In what he said was sarcasm, Flagler County Commissioner Joe Mullins wrote a woman that “We did decide to chain and muzzle all radical liberals in the county” at Tuesday’s town hall on dog-chaining, which he hosted. It’s an inadmissible offense on many levels.
All Else
Waste Pro Taps Home Grown Talent to Head Its Palm Coast Operation in Latest Reinvigoration
Waste Pro, the garbage hauler on contract to provide garbage and recycling service for residents in Palm Coast and unincorporated Flagler, appointed DSC graduate and long-time local resident Heather Badger-Felmet as division manager in Palm Coast.
Thursday Briefing: Great Kids, Census, World Diabetes Day, Bach’s Moravian Heritage, Quit Smoking
Damaris Ferreiro, Daniel Shevchenko and Chalyn Parks are October’s Great Kids Award recipients, it’s World Diabetes Day, a House subcommittee debates repeal of the state Constitution Revision Commission.
Sunshine State News and Nancy Smith Say Goodbye After 10 Years
Nancy Smith has been the editor of Sunshine State News, the conservative online news site, for all its 10 years. Smith describes those years and why the time has come to say goodbye.
Lawsuit Over Banned Use of Loudspeaker for Christian Prayer Before School’s Game Is Back On
A federal appeals court Wednesday overturned the dismissal of a lawsuit about whether the Florida High School Athletic Association improperly prevented Christian schools from offering a prayer over the stadium loudspeaker before a 2015 state championship football game.
Flagler’s Permissive Rules on Dog-Chaining Draw Loud Calls for Revision as Palm Coast Takes Note
Some 65 people turned up at a “town howl” on dog tethering at the Flagler Humane Society Tuesday evening, where County Commissioner Joe Mullins pledged he would be revisiting a controversial county ordinance. The debate may have consequences beyond county government as Palm Coast is in the midst of revising its own animal ordinance, and Flagler Beach may follow suit.
Michael Cummings Pleads to Murdering Ex-Wife at Palm Coast Home and Faces 30 Years to Life in Prison
Days from his trial on a first-degree murder charge, Michael Cummings, 48, pleaded to second degree murder in the death of Faith Cummings, 44, at their Point Pleasant home in Palm Coast in January 2018.
The Thrill Is Gone: Bunnell’s Alvin Jackson Survives Firing Attempt, Then Gets Small Raise After Tepid Evaluations
An attempt by Bunnell City Commissioner Jan Reeger to fire Manager Alvin Jackson failed Monday, but brought to light divided opinions about Jackson’s performance and serious claims about his financial and employee management.
Wednesday Briefing: Kevin James, Joseph Colon in Court, Human Trafficking, Women in Leadership
Comedian Kevin James is at the Peabody, accused murderer Joseph Colon is scehduled for a pre-trial, the Public Safety Coordinating Council talks human trafficking, the Flagler County Chamber of Commerce hosts a Women in Leadership luncheon.
Measure Would Loosen Minimum Mandatory Drug Sentences, But Police Chiefs Object
A bill would loosen mandatory minimum sentencing laws for some drug-trafficking offenses. The proposed change that ran into opposition from law enforcement officials.
Mary Ann Clark, Resolute Founder and Leader of Innumerable Flagler Institutions, Dies at 91
Mary Ann Clark’s eclectic leadership, tenacity, verve and love for her community founded, fostered or shaped many of Flagler County’s cornerstone civic and cultural organizations over the past four decades.
Flagler’s Fair Housing Rules Would Add Protections for Victims of Domestic Violence, Veterans and LGBTQ
The Flagler County Commission in the next few weeks is expected to hear a proposal to revise the county’s fair housing ordinance, which hasn’t been revised in 30 years. The proposal would add or clarify several protected classes.
Tuesday Briefing: Judge Totten Seated, Affordable Housing, Town Howl on Dog Chaining, Suicide Loss
Newly appointed County Judge Andrea Totten is seated, the Flagler Humane Society hosts a “Town Howl” on dog chaining, The Bunnell commission considers rezoning for apartments, Flagler’s Community Traffic Safety Team meets.
AdventHealth Names Chief Clinical Officer for the Central Florida Division – North Region
AdventHealth has selected Julie Vincent to serve as vice president and chief clinical officer for the company’s Central Florida Division – North Region. Effective Nov. 18, Vincent will lead clinical efforts and provide executive oversight for the chief nursing officers and chief medical officers for the AdventHealth operations in Flagler, Lake and Volusia counties. Vincent […]
Daytona State College Announces New Specialization Courses for Risk Management and Insurance
Daytona State College has added a new component to its Associate of Science degree in Business Administration with the addition of specialized courses in Risk Management and Insurance (RMI). These courses are designed to prepare students for entry-level jobs in the insurance industry. “Recent trends in the insurance industry, regionally and locally, prompted us to offer the specialization,” […]
St. Augustine’s Meldrim Cottage Now at the Florida Agricultural Museum
The Florida Agricultural Museum is proud to announce that the Meldrim House in St Augustine is now ready to join the growing village on the Museum’s property on US 1 and Old Kings Rd in Palm Coast. It will be moved on Tuesday November 12 at 9am and will join several other buildings that have […]
Palm Coast City Council Recognizes ‘Be Local, Buy Local’; Recycling; and Diabetes Awareness
The Palm Coast City Council recognized three important community-wide topics at the Tuesday, Nov. 5 business meeting with proclamations. The first proclamation declares November as Diabetes Awareness Month, as requested by AdventHealth Palm Coast. With nearly 30 million people in the U.S. affected by diabetes, increasing awareness of risk factors and symptoms may improve the […]
Solitary Confinement in Florida’s Prisons and Juvenile Detention Challenged in Court
In separate but parallel lawsuits, civil-rights and legal groups are challenging Florida’s use of solitary confinement in prisons and juvenile detention centers —- but are facing pushback from state agencies.
At Opponents’ Meeting on The Gardens Development Off John Anderson, More Vigilance Than Chest-Thumping
A community meeting by a group that opposes The Gardens development off John Anderson Highway drew some 100 people Thursday evening but kept the shrillness and triumphalism to a minimum, focusing instead on how to maintain “positive, respectful pressure,” in the group’s president’s words.
Investigation Shows Bullet Nearly Struck Woman as Felon Shot Into 2 Homes Over $10 Dispute
Wyatt Cunningham, 62, of west Flagler, is accused of firing a rifle several times into two homes, both occupied by several older people, over an argument involving a $10 bill for mowing grass.
Palm Coast Uber Driver, 53, Accused Of Molesting Deceased Girlfriend’s 11-Year-Old Daughter for 2 Years
Philip Frederick Martin, 53, of 95 Wedgewood Lane in Palm Coast, had been allowed to continue visiting with his deceased girlfriend’s daughter, who reported the alleged molestation took place over two years.
Veterans Weekend Briefing: Last of “Spring Awakening,” Kaiti Lenhart at AAUW, Chamber Players, NAACP Awards, Airmen
Last weekend for “Spring Awakening” at Palm Coast’s City Rep Theatre, Kaiti Lenhart is the featured speaker at AAUW, Artist Choice and Young Emerging Artist Exhibit at the Art League, the NAACP hosts its annual awards banquet.
DeSantis Snaps Over Questions About Connections to Indicted Ukrainian-American Businessmen
Pressure has grown over the past month for Gov. Ron DeSantis to answer questions about tensions in the state Republican Party and his ties to two Ukrainian-American businessmen indicted on federal campaign-finance charges.
New Report Concludes Sheriff’s Operations Building ‘Should Be Ready for Re-Occupancy’ With Repairs
There are continuing issues at the sick, former Sheriff’s Operations Center in Bunnell, but they are repairable, or treatable, a moisture and concrete evaluation report to the county concludes even as it lists a series of problems.
Flagler Is No Citrus: Local Officials Say New York Times Is Safe From ‘Fake News’ Censorship at Library
In the wake of Citrus County commissioners rejecting a public library digital subscription to The New York Times, Flagler County’s library and government officials stressed that nothing like that would be tolerated locally.
Next Year’s School Calendar Builds In 2 Days Off for Elections and Hurricane Make-Up Days, Leaving Thanksgiving Week Off Intact
Next year’s Flagler schools calendar will keep students off campus on election days and provide four built-in hurricane make-up days before Thanksgiving Week is affected.
Thursday Briefing: Chamber’s Salute to Veterans, Rubio Staff at Wickline, Community Meeting on The Gardens
The Chamber of Commerce hosts its Veterans breakfast, Sen. Marco Rubuio’s staff holds office hours at Flagler Beach’s Wickline Center, a group opposing The Gardens development holds a community meeting.
How Republicans, Not Russians, Threaten Fair Elections
Republicans are less likely to win elections when voter turnout is high. So GOP lawmakers have been doing all they can to restrict or roll back voting rights.
Florida Supreme Court Set to Uphold Restrictions on Felon Voting Rights Based on Repayments
Florida Supreme Court justices appeared convinced Wednesday that a constitutional amendment, overwhelmingly approved during the November 2018 election, requires payment of restitution, fees and other legal costs for felons to have their voting rights restored.
The Gardens Development Off John Anderson Scales Back Significantly, But Still Faces New County Obstacles
The Gardens off John Anderson Highway was originally planned as a 3,966-home and apartment development but was scaled back to 330 lots. Even then, county regulators said it would need a rezoning to go forward, a politically uncertain step the developers are loath to take.
5 Children Split in Foster Care, 8 Pets Looking for Homes and Donations Sought as Result of Parents’ Negligence
With their parents, Betty Allen, 42, and Dennis Allen, 44, facing felony neglect charges the five children have been split between two foster homes and their eight pets, including four dogs, put up for adoption in the fallout from the discovery of a Bunnell house in a deplorable state.
For 1st Time in 11 Years, County Tells Bunnell Homeless Are Shared Problem as Shelter Backers Seek Compromise
As a federal investigation forced Bunnell government to allow the re-opening of a homeless cold-weather shelter there, County Administrator Jerry Cameron told city officials what they haven’t heard in 11 years: that homelessness is a shared responsibility.
Wednesday Briefing: Flagler Beach land Regulations, Pilsners for Polio, Stetson Guitar Ensemble
Flagler Beach holds the second citizen’s input session focusing on the city’s Land Development Regulations, the Rotary Club of Palm Coast hosts Pilsners for Polio and Karaoke for a Cause, the Stetson University Guitar Ensemble presents a program of various combinations of guitars.
With Recreational Pot on Florida’s Horizon, a House Panel Looks to Oregon for Insights
Facing the possibility that Floridians could be asked next year to legalize recreational marijuana, a House panel on Tuesday turned to Oregon to learn more about the economic, environmental and health impacts the state has faced since authorizing adult pot use four years ago.
School Board Calls for Investigation of FPC’s Discipline Procedures in Unusual Settlement With Ex-Teacher’s Whistleblower Complaint
Vanishing disciplinary paperwork and lax follow-ups in bullying and harassment complaints were of special concern to the school board as it settled a whistleblower case with ex-FPC’s i3 teacher Robert Sprouse Tuesday, agreeing to pay him up to $30,000.
ICI Homes’ Latest Expansion at Plantation Bay Approved, 3-2, But Not Before a Drubbing Over Stinginess
County Commissioner Dave Sullivan said ICI Homes is not doing enough to share in the county’s burdens of repairing Plantation Bay’s troubled water and sewer utilities. The commission approved a 132-home phase of the development.
Tuesday Briefing: State of Education, Election Forum, LGBT Youth Group, DSC Veterans Ceremony, Chess on the Porch
Superintendent Jim Tager delivers the State of Education address, the Hammock Community Association hosts a forum for county commission election candidates, Chess on the Porch at the Humidor.
NRA and Attorney General Moody File Briefs Attacking Proposed Assault Weapons Ban in Florida
Three briefs were filed Friday in opposition to the proposed amendment, which the political committee Ban Assault Weapons NOW is trying to place on the November 2020 ballot.
AdventHealth’s Dr. Martin Alan Kubiet, 1963-2019
Dr. Martin Kubiet, beloved husband, father, son, and brother, and known to friends as “Marty,” passed away on October 31, 2019, at the age of 56. An obituary.
240-Boat Storage Facility in the Hammock off A1A Will Go Forward as County Rejects Objection
The proposed Hammock Harbor boat storage and restaurant development near Hammock Hardware on A1A drew a legal appeal from residents who disputed the county’s interpretation allowing the re-development under existing zoning rules. But county commissioners saw nothing wrong with the project.
Palm Coast Lines Up Support from County and Cities for UNF’s MedNex Initiative in Town Center
Flagler County commissioners today unanimously endorsed a proposed UNF partnership with Palm Coast to create a medical hub in Town Center as the county’s top legislative priority for 2020.
Sheriff’s Deputy and Bunnell Police Officer Fall Violently Ill In Contact With Arrested Suspect’s Unknown Narcotic
The sheriff’s K-9 deputy Gibson Smith and the Bunnell Police Department’s Jennie Baker were briefly hospitalized after falling ill during an arrest of a known dealer of heroin and other drugs Saturday night.
From High School to $37,000-a-Year Firefighters: Flagler Hires 1st Three Recruits Out of FPC’s Fire Academy
Noah Dunaway, Dylan Cronk and Beau Kruithoff, all 18, are the very first Flagler County Fire Rescue recruits to be hired directly out of FPC’s fire academy. They were introduced to the Flagler County Commission this morning. They’ll be making $37,000 a year within weeks.
Monday Briefing: Diabetes’ Blue Flag, Amy Lukasik Elevated, Bunnell’s Homeless Shelter, Navy Bombing
The Bunnell City Commission holds a special meeting to comply with a Justice Department request, Amy Lukasik is named Flagler’s permanent tourism director, Maria Howell is back in court.
As Local News Outlets Shutter, Rural America Suffers Most
Amid the steady decline in local news, some states are considering stepping in to support the Fourth Estate. But critics worry that doing so might undermine the press’s role as a government watchdog.
Turtle Dedication and Founder’s Day Events Celebrate Palm Coast’s History
Ask most people about Garfield and they’ll describe the comic cartoon created by Jim Davis featuring an unforgettable orange cat who loves lasagna. But in Palm Coast, it’s a bit of a different story – one that dates back to the earliest days of the city. “I didn’t know that he had that connection here […]
Squalor, Despair and Girl’s Talk of Suicide Land 2 Parents in Jail on Felony Charges of Neglecting 5 Children
Betty Nicolicchia-Allen, 42, and Dennis Allen, 44. of Daytona North were jailed after authorities found their five young children in deplorable conditions in their house, which had been deeded to them years ago by Habitat for Humanity.
Questions of Ethics and Reimbursements After County Officials Appear on Commissioner Joe Mullins’s Radio Show
Flagler County Commissioner Joe Mullins offered to have county officials host and appear once a month on the weekly radio show he pays for, but the offer raised a series of protocol, policy and ethical implications.
Rymfire’s LaShakia Moore and iFlagler’s Erin Quinn Are Flagler District’s Top Administrators of the Year
LaShakia Moore, principal at Rymfire Elementary School was tapped as the top school administrator while iFlagler’s Erin Quinn was selected as Assistant Principal of the year.
Water Less With Seasonal Focus on Conservation To Sustain Water Supply
The St. Johns River Water Management District has launched a new year-long “Water Less” campaign to help raise awareness about water conservation and to communicate easy ways to integrate outdoor water conservation into our daily lives without sacrificing curb appeal.