The program will help alleviate the pressure food banks have experienced from the crush of people whose breadwinners have lost jobs since the beginning of the coronavirus emergency.
Flagler
Flagler County Reopens Vacation Rentals as State Approves Safety Plan, With Restrictions
Flagler County’s vacation rentals may operate again after a two-month hiatus forced by a governor’s order in response to the coronavirus emergency. Rentals may resume immediately.
Joe Mullins Wanted Sheriff to Fix Speeding Ticket in 2017; He Invoked Staly’s Name in Traffic Stop Last Week
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said he refused to fix a speeding ticket for Commissioner Joe Mullins three years ago. Last week, Mullins invoked both his own name and Staly’s during a traffic stop in Palm Coast.
New Sheriff’s HQ in Bunnell Will Be Built On Site Formerly Reserved for New Branch Library
A new Sheriff’s Operations Center will be built on an 8.4-acre site south of Commerce Parkway in Bunnell, but that bumps out a library planned for that site. The library will be built across the street, assuming negotiations with a church that owns the acreage are successful.
County Ready to Settle Lawsuit With Captain’s BBQ at Bing’s Landing, With Concessions From Both Sides
The county would make numerous financial and building concessions to Captain’s. In exchange, Captain’s agrees to remain at the current location, end its litigation, and pay a somewhat higher rent over time.
Ex-Tourism Chief Matt Dunn Did Business With Friends, But No ‘Kick-Backs’: FDLE Drops Investigation
Flagler County’s ex-tourism director Matt Dunn was suspended 13 months ago and fired in October following allegations of embezzlement. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement Agency now says no evidence warrants a criminal investigation.
Flagler Beach Cancels July 4 Parade and Fireworks, Palm Coast Does Likewise in Latest Covid Casualties
For the first time in 22 years, Flagler Beach will not hold its traditional July 4 parade and fireworks, nor will Palm Coast hold its own Independence Day festivities, which would have normally taken place in Central Park on July 3.
Shuttered Almost Two Months, Vacation Rentals May Reopen, With County and State Approval
Counties can submit vacation-rental reopening plans to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, which will have to sign off on the proposals.
Food Drops Are Not Enough. Expand Food Stamps Programs Now.
Big food drops like Palm Coast’s effort to feed 5,000 families are fine, but only an expanded SNAP (or food stamps) program can reach all families in need with an existing system that also acts as an economic stimulus for local business.
AdventHealth Acknowledges 25,000 Covid-19 Tests Were Unreliable, Putting Recent Results In Doubt
AdventHealth blamed the unreliability of some 25,000 tests, including over 1,000 provided in Palm Coast, on Orlando-based MicroGenDX, a company that won emergency FDA approval to provide spit tests on the promise of accuracy and quick turn-arounds.
Caesar DePaço, Portugal’s Honorary Consul in Palm Coast Since 2014, Resigns Indignantly
Citing “unacceptable conduct” and “irreconcilable” differences with the Portuguese ambassador to the United States, Caesar DePaço resigned abruptly Tuesday evening, leaving the future of the honorary consulate in Palm Coast in doubt.
Flagler Beach and County Commissioners Call Out Joe Mullins Over a Baseless, Inflammatory Claim
Flagler County Commissioner Joe Mullins over the weekend made unsubstantiated accusations that unnamed Flagler Beach officials are hurting business and tourism in the city with their “stay on your side of the bridge mentality.” City commissioners corrected him.
Palm Coast’s Grand Oaks Rehab Rejects Health Department’s Testing of Patients and Staff, Then Relents
After its corporate office overrode local resistance, Grand Oaks Rehab in Palm Coast agreed to have its 100 patients and 100 staff members tested for Covid-19 next week. The Flagler Health Department’s strike teams conducted 200 tests today at two other large nursing home facilities.
Flagler Health Officials Pledge to Keep Up Covid Testing as AdventHealth Phases Out Drive-Up Sites
There is some confusion about how much testing should take place–2 percent of the population per month or overall–and whether it will be available to the extent recommended as society reopens. The guideline from the federal government of testing 2 percent is a monthly goal, not an overall goal.
Flagler’s Covid-19 Deaths Rise to 4 But New Positive Cases Slow as Broader-Criteria Testing Increases
Flagler’s deaths add to a statewide tally approaching 1,500 as one of the models most closely watched by state and federal officials revised significantly upward its estimate of deaths for Florida now that the state has begun reopening.
The Joe Mullins Smear
Joe Mullins is a distasteful man whose behavior as an elected official is dangerous and should be held to account. But not by reporting as unsubstantiated as the allegations it’s based on. To play into them without strict and uncompromising authentication legitimizes them and gives journalism a bad name.
Surprise Proposal to Raze Moldy Sheriff’s Ops and Build There Anew Introduces New Uncertainties in Projects
The Flagler County Commission chairman on Monday discussed the possibility of razing the building and constructing anew there–either a sheriff’s operations center or a south branch public library. That approach would nullify a recent agreement to locate both the operations center and a south branch library off Commerce Parkway in Bunnell.
At Gargantuan Feed Palm Coast Food Drop, Tears, Solidarity, and the Reality About Those ‘Late-Model Cars’
No government, no military contingent, no church or any other private organization had ever attempted what Palm Coast government and Parkview Church did Saturday: the distribution of 5,000 boxes packed with a week’s worth of groceries, and thousands of additional boxes of snacks and Easter candy, for families that streamed through the two drop locations.
Palm Coast Reopens a Few Passive Parks and Trails Monday as Flagler Beach Weighs Limited Pier Access
Palm Coast and Flagler Beach governments are reopening a few of their more passive parks, trails and other outdoor amenities Monday while keeping major parks closed and maintaining a strict focus on safety and social distancing.
Saturday in Flagler: 3 Massive Food Drops at 4 Locations In Unprecedented Reflection of Aid and Hardship
Thousands of families will line up in cars for food distributions at Palm Coast City Hall, Parkview Church, on Education Way off U.S. 1 and at Wickline Center in Flagler Beach in a day of aid reflecting the crushing needs provoked by the coronavirus emergency.
Graduates, Start Your Engines: FPC and Matanzas Will Have In-Person Graduation at the Speedway on May 31
Flagler Palm Coast High School and Matanzas High School will hold their graduation ceremonies on May 31 at the International Speedway in Daytona Beach following a committee’s work on devising an original plan to ensure a safe, in-person event despite the coronavirus emergency.
Brave New Covid World at AdventHealth: Your Car as Waiting Room, Phone Check-Ins, Mandatory Tests and Masks
AdventHealth physicians outlined how the system’s hospitals, including AdventHealth Palm Coast, will operate from here on, with significantly new procedures for patients, visitors, staff and physicians and a heavy emphasis on technology, social distancing and the isolation of anything Covid-19, including air.
More than a Fifth of Americans Unemployed as 1st Time Claims Keep Surging and Checks Keep Lagging
The total number of first-time claims filed in Florida since the start of the coronavirus emergency totals 1.6 million in a civilian labor force of 10.5 million, placing the state’s unemployment rate at over 15 percent.
Facing Bankruptcy, Flagler County Chamber of Commerce Prepares to Dissolve, Ending 60-Year Run
The Flagler County Chamber of Commerce board is meeting this afternoon to dissolve the 60-year-old organization as the coronavirus crisis tipped it into bankruptcy. The move follows several years of struggles, downsizing, and layoffs as recent as early February, before the crisis struck.
Restaurants Can Reopen at 25% Capacity, Many Restrictions Will Remain as Florida Moves to Reopening on Monday
Citing Florida as weathering the coronavirus crisis much better than many other states, especially those hardest hit, Gov. Ron DeSantis today said the state will begin reopening starting on May 4, except for three South Florida counties. But many existing restrictions will remain in effect.
With $57,000 Raised and Tons of Food Boxed, Plan to Feed 5,000 Families Turns Palm Coast City Hall Into Relief Central
Feed Palm Coast has turned City Hall into a warehouse for a massive food aid operation relying on city staffers, volunteers and the donations of residents to feed 5,000 families with a week’s worth of groceries come May 2.
2 Staffers at 2 Assisted Living Facilites in Palm Coast Test Positive as Local Covid Cases Rise; Antibody Tests On the Way
Flagler’s Covid-19 cases now total 127, two of them at assisted living facilities, as local officials caution against a too-swift relaxation of precautions or too high hopes on antibody testing on its way. The testing will be focused on health workers.
How Many Deaths Can We Live With?
The coronavirus emergency is raising ethical questions as communities reopen: how many deaths are we willing to live with, and whose deaths? The questions are at the heart of the debate on reopening, but are not being confronted honestly.
Flagler Beach and County Reopen Beaches 24 Hours Sunday Morning, Maintaining Limits on Activities
Flagler County and Flagler Beach have agreed to reopen all 18 miles of beach in the county 24 hours starting Sunday at 7 a.m., while maintaining restrictions only on certain activities on the beach: “for leisure, no, for exercise, yes,” as Flagler Beach Police Chief Matt Doughney put it this afternoon.
Reopening Palm Coast: City Issues Cautious Plan Stretched Over Four Seasons, With Some Permanent Changes
Palm Coast government today issued a recovery plan that anticipates a three-phased reopening of the city and its economy over the next year, cautiously, gradually resuming mostly normal activities while permanently maintaining new norms such as the wearing of masks in public and re-configuring certain interactions.
Confirmed Flagler Covid-19 Increase By 28 in One Day, to 106, But Local Hospitalizations Still ‘Stable’
Flagler County added 28 confirmed Covid-19 cases in a single day today, by far the largest single-day tally of new cases, for a total of 106. But there does not appear to be an equivalent increase in hospitalizations.
Local Religious Leaders Adapt Congregations to Coronavirus, and Answer the Question: How Does God Allow It?
Flagler County’s religious leaders are trying to keep worshipers connected while most everyone is sheltered-in-place, and wrestling with the theological question of how a deity could allow a pandemic like Covid-19 to so ravage its creation.
Florida Jobless Claims Nearly Triple to Over Half a Million in a Week, U.S. Unemployment Over 16%
More than one in 10 new jobless claims–505,137 first-time applications of the 4.4 million new claims–across the United States last week were made to Florida’s overwhelmed unemployment system.
Verdego Garden Center, Palm Coast Government, School Board and County Mobilize for Local Food Aid
Verdego Garden Center’s effort, unique for its scope and generosity among local businesses, is part of a larger effort by private and charitable organizations and local governments, including a $30,000 drive by Palm Coast, to distribute or collect food and cash for community pantries and address growing needs for food among local families.
As Flagler’s Beaches Reopen for 3 Hours, Thumbs Up, Sighs of Relief, Sun Worship and More Caution
Flagler Beach and Palm Coast residents reacted with glee and gratefulness this morning as they walked the beaches again, but in surprisingly small numbers, while city officials continue to caution against a still-prevalent viral threat.
“We’re Not Opening Up The County,” Commission Chairman Cautions as Beaches Partially Reopen
The Flagler County Commission and Flagler Beach reopened their beaches partially starting Wednesday, but officials’ cautions against a premature, broader reopening are not all on the same page.
Consumer Confidence and Businesses Aggressively Implementing Safety Measures Will be Key to Rebound
Getting people to dine out, board airplanes and visit resorts will require increased confidence that businesses are aggressively implementing enhanced hygiene measures to reduce the spread of Covid-19, members of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ task force on reopening the state said Tuesday.
Flagler County Will Sell Moldy Sears Building at $170,000 Loss and Indemnify Realtor in Settlement
The county will sell the building for $1 million, and will settle out of court with one of the three parties it threatened to sue–Realtor Margaret Sheehan-Jones–following the debacle of the original purchase a year ago.
Covid-19 Advice: 7 Lessons America’s Governors Should Not Ignore as They Reopen Economies
We spoke to frontline experts from around the globe and have compiled a list of recommendations for reopening U.S. states. Their consensus? It’s tough to find policies that simultaneously save lives and livelihoods.
County Falsely Claims Testing Increased ‘Significantly,’ But Positive Cases Have, to 75–And County Must Send Back 650 Junk Test Kits
Flagler County government issued false and misleading figures Friday regarding a surge in testing that never took place, and 650 kits that could have enabled a surge must be sent back because they’re flawed, officials now say.
The Risk Is Too Great to Reopen Palm Coast So Soon: An Open Letter from City Leaders
Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland, City Manager Matt Morton and Fire Chief Jerry Forte explain why the city is maintaining recommended restrictions to suppress the coronavirus and why “we must remain steadfast in our approach and see this through to the end.”
Schools Closed for Rest of School Year; Tager Says Decision Gives Families and Employees ‘Peace of Mind’
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ decision to keep schools closed comes amid pressure from the statewide teachers’ union and medical groups. The governor acknowledged “there was some division amongst folks” on the issue.
Caving to Pressure, Flagler Beach and the County Plan to Reopen Beaches on Limited Basis Next Week
After sustaining intense pressure from residents and from county officials, and with beaches reopened to the north and south, Flagler Beach plans to re-open its beach on a limited basis starting Monday morning, as would the county.
Florida Infections Spike to Near Peak Again, Flagler Cases at 52; St. Johns Reopens Beaches Partially
Flagler County Covid-19 cases are expected to spike a little because of increased testing; AdventHealth Palm Coast’s ICU capacity at 28 percent and total capacity at 30 percent. Flagler County government defends its decision to open some trails as St. Johns opens its beaches for four hours a day, with limited use.
Sharp Rift Emerges as Flagler County Will Open Some Parks and Trails Against Cities’ Opposition
Flagler County plans to reopen some of its parks and trails even though every city in the county is opposed and the apex of the coronavirus emergency is still two weeks away, according to public health officials.
5.2 Million More Initial Claims Push Unemployment Rate Past 13%, Nearing Great Depression Figures
In Florida, the last four weeks of claims totals 652,000 which, combined with 291,000 unemployed Floridians before the crisis–a five-decade low–approaches 1 million unemployed, placing the state’s current unemployment rate at around 9 percent and doubling Flagler’s unemployment rolls, past 4,000.
Covid-19 Peak Pushed Back to May 3; In Flagler, 47 Are Tested at Drive-Up Site and 400 Households Get Food Aid
More details about the first Covid-19 infection affecting a Flagler staffer at a nursing home as the county begins drive-up testing, officials warn relaxing distancing measures, and Palm Coast launches its Rise-Up Palm Coast initiative.
Flagler County’s Teachers Union Joins Call on Governor To Keep Schools Closed For Rest of the Year
Flagler County Education Association President Katie Hansen said today she was “absolutely” behind the state education association president’s call on Gov. Ron DeSantis to keep schools closed for the remainder of the year, for the safety of students, staff and families.
Spike in People Dying at Home Suggests Coronavirus Deaths Are Considerably Higher Than Reported
Coronavirus death counts are based on positive tests and driven by hospital deaths. But data from major metropolitan areas shows a spike in at-home deaths, prompting one expert to say current numbers were just “the tip of the iceberg.”
Covid-19 Tempers: How Palm Coast Residents With No Prior Records Are Ending Up In Jail on Domestic Violence Charges
Even as the sheriff stresses de-escalation before arrests, ordinary family members are losing tempers and acting violently at home in collateral consequences of the coronavirus emergency, as this weekend’s repeated examples from Palm Coast illustrate.