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.
News Briefs
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.
Volunteers Collect Half a Ton of Litter in Keep Palm Coast Clean Event
Volunteers collected over 85 bags of trash equivalent to more than 1000 pounds of debris. This does not include heavy miscellaneous items collected such as a discarded mattress, misc. automobile parts, construction materials, and tires.
Sheriff’s Community Engagement Unit Trains 3,000th Woman in Self-Defense
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office’s Community Engagement Unit hosted its 203rd Women’s Self-Defense Course and trained its 3,000th female participant on Thursday, January 26th. The class was hosted at the Palm Coast Community Center for City of Palm Coast employees.
Flagler Woman’s Club Hosts Casino Night Fund-Raiser Feb. 25
Flagler Woman’s Club invites you to the organization’s biggest fundraiser ever on Saturday, February 25 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. The Casino Night event will be held at the Italian American Social Club, 45 N. Old Kings Road in Palm Coast.
For 3rd Time in 2 Months, Matanzas High School and Deputies Confront Bogus Threat
Matanzas High School was the target of a third false threat in two months. Classes were not interrupted nor were evacuations called for as the sheriff’s office swept the school and found nothing.
AdventHealth Daytona Beach Breaks Ground on Medical Office Building and Surgery Center
The 3-floor, 60,000-square-foot AdventHealth medical building will contain four operating rooms and two catheterization labs, and will be the medical office home to the Cardiology Physicians Group and North Florida Surgeons specialty group. It is slated to open in January 2024.
Flagler Firefighters Aiding State Agencies in Containing 2-Month-Old Favoretta Fire
Flagler County Fire Rescue continues to provide mutual aid to the Florida Forest Service and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection – the lead response agencies – for an extremely dense mulch fire in Favoretta that has been burning for two months. The property owner has been dismantling the large pile to create smaller, less dense piles that will be easier to extinguish.
Stetson President Roellke Discusses the Future of Higher Education in New Book
Stetson University President Christopher F. Roellke, PhD, joins more than 100 college presidents who offer insights into the forces reshaping higher education in the new book, “Commencement: The Beginning of a New Era in Higher Education.”
New AdventHealth Clinic Researches Treatment for Long Covid
AdventHealth has opened a multidisciplinary clinic to diagnose, treat and research Long-haul COVID, a critical next step in the health care system’s pandemic response that will help physicians better understand the puzzling syndrome caused by COVID-19.
Women United Flagler Chapter Announces 2023 board members
The Women United Flagler Chapter is announcing the group’s 2023 board members. Women United Flagler is best known for their food-raising project Chicks with Cans, collecting monetary donations totaling $77,895 since 2021.
Prescribed Fire Will Limit Access to Princess Place Preserve Thursday Through Sunday
Park visitors to Princess Place Preserve may experience limited access Thursday through Sunday as Flagler County Land Management will be conducting prescribed-fire operations over four days – January 26 through 29.
Lehigh Trail Closure and Detour Begins Jan. 25
The contractor will begin work on the restroom facility, which will cause closures to the trail from Royal Palms Parkway and Belle Terre Parkway to Royal Palms Parkway and Town Center Boulevard.
$3.67 Million Dune Reconstruction Begins Wednesday From Malacompra Park North
Flagler County’s contractor for $3.67 million Hurricane Dorian dunes restoration project from south MalaCompra Park to north Washington Oaks Gardens State Park mobilized on Monday and construction will begin on Wednesday.
Four Arrested in Drug Raid At Rivera Lane House in Palm Coast
On Thursday, January 19, 2023, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) Special Investigations Unit (SIU) and SWAT Team executed a narcotics-related search warrant at 10 Rivera Lane in Palm Coast. This search warrant stemmed from a previous undercover operation conducted by SIU.
National Security Agency Redesignates DSC’s Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense
The National Security Agency (NSA) has redesignated Daytona State College as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense through 2028.
2022 Ends Home Sales Down Across The Daytona Beach Area
In another year of economic uncertainty marred by an ongoing pandemic, inflation, and 2 major hurricanes, prices continued to climb as home sales fell across the Daytona Beach area in 2022.
Construction Begins on $2.5 Million Lehigh Trailhead in Palm Coast
Construction on the Lehigh Trailhead Project off of Belle Terre Parkway will start on January 23. The $2.5 million project enhances the popular path by providing disability-access paved parking with more than 60 parking spaces, a restroom, and a water fountain. The project also includes community gardens, a dog park, lighting, and pavilions.
Artist Berdella ‘Birdie’ Gibbs’s One-Person Show and Talk at Pineapple Gallery
Artist Berdella Gibbs’s photography exhibit runs from Feb. 3 to 5 at Pineapple Gallery, 208 S. Central Avenue, across the street from the Flagler Beach Museum. The gallery will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Gibbs will present an artist’s talk on the 4th at 5:30 p.m., as part of a free reception, open to all.
Dozier School for Boys Memorial Is Dedicated
Former students and state and local officials took part in a ceremony Friday to dedicate a memorial and honor victims who were abused and, in some cases, died at the former Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Jackson County.
Palm Coast Residents Recycle 167 Christmas Trees at City’s Annual Event
During this year’s Christmas Tree Recycling event, residents recycled 167 live Christmas Trees and shredded over 11,700 pounds of paper – which is more than double last year’s totals.
Surveillance Recordings of Faculty Called ‘Poison’ In Challenge to Florida’s Restrictive Education Law
Under the controversial law, recordings can be made for students’ “own personal educational use, in connection with a complaint to the public institution of higher education where the recording was made, or as evidence in, or in preparation for, a criminal or civil proceeding.”
UF Faculty Leader: DeSantis Directive Sends ‘Chilling Message’
A University of Florida faculty leader pushed back last week against a request from Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration that colleges and universities give state leaders information about resources used for activities related to diversity, equity and inclusion and critical race theory.
FEMA’s Flagler Disaster Recovery Center Closes on Jan. 31
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will close the Disaster Recovery Center it has been operating at the Flagler County Fairgrounds at the end of business on January 31 (Tuesday).
Smiles Nite Club’s David Ghiloni Gets Sheriff’s Lifesaving Award for Jumping Gunman
David Ghiloni along with other bar patrons intervened when a gunman was holding a gun to a woman’s head at Smiles Nite Club in November.
Palm Coast Trash Pick-Up Schedule and Tree Recycling
Trash pick-up will follow a normal schedule. The 16th Annual Christmas Tree Recycling Event will be held January 7 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Palm Coast Fuel Depot located at 22 Utility Drive.
Marineland Acres Improvement Project Enters Final Year
The Marineland Acres Improvements Project in 2023 enters its final year of construction and includes the final phase of the MalaCompra Basin improvements, designed to address the flooding impacts experienced by residents living in the Hammock.
MOCI Program Graduates First Cohort at Daytona State College
The first cohort of students participating in Daytona State College’s MOCI program were honored Wednesday at a Rite of Passage ceremony at the Mori Hosseini Center on the Daytona Beach Campus. The program has existed for several years, but this is the first time a cohort of students has worked together through the program.
Water Management District Now Accepting Cost-Share Project Grant Applications
Through its cost-share programs, the District partners with communities on projects that stretch local dollars to support water resource protection. The application window is open through January 31, 2023.
Flagler County’s Julie Murphy Earns Distinctive PR Designation
Julie Murphy has successfully completed the process that awards the professional designation of “Public Information Officer” (PIO). The Commission on Professional Credentialing met on December 5, 2022, to confer the designation. Julie Murphy becomes one of only 17 PIOs worldwide.
Pontieri and Heighter Are Sworn In at Palm Coast City Council
Palm Coast City Council Members Theresa Carli Pontieri (District 2) and Cathy Heighter (District 4) were sworn in Tuesday, December 6, 2022, at the City Council business meeting inside the Community Wing council chambers at City Hall.
DeSantis Continues Attacks on Disney on Word of Lawmakers’ 2nd Thoughts
A spokeswoman for Gov. Ron DeSantis called “fake news” on reports that Republican lawmakers are working on legislation to scale back a law rushed through earlier this year stripping Walt Disney of its unique self-governing power in Central Florida.
Flagler County’s Scott Simon Achieves Highest Code Enforcement Certification Level in Florida
Flagler County Code Enforcement Officer Scott Simon achieved the highest certification level in the State of Florida. The certification is provided through the Florida Association of Code Enforcement (FACE).
Bunnell Elementary’s Principal and Assistant Principal Get Flagler Schools’ Top Administrative Honors
The 2022–23 Assistant Principal of the Year for Flagler Schools is Donelle Evensen, assistant principal at Bunnell Elementary School. And the 2022–23 Principal of the Year for Flagler Schools is her boss, Bunnell Elementary Principal Marcus Sanfilippo.
FDLE Continues Search for Samantha Fiddler, Missing Since 2016
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) has not forgotten Samantha Fiddler, who went missing from Polk County on Nov. 19, 2016. Fiddler was 29 at the time of her disappearance.
Ormond Beach Police Looking for Corey Gaines, 39, a Suspect in a Stabbing Wednesday
Ormond Beach police are seeking the public’s help in finding Corey Donnell Gaines, 39, a suspect in a stabbing on Nov. 23 at 102 Tomoka Avenue.
Be Local Buy Local with the Holiday Gift Guide and Small Business Saturday
Just like last year, the City of Palm Coast has partnered with several local businesses to offer special promotions in the Holiday Gift Guide and on the City’s social media channels valid from November 25 through December 31. Residents may view the Holiday Gift Guide by clicking here.
Palm Coast Fire Department’s Lt. Patrick Juliano Earns ‘Lest We Forget Award’
The Knights of Columbus Corpus Christi Assembly 2810 and Santa Maria Del Mar Catholic Church recognized Palm Coast Fire Lieutenant Patrick Juliano with the Tony Gasparino “Lest We Forget Award.”
Flagler Public Library Launches Festival of Trees
This year’s “Holly” Day Festival of Trees at the Flagler County Public Library Palm Coast Main Branch is early, because Thanksgiving falls on the last Thursday of the month. The festival begins at 6 p.m. Friday, November 18.
Ladapo Will Continue as DeSantis’s Controversial Surgeon General
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Monday that controversial state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo will remain in the post as DeSantis enters his second term.
Rotary Club Delivers 1,000 Free Dictionaries to Flagler County’s Third Graders
The Rotary Club of Flagler County delivered 1008 dictionaries to seven schools as part of a national program that gives dictionaries to students free for their use. The program has just restarted this year after being on hold due to the pandemic in 2020 and 2021.
American Legion Post 115 Commander Headlines Flagler-Palm Coast County Veterans Day Ceremony
The Flagler County Board of County Commissioners and the City of Palm Coast invite residents to gather for a blended Veteran’s Day Ceremony at 10 a.m. Friday, November 11, at Central Park to honor the men and women who bravely served in the country’s military. The “Flagler County Colonel Gary E. DeKay Veteran of the Year” award recipient will be announced.
Flagler County Emergency Management Planner Nealon Joseph Deploys to Lee County
Flagler County Emergency Management Planner Nealon Joseph, a mass care (sheltering, victim/evacuee care) specialist, was requested to deploy to the Lee County’s Emergency Operations Center to relieve existing mutual aid support from Brevard County.
Safety Meeting for Holiday Boat Parade Will be Held at Palm Coast Community Center
The venue for the required safety meeting for registered boat captains in the 2022 Holiday Boat Parade on December 3 has been changed. The meeting will be held this year at the Palm Coast Community Center, 305 Palm Coast Parkway NE, Palm Coast, Florida 32137, not at Pine Lakes Golf Club as previously announced.
Culinary Course Offered To Inmates at Flagler County Jail Through FTC
The Homeward Bound Initiative (HBI) launched last year in partnership with Flagler Technical College (FTC) now offers a certificate in Culinary/Food Service Management to go along with its current certificate programs in Pre- HVAC (Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning) and Vinyl Graphics Applications.
Stetson’s Water Institute Awarded Grant For Pilot Project to Reduce Flooding Against Rising Seas
Stetson University’s Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience got a $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to help reduce flooding and improve water quality in the face of rising seas in a pilot project on the Space Coast.
U.S. Department of Education Awards Daytona State $1.4 Million for Upward Bound Program
Daytona State College has received $1.4 million to launch an Upward Bound program with Mainland High School that will help underserved and first-generation 9th through 12th graders transition from high school to college.
Public’s Help Sought to Name Flagler Sheriff’s Explosives Detection K9
The Sheriff’s Office is asking the public for naming suggestions for the newest addition to the K9 Unit, a black Labrador Retriever who will be trained in explosives ordinance detection before going on duty next February.
Gas Price Rise Erases Much of the Discount from Suspension of Florida’s Gas Tax
Flagler and Florida gas prices took an unexpected turn higher last week despite a cut in the gas tax timed by the GOP-dominated Legislature to coincide with the November election.
Palm Coast Fire Department and Flagler Sheriff’s Deputies Dispatched to Help Hurricane Victims
Members of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office and the Palm Coast Fire Department have been sent to assist recovery efforts in southwest Florida, in the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Ian.