two teams of Flagler medic-firefighters return to Prague to defend their title.
Ménage-à-Stab in Bunnell
A morning argument at a S. Anderson St. home in Bunnell evolved into a stabbing that sent Kevin Harris to jail and Rickey Glover to the hospital.
White Elephants Grinding Down Flagler Airport
Commissioners on Monday learned of yet another county airport building for which taxpayers are left holding the bag.
Caren Umbarger Named Flagler Youth Orchestra’s Artistic Director
Caren Umbarger studied with Jonathan May and brings more than a quarter century of eclectic experience in teaching and performing music.
Photo Gallery: The Flagler Youth Orchestra From May to Umbarger
Images spanning performances and rehearsals of the Flagler Youth Orchestra from Jonathan May to Caren Umbarger, 2009-2010.
Photo Gallery: Bunnell’s 2nd Annual Potato Festival
The day was full of sunshine and spuds and blessedly free of puns. A rich gallery of the day’s faces, dunks and winners.
All Potatoes All the Time in Bunnell’s Festival
A mashed-potato eating contest and cookoff highlighted Bunnell’s second annual Potato Festival on Saturday.
Flagler Firefighter and Pro Volleyball Player Fighting for His Life
Professional volleyball player and Flagler County Firefighter-EMT Ranse Jones is fighting for his life in a Panama City hospital for nearly a week after being stricken by a brain aneurysm during a volleyball tournament at age 34.