A dozen states have legalized issuing driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants, primarily as a safety measure, but Flagler officials reflect state opinion that has prevented such legalization from taking place in the Sunshine State.
Weekend Briefing: Community Cats Conference, Bands Showdown, “Unnecessary Farce” at Playhouse
An unusual conference of cat volunteers and caretakers at the Humane Society, 45 concert bands at the Flagler Auditorium, a new play at the Flagler Playhouse.
With 3 Weeks to Go Before Florida Primary, Trump Is Thumping Rubio By 16 Points, on Rubio’s Turf
The New York real-estate mogul holds a commanding 44-28 percent lead over Rubio among likely GOP primary voters, the Quinnipiac University poll found. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas came in third with 12 percent.
Chamber Crystal: How Pot, Trump, and Independents Will Affect Elections in Flagler and Florida
Marian Johnson of the Florida Chamber of Commerce gave a Flagler County group of candidates and business interests an overview of the election season ahead Thursday at the Hilton Garden Inn.
Palm Coast Concedes: Keeping Golf Course At Taxpayers’ Expense No Longer Tenable
The Palm Coast City Council wants to explore leasing out the Palm Harbor Golf Club and the city tennis center, or possibly managing both itself, rather than keep pouring taxpayer subsidies into operations that have lost money for eight years.
Thursday Briefing: Chick-Fil-A Wants a Beautification Award, The Chamber’s Take on Florida Politics, Foxman’s Drug Court
Chick-Fil-A thinks it should get an award for handsome landscaping on Palm Coast Parkway (though city regulations also deserve credit), and a Florida Chamber of Commerce adviser talks politics at the Hilton Garden Inn at noon.
Put Away Your Glocks, Backyardigans:
Gov. Scott Signs Bill Banning Urban Gun Play
Scott’s signature Wednesday comes nearly five years after the governor signed into law a measure that voided all local firearms restrictions.
School District’s Decision to Demolish Old ITT Building Triggers Upheaval Behind the Scenes
A board member pledged to call the attorney general over the improper end of the discussion surrounding the 3-2 vote last week, and the company picked to demolish the building lost the license enabling it to do so.
Too Many Questions Beg The Answer: End the Death Penalty in Florida
Rick Scott shouldn’t plan on signing any more death warrants soon, if ever, argues Martin Dyckman, even as the Florida House “cured” what the U.S. Supreme Court specifically found wrong with Florida’s death penalty.
With the Wag of a Tail: 9-Year-Old at Imagine Publishes Her First Book of Stories
Anjali Anabel Tomerlin, a third grader at Imagine School at Town Center in Palm Coast, has written, illustrated and published her first book, “With The Wag Of A Tail: Boston Terriers.”
For 2nd Time in 4 Days, Deputies Disarm Assailant at Gunpoint, This Time a 15 Year Old
A 15-year-old boy rushed a sheriff’s deputy with a knife in an R-Section confrontation Tuesday, before he dropped the knife at gunpoint. The incident had followed a confrontation between the boy and his grandparents.
Wednesday Briefing: No Salary Hike for Council, Walesa in Miami, the Devil in Ted Cruz
A rather dull day in Flagler when the most notable event is the county’s economic development council self-critiquing its website. In Miami, however, Lech Walesa will be talking at Florida International University.
Bee Gees Tribute Band Stayin’ Alive Returns to Flagler Auditorium March 4
Back by popular demand one of the world’s most popular Bee Gees tribute band, Stayin’ Alive, returns to the Flagler Auditorium on March 4 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $29 for adults, $18 for youth.
As Palm Coast Surveys Residents Yet Again, For $13,000, Council Members Question the Point
Several council members criticized the latest survey of Palm Coast residents–its small sample size, its limited uses, and whether it should be an annual exercise anymore.
But Can He Win?
Helping to rally Florida Republican leaders behind Rubio is the fear that real-estate tycoon Donald Trump could win the nomination. But it’s a long way to the 1,236 delegates needed for nomination.
Citing Home Rule, Bunnell Opposes State Move Forcing Cities to Alter Election Schedules
Voter turnout in Bunnell city elections has been notoriously low. A state proposal aims to change that by forcing cities like Bunnell to adopt different election schedules. The Bunnell City Commission is opposed.
The Agony of Hillary Clinton
This impressive, remarkably intelligent woman just doesn’t have the feel for politics that is demanded at the highest levels. For one thing, she’s simply not a very good politician.
Tuesday Briefing: Entrepreneur Night at New Europa, More Bottle Club Fizz, Hotel California
Entrepreneur Night kicks off at 5:30 p.m. at the New Europa at European Village, the Palm Coast council again agonizes over bottle clubs and its beleaguered golf and tennis operations.
Suicide By Gun Averted, Woman’s Face Burned With Cigarette, Good Samaritan Turns In $2,500
Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy Michael Breckwoldt, a 13-year veteran of the force, averted a suicide by a 68-year-old woman who was wielding a Smith and Wesson .380 handgun and had earlier fired two shots.
Court Ruling Favoring Counties in Juvenile Detention Costs Could Send Flagler $300,000
An appeals court ruling could mean the state owes more than $100 million to counties in a long-running dispute about who pays to detain juvenile offenders.
Flagler Voter Registrations Surge to 90%, Aiding GOP as Democrats Fall to Historic Low
Flagler County’s voter registration rolls have surged by 21 percent since 2009, resulting in a 90 percent registration rate, with Republicans riding a 4,500-voter advantage over Democrats.
Monday Briefing: Hobby Lobby’s Island Walk Plans, Protecting Realtors, Bunnell Contends With Election Dates
Hobby Lobby gets a development order so it can rebuild the front of the old Publix at Island Walk, formerly Palm Harbor shopping center, Bunnell debates a likely state mandate to force cities to move their election days.
Upset By Cheesy Garlic Knots and “Disrespect,” Quartet Trashes Palm Coast Pizza
Four Palm Coast residents are accused of trashing Palm Coast Pizza after one of them was upset by cheese on her garlic knots, and the way she was refunded the money.
The End of Jeb
While the favorite of many Republican insiders and fund-raisers, Bush could never appear to get his footing in a race that has been largely dominated by the outsider Donald Trump.
Jon Moscowitz Named Sons of the American Revolution’s Firefighter of the Year
Moscowitz, 28, has been a firefighter-paramedic in Flagler County for 9 years. Only a few weeks ago he’d also been named public safety EMS professional of the year by his peers.
Master of Obstruction: Why McConnell Is Picking a Fight Over Scalia’s Replacement
It is less about blocking liberal policy goals than about boosting Republican chances. Remarkably, McConnell has chosen a path that would seem to reduce his party’s odds in November.
Buy This Art: Ocean Art Gallery’s Laws of Shopper Attraction, at the Point of a Spear
Frank Gromling, owner of Flagler Beach’s Ocean Art Gallery, is all about marketing and selling art. He’s not interested in museum-like browsers, let alone displaying art for art’s sake.
The Good Life: At Salvo Gallery, One Collector’s Gems Frame Wealth of Flagler’s Arts
Christopher Goodfellow has been collecting art for years. The new show at Salvo Art Project features his mostly-Flagler collection of the last five years, highlighting the wealth and variety of the local art scene.
Promising 300 Jobs 3 Years Ago, Aveo Engineering Bails on Airport Lease But Pledges to Remain in Flagler
Aveo Engineering, the much-touted LED parts manufacturer had promised 300 jobs by 2016 at the Flagler County Airport. Neither jobs nor facility have materialized, though the company is still pledging to grow in Flagler, but not at the airport.
Florida Still Outlier as Death-Penalty Fix Falls Short of Requiring Unanimous Jury Verdicts
The measure would require at least 10 jurors to recommend the death penalty for the sentence to be imposed and would empower juries to decide whether defendants should die or be imprisoned for life without the chance for parole.
Weekend Briefing: European Village’s 10 Years, Last Chance for “Last Romance,” Ocean Art Redux
European Village celebrates its 10th year, City Repertory Theatre stages The Last Romance, Flagler Beach’s Ocean Art Gallery holds its grand re-opening.
Why Is International Law Failing to Protect Sharks?
A key meeting this month on migratory sharks represent an important opportunity for advancing regulations to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of endangered shark species.
At FPC, Community Problem Solvers Re-Imagine Library as Fluid “Learning Commons”
When every student has a media center in the palm of the hand, it’s time to change the name and purpose of a school library. That’s what FPC’s Community Problem Solvers set out to do, and achieved.
Palm Coast Signals Going Its Own Way In Growing Rift With County Over Radio System
City Manager Jim Landon is pressuring the county to replace its emergency radio infrastructure–on which the city and sheriff depend– well before 2020. The county is resisting, citing costs.
Citing Overreach, Senate Kills Public Record Exemption for Hunters’ Personal Information
Barbara Petersen, president of the First Amendment Foundation, welcomed the defeat of the bill, which she labeled “the Ted Nugent Act” because of publicity surrounding a bear hunt last year.
Thursday Briefing: Trump Keeps Rising, So Do Flagler’s Cell Towers; a New Kind of Library at FPC
A Community Problem Solving project turned the FPC media center into the new Bulldog Learning Commons, Trump gets stronger in the polls, communication towers may have to rise higher in Palm Coast.
Drone, Pellet Gun and Protected Bird Mix Into Novel Confrontation in Palm Coast’s C-Section
A man threatened to shoot down his neighbor’s drone on Palm Coast’s Collingwood Lane after claiming he was using the drone to harass purple martins, the federally protected birds.
Sheriff Issues Warning of IRS Scams as “Hundreds” of Palm Coast Residents Report Fraud
Tax season is intensifying scams from fraudsters posing as the IRS, who have been targeting Palm Coast residents and threatening them with arrest if they don’t immediately pay bogus tax bills.
Florida Senators Reject Weakening State’s Regulatory Power in Health Care Expansions
The Senate on Wednesday listened to hospitals, nursing homes and hospice providers and killed a bill that would have weakened the “certificate of need” process that gives the state power to review and approval new health-care facilities.
Call The Question! School Board Moves to Demolish Old ITT Building in “Awkward” Vote
The school board will spend $163,000 to demolish the iconic hulk on Palm Coast Parkway, but the 5-0 vote was marred and rushed by an improper maneuver by board member Sue Dickinson.
Wednesday Briefing: Jeb’s Weird Gun Thing, Tourism Council Slushies, An Anti-Gay Bill, Liszt
Jeb Bush tweets another cry for help, the Tourist Development Council shells out another $18,000 in free money, the Florida Legislature hides its homophobia behind the clergy’s robes.
Putnam Man Faces 5 Years in Prison For Brutalizing and Killing Girlfriend’s Puppy
A jury found Michael Anthony Dalton guilty in 15 minutes. He’d repeatedly punched his girlfriend’s puppy, breaking its neck, over relationship troubles with his girlfriend.
To School Officials’ Surprise, NAACP Accuses District of ‘Obstruction’ and More Arbitrary Discipline
The Flagler branch of the NAACP is accusing the school district of “willful” obstruction in disciplinary cases involving black students, and of ignoring behavior problems at Buddy Taylor Middle School.
Florida Senate’s Latest Bow to Guns: Allowing Them in Airport Terminals
The measure would allow people to continue carrying sidearms in the areas of airports up to where passengers go through the security-screening process.
Sheriff Manfre Ethics Case: In Eviscerating Language, Judge Recommends $6,200 Fine, Public Reprimand and Censure
An administrative law judge suggests the sheriff lied under oath as part of his defense in a case that has clouded his term since 2014 and that continues to damage his image in a re-election campaign featuring a slew of opponents.
Against Mayor’s Opposition, Palm Coast Council Discovers Public Input at Workshops
For the first time in 17 years the Palm Coast City Council will join other local governments in allowing public participation at council workshops, where most of the decisions are made, not just at “regular” meetings.
Tuesday Briefing: Voter Registration Deadline, Guns in Airports, Palm Coast’s Workshop Awakening
Your last day to register for the March 15 presidential primary is today. Independents don’t get to vote. FPC talks Fire Academy, the Legislature wants to allow guns at airports, Palm Coast opens up workshops to public participation.
At Florida Hospital Flagler, an Additional 32 Beds as Facility Grows Beyond Rural Stage
The $15-million, 32-bed addition tips Florida Hospital Flagler past the 99-bed threshold, reducing its Medicare dollars by up to $12 million, but hospital officials see the expansion as meeting local needs.
Beef Ads, Dolphin Pools, Farm Aid and Rodeos: Florida Lawmakers’ Pork Projects
The legislature’s budget plans are filled with pork items for local groups, parks, theaters and museums that may be minor in the overall proposals but important to lawmakers who want to take home money for projects and programs.
Twitter Images and Gun Threats Cause Concern at Matanzas High School
Postings on a 10th grader’s Twitter page showed pistols and a semi-automatic rifle captioned by threats such as “ISIS Affiliated” and “High School Musical; Massacre edition.”