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.
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Daily Cartoon and Briefing
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday July 12, 2026
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local
Flagler Beach Borrows Ormond Deputy Fire Chief Nate Quartier To Lead Fire Department as Fiveash Exits
Ormond Beach Deputy Fire Chief Nate Quartier assumed leadership of the rebuilding Flagler Beach Fire Department on July 2 as an interim through the end of September if necessary, replacing acting chief Jennifer Fiveash following the May firing of Stephen Cox. The department lost half its staff through recent resignations and that firing. Cox is challenging his termination before the city Personnel Review Board.
Father And Son Arrested After Locking Distressed Dogs And Pigeons Inside Hot U-Haul Truck
Sheriff’s deputies arrested a father and son on misdemeanor animal cruelty charges Thursday afternoon after authorities discovered two severely distressed dogs and two suffocating pigeons trapped inside a scorching U-Haul cargo box. The temperature reached 102 degrees in the truck during the family’s travel from Miami. The animals were taken to a local veterinary hospital.
Judge Bars Heat Of Passion Defense In Husband’s Killing of Yolonda Williams On Eve of Death Penalty Trial
A Flagler County judge restricted the defense from arguing a crime of passion without first establishing legal provocation in the trial of Jermaine Williams Sr., who faces the death penalty for the August 2024 stabbing death of his wife, Yolonda Williams. The ruling blocks expert psychological testimony in the trial that begins Monday. Consequently, the defense may have to call Williams to testify to attempt to prove he was provoked.
More Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local
No Stand Your Ground: Palm Coast Teen Arrested in Connection with Double-Shooting at Beach Village Apartments
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office arrested 18-year-old Micah McGill on Tuesday for a November shooting at a Palm Coast apartment complex, when he allegedly intervened with a stolen firearm during a domestic dispute between his sister and her boyfriend. Both men were wounded in the altercation. Smith completed a deferred prosecution agreement for misdemeanor battery, but McGill faces three second-degree felony charges.
Site Plan for Florida State Guard Training Facility in Bunnell Approved, But Questions Loom Over Its Future
The Florida State Guard training facility in Bunnell remains unbuilt almost two years after its groundbreaking ceremony. The Bunnell Planning Board on Tuesday approved the site plan, which still hinges on the State Guard paying long-overdue review fees. Sheriff Staly is deeply frustrated with the state Department of Management Services over continuous administrative delays and severe budget overruns, putting in question whether the facility will actually get built or even used by a Guard facing its own budget cutbacks.
Flagler’s 1st Death Penalty Trial in 2 Decades Begins Monday For Man Accused Of Stabbing His Wife To Death
Jermaine Williams Sr. faces a capital murder charge on Monday in Flagler County’s first death penalty case since 2007. Prosecutors seek the death penalty for the 2024 stabbing death of his wife, Yolonda, who’d been a local advocate for individuals in difficulties, including domestic violence victims. Surveillance video of the attack is part of the evidence. The defense lost two dozen pretrial motions before Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols.
Tempers Flare As Palm Coast Council Advances Parts of $600 Million Utility System Expansion and Improvements
The Palm Coast City Council unanimously approved $8.3 million in utility infrastructure spending on Tuesday. The routine approvals, part of the much larger $600 million plan to expand and improve the water and wastewater system, provoked confrontations with local candidates and residents over public comment boundaries even as council members spoke of the approvals’ transparency. The oldest municipal treatment plant requires expansion to meet a state environmental consent order.
Palm Coast Council Pushes for Pedestrian-Safety Crosswalks and Signs Near Lehigh Trail at Royal Palms
The Palm Coast City Council is pushing for crosswalks, signs, and traffic safety enhancements at several busy Town Center intersections following safety complaints from a P-Section resident who described difficulties safely crossing Royal Palms Parkway to access the Lehigh Trail.
DCF Reports 3 Verified Flagler Cases of Child Commercial Sexual Exploitation in 2025, and 434 in the State
A new state legislative report reveals Florida verified a record 434 child sexual exploitation victims in 2025, three of them in Flagler County and 14 in Volusia. Oppaga attributes the increase to improved agency identification methods rather than increased incidence. Serious infrastructure gaps remain. Florida lacks sufficient safe foster homes and data-sharing systems, leaving vulnerable juvenile victims without critical placements, survivor mentors, or specialized therapeutic treatments.
Palm Coast Teenager Faces Felony Animal Cruelty Charge After Starving Puppy Dies From Organ Failure
18-year-old Chance Jones of Palm Coast faces a felony animal cruelty charge after a 5-month-old puppy died from starvation on July 4. Authorities found the severely malnourished dog locked inside a detached apartment garage without food, water, or ventilation. Jones said he only fed the animal every few weeks due to care difficulties.
Flagler Beach Programmer Rory Belmont, 44, Arrested on Rape and Other Charges Following Ordeal with Girlfriend
Flagler Beach resident Rory Victor Belmont, 44, was jailed without bond following accusations of a brutal domestic assault on his long-term girlfriend, including repeated rapes. The state filed a motion for pretrial detention on allegations of severe physical abuse, repeated strangulation, and forced sexual acts. Authorities located Belmont in Volusia County after he fled on an electric scooter. He five felony charges, including first-degree forcible rape.
Former Athens Theatre Director Craig Uppercue Steps Into Leadership Role At Flagler Auditorium Today
Craig Uppercue brings decades of theatrical and educational experience to his new role as director of the Fitzgerald Performing Arts Center. Taking over for Amelia Fulmer, the veteran arts administrator plans to prioritize student programs and explore bringing live music and touring shows to the venue. He hopes to replicate the growth he previously helped to orchestrate at the vibrant Athens Theatre in DeLand.
July 4 Fire Destroys Building At Santore And Sons Fireworks Manufacturing Complex In West Flagler
A July 4 fire destroyed a cinder block storage building at the Santore and Sons fireworks manufacturing compound in West Flagler. The structure contained paper goods and partially assembled pyrotechnics. No employees were present and there were no injuries. First responders quickly extinguished the blaze. The state fire marshal is currently investigating a potential lightning strike as the cause.
What, Then, Is An American?
The question–what is an American–has been asked for 250 years and has always been more important than the answer. The clue is in the asking. There is no single answer to what cannot be defined, what should not be defined. The moment we answer the question with any kind of finality, the moment we say an American is this, that or the other, we are asking an un-American question
The Live Calendar: Today in Flagler
July 2026
Jul 12 2026
Grace Community Food Pantry on Education Way
Flagler School District Bus Depot
Jul 12 2026
Palm Coast Farmers’ Market at European Village
European Village
Jul 12 2026
Al-Anon Family Groups
Bridges United Methodist Fellowship
Jul 13 2026
In Court: Jermaine Williams Trial
Flagler County courthouse
Jul 13 2026
Nar-Anon Family Group
St. Mark by the Sea Lutheran Church
Jul 13 2026
Bunnell City Commission Meeting
Bunnell City Hall
Jul 14 2026
Palm Coast City Council Workshop
Palm Coast City Hall
Jul 14 2026
Community Traffic Safety Team Meeting
Third Floor Conference Room, Government Services Building
Jul 14 2026
Flagler Beach United Methodist Church Food Pantry
Flagler Beach United Methodist Church
Jul 14 2026
St. Johns River Water Management District Meeting
St. Johns River Water Management District
Jul 14 2026
Flagler County School Board Workshop: Agenda Items
Government Services Building
Jul 14 2026
Weekly Chess Club for Teens, Ages 10-18, at the Flagler County Public Library
Flagler County Public Library
No event found!
The Conversation
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.
Florida and Beyond
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, July 11, 2026
American Association of University Women (AAUW) monthly meeting, Gamble Jam, Second Saturday Plant Sale at Washington Oaks Gardens State Park, AI errors, Bowie is afraid of Americans.
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.
Florida Intentionally Keeping SNAP Error Rate High to Slash Eligibility and Reduce Beneficiaries, Democrats Say
If Florida doesn’t lower its SNAP error rates, the state could have to pay as much as $1 billion to continue to participate in the federal food security program. Florida Democratic Party Chair Chair Nikki Fried says the high error rate might not be due to mundane mistakes but rather a tactic to limit participation in the federal benefit, formally called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
More Florida and Beyond
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, July 10, 2026
The Flagler Democratic Party’s Janet Sullivan on Free For All, Coffee and Conversation with Palm Coast City Manager Michael McGlothlin, Food Truck Friday at the Farm, Agriculture Museum, a Declaration of the Rights of Trees.
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.
Florida Pastors Call on Elected Officials Reinstate Temporary Protected Status For Haitian Immigrants After Ruling
Florida pastors are urging elected officials to reinstate Temporary Protected Status for Haitians following a Supreme Court ruling allowing the federal government to end the program. Led by the Reverend Doctor RB Holmes_Jr., the faith leaders called on state and federal lawmakers to protect the 93,000 Haitian TPS holders currently working across Florida and establish a clear pathway toward permanent American citizenship.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thelonious Monk Teddy Roosevelt LBJ
Northeast Florida Regional Council Board of Directors Meeting, the Flagler Beach City Commission meets, Model Yacht Club Races at the Pond in Palm Coast’s Central Park, Teddy Roosevelt at the National Wholesale Grocers’ Association.
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.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, July 8, 2026
The Public Safety Coordinating Council meets, Conversations in Democracy, an updated image of Fire Station 51 on the west side, goons on masked parade in Washington.
Malthus’s Doom and Gloom’s Lessons for Today
Understanding Malthus in a broader context reveals a very different character. As discussed in the 2025 book “Impasse: Climate Change and the Limits of Progress,” Malthus was an innovative and insightful thinker. Not only was he one of the founding figures of environmental economics, but he also turned out to be a prophetic critic of the belief that history tends toward human improvement, which we call progress.
Florida’s ‘Stop WOKE Act’ at Universities Ruled Unconstitutional in Blunt Decision by Trump Appointee
A federal appeals court decisively ruled Florida’s Stop WOKE Act unconstitutional in public university classrooms. The Eleventh Circuit panel affirmed that the First Amendment protects academic freedom, preventing viewpoint discrimination by the state government. The ruling blocks Florida from restricting diverse classroom discussions regarding Critical Race Theory and marks a major constitutional legal defeat for the DeSantis administration’s efforts to control higher education classroom speech.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, July 7, 2026
The Palm Coast City Council meets at 6 p.m., Flagler Beach’s Planning and Architectural Review Board meets, The Bunnell Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board meets, car dealerships as surgical wards.
Teacher’s Career Hinges On First Amendment Battle After Her Firing Over Charlie Kirk Comments
Kelly Brock-Sanchez, a former Clay County public school teacher fired for making controversial Facebook comments about conservative activist Charlie Kirk, is fighting to save her career after her private posts went viral. She filed a federal lawsuit claiming the punishment violates her First Amendment rights. An administrative hearing will determine whether she permanently loses her Florida teaching certificate.
World Cup’s Credibility Is Red Carded After Trump’s Call
Fifa, international football’s governing body, has not only so far declined to give any detailed reasoning for its decision to suspend what would be a standard one game ban following Balogun red card. The reversal appears to result from direct pressure from the White House. Media reports suggest that Donald Trump made three calls to Fifa, starting from Wednesday, to ensure that the red card was overturned. The White House has said that the call was made to understand why Balogun was sent off and the reason for the suspension.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, July 6, 2026
The Beverly Beach Town Commission meets, the cost of data centers in electricity, dueling banjos, a note from Mar Reisener’s “Cadillac Desert” on another age’s power hogs.
Texas Approves Mandatory Public School Bible Readings
The Texas State Board of Education recently mandated a public school reading list featuring various biblical passages, violating the establishment clause of the First Amendment by prioritizing Christian teachings. Historical legal precedents over the past century consistently reject non-secular classroom instruction. Texas’s narrow policy fails to reflect religious diversity and faces inevitable litigation before its staggered implementation begins.
Commentary
The Federalist Papers: Indispensable Guide to Understanding Constitutional System
The Federalist served as a critical theoretical bridge for ratifying the Constitution. The essays by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay advanced political science by redefining republics and creating institutions to channel human self-interest. They remain the most important commentary on American constitutional governance.
‘Rededicating’ US to God? Jefferson and Madison Would Not Approve.
Jefferson’s and Madison’s half-century of collaboration on behalf of religious freedom and equality is an important chapter in the nation’s founding history. Its legacy should be remembered and celebrated, not discarded.
Trump’s Assault on the Green Card
More than half a million people rely every year on the ability to apply from within the United States for a green card, the government-issued ID that allows an immigrant to legally live and work in the country long term. The federal government has now issued a draft change to current policy that denies immigrants the ability to apply for a green card while in the U.S. Instead, they would have to return to their home country to do it.
Sponsored Content
The Solana Agent Kit and the Rise of Programmable On-Chain AI
A quiet but significant development in the AI and crypto intersection over the past year has been the rise of programmable agent frameworks that run natively against blockchain infrastructure. The Solana Agent Kit, released by Send AI in late 2024 and significantly expanded through 2025 and early 2026, has become one of the most widely used toolkits for building AI agents that interact with on-chain state.
AI in Automation Testing: The Tech Skill Florida Job Seekers Should Know in 2026
AI in automation testing is opening doors for career changers and aspiring tech professionals in Florida. Learn how this in-demand skill helps job seekers enter tech without a programming background.