The American response to the pandemic, many public health experts say, has been uniquely hapless, ineffective, undisciplined and selfish. By some measures, the United States has handled the health crisis as badly as any country has.
Backgrounders
After Months of a Covid-19 Tennis Break, Palm Coast’s Opelka Readies for U.S. Open in a Bubble
Now ranked No. 39 in the world, 22-year-old Reilly Opelka hasn’t competed in a sanctioned event since March, he’s getting ready to play the U.S. Open under strict protocols that mirror the NBA’s bubble.
Teachers’ Lawsuit: Judge Weighs Whether Schools Are ‘Simply Not Ready to Reopen’
As thousands of children return to classrooms throughout Florida, local school officials, teachers and doctors spent Wednesday picking apart a state mandate requiring schools to resume in-person instruction this month amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Conklin, Massaro and Woolbright Win School Board, Sullivan Survives, and Finally, It’ll Be Judge Alicia Washington To You
Jill Woolbright and Cheryl Massaro won seats on the Flagler County School Board, and Colleen Conklin, at 20 years the longest serving elected official in the county, won her sixth term. Dave Sullivan won reelection to the County Commission. But the Palm Coast City Council is still very much in flux.
Last Day to Vote in Primary Began With 21,000 Ballots Already In and Historic Mail-In Count
Though powered by the largest vote-by-mail volume in the county’s history, Flagler County’s 2020 primary election turnout would need a relatively strong in-person voting tally today to exceed 2018’s turnout of 30 percent. The 2016 primary turnout of 27 percent is a closer target.
With Fall Sports Postponed for Now, Flagler Schools Face Mix of Uncertainty and Lack of State Guidance
Football players, swimmers, runners, golfers and other student-athletes who normally would be gearing up for a season they’ve worked years for are now faced with an uncertain future.
Raising $40,000 in 40 Hours, Flagler Beach Residents Throw Down Greenback Gauntlet to Dunes Project Hold-Outs
A remarkable fund-raising effort in Flagler Beach aimed at breaking a stalemate in a dunes-rebuilding project raised $40,000 in less than two days. The money would be parceled out to 11 property owners who have so far refused to sign easements and allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to rebuild the beach, a project 15 years in the works.
In Muted Money Race for Palm Coast Council, Candidates’ Own Wallets and Developer-Realtors Rustle Loudest
The races for the three seats on the Palm Coast City Council are drawing neither many contributors nor many contributions despite the high-profile mayoral race and a combined 11 candidates running for the three seats, based on cumulative campaign finance reports filed as of July 31.
Carol Bacha (Mother Elizabeth), Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Carol Bacha, also known as Mother Elizabeth, is one of eight candidates in three races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 18 primary election. Bacha is running in District 3 against Paul Mucciolo and incumbent Colleen Conklin.
Colleen Conklin, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Colleen Conklin is one of eight candidates in three races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 18 primary election. Conklin, a five-term incumbent, is running in District 3 against Paul Mucciolo and Carol (Sister Elizabeth) Bacha.
Zack Shapiro, Palm Coast City Council Candidate: The Live Interview
Zack Shapiro is a candidate for Palm Coast City Council, District 3, running against incumbent Nick Klufas and Cornelia Manfre in the Aug. 18 primary. All registered voters in Palm Coast regardless of party affiliation or geography may cast a vote.
Paul Mucciolo, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Paul Mucciolo is one of eight candidates in three races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 18 primary election. Mucciolo is running in District 3 against incumbent Colleen Conklin and Carol Bacha, also known as Mother Elizabeth.
Bob Jones, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Bob Jones is running against Donald O’Brien in the Republican primary on Aug. 18. The winner will face two independents in the Nov. 3 general election. Jones, like other members of the local Trump Club, is not answering questions.
Cornelia Manfre, Palm Coast City Council Candidate: The Live Interview
Cornelia Manfre is a candidate for Palm Coast City Council, District 3, running against incumbent Nick Klufas and Zach Shapiro in the Aug. 18 primary. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
Nick Klufas, Palm Coast City Council Candidate: The Live Interview
Nick Klufas, a first-term incumbent, is a candidate for Palm Coast City Council, District 3, running against Cornelia Manfre and Zach Shapiro. All registered voters in Palm Coast, regardless of party affiliation, may cast a vote in the Aug. 18 primary election.
Ed Danko, Palm Coast City Council: The Live Interview
Ed Danko is a candidate for Palm Coast City Council, District 1–the seat first-term Councilman Bob Cuff elected not to run for again. The seat also drew Sims Jones and Lou Salvagio. Dank, like other members of the local Trump Club, declined to participate in the interview.
37% of Flagler Students Opt for Online Instruction; School Board Clashes Over Meaning of Covid ‘Data’
While facing some public and employee anxieties the Flagler school district is moving ahead with reopening, though key criteria such as when a school or in-person instruction would be shut down from a covid outbreak remain a mystery, raising further questions.
Vincent Lyon, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Vincent Lyon is one of eight candidates in three races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 18 primary election. Lyon is running in District 1 against Jill Woolbright.
Jill Woolbright, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Jill Woolbright is one of eight candidates in three races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 18 primary election. Woolbright is running in District 1 against Vincent Lyon.
No Contest: Unanimous Vote Puts Former Palm Coast Mayor Jon Netts Back on the Council for Next 3 Months
Among the three candidates who’d applied to fill the seat Councilman Jack Howell resigned last month, there was no question Jon Netts alone was entirely conversant with the city’s issues and the budget it must vote on in the next few weeks.
Sims Jones, Palm Coast City Council Candidate: The Live Interview
Sims Jones is a candidate for Palm Coast City Council, District 1–the seat first-term Councilman Bob Cuff elected not to run for again. The seat also drew candidates Ed Danko and Lou Salvagio.
Lou Salvagio, Palm Coast City Council Candidate: The Live Interview
Lou Salvagio is a candidate for Palm Coast City Council, District 1–the seat first-term Councilman Bob Cuff elected not to run for again. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
Flagler Beach’s Bruce Garrison One of 2 More Covid-Related Deaths, Bringing Flagler’s Total to 14
Bruce Garrison, 66, had been a supervisor at Flagler Beach’s city-run sanitation department. His death and that of a 69-year-old man bring Flagler County’s total to 14, including two non-residents, as covid-19 cases nearly tripled locally since the beginning of July.
Cheryl Massaro, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Cheryl Massaro is one of eight candidates in three races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 18 primary election. Massaro is running in District 5 against first-term incumbent Maria Barbosa.
Maria Barbosa, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Maria Barbosa is one of eight candidates in three races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 18 primary election. Barbosa is running in District 5 against Cheryl Massaro.
Scientists Rely on Unproven Methods to Create Covid Vaccines, But Fauci Sees Breakthrough
With millions of lives on the line, researchers have been working at an unprecedented pace to develop a covid-19 vaccine. But that speed — and some widely touted breakthroughs — belie the enormous complexity and potential risks involved.
Donald O’Brien, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Donald O’Brien, a first-term incumbent, is a Republican candidate for Flagler County Commission, District 5, facing Bob Jones in the Aug. 18 primary.
Florida Pediatricians Say Districts With Positivity Rate Higher Than 5% Must Delay Opening
Florida pediatricians Wednesday released recommendations aimed at reducing risks to children and teachers, saying the benefits of reopening schools will not outweigh the health risks in many areas for the next four to six weeks.
Kim Carney, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Kim Carney is candidate for the Flagler County Commission, challenging District 3 incumbent Commissioner Dave Sullivan. The Aug. 18 election is open to all Flagler County registered voters regardless of party or geography.
Flagler Health Department’s Medical Chief Rebukes ‘Covid Minimizers’ as Deaths Surge and Hospitalizations Persist
Dr. Stephen Bickel, the medical director at the Flagler and Volusia health departments, criticized “covid minimizers” for seizing on rogue data to diminish the gravity of the coronavirus pandemic, hurting efforts to fight it.
Dave Sullivan, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Dave Sullivan is an incumbent candidate for Flagler County Commission, District 3, facing Kim Carney in the Aug. 18 primary. All registered Flagler County voters may cast a ballot in the race regardless of address or party affiliation.
When Is a Coronavirus Test Not a Coronavirus Test?
Coronavirus testing in the United States has been bungled in every way imaginable. Tests are now widely available in many places, but results are often taking so long to come back that it is more or less pointless to get tested.
Underfunded and Under Threat: Hollowed-Out Public Health System Faces More Cuts Amid Virus
The U.S. public health system has been starved for decades and lacks the resources to confront the worst health crisis in a century. In Florida, 2% of state spending goes to public health. Spending by local health departments in the state fell 39%, from a high of $57 in inflation-adjusted dollars per person in the late 1990s to $35 per person last year.
5th Covid Death in Eight Days in Flagler; 9 Year Old Dies in Putnam; Florida Reports Record 173 Deaths
The latest person to die locally is a 73-year-old man, bringing the total number of Covid-related deaths in the county to at least 10. Flagler has recorded 112 new cases in five days this week, with a rising positivity rate.
As Long Waits for Results Render Covid Tests ‘Useless,’ Florida Among States Seeking Workarounds
Quest announced that turnaround times had slowed to a week or more, up from three or four days in June. It also said some patients may face wait times of up to two weeks. Quest officials warned this week that could get worse as flu season starts this fall.
Alan Lowe, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview
Alan Lowe is a candidate for Palm Coast Mayor. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
Chastened Over Outbursts, Flagler Beach Manager Newsom Apologizes But Also Draws Warm Support
City Manager Larry Newsom survived a humiliating and one-sided dressing down by rookie Commissioner Deborah Phillips as other commissioners and the mayor rallied around him and he apologized repeatedly for a recent outburst at a public meeting.
Parents End Up Jailed Over Disciplining Two Children Battling Over Soda Can
A 42-year-old mother is facing felony child abuse charge and a charge of battery on the elderly, while her husband is facing a battery charge. The sheriff says domestic violence has been up since the pandemic.
How to Understand Covid-19 Numbers
Viewed in isolation or presented without context, coronavirus numbers don’t always give an accurate picture of how the pandemic is being handled. Here, two journalists offer insight on how to navigate the figures.
Michael Schottey, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview
Michael Schottey is a candidate for Palm Coast Mayor. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
For Covid Tests, the Question of Who Pays Comes Down to Interpretation
Who pays when all employees are required to have a negative Covid test in order to return to work? Or if a factory tests workers every two weeks? Or just because someone wants to know for their own peace of mind?
Milissa Holland, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview
Milissa Holland is the Palm Coast mayor, running for re-election. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
15 Years On, $25 Million In, Flagler Beach Dunes Project Near ‘Dead In the Water’ as 13 Property Owners Hold Out
Just 13 property owners are essentially holding hostage a fully funded beach and dune-rebuilding plan Flagler Beach and the county have worked toward for 15 years, a resistance based on what the county considers extortionist motives for money that doesn’t exist.
Don Greene, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview
Don Greene is a candidate for Palm Coast Mayor. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
John Brady, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview
John Brady is a candidate for Palm Coast Mayor. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
As Covid Testing Soars, Wait Times For Results Jump To A Week Or More
While hospital patients can get the findings back within a day, people getting tested at urgent care centers, community health centers, pharmacies and government-run drive-thru or walk-up sites are often waiting a week or more. In the spring, it was generally three or four days.
Sheriff Issues Desist Letter to Ex-COP Featuring Lynching Symbol and FCSO Patrol Car on Facebook
The man, whose Facebook page name is Scott van Ostran, was never a sheriff’s deputy, Sheriff Rick Staly said, but may have been a volunteer with the department’s C.O.P., or Citizens on Patrol, program several years ago.
A Unanimous Palm Coast Council Passes Mask Mandate, Building Pressure on Other Flagler Governments
The Palm Coast City Council this evening voted 5-0 to enact the first mask mandate of any government in Flagler County, describing it as an urgent necessity as coronavirus spike in the county and the state.
Flagler’s Covid Cases top 400, Two More at Long-Term Care Facilities; Palm Coast Eyes Mask Mandate Like New Smyrna Beach’s
Covid-19 cases in Flagler spiked in the last 24 hours by 18 cases, one of the largest-single-day spikes, as the Palm Coast City Council this evening considers a mask mandate, but it carries no penalties for violators.
Sheriff’s Investigation Finds No Criminal Wrongdoing in Death of Inmate Anthony Fennick
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office concluded no criminal wrongdoing surrounded the death of former inmate Anthony Fennick in February 2019 shortly after he was rushed to AdventHealth Palm Coast, seizing and unresponsive, and after complaining of high fever and developing an allergic rash for several days before that.