The Bunnell City Commission hears a strategic plan for its police department, Mamie Smith’s “This Thing Called Love,” the end is near, democracy’s sorry state, Peter Taylor’s “Demons.”
The Black Death Was Not as Widespread or Catastrophic as Long Thought
In popular imagination, the Black Death is the most devastating pandemic to have ever hit Europe. A new study of 1,634 samples of fossil pollen from 261 lakes and wetlands in 19 European countries suggests the pandemic’s toll was not as universal as currently claimed, nor was it always catastrophic.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, February 13, 2022
The cold weather shelter opens tonight as temperatures go back into the 30s, “Calendar Girls” at the Daytona Playhouse, Teddy Roosevelt’s dead Indians, the firebombing of Dresden, one of the great war crimes of World War II.
Patriotism, Dissent, ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ and the NFL
Playing the national anthem at every game became a flashpoint in the 1960s. Today, the NFL’s promise to play the anthem at every game cuts both ways. For Super Bowl LVI, three songs performed by four Black American female vocalists will offer a musical suite of unity in the face of division.
What I learned From Watching More than 500 Jan. 6 Videos
The Jan. 6 insurrection was brutal, and no amount of spin and obfuscation will alter that truth. Hundreds of videos prove that violence did not just occur sporadically as an extreme expression of the crowd’s displeasure but rather dominated the mob’s collective energy. The full weight of the crime that occurred on Jan. 6 is hard for Americans to measure because it is hard to imagine it could have occurred in America.
Deputies seize 42 Pounds of Pot and $23,000 in Cash at L-Section Home in Palm Coast
An alleged drug dealer is out on $55,000 bond this morning after the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) Special Investigations Unit (SIU) seized 42 pounds of marijuana, more than $23,000 cash and other drug paraphernalia in a Friday morning bust in Palm Coast.
The Insurgent History Calendar: February 13
The firebombing of undefended Dresden in 1945, one of the great war crimes of World War II, and Kurt Vonnegut’s memories.
Life After the Covid Pandemic
There will not be a single moment when social life suddenly goes back to normal. Instead, gradually, over time, most people will view Covid-19 as a background risk and abandon the trappings of pandemic caution. There are major caveats to when the pandemic will wane, and trust in public health agencies has declined significantly.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, February 12, 2022
American Association of University Women hears about “The Contextualization of Confederate Iconography,” Daytona Playhouse stages “Calendar Girls.” the Jacksonville Symphony is all brass and organ, big days for Abraham Lincoln and Bill Clinton.
Trump and the Vaporization of Presidential Records
Boxes of documents and other items that should have been handed over to the National Archives were found at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence. Among the records reportedly incomplete or missing from Trump’s tenure in the White House are phone logs from Jan. 6, 2021.
Flagler Beach Reduces Its Lifeguard Zone By Two Towers, and Asks County for More Money
Reducing Flagler Beach’s lifeguard-protected zone by four blocks will save about $25,000 a year, but the city is still seeking more than the $84,500 it is getting from the county to run the $240,000 lifeguard program.
Your Garbage Rates Are Going Up 47% in June, Services Cut Sooner, as Bid Flub Forces Waste Pro Contract Extension
Waste Pro garbage rates for Palm Coast residents and businesses will go up nearly $10 a month starting June 1, some services will be reduced, and fines levied on Waste Pro when it fails on the job will be cut in half according to a one-year extension of the city’s contract with the hauler, required because a bidding process for a new contract went awry last year.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, February 11, 2022
Flagler Technical College Director Renee Stauffacher and Sheriff Rick Staly talk about giving convicted criminals a second chance on the job, Meowy Hour at Sea Casas Boutique and Uncork’d, Lincoln on xenophobia.
How Joe Rogan Became Podcasting’s Goliath
Joe Rogan is not just a purveyor of right-wing ideologies. He is also someone who has built an empire by introducing these ideas – and a wide range of others – to listeners from across the political spectrum. His truly unique skill is drawing in from that spectrum a massive, young, largely male audience that advertisers highly covet.
Calling it ‘An Embarrassment to the City,’ Flagler Beach Manager Issues 30-Day Ultimatum to Golf Operation
Flagler Beach City Manager sent a harsh letter to Flagler Golf Management, the company running the city-owned golf course at the south end of town, giving it 30 days to “cure” a long list of problems, including compliance with a requested audit of the company’s books. It’s the latest showdown in a seven-year history of showdowns.
Supreme Court Rejects DeSantis Request on Cutting Up Congressional District Held by Black Democrat
The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday denied a request by Gov. Ron DeSantis for an advisory opinion about his proposal to revamp a sprawling North Florida congressional district that has been held by a Black Democrat.
In Sharp Retreat from County’s and Builders’ Barrage, School Board Adopts Much Smaller Impact Fee Increase
In inflation-adjusted dollars, the impact fee rate for single family homes the Flagler school board approved Wednesday–$5,450–is not an increase, but merely an adjustment in keeping with inflation. In constant dollars it is the same rate set in 2004. It was a major concession to home builders and the county commission.
Flagler School Bus Driver Carrying 40 Students Arrested on Drunk Driving and 15 Felony Child Neglect Charges
Flagler County school bus driver Mark McNeill, 60, who was involved in a bus crash on Monday, was arrested in a separate incident Wednesday on a drunk driving charge while driving the same bus and carrying some 35 students from Buddy Taylor Middle School.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, February 10, 2022
The Flagler Beach City Commission meets and will ban balloon releases, people who believe in Covid conspiracies, all the news that’s fit to print’s history, a little Virgil as time goes by.
Palm Coast Turns Nasty Against Green Lion Café Lease After 5 Successful Years and Turnaround at Palm Harbor Golf
The Palm Coast City Council’s distempers have not been unusual, but council members’ attacks on the Green Lion Cafe’s proposed lease renewal at the city-owned Palm Harbor golf club was especially mean-spirited despite a proposed rent increase of over 300 percent over the next five years, and the restaurant’s key role in turning the golf club around since 2017.
The Jan. 6 Attack on the Capitol Was Not ‘Legitimate Political Discourse’
When Trump urged the Ellipse crowd to march to the Capitol and “fight like hell,” his words transformed an occasion of legitimate political discourse into an anti-democratic violent insurrection. The result was real physical violence.” Several people died and many were injured.
Now Called ‘Radiant,’ 1,200-Home Ex-Eagle Lakes Development Fails to Clear Planning Board Just Yet
The development’s name has been changed to Radiance rather than Eagle Lakes, but local residents’ objections to the proposed development’s smaller lots, its density, its variance with the ampler homes and lots proposed for the area a decade and a half ago remain the same, and caused the Flagler County Planning Board to table the proposal for a month.
Shut Up, Floridians: Sweeping Bill Would Criminalize Protests Near Politicians’ Homes, Parks, Sidewalks
Protesters would be banned from picketing in front of the governor’s house, that of politicians or any residences. The prohibition would apply not only to private property but would extend to public parks, sidewalks and rights-of-way.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, February 9, 2022
Gunnar Galambos pleads out in court, Circuit Judge Perkins is in pre-trials, including that of Brennan Hill, the Microtel shootist, the cold-weather shelter opens again, recalling “Homosexuality and Citizenship in Florida,” the 1964 legislative report.
Whoopi Goldberg’s Holocaust Muddle
Whoopi Goldberg, co-host of ABC’s “The View,” set off a firestorm when she insisted on Jan. 31, 2022 that the Holocaust was “not about race.” Hands outstretched, she went on to describe the genocide as a conflict between “two white groups of people.” Her apology tour raised more questions about her views on race, antisemitism and the Holocaust.
‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill Advances in Legislature as Speakers Are Told Not to Say Too Much
The bill allows parents to sue school districts if they are not privy to situations related to their children or if their students are encouraged to have discussions on sexual orientation and gender identity. Opponents fear the bill would bring a chilling affect to Florida classrooms regarding LGBTQ students, putting them at risk of bullying. Almost all who addressed a Senate committee today were opposed to the bill.
‘Normal Life’ Likely a Month Away in Flagler as Omicron Surge and Covid Risks Recede
Flagler Health Department Medical Director Dr. Stephen Bickel expects a measure of normalcy to return to Flagler County in about a month as the covid pandemic’s latest surge tapers off. Hospitalizations have persisted even as new cases have fallen off, but hospitalizations always lag new cases by a few weeks.
Flagler County Fire Rescue Receives 400 Doses of Narcan from Florida Department of Health for Fifth Year
Flagler County Fire Rescue has an additional 400 doses of Narcan to administer, if needed, on each rescue truck thanks to the Florida Department of Health.
How Republicans Take Biden Relief Bill Money and Run, After Unanimously Opposing It
The Biden administration’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan package was opposed by every Republican in Congress and criticized by Republican governors, most of whom are now grabbing the money.
Palm Coast Boy’s Father Brutalizes His Son for Wearing Make-Up; 2 Felony Counts, But No Hate Crime Charge
Lomack J. Bennett, 33, was allegedly angered by his high school son wearing make-up and proceeded to slap him repeatedly, choke him, throw him to the ground and bust his lip, according to the boy’s account. He faces a child abuse “without great bodily harm” charge and a battery charge, but no hate crime charge.
Vacation Rental Bills Would Eliminate Flagler’s Ability to Regulate Occupancy or Conduct Inspections
Nearly identical Florida House and Senate bills that would all but eliminate Flagler County government’s authority to regulate vacation rentals are making their way through committees. The Senate bill started as more friendly to local regulations, and one committee approved it unanimously. But amendments have since pared that local regulatory power.
Florida Lawmakers Applaud Local School Board members Even as They Consider Cutting Their Salaries
Republican members of the Florida House and Senate have been pushing legislation to limit school board pay. At first, a House bill proposed zero salary for local school board members. Then, the Senate proposed a small salary of $29,697 — the same as Florida lawmakers, which would dramatically cut most school board member salaries.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, February 8, 2022
The cold-weather shelter is open tonight, the Flagler County Planning Board takes up the rezoning of Eagle Lake, the Palm Coast City Council talks public works, Joseph II talks burials.
How Truckers’ ‘Freedom Convoy’ Was Overtaken by Radical Fringe in Canada
The protest of commercial truckers swarming Canada’s capital in Ottawa shows how an issue can quickly be hijacked by extremist groups spouting themes of racism, hatred and violence.
Cost to Save Beaches and Properties in Flagler from Rising Seas: $6.3 Million a Year, Year After Year
Flagler County commissioners and other local officials heard the sobering conclusions of a seminal beach management study today, and the large costs ahead that will fall on all local governments and residents if the beaches are to be preserved. That money is nowhere in place for now, nor is a management plan.
Nissan and School Bus Carrying 25 Students Collide on Old Kings Road North, No Injuries
A Nissan Sentra and a Flagler County schools bus collided shortly after 4 p.m. today on North Old Kings Road at Fanshawe Lane, causing significant damage to the sedan but no injuries to the students on the school bus.
Transgender Athlete’s Challenge of Florida Ban on Hold Pending Resolution of St. Johns Bathroom Case
U.S. District Judge Roy Altman last week issued a stay in the challenge filed on behalf of a Broward County transgender girl who is in middle school. The lawsuit contends that the ban, passed by lawmakers last year, is unconstitutional and violates a federal law known as Title IX, which prohibits discrimination based on sex in education programs.
Imprisoned 4 Times in 16 Years, Palm Coast Man Faces 10 New Charges After Traffic Stop and Chase
Kevin Spearmon, 37, of Palm Coast, spent seven of the last 16 years in prison in four different stints mostly for two type of charges: drug possession or trafficking, and fleeing cops. He added more similar charges after fleeing cops and a brief chase Friday evening.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, February 7, 2022
Jason Reynolds on anxiety and book-banning, the Flagler County Commission holds a pair of meetings, including a workshop on beach issues, the Beverly Beach Town Commission meets, the biggest book ban advocates in the country are parents, Notes from Underground.
The Biggest Censor: Olympic Committee Silences Athletes’ Freedom of Speech
Beyond the Olympic’s facade of glitz, glamour and gold there’s a glaring and controversial regulation — the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Rule 50. Rule 50 prohibits athletes from demonstrating during competition or on the podium.
Florida’s Black Snow: How the Sugar Industry Makes Political Friends and Influences Elections
Florida produces more than half of America’s cane sugar and relies heavily on cane burning, a harvesting method in which the sugar industry burns crops to rid the plants of their outer leaves, producing pollution. Residents in the largely Black and Hispanic communities nearby claim the resulting smoke and ash harms their health. A city commissioner race provides a window into how the industry cultivates political allies, who help protect its interests.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, February 6, 2022
Cirque Ma’Ceo, the revolutionary theatrical experience, has its last day at the county fairgrounds, Ronald Reagan’s corruption and lawlessness, Richard Hofstadter on the Constitution’s paradox.
New Forms of Advertising Raise Questions About Journalism Integrity
Mainstream news media outlets have, in recent years, begun to create advertisements that look like news articles on their websites and on social media. Research raises questions about whether this modern form of advertising might influence those outlets’ real journalism.
Jamey “JuJu” Bennett, 19, Is Shot and Killed in Altercation Off Old Kings Road in Palm Coast
Early this morning, Jamey Jahiem Bennett, 19, a former student at Flagler Palm Coast High School, was shot and killed in the area of StorQuest Express, the self-storage facility off Old Kings Road North, just past Palm Harbor Parkway. Bennett is the third young Black man shot and killed in five weeks in Palm Coast and Bunnell.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, February 5, 2022
PCAF’s First Saturday Creative Bazaar Arts and Craft Market, Friends of the Library book sale at the Flagler County Public Library, John Adams on democracies’ suicidal tendencies, Olympic winners over the ages.
No, You’re Not Born Either Male or Female
Sex designation is not as simple as a glance and then a check of one box or another. Instead, the overwhelming evidence shows that sex is not binary. To put it another way, the terms “male” and “female” don’t fully capture the complex biological, anatomical and chromosomal variations that occur in the human body.
City Panel Votes to Name Sports Complex Baseball Field After Doug Berryhill, Palm Coast Little League Champion
The Palm Coast Beautification Committee voted 5-0 to rename Field 6 at the Indian Trails Sports Complex after Doug Berryhill, for more than a decade a legendary Palm Coast Little League vice president and coach who grew the organization and was beloved by thousands of families.
Joseph Bova, Serving Life for Murder, Rejects New Trial But Stunningly Wins Chance to Reduce Sentence to 45 Years
It was another astonishing court appearance and potential shift in a history of astonishing hearings and the trial involving Joseph Bova II, the now-34-year-old schizophrenic serving life in prison for the 2013 murder of Zuheily Rosado, the mother of five, at a Palm Coast convenience store on State Road 100.
Florida Department of Transportation Announces Crossing Guard Appreciation Day and Award Winners
The 2021 Florida School Crossing Guard of the Year is Pat Alfonso of the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, the 2021 Florida School Crossing Guard of the Year Extra Mile Award went to Heather Calloway of the Fort Walton Beach Police Department.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, February 4, 2022
Joseph Bova, convicted of murdering Zuheily Rosado at a Palm Coast convenience store in February 2013, is back in court, First Friday in Flagler Beach, Cirque Ma’Ceo at the county fairgrounds, Rigoletto in Daytona Beach and The Chris Thomas Band in Jacksonville.