The Flagler Tiger Bay Club candidate forum Thursday evening for County Commission and Palm Coast City Council candidates exposed a distinct experience gap between seasoned incumbents and ten political newcomers. Candidates faced poorly structured questions regarding development, taxation, and infrastructure. The restrictive format prevented meaningful debate or follow-up questions, forcing most candidates to rely on broad platitudes instead of offering concrete ideas for impending revenue shortages.
Flagler and Florida Officials Praise Rising Assessment Scores that Contradict Much Lower National Exam Rankings
Flagler County Schools reported student achievement gains on state standardized tests, outperforming Florida averages in most categories. The state Department of Education praised the metrics, noting sixty percent of students performed at or above grade level. But state-specific assessments mask Florida’s low national standings on the SAT, ACT, and NAEP exams.
Florida Kills Dusty Ray Spencer, 74, For Wife’s Murder in 1992; He Is Oldest Inmate to Be Executed in Modern Era
Dusty Ray Spencer was put to death by lethal injection Thursday at Florida State Prison in Starke for his wife’s murder more than three decades ago in Orange County. Spencer, 74, became the oldest person put to death by the state in the modern era. Spencer had a violent history with his wife, Karen, before stabbing her to death in the backyard of their home on Jan. 18, 1992 in Orange County.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, June 26, 2026
The Scenic A1A Pride Committee meets at the Hammock Community Center, the Friday Blue Forum meets, Acoustic Jam Circle, a United Nations Human Rights commission concludes Israel is deliberately targeting Palestinian children in its genocide in Gaza.
Strength Training Matters at Any Age
You will lose muscle during periods of immobilization, whether from illness, surgery or injury. The loss is inevitable. What’s not inevitable is whether you can afford that loss. If you’re already low on muscle mass, losing even a small amount can push you over the edge from independence to dependence. The same loss that barely affects someone with a larger amount of muscle can leave someone with less muscle unable to function independently.
Chipotle Doubles Its Palm Coast Presence with Drive-Thru Location at Belle Terre and Palm Coast Parkway
Chipotle Mexican Grill opens its second Palm Coast restaurant on Belle Terre Parkway next Tuesday, with a drive-thru pickup lane. The restaurant would create about 30 jobs. The restaurant is expected to generate about three times as much property tax revenue as its predecessor, an often disused gas station and convenience store.
Flagler Tiger Bay Political Forum for Palm Coast Council and County Commission Candidates Live
The Flagler Tiger Bay Club is hosting a political forum this evening for the Palm Coast City Council and Flagler County Commission candidates in the August 18 primary. The two-hour forum is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Palm Coast Community Center. It will be simulcast on WNZF and available live on YouTube here.
Army Recruit Faced Life in Prison for Raping Sibling. He Is Sentenced to Probation, No Adjudication, No Sex Offender Status.
A Palm Coast soldier indicted for raping his 10-year-old brother when he was himself 13 avoided prison after a negotiated plea deal that reduced the life-in-prison charge to child abuse, following requests from the family. Circuit Judge Howard Maltz sentenced the defendant to 10 years of sex-offender probation. Adjudication was withheld and Curtis was not designated a sex offender, allowing him to protect his military career.
Trump Spikes Bipartisan Housing Bill Unless Congress Approves New Voting Restrictions
President Donald Trump derailed a housing overhaul which passed the Senate Monday and House Tuesday with wide margins. Trump was set to sign into law Wednesday. He cancelled a signing ceremony for the broadly popular bipartisan bill until Congress passes the controversial SAVE America Act, which addresses the extremely rare phenomenon of noncitizen voting. Republican senators have told Trump there are not enough votes in the chamber for it to pass.
Flagler Sheriff Solves 2003 Cold Case of Mary Lou Combs With Help From FBI Divers
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly announced the resolution of a 22-year-old cold case after a submerged vehicle was recovered from the Intracoastal Waterway. The car contained human remains and personal items linked to Mary Lou Combs, a mother of three who disappeared in August 2003. A massive multi-agency effort involving FBI dive teams helped locate the wreckage, finally bringing long-awaited closure to her grieving family.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, June 25, 2026
It’s between Beats and Eats in Town center and the Flagler County Tiger Bay candidate forum at the Community Center. Also, the Flagler Beach City Commission meets, and the World Cup can be lopsided fun.
DeSantis Says His Homestead Tax Proposal Would Have Been Better
DeSantis sent his original proposal to the Legislature just five days before it was scheduled to meet in a special session to take it up. The final product omits DeSantis’ proposal to include a trust fund from which the state would provide grants to local governments that lack funding in certain essential services. The governor said that with the state’s existing “massive surplus,” it was something it could afford to do.
No Donald, You Do Not Own Congress
President Donald Trump remarked that he forgot to consider congressional input regarding the new Iran deal, rhetoric that mirrors a broad pattern of expanding executive overreach. The U.S. Constitution establishes a system of separated powers where the legislature serves as a coequal branch. Disregarding this framework sidelines elected representatives, isolates the public from self-government and reduces a resilient constitutional republic to a top-down hierarchy.
Victim Testifies On Behalf Of His Attacker Facing Life In Prison To Help Secure Bond, Saying Charges Were Exaggerated
A Flagler County judge granted 29-year-old Shantana Grayson a $66,500 bond following surprise testimony from her boyfriend, the alleged victim. Grayson faced five felony charges, including a charge punishable by life in prison and three counts of child neglect causing harm. Her victim and boyfriend testified that the domestic incident was exaggerated in the arrest report. The prosecutor left the decision to judicial discretion.
Flagler Beach Close to Approving 8-Unit Vacation Rental Building on A1A at South 17th Street, With One More Delay
The Flagler Beach City Commission yet again tabled the site plan for a planned three-story, eight-unit vacation rental building at 1708 South Ocean Shore Boulevard until July 16, but not because it doesn’t want to approve it. It is only seeking further tweaks. Developer Ted Barnhill moved the primary parking lot to front State Road A1A to alleviate traffic in a narrow rear dirt alley. Commissioners required additional screening along the western alley boundary before granting final project approval.
Armed Rape Added to Charges and Bond Denied in Man’s Alleged Attack of Ex as Defense Questions Victim’s Account
A circuit judge denied bond to Antonio Figueroa-Acevedo, 30, following the filing of a charge for the armed rape of his ex-girlfriend in Bunnell on June 12, among seven charges. Figueroa-Acevedo is a federal felon on probation. Four of his seven charges carry life sentences. The defense attorney questioned the victim’s account during the two-hour hearing even as the prosecution presented photos of the defendant at the scene and the victim’s injuries.
Five Democrats Running for Governor Are Challenging David Jolly for Nomination
With Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings dropping out of the race due to health problems, former Republican U.S. Rep. David Jolly would appear the clear frontrunner in the Democratic primary for governor taking place on Aug. 18. Democratic voters looking for an alternative will have five other choices. Here are their profiles.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, June 24, 2026
River to Sea Transportation Planning Organization meeting, Conversations in Democracy, Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, sets Trump straight, Anna Akhmatova, Renato Carosone and Bill Day on Italy.
Violent Crime Is at Its Lowest in More than a Century. The Money that Helped Reduce It Is Disappearing
The United States is experiencing one of the steepest declines in violent crime in modern history, including a murder rate at its lowest point in more than a century. Yet the Trump administration has yanked hundreds of millions of dollars from the programs that helped make those numbers possible.
Flagler Beach Planning to Install 30 Surveillance Cameras at 15 Locations Around Town for $158,000
The Flagler Beach City Commission votes Thursday on a $158,000 contract with a Jacksonville company to install 30 solar-powered surveillance cameras at 15 locations mostly south of State Road 100. The network requires a $109,859 start-up cost plus a $47,815 annual subscription. Local law enforcement will access the real-time feeds, as will city personnel. The proposal bypassed a formal bidding process and occurs as municipal governments are on their back heels over a proposed homestead tax cut.
Ten Arrested On Prostitution And Drug Charges In Joint Flagler County Undercover Sting, 3 Victims Rescued
A joint Flagler County undercover operation rescued three adult human trafficking victims and arrested 10 individuals on drug, prostitution, and weapons charges. The multi-month investigation targeted online sex markets. No human trafficking charges were filed today. The Sheriff’s Office is investigating suspected traffickers in an ongoing phase of the investigation.
Flagler Judge’s Forgetting Closing Arguments in Fatal DUI Hit-and-Run Case Triggers Unusual Appeal to Reconstruct Hearing
Flagler County Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols omitted closing arguments during the March sentencing to 10 years in prison of Melvin Adona for a double-fatal 2023 hit-and-run. Digital recording systems stopped before the oversight was realized, leaving no official record of subsequent arguments. The defense filed an unopposed motion requesting the appellate court return jurisdiction to the circuit court, intending to reconstruct the missing record.
Free Breakfast and Lunch Program for All Students in Flagler County Schools
Flagler Schools announces its policy for serving meals to students under the National School Lunch / School Breakfast Programs for the 2026-2027 school year. All students will be served lunch/breakfast at no charge at all nine traditional public schools.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Clay Jones on Trump’s dissimulations, the School Board holds a workshop in the afternoon and one of its pro forma meetings in the evening, an epidemic of machine-made insincerity, Weekly Chess Club for Teens, Ages 10-18, at the Flagler County Public Library.
How Fear and Loathing Pushes Americans to Vote for Scandalous Candidates
Democrats and Republicans are far away from each other on policy preferences, issue positions and culture. They are also distant in terms of where they live, whom they support, how they feel and even whom they love. Political science tells us that this polarized distance has increased feelings of personal animus between members of the two parties. Political psychology says the more different Americans are from each other, the easier it is for them to not just disagree with the other side but to dislike the other side to the point of viewing them as a threat.
Gas Prices Fall, But Pre-War Prices May Be Weeks or Months Away
As gas prices fell for a fourth consecutive week, analysts continue to caution that it could be weeks or months before returning to pre-war prices. On Monday, the auto club AAA reported the average gallon of gas in Florida was $3.62, down 20 cents from the previous week following the announcement of an agreement to end the war with Iran.
Flagler County Unemployment Steadies at 5.4% as Employment Grows, Florida’s at 4.8%
In Flagler County, the unemployment rate steadied at 5.4 percent, almost unchanged from April’s 5.5 percent. It was 4.2 percent a year ago. Some 250 more Flagler County residents got jobs in May and the labor force grew by 163 people, about 500 more than a year ago. The number of unemployed remained above 3,000, however.
Palm Coast Approves Two Commercial Developments That Could Bring More Than 200 Jobs
The Palm Coast Planning Board approved two commercial developments expected to create over 200 jobs. A 82,000-square-foot warehouse project on Commerce Boulevard will accommodate an expansion by manufacturer Alleima, and a 62,000-square-foot Palm Harbor Professional Complex will be a multi-suite medical office building, though developers have not secured any tenants for it yet.
Palm Coast Will Install Flashing Stop Signs At Exasperating Royal Palms and Old Kings Intersections with Town Center Blvd
Palm Coast public works crews will install flashing-red stop signs at two major Town Center intersections on July 2 and July 3. The intersections at Royal Palms Parkway and Old Kings Road will convert to three-way stops. The $15,000 project aims to reduce severe rush-hour backups. Drivers should expect overnight lane closures ahead of the Independence Day holiday.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, June 22, 2026
The Bunnell City Commission meets, Fox’s second-class World Cup match-ups, France takes on Iraq, braving Disney on a hot summer day, Henry James on aging.
Trump’s Iran Deal Let’s Israel Screw Lebanon Again
President Donald Trump is framing the deal as a win for the U.S. and the closing of the latest chapter in Washington’s Middle East entanglement. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose country was reportedly shut out of the diplomatic process, may have other plans that would challenge Trump’s authority in the region.
Contrary to GOP Promises, More Than 770,000 Children Are No Longer Receiving SNAP Benefits After Trump Changes
Republican backers of Trump’s signature domestic policy bill repeatedly claimed that revisions to the food benefits program wouldn’t affect the most vulnerable. But nearly a year after the measure was signed into law, the number of children receiving food assistance has plummeted by at least 776,000. At least 12 states break down program participation by age, and of the 1,670,011 people who are no longer receiving benefits in those states, 776,134, or 46%, were children.
Skepticism About Florida’s Homestead Tax Amendment Is Growing
Several municipal leaders, including some county tax collectors and property appraisers, are concerned that if the referendum is approved the reduction in revenues could complicate the repayment of municipal bonds. The concerns about the future of the stability of municipal bonds in Florida are getting so intense, daily trade newspaper The Bond Buyer has increased coverage the Sunshine State situation.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, June 21, 2026
Story Time on the Farm at the Florida Agriculture, Palm Coast Farmers’ Market at European Village, when Pat Buchanan blamed the AIDS epidemic on homosexuals, the media and the Democratic Party, remembering Howard Ashman.
Stop Celebrating Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ Goal
The “Hand of God” downgrades the competency by which players distinguish themselves. Additionally, it is an unambiguous case of cheating. Maradona intentionally and surreptitiously violated a rule of the sport to obtain an advantage that he would not have obtained otherwise – it distorts the sport, spoils the result and disrespects the opposing team.
Kash Patel Marks Bunnell Police Lt. Shane Groth’s FBI Academy Graduation
Bunnell Police Lt. Shane Groth graduated Thursday from the 298th Session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, marking a first for the small department. He is the first member of the agency to attend and graduate from the law enforcement leadership program. FBI Director Kash Patel in a remarkably non-controversial moment shook hands with Groth as he handed him his certificate.
No, Trump’s War on Migrants Isn’t Only Targeting ‘Illegals’
On the eve of its 250th anniversary, America is waging a sinister war against both legal and undocumented immigrants through hostile administrative rules. The federal government targets green card holders, students, and workers of color by restricting employment and speech with xenophobic policies that force self-deportations, empty out universities, and threaten economic survival, destroying the traditional American dream that once welcomed the downtrodden.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, June 20, 2026
The Saturday Flagler Beach Farmers Market, Chess Meet-Up At the Flagler Beach Public Library, Democratic Women’s Club of Flagler County meet, The Battle of Shallowford, a play at Limelight Theatre, traveling back to Etruscan tombs.
Clothless Emperor Trump’s Surrenders in the Iran Deal
The leaders of the United States and Iran have signed a 14-point memorandum of understanding to end the war between their countries, as well as Israel’s military assault on Hezbollah in Lebanon. From the US point of view, the deal leaves a lot to be desired. Washington is giving up a lot for very little in return. President Donald Trump’s claims of success make this feel like an “emperor has no clothes” moment.
Town Center Data Center Planned for 100,000 Square Feet, Triple Footprint Size Palm Coast Approved
A DC Blox executive revealed the ongoing construction of a data center in Palm Coast’s Town Center will eventually consist of two buildings totaling 100,000 square feet, not one building of 35,000 square feet, as approved by Palm Coast planners. The disclosure blindsided city officials. The expanded scope should have triggered public hearings before regulatory boards. Future construction phases will face strict city council scrutiny under impending local development code changes.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, June 19, 2026
The disappearance of jail bookings, Clay Jones on the president’s many loves, Free For All Fridays, The Flagler County Cultural Council (FC3) meets, The Battle of Shallowford, a play at Limelight Theatre, a few lines from Kafka’s Castle.
Juneteenth’s Reminders
The Biden administration declared Juneteenth a federal holiday in 2021. Today, Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S. But the story for formerly enslaved people continued to unfold in complex ways well after Juneteenth, including when it came to their educational journeys. Juneteenth made clear that freedom was not just confined to someone’s physical enslavement, but mental enslavement as well, bound in the laws that barred enslaved people from receiving an education in Southern states.
Funky Pelican in Flagler Beach Ordered Temporarily Closed Following State Sanitation Inspection
The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation temporarily closed the Funky Pelican in Flagler Beach today. An inspection revealed nine total violations. Three high-priority infractions included rodent activity, insects, and improper egg storage. Most issues were corrected on site. The popular pier restaurant generates millions in revenue and recently signed a 32-year lease extension with the city.
Turtle Patrol’s ATV Is Stolen and Building Vandalized in Latest in Series of Criminal Mischief Incidents in Marineland
Thieves burglarized the Marineland Coastal Policy Center, vandalized the facility, and stole the Volusia-Flagler Turtle Patrol’s all-terrain vehicle kept there, alongside a data tablet, forcing Patrol volunteers to conduct morning nesting counts on foot during an especially busy nesting season. The nonprofit organization is offering a $1,000 reward for the return of their equipment. Local law enforcement officials are investigating.
Record-Breaking Walmart Supercenter on SR 100 Clears Palm Coast Planning Board; Nearly 20,000 Car Trips Projected
The Palm Coast Planning Board Wednesday evening unanimously recommended approval for a new Walmart Supercenter and shopping center on State Road 100, what would be the largest single-new commercial development in the city’s history. The project at build-out is expected to add nearly 20,000 daily car trips to State Road 100, which currently handles between 25,000 and 36,000 car trips per day. The site will feature a temporary wastewater facility to avoid stressing the infrastructure of the city, and to avoid getting delayed for lack of city capacity.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, June 18, 2026
Third Thursday Together in Flagler Beach, a monthly event for residents to interact with Flagler Beach city departments. Today: finance. Marineland Commission meeting, Sabah el-Ward, Cary McMullen on CBS’s devolution.
Violent Spectacles from Nero to Trump
Public combat spectacles from ancient Rome to modern mixed martial arts serve as powerful rituals that trigger identity fusion among spectators. This psychological process merges individual identities into a collective cause, driving a willingness to endure hardship. Political movements and leaders capitalize on these moral dramas to foster deep trust, reinforce civilizational narratives, and build immense solidarity under conditions that defy material logic.
3 Years in Prison for National Guardsman Nicholas McLean, 22, for Bike Week DUI Crash That Killed Robert Clark on Belle Terre
Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols sentenced 22-year-old Nicholas Tyler McLean to three years in prison and 12 years of probation today. McLean pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter for the 2025 Bike Week crash that killed 70-year-old motorcyclist Robert Clark on Belle Terre Boulevard as McClean and three other National Guard members were returning to the armory off Fin Way in Palm Coast. McLean registered a 0.108 blood-alcohol level. The plea conditions include a permanent driver’s license revocation and 50 hours of community service.
Flagler County Commissioners Want Public to Learn How Homestead Tax Amendment Would Gut Quality of Life
If voters in November approve the proposed amendment to raise the homestead exemption to $150,000 next year and $250,000 the following year, Flagler County government would have a $28 million deficit out of its $140 million general fund next year, and a $46 million deficit in 2028, if it were to maintain current services, including fire, policing, judicial and all other government responsibilities. The county is not allowed by law to run deficits. It would have to cut services. County commissioners want the public to know what that would mean.
Two Flagler School Board Members Dismiss Concerns Over UNF Deletion of ‘Sexual Orientation’ Protection in District Agreement
The Flagler County School Board will vote on an altered internship agreement after the University of North Florida removed “sexual orientation” from the nondiscrimination clause. School Board members Christy Chong and Will Furry dismissed the change because district policy lacks that explicit phrasing. Legal counsel noted federal law still applies, extending the protection regardless. The discussion surrounding the wording at last week’s workshop underscored the different ways members of the School Board interpret discrimination and how legally to protect students and others against it.