In an effort to de-stigmatize mental health and discussions about suicide, Flagler Lifeline, a joint effort by the school district and Flagler Cares, is looking to make the issue a priority for local officials.
Health & Society
To Stay on Medicaid, You May Have To Start Working: Trump’s Decision Sparks Fury
Trump’s decision to allow states to test a work requirement for adult Medicaid enrollees sparked criticism from doctors, advocates for the poor, and minority and disability rights groups.
Limiting Pain Pills Prescriptions To 7 Days? Florida Surgeons Say No.
Lawmakers’ proposal would have patients get additional prescriptions for pain medications from their doctors. Phoning-in refills would not work.
Flagler’s Opioid Crisis Seen From Those Fighting It: A Severe Lack of Treatment Beds, Drug Court at Capacity, Jail as a Waiting Room
The most comprehensive picture of the opioid crisis in Flagler County came to light today in a gathering of Flagler County judges, top cops, medical, social and government services. Here are the details.
From Opioids to Taxes to Vacation Rentals: 11 Issues To Watch In Legislative Session Starting Tuesday
The House and Senate will negotiate a state budget and consider hundreds of bills including on health care, taxes, the environment, short-term rentals and hurricanes, among others. Here’s a preview.
Ban On: Overriding Commissioner’s Plea, Flagler Enacts Prohibition on Medical Pot Shops
It was the second and final reading of an ordinance banning medical marijuana dispensaries in unincorporated Flagler, and it passed Monday morning, 3-2, ending a nearly year-long debate.
Trump Administration’s Shift on Marijuana Could Imperil Banking Arrangements
By rolling back an Obama-era arrangement that shielded legal marijuana users and businesses from prosecution, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions may compel many banks and credit unions to stop working with marijuana businesses.
One Suicide, 10 Baker Acts: New Year Weekend’s Mental Health Toll Taxes Flagler Deputies
Baker Acts are a reflection of the county’s needs for mental health services, needs that are largely unmet despite recurring calls by county, police and mental health officials to improve matters.
Collateral Damage of Florida’s Opioid Crisis: Children
Contending with tales of children discovered in the backseats of cars with their parents passed out from drug overdoses in the front, or toddlers left alone in fetid apartments for days while drug-addled mothers or fathers scour the streets for a fix.
New Laws Kick In on Prescription Refills, Rideshare Regulations, Child Time-Sharing, Minimum Wage Up to $8.25/hr
A half-dozen new laws kick in today, easing regulations over ridesharing systems like Uber and a more consumer-friendly way to enable prescription refills, while Florida’s minimum wage gets its annual inflation adjustment.
Coffee Talk: Road Safety Focus of Inaugural Presentation in New Health Series
Palm Coast and Florida Hospital Flagler are presenting a new talk series focused on health, starting Jan. 10 with a focus on pedestrian, bicyclist and driver safety.
O Canada: Can a Single-Payer Health-Insurance System Work in the United States?
American support for government-run, single-payer health care, once a fringe opinion, is picking up momentum, with doctors and patients increasingly supportive,
Despite Compressed Sign-Up Period, ACA Enrollment Nearly Matches Last Year’s
A day after Trump said the Affordable Care Act “has been repealed,” 8.8 million Americans had signed up for coverage on the federal insurance exchange in 2018.
With Project Share, Flagler Beach Rotary Brings Christmas to 1,300 of the Region’s Neediest Children
Project Share was born 18 years ago after Roseanne Stocker drove through rural areas of deep poverty and teamed up with her father to provide toys for 30 children. The project has grown every year since.
Applicants Line Up Concert-Style For Florida’s Dozens of New Methadone-Treatment Licenses
Florida officials this summer decided to double the number of methadone clinics in the state as part of a $27 million federal grant aimed at curbing opioid addiction and overdoses.
Overriding Medical Marijuana Users’ Pleas, and Voters, Flagler Commissioners Pass Dispensary Ban
The 3-1 vote to ban medical marijuana dispensaries outright Monday evening ends a year-long process that saw commissioners zigzag between approval and prohibition.
A Fifth of Old Kings Elementary Students Absent as School Grapples With Outbreak
54 students were sent home Friday and at least 35 were sent home today after developing flu-like symptoms, but the outbreak appears limited to Old Kings Elementary.
Assisted Living Facilities Are Challenging Rule Requiring Generator Power in Emergencies
The Florida Senior Living Association representing 350 assisted living facilities argues the proposed rule creates requirements that are not authorized in state law.
All-Cash Business? Not So: Why It’s Getting Easier for Marijuana Shops to Open Bank Accounts
Almost 400 banks and credit unions now serve the medical marijuana industry, according to the U.S. Treasury — a number that has more than tripled since 2014.
Flagler Clerk of Court Will Hold Mass Wedding Ceremony on Valentine’s Day in New Tradition
On Feb. 14, Clerk of Court Tom Bexley will lead a mass marriage ceremony for all willing couples of all denominations and orientations.
2 Suicides, in Flagler Beach and at Palm Coast Econo Lodge, Bring Year’s Total to 19
Sharon Keeler, 66, lost her husband Karl to a vehicle crash earlier this month and died by suicide over the weekend. Seth Michael Rice, 47, of Jupiter, died of a gunshot wound at a Palm Coast hotel.
Dale S. Winton Sr., 52, Takes His Own Life in Garage on Palm Coast’s La Mancha Drive
Dale S. Winton Sr., 52, in the hours before his death had written a note to his girlfriend, but it was unintelligible. She later found him unresponsive and paramedics found him without a pulse.
Renner Again at Odds With Local Officials as His Recovery Centers Bill Gains Momentum
The House version of the bill is co-sponsored by Paul Renner, who represents Flagler, but whose proposal is opposed by Palm Coast government and the local hospital.
Florida Gun Store Burglaries, Often Brazen And Unresolved, Quadruple in 4 Years
Weak security practices at many gun stores have made commercial burglaries an increasingly significant source of weapons for criminals in Florida and beyond.
82,000 Stolen Guns Are Missing in Florida, Feeding Traffic Among Drug Dealers and Felons
Car burglaries are driving the epidemic as many gun owners leave their vehicles unlocked. Gun stores offer another easy target. Firearms stolen from these businesses during burglaries have more than quadrupled over the last five years.
Not Dead Yet: County Must Formalize Medical Pot Ban By Ordinance, Giving Advocates Another Go
The Flagler County Commission’s Nov. 20 vote to ban medical marijuana dispensaries was only one step: commissioners must still pass an ordinance formalizing the ban, twice, giving proponents of dispensaries another chance to make their case.
Taken For A Ride: Ambulances Stick Patients With Surprise Bills as Insurers Balk
Ambulance and private insurance companies often can’t agree on a price. That leaves patients stuck in the middle with out-of-network charges that are not negotiated.
Flagler Deputies’ Thanksgiving Break: A Half Dozen Domestic Violence Arrests
Cases included a siblings’ brawl that turned into charges of felony child abuse and strangulation and the case of a repeat domestic-violence offender biting his wife on the head after she declines sex.
U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Florida’s Ban on Openly Carrying Firearms, Ending 6-Year Case
State lawmakers have proposed measures that would allow people with concealed-weapons licenses to openly carry firearms, but the proposals have not passed.
No Smoking at Work Could Be Followed by No Vaping: Constitutional Panel Reviews Proposal
More than 70 percent of voters approved the original workplace smoking ban in 2002. A state senator wants them to follow suit with a ban on electronic cigarettes.
How Residents of One Street, Citing False Information, Got 3 Flagler Commissioners To Ban Medical Pot Dispensaries
Residents of Treetop Circle in Plantation Bay made false but popular claims about medical pot dispensaries to convince Commissioners Greg Hansen, Charlie Ericksen and Dave Sullivan to ban dispensaries in unincorporated Flagler.
For Some Victims, Reporting a Rape Can Bring Doubt, Abuse — and Even Prosecution
There are many reasons for women to think twice about reporting sexual assault. But one potential consequence looms especially large: They may also be prosecuted.
Grower Sues, Charging Florida Illegally Delays Granting Medical Pot Growing Licenses
Michael Bowen, an epilepsy patient who had a seizure during a Senate committee meeting this year and who uses marijuana to treat his illness, is also a party to the lawsuit.
Flagler County on Periphery of Opioid Crisis, But Deaths Report Signals Lethal Spikes
Deaths related to heroin and fentanyl use are rising locally, and deaths related to prescription drugs spiked 22 percent as the region proves not immune to the opioid crisis.
Trump Administration Plan to Add Medicaid Work Requirement Stirs Fears
advocates who see the changes as a way for states to kick millions of adults off the program and undermine its mission of providing health coverage to the poor.
The Last Weeks of Savannah Deangelis, 23, Who Died Monday From an Opioid Overdose
Savannah Deangelis of Palm Coast, a Matanzas High graduate, overdosed in late October after being expelled from a recovery program in dubious circumstances after the hurricane.
Where Buying Marijuana is Legal, But There’s Nowhere to Smoke It
Even where it’s legal to sell it, it’s typically illegal to smoke or ingest the drug in dispensaries, bars, restaurants, city parks and public streets. Why?
Florida’s Opioid Crisis: Thousands of Babies Born to Addicts or Removed From Users’ Homes
More than 4,000 babies were born addicted to opioids in Florida last year, with a 38 percent increase in the number of children under 5 removed from homes because of drugs.
Palm Coast Opioid Dealer’s Arrest Points Only To Fractional, Street-Level Source of Crisis
Palm Coast’s Joseph Colon, 34, has been in and out of jail and prison over drug dealing for years, but his arrest on heroin and fentanyl trafficking charges masks the much broader, more legal source of the crisis.
House Tax Bill: Penalty For No Health Coverage Stays, Medical-Cost Deduction Goes
The medical deduction, originally created in World War II, is available only to taxpayers whose expenses are above 10 percent of their adjusted gross income.
Truck Terror Attacks May Be a Sign of ISIS Weakness, But They’re Very Hard to Stop
As ISIS loses territory on the battlefield, lone-actor assaults are expected to increase. The question for cities is what more can be done to protect against such attacks.
How 2nd Grader at Old Kings Got Whole School District and 2 Other Counties To Go Green
Students boycotted the use of plastic trays on the way to convincing the administration to adopt more eco-friendly, biodegradable paperboard lunch trays that don’t harm oceans, as plastics do.
Obamacare Enrollment Opens Wednesday For 5th Year: 5 Things You Should Know
Despite the efforts of President Donald Trump and the Republican-led Congress, the Affordable Care Act is still the law of the land. But there are changes.
Uncertainty On Generators at Nursing Homes After Governor’s Order Is Invalidated
Gov. Rick Scott’s administration appealed the order to the 1st District Court of Appeal and claims the rules remain in effect during the appeal.
Lawmakers Moving To Put a Leash On
Bogus Service Dogs As Abuses Proliferate
Though Florida two years ago tightened some service dog regulations, it’s still easy to acquire or pass off any animal as a service animal. Other states are working to tighten their laws.
Treatment Overkill: Unneeded Scans, Therapy and Surgery Only Add To Patients’ Ills
Though ample evidence shows breast-cancer radiation treatment for many can be drastically cut down, less than half those eligible received it despite the additional cost and inconvenience.
An Allegation of Rape On the Sands of Flagler Beach, But Beyond That, Mostly Blur
A 26-year-old woman reported being raped the morning of Oct. 14 somewhere between South 4th and South 9th Streets, but evidence and alcohol-blurred memories are scant.
Florida Lawmakers Looking To Add Treatment Programs To Fight Opioid Epidemic
A combination of short-term intensive treatment beds, long-term outpatient services and medically assisted treatment could be the blueprint for a solution, a powerful lawmaker says.
Senators Angry At Delays In Medical Marijuana Licenses, Blaming Complacency
The head of the state’s medical-use office is blaming the delays on litigation over the constitutional amendment. Senators aren’t buying it, blaming complacency.
Racist, Violent, Unpunished: A White Hate Group’s Campaign of Menace
the Rise Above Movement, one of whose men beat up protesters in Charlottesville, train to fight. They post their beatings online. And so far, they have little reason to fear the authorities.