Palm Coast’s July 4th celebration starts in Town Center at 7 p.m. and culminates with a fireworks show at 9 p.m.
Flagler
Soaked, Whipped, Rushed, Magnificent, Flagler Beach Fireworks Go Off After All
After a day of rain and uncertainty, the fireworks went off before one of the smallest crowds in memory.
Fireworks Set For 9 p.m. in Flagler Beach, Not 9:30; Latest Video from the Pier’s Arsenal
The decision to move up the fireworks to 9 p.m. instead of 9:30 was dictated by a brief window of opportunity.
The Gods Must Be Crazy: Rain Slams But Doesn’t Stop Flagler Beach Parade
Clouds thicker than menace mobilized offshore, then struck, but the Flagler Beach Independence Day parade held on anyway.
Flagler Beach’s Independence Day Fireworks No Longer a Solo Act
Flagler Beach’s traditional Independence Day fireworks display will be held on July 3rd, and will be followed by another celebration in Palm Coast’s Town Center on July 4.
Miss Flagler County 2010 Essay Winner: Recession or Not, Blessings Point to Rebound
As a nation and a culture, whether in recession or not, we are incredibly blessed and should be thankful, says Mia Parliaricci in an essay that won her this year’s Miss Flagler County essay competition.
Transition in Style: It’s Janet Valentine’s School District Now as Delbrugge Exits
Janet Valentine this week began filling Bill Delbrugge’s shoes amid high expectations and some concerns.
Crime Reports, June 28-July 4, 2010
A stolen tag from Volusia County is recovered, a bank refuses to refund customer for fraudulent charges, and more.
School Board: Closing Carver Gym Not an Option; How Bunnell Killed Carver Housing
The school district is adding its voice to a chorus of protest and damning history against closing Carver Gym.
Flagler Schools’ FCAT Reading Scores Disappoint, Math Scores a Plus
Every grade but the 6th and 9th posted declines in reading. The district did better in math, either improving or holding steady in all grades except the 5th.
A Confused but Adamant Bunnell Commission Wants Carver Gym to Stay Open
Bunnell city commissioners had neither the numbers nor the patience to discuss Carver Gym thoroughly Monday, delaying the issue to another meeting.
Bill Delbrugge Joins FlaglerLive Board; Here’s Who We Are
An introduction to the seven-member FlaglerLive Board of Directors, and a few words about who we are and what we’re about.
Miss Flagler County 2010
It’s Amanda Dack
Amada Dack has achieved more in her 21 years than many people do in an average lifetime.
Palm Coast Roller Derby Scrimmage Against Ocala in a First–and Set Sights on Carver Gym
Palm Coast’s first roller derby team falls to Ocala–and talks about moving to embattled Carver Gym in Bunnell.
Drill This: Hundreds in Flagler, Thousands Across Globe’s Sands Link Against Oil
The moment was as symbolic as it was literal: a human chain in Flagler Beach against off-shore oil drilling and for alternatives to fossil fuels.
Hit the Beaches: Solidarity Against Oil As Hands Across the Sands Gets Set for Noon
Colleen Conklin, the school board member, is organizing the event–handing out slips and whistles, synchronizing the human link–along with Carmen Arasknick.
Flagler Beach Again on Collision Course With Boating and RV Parking Regulations
It’s one of three issues–dogs on the beach and surfing near the pier are the others–that get Flagler Beach residents really, really ticked at whatever the commission decides.
Poverty Signs: Steep Rise in Children Needing Free or Reduced Meals in Flagler Schools
The rising numbers of children on free and reduced meals is a reflection of rising poverty and a rising toll on local families with fewer means.
Citing Contractual Failures and Unwarranted Favors, Flagler Kills Hunter’s Ridge Expansion
The 3-2 vote was an unusual split over the difference between growth management and helping a developer be as economically viable as possible.
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.