Fourteen executives, managers, and professionals graduated from the Flagler County Local Government Leadership Academy at a special ceremony at the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Operations Center on Thursday June 13th at 4:30 p.m.
Historic Sweep: Flagler’s 5 Constitutionals Elected Without Opposition as Shelly Edmonson Wins Tax Collector’s Seat
Clerk of Court Tom Bexley, Tax Collector-Elect Edmonson, Property Appraiser Jay Gardner, Supervisor of Elections Kaiti Lenhart and Sheriff Rick Staly were elected without opposition today, the first time an entire slate of constitutionals managed the feat in memory. Edmonson will take over for Suzanne Johnston, who decided to retire after 20 years as the tax collector.
Lowering Speed Limits to 25 in Palm Coast Too Expensive, But City Considers Traffic ‘Humps’ in Neighborhoods
The Palm Coast City Council is not interested in spending $1.6 million to lower speed limits citywide from 30 to 25 mph–it would cost that much to change all the signs–and is leery about certain “traffic-calming” devices, whether speed “humps” or traffic islands. But it will consider a plan that would leave it in residents’ hands to decide whether they want speed humps in their neighborhoods.
Rosario “Rocky” DiBella, 1951-2024
Rosario “Rocky” DiBella, 72, of Palm Coast, Florida, passed away unexpectedly on June 3, 2024, at his home. A native of Castiglione, Sicily, Rocky was born on September 12, 1951, to the late Giuseppe and Agata DiBella.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, June 14, 2024
The disastrous message of an empty bookshelf in a Government Services Building bathroom, LGBTQ+ Night at Flagler Beach’s Coquina Coast Brewing Company, the Blue 24 forum.
The Broader Strategy to Push Out Homeless People
Advocates for unhoused people argue anti-camping laws targeting the homeless effectively make homelessness a crime. Depending on its ruling, the Supreme Court could intensify cities’ efforts to treat the unhoused as criminals.
Blaming Satan, Ex-Marine Calls Violent Standoff With Deputies a ‘Psychotic Break’; Judge Denies Bond for Now
Robert Detherow, the 55-year-old former Marine at the center of a six-hour standoff with police last week that included rants demanding the arrest of Sheriff Rick Staly, threats and obscene gestures against a deputy and hurling a glass bottle at her, said today that he was suffering “a psychotic break” brought on by PTSD from past deployments. A judge denied him bond, saying his behavior was too erratic and dangerous, pending further evidence of psychological issues.
Amendment 5: I’m Homesteaded. I Don’t Need Another Perk To Deepen Inequalities and Hurt Local Governments.
A yes vote on Florida’s Amendment 5 on this November’s ballot means that every year, the second of two $25,000 exemptions will increase according to the previous year’s inflation rate. The indexing is not only unnecessary–the Save Our Homes cap on taxes already does that–but it’s another pander that will deepen disparities at the expense of local governments, businesses, renters and agricultural properties, all of whom will have to make up for lost revenue.
Supreme Court Unanimously Upholds Access to Abortion Pill Without Foreclosing on a Future Challenge
Thursday’s ruling means that mifepristone will continue to remain widely available in the United States, where it is used in over 60% of abortions by health care providers. The decision, however, does not necessarily foreclose another challenge to the FDA’s actions. Three states with Republican attorneys general – Idaho, Missouri, and Kansas – joined the dispute in the lower court earlier this year.
Sidestepping Executive Privilege, Appeal Court Sides with DeSantis on Records Denial, Calling Request ‘Overly Broad’
The appeal stemmed from a public-records request, filed by a person identified in court documents as J. Doe, seeking information from DeSantis’ office about influential conservatives involved in discussions about appointing Florida Supreme Court justices. In a subsequent lawsuit, Leon County Circuit Judge Angela Dempsey rejected the public-records request on a series of grounds, including that the governor had “executive privilege” that could be used to prevent release of certain documents.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, June 13, 2024
The Flagler Beach City Commission meets, drug court convenes, on heaven, the Palm Coast Democratic Club’s guest is US Congressional Candidate James Stockton.
Anger Over Vietnam Ignited Violence in 1960s. It Could Happen Again Over Gaza.
This summer, the Democratic National Convention will again be in Chicago. The parallels with previous events in Chicago, such as the Battle of Michigan Avenue in 1968 and the Days of Rage in 1969, are intriguing to consider – especially given the strong divisions in the country now over the Israel-Hamas war. There are also, of course, major differences, including the fact that students in the U.S. do not have a legitimate fear of being drafted – and there are not U.S. troops on the ground in Gaza.
Humbling Flagler, DeSantis Vetoes Almost a Third of Local Projects, Including YMCA, Tourist Center, and All Bunnell’s Asks
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday signed a $116.5 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year, after vetoing close to $950 million in spending approved by lawmakers in March. The vetoes include $46.52 million from what had been a record $151 million in appropriations for Flagler County, Palm Coast, Bunnell and Flagler Beach, a heavy loss that dampens earlier hopes for a big haul.
For 2nd Time in 2 Months, Ethics Commission Finds No Validity in Complaint Against Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin
For the second time in two months, the Florida Commission on Ethics has dismissed a complaint against Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin, this one alleging that he had voted on land use items that benefited him and Don “Toby” Tobin, a friend and Realtor colleague of Alfin’s at Grad Living Realty.
Beach Dredging and Rebuilding Project Will Take 4 Months, Not 9, and Flagler Beach Will Be Spared Detours
In a boon for a city besieged by construction, the contractor starting work on Flagler County’s first-ever beach-renourishment project within days informed Flagler Beach officials that the dredging will start at the south end of town and move north, will not use Veterans Park as an equipment staging area, and will not require traffic detours downtown, as had been previously planned.
‘Iron Man’ Robber Is Re-Arrested on an Arson Charge After Truck Fire and Explosion at Bunnell Lot
Lakhram Mahadeo, the Palm Coast resident who drew attention as the so-called “Iron Man” bank robber in 2013, served eight years in prison and was serving probation for that armed robbery of the Wells Fargo branch on Belle Terre Parkway, was arrested again on an arson charge stemming from a bizarre incident involving a semi truck he allegedly set on fire after it broke down.
Echoing Air’s Free Baroque Concert at DSC Saturday
Echoing Air, the Indianapolis-based Baroque chamber ensemble, presents a free concert at 3 p.m. Saturday, June 15, at the Jeanne M. Goddard Center on the campus of Daytona State College, at 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd. in Daytona Beach.
Federal Judge Stops Florida’s Law Banning or Restricting Transgender Care, Calling It Discriminatory
A federal judge on Tuesday ruled that a 2023 Florida law and regulations prohibiting the use of puberty blockers and hormone therapy to treat children for gender dysphoria and making it harder for trans adults to access care are unconstitutionally discriminatory and were motivated by “animus” toward transgender people.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, June 12, 2024
The Atlantic Chapter of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State’s discussion, a Charlie Hebdo cover on God and mullahs, a few words from Philippe Lançon’s Disturbance.
On Liars
Prominent cases of purported lying continue to dominate the news cycle. Hunter Biden. George Santos. The rapper Offset. There are a number of variables that distinguish these cases. One is the audience: the faceless government, particular donors and millions of online followers, respectively. Another is the medium used to convey the alleged lie: on a bureaucratic form, through intermediaries and via social media.
Alan Grayson Opts Out of Senate Race for Run at Florida Legislature
Alan Grayson has filed to run for the Florida Legislature. The former three-term Democratic congressman had been a candidate for the U.S. Senate, but he didn’t appear to be making much traction against establishment favorite Debbie Mucarsel-Powell.
Palm Coast Council Flirting with Easing Charter Restrictions on City’s Borrowing Capacities
Palm Coast faces mountains of needs, from stormwater infrastructure to roads to a public works facility, plus some wants like parks and a future sports complex on the west side. The city’s ability to finance those needs is limited. Its revenue sources are few and spoken for. Its charter places severe restrictions on borrowing. Now, coinciding with the city’s 25th anniversary, the Palm Coast City Council wants to explore ways to ease the charter’s restrictions on borrowing.
Did Palm Coast Council Agree To Condition Any Future Electric Franchise Tax Proposal on a Referendum? Yes.
Palm Coast City Council member Ed Danko insisted during a discussion on the budget and revenue sources today that the council had agreed by consensus last year not to consider an electric franchise tax in the future without putting the proposal to a referendum first. Some of his colleagues weren’t so sure. But Danko was right.
DeSantis Is Right: Even As a Convicted Felon, Trump Would Be Eligible to Vote in Florida
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on June 7 suggested on X that former President Donald Trump is still eligible to vote in Florida, his home state, even though he is now a convicted felon 34 times over. DeSantis is correct, though not necessarily for all the reason he stated on X.
Stetson’s Roellke Joins 70 College and University Presidents in Diversity, Free Expression and Free Inquiry Consortium
Recognizing this urgent moment for American higher education and democracy, Stetson University President Christopher F. Roellke is joining 70 other college presidents of diverse institutions from across the country to advance higher education’s pivotal role in preparing students to be engaged citizens and to uphold free expression on campus.
Judge Blocks Florida Law Requiring Cities’ Elected to Disclose Same Financial Details as County and State Officials
A federal judge has blocked a 2023 Florida law that required municipal elected officials to disclose detailed information about their personal finances, ruling that the law likely violated First Amendment rights. U.S. District Judge Melissa Damian on Monday issued a preliminary injunction, siding with municipal officials throughout the state who challenged the law. The decision came three weeks before a July 1 deadline for filing the information.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, June 11, 2024
Veteran’s Suicide Prevention Training at the county library, The Atlantic Chapter of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State hosts an open, freewheeling discussion, Jacques Cousteau’s birthday and his evanescent memorials.
Biden and Trump Are Forgetful Of Some Details. But Here’s What Matters More.
Presidents need to use both intuitive and deliberative decision-making. The ability to make smaller decisions effectively using intuitive decision-making frees up time to concentrate on larger ones. However, the decisions that make or break a president are exceedingly complex and highly consequential, such as how to handle climate change or international conflicts. Here is where deliberative decision-making is most needed.
DSC Launches Online Engineering Technology Bachelor of Science Starting This Fall
Daytona State College will begin offering a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology, Industrial Engineering Technology concentration (BSET-IET) degree that can be taken fully online beginning Fall 2024.
In Sharp Retreat, Flagler Rejects Countywide Beach Tax to Focus on Barrier Island Only, and on Informing Public
A week after approving a plan in principle that would have imposed a new tax on almost all residents countywide to raise $7 million a year for beach protection, the Flagler County Commission today stepped back sharply from that plan, acknowledging that it had not done the necessary “outreach” to the public or to other local governments to ensure its success.
Sheriff: Increase School Board’s Cost Share of Campus Deputies to 60%, Lower County’s Share to 40%
The Flagler County Sheriff is recommending to the County Commission that the 50-50 cost share for school resource deputies, or SRDs, between the School Board and the County Commission be changed. Staly is recommending that the School Board shoulder 60 percent of the cost, adding $300,000 to the district’s budget, while lowering the county’s responsibility an equal amount.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, June 10, 2024
Heat index values up to 105. Trial week, but nothing high profile. The library board meets. Clay Jones turns the tables on those countries. The Bunnell City Commission meets, and living in a city of 100,000 without a museum or a bookstore. That’s Palm Coast.
State Laws Like Florida’s Are Threatening Academic Freedom
Over the past few years, Republican state lawmakers have introduced more than 150 bills in 35 states that seek to curb academic freedom on campus. Twenty-one of these bills have been signed into law, several of them in Florida. Taken together, this legislative onslaught has undermined academic freedom and institutional autonomy in five distinct and overlapping ways.
Beverly Beach’s Frank Gromling Is Re-Appointed to Florida Council on Arts and Culture
The Beverly Beach artist and business owner Frank Gromling, who formerly owned an art gallery in Flagler Beach and wrote FlaglerLive’s Coastal View column, was reappointed to a third two-year term on the 15-member Florida Council on Arts and Culture.
In Florida and Elsewhere, New GOP Rules Hostile to Voter Registration Threaten Fines and Criminal Penalties
Republican lawmakers in Florida , Alabama, Georgia, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, and Texas have enacted a variety of voter registration laws over the past four years. The measures add new requirements around registering and communicating with voters and threaten hefty penalties for violations. The stated goal of the new laws is to prevent fraud, but in the absence of any evidence of more than very rare fraud some voting rights groups contend their real purpose is to dampen participation by likely Democratic voters.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, June 9, 2024
9th Annual FUN-Raiser Festival at the Florida Agricultural Museum, Donald Duck’s birthday, an FDR Fireside Chat from 1934 on the legitimate object of government.
Germany Lowers Voting Age to 16 for European Election
Ahead of the European parliament elections in June, Germany has lowered the age limit on participation to 16. This makes it the largest of just a handful of states in the EU to allow people under the age of 18 to vote. Austria, Belgium and Malta have already enfranchised 16 and 17-year-olds, and Greece is to allow anyone turning 17 in 2024 to participate in the June vote.
Florida Supreme Court Refuses to Reinstate Monique Worrell as State Attorney
The Florida Supreme Court has upheld Gov. Ron DeSantis’ suspension of Orlando-area State Attorney Monique Worrell, concluding that his decision was reasonable based on allegations he spelled out when relieving her of her duties. The decision was 6-1, with Justice Jorge Labarga the lone dissenter.
Justice Clarence Thomas Acknowledges He Should Have Disclosed Free Trips From Billionaire Donor
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas acknowledged for the first time in a new financial disclosure filing that he should have publicly reported two free vacations he received from billionaire Harlan Crow. The trips include vacations in Indonesia and at the exclusive, men’s-only Bohemian Grove retreat, which were first reported by ProPublica last year.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, June 8, 2024
The third annual Hang 8 Dog Surfing Competition in Flagler Beach, Juneteenth Community Festival at Carver Center, AAUW’s monthly meeting, Mia Bella Academy of Dance Spring Recital, a stroll down the WPA Guides to America.
The Anti-Democratic Tactic Behind Trump’s Post-Conviction Rhetoric
Rhetoric strengthens or erodes democratic institutions and can prime an audience to expect or accept violence. Regardless of how someone feels about the legal arguments made during Trump’s trial, Trump’s attempts to prevail in the court of public opinion continue his campaign to discredit democratic institutions and threaten anyone who gets in his way.
Flagler County’s Beach Protection Tax: Right Idea. Wrong Execution.
The county has the right idea: we need a new tax to pay for expensive beach protection, or we’ll lose the beach. But the county’s execution is hurried, the plan is poorly thought-out, it is riddled with holes and inconsistencies, and it has included zero public participation and zero preparatory discussions with other governments. That’s a recipe for failure, deservedly so: the county is taking the public and its sister governments for granted, if not punting to the cities to do the heavy lifting.
Six Flagler Residents Among 9 Sentenced to Federal Prison in Conclusion of Multi-State Drug-Trafficking Conspiracy
The United States Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Florida has announced that all nine individuals charged as a result of “Operation Ice Man” have been sentenced to prison. Each defendant was found guilty by a jury or pleaded guilty for their role in a multi-state drug trafficking conspiracy that spanned from Mexico to California, Arizona, central Florida, and Flagler County.
FPC’s David Halliday, a Finalist for National Coach of the Year in Track and Field, Reflects on 30 Years’ Inspiration
David Halliday, one of Flagler Palm Coast High School’s most successful, if not its most successful, coach over the past 20 years, is one of eight finalists for the Coach of the Year in Track and Field award by the National High School Athletic Coaches Association. The Florida native reflects on a 30-year career that and a coaching philosophy summed up by the sort of humanism and commitment he tries to impart on his students and athletes.
‘It Can Happen Here’: Emergency Management Director Warns Against Hurricane Complacency in Flagler Ahead of Busy Season
There’s a dangerous myth in Flagler County, and the longer people have lived here, the more they start believing the myth, and spreading it: that Flagler County is immune to hurricanes. Jonathan Lord, Flagler County’s emergency management director, says ahead of what has been predicted to be the busiest hurricane season in memory that Flagler County is at risk of getting a direct hurricane hit, even a Category 5 hurricane, as any other coastal community in the state.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, June 7, 2024
Elizabeth Tremoglie’s sentencing, First Friday in Flagler Beach, “Textured Turtles”, Ormond Memorial Art Museum and Gardens, Updike’s and other telephone poles.
The Divided, Violent Country Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s 1st Woman President, Has Inherited
This was the largest election in Mexico’s history, with more than 98 million citizens registered to vote. It was also the most violent election, with more than 30 politicians killed. The new president will now face two major challenges: confronting the rampant violence in Mexican society and increasing militarisation of public life, and the deterioration of checks and balances on executive power.
Expect Delays on Palm Coast Parkway Eastbound Near Hospital from Lane Closure on June 14
On Friday, June 14, 2024, the City of Palm Coast’s Stormwater & Engineering Department will be repairing a portion of the roadway near the new AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway hospital, requiring an eastbound lane closure.
Parents Sue Florida Board of Education Over Policy Denying Them Right to Challenge Book Bans
Three parents of children attending Florida public schools filed a lawsuit in federal court against the Florida Board of Education on Thursday, claiming that a 2023 education law discriminates against parents who oppose book bans and censorship.
Sprawling Vacation Rentals Becoming a Nuisance to Palm Coast Residents. City’s Answer: ‘Our Hands Are Tied.’
As resident after resident complained about short-term renters next door–the noise, the partying, the traffic, the garbage, the unexpected–the Palm Coast City Council chambers Tuesday evening sounded more like a scene transplanted from the County Commission a decade ago, or legislative committees in Tallahassee every year since. But the legislature just passed a new law that forbids cities like Palm Coast from imposing stricter regulations on vacation rentals than they would on permanent residents.