The national economy added 136,000 jobs in September, and figures for July and August were revised upward by 45,000 jobs, sending the unemployment rate to 3.5 percent, matching a level last seen in December 1969.
All Else
Weekend Briefing: First Friday in Flagler Beach, Cycling for Health, Country Fest, Inside CRT Studio
The annual Country Fest at the county fairgrounds, a Cycling for Health fund-raiser for the Flagler County Free Clinic, the “Nearly New” Thrift Store at Santa Maria Del Mar Catholic Church, First Friday in Flagler Beach and more.
Wall Street Is Killing Newspapers
This is a crisis. This country lost more than a fifth of its local newspapers between 2004 and 2018, while newspapers lost almost half of their newsroom employees between 2008 and 2018.
Underground Power Lines Plan Moves Forward, But Residents and Businesses Will Pay More
The Florida Public Service Commission approved proposed rules to carry out the law, which is expected to lead to residents and businesses paying more in their electric bills for storm-protection projects.
Rick Staly, Unusually Popular for a Flagler Sheriff, Announces Re-Election Run as Challengers Have Yet To Appear
Sheriff Rick Staly, riding continued popularity, announced his run for a second term by pointing to more work and new initiatives ahead. In 2016 he broke campaign finance records. He says he’s ready to do what’s necessary to win, but it is unlikely that he will face the challengers he did in 2016, when nine candidates ran.
Flagler Beach’s US Army Corps Dune Restoration Project: Public Workshop and Hearing on October 22
Flagler County in coordination with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection on October 22 will host a workshop followed by a public hearing to address the creation of an Erosion Control Line along the upcoming 2.8 mile Army Corps of Engineers project within the city limits of Flagler Beach.
UNF’s Palm Coast Medical Hub Clears 1st Hurdle With Board of Governors Committee Approval
UNF’s Palm Coast medical hub was unanimously recommended to the full Board of Governors in a committee meeting Thursday morning, winning plaudits for UNF president David Szymanski overt enthusiasm.
Thursday Briefing: Shapiro on Church-State Separation, UNF in Palm Coast, Diabetes Management, Elias Canetti
Rabbi Merrill Shapiro discusses the Flagler school board’s consideration of starting its meetings with prayers, committees of the university system’s board of governors meet to discuss, among other things, UNF’s proposed plans for Palm Coast.
Zero Tolerance For Threatening Students? Not Exactly: Flagler District Enacts More Reasoned Approach
Even though one law calls for zero tolerance regarding threats on campus, another requires local districts to use a “threat assessment tool” that opposes zero tolerance and applies more careful, less drastic responses to students or anyone making threats.
Flagler School Board Attempts Weird Science of Conjuring Its Perfect Next Superintendent
The Flagler County School Board moved up the date of its nomination of the next superintendent to March 10, and drew up a blueprint for the sort of leader it seeks to replace the retiring Jim Tager.
New Round of Medicare Penalties Hits 2,583 Hospitals, Including All Local Hospitals in 3 Counties
Although Medicare began applying the penalties in 2012, disagreements continue about whether they have improved patient safety. On the positive side, they have encouraged hospitals to focus on how their patients recuperate, and some now assist them in procuring medications and follow-up appointments.
Wednesday Briefing: Coffee With a Cop Day, Flagler Democrats and Republicans Rally, Free Family Law Legal Clinic
Attorney Marc Dwyer presents a free family law legal clinic, it’s Coffee With a Cop at the Palm Coast Community Center, Flagler’s Democrats and Republicans get hot and bothered, separately.
Palm Coast Sewer Line Through Hammock Would Reduce Reliance on Septic, But Raises Development Fears
A Palm Coast sewer line up the spine of the barrier island would help stop a reliance on septic tanks and has been a priority for local governments, but Hammock residents are concerned that it would also spur more intensive development.
Flagler County Rainfall and Climate Report for September 2019
September 2019 rainfall figures were close to or a little above normal for September. However year to date numbers remain close to average with some locations higher or normal.
Pink Army Month Proclamation and Raising of Flag at Flagler Beach First Friday Oct. 4
In anticipation of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and their Pink Army 5K and 1 Mile Pet Friendly Fun Walk, the Pink Army 5K committee, will raise the Pink Army 5K flag at Flagler Beach First Friday on Oct. 4th at 6:00 p.m. located at Veterans Park.
“Misunderstanding” Causes Suicide Prevention Signs to Disappear From Some Fire Stations, But Campaign Continues
The new Palm Coast non-profit called Find Your Peace By Pieces launched a suicide prevention and awareness campaign with yard signs for homes, businesses and fire stations. There was sudden concern when some signs appeared to have been taken down.
Tuesday Briefing: Merit Scholars, Superintendent Search, Hammock Development, Homeless Task Force
The school board holds its monthly superintendent search meeting, The Flagler County Homeless & Housing Taskforce meets, Chess on the Porch at the humidor, Maya Angelou on ethics.
Pair of Flagler Palm Coast High School Students Semifinalists for National Merit Scholarships
Flagler Palm Coast High School’s Elizabeth Wolcott and Liying Wu now compete for some 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $31 million that will be offered next spring.
In 39 Minutes, Jury Rejects Insanity, Finding Bova Guilty of Murdering Zuheily Rosado; He Faces Life in Prison
A jury of six women and six men found Joseph Bova II, 31, guilty of murdering Zuheily Roman Rosado at a Palm Coast convenience store in 2013. Bova’s insanity defense proved unconvincing.
Cities and Counties Step In With Vaping Bans, Where the State Doesn’t
In the absence of a statewide ban — and as the number of people getting sick or dying from vaping mounts — California cities and counties are stepping in, including major population centers such as San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Monday Briefing: Bova Trial’s Final Day, Rosh Hashanah, Cleaning Up the Beach, Moderation to the Winds
Three dozen AdventHealth volunteers clean up the beach, Joseph Bova’s trial is expected to conclude with a verdict, Rosh Hashanah closures here and there, Julliard students do Couperin.
Daytona State College Ranked Number One in the Nation for Most Affordable Online Engineering Degrees
For the second time in as many weeks, Daytona State College has earned a No. 1 ranking for affordability in online education. This time that honor goes to the college’s online Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology program.
Women United Flagler Calling all “Chicks”
The Women United Flagler is seeking volunteers for the group’s Chicks with Cans Food Drive on October 4 and 5 and October 18 and 19. Volunteers will stand at one of four Public locations in Flagler County and collect food and monetary donations. All food and money collected will be donated to Feed Flagler, providing Thanksgiving meals to families in need this holiday season.
Commissioner Joe Mullins Donates $700 to help Women in Recovery
Women Assisting Recovering Mothers is a long-term program for single women and mothers with children under the age of six for 90-days to a year.
Stetson University Launches Branch of AAUW
he American Association of University Women (AAUW) opens doors for women and girls, influences public debate on critical social issues, sponsors community programs, publishes groundbreaking research on women and girls, and is one of the world’s largest sources of funding exclusively for graduate women.
Joseph Bova’s Insanity Defense Unravels: ‘I Had To Kill Her To Save All the People of Flagler County’
In testimony today, Joseph Bova explained how voices told him to kill Zuheily Rosado, 32, at a Mobil convenience store in 2013, but he also conceded that he’d fought the voices for months, casting doubt about his claim that he was insane at the time.
Weekend Briefing: Toni Morrison Screening at AACS, MHS Pet Parade, Jax Symphony Opening Night, Rosh Hashanah
Talking UNF in Town Center, remembering Toni Morrison at AACS, Rotary’s pickleball tournament, Matanzas High School Leo Club’s Pet Parade, Rosh Hashanah, Brigitte Bardot at 85, eternal Seneca.
An Outlier Keeps Flagler Beach Manager Larry Newsom’s Evaluation Just Shy of Stellar
If it weren’t for City Manager Rick Belhumeur’s rather sour, outlying evaluation, Larry Newsom would have had a comfortable “outstanding” combined score from the other commissioners and the mayor as he approaches the fourth anniversary of his tenure in Flagler Beach.
Prosecution Rests, and Rests Easy, in Bova Murder Trial as Even Defense Witnesses Fall Short of Pointing to Insanity
Joseph Bova II is claiming he was insane when he shot Zuheili Rosado dead at the Mobil mart in Palm Coast in 2013, but even the defense’s witnesses so far are not making the case, proving more helpful to the state’s argument of pre-meditated first-degree murder.
DSC’s Southeast Museum of Photography Gets $10,000 Federal Preservation Grant
The National Endowment for the Humanities last month awarded one of its prestigious Preservation Assistance Grants to Daytona State College. The $10,000 grant will be used to improve the Southeast Museum of Photography’s ability to preserve and care for its collection of photographs.
In a Blow to DeSantis, Special Master Recommends Reinstatement of Broward Sheriff Scott Israel
“Sheriff Israel and the BSO are not blameless for the tragedy at Stoneman Douglas,” the special master wrote, agreeing with a state commission “that mistakes were made and areas should be improved.”
Thursday Briefing: Bova Trial, Wal-Mart Effect, Dunes, Flagler Beach Panhandling, Handel Heroes
The prosecution enters day two in the Joseph Bova murder trial, the Flagler Beach City Commission again considers a panhandling ordinance and discusses the dunes restoration project in its city limits.
Sheriff’s Investigation Found Charges Against Deputy Who Punched Disabled Inmate Not Warranted
Though responding corrections deputies were uncomfortable with Jared Tazewell’s punching a disabled and mentally incompetent inmate, a criminal investigation stopped short of charging him, but recommended charges against the inmate, documents show.
Heroes First Home Loans Donates $13,000 to Sponsor 12 Bulletproof Vests for Firefighters
Heroes First Home Loans Flagler Beach donated $13,000 to the Flagler Beach Fire Department, the Flagler County Fire Rescue and the Palm Coast Fire Department to sponsor the purchase of 12 ballistic fire vests.
Facing Hammock’s Ire, Joe Mullins Proposes Development Strategies, But Residents Are Skeptical
After angering them with his deciding vote approving Beachwalk’s 50-home subdivision in the Hammock, Commissioner Joe Mullins called a town hall meeting before the same Hammock residents to explain his long-range approach to development.
Wednesday Briefing: Pink Army, Bova Trial’s State Phase, Facing Grief Together, Amy Tan
The Pink Army Campaign is off and running, the Joseph Bova trial’s opening arguments and the prosecution’s case get under way, facing grief together, Amy Tan and live bombing in the Ocala forest in the afternoon and evening.
President Trump: I’m One of the Workers You Lied To
Trump’s broken promises have become a broken record destroying our communities, even in Midwestern counties that gave him the vast majority of votes in 2016.
Flagler Deputy Resigns, Without Charges, After Accusation of ‘Excessive Force’ On Older, Mentally Ill Inmate
Jared Tazewell, 34, was a detention deputy at the Flagler County jail for three years. He allegedly punched 54-year-old Mark Duncanson after Duncanson threw his walker at him. The sheriff’s office released no documentation Tuesday.
AdventHealth Names Katie Palacios Director of Strategic Program Management
Katie Palacios has been selected to serve as the director of strategic program management for the AdventHealth facilities in Flagler, Lake and Volusia counties.
Flagler Hepatitis Cases Up to 9, Volusia Has 3rd Highest Total in State, With 236
Another 64 cases of hepatitis A were reported to the state last week, bringing the total number of reported cases this year to 2,609 and continuing a massive increase in cases compared to last year.
Sheriff’s Office Awarded $3,000 to Continue Domestic Violence Initiative as Numbers Improve
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has been awarded equipment totaling over $3,000 from the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence to assist in FCSO’s community initiative against domestic violence.
Stetson University’s Centurion Sales Program Receives $2.5 Million Endowment
Stetson University’s School of Business Administration has announced a $2.5 million gift from donor Leopoldo Fernandez Pujals to fully endow the Centurion Sales Program. The endowment supports the Centurion Sales Program and ensures its place as a signature program in the School of Business Administration. The sales program was made possible two years ago by […]
Have an Opinion on Local Tourism? Flagler Government Needs To Know
The Flagler County Tourism Office, also known as Palm Coast and the Flagler Beaches, is conducting a resident awareness survey to judge resident perception of its efforts and identify areas for improvement.
Tuesday Briefing: Old Kings Road Widening, NAACP Meeting, FPC Drama Talent, Stetson Value Days
The Palm Coast council discusses an $8.2 million plan to widen a section of Old Kings Road, the Flagler Palm Coast High School drama club’s talent show is at the Auditorium, Flagler County’s NAACP meets.
Disagreements Persist About Flagler School Board’s Religious Invocations Past and Future
A divided Flagler County School Board has yet to decide whether and how to conduct invocations at the start of its meetings following Chairman Janet McDonald’s out-of-order introduction of a pastor and her invocation at the August meeting.
Julie Murphy completes FEMA Master Public Information Officer Program
Completing a yearlong professional development program, Flagler County Public Information Officer Julie Murphy joins fewer than 70 others across the United States recognized as Master Public Information Officer.
An Erratic Joseph Bova Goes On Trial Today for 2013 Murder of Zuheili Rosado, Arguing Insanity
Joseph Bova II’s trial begins Monday for the murder of Zuheily Roman Rosado at a Palm Coast gas station in 2013, after six years of see-sawing between Flagler’s jail and a psychiatric hospital. He is arguing insanity.
Monday Briefing: Bova On Trial, Carney Town Hall, Mullins on Hammock Development, Bunnell Budget, Bombing
Joseph Bova’s long-anticipated murder trial begins, the Hammock wants to hear from Commissioner Joe Mullins on development, Flagler Beach’s Kim Carney talks tax rates, the Bunnell commission meets, as does the Stamp and Coin Club.
An Erratic Joseph Bova Goes On Trial Monday for 2013 Murder of Zuheili Rosado, Arguing Insanity
Joseph Bova II’s trial begins Monday for the murder of Zuheily Roman Rosado at a Palm Coast gas station in 2013, after six years of see-sawing between Flagler’s jail and a psychiatric hospital. He is arguing insanity.
Millions of Americans’ Medical Images and Data Are Available on the Internet. Anyone Can Take a Peek.
Medical images and health data belonging to millions of Americans, including X-rays, MRIs and CT scans, are sitting unprotected on the internet and available to anyone with basic computer expertise. The records cover more than 5 million patients in the U.S. and millions more around the world.