The unemployment rate was last this low in 2001, at the end of the Clinton boom, though wages have only recently started to improve at a pace ahead of inflation.
All Else
Weekend Briefing: First Friday, Tax Holiday, Ocean Art Gallery Opening, Suicide Rates for Girls, Coolidge
First Friday features Soul Fire in Flagler Beach’s Veterans Park, the back-to-school sales tax holiday all weekend, suicide rates for teen girls at 40-year high, Cabot Lodge on Coolidge.
Flagler Mosquito Control District In Crisis as It Faces $1.1 Million Deficit in $1.8 Million Budget, Weeks After Dedicating New HQ
Six of the tax-supported district’s 14 employees have been laid off and other cuts are ahead weeks after it celebrated moving into a new, $2.1 million building at the Flagler County Airport.
Half of Floridians Now Off Land Lines, Underscoring Need For Stronger Cell Coverage
An estimated 51 percent of homes in the state were wireless-only in 2015. Meanwhile, the number of traditional residential wirelines in the state dropped 15 percent from 2015 to 2016.
Water Management District Offers $2,000 Grants to Teachers Promoting Water Protection
The St. Johns River Water Management District is accepting applications for its Blue School Grant Program of grants of up to $2,000 per teacher per school.
Divided Palm Coast Council Treads Toward Searching For New Manager Starting in January
The Palm Coast City Council will put out a call for search firms in January, and foresees a search taking 12 to 18 months, a schedule that didn’t win unanimity at today’s meeting.
Thursday Briefing: Palm Coast’s Once and Future Managers, Tager’s Message, Muslim Ban
Palm Coast discusses its future, freshman orientation at Matanzas High School, Flagler Democrats meet to hear about the Trump Muslim ban.
For Flagler County’s Specialized Firefighters, Four Technical Rescues in a Week
Two water rescues, one extrication in a car crash and a rescue from atop the Palm Coast Water Tower kept Flagler County Fire Rescue’s specialized teams busy.
Palm Coast Hires $200,000 Consultant To Figure Out What Roads To Pave Next, and How
The consultant will help the city figure out cheaper ways to resurface its 550 miles of streets than the method it’s been using for years, starting with an inventory of roads, cracks and sidewalks.
Florida’s Back-To-School Sales Tax Holiday Is This Weekend: Here’s A Guide
Florida’s 2017 sales tax holiday on school supplies, clothing, shoes and personal computers and other select accessories is this weekend–starting at a minute after midnight Friday, Aug. 4, through midnight Sunday, Aug. 7.