The St. Augustine Jewish Historical Society mourns the passing of our friend and supporter, Rabbi Israel “Sy” Dresner, who was caught up in the largest mass arrest of Rabbis in US History, here in St. Augustine, June 18, 1964. Dresner died of cancer at age 92.
News Briefs
2 Pedestrian Bridges on Rymfire Drive Will Be Fixed Over the Next Few Weeks
The City of Palm Coast will make repairs to the Rymfire Drive Parkway pedestrian bridges due to deterioration. These bridges are part of the pedestrian walkway near Rymfire Elementary School. The repairs will begin on Monday, January 10 and the completion is expected to take four to five weeks.
Flagler County Firefighters Jon Moscowitz and Jimmy Melady Deliver Baby on New Year’s (Not Theirs)
Flagler County Fire Rescue Lieutenant Jon Moscowitz and Firefighter/Paramedic Jimmy Melady started 2022 on a joyous, unplanned note this weekend, when they responded to mom-to-be Traci Kuehn’s call on New Year’s Day.
Native American Festival returns to Princess Place After a Covid Hiatus
The Native American Festival that is fast becoming a February tradition at Princess Place Preserve returns in 2022 after a hiatus last year because of COVID-19. It will be the seventh Pow Wow held since its inception in 2015.
At the Flagler County Public Library: Florida History Through the Amazing Illustrations of Harper’s Weekly
The Friends of the Library at the Flagler County Public Library host a history presentations by Zach Zacharias, Senior Curator of Education and History at the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Daytona Beach at 2 p.m. on Jan. 28, on Florida seen through the illustrations of Harper’s Illustrated Weekly.
Registration Ongoing for Palm Coast Mayor’s 30/30 Fitness Challenge
Palm Coast residents wishing to participate in the Mayor’s 30/30 Fitness Challenge can still register by visiting palmcoast.gov/mayors-challenge using their city of Palm Coast account login information. Residents without an account can easily create one at the sign-in screen.
Sheriff’s Real Time Crime Center Supervisor Nichole North Graduates from FDLE Analyst Academy
Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Real Time Crime Center Supervisor, Nichole North graduated from the Florida Law Enforcement Analyst Academy. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) announced the graduation of 21 law enforcement analysts from 10 criminal justice agencies throughout the state who all serve in crime intelligence analyst roles.
Sheriff’s Deputies Provide Gifts to Daytona North/Mondex Children
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) attended an event at the Country Store in Bunnell to spread holiday cheer for the local youth. Chief Williams, Commander Miceli, Deputy First Class (DFC) Dawson and Deputy Beausoleil were excited to distribute gifts to the children.
Palm Coast Firefighters Spread Holiday Cheer with 3rd Annual Heroes & Helpers Holiday Celebration
The Palm Coast Fire Department along with Professional Firefighters Local 4807 were successful in spreading holiday cheer by hosting the 3rd annual Heroes & Helpers Holiday Celebration on Saturday, December 18. The event was hosted by the Palm Coast Professional Firefighters Local 4807 and their local charity, Palm Coast Firefighters Benevolent Fund Inc.
Off Duty Flagler County Fire Rescue Staffers, and One Retiree, Join Santa Collecting and Distributing Gifts
Firefighters Conlan Pottinger, Andy Thomas, Rob Zerbino, Lt. John Krall, Community Paramedic Caryn Prather, Chief Mike Tucker, and retired Flight Medic Roy Longo joined the Moscowitzes in their gift-giving mission.
AdventHealth Tops Out Landmark ‘Innovation Tower’
In a spectacular nighttime display, AdventHealth ceremonially “topped out” its newest structure, a landmark 12-story building that will be known as “Innovation Tower,” alongside Interstate 4 in downtown Orlando earlier this week.
Flagler County Community Paramedicine, Led by Caryn Prather, Wins 3rd Award
The Flagler County Community Paramedicine program has received national, state, and regional accolades for utilizing best practices and providing the highest quality services to its residents.
Florida Lawmakers’ Proposals Would Require National Anthem at Games
The state Senate and House will consider a proposal that would require Florida professional sports teams receiving government assistance to play the U.S. national anthem before every home game.
Flagler County Fire Rescue Accountant Suzanne Eubanks Deploys to Kentucky
Flagler County Fire Rescue Accountant Suzanne Eubanks deployed with the Northeast Florida Region 3 All-Hazards Incident Management Team to support recovery efforts in Kentucky in the aftermath of the tornadoes that hit late last week.
Judy Blume Among 20 Writers Exploring Depictions of Desire at Annual Key West Literary Seminar
More than 20 leading American and international writers are to explore literary depictions of desire, from the profound to the profane, during the 39th annual Key West Literary Seminar. The acclaimed gathering for literature fans is set for Thursday through Sunday, Jan. 6-9.
Flagler Sheriff’s Employees Donate Nearly $16,000 for Shop With a Cop Holiday Program
FCSO personnel have donated a total of $15,776.83 towards the Shop with a Cop program. Shop with a Cop is part of the mission of the Flagler Sheriff’s Children’s Charities organization and is sponsored and supported by FCSO. The goal of Shop with a Cop is to help children and families that are in need due to economic circumstances, domestic violence, or children that have been placed in the care of guardians so they may have some holiday cheer.
Flowers for the Holiday? Winn-Dixie’s ‘Bloomin’ 4 Good’ Bouquets Mean Help for Flagler County Meals on Wheels
This local-support program runs through the end of November. Every dollar spent on a bouquet means 10 meals for a local charity, which in this case happens to be Meals on Wheels.
‘Festival of Trees’ Featuring Linda Cole at Flagler County Public Library
This year’s “Festival of Trees” at the Flagler County Public Library main Palm Coast branch is early this year, because Thanksgiving falls on the last Thursday of the month. The festival begins at 6 p.m. this evening (Nov. 19).
AACS Presents a 30-Year Retrospective of Fine Artist Bettie Eubanks
The African American Cultural Center and Museum of Florida (AACS) in Flagler County will host a “30-Year Retrospective of Fine Artist, Bettie Eubanks”. The exhibit will formally open to the public on November 20, 2021 during which there will be a “Meet the Artist” reception from 3pm – 5pm.
Fire Chief Jerry Forte Recognized with Tony Gasparino ‘Lest We Forget Award’
The Knights of Columbus Corpus Christi Assembly 2810 and Santa Maria Del Mar Catholic Church recognized Palm Coast Fire Chief Jerry Forte with the Tony Gasparino “Lest We Forget Award.” Attending with Forte was his wife, Lisa, and his mother, Theresa.
Sheriff Presents 2021 Quarter 3 Awards
Sheriff Staly recognized exceptional service by Sheriff’s Office employees and members of the community, including honoring the team directly responsible for saving the life of a juvenile threatening to jump off the I-95 overpass.
Isolation and Beyond in Sartre’s ‘No Exit’ by Stetson University Theatre Arts
Stetson University Theatre Arts presents Jean-Paul Sartre’s play “No Exit,” a one-act philosophical drama that examines morality, identity and human connection. Directed by Stetson Theatre Arts senior Shay Figueroa, the production runs Nov. 18-21 at Stetson’s Second Stage Theatre in the Museum of Art – DeLand.
FPC Team Wins Inaugural UNF MedNexus Innovation Challenge
Twenty-four teams with a total of 86 students submitted applications and their ideas in hopes of joining the competition. The MedNexus Innovation Challenge is a team-based entrepreneurship competition that showcased top regional high school students tasked to pitch their solutions to Florida’s evolving healthcare needs.
Flagler County Fire Rescue Holds Pinning Ceremony for Recent Hires and Promotions
Flagler County Fire Rescue held a “Pinning Ceremony” on Monday for its hires since January 2020, and for the promotion of three of its own to lieutenant.
Road to Success Program Pays Businesses to Employ Its Youths
Road to Success (RTS) is a youth program that helps 16- to 24-year-olds who exited from high school earn their general education diploma (GED). It has been in existence since September 2012 and graduated 272 to date. For the current year, we are scheduled to serve 53 young adults. RTS is closing in on graduating 300 students overall.
Flagler County Fire Rescue Hosts ‘Push In’ Ceremony for New $224,485 Ambulance
The new rescue, housed at Station 62 cost $224,485 and was purchased from Ten-8 Fire and Safety. It is a 2021 Ford F450 gas powered Braun Chief XL Ambulance with state of-the-art features.
DeSantis Warns Businesses Against Being “Woke”
Appearing before a group of business leaders last week, Gov. Ron DeSantis warned about following a “woke” ideology, which he called “very dangerous” for the country.
Palm Coast Fire Department’s 20th Year of the Hall of Terror
This year marks the 20th year of the highly anticipated annual ‘Hall of Terror’ event and the Palm Coast Fire Department (PCFD) is ready to bring on the frights!
Traffic Stop Leads to Recovery and Controlled Explosion of Grenade
A man said he had cleaned out a veteran’s home and found the grenade and decided to keep it. He was unaware if it was active or not. The grenade was removed from the vehicle and safely detonated by St. John’s County Explosive Ordinance Disposal experts at a nearby county-owned facility.
Barry Brady and Daniel VanDeusen Promoted to Flagler Fire Rescue Battalion Chief
Barry Brady and Daniel VanDeusen were promoted of the 10 applicants who tested. Barry Brady was hired by Flagler County in May of 2007. Daniel VanDeusen began his career in Flagler County over 16 years ago in 2005.
50th Palm Coast Citizens Academy Graduates 13
Thirteen Palm Coast residents graduated from the 50th session of the Palm Coast Citizens Academy on Tuesday, October 19th, at the City Council meeting.
Stetson University Celebrates the Holiday Season with Four Christmas Candlelight Concerts
The joy and magic of the holiday season comes alive during Stetson University School of Music’s four Christmas Candlelight concerts at historic Lee Chapel in Elizabeth Hall on campus.
Dr. Stephen Bickel, Flagler Health Department’s Medical Director, Renews Specialist Designation
Dr. Stephen Bickel, medical director of the Florida Department of Health in Flagler County (DOH-Flagler) recently renewed his “HIV Specialist” credentials by passing an exam sponsored by the American Academy of HIV Medicine. Dr. Bickel received his initial HIV specialist designation in 2018.
Florida Led the Nation in Nursing Home Deaths Between August and September
Florida led the nation in the rate of Covid-19 nursing-home deaths during a four-week period that ended Sept. 19, according to a report published Thursday by the senior-advocacy group AARP. The report, which relies on federal data, said Florida nursing homes reported 289 resident deaths from Covid-19 during the period.
Florida Marks 30 Years of Silver Alerts
October 8 marked the thirteenth anniversary of Florida’s Silver Alert program. Since the program’s inception in 2008, 2,721 Silver Alerts have been issued, and Florida’s Silver Alert program has been directly responsible for 268 recoveries of missing senior citizens.
Flagler County Senior Procurement Analyst Shannon Nolan Earns National Certification
Flagler County Senior Procurement Analyst Shannon Nolan earned a professional certification – a Professional Procurement Certification issued by the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing – marking her entrance into a prestigious group who successfully demonstrated the competencies anchored in the nationally recognized public procurement framework.
Fried Urges ‘Endangered’ Status for Manatees
State Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried asked the federal government to again list threatened manatees as “endangered,” as Florida has had a record number of manatee deaths this year.
Scholarships for ‘Career Online High School’ Diploma and Certificate Program Available at Flagler Public Library
Flagler County Public Library is offering the Career Online High School program to adults, 19 and older, who want to earn a career certificate and a high school diploma. Scholarships are funded through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
Federal Judge Refuses to Reconsider Decision Backing DeSantis Ban on Mask Mandates
Rejecting arguments by parents of children with disabilities, a federal judge has refused to reconsider a decision that backed Gov. Ron DeSantis in a battle about student mask requirements in schools.
Nicole Critcher Appointed Principal at Old Kings Elementary
Critcher has been with Flagler Schools for 20 years. She taught at Rymfire Elementary School and Indian Trails K-8 for 13 years. She was an instructional coach at OKES for three years. Following a year with the Teaching and Learning Department before taking the assistant principal position at Matanzas High School.
Desmond Meade, Leader in Restoring Felons’ Voting Rights, Wins $650,000 MacArthur Fellowship
Desmond Meade, a former drug dealer who has received international accolades after leading the drive to pass a 2018 Florida constitutional amendment to restore voting rights for felons, has been awarded a MacArthur Foundation fellowship, the program announced on Tuesday. Meade is one of this year’s 25 fellows selected for “originality, insight and potential,” according to the program’s website. They receive $625,000 grants, paid out over five years.
Friends of the Library Book Sale Saturday
The Friends of the Library is having a Welcome to Fall book sale Saturday, October 2, at the Flagler County Library. The sale is from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Seven Flagler County Fire Rescue FireFlight Medics Complete Shallow Water Egress Training (SWET)
All seven Flagler County Fire Rescue FireFlight medics trained September 18 to complete their Shallow Water Egress Training (SWET) to ensure they can escape from the helicopter’s cockpit should an accident leave it and its crew upside down in the water.
Charles and Elizabeth Duva’s Seed Gift Kicks Off $5 Million Embry-Riddle Fundraising Initiative to Promote Entrepreneurs
Charles “Chuck” Duva, M.D., and his wife, Elizabeth “Beth” Duva, Ph.D., longtime community leaders in Volusia County, Florida, have made a generous half-million-dollar gift to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The gift will kick-start an ambitious $5 million Embry-Riddle fundraising initiative to elevate the school’s Launch Your Venture competition.
Palm Coast Fire Department Honor Guard Presents Colors on House Floor at Rep. Renner’s Invitation
Florida State Representative Paul Renner invited the Palm Coast Fire Department Honor Guard to present the Nations Colors on the House Floor at the Speaker Designee Ceremony in Tallahassee on Tuesday.
Stetson University Achieves 70% Vaccination Goal on Both Campuses
The DeLand campus hit its +70% vaccination rate following its recent on-campus vaccination clinic on Wednesday, Sept. 22. The campus includes nearly 3,000 undergraduate students, along with more than 400 graduate students and approximately 400 faculty and staff. Stetson’s College of Law campus in Gulfport topped the 70% vaccination rate nearly two weeks ago and is currently closer to 77%.
Replacing David Ottati, Audrey Gregory Is Named President and CEO for AdventHealth’s Central Florida Division, North Region
Audrey Gregory, PhD, has been named president/CEO for AdventHealth’s Central Florida Division – North Region, which includes the AdventHealth facilities in Volusia, Lake and Flagler counties. Gregory replaces David Ottai, a former CEO of AdventHealth Palm Coast, who was named CEO of AdventHealth’s West Florida division.
Flagler Sheriff’s Office Thanks Community for Support for Fallen Hero Detention Deputy Paul Luciano’s Family
The Flagler Sheriff’s Employee Assistance Trust (F.S.E.A.T.) established a GoFundMe account to support DFC Luciano’s family in his line-of-duty death from complications of COVID-19 and the community graciously donated $7,655.
Over 1,600 Pounds of Trash Collected During 14th Annual Intracoastal Waterway Cleanup
Since 2008, volunteers participating in the event have collected over 20,000 pounds of trash. This year, over 250 volunteers participated in the event and recovered over 1,600 pounds of trash!
Palm Coast Fire Department Hosts September 11 Remembrance Ceremony and Survivor Tree Dedication at Heroes Park
The community is invited to attend the September 11th Remembrance Ceremony on Saturday, September 11, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. at Heroes Memorial Park in Palm Coast.