The Division of Forestry now has more firefighting personnel in Flagler County than all the county’s and cities’ squads combined as DOF fights a make-or-break tactical battle against the Espanola fire.
Literacy By the Paw: When Children Learn To Read With Dogs as Their Audience
The Flagler County Public Library and the Flagler Humane Society have paired to offer a periodic reading program for children who develop their skills by reading to dogs. A video report.
Strong Thunderstorms and Excessive Lightning for Eastern Flagler–And Needed Rain
The National Weather Service has issued a severe weather advisory–involving excessive lightning and wind–for eastern Flagler County, including Palm Coast and Flagler Beach, in effect until 5 p.m. For the fires, it’s a double-edged sword.
Double Chest CT Scans: More Radiation and Costs; FHF’s 8% Rate Higher Than Average
Nationwide, hospitals performed double scans on 5.4 percent of Medicare patients who received chest CTs, but 618 hospitals performed the tests on at least 10 percent of Medicare patients, though experts say the double scans are unnecessary.
Big Stand Against Espanola Fire at Threatened FPL Powerlines In Hopes of Halting Blaze
Damage to the 500Kv FPL lines would affect local electricity customers. Beyond the powerlines lay pine-tree farms doused in herbicide, which has dried out underbrush, making it easier to burn. And beyond that: U.S. 1.
Fish and Wildlife Commission Prohibits Campfires on Public Lands
As a result of ongoing wildfires, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission issued the executive order prohibiting campfires in wildlife management areas, wildlife and environmental areas and all other lands it manages.
Flagler Unemployment at 13.8%,
Florida’s Down to 10.6%
Flagler County’s April unemployment was revised upward to 14 percent, so May’s figure is, officially, another decline. The county’s labor force grew by 64 over the month, but declined by more than 1,000 over the year.
Fifth Grade Graduation, Florida’s Dismal Education Spending, Talk Radio Sellouts: The Live Wire
Why Rick Scott is America’s least popular governor, SlutWalks and feminism, corruption at the transportation department, students who are full of it, and more.
Scott Retreats: No Drug-Testing of State Workers, At least For Now
The ACLU of Florida called it a “a massive and embarrassing retreat,” but Scott says it’s merely a temporary delay, pending a constitutional challenge to his executive order.
Espanola Fire, Now Over 5,000 Acres, Breaks Out Again On Three Sides; Calm Elsewhere
The calm on Flagler’s smaller fires was deceptive as Espanola broke out on three sides, and fires by the dozens are breaking out across the state, further thinning resources. Drought conditions are worsening.