Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill April 6 that will make it easier for people like White to see their loved ones in health care facilities. Before Florida, at least eight states had passed similar laws, and several others have bills under consideration.
Volunteer Firefighter Jericho Taylor Recognized for Intervention at Crash Site
At the April 5 Palm Coast City Council Meeting, Palm Coast Volunteer Firefighter Jericho Taylor character was recognized by the City Council for his interventions at a recent fatal motor vehicle crash.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, April 10, 2022
Lucas Hnath’s A Doll’s House, Part 2, is staged at 3 p.m. at Stetson University’s Second Stage Theatre, the French go to the polls today in the first round of their unpresidential election, a reminder about Boulanger and Dreyfuss.
The French Election: 5 Things to Watch
A lot has changed since incumbent Emmanuel Macron captured the presidency in 2017 – with a global pandemic and a major conflagration in Europe topping the list. Yet the vote looks likely to be heading to another showdown between Macron and far-right challenger Marine Le Pen.
Some Republicans Re-Normalize Racism
For much of our recent history, racist and bigoted viewpoints were confined to secret conferences, white supremacist communications, obscure far-right radio programs and the darkest, racially sordid corners of the web. No longer.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, April 9, 2022
Sustainable Flagler’s second Electric Vehicle Showcase at Palm Coast City Hall, Family Builder Lab at the public library, 9th Annual spring Festival and Plant Sale at FPC, WEB DuBois on Dayton, Ohio.
Will Smith’s Slap and the Persistence of ‘Honor Culture’
Cultures of honor require men to aggressively defend their reputations against insults or threats, and this imperative extends to protecting their spouses, children and property. While many people are quick to declare that “violence is never the answer,” for others violence is, in fact, the answer – and that’s due, in part, to honor culture being alive and well.
Not One Reason for Palm Coast Council’s 365% Raise for Itself Passes Smell Test
The quadrupling of Palm Coast City Council members’ salaries was shoveled through hurriedly and sloppily on baseless assumptions posing as evidence. Every single one of Mayor David Alfin’s or supporting councilmen’s rationales collapses with a little scrutiny, leaving a proposal contemptuous of the public and insulting to city staff.
Judge Perkins Calls It ‘Outrageous’ That Man Is Sitting in Jail Month After Month Awaiting State Hospital Evaluation
Richard Dunn’s case is sharply illustrative of a judicial and mental health system both overwhelmed with mental health cased and often ill equipped to handle them–and of the frustrations of both courts and attorneys in the face of that system. Circuit Judge Terence Perkins spoke without reserve this morning to express his dissatisfaction.
Health Department Responding to Florida Outbreak of Meningococcal Disease That Causes Meningitis
Thus far, the number of cases identified in 2022 surpasses the 5-year average of meningococcal disease cases in Florida. Department of Health epidemiologists are investigating each case as well as contacting people with potential or direct exposure to known cases to provide them with information and treatment options.
More than 1,500 Books Have Been Banned in Public Schools. House Panel Asks Why.
From July 2021 to the end of March this year more than 1,500 books were banned in 86 school districts in 26 states. A report on book-banning in public schools found that of the banned books, 467 — or 41 percent — contained main or secondary characters of color; 247, or 22 percent, addressed racism; and 379, or 33 percent, of the books contained LGBTQ+ themes.
Santa Rosa County Objects to FPL Rate Increase
In a letter dated March 24 and posted Tuesday on the state Public Service Commission website, the Santa Rosa County Commission pointed to a base electric-rate increase that took effect Jan. 1 and additional costs that FPL is passing along to customers because of high natural-gas prices.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, April 8, 2022
Richard Dunn’s attorney argues his client should be released from jail, One Night in Memphis at the Flagler Auditorium, Flagler County Fair’s 4H and FFA Youth Livestock Show, Lucas Hnath’s A Doll’s House, Part 2, a few words from Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson.
Historic Espanola Schoolhouse Dating from Segregation Era Gets a Facelift
The historic one-room Espanola Schoolhouse located at 98 Knox Jones Avenue in Espanola, near the community center there, recently received a much needed facelift. The structure was built in 1950, and is a rare survivor of the Jim Crow racial segregation-era in Flagler County.
Father and Son Duo Appearing at DSC’s L. Gale Lemerand Entrepreneurial Speaker Series
Randy Dye is the owner of Daytona Dodge Chrysler Jeep RAM and Maserati Alfa Romeo of Daytona which employs more than 100 people from our community. A former race car driver himself, he is the current owner of Daniel Dye Racing where his son Daniel drives on NASCAR’s ARCA Circuit.
Ukraine and Russia from the Holodomor Genocide to Today
The Ukrainian famine of 1932-1933, also known as the “Holodomor”, has rapidly become a central component of Ukrainian identity. Today, 55% of Ukrainians understand the Holodomor as an artificial famine orchestrated by the Soviet authorities and directed against Ukrainians, a view held by just 5% percent of Russians.
Borrowing Page from Trump, DeSantis Attacks Judge Who Doesn’t Rule His Way, Drawing Rebukes
Gov. Ron DeSantis and legislative Republican leaders unloaded at U.S. District Judge Mark Walker after he struck down key portions of last year’s voter suppression law. James Gustafson Jr., president of the Tallahassee chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), wrote an opinion piece defending Walker against the attacks.
U.S. Senate Confirms Ketanji Brown Jackson, ‘America at Its Best,’ to Supreme Court
Ketanji Brown Jackson will make history by becoming the first Black woman to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court, after Democratic and Republican senators voted Thursday to confirm her to the lifetime appointment. The 53-47 vote comes just six weeks after President Joe Biden announced his nomination.
3 Incumbent Judges–Andrea Totten, Kenny Janesk and Stacia Warren–Speak (Almost) Freely at Candidate Forum
A Flagler County Republican Club forum Wednesday evening at the Palm Coast Hilton was a chance for the three incumbents–Flagler County Judge Andrea Totten, Circuit Judges Kenny Janesk, who sits in Volusia and Putnam, and Stacia Warren, who sits in Volusia–to speak about themselves without the strictures of their robes and in unusually personal terms, but within the bounds of Canon 7, the unique ethical rules that frame judicial races.
Funnel Cloud Spotted in 3 Locations, from Fairgrounds to Beverly Beach, as Severe Storm Sweeps Through Flagler
A funnel cloud was spotted in three locations late this morning as a tornado-warning leaden storm swept through northeast and central Flagler County from the east, but the funnels never touched down and damage was limited to a few, immediately contained brush fires from lightning strikes. “We got off pretty well, lightly,” Flagler County Emergency Management Chief Jonathan Lord said.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, April 7, 2022
Lucas Hnath’s A Doll’s House, Part 2, at Stetson University’s Second Stage Theatre, 4H and FFA Youth Livestock Show and Sale, Randy Jaye, a writer and historian, discusses his book “Perseverance” at the Democratic Club.
American Evangelicals See Putin as a Leader of Conservative Values. Ukraine War Is Testing the Myth.
In February 2022, evangelical leader Franklin Graham called on his followers to pray for Vladimir Putin to avoid war. The backlash was fast and direct. Graham had not solicited prayers for Ukraine, some observers commented. And he had rarely called on believers to pray for U.S. President Joe Biden. But white conservatives have been developing a political and emotional alliance with Russia for almost 20 years.
Ormond Beach Father Faces Death Penalty as Jury Finds Him Guilty of Murdering His 5-Month-Old Child for Crying
Daemon Scott already bore a history of brutality on his body when his father, Calib J. Scott, 25, threw, slapped and slammed him because he would not stop crying, killing him. A jury of 12 today found Scott guilty of first degree murder and aggravated child abuse, among other charges. The sentencing phase of the trial begins next week.
In Denise Bevan and Lauren Johnston, Palm Coast Has 1st All-Female Administrative Leadership in City’s 23 Years
Palm Coast made history Tuesday evening. The city council ratified the contract of Denise Bevan, the first female city manager in Palm Coast’s 23 years. Moments later, Bevan announced the appointment of Lauren Johnston as the assistant city manager, giving the city an all-female administrative leadership in a sector still overwhelmingly dominated by men.
Palm Coast Council Approves $8 Million Bank Loan, Its Sixth for Ongoing Repairs to Stormwater Infrastructure
The $532,000 annual financing of the latest loan–which will cost the city a total of $10.6 million by maturation–brings annual stormwater debt costs to $1.84 million. The loans are all is secured by the annual revenue from the stormwarter fee that residents and businesses pay on their utility bills.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, April 6, 2022
Judges election forum at the Hilton Garden Inn, Flagler County Fair’s 4H and FFA Youth Livestock Show, George Washington Carver Foundation Auction, Woodrow Wilson on entering World War I and the stupidity of applauding warfare.
In Victory for Mayor But Against Loud Public Opposition, Palm Coast Council Will Quadruple Its Own Salaries
The Palm Coast City Council this evening voted 4-1 to quadruple the mayor’s and council members’ salaries starting after the election in November, a raise that will benefit three sitting council members and two to be elected later this year. The first of two required votes on the ordinance Mayor David Alfin proposed only last month was a victory for the mayor, who was elected less than a year ago, but at a steep price.
Academic Freedom and Responsibility
“Academic freedom,” one university’s charter of freedoms reads, “is not a legal right, but rather a right or a privilege bestowed by an institution of higher learning. It might best be construed as an ethical right, insofar as it serves good ends: the advancement and dissemination of knowledge.”
Pride Flag Flies in Flagler Beach Rally in Protest of Florida’s Latest Charge Against LGBTQ Rights
Eryn Harris, a Palm Coast student cinematographer and editor, last week organized a rally in Flagler Beach in support of civil rights and the LGBTQ+ community and produced an Op-Art photo essay about the event.
DeSantis on Defensive After New York City Mayor Launches Campaign Against Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Law
Adams, a Democrat, invited Floridians to move to New York if they are in opposition to the recently signed legislation that critics say threatens LGBTQ people by prohibiting discussions on gender identity and sexual orientation in public school classrooms.
Stetson University’s Second Stage Theater Hosts ‘A Doll House, Part 2’
Stetson University continues its 116th season with Lucas Hnath’s A Doll’s House, Part 2, which will run April 7-10 at Stetson University’s Second Stage Theatre, located inside the Museum of Art, 600 N. Woodland Blvd., adjacent to the DeLand campus. Admission is free.
Palm Coast Man Shoots His 1-Year-Old Dog After German Shepherd Mix Bit Fiancée
Jamier T. Lee-Bright, a 25-year-old resident of 21 Seaman Trail East in Palm Coast, was arrested on two felony counts Saturday, including cruelty to animals, following the execution-style shooting of his 1-year-old dog after the dog allegedly bit Lee-Bright’s fiancee.
7-Year-Old Boy Critical Following 2-Vehicle Crash and Fire on I-95, Involving 6 People
A 7-year-old Palm Coast boy was flown to Wolfson Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville and an 8-year-old girl was in serious condition following a two-vehicle crash and fire on I-95 Monday night. Six people were involved–four in one car, two in the other–all but the two children sustaining minor injuries.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, April 5, 2022
The Palm Coast City Council takes up Mayor David Alfin’s proposal to quadruple council members’ salaries and considers an $8 million bank loan to pay for swales and other stormwater improvements, the school board meets, where the barbaric death penalty still prevails, Vonnegut on mother tongues.
SMA Healthcare Foundation Hosts 7th Annual Who Is Jay Mental Health Symposium
The SMA Healthcare Foundation (the Foundation) is pleased to announce it will feature suicide prevention keynoter Jeff Yalden and This Is My Brave – The Show at the 7th Annual Who is Jay? Mental Health Symposium, coming up on Tuesday, May 3, 2022 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach.
Amazon, Starbucks and the Sparking of a New Union Movement
Inspired by pro-union sentiment in political movements, such as Bernie Sanders’ presidential bids, Black Lives Matter and the Democratic Socialists of America, young workers are spearheading the efforts for workplace reform rather than professional union organizers. Indeed, one would be hard pressed to find many experienced organizers among the recent successful campaigns.
ERAU Undergrad’s Research on ‘Space Mice’ Tops National Conference
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University senior Olivia Siu won first place in the undergraduate Brain and Behavior category of the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s (AAAS) annual poster session for her research on how simulated cosmic radiation affects the behavior and cognition of male and female mice.
College and University Faculty Across Florida Tell Their Students: Ignore ‘Viewpoint Diversity’ Survey
In a Monday letter to its members by email, the United Faculty of Florida claims that the survey is unconstitutional; that many of the questions are “leading in nature,” and the survey itself poses a threat to higher education campuses by potentially chilling speech on campus.
Appeals Court Affirms Rulings Against Kimberle Weeks, Who Now Owes County Over $170,000 in Fees
In a pair of one-word rulings on Thursday, the First District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee affirmed lower court decisions against Kimberle Weeks, the former Flagler County Supervisor of Elections, who has been contesting attorneys’ fees she owes the county from two frivolous and defamatory ethics complaints she brought against former County Commissioner Charlie Ericksen and county attorney Al Haddeed.
Mondex Father with History of Domestic Violence Arrested on 2 Felony Counts of Child Abuse
William Ziegler, 37, allegedly turned violent toward his oldest of three sons when the boy, scared of heights, got anxious washing the top of a camper, and when his youngest, who is 11, would not tell him a joke the boy was not comfortable to tell.
Flagler County Talks Up Affordable Housing Even as Lawmakers Yet Again Raid Dedicated Fund of $100 Million
The Flagler County Commission this morning approved a proclamation and heard a presentation on the county’s affordable housing efforts, coinciding with revelations last week that the Legislature again broke a promise not to raid the state’s 30-year-old affordable housing trust fund and use its money for other purposes, short-changing needs across the state.
Judge Again Rules Against Muezzin-Like Prayer Before High School Game, But Decision May Have Short Life
In a long-running legal battle, a federal judge has rejected arguments that the Florida High School Athletic Association improperly prevented Christian schools from offering a prayer over a stadium loudspeaker before a 2015 state championship football game. But the decision may have a short life depending on a U.S. Supreme Court’s decision by the end of June on a a somewhat similar case.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, April 4, 2022
The Flagler County Commission talks 911, the Beverly Beach Town Commission meets, the Flagler County Fair’s 4H and FFA Youth Livestock Show and Sale, racist responses to the war in Ukraine, Elisabeth Leonskaja’s complete Mozart sonatas.
Criminal Justice Algorithms: Being Race-Neutral Doesn’t Mean Race-Blind
Justice is supposed to be “blind.” But is race blindness always the best way to achieve racial equality? An algorithm to predict recidivism among prison populations is underscoring that debate.
First Amendment at Center of Lawsuit Against ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Law
A pivotal lawsuit in Florida — related to classroom instruction of sexual identity and gender orientation — could have heavy implications for what the discussions will sound like when it comes to free speech and the First Amendment.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, April 3, 2022
Get set for the Carver Center auction starting tomorrow, Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech, the most expensive beer cities.
Where Are the World’s Nukes?
Fortunately, none of these weapons have been used in war since the U.S. bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. But as recent events remind us, the risk of their use remains a frightening possibility.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, April 2, 2022
The Flagler Youth Orchestra’s top ensemble is in concert, First Saturday Creative Bazaar Arts and Craft Market in Palm Coast’s Town Center, Palm Coast’s traditional Blessing of the Fleet returns, the Malvinas-Falklands war, Ramadan begins.
Danial Marashi, Who Killed Assailant in Drug Deal Gone Bad in R-Section, Is Arrested on Drug Charges
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly called Danial Marashi a “dirtbag” after Marashi was arrested on several felony charges stemming from a car crash. Staly finally named him, as he was prevented to by law weeks ago when Marashi was the “victim drug dealer” in the Dec. 29 shooting of Zaire Roberts in an R-Section home invasion. Marashi had set up what was to be a drug deal before assailants chose to allegedly rob him.
The Supreme Court May Soon Shatter Another Church-State Wall in Schools and on the Field
Lower courts have mostly forbidden public school teachers from openly praying in the workplace, even if students are not involved. Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, a case from Washington state, scheduled for oral arguments on April 25, 2022, could usher in more religious activities by teachers and other staff in public schools.