The rate of breakthrough cases reported among those fully vaccinated is well below 1% in all reporting states, ranging from 0.01 percent in Connecticut to 0.29 percent in Alaska. The hospitalization rate among fully vaccinated people with COVID-19 ranged from effectively zero to 0.06 percent, and the rates of deaths were even lower.
Is It Time to Retire the ‘My Body, My Choice’ Slogan?
Whether talking about reproductive health or COVID-19, choices involving health care are not only freedoms from external control. They also rely on the ability to access necessary care. As abortion rights make their way back to the Supreme Court during an ongoing global pandemic, it is a good time to reconsider whether “my body, my choice” is the right slogan for a right to health care.
Expansion of Mosquito Spraying in Plantation Bay and Sawmill Creek Draws Mixed Reactions
A workshop intended to gauge public sentiment about modestly expanding the East Flagler Mosquito Control District to Plantation Bay and to a small area west of U.S. 1 drew just 10 people Wednesday evening, some fiercely opposed, some wager for the spraying.
Robert Batie, Accused Rapist of 16-Year-Old Patient, Was Employed By Practice Working With Flagler Schools
Therapist Robert Batie was arrested on four charges of molesting and raping a 16-year-old patient at his office on Hargrove Grade in Palm Coast. He had worked with Palm Coast Counseling, engaged by Flagler schools since 2020 to provide mental health services to students at the practice or elsewhere.
In Florida Covid Crisis, Politics Define Gov. DeSantis’s Decisions from Barring Mask Requirements to Vaccine Passports
Elected officials’ attitudes and actions about masks and vaccinations have become a flashpoint in the increasingly tribal nature of partisan politics. The ideological schism over preventive protocols in Florida has aided DeSantis’ rise as a national presidential contender and, at the same time, become a cornerstone of Democrats’ efforts to oust him.
Catholics for Choice Condemns U.S. Bishops for Urging Supreme Court to Restrict Abortion Rights
Catholics for Choice, which uplifts and amplifies the voices of the majority of Catholics who believe in reproductive freedom, denounced the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) today for asking the Supreme Court to uphold a Mississippi law banning abortion after 15 weeks.
In Mayoral Election Audit, Lowe Partisans’ Hunt for Perfidy Disappoints as Results Are, As Expected, Confirmed
The audit of the July 27 special election for Palm Coast mayor showed 100 percent accuracy, though partisans of Alan Lowe, one of the losing candidates, have continued to make baseless allegations of irregularities.
Back from Boys’ Camp, Palm Coast Council Adopts Tentative Tax Rate, But Policing Budget Is Contested
The Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday broke its impasse over a tentative tax rate, approving what for now is the same rate that’s been in effect since 2019, with council members’ pledge to look for ways to reduce it. But that may be difficult with a slew of competing demands in services, including additional sheriff’s deputies, street paving, and other administrative requests.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, August 4, 2021
The Canvassing Board of the Palm Coast special election for mayor meets for the last time to conduct a legally-required manual audit of one precinct in the election. A community meeting about Cimarron Drive, and a good word from Ninon de Lenclos.
Trump Endorsements Make a Difference, But Not the Way Candidates Hope They Do
During the 2018 midterm elections, President Trump’s endorsements helped Republicans he endorsed raise money, but ultimately were more detrimental than helpful, leading to an increased vote share going to the Democratic opponent of the candidate Trump endorsed.
David Alfin, Making a Point of Facing the Public on a Level Plane, Is Sworn-In as Palm Coast’s 4th Mayor
David Alfin was sworn-in as Palm Coast’s fourth mayor this evening in a simple ceremony and a well-attended meeting in which he made a point of defining his tenure as a service to residents, but also as a mission to bring civility and consensus to a sharply divided council. There was pointed symbolism and a few pointed remarks during the meeting.
James Harris of Jimmy’s Hang 10 Will Remain in Jail Pending Trial as Judge Denies Motion for Bond
Circuit Judge Terence Perkins this afternoon denied a motion by James Harris’s attorney to release Harris from jail, on bond, pending trial on three charges of molestation involving his stepdaughter over what she says is a period of five years. She is 14. Harris is the 61-year-old owner of Jimmy’s Hang 10, the Flagler Beach restaurant, who was arrested on July 2.
Florida Covid Hospital Rate Tops the Nation, Taking Up 22% of All In-Patient Beds; ICU Occupancy at 86%
As of Monday, 11,863 inpatient beds in Florida were being used by Covid-19 patients, about 22 percent of all inpatient beds in the state, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services data show. No other state had as high of a utilization rate. The number of in-patients at AdventHealth Palm Coast on Monday was 80, more than double the January peak.
In ‘Baffling’ Votes, County Commission Rejects More Probing Meeting Schedule It Had Adopted Just 3 Weeks Ago
Not big on hard work: County Commissioners Dave Sullivan, Joe Mullins, Donald O’Brien and Greg Hansen aren’t interested in pre-scheduled workshops to vet and discuss county business, as Palm Coast and the school board do, and as Commissioner Andy Dance was recommending. After agreeing to such a schedule just three weeks ago, the commission, with Dance in dissent, rejected it on Monday.
Flagler Health Department Chief Bob Snyder Reveals He Was a ‘Breakthrough’ Covid Case, But Vaccine Kept Symptoms Mild
Bob Snyder, the Flagler Health Department chief, had managed to make it through a year and a half of the pandemic’s most viral trenches unscathed, even when he was unvaccinated for two-thirds of that time.
Today, Snyder revealed he was among the “breakthrough” cases, contracting the delta variant recently despite his January vaccination. The infection barely sidelined him.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, August 3, 2021
David Alfin is sworn-in as Palm Coast’s fourth mayor at a 6 p.m. meeting, the council votes on a proposed tax rate, and the School Board meets at 3 p.m. in workshop to discuss a long list of key issues.
Where Canadian Dads Are Warm, Kind and Gentle, American Dads Punish Harshly and Lack Emotional Support
Canadian dads were much more likely to show warmth, provide emotional support, engage in caregiving and use positive discipline. In fact, American dads outperformed their Canadian counterparts on only one of the survey measures – the use of spanking and other harsh disciplinary tactics.
Ahead of Its Planned Hospital on U.S. 1, Flagler Health+ Joins Palm Coast United Methodist in Health Village and Church Campus
Flagler Health+ and Palm Coast United Methodist Church celebrated the groundbreaking expansion of each institution on July 27 in North Palm Coast as Flagler Health+ openly competes with AdventHealth and the church will build a “North Campus” to reach more youth.
80 Hospitalized for Covid at AdventHealth Palm Coast as Infections in Flagler Continue to Soar: 900 in Last 7 Days
As many Flagler County residents got infected in the past seven days as did the total number of Flagler residents did in the first seven months of the pandemic last year, from January to Aug. 1, 2020. Two Flagler County commissioners today joined a very small number of elected officials who are asking residents explicitly to mask up and to get vaccinated, as the county’s vaccination rate remains below 50 percent.
A Man Is Killed in 2-Car Crash on Royal Palms Parkway at Point Pleasant Drive
A two-vehicle crash just past midday at Royal Palms Parkway and Point Pleasant Drive in Palm Coast resulted in the death of one of the drivers, according to authorities. The Palm Coast Fire Police shut down Royal Palms Parkway at Belle Terre Parkway to the west and Town Center Boulevard to the east.
DeSantis Adds Florida to 11 States’ Play to Overturn Roe v. Wade’s 2-Semester Abortion Standard
The governors filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of a 2018 Mississippi law banning abortions after 15 weeks. The filing doesn’t make these states party to Mississippi’s defense of its statute, but voices their legal support for that state’s case.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, August 2, 2021
It’s Andy Dance’s 58th birthday, shared with that of James Baldwin, the County Commission meets and will likely approve a lease moving the Bunnell Branch library to Marvin’s Garden.
Palm Coast Councilman Victor Barbosa Hospitalized with Covid 2 Days After Election Party
Victor Barbosa, the Palm Coast City Council member, announced in a terse Facebook post: “3 day in the hospital fighting covid and pneumonia.” Two days before his hospitalization he was at an election-night party for Alan Lowe where someone described him as “pretty wore out,” and where no one was masked.
When Americans Recall their Roots, they Open Up to Immigration
Reminding Americans of where they came from – such as the statements by Biden administration officials – creates empathy for immigrants, generating more favorable attitudes toward immigration.
Crisis at the Border: Sheriff Staly’s On-the-Ground Report on a ‘Failed Immigration Policy’ Affecting All Communities
Earlier this month Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly took part in a fact-finding trip along the Texas side of the border with Mexico with several other law enforcement officials and U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla. “The border crisis,” he argues, “is coming to you whether you like it or not.”
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, August 1, 2021
A dangerously hot day with heat indexes up to 109, the Observer interview with John Sbordone and Beau Wade, when majorities become tyrannies. Ann Frank’s last diary entry.
Changing Crime Reporting Practices to Do Less Harm
Acknowledging that journalism can inflict wounds unnecessarily, AP will no longer name those arrested for minor crimes when the news service is unlikely to cover the story’s subsequent developments. Often, such stories’ publication hinges on an odd or entertaining quirk, and the names are irrelevant. Yet, the ramifications can loom large and be long-lasting for the persons named.
Race, Gender, Abortion: GOP Lawmakers Across the Country Are Waging a Counterrevolutionary War
Republicans were emboldened in the 23 states where they control the governorship and both houses of the legislature. Other factors include a newly conservative U.S. Supreme Court, GOP backlash over former President Donald Trump’s reelection loss and a tidal wave of social media campaigns and commentary aimed at galvanizing conservatives by playing up divisive cultural issues.
Sheriff’s K-9 Unit Named Trailing Team of the Year For 2nd Year in a Row
K-9 Holmes joined the FCSO in April of 2018 and began working with Commander Gimbel. The K-9 Unit made national news after FCSO requested the help of the community in naming the first bloodhound the Agency has had in decades.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, July 31, 2021
A Celebration of Life for Paul Harrington, the two-time candidate for Flagler Beach City Commission who died on April 14, is scheduled for 4 p.m. today at 210 South Central Avenue in Flagler Beach.
How This Summer Is Changing Our Understanding of Extreme Weather
A succession of record-breaking natural disasters have swept the globe in recent weeks, shocking climate scientists. We are used to treating each natural hazard independently from another. That’s a mistake. They are all connected.
Flagler Beach Mayor Suzie Johnston Is 1st County or City Elected Official To Call for Vaccines and Masks
The mayor was acting on her own, representing herself rather than the city of Flagler Beach. The statement was issued within hours of Gov. Ron DeSantis issuing an executive order banning masking requirements in public schools, and as he has continued to counter efforts by communities to institute more restrictive safety measures in the face of Florida’s (and Flagler’s ) unprecedented surge in covid cases.
Northeast Florida Regional Airport in St. Johns Lands $700,000 Grant
This week, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced a $700,000 grant award to the St. Johns County Airport Authority through the Small Community Air Service Development Program (SCASDP).
An Uneventful Canvassing Board Meeting Pores Over 81 Provisional Ballots in the Palm Coast Election
The Palm Coast Canvassing Board had a quiet and uneventful session today, poring over 81 ballots that had to be judged valid or not. The absence of Alan Lowe partisans suggests their vague claims of a contestable election was nothing more than that.
Debunking the Bogus Claim that Face Masks Harm Children
Facial masks may be one of the most cost-effective strategies to prevent the diffusion of Covid 19 infection. Nevertheless, fake news is spreading, scaring parents about dangerous but false side effects of masks in children.
Shrugging Off Science, Physicians’ Pleas and Overrun Hospitals, DeSantis Bans Mask Requirements in Schools
Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday he will issue an executive order to prohibit school districts from imposing mask-wearing requirements as students return to classes in August. The order contradicts the recommendations of physicians, public health officials and the CDC and is issued as Florida is again the epicenter of the covid pandemic and its hospitals are being overrun.
‘Absolutely’: Health Chief Calls for Masks in Flagler Schools as AdventHealth Goes to Unprecedented ‘Black Status’
Flagler County Health Department Administrator Bob Snyder on Thursday said that whether vaccinated or not, students indoors should be wearing masks. Snyder’s unequivocal declaration stresses similar recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and physicians at AdventHealth.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, July 30, 2021
The Palm Coast Canvassing Board meets to go over mail-in ballots and provisional ballots in the special election for mayor, and to announce official results. A word from the Tao Te Ching.
Construction Begins on $9.5 Million Pedestrian Bridge over State Road 100, Linking Trail Network
Construction work for a long-anticipated pedestrian bridge crossing over State Road 100 began July 26. When completed, the bridge will link the Lehigh Trail, Old Kings Road sidewalk, conservation lands, and the Flagler County’s Bulow “Parcel D” property.
Pre-Register for Free Virtual Skywarn Storm Spotter Class August 16
Kip Bricker, meteorologist with the National Weather Service, will teach the class. It will cover everything from cloud formations to thunderstorm development to visual predictions.
Behind Ben & Jerry’s West Bank Decision: Israel Is Losing the Battle for Public Opinion
Ben & Jerry’s said selling ice cream in the West Bank and Gaza “is inconsistent with our values.” The move is emblematic of a larger trend: public sentiment among a group of U.S. voters – including many American Jews – who used to be stalwart supporters of Israel has shifted, and they are increasingly turning their backs on the Jewish state.
Federal Appeals Court Rejects Defamation Claim By Anti-Gay Florida Ministry Termed a Hate Group
Coral Ridge, a nonprofit organization based in Fort Lauderdale, sought to benefit from Amazon Smile’s program but was denied admission because it had been tagged by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group over its positions on LGBTQ issues,
Covid Breaks Flagler Infection Records Daily, Filling Half Advent’s Beds; Community and Local Governments Are Indifferent
While the Flagler Health Department and AdventHealth Palm Coast are overrun with Covid cases and in-patients, local governments have gone silent, indifferent to the worst wave of the pandemic yet, making a mockery of their claim of a “partnership” with the Health Department or the hospital and amplifying community apathy that multiplies infections.
63-Year-Old Palm Coast Man Dies in 2-Vehicle Crash at West Hampton Drive and Pine Lakes Parkway
A 63-year-old Palm Coast resident died in a two-vehicle car crash at West Hampton Drive and Pine Lakes Parkway just past 3 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The death, however, appears to have been the result of a heart attack.
17 Cats and Dogs Rescued from Near-Death in U-Haul Truck; Two Owners Face Animal Cruelty Charges
Jason Donellan-Sparks, 29, and Shawna Doud, 23, were traveling in a U-Haul from Tennessee when they parked in Palm Coast Wednesday morning and a witness noticed the condition of the animals in back of the truck, alerting sheriff’s deputies.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, July 29, 2021
Back-to-school protocols, drug court, thoughts on the heated-up local housing market, and Immanuel Kant on the Enlightenment’s best lesson: think for yourself.
Cautionary Tale for Coastal Towns: What Miami’s Sea Wall Will Not Protect
The sea wall the Army Corps is proposing – protecting only 6 miles of downtown and the financial district from a storm surge – can’t save Miami and Dade County. Most of the city will be outside the wall, unprotected; the wall will still trap water inside; and the Corps hasn’t closely studied what the construction of a high sea wall would do to water quality.
Seminole Woods Man, 26, Arrested on Aggravated Domestic Violence Charge After Beating and Terrorizing Mom
Oleksandr Podolskyy, a 26-year-old resident of Seminole Woods in Palm Coast, is at the Flagler County jail on two felony counts, including aggravated domestic assault, following a violent ordeal through which he allegedly humiliated, threatened and repeatedly beat his mother, days after firing off weapons in his yard.
DeSantis Ducks Reporters, His Office Is Unforthcoming About his Whereabouts Again
Lack of notice to the press — intermediaries for the taxpayers the governor works for — has been a persistent problem for the DeSantis administration, though it’s not a problem specific to him. Other governors have played the same games.
No Sales Tax on School-Related Supplies for 10 Days, Beginning Saturday
With most students expected to be in classrooms next month, after many learned online for at least part of the 2020-2021 school year, retailers anticipate a surge in shopping during Florida’s upcoming back-to-school sales tax “holiday.”