Carrie Baird, chief executive officer of Flagler Cares, is among this year’s honorees of the News Service of Florida Above & Beyond Award. The awards honor the “most influential and thought-provoking women in Florida who have demonstrated exemplary leadership in their field, combined with having made significant contributions to society.” Flagler Cares, a Palm Coast-based non-profit that just marked its 10th anniversary, connects people to benefits, direct services or resources through a “no-wrong-door” approach.
Health & Society
State Leaders Claim Farmers Feeding Florida Program Will Stave Off Hunger
Farmers Feeding Florida expands Florida food bank infrastructure so that fresh produce, meat and other products from the Sunshine State can end up in food banks and help feed The state’s $38 million investment with the Farmers Feeding Florida initiative that began July 1 expands Florida food bank infrastructure so that fresh produce, meat and other products from the Sunshine State can end up in food banks and help feed hungry people, they said.
Flagler Beach Rotary’s Awareness Walk to Promote 988 Crisis Lifeline Set for Sept. 25 Over SR100 Bridge
The Rotary Club of Flagler Beach will host an Awareness Walk to promote the 988 National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 5:30 pm on Thursday, September 25, 2025. All are invited and participants will walk from Wadsworth Park in Flagler Beach, over the SR 100 bridge to Veterans Park where they will gather for a brief ceremony.
Judge Rules Illegal a Florida Law Banning Trans Teachers’ Choice of Pronouns
U.S. District Judge Mark Walker sided with Hillsborough County teacher Katie Wood and a Lee County teacher, identified as Jane Doe, in finding that the state law discriminates in violation of what is known as Section VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. That section bars employment discrimination because of a person’s “race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.” But the outcome of the issue might ultimately hinge on an appeals-court ruling in a Georgia case.
Jeani Duarte, a Council Candidate, Says Palm Coast’s Utility Plants Will Make Cannibals of Residents
Jeani Duarte, a candidate for the Palm Coast City Council in the 2026 election, on Tuesday evening accused the city of planning a sewer infrastructure that will turn residents into cannibals. Duarte often addresses the council at its workshops and meetings, often several times a meeting, often to make statements that are either inaccurate or “nonsensical,” as Circuit Judge Chris France twice termed a civil action she attempted against the city, before France tossed it.
The Eugenics of the Big Beautiful Bill
Withdrawing or making Medicaid and Affordable Care Act coverage more restrictive will cost 51,000 lives a year by 2034. It’s one way to reduce the government’s liability for lives on the dole. It is eugenics by other means.
Veteran Who Robbed and Killed a Man at Graham Swamp in 2006 Seeks Full Release from Supervision
Brian Wothers, the 43-year-old military veteran who robbed and killed 26-year-old Jeffrey David Maxwell at Graham Swamp after partying with him earlier that night in 2006, is seeking release from all state supervision 17 years after he was found not guilty by reason of insanity, and committed to a state hospital. A circuit judge is not ready to grant that step just yet.
At Flagler Cares, A Play Therapy Room That Allows Children to Express the Unspeakable
Imagine a 5 or 6-year-old child, maybe an abused child or one who’s just endured unspeakable trauma. The child has been incapable of expressing feelings as other children might. The child’s parents have been unable to connect. Play therapy enables the child to express those feelings as nothing else might. That’s the purpose of the play therapy room at Flagler Cares, “a place to play, a place to heal,” as the plaque outside the room put it.
County and Palm Coast ‘Task Force’ Will Explore Cost of Animal Shelter Separate from Flagler Humane Society
Even as they compulsively speak of “DOGE”-dictated government efficiency and stress over limited budgets, Flagler County and Palm Coast’s governments are setting up a joint task force to study the possibility of building or operating a multi-million animal shelter separate from the Flagler Humane Society, which since 1982 been the only full-service animal shelter in the county.
Pink Army 5K Early Bird Registration is Open
The City of Palm Coast in partnership with AdventHealth Palm Coast is happy to present the Pink Army 5K on October 5, 2025. This special event raises money for breast cancer awareness, education, and screening, which is used locally in our community.
Woman Who Posed as Nurse at AdventHealth Palm Coast for 18 Months, Seeing Almost 4,500 Patients, Is Arrested
Autumn Marie Bardisa, a 29-year-old resident of 7 Pinto Drive in Palm Coast who impersonated an emergency room nurse at AdventHealth Palm Coast’s two hospitals, was arrested on 14 felony charges on Tuesday and is being held at the Flagler County jail on $70,000 bond. Bardisa worked at the hospitals from July 3, 2023 to Jan. 22, 2025, when she was fired. During her employment, she had documented contact as a nurse with 4,486 patients, according to the investigation.
21 Infections Tied to Raw Milk in Florida
Florida Department of Health officials said Monday there have been 21 cases of Campylobacter and E. coli infections tied to raw milk consumption in the central and northeast portion of the state, and seven people have been hospitalized. The agency said the tainted milk was “linked to a particular farm” but did not disclose the name or location. In Florida, raw milk can only be sold for non-human consumption. The DOH, headed by Dr. Joseph Ladapo, did not recommend against drinking raw milk.
Keep Your ICE Raids Out of Our Schools
Immigration raids have escalated — often under questionable pretenses. This spring, immigration agents tried to enter two elementary schools in Los Angeles. At the door, agents said they wanted to determine students’ well-being and claimed to have authorization from the children’s caretakers. Administrators denied them entry — and when they spoke with caretakers later, they learned that agents had lied about receiving permission.
100 Cats Rescued from R-Section Home in Palm Coast Will Have Their Own Adoption Event
In a powerful show of compassion and teamwork, almost 100 cats were rescued this week from a single home in Palm Coast, thanks to a coordinated effort by city employees, local organizations, and dedicated animal lovers.
Trump Voters Wanted Relief From Medical Bills. For Millions, the Bills Are About To Get Bigger.
President Donald Trump rode to reelection last fall on voter concerns about prices. But as his administration pares back federal rules and programs designed to protect patients from the high cost of health care, Trump risks pushing more Americans into debt, further straining family budgets already stressed by medical bills. Millions of people are expected to lose health insurance in the coming years as a result of the tax cut legislation Trump signed this month, leaving them with fewer protections from large bills if they get sick or suffer an accident.
As Data Centers Hog Power, Regular Customers Foot the Bill
Regular energy consumers, not corporations, will bear the brunt of the increased costs of a boom in artificial intelligence that has contributed to a growth in data centers and a surge in power usage, recent research suggests. Between 2024 and 2025, data center power usage accounted for $9 billion, or 174%, of increased power costs in 13 states and Washington, D.C., where this spring, customers were told to expect roughly a $25 increase on their monthly electric bill starting June 1.
Palm Coast Couple Face Felony Child Neglect Charges After Leaving Infant in Car While Drinking at a Bar
Norman E. Finnegan Jr., 60, and Clarisse Finnegan, 28, both of Coral Reef Court in Palm Coast, were booked at the Flagler County jail shortly after midnight Saturday, each on a charge of felony child neglect after their infant child was left in the backseat of their car while the couple had drinks at a bar.
Minimally Invasive TenJet Procedure Ends Woman’s Years of Chronic Hip Pain
For years, Laura O’Brien lived with persistent pain in her hip. It made daily tasks like walking, standing, and sleeping difficult. Relief finally came from an unexpected source: a handheld device the size of an electric toothbrush. Dr. Joseph Chen performed the outpatient procedure at AdventHealth Palm Coast – as the only sports medicine physician in Flagler, St. Johns, and Volusia counties offering TenJet for joint and limb treatments.
Analysis Warns Deportations Could Cost 6 Million Jobs, With Florida Among Four Top Losers
If successful, the administration’s goal of deporting 4 million people over four years will cost jobs held by both immigrants and U.S.-born workers, according to the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute. EPI’s analysis found California, Florida, New York and Texas will have the highest number of job losses, because of larger immigrant populations in those states.
The Texas Flood Is a Preview of the Chaos to Come
The rapid onset of disruptive climate change — driven by the burning of oil, gasoline and coal — is making disasters like this one more common, more deadly and far more costly to Americans, even as the federal government is running away from the policies and research that might begin to address it.
Child Care Is Increasingly Cost-Prohibitive for Florida Parents
There are about 1.28 million children under the age of 6 in Florida, and it’s getting costly for parents to get child care when needed, according to a new analysis from Florida TaxWatch. The watchdog group has published a new report, How Childcare Costs Impact Florida’s Economy. The analysis concludes that child care is taking its toll on the workforce. The report found that the Sunshine State economy loses about $1.5 billion per year due to absenteeism by employees who can’t work due to demands of caring for children.
Flagler OARS Offers Free Narcan Distribution Kiosks for Local Businesses
Flagler Open Arms Recovery Services (Flagler OARS) is now offering free naloxone (commonly known as Narcan) distribution kiosks to local businesses as part of an initiative to make Flagler County a truly recovery-friendly community.
At Flagler County Jail, Inmates in Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Now Foster Kittens as Part of Their Therapy
In collaboration with the Flagler Humane Society, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has launched a kitten-fostering program at its nationally recognized mental health and addiction recovery program at the county jail, enabling participating inmates to care for homeless kittens in need, providing a unique therapeutic experience aimed at long-term recovery for both the kitten and the inmates.
Flagler Beach Exploring Allowance for Backyard Chickens, With Caution Against Turning Island Into Kauai
Flagler Beach City Commissioner Rick Belhumeur is interested in allowing residents to raise chickens in their backyards, similarly to Palm Coast, where the city just adopted a pilot program to that effect. Flagler Beach Commission Chair James Sherman is “open to it.” The allowance would mirror regulations in other cities.
GOP Megabill’s Diagnosis: Higher Health Costs for All, 12 Million Will Lose Coverage
The tax and spending legislation the House voted to send to President Donald Trump’s desk on Thursday, enacting much of his domestic agenda, cuts federal health spending by about $1 trillion over a decade in ways that will jeopardize the physical and financial health of tens of millions of Americans. The bill, passed in both the House and the Senate without a single Democratic vote, is expected to reverse many of the health coverage gains of the Biden and Obama administrations.
No More Undocumented Chickens: Palm Coast Launches Pilot Backyard Program for Up to 4 Hens Per Coop
The city today launched a pilot program that will permit 50 residents to have up to four chickens per backyard coop. The $100 permit, valid for two years (or $50 a year), will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis. The program is available to residents of homesteaded, single-family houses only. That means residents of areas controlled by homeowner associations are not eligible. Nor are residents in apartments or duplexes. Nor are renters. Nor are roosters.
One in 3 Florida 3rd Graders Have Untreated Cavities. Now a New Law Prohibits Fluoride in Water.
Florida ranks among the worst states in the U.S. for dental care access, with over 5.9 million residents living in dental care health professional shortage areas. a new Florida law, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in May 2025 and going into effect on Tuesday (July 1), now prohibits local governments from adding fluoride to public drinking water. This makes other preventive treatments even more essential. Fluoride varnish, recommended by pediatric and dental associations, is a topical treatment that should be applied every 3-6 months to reduce the risk of tooth decay.
As Gun Homicides Continue to Decline, Gun Suicides Reached Record High in 2023
More people in the United States died by gun suicide in 2023 than any year on record — more than by gun homicide, accidental shootings and police shootings combined. A new report analyzing federal mortality data found that suicides involving firearms made up 58% of all gun deaths in 2023 — the latest year with available data. In total, 27,300 people died by gun suicide in 2023, according to the report from the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions and the Johns Hopkins Center for Suicide Prevention.
Ryan Nelson, 33, Accused of Marital Rape on Mother’s Day, Among Other Domestic Violence Charges
Ryan William Nelson, a 33-year-old Bunnell resident of County Road 2006, has been at the Flagler County jail since Wednesday on four felony charges, including a second-degree felony count of marital rape, an alleged assault that took place last Mother’s Day, and a first-degree felony count of tampering with a witness.
Historic Telesurgery Connects Central Florida and Angola in Medical Breakthrough
In a groundbreaking medical milestone, Dr. Vip Patel, founder and medical director of the Global Robotics Institute at AdventHealth Celebration, successfully performed a robotic prostatectomy on a patient located in Angola, Africa — while operating from the Nicholson Center in Celebration, Florida. The procedure spanned nearly 7,000 miles, making it the longest distance telesurgery ever completed and setting a new global benchmark in surgical innovation.
Federal Funding Cut Could Close Hundreds of Planned Parenthood Clinics
If the budget reconciliation package before the U.S. Senate becomes law in the coming weeks, reproductive health advocates say the provision that would cut federal funding to Planned Parenthood clinics could serve as a backdoor nationwide abortion ban, eliminating access to 1 in 4 abortion providers.
Opening No Wrong Doors to Dignity, Flagler Cares Marks 10 Years of Closing Gaps For the Most Stressed and Depleted
As Flagler Cares marks its 10th year anniversary with a Legacy of Care celebration at the Palm Coast Community Center Saturday, its no-wrong-door approach under the leadership of Carrie Baird has served nearly 5,000 clients to date, including 765 last year with over $11 million in grants. Its rent, mortgage and utility programs alone have provided nearly $2 million in emergency help to keep people in their homes. The organization is navigating an increasingly challenging landscape for social service non-profits.
Senate Plan Would Lower Burden of Cost Shift to States for Food Stamps
The Agriculture section of the Senate’s budget reconciliation bill, like the House version that passed last month 215-214, would create the possibility that states for the first time would shoulder some of the cost of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits starting in 2028. But unlike the House version, the Senate’s language would allow states an opportunity to avoid paying anything if they hit an efficiency benchmark, Boozman, an Arkansas Republican, told reporters at the Capitol.
28-Unit Affordable Apartment Complex for Foster Youth and Poor Wins Swift Approval in Bunnell
Without discussion, the Bunnell City Commission on Monday evening unanimously approved the development agreement for Phoenix Crossings, the 28-apartment complex breaking ground this summer on 8 acres off North Bay Street, not far from the city’s sewer plant. The project overcame some strident but localized public opposition in recent months. In contrast, Monday’s hearing drew no public participation, and the commission approved the development order in barely a minute.
Reported Abortions in Florida Down 46% from 2024
A reported 17,377 abortions had been performed in Florida this year as of June 2, a 45.8 percent decrease from a comparable period in 2024, according to state data.
DCF Threatens Reporter Investigating Hope Florida Scandal with Cease and Desist
The Department of Children and Families (DCF) has sent a cease and desist letter to an Orlando Sentinel reporter who has been digging into the Hope Florida scandal. Jeffrey Schweers, the Sentinel’s Tallahassee bureau reporter, has broken some scoops regarding the embattled charity backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis.
New Cell Towers Planned for Palm Coast Parkway East of I-95 and in Seminole Woods, as Business and Safety ‘Necessity’
Two more cell towers will rise over Palm Coast to add to the seven existing ones as the Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved leasing two city-owned land parcels. One is at the future Fire Station 22 on the north side of Palm Coast Parkway near Colbert Lane–the station is under construction–the other is at 50 Citation Boulevard, co-located with the city’s Water Treatment Plant #2. Palm Coast government will generate some revenue from each, which will be built by private companies at their own expense.
GOP Bill Would Kick More Than 3 Million Off Food Stamps and Shift $14 Billion In Costs to States
The massive tax and spending bill passed by U.S. House Republicans would likely result in 3.2 million people losing food assistance benefits, and saddle states with around $14 billion a year in costs, according to a new analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Democrats have argued the bill, which the House passed, 215-214 early Thursday without any Democrats in support, would cut programs for the needy to fund tax breaks for high earners.
American Doctors Are Escaping to Canada. Guess Why.
The Medical Council of Canada said in an email statement that the number of American doctors creating accounts on physiciansapply.ca, which is “typically the first step” to being licensed in Canada, has increased more than 750% over the past seven months compared with the same time period last year — from 71 applicants to 615. Separately, medical licensing organizations in Canada’s most populous provinces reported a rise in Americans either applying for or receiving Canadian licenses, with at least some doctors disclosing they were moving specifically because of the new regime in the United States.
Potentially Toxic Algae Bloom at Dead Lake by the Bull Creek Boat Ramp
The Florida Department of Health in Flagler County has issued a health alert for the presence of harmful blue-green algae toxins in Dead Lake, at the Bull Creek Boat Ramp. The alert is in response to a water sample taken on May 28. The public should exercise caution in and around Dead Lake.
DeSantis Vetoes Bill That Would Have Made Suing for Medical Malpractice Easier
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday vetoed a bill aimed at clearing the way for some people to pursue medical-malpractice lawsuits over the deaths of family members.
Why You Fall for Fake Health Information
Although there is a fire hose of health-related content online, not all of it is factual. In fact, much of it is inaccurate or misleading, raising a serious health communication problem: Fake health information – whether shared unknowingly and innocently, or deliberately to mislead or cause harm – can be far more captivating than accurate information. This makes it difficult for people to know which sources to trust and which content is worthy of sharing.
Dangerous Dog Owners Must Now Have $100,000 Liability Insurance: New Law
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law bringing harsher penalties and restrictions for owners of dogs that severely injure or kill people. The bill, known as the “Pam Rock Act,” honors a mail carrier who was mauled to death by five dogs in Putnam County in 2022. Starting July 1, owners of dogs that have attacked humans, severely injured or killed pets, or menacingly chased people will have to carry liability insurance of at least $100,000.
Palm Coast’s Golden Chopsticks Buffet Open Again 2 Days After Sanitation Inspection Ordered It Closed
Two days after it was ordered closed due to several sanitation violations, Golden Chopsticks Buffet, the less-than-one-year-old Chinese restaurant on Palm Coast’s Cypress Edge Drive, was bustling with business again today at lunch, its neon “open” sign burning red.
Flagler Cares Recognized for 10 Years of Treating ‘Every Individual with Dignity and Compassion’
The Flagler County Commission on Monday recognized through a proclamation the 10th anniversary of Flagler Cares, the social service non-profit that provides its own services, coordinates many others and houses independent organizations at its Flagler County Village at City Marketplace in Palm Coast. The proclamation is making the rounds of local governments.
Reversing Planning Board’s Decision, Bunnell Commission Clears the Way for ‘Historic’ 28-Unit Affordable Housing Project
Reversing a recommendation by its planning board and significant public opposition neighboring the proposed development, the Bunnell City Commission unanimously approved the final site plan for Phoenix Crossings, a planned 28-unit affordable-housing apartment complex for people with disabilities and other difficulties, and for the elderly. None like it exists in Palm Coast or Flagler County. The 5-year-old proposal is the work of Sandra Shank and her Abundant Life Ministries, a non-profit. The Bunnell Planning Board on April 1 recommended denial of the site plan on a 3-2 vote.
Flagler Free Clinic Earns National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics Award
The Flagler Free Clinic earned a 2025 Gold Rating from the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC) Quality Standards Program. This achievement reflects the clinic’s ongoing commitment to delivering high-quality, accessible healthcare to uninsured individuals in Flagler and Volusia counties.
NRA, Raging That 18 Year Olds Can’t Buy Rifles in Florida, Appeals to US Supreme Court
Calling split appellate-court decisions “intolerable,” the National Rifle Association on Friday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to take up a challenge to a Florida law that raised the minimum age to purchase rifles and other long guns from 18 to 21. Friday’s move was the latest in seven years of legal wrangling over the law passed after a February 2018 mass shooting at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that killed 17 students and faculty members.
Two Florida congressional Democrats Want Hope Florida Investigated
Two Florida congressional Democrats have asked federal officials to investigate allegations that the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) and Hope Florida Foundation inappropriately diverted Medicaid funds to two unrelated political committees last year.
The Rotary Club of Flagler Beach Launches Life-Saving ‘Drown Zero’ Initiative
The Rotary Club of Flagler Beach is announced the launch of Drown Zero, a life-saving initiative designed to help prevent drowning incidents in Flagler Beach.