The council will interview Jon Netts, the former mayor, Hung Hilton and William Schreiber. The interviews will take place in a public meeting on Aug. 4. Jack Howell resigned earlier this month for health reasons.
All Else
Flagler Adds 2 More Covid Deaths, for Total of 12; Flagler Children’s Overall Positivity Rate at 10%
Since the beginning of the pandemic, 55 Flagler County children ages 17 or younger have tested positive out of 545 tested, yielding a positivity rate of 10.1 percent–a rate higher than commonly assumed.
Palm Coast’s Joshua Gabriel McHugh, 22, Dies in Suicide
Joshua Gabriel McHugh, a 22-year-old resident of 2 Sled Court in Palm Coast, was found dead of suicide on July 23 at his home, according to a Flagler County Sheriff’s Office incident report.
Board Set to Approve Flagler Schools Calendar With Shorter Thanksgiving, Winter and Spring Breaks
Flagler County public school students may be enjoying an extra two weeks of summer, but a proposed revised calendar will have them make up every lost day through shorter Thanksgiving, winter and spring breaks. Faculty members are losing teacher work days.
Florida Regulators Looking for Ideas on Reopening Bars to Stem Business Losses
Department of Business and Professional Regulation Secretary Halsey Beshears said he will begin setting aside time to discuss his June 26 order that banned on-site consumption at bars to try to help stem the spread of covid-19.
Underfunded and Under Threat: Hollowed-Out Public Health System Faces More Cuts Amid Virus
The U.S. public health system has been starved for decades and lacks the resources to confront the worst health crisis in a century. In Florida, 2% of state spending goes to public health. Spending by local health departments in the state fell 39%, from a high of $57 in inflation-adjusted dollars per person in the late 1990s to $35 per person last year.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: On Misogyny, Impunity and Decency
“In using that language in front of the press,” U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said of Rep. Ted Yoho’s misogynistic insult, “he gave permission to use that language against his wife, his daughters, women in his community, and I am here to stand up to say that is not acceptable.
Florida Cops in Use-of-Force Incidents Are Not Shielded by Victims’ Rights Law, Judge Rules
Two Tallahassee police officers contended that the amendment should shield the release of their names because they had been victims in incidents that required the use of force — including a high-profile incident in which an officer shot and killed a transgender man.
Flagler Covid Cases Set New Record for the Week, Including 6 Children 14 Or Younger; 22 in Treatment at AdventHealth
The latest Flagler County residents to test positive include girls age 2, 5 and 8 and boys age 8, 9 and 14, which raises concern for school and health officials looking at the reopening of local schools.
My Son Is the Student-Athlete at Matanzas Who Tested Positive. Here’s My Advice to the District.
The mother of the Matanzas High School student-athlete who tested positive for Covid-19 describes the experience and provides suggestions to the school district, and the community, on how to handle school athletics this coming year. In short, don’t cancel them.
Bowing to Pressure and Sheriff, Trump Cancels Plans for Jacksonville Convention, Citing Covid ‘Flare-Up’
Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams this week expressed concern about a lack of preparedness for the event, which had long been planned for Charlotte, N.C., but was moved to Jacksonville last month. Mayor Lenny Curry agreed with Williams’ comments.
5th Covid Death in Eight Days in Flagler; 9 Year Old Dies in Putnam; Florida Reports Record 173 Deaths
The latest person to die locally is a 73-year-old man, bringing the total number of Covid-related deaths in the county to at least 10. Flagler has recorded 112 new cases in five days this week, with a rising positivity rate.
As Long Waits for Results Render Covid Tests ‘Useless,’ Florida Among States Seeking Workarounds
Quest announced that turnaround times had slowed to a week or more, up from three or four days in June. It also said some patients may face wait times of up to two weeks. Quest officials warned this week that could get worse as flu season starts this fall.
Alan Lowe, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview
Alan Lowe is a candidate for Palm Coast Mayor. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
Flagler Reports Another Covid Death; School District Postpones All Fall Sports Indefinitely
The Health Department said a 92-year-old woman who’d been hospitalized with Covid died in hospice. The school district announced that all fall sports, including football and volleyball, are postponed until further notice.
Chastened Over Outbursts, Flagler Beach Manager Newsom Apologizes But Also Draws Warm Support
City Manager Larry Newsom survived a humiliating and one-sided dressing down by rookie Commissioner Deborah Phillips as other commissioners and the mayor rallied around him and he apologized repeatedly for a recent outburst at a public meeting.
Parents End Up Jailed Over Disciplining Two Children Battling Over Soda Can
A 42-year-old mother is facing felony child abuse charge and a charge of battery on the elderly, while her husband is facing a battery charge. The sheriff says domestic violence has been up since the pandemic.
Jacksonville Sheriff Warns He Can’t Keep GOP Convention Safe. Republicans Move Ahead Anyway.
“Where we are today is we can’t support this plan,” Sheriff Mike Williams, a Republican, said. “Where do we go from here is a good question. But where we are today, we can’t support it.”
How to Understand Covid-19 Numbers
Viewed in isolation or presented without context, coronavirus numbers don’t always give an accurate picture of how the pandemic is being handled. Here, two journalists offer insight on how to navigate the figures.
Flagler School Board Supports Pushing Back Opening to Aug. 24; Up to 40% May Opt for Remote Learning
The Flagler School Board supports its superintendent’s request to delay school’s opening to Aug. 28 for students, and at least to Aug. 10 for faculty, to give staff more time to prepare for a radically different school-campus landscape that may be missing up to 40 percent of in-person students.
Michael Schottey, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview
Michael Schottey is a candidate for Palm Coast Mayor. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
Student Athlete Tests Positive at Matanzas High as FHSAA Opts for Regular-Season Schedule Against Advice
Athletes in several school sports have been preparing for the fall season, which is set to resume at the same time as school’s resumption on Aug. 10, though Covid-19 cases are surging in Flagler and Florida.
Teachers Unions Sue Gov. DeSantis and Corcoran Over “Unsafe” Reopening of Schools as Virus Surges
Florida’s teacher unions have sued Gov. Rick DeSantis today, calling a state order to open schools to in-person instruction as the coronavirus surges “unsafe” and in violation of the state Constitution’s requirement that schools are operated safely.
For Covid Tests, the Question of Who Pays Comes Down to Interpretation
Who pays when all employees are required to have a negative Covid test in order to return to work? Or if a factory tests workers every two weeks? Or just because someone wants to know for their own peace of mind?
Milissa Holland, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview
Milissa Holland is the Palm Coast mayor, running for re-election. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
Settlement in Vote-By-Mail Lawsuit Calls on Supervisors to ‘Maximize’ Convenience
The legal wrangling over mail-in ballots in Florida has come amid a national furor over absentee voting, with the man at the top of the Republican ticket in November railing about vote-by-mail for months.
Flagler Covid Cases Jump By 38 In a Day; Positive Staffers at 2 Assisted Livings; Older Children Just as Infectious, Study Finds
Flagler has seen 157 new cases in the last seven days, a quarter of its total since March and by far the most accelerated pace of new infections since the pandemic began, with a positivity rate of 10.6 percent. The largest study to date on the subject finds that older school-children are just as likely to be infectious as adults.
Conspiracy Theories Aside, Here’s What Contact Tracers Really Do
Contact tracing is the public health practice of informing people when they’ve been exposed to a contagious disease. As it has become more widely employed across the country, it has also become mired in modern political polarization and conspiracy theories.
Behind Mason Brown’s Death: Flagler Drug Court Loses One of Its Own for 3rd Time in 4 Years
Mason Dillon Brown, 28, found dead of an apparent overdose in a pond off Belle Terre Boulevard Thursday, had just been thrown out of a rehab program and was facing getting thrown out of drug court, the revocation of his probation and a prison term.
‘We’re Getting Clobbered’: Woman, 50, Is 3rd Covid Death in 3 Days in Flagler as Local Cases Break Records
Flagler County reported 26 new cases today, a record, in a week that also broke a record, with 126 cases, and 16 hospitalizations for Covid-19 at AdventHealth Palm Coast.
Supreme Court Refuses to Clear the Way for Felon Voting Rights in Florida
Hundreds of thousands of Florida felons won’t be able to cast ballots in next month’s primary elections, after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to vacate an appellate court’s order in a closely watched legal battle over voting rights.
15 Years On, $25 Million In, Flagler Beach Dunes Project Near ‘Dead In the Water’ as 13 Property Owners Hold Out
Just 13 property owners are essentially holding hostage a fully funded beach and dune-rebuilding plan Flagler Beach and the county have worked toward for 15 years, a resistance based on what the county considers extortionist motives for money that doesn’t exist.
50-Year-Old Man Is Flagler’s 2nd Covid Death in 2 Days as Florida Sets Another Single-Day Fatality Record: 156
Flagler County has seen a surge of 102 cases in the last five days in tandem with a continuing surge in the state, with local residents complaining of long delays in getting Covid-19 test results.
Education Commissioner Corcoran’s Call to Reopen Schools Sparks Criticism from State Board
More than a week after Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran ordered schools to reopen in August, members of the State Board of Education on Wednesday said his order has sparked confusion, fear and angst.
Don Greene, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview
Don Greene is a candidate for Palm Coast Mayor. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
Facing Ultimatum from County Administrator, Petito Is Out as Flagler County Fire Chief After 15 Years
Employees have been aware of Petito’s departure since last week. County Administrator Jerry Cameron gave Petito an ultimatum: retire, resign or be fired. Petito chose to retire. He leaves a department in disarray.
6th Covid Death in Flagler; Florida’s Fatalities Surge and Cases Exceed 300,000; School District Announces Remote Option
Flagler County is coming to terms with a situation more serious than some officials–more particularly, a few county elected officials–have acknowledged, with the school district on Tuesday announcing what amounts to a return to remote instruction for all those who want it come Aug. 10.
Field Hospitals for Covid-19 Surge a No-Go in Hurricane Season But Florida’s Alternative Is Wanting
The state is focusing efforts on expanding hospital surge capacity and not on creating alternate sites to accommodate any overflows of patients, but hospital executives are questioning the state’s lack of direction.
John Brady, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview
John Brady is a candidate for Palm Coast Mayor. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
Palm Coast Council Will Appoint a Replacement for Jack Howell and Set November Special Election
The Palm Coast City Council will appoint a replacement for Council member Jack Howell, who resigned last week, until voters in a special election held concurrently with the general election on Nov. 3 will elect a candidate for the remaining two years in Howell’s term.
County Decisively Rejects Settlement With Captain’s BBQ, Refusing Special Favors and Low Rent
The proposal was almost bizarrely generous to Captain’s, providing for continued low rent decades, giving Captain’s first refusal rights on a pavilion on six national holidays, and committing the county to vast repairs and maintenance.
County Sells Long-Plagued Sheriff’s Building at $400,000 Loss, With Substantial Debt Remaining
The sale unloads a burdensome white elephant and political eyesore from the county’s inventory, if at a dear price, and preempts the need for the county to demolish the building and try to sell the property itself.
Judge Weighs How Far Marcy’s Law Protecting Victims May Go to Shield Cops’ Identities
The city of Tallahassee and media organizations on Monday tried to persuade a circuit judge that a 2018 constitutional amendment aimed at protecting victims’ rights does not allow police officers involved in use-of-force incidents to keep their identities secret.
Explicitly Rejecting ‘Mandate,’ Flagler County Commission ‘Strongly Encourages’ Use of Masks Indoors
Last week Palm Coast, Flagler Beach and Bunnell all approved mask mandates but without enforcement provisions. Commissioners rejected the use of the word, saying it would not be enforceable.
15,300 News Cases in Florida Exceed New York’s High; Flagler Sets New Record; Schools Prepare to Open
Flagler County set a single-week record of 104 cases with a positivity rate of 10 percent as Florida shattered all single-day records across the nation, yet the Flagler school district is preparing to resume in-person classes on Aug. 10, along with most districts across the state.
Schools, Do Not Play Russian Roulette with Our Lives
We should not reopen schools until the county where the district is located reports zero new Coronavirus cases for two weeks. That would be taking safety seriously, argues teacher and author Steven Singer. It shouldn’t be too much to ask because other countries have been able to do such things.
Settlement Generous to Captain’s BBQ Termed at ‘Impasse’ as it Heads to County Commission
The settlement is remarkably generous to Captain’s, and in key parts even more generous than the controversial 2018 lease amendment the county eventually killed under pressure from a public backlash.
Circuit Judge Rejects Challenge to Mask Mandate, Seeing No Constitutional Violation
A circuit judge Friday rejected a challenge to the constitutionality of a Leon County ordinance that requires people to wear face masks in businesses to try to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Trump and the GOP’s Handling of Covid-19 Is Sheer Lunacy
Just over half of working-age Americans have jobs now, the lowest ratio in over 70 years. What’s roaring back is Covid-19. Until it’s tamed, the economy doesn’t stand a chance, argues Robert Reich.
New Trial Ordered in 2008 Child Death
A three-judge panel of the 2nd District Court of Appeal found that an attorney did not properly represent child-care provider Stephanie Spurgeon, who was sentenced to 15 years in prison in the Pinellas County case.