Reilly Opelka, the former Indian Trails Middle School student who is rocketing to tennis stardom more every day, scored the biggest upset of the first day of the U.S. Open Monday.
All Else
Palm Coast Pursuing Felony Charges Against Ex-Palm Harbor Golf GM Over Alleged Thefts
Tim Spangler, the former general manager of the Palm Coast-owned Palm Harbor Golf Course, faces two felony charges of fraud following an investigation into allegations he was taking payments for private lessons on city time.
Search for Bodies Will Continue at Dozier Reform School, Site of 55 Graves So Far
Forensic experts are gearing up to conduct a high-tech sweep of the grounds at a notorious Northwest Florida reform school where survivors remain convinced bodies of long-lost boys are still concealed.
Travis E. Stewart, 56, Is Killed, Woman, 53, Critically Injured in Motorcycle Crash on Belle Terre and Ponce DeLeon
A motorcycle crash with a pick-up truck at Ponce deLeon Drive and Belle Terre Parkway in Palm Coast left one rider dead and one in critical condition late Sunday evening.
Monday Briefing: Heat Index to 103, ERA Ratification, St. Johns River Forum, Stamp and Coin
Rep. Paul Renner is among the hosts of a forum on the importance of the St. Johns River, the Florida National Organization still press for ERA ratification, the Flagler Stamp and Coin club meets.
See Something, Say Something? 3 Flagler School Board Members Say Not If It’s Cancer.
Opposition to the Flagler Health Department’s proposal to offer the HPV vaccine in schools is driven by three board members echoing the rhetoric of vaccine denialism though various irrational pretexts.
Affordable Housing Push
Challenges Single-Family Zoning
Cities and states facing rising rents, stagnant household incomes and a tight housing supply are beginning to rethink, restrict and in places end zoning that favors single-family homes.
Flagler Health Department Chief Calls School Board Member ‘Anti-Science’ in Vaccine Clash
Flagler Health Department Administrator Robert Snyder in a live show on WNZF today accused School Board member Maria Barbosa of being “anti-science” and “anti-vaccines,” in a discussion on making the HPV vaccine available to students in schools.
Just 9 Days Into New School Year, FPC Student, 14, Faces Felony For Threats to Kill
The boy allegedly made the threats to kill in voice and text exchanges with another boy, 13, over Instagram on Thursday. Both were at home. No threats were directed toward any school.
Gary Ray Bowles, a Serial Killer, Is Executed for 1994 Murder in Jacksonville
Gary Ray Bowles, who was convicted of the 1994 murder of a Jacksonville man who was hit in the head with a concrete block and strangled, was executed by lethal injection shortly before 11 p.m. Thursday night.
Weekend Briefing: Surf for Autism, Hammock Harbor, Rick Shaefer’s Refugees, Farmers’ Markets
Surf for Autism is slated for Saturday in Flagler Beach, the Scenic A1A Pride Committee gets a look at the revised Hammock Harbor redevelopment proposal, Rick Shaefer opens an exhibit.
Flagler Schools Quietly Dropped Controversial “Social Sentinel” Surveillance to Pilot More Targeted Alert System
The Flagler school district dropped the $18,000-a-year Social Sentinel surveillance system in April and replaced it with an entirely different approach, called CrisisGo, a crisis-management system accessible to faculty, staff and students.
Opioid-Related Deaths Decline By 34% in Flagler’s 3-County District in 1st Part of 2018
The decline is far more pronounced in the Flagler region than in the state, strongly suggesting that the introduction of front-line life-saving measures, combined with stricter state rules on prescription drugs, is having an effect.
Thursday Briefing: Heat Index to 102, Tiger Bay Wine Tasting, Transgender Inmate Case, FYO Recruits
The Flagler Tiger Club hosts a community wine tasting, Gary Ray Bowles is scheduled to be executed, the Flagler Youth Orchestra performs in elementary schools, the case of a transgender inmate is heard in court.
Christian Prayer at Flagler School Board Breaks 5-Decade Precedent, Without Most Board Members’ Consent
School Board Chair Janet McDonald’s decision to start Tuesday’s meeting with a prayer by a pastor had not been approved by the board nor placed on the agenda, a violation of board procedures and a break with a nearly 50-year precedent.
Divided School Board Stops Short of Killing Voluntary HPV Vaccine to 6th Graders
The Flagler Health Department wants to offer free, voluntary HPV vaccines to 6th graders in Flagler schools, but three school board members are unwilling to agree without first seeing whether enough parents want the offer.
HPV (Human Papillomavirus) Vaccine: What You Need to Know
The complete Centers for Disease Control’s Vaccine Information Statement regarding the HPV vaccine to prevent infection with human papillomavirus.
Head-On Crash on Old Kings and SR100 Sends 2 Adults and Infant to Hospital
A head-on crash at the intersection of Old Kings Road and State Road 100 in Palm Coast this morning sent two adults and an infant to the hospital.
Wednesday Briefing: Technical Review, Tourism, Planning, Contractor Review and Navy Bombing
A day of workhorse meetings including Flagler’s tourist development council and its technical review committee, the Palm Coast Planning Board and other routines.
Andy Dance Will Resign School Board Seat He’s Held Since 2008 and Run for County Commission
School Board member Andy Dance announce he’ll resign his seat in 2020 in a run for Flagler County Commission Charlie Ericksen’s seat, which Ericksen will not contest.
House Democrats Seek Special Session On Gun Violence, But GOP Set to Quash It
House Democrats on Tuesday said they’ve submitted letters from 41 representatives, more than the required 20 percent of the chamber’s 120 members, to demand that Secretary of State Laurel Lee poll all 160 legislators on the request for the special session.
40 Warrants, 23 Arrests in Latest Drug Sweep Across Flagler, This Time With Pleas For Treatment
The warrants target almost exclusively Flagler and Palm Coast residents, one of them a Waste Pro employee alleged to have been selling heroin while on the job on his route.
A Fence Goes Up at Palm Coast’s Dog Park as Owners Take Sides On Caution Over Danger of Algae
A temporary fence has reduced Palm Coast’s dog park at Holland Park to a quarter its size as city officials test a retention pond for dangerous blue-green algae that could be toxic to dogs, though no such cases have been reported locally.
Tuesday Briefing: Building in Palm Coast, School Vaccination Protocols, Stormwater, Food Truck Tuesday
Palm Coast government hosts a forum on its building department, the school board talks vaccination, Food Truck Tuesday in Central Park, the Flagler Youth Orchestra recruits.
5 Ways The Economy Is Stacked Against Young People
Stagnant wages, out of control student debt, rising costs of necessities, unaffordable housing: they’re all among the reasons why the rules are rigged against young people trying to make it on their own.
State Economists Warn of Slowing Economy, as DeSantis Says State Is Prepared for Recession
DeSantis’ outlook was more restrained than that of White House officials, when they were asked about the national economy while making the rounds on Sunday morning news programs.
Disciplined Twice, Sued For Defamation, Trespassed, Arrested 5 Times, Builder Now Wants to Be on Contractor Review Board
Dan Priotti, a general contractor in Palm Coast, is seeking an appointment to the Contractor Review Board months after his licenses were suspended (and stayed) and he was fined $10,000 for violating contracting laws.
Among Hurdles For Those With Opioid Addictions: Getting The Drug To Treat It
Among the barriers to buprenorphine access: too few medical providers are certified to write the prescriptions. But pharmacists are also a part of the problem. Because they fill the prescriptions, pharmacists are the gatekeepers for the drug, and not all of them are willing to take on that role.
Monday Briefing: Contractor Review Board Appointments, More Money for Fireworks, Employees of the Quarter
The County Commission makes appointments to the Contractor Review Board, with a controversial applicant in the mix, the cost of July 4 fireworks is going up to $25,000, the sheriff names winners of quarterly awards.
Stop Criminalizing Children in the Name of School Security
The rash of zero-tolerance felony arrests of children that the Flagler school district experienced last year unjustly makes examples of adolescents in the name of a security establishment focusing on the wrong threats across the state.
Where Doctors Can Recommend Marijuana to Replace Opioids
Four states, not including Florida, allow people with an opioid addiction to qualify for a medical marijuana card. Many physicians say it’s a bad idea, with marijuana unproven either to manage pain or kick an opioid addiction.
Lead in Water at ‘Maybe Double’ Allowable Rate Detected at Wadsworth and Bunnell Elementaries
Lead levels at twice the allowable rate were detected in two water fountains tested earlier this month and again at the beginning of the week at Wadsworth Elementary and Bunnell Elementary.
Failing to Kill Himself in Attempted Double-Suicide, He Is Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison For Death of Girlfriend
Bruce Haughton, the 54-year-old former R-Section resident who attempted to die in a double-suicide with his girlfriend, Katherine Goddard, two years ago, failed his part of the arrangement. Goddard died in what a judge described as a “gas chamber” she and Haughton created together.
Fruehan Pleads to a Felony and is Sentenced to 24 Months of Probation, With Mandatory Mental Health Evaluation
Former Palm Coast physician Florence Fruehan pleaded to a felony battery count admitting guilt in groping a female patient, the culmination of a case that resulted in several women making similar accusations.
Federal Judge Raises Question on Felon Rights’ Amendment: What If It’s Unconstitutional?
Federal Judge Robert Hinkle is raising a question of constitutionality that goes to the heart of Amendment 4 and may invalidate the entire amendment, not just its provision on financial obligations.
Weekend Briefing: Fruehan and Haughton in Court, Improv at the Playhouse, GTM’s 20th, Belle Terre Clean-Up
Judge Perkins hears ex-physician Fruehan’s plea and sentences Bruce Haughton on an assisted suicide conviction in separate cases, the GTM reserve celebrates, a night of improv at the Flagler Playhouse, a fishing tournament on the pier.
‘Hammock Harbor’ Redevelopment Proposing Shops and Boat Storage off A1A Riles New Opposition
A proposed redevelopment of the old Newcastle Marine boat manufacturing site in the Hammock, with a boat-storage facility for 240 boats and a half dozen businesses, is turning into that region’s latest battle between a developer and residents represented by the Hammock Community Association.
Facing Up to 50 Years in Prison for Raping Autistic Girl, Sex Offender Gets Probation. Court Delays Release: He Has No Place To Live.
Sam Christopher Andolina, 39, was charged with raping and molesting a 13-year-old autistic girl in Palm Coast. He is to be sentenced to 10 years’ probation, but his sentence is being delayed for having no place to live locally.
Palm Coast Fire Department Promotes and Hires 8, With Gary Potter Replacing Retired Valentik
The Palm Coast Fire Department on Wednesday promoted Capt. Gary Potter to battalion chief, succeeding Mark Valentik, who retired after 25 years of service, and Lt. James Neuenfeldt to captain, part of a series of promotions and new hires.
Thursday Briefing: Heat Index to 102, Palm Coast’s Sports Alliance Re-Launch, Inspired Mic, Primary Elections
Palm Coast re-launches its Sports Alliance, the school safety commission meets again, a proposal to open primary voting is discussed, the Inspired Mic at Hidden Treasures.
Joe Mullins Steps Back From Harsher Homeless and Panhandling Rules After Hearing St. Augustine’s Rigid Approach
Flagler’s Public Safety Council heard how the homeless and panhandlers have been largely (but not completely) criminalized in St. Augustine, but were not eager to replicate the approach in Flagler.
Heat Index of Up to 110 Prompts Advisories–and AC Policy Change on Flagler School Buses
With heat indexes routinely reaching past 100 and reaching 110 on occasion, emergency management is cautioning against heat exhaustion and the Flagler school district is relaxing AC and water rules on school buses.
Wednesday Briefing: Heat Index to 110, Safety Commission, “Public Feeding,” $16,263 to Youth Ranches
Flagler’s Public Safety Coordinating Council talks homelessness and suicide prevention, another dangerously hot day, the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas safety commission meets.
Mother of Inmate Who Died After Illness at Flagler Jail Says Autopsy Vindicates Her Claims He Was Neglected
Anthony Fennick died of a stroke in February after being hospitalized from the Flagler jail, an autopsy report shows, with an allergic reaction to a medicine possibly playing a role his mother says points to neglect from the jail’s health providers.
Complaints of Poor Cell Reception in Palm Coast Shift to Complaints About New Towers’ Health Risks, But on Slim Evidence
Palm Coast residents addressed the city council today regarding the new cell towers going up in the city, claiming they pose a cancer risk. But evidence that they do, while not zero, is scant.
Two Late Candidates Increase Pool to 24 for Flagler’s County Judge Seat as Speed-Dating Interviews Are Scheduled
Palm Coast’s Lynette Callender and Jacksonville’s Monique Hawkins are late entrants in what will be speed-dating-like interviews for Flagler County judge on Aug. 24 at the Flagler County courthouse.
Tuesday Briefing: Heat Index to 106, Litter Gitter’s River Cleanup, Hammock Harbor, Flagler Beach Budget
Matanzas Riverkeeper’s Litter Gitter II cleans up around Bing’s, the Flagler Beach City Commission figures out next year’s budget, the Flagler Planning Board takes on another big Hammock development.
Judge Rejects Teachers’ Claim That Education Law Violates Collective Bargaining Rights
Unions argued a 2018 requirement violated collective-bargaining rights and equal-protection rights as the requirements did not apply to other public-sector unions.
Sid Nowell, Pioneering Lawyer, Mediator and Past President of Flagler County Bar, Dies at 69
Sid Nowell (1950-2019) broke barriers for local black attorneys, served as a Bunnell city attorney for eight years, as the NAACP’s attorney and former Sheriff Manfre’s attorney, coaching, serving on boards and presiding over the Flagler County Bar Association along the way.
Days After a 2-Dog Rescue from a Blaze, Flagler Beach Firefighters Get Certified for Pet CPR
The Flagler Beach Fire Department’s personnel and some of its volunteers gathered at Flagler Animal Hospital for a tutorial with Dr. David Rosiek, who trained the firefighters on pet-CPR techniques.