Attorney Scott Spradley won election to the Flagler Beach City Commission by a large margin Tuesday, an unsurprising result from an electorate looking for the analytical cool-headed approach Spradley represents, after a turbulent year in the city and the recent firing of a city manager.
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Daily Cartoon and Briefing
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, March 8, 2023
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local
Yet Another Book Survives Ban as 2 Flagler High School Panels Vote to Keep Novel of McCarthy Era
A joint high school committee’s decision today to retain Malida Lo’s “Last Night at the Telegraph Club” was the sixth book in a row in about as many weeks that survived a challenge either on MHS or joint MHS-FPC school-level committees, or at the district-level appeals committee.
Battle Over Vacation Rentals Resumes as Flagler Resists Lesser Regulation for 9th Year
For nine years, vacation-rental regulations in Flagler County have survived unscathed even as the short-term rental industry continues to grow in popularity and clout. Each year, local officials fear that era of local control may be over, as lawmakers attempt to pass de-regulation bills. This year is no different.
22-Year-Old Man Dies in Motorcycle Crash on John Anderson Highway
A 22-year-old Coshocton, Ohio man lost his life in a single motorcycle crash between 2 and 3 this morning (March 7) on John Anderson Highway, north of Bridle Ridge Court/Trotters Lane.
More Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local
District Appeals Committee Votes Unanimously to Keep Sold on High School and Middle School Shelves
An 11-member district-wide appeals committee this evening voted to uphold two school-based committees’ decisions to keep “Sold,” the fictional story of a 13-year-old girl trafficked into sexual slavery, on the library shelves at high and middle schools.
Former Matanzas High Student, 16, Charged as Adult in Alleged Sex Assault of Girl During Class
When Marshall Thomas, 16, was arrested on charges of stealing guns and making written threats to kill in January, authorities did not disclose that he had months earlier been arrested on a sexual assault charge involving a 15-year-old student at Matanzas High School. Thomas has now been charged as an adult on all five charges from both incidents and faces up to 45 years in prison.
Challenged in Flagler Schools: McCormick’s Sold, a Review and a Recommendation
Patricia McCormick’s “Sold,” about the experiences of a 13-year-old girl sold into sexual slavery, is among the 22 books that a trio of “moms for liberty” have sought to ban from high school library shelves. A school committee voted to keep the book. The banners appealed the decision to a district committee, which meets on March 6. The following review is presented as a guide.
Judge Orders Mental Evaluation for Matanzas Student Who Assaulted Aide
A judge has ordered a mental evaluation of 17-year-old Brendan Depa, the Matanzas High School student accused of attacking his paraprofessional. Court documents related to the order for the first time confirm that Depa has been treated for mental illness and is on various medication for psychological issues.
Florida Welcomes You. With A Growing List of Exceptions.
Florida doesn’t want you if you’re a lib. That goes double if you’re from California. But if you take pleasure in lib-owning, professor-kicking, book-burning, trans-torturing, forced birth and sanitized history, Florida welcomes you.
Florida Bill Would Require Bloggers to ‘Register’ With State and Turn Over Financial Accounts
The bill, which has no chance of becoming law, would require bloggers who write about Gov. Ron DeSantis and other elected state officials to register with the government and provide monthly financial income reports. The National Review today called the bill’s GOP author a “moron.”
Matanzas Assault Case: A Miscarriage of Justice Hardens Before Our Eyes
The public reaction to 17-year-old Brendan Depa’s assault of Joan Naydich at Matanzas High School is mostly compassionate and balanced. The more strident reaction among elected officials–the State Attorney, school board members–is not not. Elected officials are not only exploiting the situation. They’re exploiting Depa. They want blood.
Parents Paying Steep Extended Day Fees Are Subsidizing the Belle Terre Swim Club
The Flagler County School Board is facing a deficit this year of $180,000 at the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club. The board continues to agonize over ways to keep the facility or redefine its uses without continuing the deficits, which are being subsidized out of the district’s extended day program–a costly program to working parents.
Chamber Players of Palm Coast in Concert with FYO at Methodist Church Sunday
The Chamber Players of Palm Coast, under the direction of Paige Dashner Long, will present a chamber music concert at Palm Coast United Methodist Church Sunday They’ll performing works by Tartini, Geminiani, Sammartini and Vivaldi, all masters of the Italian Baroque, along with two works by American composers, performed with members of the Flagler Youth Orchestra.
Daytona State and Bethune Cookman Sign Agreement Supporting Criminal Justice Students
The agreement, which is effective immediately, provides support for Daytona State students who have earned an Associate of Arts degree or an Associate of Science degree in Criminal Justice who intend to transfer to Bethune-Cookman University to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice.
In Flagler Beach, 5 Commission Candidates Play Forum Softball Ahead of March 7 Election
There were no surprises at the only forum for Flagler Beach City Commission Candidates. The questions–at least the nine that were asked–were generally un-challenging, unspecific and at times corny. The candidates are Rick Belhumeur, Bob Cunningham, Doug Bruno O’Connor, Deborah Phillips and Scott Spradley.
The Conversation
Springing Time Forward Is Bad for Your Health
Researchers are discovering that “springing ahead” each March is connected with serious negative health effects, including an uptick in heart attacks and teen sleep deprivation. In contrast, the fall transition back to standard time is not associated with these health effects, as my co-authors and I noted in a 2020 commentary.
Florida and Beyond
His Sights Well Past Tallahassee, DeSantis Vows to ‘Swing for the Fences’
While the State of the State address is always a high-profile event in Tallahassee, DeSantis’ speech Tuesday drew national attention as he is widely expected to run for president in 2024.
‘Our Ambitious Agenda Is Well Underway,’ Renner tells Joint Legislative Session
House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, made remarks to the House on the opening day of the 2023 legislative session. Sheriff Rick Staly and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard were Renner’s guests.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, March 7, 2023
The school board and the Palm Coast Council meet, another school-level book-review committee meets, trigger warnings on trigger warnings, Massimo Vignelli’s subway map, Joan Didion’s Salvador.
More Florida and Beyond
Drag Show Curbs Likely Violate First Amendment
Republican lawmakers in numerous states, including Florida, seek to restrict or eliminate events like drag shows and drag story hours. These efforts have been accompanied by inflammatory rhetoric not grounded in fact about the need to protect children from “grooming” and sexually explicit performances.
No Evidence Links Wind Turbines to Whale Deaths, But Ship Strikes May
A string of articles from local and national outlets have linked wind development and dead whales over the past several months, but there is no evidence linking the two. On the other hand, there has been an increase in whale deaths linked to shipping strikes.
Florida Legislature Is Set to Push Sweeping Changes to Legal System, Favoring Business and Government at Individuals’ Expense
Paul Renner, the Palm Coast Republican and House Speaker, is enthusiastically leading a House that has lurched further to the right than under any administration in generations as the Legislature seeks to revamp the state’s litigation system, favoring businesses at the expense of individual consumers.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, March 6, 2023
A district appeals committee meets to review “Sold,” a novel two residents want banned from high school libraries. The Flagler County Commission discusses its own procedures. The Astronomy and Garden Clubs meet. The Zapruder film’s odyssey.
Republicans Want a Multiracial Right Even as They Stoke White Grievances
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has continued his crusade against “woke ideology” as Nikki Haley launched her bid for president with a video appealing for racial harmony. What kind of GOP do Republicans want?
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, March 5, 2023
The Chambers Players of Palm Coast and members of the Flagler Youth Orchestra at the Methodist Church, Farmers’ Market at European Village, David Brooks on himself, The Road Back.
A Little Narcissism Is OK, Until It Becomes Pathological
A pathological narcissist sees everyone else as an extension of self. Like many personality disorders, narcissism manifests itself in intimate relationships through the cycle of idealization and devaluation, creating the concept of the so-called toxic relationship.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, March 4, 2023
Poetry open mic at the county library, Meet Your District 4 Commissioner, Leann Pennington, Sunshine and Sandals social, free SunRail all afternoon and evening, annual Global Day of Unplugging, Erich Maria Remarque.
Beyond Guns: Three Ways to Prevent School Shootings
Much of the public discussion on preventing school shootings focuses on whether and how to limit people’s access to firearms. While these efforts remain important, over the past 30 years, research has identified other strategies that can reduce the risk for violence.
Lawmakers File Bills that Would Outlaw Certain Treatments for Trans Youths
The bills are the latest in a series of moves by lawmakers and Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration aimed at transgender people. Doctors who commit violations could either lose their license of face criminal charges.
On Eve of Legislative Session, ACLU Warns of Brazen Attacks on Floridians’ Civil Liberties
The ACLU offered insight into multiple pieces of legislation on voting, LGBT, free expression and minority rights and they say, without a doubt, those bills will end up on the governor’s desk before the halfway point of this year’s session.
Commentary
The Cautionary Tale of ‘Dilbert’
Adams failed to grasp that being a social critic means your freedom of expression only goes as far as your audience is willing to accept it. Adams could say whatever he wanted to his YouTube audience because his listeners may have agreed with what he said. Unfortunately for him, what he said on his program did not stay on his program.
Teaching Heroic Musician Graham Jackson’s Story in Florida Could Now Be Illegal
Florida’s “anti-woke” legislation and the state’s recent rejection of the AP African American studies curriculum are well-known examples of a disturbing trend that attempts to criminalize exploring the stories of Black people such as Graham Jackson.
God: Her/Him/They and Why It Matters
Historically, Christian tradition has recognized many pronouns for God, including “he/him,” “she/her” and “they/them.” This is partly because God does not have a gender. Despite the diverse images used for God in Scripture and Christian tradition, male language and images predominate in contemporary Christian worship.
American Impressions
American Impressions 9 | South Dakota: Crazy
For the Sioux of South Dakota it’s been a tragic, unresolved legacy of exploitation in the Black Hills. The rape of the mountains by gold and uranium prospectors was followed by the carving of Mount Rushmore and, for the past 75 years, the ongoing desecration of the hills in the name of Crazy Horse–what was to be the largest sculpture in the world, but has turned into a lucrative tourist trap.
American Impressions 8 | North Dakota: A Life in Missiles
Virginia Lillico and her family spent their life in their homestead on land in the shadow of an ICBM missile silo in North Dakota at the height of the cold war and beyond. She never took safeguards seriously, thinking it was pointless.
American Impressions 7 | Montana: Ghost of the Prairie
It rises from wild grasses in Montana’s Golden Triangle, at the western extremity of the Great Plains, a massive hulk of concrete that makes no sense, that is as out of place as could be, and that will be there for thousands of years. It is a ghostly monument to the follies of the nuclear age.
American Impressions 6 | Montana: Backtracking Lewis and Clark
Lewis and Clark traveled the longest distances of any state in Montana. Backtracking their trail is an exercise in contrasts: Indian voices could now be heard as they couldn’t then, but so can those of Lewis and Clark, vividly, wonderfully and sometimes disturbingly, while the landscape has either been remade or remains as intact as it was then.
American Impressions 5 | Alaska Highway
The endless Alaska Highway is a famed road shrouded in impossible isolation and amnesia, where boundaries disappear into a twilight zone of the beautiful and the bizarre. It is an endless wormhole where the unexpected and the sublime are so common that they become monotonous, where the emptiness is so complete that you can feel like the last person on earth.