Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo — echoing viewpoints propagated by Robert F. Kennedy, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to become the nation’s chief health official — recommended against community fluoridation of drinking water Friday. The recommendation runs counter to public health officials and dentists.
Health & Society
St. Johns Clerk Hosts National Adoption Day Celebration on Nov. 22
The St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller’s office will host a special ceremony on Friday, Nov. 22, at 10 a.m. to celebrate National Adoption Day. The event will be held at the Richard O. Watson Judicial Center, marking the culmination of a long adoption process for six local children joining their forever families.
Immunized Against Science: What Robert Kennedy Jr. as Health Chief Would Mean
Many scientists at the federal health agencies await the second Donald Trump administration with dread as well as uncertainty over how the president-elect will reconcile starkly different philosophies among the leaders of his team. Should Kennedy win Senate confirmation, his critics say a radical antiestablishment medical movement with roots in past centuries would take power, threatening the achievements of a science-based public health order painstakingly built since World War II.
Rotary Club of Flagler County Hosts 988 Suicide Awareness Walk Nov. 15
The Rotary Club of Flagler County is hosting a 988 Suicide Awareness Walk on Nov. 15 in Palm Coast. The walk will promote the 988 National Suicide & Crisis Hotline, which provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources. The event aims to bring awareness to mental health issues in Flagler County.
Florida’s Abortion Rights and Recreational Pot Amendments Fail
A ballot proposal that would have enshrined abortion rights in the Florida Constitution failed Tuesday, giving a major political victory to Gov. Ron DeSantis — and dealing a huge blow to abortion-rights supporters. A $150 million-plus effort to allow recreational use of marijuana in Florida fizzled out.
Behind the Desperate Attempt to Defeat Abortion-Rights Amendment: GOP’s Contempt for Women’s Autonomy
DeSantis knows the majority of Floridians — like the majority of Americans — support a woman’s right to choose whether to have a baby, and he’s so scared Amendment 4 will pass he’s resorting to using every dirty trick in the patriarchal book to stop it. Like Donald Trump, he despises women, for whose right to determine what happens with their own bodies is nothing short of obsessive.
Trump Says He’ll Fight for Working-Class Americans. His First Presidency Suggests He Won’t.
From cutting children’s disability benefits to allowing employers to pocket workers’ tips, Trump tried to slash protections for the working poor in ways that have been forgotten by many.
Flagler Cares Seeks Donors to ‘Keep the Holiday Lights On’ Program
Flagler Cares, a one-stop health and social care organization, is launching a fundraising campaign in celebration of its 10-year anniversary called “Keep the Holiday Lights On.” Flagler Cares is seeking donors to sponsor 100 homes at $100 per home to cover the cost of December’s electric bill for struggling families. While $100 sponsors a single home, supporters can contribute any amount to participate and make a difference.
Noisy Planes at Low Altitude Will Spray Mosquitoes Swarming in Aftermath of Hurricane Milton Starting Nov. 2
One or two Beechcraft King Air turboprop planes will start spraying mosquitoes across most of Flagler County at very low altitude–just 300 feet–starting Nov. 2, to reduce the multiplying population of mosquitoes in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton. The spraying is paid for with state emergency funds and the planes are contracted through the state rather than through the East Flagler Mosquito Control District.
Judge Extends Prohibition on DeSantis Administration From Prosecuting TV Stations Over Abortion Ads
Just a week before Election Day, a federal judge on Tuesday said he would extend a restraining order blocking state officials from taking action against TV stations running a controversial ad urging voters to support a ballot measure aimed at enshrining abortion rights in the Florida Constitution.
Florida Politicians Owned by Polluters: A Database Helps Show How
Vote Water recently rolled out what it calls its “Dirty Money Project.” It’s a searchable database to track donations to Florida politicians from polluting industries such as Big Sugar and the rest of the agricultural industry, the phosphate miners, the major utilities, the developers and even the sneaky “polluter PACs” — committees that function as cash machines and get significant funding from these industries.
The Affordable Care Act Is Back in the Bull’s Eye in Final Days of the Campaign
Health care is suddenly front and center in the final sprint to the presidential election, and the outcome will shape the Affordable Care Act and the coverage it gives to more than 40 million people. Besides reproductive rights, health care for most of the campaign has been an in-the-shadows issue. However, recent comments from former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, about possible changes to the ACA have opened Republicans up to heavier scrutiny.
Florida Health Chief Ladapo of Vaccine Shams Attacks Abortion-Rights Ads Over Facts
In a document filed Tuesday opposing the committee’s request for a preliminary injunction, lawyers for Department of Health Secretary Joseph Ladapo, who is the state surgeon general, argued that the ad contains “objectively false factual information” because the six-week law includes exceptions when the life of a pregnant woman is at risk.
AI-Driven Technology Changing Heart Care at AdventHealth Palm Coast
The new tool, called CathWorks, is enhancing the way doctors at AdventHealth Palm Coast and AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway detect and treat heart blockages, making procedures safer and more precise for patients. CathWorks uses advanced computer-based software to help cardiologists accurately pinpoint areas of concern within the heart’s arteries.
Judge Prohibits DeSantis Administration From Threatening to Prosecute TV Stations Over Abortion-Rights Ads
With Floridians already voting by mail in the runup to the Nov. 5 election, fierce legal wrangling continues to escalate over a ballot measure that would enshrine abortion rights in the state Constitution. A federal judge on Thursday sided with supporters of the proposal, which will appear as Amendment 4 on the ballot, who filed a lawsuit alleging the state violated the First Amendment by threatening television stations over an ad supporting the measure.
Florida Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to State Agency Campaigning Against Abortion Rights Amendment 4
The Florida Supreme Court denied a petition from a South Florida attorney who alleged that Gov. Ron DeSantis and other state officials interfered with the campaign for the state’s proposed abortion-rights amendment. The justices unanimously sided with the DeSantis administration in one of the legal challenges that emerged after a state health agency published a webpage alleging that Amendment 4 “threatens women’s safety.”
AdventHealth Offering Free Video Consults Through Centra Care Wednesday and Thursday
AdventHealth is deploying its extensive safety preparations as Hurricane Milton approaches the region. The health system has stockpiled thousands of gallons of water and generators are standing by to run the hospital on emergency power if necessary. Sandbags are prepared should they be needed to secure doors and windows.
Republicans Follow Trump’s Lead in Landslide Shift and Falsehoods on Vaccines
Trump has presided over a landslide shift in his party’s views on vaccines, reflected this campaign season in false claims by Republican candidates during the primaries and puzzling conspiracies from prominent conservative voices. Republicans increasingly express worry about the risks of vaccines. A September 2023 poll from Politico and Morning Consult showed a narrow majority of those voters cared more about the risks than the benefits of getting inoculated. On at least 17 occasions this year, Trump has promised to cut funding to schools that mandate vaccines.
Palm Coast Fire Department Mourns Loss of Former Colleague Zachary Shane Mahaney, 43, to Suicide
The Palm Coast Fire Department is mourning the loss of Zachary Shane Mahaney, a 43-year-old former firefighter who spent a year with the department until last June. He died by a self-inflicted gunshot on Sept. 25 or 26 in Ormond Beach after going missing from his parents’ home on Sept. 25.
Fact-Checking Vance and Walz On Healthcare, Abortion Rights, Fentanyl at the Border and in the Country
Ohio Republican Sen. J.D. Vance and Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz met in an Oct. 1 vice presidential debate hosted by CBS News that was cordial and heavy on policy discussion — a striking change from the Sept. 10 debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. But they made several false statements, Vance more than Walz.
33-Year-Old Man With Mental Health Issues Again Arrested After Crash with Injuries and 5 MPH Chase on U.S. 1
Kyle McNary, a 33-year-old Palm Coast resident Baker Acted and arrested after a severe mental health breakdown in late August was again arrested on numerous charges after allegedly attacking his step-father and causing a severe vehicle crash on U.S. 1, after which he led police on a crawl of a chase at 5 miles per hour on the highway.
Judge Refuses to Block Florida Government From Disseminating What Critics Call Abortion ‘Misinformation’
Saying courts “must trust the people to decide what information is important to them,” a Leon County circuit judge refused to issue a temporary injunction to block the state Agency for Health Administration from disseminating what critics call “misinformation” about a proposed constitutional amendment on abortion rights. Judge Jonathan Sjostrom rejected arguments by Floridians Protecting Freedom, a political committee sponsoring the proposed amendment, and wrote that the case is “not justiciable by courts because political power is reserved to the people in an election by means of each ballot.”
The Newest Abortion Rights Supporters: Men in Red States
As the costs of extreme abortion bans have mounted, men have seen their partners forced to delay or forgo essential medical care — whether bleeding out in emergency room parking lots while suffering a miscarriage or taking on the huge expense of traveling between states. In extreme cases, they’ve seen their partners die. Husbands with wives who’ve been denied care when a pregnancy goes wrong are now waking up and speaking out.
Stand-Alone AdventHealth ER Once Planned for Matanzas Woods Parkway Will Be Built a Few Miles North
AdventHealth has announced the first phase of plans for 10.75 acres in St. Johns County. The health care system will build a 12-bed off-site emergency department (OSED) to expand services in the rapidly growing area. Located east of I-95, near the intersection of State Road 207 and Wildwood Drive, construction is anticipated to begin in 2025 and be completed by early 2026. The location is roughly 23 miles from the center of Palm Coast, and a shorter drive for north and northwest Palm Coast, where development has been brisk.
Ban on Homeless Sleeping in Most Public Places Among 34 New Florida Laws Going in Effect Oct. 1
Nearly three dozen new state laws will take effect Oct. 1, including a contentious measure that will limit where homeless people can sleep. Other measures include creating a license plate for Parrot Heads living the life of the late singer Jimmy Buffett and requirements about flood disclosures for home buyers. In all, 34 laws that passed during the 2024 legislative session will take effect, with the homeless changes (HB 1365) drawing the most attention.
Florida’s New Covid Booster Guidance Is Straight-Up Misinformation
In what has become a pattern of spreading vaccine misinformation, the Florida health department is telling older Floridians and others at highest risk from covid-19 to avoid most booster shots, saying they are potentially dangerous. Clinicians and scientists denounced the message as politically fueled scaremongering that also weakens efforts to protect against diseases like measles and whooping cough.
Flagler School Board Makes ECGs Mandatory for Student Athletes as Sally Hunt, In Shift, Provides Swing Vote
The Flagler County School Board Tuesday became only the sixth or seventh district out of 67 in Florida to make ECG screenings for student athletes mandatory at least once in their four years of high school. The 3-2 vote followed 75 minutes of often heart-wrenching personal pleas from parents whose children suffered or died from heart defects, and the divided board’s at times contentious disagreements over whether to include an opt-out in the requirement, especially between Will Furry, the board chairman–and opponent of a mandate–and Colleen Conklin, its chief advocate.
‘I Don’t Have a Lot of Pick-Me Up Sort of Topics,’ U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg Tells Flagler Tiger Bay in Fentanyl-Laced Talk
In contrast with Flagler Tiger Bay President Jay Scherr’s irradiating exuberance, U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg’s lunch talk to the club today–including a rare, full complement of the county’s circuit and county benches–was decidedly downbeat, like the Deuteronomy of heroin, opioids and fentanyl and the concurrent hockey-stick-shaped graph of overdose deaths since 2000 in Florida.
Mandatory ECGs for Flagler County’s Student-Athletes: It’s About Life, Not ‘Parental Rights’
For the past few years AdventHealth has made free ECGs a voluntary part of student athletes’ physical. Wednesday evening the Flagler County School Board is voting on whether to make ECGs mandatory. Three board members–Will Furry, Sally Hunt, Christy Chong–are opposed. They say an ECG should be a parent’s choice. They’ve wrapped the issue under the banner of “parental rights,” as if ECGs were the same as masking during Covid, or whether to teach kids sex-ed. Their reasoning is flawed, and may cost lives.
Opponents of Abortion Rights Are Using Suppression Tricks and Disinformation to Derail Ballot Initiatives
In Florida, the state health agency launched a “Florida is Protecting Life” website earlier this month that says Florida’s abortion amendment “threatens women’s safety” and warns voters, “Don’t let the fearmongers lie to you.” The site makes several other unsubstantiated claims, including that the amendment would lead to unregulated and unsafe abortions.
Trump Support of Florida Pot Legalization May Show Growing Bipartisan Consensus
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s early Monday statement that he would vote to legalize recreational marijuana use in Florida sent a strong signal that both major parties are moving to adopt popular marijuana reform efforts, unexpectedly elevating the issue in the presidential battle.
Record Heat Is Forcing Some to Choose Between Food and Power Bills
A growing number of Americans struggle with what is known as energy poverty, including the inability to afford utilities to heat or cool a home. Households that spend more than 6% of their income on energy bills are energy-poor. Energy poverty can increase one’s exposure to extreme heat or cold, which raises the risk of developing numerous health conditions. The burden falls disproportionately on households in communities of color, which experience it at a rate 60% greater than those in white communities.
Biden Administration Appeals Ruling Blocking Rule Barring Gender-Based Discrimination
The Biden administration has gone to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals after a federal judge blocked a new health-care rule about discrimination based on gender identity.
Abortions Down 13% in First 8 Months After Florida’s Restrictions Became Law
The number of abortions reported in Florida during the first eight months of this year was nearly 13 percent lower than during the same period in 2022 and 2023, as a law preventing abortions after six weeks of pregnancy has led to fewer procedures.
Free EKG Could Save a Student Athlete’s Life. School Board’s Furry, Hunt and Chong Oppose Mandating It With Physical.
To play sports in Flagler County, high school students must pass a physical. A 10-minute ECG or EKG is an option regularly provided by AdventHealth, but not a requirement. The Flagler County School Board’s Colleen Conklin wants to make it part of the physical. Fellow-Board members Will Furry, Christy Chon and Sally Hunt are opposed, saying that should be a parent’s decision. The board is voting on the options later this month.
County Bans Smoking, Vaping and Toking In Parks and Public Recreation Areas, With an Exception for Cigars
Mirroring Flagler Beach, which passed a similar ordinance two years ago, the Flagler County Commission today approved on first reading a prohibition on smoking or vaping in any public park or public recreation area, with a notable exception: unfiltered cigars. While the ban applies to county-owned portions of the beach, it does not apply in most portions.
Rejecting ‘existence of a fundamental right,’ Appeals Court Leaves Minor Transgender Care Ban in Place
In a decision that could have far-reaching implications in the legal battle over treatments for transgender children, a fiercely divided federal appeals court on Wednesday refused to reconsider a ruling that backed Alabama’s ban on hormone therapy and puberty blockers for trans minors. The decision by the full 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals effectively kept in place a ruling by a three-judge panel that overturned a preliminary injunction a district judge had issued blocking the Alabama law.
Florida Death from Sliced Meat Contaminated With Listeria Brings Total to 8
One person in Florida died this month after eating Boar’s Head sliced deli meat contaminated with listeria, bringing the number of deaths related to the recalled products to eight. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in its latest food safety alert on Wednesday that 57 people have gotten sick and been hospitalized from the foodborne bacterial illness, which is the largest outbreak in 13 years.
A Man’s Arrest Over a Mental Crisis Highlights Needs, Available Resources–and Perils to Law Enforcement
A 33-year-old Palm Coast man’s mental health breakdown and subsequent arrest on Thursday highlights the depth of needs for services for people in crisis, the perils law enforcement and health care providers–the first line of response–face when attempting to manage the crisis, as do families, and the help available to Flagler County individuals and families facing those situations.
Appeals Court Stays Judge’s Injunction, Allowing Florida to Restrict Treatment for Transgender for Now
A federal appeals court has at least temporarily allowed Florida to move forward with restrictions on treatments such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy for transgender people. A panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday issued a stay of a ruling by U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle that blocked the restrictions. The stay effectively means the restrictions can take effect while the appeals court considers an underlying appeal of Hinkle’s decision.
Flagler Cares Adds Sunshine Psychiatric Care to Village
Flagler Cares, a one-stop health and social care organization, welcomed Sunshine Psychiatric Care to the Flagler County Village in Palm Coast, on August 1 as a community partner.
New Lines of Attack Form Against Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act is back under attack. Not as in the repeal-and-replace debates of yore, but in a fresher take from Republican lawmakers who say key parts of the ACA cost taxpayers too much and provide incentive for fraud. Several House Republican leaders have called on two watchdog agencies to investigate, while Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) fired off more than half a dozen questions in a recent letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Producer of Lab-Grown Poultry Sues Florida Over ‘Cultivated Meat’ Ban
A California-based producer of lab-grown poultry filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday challenging a new Florida ban on selling or manufacturing “cultivated” meat. UPSIDE Foods, Inc., contends, in part, that the law violates a constitutional prohibition on favoring in-state businesses over out-of-state competitors.
Flagler Humane Society Director Defends Shelter’s Euthanasia Record and Rejects Criticism as Inaccurate
Amy Carotenuto, director of Flagler Humane Society, describes the society’s procedures, including euthanasia when necessary, and defends the society’s record in the face of recent criticism by current and former volunteers who spoke to the Flagler County Commission and the Palm Coast City Council.
Flagler Humane Society Blasted for Lax Standards and Euthanasias as Commissioner Raises Prospect of County Take-Over
Appearing before the Flagler County Commission on Monday, numerous current and former volunteers at the Flagler Humane Society, including a former board member, spoke critically, sometimes bitterly, of an organization beyond its capacity to care for a growing number of animals, a governing structure too lax with policies and procedures, unaudited books, unjustified euthanasias, and a climate of retribution that led to the discharge of three volunteers who spoke out about the recent euthanizing of Guapo, a pit bull mix.
Mother of Tristin Murphy, Who Killed Himself with Chainsaw in Prison, Pleads with Judge on Brendan Depa’s Behalf
Cynthia Murphy, the mother of Tristin Murphy, a schizophrenic who used a chain saw to kill himself in prison, where he was serving a sentence for littering, pleads with the judge about to sentence Brendan Depa–the autistic student who beat his paraprofessional at Matanzas High School last year–not to believe Florida state prison officials’ claim that mental health treatment is adequate there for people like Depa.
Brendan Depa’s Sentencing Set to Conclude 3 Months After It Started: ‘I’m Going to Accept Whatever Happens’
Brendan Depa, now verging on his 19th birthday, returns to court Tuesday after a three-month hiatus to conclude his sentencing hearing on a charge of attacking Joan Naydich, the paraprofessional assigned to him as a student with special needs at Matanzas High School, in February 2023. The sentences Circuit Judge Terence Perkins will impose is unpredictable, other than that it will not be anywhere near the 30-year maximum.
Florida Officials Want Supreme Court to Approve a Manipulated ‘Impact Statement’ on Abortion Amendment
Lawyers for Senate President Kathleen Passidomo and House Speaker Paul Renner on Friday urged the Florida Supreme Court to reject an attempt to invalidate a revised “financial impact statement” that would appear on the November ballot with a proposed constitutional amendment on abortion rights. A state panel made controversial changes to the financial impact statement, which Floridians Protecting Freedom–leading efforts to pass the constitutional amendment–wants invalidated.
How to Make Sure Your PEP Tank Doesn’t Send You Smelly, Uninvited Guests During a Storm
Many homes in Palm Coast utilize a Pretreatment Effluent Pumping (PEP) tank for wastewater. Residents with PEP tanks should limit water usage if their power goes out and during heavy rain events. Water usage during these times could risk waste backing up into homes. PEP systems use electricity to pump the waste out to the sewer system.
AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway Serves 29,000 People in Its First Year
One year ago today, AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway officially opened its doors to patients. With Flagler County’s population continuing to grow, AdventHealth invested $167 million to build the new hospital and grow alongside the community. The new hospital served 29,000 people in its first year.