Trish Giaccone, who heads Flagler County’s shelter for victims of domestic and sexual violence, issued a pair of letters supporting the ongoing investigations in the state domestic violence agency’s spending and pledging transparency.
Health & Society
Coalition Against Domestic Violence’s “Exorbitant Compensation Payouts” Under Fire
The governor asked state Inspector General Melinda Miguel to investigate the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence’s “exorbitant compensation payouts” and “abuse of state dollars” to determine if any criminal wrongdoing has occurred at the organization.
Courtroom Intimacy, Music and Pomp at Valentine’s Day Mass Wedding as 15 Couples Marry and Renew Vows
Seven couples renewed their vows at the annual Flagler courthouse’s mass wedding officiated by Clerk Tom Bexley, and eight were married, this time in a courtroom rather than on the courthouse steps as weather threatened.
Retreating from HPV Vaccine in Flagler Schools, Health Department Expands Its Own After-School Hours for Access
The second Tuesday of every month starting May 12 the Flagler Health Department will make all vaccines for all ages available free to accommodate parents who can’t take advantage of the department’s morning immunization schedules.
Sharp ‘Disconnect’ Between Providers and Needs In Flagler’s Mental Health and Addiction Landscape
At the latest forum on mental health and addiction in Flagler and Palm Coast, health providers’s optimism about their work and presence contradicted the dearth of services and access to them that prevails in residents’ experiences.
How Kidneys, Hearts and Other Lifesaving Organs For Transplant Go Missing In Transit
In a nation where nearly 113,000 people are waiting for transplants, scores of organs — mostly kidneys — are discarded after they don’t reach their destination in time.
A Homeless Man Arranges for His Own Escape Out of Grand Oaks Rehab; He and His Accomplice Are Arrested
Hugh Wallace, a 57-year-old man with a history of homelessness, had arranged with a friend to take him out of Grand Oaks Rehab in Palm Coast, though he was a ward of the state. He was arrested on an outstanding warrant, and his friend was arrested on a charge of interfering with the custody of an invalid.
Palm Coast Unveils UNF’s Futuristic MedNex Foothold in Town Center as Officials Lobby Lawmakers
Renderings of UNF’s MedNex project in Palm Coast’s Town Center, along with a new infographic about the innovative plan, are part of a lobbying offensive planned for next week by Palm Coast officials to advocate for the initiative.
State Health Department Pushing Against Less Regulated Interpretation of Medical Marijuana Grower Rules
State health officials urged the Supreme Court to overturn a ruling by the 1st District Court of Appeal that said a key part of the law conflicted with the 2016 constitutional amendment, approved by 71 percent of Florida voters.
Religious Leaders Defend Parochial Schools’ Shunning of LGBTQ Students on Taxpayers’ Dime
Religious leaders and some black lawmakers on Tuesday escalated a fiery debate over anti-LGBTQ policies at private schools that receive state-funded scholarships, fueling discussions of religious freedom, discrimination and politics.
Public Health Officials Offer Scant Details On U.S. Coronavirus Patients
Unlike the more detailed accounting of patients’ movements released during measles outbreaks, public health departments are not sharing precise timelines of people’s activities and locations in the days before they were diagnosed with the new coronavirus.
Something Far Deadlier Than The Wuhan Virus Lurks Near You
The coronavirus outbreak, which originated last month in the Chinese city of Wuhan, should be taken seriously. But influenza poses a far greater threat to Americans than the coronavirus from China making headlines around the world.
Palm Coast’s Inaugural Tech Beach Hackathon Glimmers With Stress-Tested Innovations
Palm Coast’s first “Tech Beach Hackathon” at City Hall was a weekend cramming session of tech developers connecting their just-designed apps to local healthcare problems looking for a solution.
Diagnosed With Dementia, She Documented Her End-of-Life Wishes. Caregivers Said No.
Nursing homes where people with dementia live their final days may refuse to honor the patients’ wishes to withhold food if is required by law to offer regular daily meals, with feeding assistance–or force-feeding–if necessary.
AdventHealth’s Stuart F. Meyer Hospice House Receives $5,000 Donation from Weston Coatings Group
Professional painting company, Weston Coatings Group, has donated $5,000 to AdventHealth HospiceCare to support the Stuart F. Meyer Hospice House.
Howard Minami, 56, Found Dead of Self-Inflicted Gunshot at Palm Coast Home
Howard Minami, a 56-year-old Palm Coast resident who for years owned a garage door company that bore his name, was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his home at 35 Fairways Circle Saturday morning, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Recreational Pot Proposal Won’t Make It to the November Ballot
Make It Legal Florida contended that a petition-gathering law passed year by the Legislature is unconstitutional and that problems with a Department of State database hampered petition efforts.
U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz Supports A) Bigger Government; B) Taking Away Women’s Rights; C) More Intrusive Government; D) All of the Above.
Michael Waltz, Flagler County’s voice in the House of Representatives, recently signed on to a Friend of the Court brief saying the time is right to reconsider Roe v. Wade, the seminal 1973 Supreme Court case that established a constitutional right to an abortion.
School Board’s New Suicide-Prevention Policy Would Require Training for All Faculty
With youth suicide rising sharply in the past decade, the Flagler County School Board will discuss adopting a proposed suicide-prevention policy, the district’s first, which calls for two hours of continuing education training for all faculty, including administrators.
New Rules Regulating CBD Products and Hemp in Florida Now In Effect
New rules regulating CBD products address issues such as pesticides, how packages are labeled and the inspection of products sold or produced in the state, and are derived from a federal law opening the door to CBD and hemp regulations.
Proposed 9-8-8 Suicide Prevention Number Could Lead to Surge in Calls
The FCC unanimously approved a proposal to set aside 9-8-8 as the replacement for the existing national suicide hotline number: 800-273-8255. The new number isn’t expected to go live for a year or more.
In Flagler, Life-Saving Policing You Can Be Proud Of
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is entering its eighth year without a single officer-initiated shooting of a civilian, a heroic achievement that contrasts tragically with jurisdictions across the country where 900 to 1,000 civilians lose their lives annually.
Inside Documents Show How Amazon Chose Speed Over Safety in Building Its Delivery Network
Amazon ignored or dismissed safety concerns about its delivery network to prioritize speed and explosive growth, according to new documents and interviews with insiders.
She Thought She Had a Cold. She Briefly Saw a Doctor and Got Antibiotics. Her Insurance Bill: $25,865
A woman, worried that her sore throat might be strep, got swabbed at her doctor’s office. The sample was sent to an out-of-network lab for sophisticated DNA tests ― with a price tag similar to a new SUV.
James Campbell Scott, 22, Dies in Suicide on Palm Coast’s Cherokee Court
James Campbell Scott, a 22-year-old resident of 7 Cherokee Court in Palm Coast, died of a gunshot wound to the head in an apparent suicide Thursday, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Flagler School Board Lets a Pastor Insult a Transgender Student at a Meeting, In His Presence
Rev. Charlene Cothran of Palm Coast called a transgender student “mentally ill” and his father “confused” and “intimidated” in both their presence during a Flagler County School Board meeting this week, with pushback only from Colleen Conklin.
In Major Shift, Federal Spending Bill Contains Money for Gun-Related Research
The spending bill allocates $25 million to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health to study gun violence. If the bill becomes law, it would be the first time in more than 20 years that Congress has allocated money for such studies.
GOP Legislators Claim Restrictions on Medical Pot Keeps It From Ending Up In Recreational Hands
In a Florida Supreme Court case with major ramifications for the medical-marijuana industry, the Florida House contends a disputed 2017 law helps prevent “diversion” of pot to the illegal recreational market, minors and other states.
The Price of America’s Inability to Track Child Deaths from Abuse and Neglect? Sometimes, More Lives.
Reliable statistics on deaths and near-deaths from abuse and neglect can help shape better policies to protect children. A new report shows the breadth of government failures to collect and report this information.
Calling It Terrorism, Judge Finds FPC Girl Guilty of Threatening to Kill Teacher; She’s Appealing
Circuit Court Judge Chris France, applying an extremely broad definition of terrorism, today found a 17-year-old former Flagler Palm Coast High School student guilty of threatening to kill her teacher through written messages to a fellow-student a year ago.
Physician Assistants and Certain Nurses Could Practice Independent of Doctors Under Proposed Law
Bill sponsor Cary Pigman, R-Avon Park, said the proposal (HB 607) would go a long way toward improving patients’ access to primary-care providers, especially in medically underserved areas of the state.
God, Homosexuality and Government Intrusion Frame Senate Panel’s Push For Abortion Restrictions
The 6-3 vote by the Senate Health Policy Committee followed a hearing that lasted more than 90 minutes as Chairwoman Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart, tried to balance testimony between people on both sides.
13 Florida Cities and Gun-Control Groups Counter NRA Claims and Push for Assault-Weapons Ban
The political committee Ban Assault Weapons NOW, the gun-control group Brady and a coalition of 13 cities filed briefs Friday saying that the proposal meets legal tests to go before voters.
700,000 Poorer People Could Lose Food Stamps Under Tighter Trump Work Requirements
The finalized rule just announced by the Trump administration, which will take effect in April, will make it harder for states to exempt adults without dependents from work requirements.
Flagler Health Department Promotes Dawn Kamen to New Supervisory Nursing Position
Over the past five years, Kamen has focused on providing immunizations for infants, children, adolescents, adult and travel customers, while also branching out to support clinic efforts that include Family Planning, prenatal care and sexually transmitted disease testing/treatment.
Is Marijuana a Gateway Drug?
Like nearly all Americans of a certain age, we were told in school that tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana are gateway drugs — and that is why marijuana should remain illegal. The myth bears closer examination.
Flagler County Health Department Offering Free HIV Screenings Daily
In recognition of World Aids Day on December 1, the Florida Department of Health in Flagler County reminds residents they can receive free HIV screenings weekdays between 8:15 and 11 a.m. at its office, 301 Dr. Carter Blvd. in Bunnell.
One Man Is Found Dead of Suicide Behind Walmart. Another Attempts Suicide By Cop.
John Dean Purr, 46, was found dead of a gunshot wound near Walmart, and Craig Dolgin 48, allegedly attempted suicide by cop in a 24-hour period in Palm Coast Monday and Tuesday.
Political Committee Forms to Oppose 2020 Marijuana Legalization Ballot Initiative
Organizers of Floridians Against Recreational Marijuana, or FARM, issued a news release Friday announcing the formation of the political committee, aimed at combating “the mega-marijuana, out-of-state corporate interests” behind legalization.
Elizabeth Warren’s Medicare For All: Unfair and Irresponsible
Elizabeth Warren’s Medicare for all proposal is right in principle but is not realistic, fair or honest and it ensures that Warren’s candidacy will not succeed at a time when a door knob should have the capabilities of defeating Donald Trump.
Flagler Health Department Increases In-School Flu Vaccinations by 13%
This year, the Flagler Health Department vaccinated 1,391 students and 114 faculty members, a 13 percent increase over 1,331 vaccinated in the 2017-18 school year.
It’s All About Landing UNF as Palm Coast Rallies Cities and County in Show of Unity Before Legislative Delegation
Local cities and the county joined Palm Coast in an unprecedented show of unity and common goals at Thursday’s annual legislative delegation meeting, to press Rep. Paul Renner and Sen. Travis Hutson for support in bringing the University of North Florida to Palm Coast’s Town center.
Behind AdventHealth’s da Vinci Robot, Sharp Improvements in Patients’ Recovery and Lesser Pain
Dr. Steven Brown, a surgeon behind the da Vinci robot at AdventHealth Palm Coast, described the machine’s successes through 1,000 surgeries at a Common Ground breakfast presented by the Chamber of Commerce this morning.
Americans Love CBD Products, But It’s a Wild West
Americans’ exuberance for CBD could well be short-lived. That’s because many products currently marketed under the CBD banner are of low or variable quality.
UNF’s MedNex Plan With Palm Coast as Hub Creating “A Lot of Buzz” as Committee Deliberates
University of North Florida President David Szymanski this morning briefed a committee of the university system’s Board of Governors on UNF’s plans for an innovative “medical nexus” that would include Palm Coast and AdventHealth as key partners.
Fact Check: Surgeon General’s Marijuana Warning of ‘Gateway Effect’ Revives Controversial Claim
Whether marijuana can “prime your brain for addiction” elicits responses all over the map — reflecting just how contested this issue is and how difficult it is to speak definitively about marijuana’s impact.
Parent Who Allegedly Threatened to Burn Down Bunnell Elementary Over Racism Faces Felony Charge–and Potential Hate Crime
A 23-year-old parent of two children at Bunnell Elementary accused school staff of being racist and was heard allegedly threatening to burn down the school. The sheriff’s office forwarded a felony charge to the State Attorney’s Office and recommended a more serious charge under the state’s hate-crime law.
Lawsuit Over Banned Use of Loudspeaker for Christian Prayer Before School’s Game Is Back On
A federal appeals court Wednesday overturned the dismissal of a lawsuit about whether the Florida High School Athletic Association improperly prevented Christian schools from offering a prayer over the stadium loudspeaker before a 2015 state championship football game.
Flagler’s Permissive Rules on Dog-Chaining Draw Loud Calls for Revision as Palm Coast Takes Note
Some 65 people turned up at a “town howl” on dog tethering at the Flagler Humane Society Tuesday evening, where County Commissioner Joe Mullins pledged he would be revisiting a controversial county ordinance. The debate may have consequences beyond county government as Palm Coast is in the midst of revising its own animal ordinance, and Flagler Beach may follow suit.
5 Children Split in Foster Care, 8 Pets Looking for Homes and Donations Sought as Result of Parents’ Negligence
With their parents, Betty Allen, 42, and Dennis Allen, 44, facing felony neglect charges the five children have been split between two foster homes and their eight pets, including four dogs, put up for adoption in the fallout from the discovery of a Bunnell house in a deplorable state.