A federal judge late Thursday struck down a White House policy that created a pathway to citizenship for people in the country lacking permanent status who were married to a U.S. citizen. Eastern District of Texas Judge J. Campbell Barker ruled that the Biden administration overstepped its authority and the program “stretches legal interpretation past its breaking point” of U.S. immigration law. The suit was brought by Texas and other Republican-led states.
Cheryl Andrews, Aide at Indian Trails Middle, Arrested on Charge of Child Abuse Against Disabled Student
Cheryl Ann Andrews, a 69-year-old paraprofessional, or teacher’s aide, at Indian Trail Middle School and a resident of Rolland Lane in Palm Coast, was arrested Thursday on a felony charge of child abuse after video footage appears to show her hitting a disabled student and briefly adding to the abuse.
Developer of Cascades in Seminole Woods Readies to Sue Palm Coast Over 416-Home Limit, Instead of 850
The Palm Coast City Council on Wednesday got warning from a developer that the city may soon face a lawsuit to make up for over $12 million in estimated losses from a council decision to limit a development to less than half the housing units applied for at the Cascades, the Seminole Woods development the council approved earlier this year. The applicant had asked for 850 housing units, including apartments. The council limited the development to 416.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, November 8, 2024
Jake’s Women, By Neil Simon, at City Rep Theatre, ‘No Sex Please, We’re British,’ at Daytona Playhouse, Free For All Fridays with Host David Ayres, welcoming Colleen Conklin on 24 years as a school board member, plus and Carrie Baird and Cheryl Tristam on a special program at Flagler Cares.
America’s Glass Ceiling Remains
Gender wasn’t the main reason Kamala Harris lost. But it was a factor that contributed to her lack of support, especially when you compare her performance with Joe Biden’s in the same places and with almost all of the same voting groups he won in 2020. Gender was part of the campaign landscape in many different ways this election.
Florida’s Legislative Leaders Issue Roadmap for Leaner Years Ahead
The House memo provided to the press shows that House Speaker Danny Perez plans to try to curb the size of the state budget. He announced he’s scrapping the long-standing House Appropriations Committee (and subcommittees) and replacing them with the Budget Committee and subcommittees. He noted it’s more than just a name change and that it “carries a deeper philosophical point.”
Jane Mealy and James Sherman Will Run Again in Flagler Beach
Jane Mealy, the 18-year incumbent, may have had to attend the odd commission meeting with oxygen in tow lately, and James Sherman in his first term has made an art of hesitating about running again, but both are readying for another three-year term.
Flagler Beach Prepares to Raise Water, Sewer, Trash and Stormwater Rates by $8.76 a Month
The Flagler Beach City Commission on Nov. 14 is expected to vote on a series of utility-rate increases for water, sewer, stormwater and trash services that would increase the bill on a residential household by $8.76 per month, or $105 for the year.
Judge Declares Old Dixie Motel Owners in Contempt Over Continued Snubs, $1,000-a-Day Fines Loom
After warning them that he would do so if they did not comply with his previous orders, Circuit Judge Chris France last week declared the owners of the Old Dixie Motel in contempt of court and warned of $1,000-a-dy fines starting on Nov. 15 if they do not comply with a pair of orders.
Flagler County’s New Ban on Homeless Sleeping in Public Ignores Allowance for Designating Safe Space
Since Oct. 1 it has been illegal for the homeless to camp out or sleep on public grounds in Florida. The law authorizes counties to designate a local government property for use as a public camping or sleeping space for homeless individuals for up to a year–essentially, a safe, regulated space. On Monday, the Flagler County Commission approved on second reading an ordinance that ratifies the state law, but without designating a safe space for overnight stays, though such de-facto campgrounds are well known to local authorities.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, November 7, 2024
Model Yacht Club Races at the Pond in Palm Coast’s Central Park, drug court, a lecture by Kurt Vonnegut, a few words from Ta-Nehisi Coates, the sheriff’s bobblehead and Trump’s grenade.
Harris Concedes Presidential Race to Trump But Not ‘The Fight That Fueled This Campaign’
Steven Cheung, the Trump campaign communications director said in a statement that during the call Trump “acknowledged Vice President Harris on her strength, professionalism, and tenacity throughout the campaign, and both leaders agreed on the importance of unifying the country.” Harris delivered a concession speech at 4 p.m. Eastern to her supporters at Howard University in Washington, D.C.
Trump’s Comeback Looks a Lot Like Andrew Jackson’s
Trump has survived by – consciously or not – following the example of another American president who created a political party in his own image and used it to rule almost unchecked: Andrew Jackson, whose portrait Trump hung in the Oval Office during his first term.
Car-Crash Death of Debra Ashrafi: 3 Years in Prison, 10 Years Probation, Lifetime Driving Ban for John Garrison
John Garrison was facing a minimum-mandatory nine-year sentence if he was found guilty of causing the crash that ended the life of 59-year-old Debra Ashrafi in a head-on collision on State Road 11 in Bunnell in 2022. In a significant reduction, he pleaded in exchange for a maximum sentence of three years in prison and 10 years on probation. The plea terms include a permanent revocation of Garrison’s driver’s license and driving privileges.
Ten Years in Prison for Palm Coast Man Who’d Filmed His Own Rape of Unconscious Girlfriend
Lloyd Allen Parrish, a 62-year-old resident of Radcliffe Drive in Palm Coast, is being held without bond at the Flagler County jail on a first-degree felony rape charge and a lesser charge of video voyeurism after his girlfriend of 17 years saw him on video sexually assaulting her while she was unconscious.
Florida’s Abortion Rights and Recreational Pot Amendments Fail
A ballot proposal that would have enshrined abortion rights in the Florida Constitution failed Tuesday, giving a major political victory to Gov. Ron DeSantis — and dealing a huge blow to abortion-rights supporters. A $150 million-plus effort to allow recreational use of marijuana in Florida fizzled out.
Republicans Retain Super-Majority in Florida Legislature
Miami Republicans and House Speaker-designate Daniel Perez released a statement late Tuesday night announcing the GOP maintained its super majority in the Florida House of Representatives.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, November 6, 2024
The Flagler Beach Library Book Club meets, the Flagler County Republican Club holds its monthly meeting, Weekly Chess Club for Teens at the library, Jacques Brel’s bridge-jumpers.
The Deep Sea’s Potential Gold Mine, As Long As We Don’t Mine It
Deep-sea animals possess unique genes that allow them to live in an environment unlike anything else on Earth, with its intense cold, crushing pressure and total darkness. The essential role of deep-sea life in the functioning of Earth’s systems may be far greater than previously understood. Unfortunately, deep-sea ecosystems are under threat from seabed mining for minerals.
Mike Norris Is Palm Coast’s New Mayor, Ty Miller and Ray Stevens Win Council, Debt Amendment Defeated
Mike Norris will be Palm Coast’s new mayor, winning his election, against Cornelia Manfre handily while Ty Miller defeated Jeff Sieb and Ray Stevens was poised to defeat Andrew Werner for the two other seats on the Palm Coast City Council, as early but all but insurmountable results were announced this evening.
Stetson Poll Finds Americans Uneasy That A Peaceful Transfer of Power Is Ahead
As Americans cast their votes on Election Day 2024, the Center for Public Opinion Research (CPOR) at Stetson University surveyed the public on their confidence in a peaceful transition of power in January 2025.
As Flagler County Went Red, School Students Went Redder, But a Mock Election Takes a Turn for the ‘Divisive’
Just eight years ago, the 6,500 students from Flagler County district and private schools gave Hillary Clinton a 1 percent edge over Donald Trump in that year’s election, conducted a few days before that election night, when Trump shocked country and world by taking the Midwest and the election. Since then, however, students in Flagler’s schools have turned Trump’s way more decisively–just as their parents have.
Daniel Rodriguez, 27, Rejects Plea, Opting for Trial and Risk of Life in Prison in Molestation of Young Boy
Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols tried in several different ways and in the gentlest, most realistic and objective terms to impress on Daniel Rodriguez that the evidence against him is overwhelming, that perhaps a trial was not the best choice he could make. Rodriguez, who’d refused to be brought to court (he “wasn’t feeling well”) and spoke to the judge through a video connection, wouldn’t budge. He wants a trial on charges of raping and molesting a minor.
Tips for Surviving Election Day
No matter what, we all need some tips for surviving the shouting, the demonstrating, the tantrum-throwing, the reality-denying, and the lawsuits, which are the habitual response of our fellow citizens when they don’t get their way. Here you go.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Election Day, finally, endless Flagler County Canvassing Board meetings, thinking with George Orwell and Billy Currington (beer is good and people are crazy) and thinking of Iowa.
America’s Disappearing Dairy Farms
While the number of dairy farms has fallen, the average herd size – the number of cows per farm – has been rising. Today, more than 60% of all milk production occurs on farms with more than 2,500 cows. This massive consolidation in dairy farming has an impact on rural communities. It also makes it more difficult for consumers to know where their food comes from and how it’s produced.
Renner, on His Last Day, and Staly on His 2,497th, Break Ground on Florida Guard’s Training Facility in Bunnell
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly, who all but birthed the concept, and Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, joined with state and local officials this afternoon to break ground on the future $10 million Florida State Guard multi agency, regional training facility in Bunnell. The facility will serve the State Guard, which Gov. Ron DeSantis revived four years ago, but also all local police and fire agencies, and some regional law enforcement agencies as well in a more advanced training complex than they’ve known to date.
For Ex-Montessori School Owner Kerri Huckabee, 30 Days in Jail and 3 Years Probation Over Attacks on Neighbors
Kerri Anne Huckabee, the 55-year-old Flagler Beach resident and former Montessori school owner arrested 14 months ago on felony charges after attacking and destroying her neighbors’ surveillance cameras in the culmination of chronic hostility toward them, was sentenced today to 30 days in jail and three years on probation in a plea agreement that reduced the charges and closed the case.
81-Year-Old Man Killed in Car Collision on Royal Palms and U.S. 1 Was 5th Pedestrian Killed This Year in Flagler
An 81-year-old Palm Coast resident on foot was killed in a collision with a car as he was crossing the road at U.S. 1 and Royal Palms Parkway early Saturday morning. The 20-year-old Daytona Beach man driving the car suffered minor injuries, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The victim is the fifth pedestrian killed on Flagler County roads so far this year, representing a third of all road fatalities.
Palm Coast Debt Referendum Will Be Counted as Judge Rules Ballot Language Unambiguous
Circuit Judge Chris France this morning issued an order denying a motion to nullify the Palm Coast City Council’s referendum that, if approved, would remove limits on the city’s borrowing and leasing authority. The decision is a victory for the City Council, sharply divided though it is about it and pyrrhic though the victory may end up being, if the referendum fails and sours voters on a subsequent attempt to pass one with less controversy and more clarity.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, November 4, 2025
The Flagler County Commission meets, the Beverly Beach Town Commission meets, the sense of curfew before Election Day, an excerpt from Robert Graves’s Goodbye To All That.
Why Ancient Mesopotamians Would Have Used A Sheep’s Liver to Predict Donald Trump’s Election Odds
According to 4,000-year-old Babylonian instructions that have survived to this day, every crease on the liver has a meaning, and cuneiform tablets discovered in modern-day Iraq explain how to interpret them. Armed with this knowledge, it’s supposedly possible to calculate the answer to any question, so long as it is yes or no, by adding up the number of positive or negative signs and seeing which comes out on top.
Daytona State College Graduates from School of Nursing Achieved Near-100% Pass Rate
The results from the most recent NCLEX (the National Council Licensure Examination) have been published, and Daytona State College graduates from the Bob & Carol Allen School of Nursing have achieved an outstanding 99.24% pass rate.
Behind the Desperate Attempt to Defeat Abortion-Rights Amendment: GOP’s Contempt for Women’s Autonomy
DeSantis knows the majority of Floridians — like the majority of Americans — support a woman’s right to choose whether to have a baby, and he’s so scared Amendment 4 will pass he’s resorting to using every dirty trick in the patriarchal book to stop it. Like Donald Trump, he despises women, for whose right to determine what happens with their own bodies is nothing short of obsessive.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, November 3, 2024
Jake’s Women, By Neil Simon, at City Rep Theatre, Maze Days at Cowart Ranch, Palm Coast Farmers’ Market at European Village, when an obscure Beirut paper broke the Iran-Contra affair.
Threatening ‘The Enemy Within’ with Force: The Danger to Americans
Former President Donald Trump has declared that there is “the outside enemy, and then we have the enemy from within, and the enemy from within, in my opinion, is more dangerous,” with past actions suggesting he would use the military to suppress opposition at home. For that reason, in a time of increasing political polarization, military educational institutions are focusing even more explicitly on the oath military members take to the Constitution, rather than to a person or an office.
Majority of Muslim Voters Favor Stein Over Harris, Punishing Democrats for Gaza Genocide
According to polling conducted the last two days of October by the Council on American Islamic Relations of “1,449 verified Muslim voters,” Green Party candidate Jill Stein is marginally ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris with America’s 2.5 million voters of the Islamic faith.
Trump Says He’ll Fight for Working-Class Americans. His First Presidency Suggests He Won’t.
From cutting children’s disability benefits to allowing employers to pocket workers’ tips, Trump tried to slash protections for the working poor in ways that have been forgotten by many.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, November 2, 2024
Last day for early voting, the Flagler Beach All Stars hold their monthly beach clean-up, Coffee With Commissioner Scott Spradley, Jake’s Women at City Rep Theatre, Charlie Hebdo’s latest cover and Jacques Derrida’s hospitality.
Is America Ready for a Woman President?
Stereotypes have long hindered female candidates, casting them as emotional, weak and sensitive. But research shows that voters in the U.S. increasingly see women leaders as synonymous with political leadership – and as more effective than men politicians. This transformation reflects a broader change in what voters expect in political leaders. They are now more likely to see a woman candidate as a better “fit” for public office.
Redirected: Mike Norris Is Palm Coast’s New Mayor, Ty Miller and Ray Stevens Win Council, Debt Amendment Defeated
Mike Norris will be Palm Coast’s new mayor, winning his election, against Cornelia Manfre handily while Ty Miller defeated Jeff Sieb and Ray Stevens was poised to defeat Andrew Werner for the two other seats on the Palm Coast City Council, as early but all but insurmountable results were announced this evening.
Flagler Cares Seeks Donors to ‘Keep the Holiday Lights On’ Program
Flagler Cares, a one-stop health and social care organization, is launching a fundraising campaign in celebration of its 10-year anniversary called “Keep the Holiday Lights On.” Flagler Cares is seeking donors to sponsor 100 homes at $100 per home to cover the cost of December’s electric bill for struggling families. While $100 sponsors a single home, supporters can contribute any amount to participate and make a difference.
Chick-Fil-A Will Open Second Palm Coast Restaurant in BJ’s Wholesale Shopping Center
Chick-fil-A, the popular restaurant chain that drew a small tent city of eager customers before it opened its first franchise in Palm Coast eight years ago, will be opening its second restaurant in the city in the BJ’s Wholesale shopping center, according to construction plans recently submitted to the city. City Manager Lauren Johnston dropped a hint about the restaurant in a presentation at a local chamber event earlier this week.
Judge France Will Rule on Whether to Nullify Palm Coast’s Debt Referendum Before Close of Election Day
With Election Day four days away, Circuit Judge Chris France today said he will rule before Tuesday evening after hearing arguments in a citizen’s challenge of a controversial ballot proposal that would remove borrowing limits on Palm Coast.
Daisy Henry Street Now Glides Through the Heart of Bunnell, Along Carver Gym Late Pastor Championed and Saved
This morning, a stretch of four blocks of East Drain Street, along the gym’s ballfields on one side and family homes on the other, became Daisy Henry Street, so renamed for the former city commissioner and pastor by a city that wanted to “honor a legacy,” in the words of City Manager Alvin Jackson, and bolden Henry’s already distinguished mark on Bunnell’s history.
The Sex Wars Through Neil Simon’s Wit: City Rep Stages “Jake’s Women,” a Comedy in Dramatic Acts
In Neil Simon’s “Jake’s Women,” opening tonight at City Repertory Theatre in Palm Coast, Jake is a novelist who has issues with intimacy, guilt, trust and all sorts of other familiar themes of the sex wars as he navigates the shoals of upper-class middle-age American dynamics, back when those problems were all we had to worry about. But it’s not a traditional play, as Neil Simon has a lot of fun breaking the fourth wall–that imaginary divide between the stage and the audience.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, November 1, 2024
Jake’s Women, By Neil Simon, at City Rep Theatre, the Flagler County Sheriff’s National Night Out at FPC, the lawsuit over Palm Coast’s debt referendum is in court, Daisy Henry Street Renaming, Google’s concerns.
Consistently Wrong Pollsters Try Again in 2024
Pollsters have spent the years since 2020 experimenting with ways to induce hard-to-reach voters to participate in surveys and testing statistical techniques to improve accuracy. But expert opinion is mixed on whether polling outcomes are due for a repeat of 2020, which a professional association of pollsters called the most inaccurate in 40 years.
Trump and Harris Featured in New Ad Touting Recreational Pot Legalization Amendment in Florida
Smart & Safe Florida, the group behind the effort to pass the adult use of marijuana initiative next week, is counterprogramming Gov. Ron DeSantis’s anti-amendment blitz by touting the active support of fellow Republican Donald Trump in a new ad.
Ethics Commission Tosses Yet Another Complaint Against Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin, This One from Familiar Name
For the third time in six months, the Florida Ethics Commission has dismissed a complaint filed against Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin, finding it legally insufficient. The complaint was filed by Jeani Duarte, who in September twice filed suit in Flagler County Circuit Court in an attempt to stop the city’s referendum on a charter amendment. A judge called Duarte’s pleadings “nonsensical.”