James Aren Duckett, 68, and Dominick Anthony Occhicone, 80, are scheduled to be executed on June 28. Occhicone will be the oldest inmate killed by the state since modern records of executions have been kept starting in 1924. The last time Florida executed two inmates on the same day was on May 12, 1964.
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Daily Cartoon and Briefing
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, July 18, 2026
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local
Jeani Duarte, Palm Coast City Council Candidate: The Live Interview
Jeani Duarte is one of three candidates for the Palm Coast City Council, District 2, an open seat. She faces Tony Amaral Jr. and Jimmy Hengy. This is a non-partisan race. All registered voters in Palm Coast may cast a ballot in the Aug. 18 primary.
Jury Finds Jermaine Williams Guilty of Wife’s Premeditated Murder in 22 Minutes; He Now Faces Death Penalty Phase
A Flagler County jury convicted 54-year-old Jermaine Williams Sr. of first-degree premeditated murder today for the August 2, 2024, stabbing death of his 50-year-old wife, Yolonda Williams, in Bunnell. The prosecution successfully leveraged explicit home surveillance footage to prove premeditation. The trial now moves into the penalty phase on Monday, where prosecutors intend to pursue a death sentence for the defendant.
Bunnell Breaks Ground on $4.5 Million Brackish Water Treatment Plant to Supplement Potable Supplies
Bunnell broke ground on a state-funded $4.5-million brackish water reverse osmosis system at its utility plant Thursday. The system will provide 200,000 gallons of drinking water daily by September and will use two upper Floridian aquifer wells of brackish water to reduce strain on freshwater sources. The infrastructure project serves the existing city utility independently from the future 6,100-home Haw Creek Reserve development.
More Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local
Powerful Evidence of Premeditation in Jermaine Williams Death Penalty Case as Family Testifies
The fourth day of the Jermaine Williams Sr. death penalty trial featured graphic surveillance videos and emotional family testimony as the defendant’s son and father recounted the fatal August 2024 stabbing in Bunnell. Further testimony revealed Williams intentionally disabled his wife’s car before the attack.
Jimmy Hengy, Palm Coast City Council Candidate: The Live Interview
Jimmy Hengy is one of two candidates for the Palm Coast City Council, District 2. This is a non-partisan race. All registered voters in Palm Coast may cast a ballot in the Aug. 18 primary.
Palm Coast Planning Board Unanimously Rejects 22,000-Home Western Expansion Over Unanswered Questions
The Palm Coast Planning Board unanimously voted down land use and rezoning changes for a 22,000-home western expansion by Raydient Wednesday evening as board members cited inadequate information on infrastructure, school capacity, tax base diversification and other issues. They expressed concern over the loss of regulatory control to future developers. The non-binding denial moves the requests to the City Council for a decision.
Facing Death Penalty for Wife’s Killing, Jermaine Williams’ Fate Rests With a Nearly All-Women Jury
Jermaine Williams Sr. will face a jury of 12 women and three men, including the alternates, in his death penalty trial for the stabbing death of his wife Yolonda Williams in Bunnell in 2024. The jury is almost all white, Williams is Black (one of the jurors is olive-skinned Mediterranean or possibly south Asian), but color is less relevant than gender in this trial: the jury’s lopsided make-up is a victory for the prosecution.
Tony Amaral Jr., Palm Coast City Council Candidate: The Live Interview
Tony Amaral Jr. is one of three candidates for the Palm Coast City Council, District 2. He faces Jeani Duarte and Jimmy Hengy. This is a non-partisan race. All registered voters in Palm Coast may cast a ballot in the Aug. 18 primary.
Palm Coast Council Struggling to Match Budget Needs, Including Cops, With Deepening Revenue Crunch
The Palm Coast City Council set a higher tentative maximum tax rate for next year that nevertheless does not close a $3.3 million gap between needs and projected revenue, including nine additional sheriff’s deputies. A slowing economy and a proposed constitutional amendment could severely reduce municipal revenues by 2028. Officials are struggling to balance funding for essential public safety agreements with cost-of-living increases and recurring operating costs amid declining local property valuations.
Angling for Life in Prison in Williams Trial, Defense All But Concedes Murder in Jury Selection Strategy
In the second full day of jury selection in the capital murder trial of Jermaine Williams for the driveway stabbing of his wife in 2024, Defense attorney Junior Barrett focused heavily on anchoring potential jurors to their individual moral authority to reject execution. Peremptory strikes depleted the initial pool down to 11 members, prompting Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols to summon 60 additional prospects to complete the final panel Wednesday.
Theresa Pontieri, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Theresa Pontieri is a Republican candidate for Flagler County Commission, District 2 in the Aug. 18 primary, running against Greg Feldman. Only registered Republicans may cast a ballot in this race.
Found! Mosquito Control’s John Dunlop Discovers Stolen Turtle Patrol ATV Hidden In Woods Near Marineland
John Dunlop, an East Flagler Mosquito Control District technician, found the stolen Volusia-Flagler Turtle Patrol ATV hidden in the woods near Marineland on Monday. Thieves had stolen the vehicle from a nearby shed last month.
Pick-Up Driver Killed in Head-On Collision with Semi on SR100 Near Water Oak Road
A 57-year-old DeLeon Springs man died in a head-on collision on State Road 100 in West Flagler just after five Monday morning after his pick-up truck swerved into the eastbound lane and struck a semi-truck driven by a 59-year-old Port St. Lucie man. The semi driver sustained minor injuries.
‘Hardships’ and Anxious Reactions to Death Penalty Prolong Jury Selection in Williams Murder Trial
What is expected to be three days of jury selection started today in the death penalty trial of Jermaine Williams for the stabbing murder of his wife in Bunnell in 2024. All but 28 of the 75 potential jurors in the first pool were excused due to personal hardships, prior media exposure or issues with capital punishment. Judge Dawn Nichols is summoning 100 additional potential jurors Tuesday.
The Live Calendar: Today in Flagler
July 2026
Jul 18 2026
Random Acts of Insanity’s Roundup of Standups from Around Central Florida
Cinematique of Daytona Beach
Jul 19 2026
ESL Bible Studies for Intermediate and Advanced Students
Grace Presbyterian Church
Jul 19 2026
Grace Community Food Pantry on Education Way
Flagler School District Bus Depot
Jul 19 2026
Palm Coast Farmers’ Market at European Village
European Village
Jul 19 2026
Al-Anon Family Groups
Bridges United Methodist Fellowship
Jul 19 2026
Story Time on the Farm at the Ag Museum
Florida Agricultural Museum
Jul 20 2026
East Flagler Mosquito Control District Board Meeting
Jul 20 2026
Flagler County Commission Evening Meeting
Government Services Building
Jul 20 2026
Nar-Anon Family Group
St. Mark by the Sea Lutheran Church
Jul 21 2026
Palm Coast City Council Meeting
Palm Coast City Hall
Jul 21 2026
Flagler Beach United Methodist Church Food Pantry
Flagler Beach United Methodist Church
Jul 21 2026
Weekly Chess Club for Teens, Ages 10-18, at the Flagler County Public Library
Flagler County Public Library
No event found!
The Conversation
Trump Seesaws Strait Back to War
Renewed warfare between the United States and Iran threatens global energy corridors after a fragile ceasefire collapsed over waterway management disputes. Trump proposed shipping levies to counter Tehran’s unilateral transit tolls in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump’s uncertainties and political divisions in both nations prevent diplomatic progress, risking global economic recession and a prolonged war of attrition that neither side can easily win.
Florida and Beyond
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, July 18, 2026
To include your event in the Briefing and Live Calendar, please fill out this form. Weather: Daily weather briefing from the National Weather Service in Jacksonville here. Drought conditions here. (What is the Keetch-Byram drought index?). Check today’s tides in Daytona Beach (a few minutes off from Flagler Beach) here. Tropical cyclone activity here, and […]
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, July 17, 2026
Jermaine Williams Sr. trial Day Five, trial notes on witnessing one’s own murder act, the Flagler County Cultural Council meets, “Let those who wish to do so withdraw from the world,” writes Camus.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, July 16, 2026
Opening arguments on Day 4 of the Jermaine Williams death penalty trial, Town of Marineland Commission Meeting, scenes from a courtroom, Sacha Baron Cohen’s Dictator, David Foster Wallace’s Neon.
More Florida and Beyond
Florida Kills Dennis Sochor, 74, for 1981 Murder of Patty Gifford, 29th Execution in Two Years
Dennis Michael Sochor was executed Tuesday evening for the death of 18-year-old Patricia “Patty” Gifford in Broward County 44 years ago, becoming the oldest person put to death by the state since executions were revived in 1977, and the 29th person the state has killed in two years. DeSantis has signed the warrant for the 30th.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday July 15, 2026
Heat index of 103, the Jermaine Williams trial enters day three, the Palm Coast Planning Board takes on the Westward expansion’s plans, Tale of Anushirvan, Exemplary King.
Restoring Voting Rights To Released Felons Could Provide A Decisive Two Percent Swing In Elections
Mass incarceration has created a massive “shadow electorate” of 20 million Americans with felony records. Due to legal barriers and decreased political trust, millions are unable or unwilling to vote. Research suggests this group skews Democratic, meaning disenfranchisement likely shifted the outcomes of the 2000 and 2016 presidential elections. Restoring these rights could create a decisive 2% swing in future competitive statewide races.
DeSantis’s Terrorist Designation of the Council on American-Islamic Relations Is On Hold
Nearly two weeks after Gov. DeSantis announced a recommendation from the state’s chief’s chief of domestic security to designate the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Muslim Brotherhood, and Antifa domestic terrorist organizations, that recommendation has yet to go into effect, and there is no clear timetable when it will be, according to a filing in federal court on Monday.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, July 14, 2026
Jermaine Williams Sr. trial day two, the Palm Coast City Council meets in workshop as does the School Board, France marks Bastille Day in a semifinal match with Spain.
Uses and Mis-Uses of National Memory From Bastille Day To July 4
France and the United States base their national identities on universal political principles rather than common ancestry. Both countries use their primary national holidays to periodically recreate and reinforce their foundational narratives. But political factions in both nations increasingly contest these celebrations to claim authority over the national identity, a growing conflict that reveals a very profound shift regarding exactly who can legitimately embody the nation today.
3 Groups Formed to Oppose Homestead Amendment So Far. None Formed to Support It.
Less than four months before Floridians vote on a proposal to phase out property taxes for homeowners, there’s no organized campaign seeking to move the measure past the 60% vote required for passage. Not even the Florida Chamber of Commerce, which has long opposed placing issues on Florida’s Constitution that could be solved through the legislative process.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, July 13, 2026
Jury selection in the first day of the trial of Jermaine Williams Sr. begins. He faces the death penalty for the murder of his wife in Bunnell in 2024. The County Commission meets. Reflections on the death penalty.
A Rare Bipartisan Housing Bill Will Help But Won’t Solve Affordability Crisis
The Road to Housing Act recently became official law. The legislation focuses heavily on regulatory changes to address the national housing crisis. Reforms restrict institutional investors from purchasing standalone properties and reduce construction costs for builders. Housing policy experts warn these modest adjustments fail to resolve the fundamental affordability crisis because millions of Americans still lack sufficient income to secure housing in the current market.
Landmark Housing Bill Becomes Law Without Trump’s Signature
President Donald Trump said Friday morning he would not sign federal legislation aimed at lowering the cost of housing, but the bipartisan package became law at 12:01 a.m. Saturday anyway.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday July 12, 2026
Clay Jones on Trump’s flying bribe of a 747 he can’t even fly, heat index values as high as 107, Palm Coast Farmers’ Market at European Village, if you can brave the heat, Eudora Welty’s “Powerhouse” tribute to Fats Waller.
Pulling a Trump, Convicted Felon and Extremist Marine LePen Will Run for French Presidency
Marine Le Pen has confirmed she intends to run in next year’s presidential election in France, despite her appeal against a conviction for embezzlement of EU funds being rejected. This may well prove to be a missed opportunity for RN to fight the election under the leadership of Le Pen’s deputy, the youthful and charismatic Jordan Bardella. Bardella was slated to run if Le Pen had been barred from the election.
29th Inmate to Be Executed in 19 Months in Florida Wants DeSantis to Attend His Killing
Dennis Michael Sochor, convicted of strangling an 18-year-old woman he met at a New Year’s celebration in a Broward County bar 44 years ago, is scheduled to die by lethal injection Tuesday at Florida State Prison. His last wish? To have Gov. Ron DeSantis personally observe his execution up close and personal.
Commentary
Justice Jackson’s Birthright Citizenship Opinion Was Grounded in Black History, Thomas’s In Distortion
The Supreme Court upheld birthright citizenship in Trump v. Barbara, invalidating an executive order targeting children of undocumented immigrants. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson issued a historic concurrence highlighting the intellectual scaffolding built by Black Americans through historic colored conventions. Her inclusive originalist interpretation directly challenged Justice Clarence Thomas’ narrow historical narrative, reframing the Fourteenth Amendment as a collective achievement born of Black patriotic resistance.
The Bayeux Tapestry’s Norman Propaganda Silenced Voices of Grief and Resistance Now Uncovered
The Bayeux Tapestry celebrates the Norman Conquest of 1066 from the perspective of the victors, but contemporary English documents preserve the story of the side of the conquered. The Life of King Edward conveys the silent trauma and grief of the English ruling class as later Anglo-Saxon Chronicles explicitly condemned Norman oppression. These native sources prove history belongs to more than just winning armies’ propaganda.
Stricter SNAP Stocking Rules Threaten Small Grocery Stores
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is introducing stricter stocking rules for retailers accepting SNAP benefits. Small corner stores and bodegas must significantly expand their offerings of perishable and nutritious foods by November 2026. Experts warn these mandates could prompt small shops to abandon the program entirely. This shift reduces food access for low-income families, compounding recent legislative cuts that reduced overall program enrollment.