The county commission this morning heard the results of the $250,000 beach management study it commissioned last year, and was left with two certainties: doing nothing is not an option. Starting to do something is unaffordable for now, even with six options presented by Olsen Associates, the Tampa-based consultants the county hired for the study.
Joe Mullins Says Drug Dealer Sought to Sell Him Cocaine, So He Turned Him In. The Public Sneers.
Mullins says someone randomly contacted by by text and offered to sell him an “eight-ball” of cocaine. Mullins reported the attempt, leading to the arrest of the 18-year-old alleged dealer, a glowing release issued by the Sheriff’s Office, and a cascade of sneering, doubting reactions about Mullins from the public.
Sheriff Plans Show of Force, and Threatens Appeal to Governor, Over Budget Stalemate With County
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly and the Police Benevolent Association, the union representing deputies, are organizing a show of force that would pack the county commission’s chambers this evening in hopes of swaying commissioners to give the sheriff more than the additional $4.45 million they are so far providing for next year’s budget.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, August 15, 2022
The County Commission talks beach calamities and repairs, the sheriff asks for a raise for his troops, a candidate forum at Cattleman’s Hall, the coming California Megastorm, how Bassam al-Sheikh Hussain became a rare Lebanese hero.
How Seized Documents Show Trump May Have Violated Espionage Act
The FBI recovered confidential and top-secret items from Mar-a-Lago during its Aug. 8, 2022, search of the estate – pointing to former President Donald Trump’s potential violation of several federal laws. The unsealed documents seem to indicate that the U.S. Department of Justice believes Trump may have violated the Espionage Act, as well as other criminal laws relating to the handling of public records.
Mothers Behind Book-Banning Campaign Claim Their First Amendment Rights Are Being Violated
The self-dubbed Mama Bears filed a federal lawsuit alleging that by not being allowed to read sexually explicit material aloud at school board meetings, they themselves are being censored.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, August 14, 2022
Flagler’s LGBTQ youths rally for school board candidates, Grace Community Food Pantry, reflections on the stabbing of Salman Rushdie and the shock of the crime’s increasing ordinariness.
Behind Salman Rushdie’s ‘The Satanic Verses’
The book, “Satanic Verses,” goes to the heart of Muslim religious beliefs when Rushdie, in dream sequences, challenges and sometimes seems to mock some of its most sensitive tenets.
1st Early Voting Day Begins With Harmony and a Cross-Party Prayer. Then Joe Mullins Shows Up.
Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the public library early voting site this morning after Commissioner Joe Mullins got into a heated verbal altercation with Linda Hansen, wife of Commissioner Greg Hansen, who has himself been the target of Mullins’s insults. It was the latest burst from a mass of dark clouds that have increasingly cloaked Mullins week after week as he attempts to win re-election.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, August 13, 2022
11th Annual Surfers for Autism in Flagler Beach, Sensory Storytime at the public library, the Gamble Jam, Kurt Vonnegut on banned books.
Arctic Is Warming Nearly 4 Times Faster Than Rest of the Planet
The Arctic is on average around 3℃ warmer than it was in 1980. This is alarming, because the Arctic contains sensitive and delicately balanced climate components that, if pushed too hard, will respond with global consequences.
Military Vets Without Bachelor’s Degrees Will Soon Be Teaching in Florida Schools
Gov. Ron DeSantis has approved a new law to create an alternative temporary teaching certificate for military veterans, saying that their prior military experience will have value in the classroom. But the law would get around a prerequisite expected of thousands of teachers in Florida — a bachelor’s degree.
Florida Tax Collection Is $3.85 Billion Higher Than Forecast for Year
With inflation pushing up prices of taxable items, Florida’s general revenue substantially topped expectations in June and in the recently completed state fiscal year. General-revenue collections in June were $978.7 million, or 27.6 percent, higher than projected.
Sheriff Staly Is American Legion Post 115’s Law Officer of the Year
Sheriff Rick Staly, along with other First Responders who have exceeded the duty requirements expected of their position and demonstrated a distinct pattern of community service coupled with professional achievement, received awards.
Study: Flagler’s Beaches Are Eroding Critically, and Will Cost County Alone $5 to $13 Million a Year to Slow
The most comprehensive study to date about Flagler County’s beaches paints a stark picture of the consequences of climate change and sea level rise, accelerating erosion, potentially crushing costs to local taxpayers to slow down the erosion with beach renourishment, and few sources of funding to do so.
Water Main Breaks on South Central Ave. in Flagler Beach, Requiring Boil-Water Notice
A water main that serves residents and businesses on portions of the south-central area of Flagler Beach broke on Friday, requiring several days of repairs and a boil-water notice for affected residents and businesses next week. Service will not be interrupted through the weekend, as the city’s public works department is patching the damage until Monday.
Mom Faces Felony Charges After Alleged Series of Lurid Attacks on Her 12-Year-Old Daughter
Priscilla Jocelyn Florentino was booked at the Flagler County jail on three felony charges, including child abuse and assaulting an officer, after allegedly handcuffing her 12-year-old child’s hand to a steering wheel in a hot car, defacing the child with lurid accusations on her face, shoving a pipe down the 12 year old’s mouth, shoving her fingers down her mouth, choking her, striking the girl with a phone, and shearing off the child’s hair to a military-style cut.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday August 12, 2022
Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin and Commissioner Dave Sullivan on Free For All, defunding the federal police appears to be OK with conservatives, Ricky Gervais and Moby-Dick.
The US Military Faces a Rise in Extremism in Its Ranks
Pentagon officials are shaken by service members’ prominent role in the events of Jan. 6. Of the 884 criminal defendants charged to date with taking part in the insurrection, more than 80 were veterans. That’s almost 10% of those charged.
Northeast Florida Fall Boat Show Set for Oct. 15-16 in Jacksonville
The North Florida Marine Association announces the Northeast Florida Fall Boat Show, Saturday and Sunday, October 15 and 16, at the J-Tech Institute campus in Jacksonville’s Southside.
Fried Criticizes DeSantis Attack on Law Enforcement Following FBI Search of Trump’s Home
“It also pains me that Ron DeSantis — who still has not condemned Nazis, even after multiple requests to stand united with me,” Fried said. “He won’t condemn January 6, but he has no problem attacking the FBI, an FBI that is run by a director that was appointed by Donald Trump.”
Titanic Erosion in Flagler Beach Uncovers an Anchor from Another Century, and Mottle of Secrets
The anchor was discovered just north of the Flagler Beach pier, site of drastic erosion over the past few weeks. A team from the St. Augustine Lighthouse Archeological Maritime Program was alerted and has been analyzing the find for its historical value and age since.
Schools Scramble to Fill Vacant Slots, Including 108 in Flagler District, as Enrollment Appears Up
Flagler County has 108 job postings as of today, according to its openings advertised online, including 32 instructional positions, among them six teaching openings at Buddy Taylor Middle School, six at Matanzas High School, and four at Flagler Palm Coast High School.
Sheriff Staly Issues Statement Rejecting Any Suggestion of Endorsement of Palm Coast Candidates
Sheriff Rick Staly said today he has “not endorsed and will not endorse any candidate for Palm Coast City Coast City Council,” a statement prompted by Palm Coast Council candidate Alan Lowe featuring Staly in an ad by ex-felon Oliver North endorsing Lowe.
Denise Calderwood, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Denise Calderwood is a Republican candidate for Flagler County Commission, District 2, facing incumbent Greg Hansen and Janet McDonald in the Aug. 23 primary. It is an open primary: all Flagler County voters are eligible to vote regardless of party affiliation.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, August 11, 2022
The NAACP Flagler Branch hosts a forum for candidates for the Palm Coast City Council and the Flagler County Commission, remembering the Iowa State Fair, Bill Burr, Orwell.
Social Media? No. Blame Cable News for Idiocy Politics.
Roughly 17% of Americans are politically polarized – 8.7% to the left and 8.4% to the right – based on their TV news consumption. That’s three to four times higher than the average percentage of Americans polarized by online or social media sources.
Appeals Court Will Decide Whether You Can Pass Water and Food to People in Line to Vote
Attorneys for the League of Women Voters of Florida, the Black Voters Matter Fund, the Florida Alliance for Retired Americans and other plaintiffs filed a 67-page brief asking the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold a district judge’s ruling that said increased “solicitation” restrictions near polling places violate speech rights.
Palm Coast Fire Department’s Jeremy Barton Gets American legion’s 1st Responder Award
Palm Coast Fire Driver Engineer Jeremy Barton has been awarded the 2022 Law & Order and First Responder Award by the Flagler American Legion Post #115 for his outstanding contribution to the fire service for his leadership of the Driver Engineer Field Training program for the Palm Coast Fire Department.
‘Disturbing’ Beach Erosion Near Pier Meets Split and Muddled Response from Flagler Beach Commission
A 90-minute emergency meeting of the Flagler Beach City Commission this morning resulted in more confusion, disagreement and speculation than direction on how to address what City Manager William Whitson described as “disturbing” and relatively sudden erosion of a massive portion of beach at the pier and just north of it. Others–including surfers and a city commissioner–said the sand has merely migrated, and will return of its own.
Sims Jones, Palm Coast City Council Candidate: The Live Interview
Sims Jones is a candidate for Palm Coast City Council, District 2, running against Theresa Carli Pontieri, Shauna Kanter and Alan Lowe. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
Arming Teachers Is Not the Answer. Limiting Access to Guns and Addressing Mental Health Is.
Problems have escalated to such a point that it has helped drive good people out of the classroom and negatively influenced people willing to become teachers. This is especially true in schools with a reputation for having a culture of discipline issues or weak community support.
Goodwill’s New 16,000-SQ. Ft. Store Marks Opening with Ribbon-Cutting Aug. 17
Goodwill Industries of North Florida will celebrate the new store’s opening with a ribbon cutting on August 17 — National Thrift Shop Day — at 10 a.m. with Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin.
Flagler’s Vote-By-Mail Total Already Far Exceeds All of 2018’s, With Primary Election 13 Days Away
The Flagler County Supervisor of Elections had tabulated almost 9,000 ballots turned in by mail or at its lone, now ostensibly “monitored” drop-box in Bunnell, exceeding by 1,150 the total number of ballots mailed in during the 2018 primary election cycle, the last off-year election.
Shauna Kanter, Palm Coast City Council Candidate: The Live Interview
Shauna Kanter is a candidate for Palm Coast City Council, District 2, running against Sims Jones, Alan Lowe and Theresa Carli Pontieri. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, August 10, 2022
The Flagler Beach City Commission holds a special meeting on beach erosion, John McWhorter on texting, Magellan from 1519 to 1990, on trashy novels.
No Respect: Efforts to Combat Teacher Shortages Don’t Address the Real Problems
The reasons teachers are leaving primarily revolve around the disrespect they and the profession consistently face. For example, teachers earn about 20% less than similarly educated professionals. They also faced an escalating workload, even before the pandemic placed additional demands on their time, energy and mental health.
Stark Numbers on Palm Coast’s Unaffordable Housing Crisis Emerge Behind a Routine Presentation
A housing report Palm Coast government is required to submit to federal authorities every five years, presented to the City Council today, opens an alarming window into the city’s most dire housing needs and stresses for middle and lower-income residents.
Christian School Challenges Ban on Pre-Game Prayer, Citing Recent Supreme Court Ruling
A Tampa Christian school has asked a federal appeals court to find that the Florida High School Athletic Association unconstitutionally prevented a prayer over a stadium loudspeaker before a 2015 high-school football championship game.
Palm Coast IT Director Doug Akins Earns Certified Government Chief Information Officer Designation
The City of Palm Coast’s Information Technology Director Doug Akins recently completed the John Scott Dailey Florida Institute of Government’s Certified Government Chief Information Officer (CGCIO) program. Director Akins is one of only 245 certified professionals in the state.
Appointed in 3-1 Vote, Pete Young Is a Bunnell City Commissioner Again, 14 Years Later
The Bunnell City Commission Monday evening voted 3-1 to appoint Pete Young, who had served one term on the commission between 2006 and 2008, to the seat vacated by the resignation in July of Robert Barnes. It is the sixth time in four years that a seat has turned over on the commission, the third by appointment.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, August 9, 2022
The Palm Coast City Council is in workshop, The Community Traffic Safety Team meets, Remembering Nagasaki and wondering why there won’t be a moment of silence.
New Photos Suggest How Trump Flushed Official Documents Down the Toilet
Into the sewer. That appears to be the intended destination of what look like torn-up presidential documents in photographs released by reporter Maggie Haberman to the news publication Axios, which published them today.
Ballot Effort to Legalize Recreational Marijuana in Florida Launches
Trulieve, the state’s largest medical-marijuana operator, and country-music legends The Bellamy Brothers are backing a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow recreational use of marijuana by people 21 or older.
Massive Erosion Strikes North and South of Pier; Flagler Beach Commission Calls Emergency Meeting
Erosion north of the Flagler Beach pier and around 13th Street South has left portions of the shore without beach, with sheer cliffs of sand instead, as was the case along much of the Flagler shore following Hurricane Matthew. Yet there’s been no major storms. County and Flagler Beach officials are concerned, and examining options.
In Wake of Robert Barnes’s Resignation, Bunnell Commission Grapples With What To Do Next
For the second time in 13 months, the Bunnell City Commission is grappling with a resignation and how–or whether–to fill the vacated seat before the next election, scheduled for March. The charter leaves certain parameters undefined.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, August 8, 2022
The Bunnell City Commission discusses how to go about filling another vacancy, highs only around 90 (pack a sweater), FYO open enrollment, beer bellies, lepers and conspiracy theories.
Social Media and the Misuses of Images of Carnage from War
With social media in the mix and the never-ending competition to be first, editors are publishing and distributing images with less consideration for traditional editorial restraint and balance between gore and meaning – and with less context about the images themselves.
FPL’s Covert Campaign Against the Free Press
FPL got a consultant to hire a private investigator who spied on a Florida Times Union reporter, his girlfriend, and their dog. FPL CEO Eric Silagy swears he didn’t do it. And, if somebody did it, he didn’t know about it.
A School Supply Drive for Bunnell Elementary
In support of Bunnell Elementary School, the Bunnell Police Department is hosting a School Supply Drive now through August 10. Donations can be dropped off at the police station, 1769 E. Moody Blvd, Building 14, behind the Flagler Government Services building.