The City Commission this evening takes up an ordinance that would ban medical marijuana dispensaries anywhere in the city. The city fears not doing so would turn it into a pot hub.
All Else
Palm Coast Aldi Draws Hundreds Before Doors Open in Grocery Wars’ First Local Salvo
The Palm Coast opening of Aldi, the discount grocery store, generated unusual excitement and crowds this morning, signaling a coming disruption in the grocery-chain business.
Thursday Briefing: Aldi Opens, Heat Index to 103, Flagler Beach’s War on Medical Pot, Heretics
Grocery shoppers of the Palm Coast-Flagler world unite today as Aldi opens its SR100 store in earnest, Flagler Beach considers banning all medical pot dispensaries.
Fireworks Stolen in Burglary From Bunnell Shop Blamed For Severe Injuries to 2 Boys
Fireworks that had been altered or corrupted and that injured two boys, ages 7 and 8, were traced to a burglary from a shop off U.S. 1 operated by Brett Lyons for one month a year.
Phillip Haire, Accused of Shooting at Cop and Parents, Threatened a Hit on Judge Moore-Stens
Palm Coast’s Phillip Haire threatened Judge Moore-Stens’s life claiming she had put out a hit on him, and that she was scared because he’d flicked her off at his first appearance.
Wednesday Briefing: Phillip Haire Pre-Trial, Thoreau at 200, President’s Service Awards to COPs, Blood Donations
Phillip Haire, the Palm Coast man accused of shooting at his parents and a cop, has his first pre-trial, “Creatures of the Black Lagoon” is screened in a Centennial celebration, cultural grants, Thoreau turns 200.
There’s No Good Reason for Your Boss to Make 347 Times What You Do
It’s business executives through outsized CEO pay — not movie stars, professional athletes, or heiresses — who grabbed the dollars that once flowed to the American worker.
Lawyer For Inmate Scheduled To Be Executed Accuses Pam Bondi of Hoodwinking Him
A lawyer for a Death Row inmate scheduled to be executed next month is accusing Attorney General Pam Bondi of hoodwinking him into agreeing to a delay in a U.S. Supreme Court review.
Discount Grocer Aldi Opens Its Palm Coast Store Thursday on State Road 100
Aldi’s prices are at significant discount as stores forego frills and luxuries for Aldi-brand products, customers who bag their own groceries and Costco-like shelving systems.
Tuesday Briefing: Domestic Violence Task Force, Extra Deputies, Flagler Beach Blueprint, Heat Index to 105
Sheriff Rick Staly makes his pitch to the Palm Coast council for five more cops, the School Board talks about an agreement with UF to accommodate IB online classes.
A Rape Allegation at Heart of Divorce Between Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland And Sheriff’s Ex-Chief Deputy
Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland in court filings alleges ex-Flagler Sheriff Chief Deputy David O’Brien repeatedly raped her while she was unconscious in 2013, shortly before their separation.
Faint Glimmer On Bleak Landscape: Amounts of Opioids Prescribed Falling Since 2010
Still, the amount in 2015 is three times higher than at the turn of the century, and there are wide disparities in prescription trends across the country.
Monday Briefing: Flagler Sheriff Centennial, Heat Index 101 to 105, County Budget, Transitional Housing
The Sheriff’s Office marks its centennial with a gathering of many living ex-sheriffs, the Bunnell City Commission hears an appeal objecting to transitional housing, Thoreau’s bi-centennial.
Elections Supervisor’s Plea to Flagler Voters: Stay Registered Despite Commission’s Data Grab
In an open letter to Flagler County’s registered voters, Supervisor of Elections Kaiti Lenhart says the federal commission’s data grab through the state should not diminish their trust in the system.
Flagler Voters Opting to Cancel Registration in Response to Trump Commission’s Sweeping Records Request
Flagler County through the state will comply with Trump’s federal commission request for vast amounts of voter registration information, but the decision is causing a backlash.
Why The Obsession Against Smokable Medical Pot? John Morgan Wants To Know.
Morgan bankrolled the medical-marijuana ballot initiative and repeatedly threatened to sue over smoking, which he says was permitted in the amendment supported by more than 71 percent of Florida voters last fall.
Owner of Group Home on Palm Coast’s Braddock Lane Faces 5 Felony Counts for Elderly Neglect
Two residents at the group home had to be hospitalized and three evacuated from a house where the air conditioning hadn’t worked for two days, and the indoor temperature hovered around 91.
Plane Forced to Land in Field Off County Road 304, Two People Escape Injuries
A single-engine plane was forced to land in a vacant field off of County Road 304 at 10:45 this morning, with two people on board. Neither was injured.
Weekend Briefing: Heat Index at 103 to 107, First Friday in Flagler Beach, Getting to “Work” at FCAL, Hemingway
Too much heat Friday, six original artists at the Flagler County Art League, Luce on liberalism, a sentencing for food stamps fraud, immigration’s effect on the United States.
It’s About “Work”: Palm Coast Artists Hold Their Heads Up In New Art League Exhibit
An exhibit opening at the Flagler County Art League Saturday and sponsored by the Gargiulo Art Foundation challenged six artists to show their work mettle and make do with heads in two hours.
A School Board Will Sue the State Over Charter-Tilted Education Bill Most Districts Opposed
The new law overhauls swaths of state education, dealing with everything from mandatory recess for elementary school students and standardized testing to charter school funding and teacher bonuses.
Thursday Briefing: Flashing European Village, Lincolnville Brass Band, North Korean Nightmare Scenario
European Village flashes its name, the Lincolnville Brass Band at St. Augustine’s weekly summer outdoors concerts, North Korea’s missiles, Why instruments don’t all sound alike.
School District Advised to Cut Down on Car Riders and Push Bus Riding Instead, For Safety
Detailed studies for each of the Flagler district’s elementary and middle schools reveal problematic safety issues with too many car riders, too few sidewalks, and disobeyed traffic laws.
Armed Robbery at Space Coast Credit Union on Palm Coast’s Leanni Way; Robber Gets Away
The man who robbed the bank got away, either on foot or in a vehicle, triggering an intense search localized around the Bank and Palm Coast’s B-Section.
Wednesday Briefing: Heat Index 99 to 103, Secretly Recording an Assailant, Trudeau for President, McCarthy’s Road
A Lawyer for Aaron A. Whitley, the 42-year-old Palm Coast man accused of molesting a 12-year-old girl, will argue that her secret recording of his alleged actions was illegal, Cormac McCarthy’s Road.
Your Papers Please: Trump Commission Demands Massive Amounts of Voter Data
A Trump commission has asked all 50 states for copies of their voter records which often include names, addresses and ages. The commission has said it intends to make the information widely available.
At Flagler Beach Pier, A Modest Re-Dedication For a Truncated Treasure
Officials from three governments gathered Saturday morning for a warm-hearted ribbon-cutting at the beleaguered Flagler Beach Pier, with eyes on a future structure.
Flagler Beach Again Offers Free Parking And Shuttles On and Off Island All Day July 4
Flagler Beach made arrangements to provide free parking at the Food Lion on SR100 and free shuttle service in and out of the city from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on July 4, with additional free parking at Santa Maria del Mar Church.
Apparent Double-Suicide Uncovered in Progress in Palm Coast’s R-Section: Woman Dies, Man Survives
Katherine Goddard, 52, was dead when Flagler County Sheriff’s Office units arrived at 29 Red Clover Lane just after 7 p.m. Bruce Haughton, 52, was unconscious but breathing.
Third Road Death in 2 Days on Flagler Roads as Motorcyclist Is Killed On State Road 11
Leslie Esteves Ramos, 32, of Titusville, is in critical condition. The name of the motorcyclist who died has not yet been released. The crash took place at a curve that’s been the scene of a serious crash previously.
Palm Coast Man Killed, 2 Injured in T-Bone Crash at Belle Terre and Near Town Center Publix
The collision at the Belle Terre intersection and Central Avenue near Publix was caused by one of the two drivers going through a red light, a preliminary indicates. It was one of two deaths on Flagler roads in 15 hours.
Gargiulo Art Foundation’s “Work”
Flagler County Art League is featuring the Gargiulo Art Foundation’s “WORK” July 8th – August 8th, 2017
Palm Coast Data Settles Breach of Contract Lawsuit, Will Pay State $1.76 Million
Palm Coast Data had won $3 million in state incentives in 2008, when it also got $500,000 from Palm Coast and Flagler County, on promises of 700 new jobs that never materialized.
Palm Coast’s Paul Renner is to be House Speaker in 2022 in Historic Boost for Flagler
Renner will serve in the powerful post for two years, starting in 2022. Local governments anticipate having more pull with state government appropriations.
Independence Weekend Briefing: Flagler County Rotary’s Leadership, Fireworks, Pier Ribbon Cutting, Renner Up
Tracy Loftus is the Flagler County Rotary’s new president, it’s all about July 4, Rep. Paul Renner may have a very big day, and everyone else a very long weekend.
When a President’s Tweets Ape the Squeals of a Swine
Trump’s tweets, like his latest about Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough, are now like our so-beloved mass shootings. They happen. They’re decried. They’re forgotten. Until the next hurl.
Thursday Briefing: F-Section FPL Path, Professional Women’s Council, Summer Concert Series
F-Section residents hold a public meeting on alternatives to a foot path Palm Coast is building under FPL powerlines, toward Matanzas High, the chamber launches a new women’s group.
Stark Revelations of a Broad Crisis at Domestic Violence Summit, and a Steep Challenge for Task Force
A summit convened by Sheriff Staly produced an unrelenting kaleidoscope of perspectives on one of the most persistent criminal and behavioral problems in Flagler County. It’s now up to a task force to find solutions.
9% Garbage Fee Increase as Palm Coast Begins 5-Year Extension of Waste Pro Contract
After remaining flat for 10 years, garbage-pickup rates for Palm Coast residents this month kicked up 9 percent, to $20.36 a month, or $21 a year as the city renewed its contract with Waste Pro for five years.
Wednesday Briefing: Domestic Violence Summit, Ayala v. Scott, Education Foundation, Beethoven in Havana
A much-anticipated domestic violence summit convened by Sheriff Rick Staly is at the Hilton Garden Inn at 2 p.m., the Flagler Education Foundation installs its officers, Beethoven as you’ve never heard him.
In Palm Coast, A Small Protest Against GOP Health Bill Echoes Myriad Anxieties of Flesh and Blood
It wasn’t a large protest but every person gathered in support of Obamacare had a story to tell that looked past ideology to the human beings behind the numbers, and all those stories were local.
Chilling Details in Saturday’s Attempted Murder as Suspect Speaks of “Lizard People,” Visions and Ecstasy
Levi Ovenshire, the 19-year-old attempted murder suspect in the shooting of Marco Salazar, 19, in Palm Coast’s F Section Saturday, described the shooting but appeared to be hallucinating as he spoke with deputies afterward.
Making Democrats Great Again: It’s Going To Take A While
No wonder Republican leaders think they can get away with almost anything. They do because they can, argues Nancy Smith, and because Democrats’ absent strategy lets them.
Flagler County Engineer Faith Al-Khatib Named President of State Association
Flagler County Engineer Faith Alkhatib has been something of a semi-secret weapon in local government’s arsenal, working behind the scenes to secure money and shape projects.
Non-Partisan Analysis of 22 Million More Uninsured Deals Blow to Senate Health Bill
By 2026, an estimated 49 million people would be uninsured, compared with about 28 million who would lack coverage under current law.
Tuesday Briefing: Heat Index Up to 102, Habitat for Humanity, Health Care Rally, Entrepreneur Night, Martin Eden, Malarkey
Local supporters of the Affordable Care Act hold a rally near Florida Hospital Flagler, Habitat for Humanity hands off a house for a family of eight in Palm Coast’s R-Section. lots of heat, the OED Word of the Day is “malarkey.”
America First and Trump’s Word Wars
While other countries try to work together to solve problems and continue to lead on global progress, we’ll get left behind chanting “America First,” argues Olivia Alperstein.
Raul Zambrano, Redoubtable Alumni of Flagler Bench, Will Be 7th Circuit’s Chief Judge
Feared and respected, and a former felony court judge in Flagler, Circuit Judge Raul Zambrano was elected Chief Judge of the 7th Judicial Circuit, which includes Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns and Volusia counties.
Monday Briefing: Bunnell’s Old Brick Road, Palm Harbor Bids, Command and Control, Trump Snubs Ramadan, Teen Suicide
Palm Coast studies bids for management and concessions operations at Palm Harbor Golf Club, the Bunnell commission considers protecting a historic road, Trump refuses to uphold a Ramadan tradition.
The GOP Senate Bill’s Hollow Promise To Protect Coverage For Preexisting Conditions
Built into the bill are loopholes for states to bypass protections and erode coverage for preexisting conditions, so insurers could cover chronically ill people but not the diseases they suffer from.