A medical examiner’s autopsy confirmed that Kevin Clayton’s death in a Nov. 28 fire at 40 Kentucky Avenue in western Flagler County was a suicide. No foul play is suspected.
Kevin Clayton’s Death in Friday’s
Elections Commission Tosses 3 More Claims Against Flagler Officials as County Fires Back
The Florida Elections Commission voted to dismiss three elections complaints against Flagler Commissioners Frank Meeker and Nate McLaughlin as the county administration filed another petition to seek attorneys’ fees in related complaints.
Florida Protest Group Delays Rally in Light Of Terror Attack at Planned Parenthood
Orlando-based Florida Family Policy Council’s “Rally to Defund Planned Parenthood,” slated for Dec. 7 at the Florida Capitol, will take place in the spring instead, the council organizers said.
Tuesday Briefing: World AIDS Day, Demolishing an ITT Icon, Palm Coast’s Video Awards
It’s World Aids Day, the Flagler School Board will seek bids to destroy Corporate One, its former home and ITT’s once-upon-a-time headquarters, the Palm Coast council is set to approve a moratorium on bottle clubs.
Trump Campaign Bus Rolls Into Palm Coast, Transformed as Donald Anti-Matter
The Donald Trump campaign bus used in Iowa for several months was on its way to Miami art fair, bought and transformed by artists into a mobile protest of the GOP contender’s views on women, Mexicans and facts.
Proposal Would Force Cities, Including Bunnell and Flagler Beach, to Move Elections to November
Cities intend to fight a proposal now before state lawmakers that would take away their ability to set local election dates and could extend the terms of some current elected officials.
Man Charged With Aggravated Assault in Confrontation With Ex-City Commissioner
Ex-Bunnell City Commissioner Jimmy Flynt intervened to stop a brewing fight and cursing in front of First United Methodist Church, which led Joshua Meyers, 26, to allegedly threaten him with a knife.
Bunnell City Manager’s Job Draws 3 Internal Applicants; Interviews Set Wednesday
Deputy City Clerk Dan Davis, Finance Director Stella Gurnee, and City Engineer Ferdinand Tiblier will be interviewed in an open meeting Wednesday evening, when the Bunnell City Commission could make a decision on its next manager.
Monday Briefing: It’s Shirley Chisholm Day, Tree-Lighting Tonight, Charles Mingus Always
Shirley Chisholm Day is celebrated in Palm Coast this evening, Central Park is aglitter with the tree-lighting ceremony and the Fantasy Lights, and three full concerts of Charles Mingus.
Should Government Censor Offensive Speech? 40% of Millennials Say Yes. That’s a Problem.
Surprisingly, the Pew survey finds nearly twice as many Democrats as Republicans saying government should be able to stop speech against minorities. Independents are in the middle.
Hurricane Season Ends as Florida Escapes Direct Hit For 10th Straight Year
The current streak is made even more remarkable since Florida, with its 1,260 miles of coastline, has accounted for about 40 percent of hurricane landfalls on U.S. shores in that recorded time period, according to the National Weather Service.
Palm Coast’s Timothy Miller, 45, Critical After Early-Morning Crash on State Road A1A
Timothy Miller, a 45-year-old resident of Palm Coast, is in critical condition after a single-car wreck on State Road A1A early this morning (Nov. 28), a short distance from his home.
Man Found Dead and Bloodied Outside Drain Street House: Police Investigating Homicide
John Robert Stubbs, a 46-year-old resident of Hymon Circle in Bunnell, was found dead outside a house in Bunnell this morning, soaked in blood. City Manager Larry Williams described it as “what appears to be a homicide.”
Ex-Deputy Ruddell, Who Filed Wage Suit Against Manfre, Arrested in 3-County Pursuit
Daniel Ruddell, an ex-deputy who in February won a wage dispute with Flagler County Sheriff Jim Manfre, was arrested in St. Johns County Thursday night after an alleged robbery in Daytona Beach and a pursuit through Volusia and Flagler counties that ended in a wreck on I-95.
Alan Thicke Giftwraps Kenny Rogers’ Toy Shoppe Musical at Flagler Auditorium Sunday
Thicke, the Canadian-born actor, TV theme song composer and talk show host known for his role as the dad on the sitcom “Growing Pains,” is starring in the touring musical about a toy shop threatened with closure.
Felony Charges for 20-Year-Old Palm Coast Man for Throwing Eggs and Potato at Cops
Anthony Fennick, 20, faces four felony counts of aggravated assault on law enforcement officers, among other charges, after he was arrested during an investigation of a suspicious incident on Richardson Drive.
Florida Picks 5 Nurseries to Grow and Distribute Medical Marijuana for Select Patients
Parents of children with severe epilepsy pushed for a 2014 law to legalize the purportedly non-euphoric marijuana — low in THC, high in CBD — as it can end or dramatically reduce life-threatening seizures.
Thanksgiving Briefing: Humanitarians of the Year, Alan Thicke at the Auditorium, Trump in Sarasota
Government offices and schools close for a breather, but Donald Trump invades Florida, Alan Thicke stars in “The Toy Shoppe” at the Flagler Auditorium, and Jeb Bush still doesn’t get it.
Shirley Chisholm, “Part of the Heritage of Palm Coast,” Receives Presidential Medal of Freedom
Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman to run for president, retired to Palm Coast in 1991. She received the posthumous medal from President Obama today as an awareness campaign about her life and impact on Palm Coast grows locally.
Palm Coast Ties Emergency Communications System to Recent Crash–Falsely, County Says
City Manager Jim Landon says he’s concerned about maintenance of the countywide 800 mhz communications system, suggesting it could crash as parts of the sheriff’s computer system recently did–an inaccurate suggestion that deflects from other problems, the county retorts.
DUI Arrest Turns Into Violent Confrontation With Cops and Paramedics
Elisabeth Akers of Palm Coast faces two felony and two misdemeanor charges after allegedly spitting on paramedics and resisting arrest with violence in the Seminole Woods area.
Palm Coast Wants Changes to County-Controlled Ambulance Services in the City
The city wants to reduce the need for fire trucks and ambulances doubling up on EMS calls, and to lower overall costs. The county has its own ideas. The two sides will meet administratively to hash out possibilities.
Tree Lighting in Palm Coast’s Town Center Ignites Series of Holiday Events
The tree lighting on Monday also starts the annual Fantasy Lights display in Town Center. The boat parade is on Dec. 5, the Starlight Parade on Dec. 12.
Tuesday Briefing: Palm Coast Talks EMS and Its Own Pay, Imagine’s K-Kids, Hubert Grimes Gives Thanks,
The Palm Coast Council talks about its own pay and discusses overhauling county’s EMS system, Hubert Grimes gives thanks at Methodist gathering, Imagine school’s K-Kids care for the less fortunate.
Scott’s $79.3 Billion Budget Proposal Draws Criticism for Gimmickry and $250 Million Fund
The budget would cut taxes $1 billion, create a business fund and raise per-student funding but would still be $1,284 per student below the 2006, inflation-adjusted level.
Bunnell Woman Accused of Aggravated Manslaughter in Death of Her Disabled Uncle
Holly Norris, a 34-year-old Bunnell woman with a long list of criminal charges and penalties over the past 10 years, was charged with aggravated manslaughter in the death of her uncle, John Satanoski, two years ago.
The Politics of Resentment: Why Poorer Areas Are Increasingly Voting Republican
A political puzzle: Parts of the country that depend on the safety-net programs supported by Democrats are increasingly voting for Republicans who favor shredding that net. The reason: the poor don’t vote.
Monday Briefing: Mayor Netts Honored, Enterprise Florida’s Fans, Scott’s Budget Unveiled
Palm Coast Mayor Jon Netts is the recipient of a Northeast Florida Regional Council award, Gov. Scott unveils his proposed budget while pushing for more powers for Enterprise Florida.
Conservatives Should Be Leading the Charge to Accept Syrian Refugees. We Have No Choice.
Doesn’t American exceptionalism demand that we lead where others have neither the will nor the courage? We have no choice. America gives sanctuary to those fleeing persecution, argues Nancy Smith. This is what we do and who we are. We’re the good guys.
Traffic Tickets as a Sleigh to Christmas Come True: Yes Virginia, There’s Santa Cop
The Flagler Beach Police Department is issuing “toy waivers“ with warning citations for certain offenses to help Christmas Come True, Nadine King’s annual fund-raiser for poorer children that’s considerably short of its $40,000 goal this year.
What It Takes to Get New Retailers to Palm Coast: Behind a $135,000 Matchmaking Deal
Palm Coast signed a three-year, $135,000 contract with Texas-based Buxton, a retail recruiter, in hopes of filling storefronts and empty commercial lots. The approach has its mix of skeptics and cheerleaders.
Flagler Unemployment Falls to 5.9%, an 8-Year Low; Job Growth at 23.7% Since 2007
The number of people with jobs in Flagler has grown by 23.7 percent since 2007, even though the population has grown by just 13.6 percent, pointing to a relatively robust recovery.
Weekend Briefing: Salvo Art Project’s 1-Year Bash, Jim Guines Appreciation, Chili Pipers at the Auditorium
The great Jim Guines is celebrated and appreciated Sunday at 3 p.m. at FPC, JJ Graham’s and Petra Iston’s Salvo Art Project turns 1 year old in a Saturday celebration, the myth of Sisyphus in an Oscar-Nominated short film from 1974.
America’s Responsibility for Enabling ISIS, And How to End Blowback Terrorism
More wars – especially CIA-backed, Western-led wars – will solve nothing. By contrast, a surge of investment in education and sustainable development is the real key to building a more stable future for the Middle East and the world, argues Jeffrey Sachs.
Crime Rises 2.4% in Flagler in Mid-Year Report, First Increase Since 2009
A spike in burglaries and larcenies sent Flagler County’s overall crime rate up 2.4 percent in the first six months of 2015, in contrast with crime in Florida as a whole, where it has fallen 2.2 percent.
Palm Coast Seeks to Bail on County-Wide Communications System It joined in 2009 in Latest Clash With Flagler
Palm Coast and Flagler County governments are trading accusations of violating a 2009 agreement over the critical 800 mhz system as Palm Coast quit contributing its share of dollars to it and the county charges that the city is inventing an issue without a problem.
Measure Allowing Guns on Florida College Campuses Heads for Likely House Passage
But the fate of the NRA-supported gun measure, vehemently opposed by university officials, still hangs in the Senate, where passage is less certain.
Nutrition Supplement Firm Will Expand Into Ex-Palm Coast Data Building, With 50 Jobs
Designs for Health, a nutritional supplement and vitamins company, will get a $25,000 county subsidy to expand from Hargrove Grade to Commerce Boulevard in exchange for 50 jobs and a $3 million investment in the old Palm Coast Data building complex.
Thursday Briefing: Civil Liberties v. Security, Ambulance Wars, Jindal Drops Out, and Henryk Wieniawski
How to balance civil liberties in an age of insecurities, Palm Coast and Flagler County are at loggerheads over ambulance services again, Bobby Jindal is the latest GOP candidate to drop out of the presidential race.
Syrian Refugees, ISIS, the Attacks to Come and What To Do: A Grim Q&A
Tom O’Hara’s sobering answers to basic questions on the next ISIS attack, the refusal to take in Syrian refugees, what ISIS wants and whether an invasion of Syria and Iraq can work.
Trump in Florida Maintains Big Lead Over Rubio and Easily Beats Clinton in Latest Poll
Donald Trump has double the support of Marco Rubio, with Ben Carson a distant third, and would beat Hillary Clinton by 8 points in Florida Atlantic University Business and Economics Polling Initiative.
Splits Limited to Details as Bunnell Sets Next Manager’s Pay Range and Qualifications
The city manager’s position will go for a salary range of $65,000 to $80,000, internal applicants will get a week’s head start, there will be no interim for now, and a four-year degree is required, thus closing the way to several potential internal or previous applicants.
Palm Coast Moves to Restrict Bottle Clubs, Speakeasies that Skirt Booze Regulations
There are no bottle clubs in Palm Coast or Flagler County. Palm Coast wants to keep it that way after businesses complained of a place possibly opening at City Market Place.
No Longer State of the Art, Flagler Auditorium Seeks School Board Support for Improvements
A joint meeting between the school board and the auditorium board revealed a wish-list of costly needs that would require the district to shift dollars and priorities toward the auditorium. First, school board members want more clarity on those needs.
Wednesday Briefing: Curbing Bottle Clubs, a Manager’s Job Description in Bunnell, ISIS Debates
Palm Coast’s planning board takes on bottle clubs, where patrons gather with their own liquor to socialize, Bunnell takes on its manager search, and a slew of other government meetings are scheduled before Thanksgiving.
In Rare Defeat for NRA in Florida, Lawmakers Kill Broader Stand Your Ground Measure
A National Rifle Association-backed measure that could have made it easier legally for people to claim self-defense in shooting incidents failed to get through its first House committee on Tuesday.
School Board Member’s Home Among 4 Targeted for Burglaries in Central Palm Coast
Flagler County School Board member Janet McDonald’s house was among the four residences targeted in the B, C and Palm Harbor sections of Palm Coast on Nov. 6.
Not All Speech Is Free: County Slams McDonald for Legal Fees Over “Knowingly False” Claims
Dennis McDonald, the Ronald Reagan Assembly member and frequent critic of government, said he’ll “absolutely” contest the county’s move on First Amendment grounds.
Sheriff Rethinks Joint IT Operations With County Amid Discord Over Computer Failure
Sheriff Jim Manfre wants to “transition” from the merger with the county’s IT operations less than two years after he and the county approved it as a signal of cooperation and efficiency.
We Are At War
No one wants to repeat the errors of the US under President George W. Bush; but to use those errors as an alibi to avoid confronting the world as it is would merely be an error of a different sort.