The Women United Flagler Chapter is pleased to announce the group’s Flagler Power of the Purse event held at Hammock Dunes Club on Monday, April 24th has raised $30,790.
News Briefs
33 Graduate Palm Coast’s 53rd Citizens Academy
The City of Palm Coast hosted the 53rd session of the Palm Coast Citizens Academy, which began on March 20 and ended on May 1. Thirty-three citizens academy participants graduated on Tuesday evening at the Palm Coast City Council business meeting.
Palm Coast Songwriters Festival Set for May 4-7
Local organizers of the Palm Coast Songwriters Festival are pleased to announce the celebration of their 5-year anniversary with nearly 40 HIT Songwriters with over 125 #1 HITS and hundreds of additional charted songs to their credit performing May 4-7, 2023. Single-day tickets are $50.
Flagler-St. Johns Scenic A1A Organization Wins National Byway Award
The National Scenic Byway Foundation congratulates the A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway as the winner of our 2023 Byway Organization Award for Partnership. This is one of the Foundation’s eight national awards presented annually.
World Press Freedom Day Events Webcast from the UN on May 2
On May 2 and 3, the international community marks the 30th anniversary of World Press Freedom Day by the United Nations General Assembly. It will serve as an occasion to take stock of the global gains for press freedom secured by UNESCO and its partners in the past decades, as well as underline the new risks faced in the digital age.
Georgia Store Clerk Shoots Suspect 8 Times After Palm Coast Robbery
Qwinntavus Kwame Jordan was shot eight times by a store clerk in Georgia and is in critical condition, hours after he allegedly robbed a gas station on Palm Coast’s State Road 100.
From Sleepy Cart Barn to 13,000 Calls a Year: Palm Coast Fire Department Celebrates 50th Year
The Palm Coast Fire Department was founded on April 3, 1973, with 36 volunteers, from the cart barn at the Palm Harbor Golf Club, responding to two calls for service the first year. The county population was 4,454. Today the department is a combination department that responded to over 13,444 calls for service in 2022 from five fire stations.
Josef Ghosn Named AdventHealth University’s New President
Josef Ghosn, Ed.D., MBA will become AdventHealth University’s third president and CEO on May 1, 2023. The university’s Board of Trustees selected Ghosn after a months-long, national search.
Enterprise Florida Elimination Moves Forward as DeSantis Plans Trip with Agency
A House plan to eliminate the business-recruitment agency Enterprise Florida and relocate tourism-marketing efforts also would lead to a change in the name of the state Department of Economic Opportunity.
Dune Restoration Will Extend from Beverly Beach to Varn Park Over Next 10 Weeks
Dune restoration work for the next 10 weeks – weather permitting – will extend from Beverly Beach to Varn Park as part of Flagler County’s ongoing emergency sand operations.
Wadsworth Elementary’s Karter Consolazio’s Alertness Earns Him a Sheriff’s Scholarship
Sheriff Staly and Deputy Erlandson presented Karter Consolazio with a certificate for a scholarship to attend the FCSO Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) Academy this summer.
Stetson Names Elizabeth Skomp New Provost and Vice President
Stetson President Christopher F. Roellke, PhD, announced that Elizabeth Skomp, PhD, will serve as the university’s next provost and vice president of Academic Affairs.
Flagler Beach Rotary Buys City Police a $10,000 Emergency Response Trailer
The Rotary Club of Flagler Beach is pleased to announce that the club has purchased a new Emergency Response Trailer for the City of Flagler Beach.
Scattered Strong to Severe Thunderstorms Today in Flagler
The National Weather Service in Jacksonville cautions that today–Thursday–will bring unsettled weather to the Flagler-Palm Coast region.
Flagler Youth Orchestra’s Final Concert of Season at Auditorium on April 26
The Flagler Youth Orchestra performs its third concert of the 2022-23 season on Wednesday, April 26th, at 7 p.m. at the Flagler Auditorium in Palm Coast. Conductor Joe Corporon and fellow associate conductors of the FYO will lead five orchestras with more than 300 string musicians — a cross-section of public, private and homeschooled students.
Housing Fair and Financial Wellness Clinic on April 22
The public is invited to attend a housing fair and financial wellness clinic to learn about various programs available for down payment assistance, owner-occupied rehabilitation, mortgage products, strategies to avoid foreclosure, and to learn about the Fair Housing Act and individual rights and responsibilities.
Free Community Emergency Response Team Training Begins April 24
Learn basic disaster and emergency response skills – such as disaster preparedness, fire safety, and basic first aid – at the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training program, which begins on April 24.
Flagler County and Cities Launch Collaborative Economic Development Initiative
Flagler County has been meeting with municipalities as part of an economic development initiative to create a single, unified plan aimed at diversifying the tax base for the benefit of all its residents.
Bill Shielding Businesses and Insurance Companies from Lawsuits Is Now Law
After the Senate gave final approval Thursday, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday quickly signed a bill aimed at helping shield businesses and insurance companies from lawsuits. DeSantis formally received the bill (HB 837) on Friday, and the House and Senate websites said he signed it.
Proposed Law Would Keep DeSantis’s Travel Records Secret
The bill would create a public-records exemption for records held by law-enforcement agencies related to “transportation and protective services” provided to the governor, the governor’s immediate family, visiting governors and “other persons as requested by certain state officers.”
Tara Gugliara and John Aguiar Named Vice Presidents at Intracoastal Bank
Bruce Page, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, today announced the promotion of Tara Gugliara to Assistant Vice President/Assistant Manager, Volusia Banking Center for the Bank. Last week, Page announced the appointment of John Aguiar as Vice President/Business Relationship Manager for the Bank.
Florida Gas Prices Spike Above National Average, But Relief May Be on the Way
In Palm Coast, regular, unleaded gas was selling for 3.45 to $3.49 a gallon at most stations along State Road 100, but lower gas prices are expected soon, with oil prices dropping to their lowest level in over two years.
NASCAR’s Hailie Deegan and AdventHealth Partner to Mark Women’s History Month
AdventHealth is launching a platform in March during Women’s History Month to celebrate the women working in NASCAR, including women drivers and the business professionals who serve as the backbone of race teams, tracks, agencies and media organizations.
Varn Park Will Close for 3 Months as It Turns Into Latest Dune-Rebuilding Staging Area
Varn Park will be closed beginning March 27 for about three months as Flagler County undertakes two emergency sand operations – the first in Painters Hill and Beverly Beach, and the second north through the park into the Hammock Dunes Homeowners Association property.
Soft Landing? Daytona Beach Condo Sales Down But Improving
110 condo units were sold around the Daytona Beach area in February with a median sales price of $241,250. That’s a 71 percent increase over January, but a nearly 31 percent decline from February 2022.
Open Burning Regulations Adopted in Bunnell
This ordinance enabled regulations for open burning and requirements for open burning permits for properties within the City limits.
Fashion Show Fundraiser Raises $1,260 for Women United Flagler
Chez Jacqueline Boutique in Palm Coast hosted a charity fashion show on March 10 to benefit women and children in Flagler County via the Women United Flagler group. The sold-out event raised $1,260 for Women United Flagler.
Florida House Advances Proposal to Renew Medical Pot Cards by Telehealth
A Florida House panel on Thursday unanimously signed off on a proposal that would allow doctors to renew patients’ medical-marijuana approvals using telehealth.
Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin Seeks Resident’s Vision of City’s Future
The City of Palm Coast is announces ‘Share with the Mayor,’ an all-new initiative to get residents involved in planning and building the future of Palm Coast for tomorrow and beyond.
Vast Expansion of Public Funding of Private Education Heads for House Floor
A proposal that would make all Florida students eligible to receive taxpayer-backed school vouchers is headed to the full House, after getting some changes Friday. The Republican-controlled House Education Quality Subcommittee approved the proposal (HB 1) in a near party-line vote.
Florida Lawmakers Fast-Tracking Bill Eliminating Unanimous Jury Requirements in Death Penalty
The House measure would require judges to impose death sentences if recommended by at least eight jurors. That differs from the Senate bill, which would require death sentences if at least 10 jurors recommend the death penalty.
Annual Mental Health Summit Set for March 29 at St. Augustine Amphitheatre
The third annual BRAVE Summit, a free event for teens that aims to break the stigma surrounding mental health, will the held on March 29, 2023, at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre. The event, hosted by Flagler Health+, is free and open to all high school students throughout Florida.
Jacksonville Republican Files Bill Targeting Public Sector Unions, With Exceptions
The bill would prevent public-employee union members from having dues deducted from their paychecks. Members would have to separately pay dues.
Backers of Recreational Pot Initiative Reach Halfway Point in Signatures for Ballot
The Florida Division of Elections had received 420,072 valid signatures from the political committee Smart & Safe Florida as of Wednesday, according to the division’s website. The committee would need to submit at least 891,589 signatures to get on the ballot.
Ride SunRail for Free Saturday From Afternoon to Midnight
SunRail is running a special service on Saturday, March 4, between 2 p.m. and 12:45 a.m., sponsored by Orlando Downtown Development Board. Ride free and save on parking for events in Downtown Orlando.
CareSource Foundation Opens $400,000 Funding Competition
The CareSource Foundation Grant Challenge will award a total of $400,000 to Florida community-based organizations and nonprofits focused on demonstrating effective, practical solutions to address the needs of children and youth in medically complex care.
Daytona Beach Home Sales Hit an 11-Year Low
Daytona Beach area home sales plummeted in January to low levels not seen since the last major recession. The last time Daytona Beach home sales started the year below 215 homes sold was 2012.
State Agency Holds Office Hours in Bunnell to Help Residents with Post-Hurricane Permitting
The office hours will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 2 (Thursday) in the Engineering Conference Room (located on the third floor) at the Flagler County Government Building, 1769 E. Moody Boulevard, Bunnell.
Flagler County Cultural Council Drives Local Survey Collection for a Study
Administered by Americans for the Arts approximately every five years, the culture survey will examine the economic impact of the arts and culture in Flagler County and 400 additional communities representing all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia.
Group Seeks to Legalize Homegrown Medical Pot with 2024 Ballot Proposal
A political committee has started moving forward with a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow medical-marijuana patients and patients’ caregivers to grow cannabis at home.
FPC Fire Academy’s Kyle Gardner Finds a Career with the Palm Coast Fire Department
By joining the Flagler Palm Coast High School Fire Academy Leadership program as a freshman in 2017, Kyle Gardner was able to get a jumpstart on his fire school studies during the week while spending his weekends at Palm Coast Fire Stations 21 and 24.
Flagler Sheriff’s Office Announces Death of K-9 Keanu Just Shy of His 4th Birthday
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office this morning announced the death of K-9 Keanu, a few weeks shy of his fourth birthday and a little over two years into his service with the Sheriff’s Office.
Gabi Adrian Boitan of Romania Wins 2023 Palm Coast Open Singles Title
The 2023 Palm Coast Open singles title went to Gabi Adrian Boitan of Romania and the doubles title went to Mac Kriger and George Goldhoff, both from the United States.
Flagler Beach Cancels Boil-Water Notice Scheduled for This Week
Update: Flagler Beach on Monday (Feb. 13) cancelled the boil-water notice that was scheduled for this week, saying the tie-in will be rescheduled to a later date.
Dr. Hiram Powell to Be Honored at Volusia Cultural Alliance’s Annual Celebration
The Volusia County Cultural Alliance (VCCA) will honor Dr. Hiram Powell for his service to Arts and Culture at its Annual Celebration and Awards Ceremony on Feb. 22, 2023 from 6 pm to 8 pm at The Shores Community Center in Daytona Beach Shores.
Bethune-Cookman University Names Raymond Woodie Head Football Coach
Bethune-Cookman University Director of Athletics Reggie Theus announced the appointment of Raymond Woodie as Head Football Coach. Woodie, 49, becomes the 16th head coach of Bethune-Cookman Football.
Buddy Taylor Middle’s Mitchell Spencer Edelstein Is Spelling Bee Champion Again
Buddy Taylor Middle School 8th-grader Mitchell Spencer Edelstein had the stamina to survive the challenge and emerged as the Flagler Schools Spelling Bee Champion for the second consecutive year.
Flagler County’s Emergency Management Team Makes Its Mark at State Association
Flagler County’s Emergency Management team made its mark last week at the Florida Emergency Preparedness Association’s (FEPA) Annual Meeting.
Palm Coast’s Water Treatment Plant #1 Will Be Down for a Week
The electrical upgrade will require the plant, one of the City’s three water treatment plants, to be shut down on February 7, 2023, to approximately February 14, 2023.
Flagler County Maintains Favorable ISO, or Fire Protection, Rating
The rating takes into account the 9-1-1 emergency reporting system, local fire departments, water supply, and community risk reduction.