The Palm Coast City Council will consider a resolution approving a statement of ethical campaign practices for future candidates, the Flagler County Planning Board again takes up a controversial comprehensive plan issue.
Disney Confronts the Sort of Trouble It Last Knew in 1941
In April, officials at Disney objected to a Florida law prohibiting instruction in sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis responded by signing a bill revoking Disney’s self-governing status, a unique arrangement in which the company operated like an independent fiefdom within the state.
DeSantis signs K-12 ‘Victims of Communism’ Bill then Rails Against ‘Marxists’ on Campuses
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law Monday a measure creating a “Victims of Communism Day” at Florida’s public schools, though much of the discussion centered around what state officials believe to be a rise in communist sympathies at Florida’s college campuses.
Flagler Beach Commission Clears Crafting Contract With Fledgling Fireworks Provider for July 4
In an attempt to bail itself out of a jam, the Flagler Beach City commission at a special meeting this afternoon directed its city manager to draft a contract with a new, young, largely untested company to provide a 20-minute fireworks show on July 4.
Back in Court, Wife’s Murderer Says She Was Equally to Blame for Her Own Death
A lengthy court hearing Friday was the first time that Michael Cummings, now 50, spoke openly about the details of killing his wife at their home on Point Pleasant in Palm Coast, at least as he remembered them. He put much of the blame for that night on her, blamed his defense attorneys, and disputed his designation as a murderer.
600-Day Retirement Clock Ticking for Judges Terence Perkins, Raul Zambrano and James Clayton
Circuit Judge Terence Perkins has been the senior judge in Flagler County since 2018, taking over a courthouse in slight turmoil and returning it to a no-drama zone of docket workhorses. He will retire at the end of 2023, along with Judge Raul Zambrano, who had been a felony judge in Flagler previously, and James Clayton, currently the circuit’s chief judge.
Florida Gas Prices at Highest Level in 5 Weeks, with Flagler Average at $4.23
In Flagler County, the average gas price for regular unleaded was at $4.23 a gallon this morning, compared to $4.21 in St. Johns and $4.14 in Volusia. Regular at Wawa on State Road 100 in palm Coast was selling at $4.179 and $4.15 at the Shell station at Flagler Plaza in Flagler Beach. Both RaceTrac stations on State Road 100 were selling at $4.29, and $4.18 at the RaceTrac on Palm Coast Parkway.
Marineland Dolphin Adventure Earns American Humane Recognition Exceptional Animal Welfare
American Humane, the country’s first national humane organization and the world’s largest certifier of animal welfare practices, today announced that Marineland Dolphin Adventure earned the American Humane Certified seal, demonstrating the exceptional welfare and treatment provided to animals in its care.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, May 9, 2022
Live Navy bombings in the Ocala National Forest today, The Flagler Beach City Commission meets in special session to discuss fireworks, the school board meets in secret session, how the Koch brothers bought Mason University’s Mercatus Center.
The Cleveland Indians Changed Their Name. Should the Atlanta Braves?
It wasn’t until 2018 that the Indians officially removed their logo, a cartoonish Native American named Chief Wahoo, from merchandise, and in 2020 that they changed their name. The Atlanta Braves’ owners, however, have dug in their heels, refusing to replace a name that many Americans – including Native Americans – find offensive and derogatory.
Free “Storm Spotters” Class On May 20 At Emergency Operations Center
Participants are eligible to become volunteer storm spotters and assist Emergency Services and the National Weather Service by reporting potentially hazardous weather events.
Abortion’s Last Stand: A Post-Roe Future Is Already Happening in Florida
Reports of harassment, disturbance and violence outside the state’s clinics are skyrocketing, while the federal law meant to protect clinics doesn’t cover the kind of tactics common today.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, May 8, 2022
Eddie Murphy on his fearsome mother, City Repertory Theatre stages “Waiting for Godot,” Louis Moreau Gottschalk, Grace Community Food Pantry, and Dostoevsky on a mother’s memory on this Mother’s Day.
The Southwest is on Fire: 3 Reasons the 2022 Fire Season Is So Early and Intense
New Mexico and Arizona are facing a dangerously early fire season, with 600 fires leaving neighborhoods in ashes and triggering a federal disaster declaration. A scientist explains why the unusual intensity and timing.
Daytona State College Marks Opening of First-Ever Student Residency Hall
Located on the Daytona Beach Campus, the four story, 252-bed facility opens its doors to DSC’s first-ever on-campus residents this summer. The residence hall was designed to be an affordable option within reach for all students, including those on financial aid and scholarships.
DeSantis Claims ‘Ideology’ Found In Rejected Math Texts. Reviewers Find Near-Zero Evidence of It.
Out of thousands of pages of responses by people it enlisted to review the texts, only one reviewer found that critical race theory constituted a large component of any of the books and only a handful found evidence that some “might” contain critical race theory, just as most reviewers found no social emotional learning.
18th Orbital Launch of the Year from Cape Canaveral, with 40 More Slated for This Year
Space Coast residents had a chance to wake up Thursday to the 18th orbital launch of the year from Cape Canaveral, as a SpaceX Falcon 9 topped with 53 Starlink internet satellites lifted off just before sunrise. Launch facilities might handle more than 40 additional launches before the end of 2022 from private companies, NASA and U.S. Space Force.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, May 7, 2022
Drag Bingo with Gabbi Haze: It’s LGBTQ Night at Moonrise Brewery, City Repertory Theatre stages “Waiting for Godot,” Sunshine & Sandals Social, Rise Above the Violence’s Mindfulness Event at Washington Oaks Garden State Park, Garden of Faith Village’s community food pantry.
Where the Notion of a Wrathful God and Eternal Damnation Appeals to Millions
The Ark Encounter, an evangelical theme park located near Williamstown, Kentucky, has welcomed between 4 million and 5 million visitors since its opening in July 2016. Ark Encounter is a tourist site devoted to emphasizing the wrathful nature of God and the eternal damnation that awaits unrepentant sinners.
3 Trump-Appointed Judges Reverse Obama-Appointee’s Ruling Against Florida’s Restrictive Voting Law
Calling it flawed, a three-judge appellate panel made up entirely of Trump appointees on Friday put a hold on an Obama-appointed federal judge’s ruling that said a 2021 Florida elections law was unconstitutionally intended to discriminate against Black voters.
Sheriff Connects Smith and Hall Shootings as Man Linked to 1st Is Arrested and $15,000 Reward Offered
Sheriff Rick Staly today said the January killing of 16-year-old Noah Smith and this week’s killing of 16-year-old Keymarion Hall are related, and that Terrell Anthony Sampson, 18, of 404 Church Street in Bunnell, was arrested in connection with Smith’s killing. Sampson faces an unrelated charge of possessing a weapon as a delinquent. CrimeStoppers is offering a $15,000 reward in information leading to an arrest in the Smith killing.
Philip Martin Is Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Massaging Young Girl as Judge Notes Excess
Circuit Judge Terence Perkins sentenced former Palm Coast resident 56-year-old Philip Martin to 25 years in prison for rubbing, caressing and massaging various body parts of a girl who’d been in his trust when she was 9, 10 and 11. But the judge acknowledged that he would have imposed a lesser sentence had he not been bound by minimum-mandatory requirements.
July 4 Fireworks in Flagler Beach Appear Back On as City Seeks to Lock In Producer, But Questions Persist
In a special meeting called for Monday, the Flagler beach City Commission will consider approving a $24,000 agreement with a Green Cove Springs company to produce the July 4 fireworks, resolving the risk of a dark July 4 created when the city failed to contact its previous fireworks producer in time.
Palm Coast Fire Department’s Battalion Chief Sean Major Retires After 31 years
In 1991, Sean Major was working at a Lawn & Landscape with then-Lieutenant Mike Beadle. He was encouraged to check out the fire department as a volunteer. Lieutenant Beadle’s encouragement would lead to a 31 year career of service to the citizens of Palm Coast.
Sheriff’s Office Hosts 2022 Fallen Officers Memorial Ceremony
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) hosted the 2022 Fallen Officer Memorial and Candlelight Vigil just outside of the Flagler County Courthouse Thursday. Supporters and participants were able to observe the service and help us honor our fallen brothers and sisters.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, May 6, 2022
Philip Martin is sentenced, the Sheriff and Crime Stoppers announce a large reward in the Noah Smith murder investigation, “Waiting for Godot” and “Proof” are on local stages, First Friday in Flagler Beach.
A White Woman Wrote an Opera About Emmett Till. Now Some Critics Want It Cancelled.
A white woman named Clare Coss wrote the libretto, or text, for the opera, which she based on an award-winning play she had written called “Emmett, Down in My Heart” in 2015. Critics claim the opera elevates the guilt of white audiences while capitalizing on Black trauma.
To School Board’s Janet McDonald, Freedom of Speech Doesn’t Belong in School and ‘Does Not Mean Freedom of Movement’ or Activity
Flagler County school Board member Janet McDonald staked out an extreme position against students’ free speech in schools during a discussion on a proposed policy controlling the place and manner of student demonstrations. The rest of the school board, however, is defending students’ right to protest even on school grounds, during school hours.
For the Mother of Curtis Gray, Lost to Gunfire, Keymarion Hall’s Death Triggers Grief and Impulses to Help
Carmen Gray, the mother of Curtis Gray, murdered three years ago when he was 18, had been preparing for Saturday’s Rise Above the Violence “Mindfulness Event” at Washington Oaks State Park when she learned of the shooting death of Keymarion Hall. She talks about her reaction, her PTSD and the goals of Saturday’s event.
Fugitive Sex Offender Who’d Been Working as Tattoo Artist in Flagler Beach is Arrested
Chase Graham Quirona, 31, of Palm Coast and Louisiana, was booked without bond at the Flagler County jail after a deputy uncovered his fugitive status for failing to register as a sex offender even as he’d been working as a tattoo artist at a parlor in Flagler Beach.
In a Post-Roe America, Expect More Births in a Country Where Maternal Mortality Continues to Rise
The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among wealthy countries. And it may get worse as abortions become more difficult to obtain, say public health experts.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, May 5, 2022
Flagler Beach Detective Rosanna Vinci is the guest speaker at the Palm Coast Democratic Club, “Proof,” the David Auburn play, is staged at the Flagler Playhouse, Nelly Bly, Daniel Bell on the end of American Exceptionalism.
All Those Fitness Trackers Have Reduced Mobility, Not Improved It
The manufacturers of these devices certainly want consumers to believe that tracking fitness or health-related behaviors will spur them on to increase their activity levels and make them healthier. Analysis of research published over the past 25 years suggests otherwise.
Hop on a Bus and Tour Half Dozen Flagler County Parks – for Free
More than a dozen lucky residents will be able to join Parks and Recreation staff and the Flagler County Parks Advisory Board for the Summer 2022 Tour of Parks on June 10.
Florida’s New Abortion Law May Require ‘Extreme Measures’ to Ensure Women Can Legally Abort
A 15-week abortion ban in Florida takes effect July 1 and the highest court in the nation has signaled its support for overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade case. Florida’s abortion clinics and independent providers are already preparing for the 15-week ban, including out-of-state help from a network of clinics in abortion-friendly states.
Flagler County Judge Totten Elected Without Opposition, as Are Seven Circuit Judges
Formerly appointed Flagler County Court Judge Andrea Totten was elected without opposition to a six-year term, as were Circuit Judges Dennis Craig, Matt Foxman, Kenny Janesk, Howard O. McGillin Jr., A. Kathleen McNeilly, Dawn D. Nichols and Stasia Warren.
Palm Coast Council Looks for ‘Break-Even Point’ in Lease With Green Lion Café at Palm Harbor Golf
The city conceded that it has–and continues–to lose money through its current lease, which requires the Green Lion to pay only $600 a month in rent and no utility costs. The aim of the new lease is to bring the city to a break-even point, but how utility payments are figured in–as part of, or in addition to, rent–remains to be decided.
Dyllan Lemoine, 21, Arrested on Sex Charge After Video Circulates in an Elementary School
A video circulating through a local elementary school depicting sexual acts involving 21-year-old Dyllan Lemoine and a female child at Hidden Lake Park in west Flagler resulted in Lemoine’s arrest on Tuesday.
Keymarion Hall, 10th Grader at Flagler Palm Coast High School, Is Shot and Killed, 24 Year Old Wounded
Keymarion Hall, a 10th grader at Flagler Palm Coast High School, was shot and killed on a street in Bunnell late Tuesday night and 24-year-old Nysean Giddens, who was fleeing with others in a vehicle, was wounded and apprehended.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, May 4, 2022
The Palm Coast Code Enforcement Board meets, it’s an all-civil docket for Flagler’s felony judge, remembering the Haymarket Square “massacre,” and a few words about the less attractive side of Socrates.
How Roe v. Wade Changed the Lives of American Women
With the availability of a greater range of contraception and abortion drugs other than medical procedures available today, along with a strong demand for women’s labor in the U.S. economy, it seems unlikely that women’s status will ever go back to where it was before 1973. But Americans shouldn’t forget the role that Roe v. Wade played in advancing the lives of women.
Supreme Court Draft Repealing Roe v. Wade Intensifies Debate Among Florida Legislators
A leaked U.S. Supreme Court draft opinion that would overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion decision ignited a sense of urgency Tuesday among Florida Democrats while drawing praise from Republicans.
Mullins Misinformation and Commission’s Sly Maneuver Frame 4-1 Vote to Scrap School Board Deal
The Flagler County Commission’s vote on Monday was on a significant policy matter controlling school construction and development that was not publicly noticed until hours before Monday’s meeting. It was yet another snub to process, to the Flagler County School Board, and it was colored by disinformation and inaccuracies from Commission Chairman Joe Mullins.
Palm Coast Council Tries Again With Green Lion Café, Almost Tripling Rent, But Differences Remain
The Palm Coast City Council this evening will consider approving a new lease or an amended lease with the Green Lion Café at the city-owned Palm Harbor Golf Club, raising the popular restaurant’s rent from $600 to $1,665 and ending subsidies for utilities. But key differences remain between the Green Lion and the city.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, May 3, 2022
The Palm Coast City Council considers a new lease with the Green Lion Cafe, the school board considers a different student-protest policy, two progressives speak about what Democrats get wrong about rural America.
A Recession Ahead Is Likelier Than a Soft Landing
By raising interest rates, the Fed is hoping to achieve a “soft landing” for the U.S. economy, taming inflation without causing unemployment to rise or triggering a recession. Research suggests that engineering a soft landing is highly improbable and that there is a significant likelihood of a recession in the not too distant future.
Policy Changes On Opioid Overdoses and Seizures Coming to Florida Schools
The new law exempts school district employees from civil liability if they administer an opioid antagonist to a student under Florida’s Good Samaritan Act. The law will go into effect on July 1, 2022.
Ex-Jimmy’s Hang Ten Owner James Harris Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison in Lewd Filming of Daughter
James Harris, the 61-year-old former owner of Jimmy’s Hang Ten in Flagler Beach, pleaded guilty today to three counts of sexually abusing his step-daughter and was sentenced to 15 years in prison followed by 15 years on probation.
Local Attorney Delgado Accepts Sanction for ‘Inappropriate’ Call with Client
Delgado admitted the communications “had the appearance of impropriety and not becoming of a lawyer,” according to a consent judgment he reached with the Florida Bar. He entered a conditional guilty plea for consent judgment, was reprimanded by publication and placed on probation for two years.
Voting Precincts Will Drop from 23 to 21 as In-Person Polling Declines, Flagler Beach Will Get Early Voting Site
Flagler County’s voting precincts will be reduced from 23 to 21 as far fewer people are turning out to vote in person on Election day itself, in contrast with sharp spikes in early voting and voting by mail. Early voting sites will increase from three to four, with Flagler Beach getting its own early voting site from here on, according to a plan by Supervisor of Elections Kaiti Lenhart.