Former Palm Coast City Council member and attorney Robert Cuff, a Republican most of his adult life, writes Rep. Randy Fine and Sens. Rick Scott and Ashley Moddy of his grave concern over President Trump’s unilateral military intervention in Venezuela, criticizing the lack of bipartisan Congressional notification and the dismissal of constitutional checks. Urging an end to legislative abdication, the letter demands that Congress reassert its authority over war and spending to restrain an increasingly unaccountable executive branch.
Backgrounders
Builders and Palm Coast Trade Legal Blows in Battle Over Impact Fees Ahead of February Court Hearings
The legal battle between the Flagler Home Builders Association and Palm Coast over impact fee hikes produced dueling motions before the holidays. The City moved to dismiss the case on Dec. 5. The Builders filed for summary judgment on Dec. 15, arguing the fees are unconstitutional and unjustified. A judge will hear arguments on the city’s motion on Feb. 2 and the homebuilders’ motions on Feb. 17.
As Data Centers Draw Opposition Across Florida, DeSantis and Environmentalists Forge an Unlikely Alliance
As AI data centers proliferate across Florida, communities are pushing back against their massive water and energy consumption. From Palm Beach County’s “Project Tango” to rural Osceola County, residents fear these facilities will drain aquifers and ruin neighborhoods. While Governor DeSantis has unexpectedly signaled support for local control over these centers, the state legislature’s deference to corporate secrecy remains a hurdle. A proposed solution involves requiring substantial bonds from developers to cover environmental damages.
Saturday in Byblos
Getting to Know Karl Ove Knausgaard
Karl Ove Knausgaard’s “My Struggle” is a polarizing masterpiece of autofiction, blending mundane details with profound existential dread. Despite his flat style and occasionally tedious philosophical tangents, Knausgaard’s uncompromising honesty regarding family, addiction, and self-loathing creates a bewitching, page-turning intimacy as he ennobles the ordinary. His place as a Scandinavian literary giant seems assured even as he tests the reader’s patience with his massive scale.
Reading Into Them: Flagler County Leaders’ Favorite Books of 2025
The third edition of FlaglerLive’s annual best reads project celebrates the personal joy of reading over academic or literary hierarchies. Featuring contributions from a local judge, attorneys, elected and other Flagler County leaders, the collection highlights diverse favorites ranging from Thomas Mann’s “Magic Mountain” and Erik Larson’s history to a legal decisions and self-actualization books. Here’s to venturing beyond comfort zones to discover transformative titles.
Flagler County Rededicates Wadsworth Skate Park After $240,000 Repairs; Long-Term Plans for Concrete ‘Bowl’ Remain
Flagler County officials gathered today to rededicate the Wadsworth Park skate park near Flagler Beach following a $240,000 renovation. The project replaced 60 percent of the aging steel ramps and repaired existing facilities. While local skaters and advocates like Jay Wolfington and Carla Cline continue to push for a $1.5 million concrete facility, officials opted for the current repairs using available capital savings. Commissioners say a permanent concrete bowl remains the county’s long-term goal for the site.
From ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ to Book Bans: Florida’s 10 Biggest Looming Legal Issues of 2026
Florida enters 2026 facing high-stakes legal battles over “Alligator Alcatraz” detention center conditions, school book removals, and firearm age limits. Courts are also weighing the constitutionality of state-level immigration crimes, social media restrictions for minors, and bans on gender-affirming care. Additionally, the Florida Supreme Court is reviewing utility rate hikes and marijuana legalization efforts, while federal judges decide if the state overstepped its authority regarding wetlands permitting and platform censorship.
Donald’s Donalds, ICE, SB180, Ending Taxes, Flashing Guns, Sleazing Hope: Florida’s Political Top Ten List of 2025
Choosing the top political stories in an “off year” when no statewide elections took place is challenging — although jockeying for the 2026 elections is well under way. Property taxes and gun rights, meanwhile, have emerged as issues likely to dominate the 2026 legislative session, which kicks off in a little more than two weeks.
Pleading with Santa to Help with Our Crumbling Florida State Parks
A recent report by the state’s Department of Environmental Protection shows Florida state parks facing a $759 million backlog of needed repairs to “aging infrastructure, safety improvements, accessibility upgrades and modernization of essential facilities such as restrooms, trails, utilities and visitor centers” across Florida’s 176 state parks,” the DEP report says. Reading the report was like seeing an online review of a once-great hotel that’s gone to seed, Craig Pittman writes.
Palm Coast and Flagler County Holiday Schedule for Garbage Pick-Ups, Libraries, Transportation and Government Hours
Here’s the holiday schedule for Palm Coast and Flagler County government services, including courts, garbage pick-up, library hours, and public transportation.
Florida Remains the Most Deadly State for Bicyclists Despite Efforts
A recently released report from the Bicycle Accident Lawyers group concluded that Florida remains the most dangerous state in the nation for bicyclists, looking at combined 2022 and 2023 data. And there were another 207 bicycle fatalities in 2024, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
Calling CAIR Terrorists While AIPAC Buys Genocidal American Policy
Gov. Ron DeSantis’s executive order designating the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) a terrorist organization is a legally toothless stunt. While ignoring the immense influence of the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC, which funds lavish trips for politicians to ensure support for war in Gaza, DeSantis targets a civil rights group with meager resources. The order relies on conspiracy theories and racism, endangering Muslims simply to fuel the governor’s culture war.
New Marineland Dolphin Leaders Promise ‘Miracle’ Turnaround and Wellness Focus, and Hint at Ragga Surf Return
New leadership at Marineland Dolphin Adventure appeared before the Town Commission to outline a wellness focused future for the attraction, now operated as a non-profit by Apex Associates. Directors Jack Kassewitz and Felicia Cook promised transparency, announced an upcoming National Geographic documentary, and hinted at the return of Ragga Surf Cafe. While commissioners welcomed the vision, the transition removes the property from tax rolls, costing the town one-third of its property tax revenue.
Flagler District Wants Exemption to Later School Start Times Despite Sleep Science on Healthier Adolescents
The Flagler County school district is preparing to exempt itself from a Florida law requiring later start times for middle and high schools by 2026. Citing logistical challenges, transportation costs, and parental preference for current schedules, district officials argue against the change despite scientific evidence supporting more sleep for adolescents. A recent district survey indicates that while parents acknowledge the health benefits of later starts, many fear disruptions to work schedules and extracurricular activities.
Funky Pelican and Flagler Beach Renew Vows: Lease Extended 32 Years Amid Gushing Praise and Makeover Plans
Flagler Beach City Commissioners approved a lease extension for the Funky Pelican restaurant, securing the partnership through 2057. The deal, a lovefest in contrast to 2011’s contentious negotiations on the original lease, requires the restaurant to complete exterior renovations within a year. While base rent remains unchanged, the city retains its lucrative 3 percent cut of gross revenues over $1 million. The business had revenue of $4.7 million in 2024. It’s been a bit slower this year. The vote was 4-0.
Preservation of Bulow Creek Verging on Reality as Developer Agrees to Conservation Sale, Clearing Annexation Path
In a major breakthrough, Flagler County and the developer of the 2,400-home Veranda Bay/Summertown project have tentatively agreed to preserve 150 acres of floodplain around Bulow Creek. Orchestrated by Commissioner Andy Dance, the deal involves the county applying for state “Florida Forever” funds by Dec. 8 to purchase the land. This compromise largely satisfies the “Preserve Flagler Beach” non-profit and clears the path for the development’s annexation into Flagler Beach in January. Despite the agreement, tension remains regarding traffic on John Anderson Highway.
County Administrator Heidi Petito ‘Does Not Meet Expectations,’ 3 of 5 Commissioners Say, Putting Her Future in Doubt
In a set of evaluations potentially devastating to Flagler County Administrator Heidi Petito’s tenure, three of her commissioners—Chair Leann Pennington, Kim Carney, and Pam Richardson—concluded in their evaluations of Petito that she “does not meet expectations.” They each rated her a failing 2 out of 5, sharply criticized her leadership, and two of them explicitly said Petito is no longer the person for the job.
Palm Coast Charter Revisions Take Shape: Easier to Run, Stricter Term Limits, No More Health Benefits
As Palm Coast’s Charter Review Committee continues to meet bi-weekly as it did last night, and before audiences that can be counted on one hand, its proposed revisions are taking shape well ahead of a March 1 deadline: the committee expects to be done next month. The council will then decide what, if any, proposals make it onto next November’s ballot. The council may edit, delete, rewrite or accept in whole the committee’s proposals. The committee itself may meet only one or two more times, likely in January. Here’s what it’s come up with.
4-Day School Weeks Winning Popularity But Fail Data Test
Four-day school weeks come down to staff recruitment and retention, fewer discipline problems and improved attendance, while they also help stretch tight school budgets. But the promised benefits have not shown up in the data as longer school days can harm academic performance. Such concerns might not matter as four-day school weeks become more popular nationwide.
Eliminating Property Taxes in These Florida Counties Means ‘Dismemberment of Vital Services’
Local government officials statewide are wary of plans by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state Legislature to slash or abolish homestead property taxes, but one group of counties is particularly worried. They are Florida’s “fiscally constrained” counties: 29 mostly rural counties with small populations, few industries and lots of agricultural or conservation land — and therefore small tax bases. Without property tax revenue, there would be very little left for roadwork, emergency services, fire protection, libraries, parks” or cultural efforts such as historic preservation and festivals.
The CDC’s Baseless New Guidance on Autism
The rewriting of a page on the CDC’s website to assert the false claim that vaccines may cause autism sparked a torrent of anger and anguish from doctors, scientists, and parents who say Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is wrecking the credibility of an agency they’ve long relied on for unbiased […]
Palm Coast Council’s Theresa Pontieri Calls for Stronger Controls on City Utility to Protect Against Privatization
As more than a dozen states, including Florida, are encouraging the privatization of utilities, Palm Coast City Council member Theresa Pontieri wants new guardrails protecting the city’s water and sewer utility from being bought by a private company. Palm Coast bought the water and sewer utility in 2003 for $82.3 million. The utility is not for sale. Council members are not interested in a sale. No company has proposed buying the utility. But Pontieri is proposing that if the utility were to be considered for a sale, a non-binding referendum would be required first, as well as a supermajority of the five-member council before approval is ratified.
A Brief History of Palm Coast’s Water and Sewer Utility
Palm Coast’s first utility department was established in 1970 by ITT, the developer, when Palm Coast was the size of a small subdivision. ITT sold the utility to Florida Water Services in 1999, the year Palm Coast incorporated. Palm Coast bought the utility for $82.3 million in 2003.
In Milestone, SMA Breaks Ground on Flagler’s 1st Residential Treatment Facility for Men, Closing a Critical Gap in Care
SMA Healthcare, the behavioral health and addiction-recovery non-profit, broke ground Tuesday on what will be Flagler County’s first residential care facility for men in treatment for addiction and mental health issues. The 23,600-square-foot facility broke ground off Justice Lane in Bunnell, next door to the nearly 20-year-old Vince Carter Sanctuary, where SMA operates a 70-bed treatment facility for women. It will also be Flagler County’s first Baker Act receiving facility, ending the need to transport patients to Volusia County.
After 9 Hours, 103 Votes and Immeasurable Entitlement, Will Furry Grasps Vice Chair for School Board
In possibly the most embarrassing and cringeworthy meetings of a board that has not lacked for contemptible meetings over the last few years, the Flagler County School Board, after nine hours and 103 votes, elected Will Furry its vice chair, after Furry had been chair for two years, denying the position to Lauren Ramirez. A divided board the previous day–in the same meeting–had elected Christy Chong chair. For most of Tuesday night and early this morning, the board deadlocked in 2-2 votes over the vice chair nomination.
Commercial Vehicle Parking Allowance in Palm Coast’s Residential Driveways Is Now Law, Within Limits
The Palm Coast City Council voted 3-2 today to approve on second reading the ordinance that now makes it legal to park certain commercial vehicles–or vehicles with large advertising or other markings on their exterior–in residential driveways without covering them with tarps. The allowance extends to typical work trucks and pick-up trucks up to 20 feet long and 9 feet high.
The U.S. Citizenship Test Shouldn’t Be Like Trivia Night at Tortugas
The new citizenship test “for aspiring Americans” is out. It is supposedly longer and harder than its predecessor. In fact, it’s not a civics test. It’s certainly not a citizenship test. It’s the sort of questions Jay Scherr baritones between nachos at his weekly trivia night at Tortugas, and it is riddled with errors while projecting an unrecognizably chauvinist America.
Flagler Beach Takes Momentous Step to Annexing Veranda Bay as Developer Pledges Protections for Bulow Creek
In a momentous step that would reconfigure the city’s boundaries, character and political center of gravity, the Flagler Beach City Commission on Thursday evening voted 4-1 to approve on first reading the annexation of 514 acres on the west side of John Anderson Highway, a segment of the Veranda Bay development that’s been rebranded Summertown. The annexation would enlarge Flagler Beach’s current acreage of 2,291 by more than a fifth while the population of the annexed land at build-out at 2,400 homes, a few decades in the future, would more than double Flagler Beach’s current population of 5,500.
Flagler Beach Manager Dale Martin Barely ‘Meets Job Standards’ Amid Scathing Outlier Evaluation
Flagler Beach City Manager Dale Martin, at the close of his second year, got a 1.32 out of 5 from Commissioner John Cunningham–who was elected last March–rating him “unsatisfactory.” Overall Martin lost ground compared to last year’s evaluation, going from an average of 3.65 to 3.17, and leaving him barely meeting job expectations. If Cunningham’s evaluation is excluded, his average rises to 3.53, still a decline from last year.
Local Samaritans Successfully Outbid Developer with $7.1 Million Pitch for Marineland Dolphin Adventure
A $7.135 million bid by a philanthropist couple looking to save Marineland Dolphin Adventure became the successful bidder at a reopened auction for the property Monday, displacing a developer’s $7.1 million bid. The successful bid by the couple, Barbara and Jon Rubel of Green Cove Springs, is the latest twist in a frantic three and a half weeks of efforts to save the 87-year-old oceanarium following what had appeared to be a done deal favoring Delightful Development. The final sale hearing is scheduled for Tuesday at 10 a.m. before federal Bankruptcy Judge Laurie Silverstein in Wilmington, Del.
TDS
In France, a former president just got imprisoned for taking money from an Arab despot. Donald Trump just accepted a $400 million gift from another Arab despot in the shape of a 747. He has raided nearly $1 billion out of the country’s missile defense modernization budget so he can retrofit the plane in gold and gaud. If the secret project is completed before Trump is scheduled to leave office, which is doubtful, the plane will fly at most for a few weeks, then get parked as a re-gift to the Trump library in Miami, on land stolen from the public trust and handed over to Trump at no cost, Qatari style.
Trump Won’t Try For Third Term
Trump makes historic policy decisions the way other men pick out neckties so we can expect third-term speculation to be reopened, maybe a few times, in the next few years. But Bill Cotterell argues that for three reasons, Trump will not test the 22nd Amendment and run for a third term. Age is one of them.
Town Center Developer Sues Palm Coast, Accusing City of Breaking Promise on Water and Sewer Capacity
The developer of Palm Coast’s Town Center is suing the city for breach of contract, alleging that Palm Coast government has failed to guarantee water and sewer service for Town Center holdings it was planning to sell. Palm Coast Holdings, the successor to Florida Landmark Communities and a subsidiary of Duluth, Minn.-based Allete Corp., sued Palm Coast in Circuit Court in Bunnell on Oct. 23. They are asking a judge to enforce the city’s promise of providing water and sewer service to Town Center, or require it to pay unspecified damages.
More Than 170 U.S. Citizens Have Been Held by ICE and Kicked, Dragged and Detained for Days
Americans have been dragged, tackled, beaten, tased and shot by immigration agents. They’ve had their necks kneeled on. They’ve been held outside in the rain while in their underwear. At least three citizens were pregnant when agents detained them. One of those women had already had the door of her home blown off while Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem watched. About two dozen Americans have said they were held for more than a day without being able to phone lawyers or loved ones.
Nor’easter Damage to Flagler’s Beaches, Neighborhood By Neighborhood: Emergency Dunes Are No Longer Enough
The nor’easter that barreled through the region between October 10 and October 14 caused uneven but significant and in some places severe damage to Flagler County’s 18 miles of shoreline, with beaches toward the north holding up better than beaches further south. A thorough analysis based on on-the-ground observations and drone footage reveals that no stretch of beach was spared erosion. The analysis underscores an expensive reality: it is not enough to keep building sacrificial dunes. The beaches in front of the dunes must be rebuilt, too. The county has a plan, but little money to enact it.
When Florida Sends Goons to Intimidate Government Critics
Retired Florida resident James O’Gara sent a postcard to Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, saying simply, “You lack values.” Soon after the postcard, two guys in armored vests emblazoned “POLICE” showed up at the O’Gara home and asked if James O’Gara had mailed that little missive to Tallahassee. They didn’t identify themselves, but the O’Garas checked with Largo police and found out the men were from the Department of Financial Services’ investigations unit.
With Grave Concerns About Traffic, Palm Coast Approves Shopping Rezoning That’ll Add 1,000s of Cars to SR100
With grave concerns about its traffic impacts on already-congested State Road 100, the Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday approved on first reading the rezoning to commercial uses of a 39-acre parcel just west of the BJ’s Wholesale shopping center. The rezoning is ahead of the development of that tract into a companion shopping center called Flagler Landing, with a “170,000 square foot big-box discount superstore,” in the description of the developer’s attorney–that is, very likely Walmart–and a half dozen satellite businesses.
Millions Protest Trump Authoritarianism: A Roundup from Around the Country
Millions of Americans packed streets, parks and town squares across the United States Saturday for No Kings day, according to the organizers of the massive day of demonstrations protesting President Donald Trump’s administration — from his deployment of troops to cities to his targeting of political opponents. They showed up at more than 2,600 events for the second organized No Kings day in America’s largest cities like Atlanta, New York City and Chicago, to smaller metro areas and towns including Greensburg, Pennsylvania; Bismarck, North Dakota; Palm Coast, Florida; and Hammond, Louisiana.
At ‘No Kings’ Protests in Palm Coast and Flagler Beach, Cheer, Energy and Defiance in Throngs, But Effects Elusive
What there was more than anything at today’s trio of “No Kings” demonstrations in Palm Coast and Flagler Beach, where many hundreds gathered and protested as millions did across the country, was cheer and charm as much as challenge and conviction, making you wonder where all that energy was as Trump’s opponents floundered in gloomy defeat a mere 11 months ago. It made you wonder where all that energy is even now, especially now, as his political opposition continues to grope for relevance.
Let Us Now Bow to the Quackery of Conversion Therapy
Conversion therapy is the non-medical and debunked theory that if you hector gays, lesbians and trans long enough, they’ll convert back to heterosexuality. The approach is premised on self-loathing. It’s abusive. It has nothing to do with science. It has everything to do with a perverted interpretation of Christianity’s vilification of anything non-heterodox. yet after hearing the case this week, the U.S. Supreme Court, continuing its upending of First Amendment interpretations, appears inclined to open the door to conversion therapy to those under 18 as a legitimate professional practice.
Space X’s Destructive Plans for its Starship-Super Heavy Rockets in Florida
Space X, the aerospace company owned by Elon Musk, wants to make big changes at Cape Canaveral, boosting the number of rockets it annual launches and lands there to 44, as well as boosting the size of the rocket involved. “Starship-Super Heavy” is “the world’s most powerful launch vehicle ever developed,” according to the Space X website. Floridians are concerned about increased pollution, rampant water waste, a huge loss of public access, lots more sonic booms and — not to be rude — the tendency of Space X rockets to blow up. There have been four explosions so far this year.
A Tour of New Nexus Center Is a ‘Coast to Country’ Surfing Experience in Flagler’s Ultra-Modern Library
Library Board of Trustees members and others took a tour of the new, $16 million Nexus Center, the south-side library in Bunnell, on Monday. It’s not just the floor space or the large windows, the natural light, the high ceilings and the blue-green trim that make you feel as if you’re not entirely indoors. The entire 23,000-square-foot building, with the exception of the back offices and the segment reserved for the Department of Health and Human Services, is designed along a “Coast to Country” theme that creates a sense of motion as if from one to the other and back.
Military Guy and ‘Defiant’ Candidate Out as Council Narrows City Manager Choices to 2 Experienced Administrators
Passing over military brass or heavy hands, the Palm Coast City Council last night narrowed its choices for city manager to two middle-of-the-road candidates steeped in local government experience: J. David Fraser, who’s managed several cities in the West, and Michael McGlothlin, a former law enforcement investigator and police chief in city management since 2019, most recently in Reddington Shores on the Gulf of Mexico. The two candidates will be interviewed in person at City Hall on Nov. 13 for a job that may earn them up to $250,000 a year. Interim City Manager Lauren Johnston’s current salary is $190,000.
If AI Were Picking Palm Coast’s Next City Manager: Carl Geffken, Thomas Thomas, David Fraser, In That Order
A Google Gemini evaluation of the six finalists for Palm Coast city manager resulted in a ranking of Carl Geffken, Thomas Thomas and David Fraser, in that order. The evaluations were based on the city’s recruitment brochure, their resumes, and their plans for Year One, which the city asked them to present in a short paper. Thomas jumped to second place after his Year One paper was evaluated. He’d have been in third without it.
The Palm Coast City Manager Candidates In Their Own Words: Videos and Vision Papers
The Palm Coast City Council at its evening workshop on Tuesday will further narrow its list of finalists for city manager to the handful it will interview in person. It will do so based on the last two tasks the council asked the remaining candidates to fulfill: a video response based on a set of questions submitted by the council, and a short paper outlining the candidate’s vision for his first year. (There are no women candidates remaining in the pool.) Here, in their own words, are each candidate’s videos and vision papers in full.
Flagler Beach Commission Votes 3-2 to Sell Ocean Palm Golf Course at a Loss, for $801,000, Citing ‘Painful’ Years
The Flagler Beach City Commission voted 3-2 Thursday to sell the nine-hole Ocean Palm Golf Club it bought in 2008. The sale price would be $801,000, or $100,000 less than what the city paid for it, when it acquired an additional 3 acres a decade ago. The course has been a perennial loss for the city even with the two golf management companies that have run the course since 2015. The buyer is the current lease holder, Ocean Palms Golf Club, owned by Jeff Ryan.
Flagler Beach Planning Board Rejects Veranda Bay/Summertown Annexation in Striking Reversal of Former Welcome
In a striking reversal from its unanimous recommendation approving Veranda Bay’s annexation into Flagler Beach last year, before the threat of a lawsuit suspended further regulatory steps, the Flagler Beach Planning Board Tuesday denied recommending approval on a series of 4-1 votes. For Veranda Bay, it is the latest blow in a six-year slog through sustained public opposition, litigation, official courtship, second thoughts and now uncertainty.
Derek Barrs Is Finally Confirmed as Administrator of Motor Carrier Safety Administration After Fractious Senate Maneuvers
The U.S. Senate in a strict party-line 51-47 vote Tuesday night confirmed Derek Barrs, the former Flagler County school board member, administrator of the federal Transportation Department’s Motor Carrier Safety Administration, seven months after President Trump nominated Barrs to the post.
Fact-Check: How Flagler County Misuses Numbers in Pitch of $110 Million Sports Complex
In a pitch to the Flagler County Commission on Monday, the county’s tourism bureau and its consultant backed up an analysis of a proposed $110 million sports complex with numbers that, while accurate in themselves, were entirely without context and, on close inspection, had little to do with Palm Coast, and in some regards contradicted the county’s rosy claims.
Sirius Healthcare, Specializing in HIV and Hepatitis C, Joins Flagler Care’s Village at City Marketplace
Sirius Healthcare, established 15 months ago and headquartered in Orange City, is dedicated to enhancing the lives of individuals impacted by HIV, Hepatitis C, and other sexually transmitted diseases, as well as mental health and primary care services. Founded on principles of compassion and excellence, Sirius Healthcare focuses on improving health outcomes for vulnerable populations by empowering patients through education, support, and comprehensive care tailored to their unique needs.