Today’s foreign policy address by Romney, to the Virginia Military Institute, was better suited for the Hoover Historical Center in Canton, Ohio. He spoke for about half an hour. He said absolutely nothing that might have told us what his foreign policy would be–or what he thinks it is today.
Chavez Wins Again, Allan Bloom as the First Neocon: Five Reads Monday
Seizing up Mitt Romney’s and Barack Obama’s foreign policy, re-electing Hugo Chavez, rethinking Alan Bloom and “The Closing of the American Mind,” John B. Gurdon of Britain and Shinya Yamanaka’s nobel prize for medicine, keeping track of hazardous waste zooming around the country.
Higher Ed Subprime: Parent Plus Government College Loans Are Now Crushing Families
Last year the government disbursed $10.6 billion in Parent Plus loans to just under a million families. The loans are both remarkably easy to get and nearly impossible to get out from under for families who’ve overreached.
The Jellyfish: Nearly All Water and Sting, But Neither Jelly Nor Fish
Jellyfish’s 200 species, among the oldest animals on the planet, are among the least understood, their occasional blooms–even in Flagler–drawing particular interests from scientists.
How a Stumble Saddled Palm Coast Water Rate Payers With $500,000 in Additional Costs
Overeager to get going on a $2.6 million wellfield project during the boom years, Palm Coast never secured an agreement between a land company and FPL to power the wells. When talks broke down between the companies, Palm Coast decided to pay an extra $500,000 to power the wells with a different contractor, a cost it will pass down to rate-payers, even though the need for the water is non-existent.
Flagler County PAL Basketball Registration Open from Oct. 8 to Nov. 6
Flagler County’s Police Athletic League (PAL) basketball registration begins Oct. 8 and ends Nov. 6. You may register at the PAL office at 5400 East Highway 100, between the Target Shopping Center and Flagler Palm Coast High School (the old school board building).
Proposed Conservation Amendment: $5 Billion Over 10 Years, Without Raising Taxes
The proposed 2014 constitutional amendment, dubbed the Florida Water and Land Legacy Amendment, would set aside 33 percent of documentary tax collections for 20 years for land and water purchases, leases and restoration efforts. The taxes are collected on real estate and other legal transactions.
Conspiracy Theorists Greet the Jobs Report, Small Business Bunk: Five Reads Friday
The jobs truthers have come out following Friday’s unemployment report, small-business bunk returns, Google settles its copyright war with publishers, a debate on Islam and democracy, longing for Virginia City, and more
Crucial Jobs Report Gives Obama a Boost as Unemployment Falls to 7.8%, Lowest in 4 Years
The national unemployment rate fell to 7.8 percent in September, its lowest level since President Obama’s inauguration in January 2009, as the economy added 114,000 jobs in September, and revised figures for the previous two months boosted those totals by 86,000 jobs. In the last three months, the economy has added 434,000 jobs.
The News-Journal’s Predatory Sensationalism On Sex Offenders Near Local Schools
A News-Journal article on 445 registered sex offenders living near Flagler and Volusia elementary schools was dangerously alarming and misleading, argues George Griffin, and perpetuates numerous myths about sex offenders, encouraging bad laws.
Flagler School Board Members Forego $91 Raise and Stick With $30,442 Annual Salary
For the second year in a row, Flagler County School Board members have decided to take neither a raise nor a pay-cut. They were in line for a $91 raise as set by Florida law, though they could have chosen to reduce their salaries.
Bob Graham Ridicules $300 Million Higher Ed Cut as Issue Galvanizes Democratic Races
Democrats have started a push to make higher-education cuts and the state’s tuition burdens an issue in state legislative campaigns. The state pays just 40 percent of universities’ tabs, down from 75 percent.
Man Accused of Child Abuse as a Cop Witnesses Him Striking His 14-Year-Old Daughter
James Hartley, Palm Coast resident of Whetstone Lane, is a 44-year-old, 240-pound man who, on Wednesday, was arrested and charged with child abuse and battery after a Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy saw him striking his 14-year-old daughter, who then collapsed on the floor of her home.
Flagler Dental Expands South From North as 45-Year-Old Practice Taps Growth
Flagler Dental’s North and South locations–at Flagler Plaza and Office Park Drive–take a page out of Florida Hospital Flagler’s strategy of tracking demographic growth in the city. The South location just opened.
FDLE Investigating GOP Voter Fraud Case
The FDLE said Wednesday it launched a formal criminal investigation into the activities of Strategic Allied Consulting, a Virginia-based company hired by the Republican Party of Florida to register voters in preparation for the November elections.
Romney Rumbles, Free Speech in Prison: Five Reads Thursday
Analyzing the first Romney-Obama debate, imprisoning the “Innocence of Muslims” filmaker for parole violation–or speech, shedding the helmet to encourage biking, notes on the indignities of the seventh grade, twin brothers’ attack ads.
Canaveral Seashore Plein Air Paint Out on Oct. 21-27 Gets Its Poster Child
Throughout the six-day Canaveral Seashore Plein Air Paint Out, as artists work from dawn to dusk, visitors can enjoy the seashore and to be a part of the art, talking to artists as they paint unique works of art at the many picturesque locations.
Anti-Terror “Fusion Centers” Like Central Florida’s Slammed as Ineffective and Intrusive
A two-year Senate investigation finds that Department of Homeland Security efforts to engage state and local intelligence “fusion centers”–six of which are set up in Florida, including one in central Florida–has not yielded significant useful information to support federal counterterrorism intelligence efforts.
Fights and Arrests at the Jail, at Salsas Mexican Restaurant and at the Country Store: Flagler 911
A busy couple of weeks of violent fights and arrests at the Flagler County jail, a road-rage arrest at the Country Store in the Mondex, four arrests outside Salsas Mexican Restaurant, a father gets his allegedly thieving son arrested, and a lot more from Flagler’s crime scenes.
In Recession’s Depth, 2,362 Millionaires Got Unemployment Benefits
Brace yourselves: in 2009, no fewer than 2,362 millionaires got unemployment benefits. The year before, 2,840 did, raising questions about whether unemployment insurance should be means-tested. Five such proposals are pending in Congress.
Video Released in Sharps Liquor Armed Robbery, Clearly Showing Both Suspects
Police are looking for two black men in their early 30s after the afternoon robbery of Sharps Liquor at Flagler Plaza on State Road 100, less than a year after the same store was the target of an armed robbery. The video released Wednesday shows both suspects.
For Florida Justices, Two Lesbian Mothers, One Child, and a Question of Parenthood
The case pits two former lesbian partners, one of whom provided an egg that was fertilized and implanted in the other woman, who later gave birth. After the relationship ended, the woman who gave birth blocked her former partner from having parental rights.
Strom Thurmond’s Racism, L.A.’s Legalized Pot Stores, Teens’ Babies: Six Reads Wednesday
Mitt Romney shows his abortion mettle in a 2002 debate, Los Angeles repeals regulations on 1,000 marijuana shops, Strom Thurmond’s hypocrisies, teens are having far fewer babies, newspapers still losing readers, Jerry Seinfeld and Michael Richards, and Flagler’s jail bookings.
Flagler School Board Rejects Building-Tax Cut, a Blow to Builders and the Chamber
Chamber President Doug Baxter had hoped Palm Coast would “fall in line” with a building-tax moratorium of its own if the county and the school board adopted one. The county did. The school board refused to go along Tuesday evening, calling the proposal irresponsible.
Jose Godinez-Samperio, Undocumented Immigrant and Lawyer, Falters at Florida Court
A skeptical Florida Supreme Court on Tuesday said it may be powerless to let Jose Godinez-Samperio, an undocumented immigrant, practice law in the state despite recent moves by the Obama administration to allow immigrants brought to the country as children pathway to permanent status in the United States.
Mitt Romney’s Dangerous Game: Making Israel a Wedge Issue in Florida
The Florida Jewish community should see through the false premise that Obama is anything less than stellar on Israel, as Mitt Romney, hoping to score partisan points with Florida’s Jewish vote, has attempted to claim, Dan Gelber argues.
Merrill Pleads No Contest in Wife’s Shooting; Canaday Sentenced to 30 Years for Child’s Rape
William Carson Merrill accidentally shot and killed his wife with an AK-47 in the couple’s Palm Coast home on Feb. 21. He’ll be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison on Oct. 29. Michael Eric Canaday, formerly of Palm Coast, was sentenced to 30 years for rape and molestation.
News-Journal Puts Up $120 Barrier to Online Access in Hopes of Improving Bottom Line
The News-Journal’s $120-a-year paywall for online readers follows the lead of more than 160 newspapers that have ended unlimited free access to websites to stop hemorrhaging print readers, where, most of the advertising revenue remains.
Why CEOs Make Lousy Presidents, Rudeness Online: Five Reads Tuesday
CEOs are not cut out to be president, what rude dogs would be like online, the death of the Great Barrier Reef, of Eric Hobsbawm and of Baathism, an interview with Salman Rushdie, and Flagler’s jail bookings.
Snubbing Voters, Lame-Duck County Enacts 20-Year Sales Tax While Slashing Cities’ Shares
Many questions remained unanswered about the use of the money and the size of the proposed jail it’s supposed to pay for as the Flagler County Commission voted 4-1 to enact a sales tax it feared the public would not have approved at the ballot box this November.
Amendment 5 and the Battle to Remake, And Subdue, the Florida Supreme Court
Amendment 5 would subject all Supreme Court nominations to confirmation by the Florida Senate and lower the bar for the Legislature to overturn court rules and would give lawmakers access to the records of judicial investigations.
As Expected, Flagler County Suspends $1,707-a-Home Building Tax for 2 Years
The county’s moratorium is relatively small, but Flagler’s chamber of commerce and its home builders association hope to get the school board to approve a moratorium next, then move to Palm Coast, where impact fees add up to $15,270.
Al Williams, Volusia County School Board Chairman, Dies at 70
Volusia County School Board Chairman Al Williams, who’d just been re-elected to the board in August, died this morning (Oct. 1) at Halifax hospital in Daytona Beach after he fell ill last month as his health was deteriorating.
Cramming for Zingers at the Debates: Five Reads Monday
The most conservative U.S. Supreme Court since the 1930s reconvenes with gay marriage and affirmative action ahead, how Obama and Romney cram for debates, America’s contempt for teachers, and the future of The Times.
As Flagler Governments Consider Impact Fee Cut, Evidence of Economic Benefit Is Slim
Builders and developers want the Flagler school board and Flagler County to cut impact fees–the one-time tax on construction–saying it’ll help the economy grow. But plenty of evidence says it won’t, while Flagler residents still reel from low values and empty houses that more new houses won’t help.
Impact Fees: What They Are, Who Pays Them, How Much They Pay
Whether you call them impact fees, taxes or hidden taxes, they’re a Florida and Flagler County reality. An explanation and definition of impact fees with a local rate schedule by city and county.
The Palm Coast City Council’s Disturbing Synthetic Marijuana High
On synthetic pot, the Palm Coast City Council and other local governments are being had, as governments trample due process to enforce a legal shortcut against a ghost epidemic–the latest hysteria in the derelict war on drugs.
From Tape-Downs to Lockdowns: A Day in the So-Called Life of a Cancer Patient
Three radiation treatments in and with 39 to go, Jo Ann Nahirny describes life at the curfew-happy Hope Lodge for cancer patients, her manhandling on the radiation table, and her husband’s angelic patience.
Deeper Knowledge from an Ocean of Films
Ocean film festivals are venues for knowledge, understanding, networking and, of course, the viewing of beautiful and important films, and they’re vital for those who want to be involved in ocean conservation, writes Frank Gromling.
Beata Kinecka, 39, of Palm Coast, Is Killed, 6 Are Injured in a 4-SUV Wreck on Belle Terre
Beata Kinecka, 39, of Palm Coast, was killed, and six other local residents in three separate cars, including a 16-month-old baby, were injured in a wreck that involved both northbound and southbound lanes of Belle Terre Parkway just north of the White View Parkway intersection late Friday evening.
Florida Conservation Groups Mobilize for National Public Lands Day Saturday
A coalition of Northeast Florida’s leading conservation organizations are using this occasion to raise awareness about the importance of publicly-owned conservation lands and to encourage the community to explore, volunteer and advocate for the protection of these vital natural resources.
Flagler Sheriff Tallies DUI Catch as Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Blood-Test Case
Flagler County deputies arrested 11 drunk drivers and many others on charges unrelated to DUI. On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to decide whether forcing a DUI suspect to submit to a blood test is constitutional.
Videos of Horse Chase Through Bunnell, Just Released, Show Rider at a Gallop
Three surveillance videos catch glimpses of Charles Cowart as he rode a horse through various parts of Bunnell on Tuesday, particularly South Bunnell, as cop cars chase him and crowds gather.
Presidential Debate Myths and Zimmerman’s Gun-Rights Advocate: Seven Reads Friday
Debunking the effect of presidential debates, George W. Bush beats Romney in latest poll, George Zimmerman’s attorney goes off to a gun rally, celebrating 30 years of Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, justifying women not wanting children, and more.
Paul Novak of Palm Coast Charged With Murdering His Wife in New York in 2008
Paul Novak, a resident of Lewiston Court in Palm Coast since 2009, faces a second-degree murder charge and an arson charge in the death of his wife Catherine Novak, who was found dead in her charred home in New York’s Hudson Valley in December 2008.
Mitt Romney’s , and Republicans’, Goldwater Moment
Blowing an election it should have won, the GOP might finally realize it has strayed far out of the mainstream and become a little too odd for the American public, writes Bill Cotterell.
Customer Wins “Stand Your Ground” Ruling After Confrontation With FPL Bill-Collectors
An appeals court Thursday agreed with the dismissal of criminal charges against a Miami-Dade County man who relied on the state’s “stand your ground” law after a confrontation with two Florida Power & Light workers on his property.
How Two Council Members, Out of View, Got WNZF to Back-Pedal on Synthetic Marijuana
What was behind what sounded like a retraction on synthetic marijuana by WNZF’s David Ayres on his Free For All Friday show last week? Private discussions between Palm Coast Council member Bill McGuire with Mayor Jon Netts, and a letter Netts wrote Ayres, that the council never discussed openly–even as the council has yet to vote finally on the matter.
From Red Lights to School Buses: Florida Looks For Traffic Spy Cameras’ Next Perch
Despite having by far the safest record of any mode of transportation, including in Flagler, Florida school officials are looking to add spy-and-snap cameras on school buses similar to red-light cameras at Palm Coast and other cities’ intersections. School districts would reap most of the cash benefits from fines.
Bill Nye the Anti-Creationism Guy: Five Reads Thursday
Bill Nye finally calls creationism inappropriate for children, suicides now exceed auto fatalities as leading cause of injury deaths, a Texas school board lets men spank girls, Obama’s immorality, the F-22’s many disasters, Florida’s new 600-lever voting machines, and Flagler jail bookings.