Traycan Verdell, 27, accused of a drive-by shooting into an occupied house in Bunnell in June 2024, was arrested on a Flagler County warrant in Daytona Beach last week, but was almost immediately released after posting bond, and after Bunnell police spent a year and a half investigating the shooting.
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Daily Cartoon and Briefing

The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, December 2, 2025
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local

Flagler Free Clinic Marks 20th Anniversary with $400,000 Bequest, Seed Money for Permanent Home
The Flagler Free Clinic marked its 20th anniversary on Nov. 15 at the Grand Haven Golf Clubhouse in Palm Coast. The “Evening of Gratitude” drew community leaders, healthcare partners and donors to recognize two decades of health care provided to uninsured residents of Flagler and Volusia counties.

Palm Coast Charter Revisions Take Shape: Easier to Run, Stricter Term Limits, No More Health Benefits
As Palm Coast’s Charter Review Committee continues to meet bi-weekly as it did last night, and before audiences that can be counted on one hand, its proposed revisions are taking shape well ahead of a March 1 deadline: the committee expects to be done next month. The council will then decide what, if any, proposals make it onto next November’s ballot. The council may edit, delete, rewrite or accept in whole the committee’s proposals. The committee itself may meet only one or two more times, likely in January. Here’s what it’s come up with.

Consultant’s Report Finds Lead Levels Insignificant at Flagler County Airport as Complaints Again Take-Off
An analysis of lead levels at Flagler County airport yielded insignificant levels in the air and in the soil at four locations, according to the county attorney’s office. Flagler County last winter commissioned the lead analysis from Timothy Scott of Melbourne-based Consolidated Environmental Engineering, what appears to be a one-man shop. The tests he conducted at the far edges of each runway at the airport showed levels of lead exposure to be well below the permissible exposure limits established by OSHA.
More Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local

Palm Coast City Manager McGlothlin Set for Pay Package of Close to $300,000 and ‘Disaster Pay’ Bonus in Emergencies
Incoming Palm Coast City Manager Michael McGlothlin would be paid $225,000 a year and have a total compensation package that would push the total near the $300,000 mark based on the proposed contract the City Council is set to approve on Tuesday. The base pay is 29 percent higher than that of his predecessor in the permanent job. McGlothlin would be eligible for hourly pay at his base rate for every hour he works during an emergency, past his regular 40-hour week, a first for local government executives.

Fire Destroys Flagler Beach Home on Ocean Palm Drive Just as Young Family Was Completing Renovations
An early-morning fire destroyed a single-family house on Ocean Palm Drive in Flagler Beach today. The house was not occupied, as it was under renovation. There were no injuries, despite a partial roof collapse while firefighters were inside fighting the flames. The fire took place at 222 Ocean Palm Drive. Laura Tornelli took ownership of the house in late March from a close relative, long-time owner and resident Walter Kunz. The renovation was nearly complete, and Tornelli’s young family was planning to move in next month, Flagler Beach Fire Chief Stephen Cox said.

Eliminating Property Taxes in These Florida Counties Means ‘Dismemberment of Vital Services’
Local government officials statewide are wary of plans by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state Legislature to slash or abolish homestead property taxes, but one group of counties is particularly worried. They are Florida’s “fiscally constrained” counties: 29 mostly rural counties with small populations, few industries and lots of agricultural or conservation land — and therefore small tax bases. Without property tax revenue, there would be very little left for roadwork, emergency services, fire protection, libraries, parks” or cultural efforts such as historic preservation and festivals.

Drone Video Shows Progress of Pier Project as Contractor Nears Demolition; $145,000 Change Order Ahead
Drone footage released by the project engineer of the $16 million Flagler Beach pier reconstruction shows a parallel trestle almost completed as the project nears the point where demolition of the century-old structure will begin. The contractor is asking for a $145,000 change order and a 40-day extension to complete the project, pushing it to mid-January 2027.

From Mentorship to Tradition: Celebrating Student Success in South Bunnell as Bossardet Keeps 2018 Promise to Sugar Pop
The annual Bulldog Block Party returned to Bunnell’s Carver Gym on November 19, drawing 450 people to celebrate student academic progress. FPC Principal Bobby Bossardet honored the late Elijah “Sugar Pop” Emmanuel, keeping a promise made in 2018 to keep the event going. Originally launched to boost GPAs at Buddy Taylor Middle School, the event connects families with support services and celebrates achievements. Superintendent LaShakia Moore praised the initiative for “setting the standard” in community-oriented leadership, continuing a legacy of mentorship.”

Housing Authority Will Demolish 132 Duplexes in Bunnell and Build 272-Unit Apartment Complex in Privatizing Scheme
In the most consequential change affecting affordable housing in the county in 75 years, the Flagler County Housing Authority plans to demolish its 132 public housing duplexes in South Bunnell, seek private investors, and rebuild what it calls Carver Village into a huge apartment complex of 272 apartments in three- and four-story buildings, including an 80-apartment senior-housing building. Public housing will be privatized as all the units will be turned into Section 8 housing under what the federal Housing and Urban Development department calls “repositioning,”

Army Corps Invites Flagler to Apply for Emergency Renourishment to Repair Beach It Rebuilt Just Last Year
The long Nor’easter that sheared through the area in late September and early October caused enough damage to Flagler County beaches that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is inviting the county to apply for a renourishment of the 2.8 miles of shore the Corps renourished only last year. The county could be eligible for an emergency renourishment that would be 100 percent paid for with federal funds. But the county is required to take a few steps first to ensure that the project is evaluated by the Corps, starting with a letter to the federal agency stating the county wishes to proceed. The letter’s deadline is Dec. 12.

Home Health Care Nurse Who Brutalized Disabled Man Is Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison and Faces Civil Suit
John Roy Jenkins, a 69-year-old former home healthcare nurse arrested in February on accusations that he repeatedly brutalized a disabled and voiceless client in Palm Coast, was sentenced to seven years in prison on Monday following an open plea before Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols at the Flagler County courthouse. Jenkins and the company he worked for, Maxim Healthcare Services of Daytona Beach, also face a civil lawsuit charging negligence and seeking more than $50,000 in damages.

Marineland Will Lose a Third of Its Property Tax Revenue When Dolphin Attraction Is Purchased by Non-Profit
The Marineland Town Commission is relieved that the town’s defining landmark and business–Marineland Dolphin Adventure–will be pulled out of bankruptcy and sold to a new owner. But when the facility transfers to what will be a non-profit, it will stop paying property taxes, costing struggling Marineland a third of its property tax revenue. That has town officials nervous.

Facing Identical Charges for Gun Burglaries, 17-Year-Old Held on $190,000 Bond, Brother, 18, Posts $60,000 Bond
A 16-year-old boy arrested with his 18-year-old brother and two other young adults in connection with a spree of burglaries and the theft of several guns in West Flagler last August has been charged as an adult and faces five counts punishable by life in prison. Like his co-defendants, he now faces 12 felony charges in all. His bond was set at $190,000. His 18-year-old brother, who faces identical charges, posted bond set at $60,000 in Suwanee County, and a third defendant has a $120,000 bond, also in a different county. One circuit’s bond schedule has no control over another’s.

Flagler Beach City Manager Dale Martin Gets 4% Raise for Two Years’ Work, to $171,620
The Flagler Beach City Commission awarded City Manager Dale Martin a 4 percent raise, reflecting the last two years’ evaluations since the commission forgot to award him a raise last year. Martin didn’t bring it up to the commissioners’ attention. Martin was earning $165,000, the same salary he started with a little over two years ago. His new salary is $171,620.
The Live Calendar: Today in Flagler
December 2025
Holiday Plant Class Series
Flagler Beach Library Writers’ Club
Flagler Beach Planning and Architectural Review Board
Palm Coast City Council Meeting
Bunnell Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board
Rotary’s Fantasy Lights Festival in Palm Coast’s Town Center
Flagler Beach United Methodist Church Food Pantry Evening Hours
Random Acts of Insanity Standup Comedy
In Court: Ex-Firefighter James Melady Docket Sounding
In Court: Kristopher Henriqson
Palm Coast Code Enforcement Board Meeting
Separation Chat: Open Discussion
The Conversation

Israel’s Continuing Provocations of War in Lebanon
Since the truce was announced on Nov. 27, 2024, there have been more than 10,000 Israeli air and ground violations inside Lebanese territory, according to the latest report from UNIFIL, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon. And in the run-up to the ceasefire’s first anniversary, a spate of Israeli strikes over its northern border saw the assassination of Hezbollah’s top military commander and a deadly attack on a Palestinian refugee camp.
Florida and Beyond

Defying Trump Threat of Court Martial, Senator Stands by Call for Military to Refuse Illegal Orders
Arizona Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly said Monday the threat of a court-martial for a video he and other senators released telling military members not to follow illegal orders is an effort to silence the president’s political opponents. Kelly, a retired Navy captain, was one of six Democratic lawmakers with backgrounds in the military or intelligence agencies who appeared in the video that was posted on social media in mid-November. President Donald Trump alleged the lawmakers had committed “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”

4-Day School Weeks Winning Popularity But Fail Data Test
Four-day school weeks come down to staff recruitment and retention, fewer discipline problems and improved attendance, while they also help stretch tight school budgets. But the promised benefits have not shown up in the data as longer school days can harm academic performance. Such concerns might not matter as four-day school weeks become more popular nationwide.

The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, December 1, 2025
The Palm Coast Charter Review Committee meets, the Beverly Beach Town Commission meets, the Flagler County Commission meets, Holiday Plant Class Series at UF/IFAS Extension Flagler County at the county fairgrounds, Peter Taylor’s “Allegiance.”
Briefs and Releases
Thousands Drawn to Palm Coast’s Tree-Lighting in Central Park
Cute Stranger’s Text Catches Daytona Man in Crypto Scheme
Bear Hunt Is a Go as Florida Judge Rejects Nonprofit’s Claim It’s ‘Needless Destruction’
Latinos to Trump: ‘Hasta La Vista’
US Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, South Florida Democrat, Indicted for Stealing $5 Million from FEMA
More Florida and Beyond

Orwell’s Pro-Labor Opposition to Totalitarianism
George Orwell’s dystopian novels “Animal Farm” and “1984” have remained popular in the U.S. ever since their initial publication in the 1940s. What’s less well known is that in the years before the publication of “Animal Farm” and “1984,” Orwell’s writing often focused primarily on other themes including work, poverty, anti-imperialism and democratic socialism. In fact, Orwell remained a committed democratic socialist until his death in 1950.

The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, November 30, 2025
Palm Coast Farmers’ Market at European Village, Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn, at Athens Theatre, books that try to predict the future, Philip Roth’s “Plot Against America,” the Knights of Liberty vigilantes.

Republicans’ Nick Fuentes Problem
Fuentes is a 27-year-old livestreamer with openly antisemitic views. He has called Adolf Hitler both “awesome” and “right.” But he has become impossible for the Republican Party to banish, despite repeated attempts by some party leaders. This dynamic reveals how fringe ideologies operate differently today compared to the mid-20th century, when institutional gatekeepers – political parties, law enforcement, the media – could more effectively contain extremist movements.

The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, November 29, 2025
Tree-lighting ceremony in Palm Coast’s Central Park, Rotary’s Fantasy Lights Festival, Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn, artificial intelligence in a 1940 tank, Richard Powers, Don DeLillo.

Tesla’s $1 Trillion Bet on Elon Musk
$1 trillion is an absurd amount of money – even for someone who is already the richest person in the world. So how do we make sense of it? Tesla’s chair of the board Robyn Denholm warned shareholders that Musk might walk away from the company if they didn’t approve the unprecedented pay package. Shareholder confidence was no doubt buoyed by the recent rise in Tesla’s stock, with one investor describing Musk as “key” to the entire enterprise.

The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, November 28, 2025
Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn, at Athens Theatre, finishing up with Henry James’s “Traveling Companions” and its calvary through museums as Traveling Willburys go to the end of the line. ,

Floridians’ Anxiety Linked to Social Media Use
A study finds roughly 1 in 5 Floridians are struggling with moderate to severe anxiety, which is consistent with national statistics. Anxiety was lowest among those who use social media primarily to stay connected with family and friends. But it rose significantly among those who use social media to stay up to date with current trends and pop culture or to learn about health, fitness and beauty trends.

The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, November 27, 2025
Are you kidding? Nothing’s going on today! Happy Thanksgiving. Packers and Lions at 1 p.m., Cowboys and Chiefs at 4:30, Bengals and Ravens at 8:20, and right now, a little traveling companionship with Henry James.

How the Plymouth Pilgrims Took Over Thanksgiving
Nine in 10 Americans gather around a table to share food on Thanksgiving. Popular interpretations of Thanksgiving also have also pulled us apart. The emphasis on the Pilgrims’ 1620 landing and 1621 feast erased a great deal of religious history and narrowed conceptions of who belongs in America – at times excluding groups such as Native Americans, Catholics and Jews.

The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, November 26, 2025
Not much happening today as the country shuts down for Thanksgiving. A look at Kingsport, Tennessee, and the old Kingsport Press, which used to bound and print some of the country’s leading authors’ works.

The Limits of the 1st Amendment on Campus
American colleges and universities are increasingly firing or punishing professors and other employees for what they say, whether it’s on social media or in the classroom. For decades, American colleges and universities have traditionally encouraged free speech and open debate as a core part of their academic mission. But the First Amendment only applies to the government – which includes public colleges and universities – and not private institutions or companies, including private colleges and universities.

The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, November 25, 2025
Flagler Beach United Methodist Church Food Pantry, Keep the Holiday Lights On, a fond look back at City Repertory Theatre’s “Around the World in 80 Days,” and a full-length look at the miniseries.

The Trump Administration’s Craven ‘Peace Plan’ for Ukraine
The Trump administration on Nov. 20, 2025, formally presented Ukraine with a 28-point proposal to end the war, and President Donald Trump announced the country had until Thanksgiving to sign it. The Trump administration was accused by policy experts and some lawmakers of fashioning a plan to serve Russia’s interests, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio got enmeshed in an argument with U.S. senators over whether the U.S. or Russia had authored the document.
Commentary

For All the DEI Bluster, White Americans Are Still Privileged
If discrimination against white Americans were widespread, you might expect large numbers to report being treated unfairly. But polling data shows otherwise. A 2025 Pew survey found that 70% of white Americans think Black people face “some” or “a lot” of discrimination in general, and roughly two-thirds say the same of Asian and Hispanic people. Meanwhile, only 45% of white Americans believe that white people in general experience that degree of discrimination.

How DeSantis Demolished Florida’s New College
New College of Florida is on its intellectual deathbed. Once an authority-challenging, free-thinking institution for students passionate about learning, a place where difference was celebrated and creativity encouraged. Now, it is becoming a third-rate jock school with over-paid administrators and under-achieving freshmen, a casualty of Ron DeSantis’ culture wars.

The Future of Watchdog Journalism
At the University of Florida’s College of Journalism & Communications, part of my research involves unpacking the importance of decentralized networks of local outlets that cover stories from underrepresented areas of the country. Pablo Torre’s work as a clear example of the growing need for this kind of bottom-up, citizen journalism – particularly given media industry trends.















