Flagler County School Board members Colleen Conklin and Cheryl Massaro, each in her own way, spoke their farewells at their last voting School Board meeting, though both will serve through another workshop in November, where a celebration of their tenures is planned. Conklin has been on the board since 2000, Massaro since 2020.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, October 15, 2024
The Palm Coast City Council meets at 9 a.m. at City Hall for a marathon meeting, A Community Presentation on Sand Dunes By Florida Sea Grant and UF/IFAS Extension Flagler, Food Truck Tuesdays, campaign ads, the Kennedy-Nixon election of 1960, Machiavelli’s refuge.
Trump’s Lies Politicize FEMA’s Disaster Relief
Rumors and lies about government responses to natural disasters are not new. Those rumors don’t usually come from former presidents. Yet in the wake of hurricanes Helene and Milton, former President Donald Trump spread falsehoods about the federal government’s response to the disaster. Misinformation on the topic became so widespread that the Federal Emergency Management Agency, known as FEMA, set up a webpage to debunk the rumors spawned by Trump.
School Board Rejects Developer Interested in Building ‘Specialty Retail Center’ on Palm Coast Parkway Property
The Flagler County School Board this evening will again formally reject a developer’s interest in buying the district’s old 7.2-acre Corporate One property at the southeast corner of Palm Coast Parkway and Corporate Drive, a 7-acre site that used to be one of ITT’s headquarters, in the early years of developing Palm Coast, before the board bought it for $3.5 million. It was not one of the board’s wisest decisions.Tailwinds Development, a company that specializes in building retail commercial shopping centers, was interested in the acreage.
Flagler Schools Will Only Make Up One Day and Sacrifice 4 Lost to Hurricanes, While Preserving Thanksgiving and Winter Breaks
Assuming no more storms or other events require further school cancellations, Flagler County schools will have four fewer instructional days this school year. Thanksgiving and winter breaks will not be affected, the year will not be extended, and the district will still meet the legally required total of instructional days. The Flagler County School Board signed off today on its calendar committee’s minimal changes.
The Gathering Place, a New Flagler Beach Venue, Offers a Shamanic Journey and Other Events
The music duo Wandering Spiral, featuring Michelle Davidson and Rick de Yampert, FlaglerLive’s arts and culture writer, will perform during a Full Moon Sound Bath and Meditation from 7-9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18, at The Gathering Place.
Hurricane Milton’s Flagler Path in Pictures: Flooding, Beach Erosion, Damaged Roads and Roofs, but Nothing Disastrous
Hurricane Milton barreled through the midsection of the Florida Peninsula Thursday morning, lashing Flagler County with tropical-storm-force winds (and a few hurricane-force gusts) and up top 19 inches of rain in parts of the county. But damage overall was mostly minor despite floodwaters. Here’s an album in pictures and video.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, October 14, 2024
The Flagler County School Board holds a trip of meetings, including orientation meetings for incoming board members, the Bunnell City Commission meets, tales of the Nonna Tree and olive trees, and a poem by Mahmoud Darwish.
Before You Complain: Your Grocery Bills Are Still the Cheapest In the World
The cost of food has been a big concern for Americans since the height of the Covid pandemic, with U.S. food prices rising 25% between 2019 and 2023. While U.S. food inflation slowed considerably in 2024, grocery prices are still up from prepandemic numbers. For all that, food prices in the U.S. — relatively speaking — are the cheapest in the world, and have been for a long time. This is the case whether measured in terms of disposable personal income or in terms of percentage of household expenditures.
Singer Laniece Fagundes in Concert at City Repertory Theatre on Oct. 18
Laniece Fagundes, one of City Repertory Theatre’s most beloved performers and a member of CRT since its first season, is in concert on Oct. 18 at CRT. Along with CRT’s Music Director, Benjamin Beck, and drummer Denise Elisha, Fagundes will sing Broadway and popular favorites as well as original music in an evening that shows how her theater life has influenced her as a performer and a composer.
Flagler County in Federal Disaster Declaration: Residents Can Seek Help; Beach Will Be Repaired at 100% U.S. Expense
President Joe Biden on Friday approved a major disaster declaration for 34 Florida counties that suffered damage from Hurricane Milton, including Flagler, Volusia, St. Johns and Putnam counties. The declaration will help individuals and local governments to shoulder recovery costs, including–for governments–reimbursements for the majority of costs incurred by damage sustained or services provided during the storm and the recovery period.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, October 13, 2024
Palm Coast Farmers’ Market at European Village, Grace Community Food Pantry distribution is cancelled today, a few lines from the early essays of Montaigne, Liszt’s Consolation, Vidal on Norman Mailer.
Colorado’s and Washington’s Lessons on Regulating Pot
Colorado and Washington have more than a decade of experience writing and enforcing laws to control the marijuana marketplace. They provide models and lessons on how to regulate recreational marijuana. With the reclassification, 26 states where cannabis is currently illegal will need to decide whether they want to take action to stop the sale of cannabis in their state or figure out how to regulate the newly legal drug.
Federal Judge Refuses to Block Cultivated Meat Law
A federal judge Friday rejected a request by a California-based company for a preliminary injunction against a new law banning the sale and manufacturing of “cultivated” meat in Florida. Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker, who held a hearing Monday, issued a 21-page decision denying the preliminary-injunction motion.
From Charley to Milton, 20 Years of Hurricanes and Florida Learned Nothing
Back in 2004, the Florida Department of Community Affairs ensured that evacuation times from flood-prone zones known as Coastal High Hazard Areas took less than a day. The law said the development density in those areas should not make the evacuees need more than 16 hours to get away from a Category 5 storm. Then Rick Scott and the Legislature killed the agency. Evacuation times have been getting worse, making life on those islands more dangerous.
Rick Scott Skipped Vote To Give FEMA More Money, But Now Says He’ll Be ‘Very Vocal’ To Push Congress to Help It
Florida GOP U.S. Sen. Rick Scott said Friday that he’s asked the federal agencies involved with disaster relief to tell him what are the dollar figures they’ll need from Congress to help Floridians harmed by hurricanes Helene and Milton over the past two weeks.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, October 12, 2024
11th annual iFish Flagler In-Shore Tournament, yes, the Saturday Flagler Beach Farmers Market is open today but Grace Community Food Pantry’s food distribution is cancelled, on Lebanon’s St. Charbel and the canonization of 1977.
Why People Choose to Stay in Harm’s Way Instead of Evacuating
Evacuating might seem like the obvious move when a major hurricane is bearing down on your region, but that choice is not always as easy as it may seem. Evacuating from a hurricane requires money, planning, the ability to leave and, importantly, a belief that evacuating is better than staying put. Evacuating requires transportation, money, a place to stay, the ability to take off work days ahead of a storm and other resources that many people do not have.
Storm Debris Removal in Palm Coast Begins October 16
The City of Palm Coast announced today that storm debris removal will begin on Wednesday, October 16. Residents should not place storm debris in bags, cans, or containers. Make sure to place all debris at the curb by Wednesday, October 16, and ensure that the swales and ditches are kept clear.
Who Controls the Flagler Beach Bridge? City and Sheriff Iron Out Bridge-Closure Mix-Up for Future Reference
Flagler Beach officials and Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly have ironed out a confusing mix-up over who has authority to close the Flagler Beach bridge and under what circumstances, after the city approved a resolution that appeared to grant that authority to the sheriff. The sheriff did not agree with the resolution. The matter’s disposition sets a precedent, or at least clarifies one of the more frequently misunderstood local issues during emergencies–when an how the bridge is closed, if at all, and by whom–and may prevent a similar misunderstanding in the future.
Over 100 Homes in Palm Coast Damaged by Wind; Woodlands a Flood Concern; Surge in Flagler Beach Was Limited
Flagler County and city officials are breathing a collective sigh of relief. Despite the worst rain event Palm Coast has known in its history, despite some floodwaters in Flagler Beach’s low-lying areas and severe winds during Hurricane Milton’s passage over the region, the number of homes that experienced water intrusion have been limited to “a handful,” while the number of homes reporting wind damage, in Palm Coast, stands at 57. The numbers in Flagler Beach are not yet known. The shelter will close today, the night curfew will be rescinded.
Florida Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to State Agency Campaigning Against Abortion Rights Amendment 4
The Florida Supreme Court denied a petition from a South Florida attorney who alleged that Gov. Ron DeSantis and other state officials interfered with the campaign for the state’s proposed abortion-rights amendment. The justices unanimously sided with the DeSantis administration in one of the legal challenges that emerged after a state health agency published a webpage alleging that Amendment 4 “threatens women’s safety.”
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, October 11, 2024
Palm Coast City Council candidates Jeffrey Seib and Ty Miller in a debate-style face-off on WNZF’s Free For All Fridays, the Flagler County Canvassing Board, LGBTQ+ Night at Flagler Beach’s Coquina Coast Brewing Company, second thoughts on progress.
Immigrants Are Unsung Heroes of Trade and Values
Far from being a burden, as critics claim, immigrants play pivotal roles in driving innovation, enhancing productivity and fostering economic growth in their adopted countries. They also elevate their adopted and origin countries’ standings in global value chains, contributing to economic resilience.
Water Surging in Flagler Beach’s Low-Lying Areas, Flooding Some Homes; 44,800 Still Without Power in Flagler
“This horror will grow mild, this darkness light,” Floridians may be telling themselves–perhaps in not so many words–as Hurricane Milton edged off the coast of Florida this morning, still as a hurricane that left a wide swath of destruction and 3.2 million customers without power in its enormous path.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, October 10, 2024
Town Hall with Palm Coast Council Member Theresa Pontieri, Evenings at Whitney Lecture Series, the Flagler Beach City Commission meets, the Nobel Prize for literature and the joys of surprises.
1,400 Search-Rescue Teams Poised to Go House to House in Wake of Hurricane Milton
More than 1,400 urban search-and-rescue crew members — and more than 100 swift-water boats — were staged throughout the state in advance of Hurricane Milton’s landfall Wednesday night on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Milton made landfall at 8:30 p.m. near Siesta Key.
What Patriotism Meant to American Revolutionaries
When modern Americans call themselves patriots, they are evoking a sentiment that is 250 years old. The Continental Association made the terms of so-called “Patriot” behavior clear: A supporter of American rights would give up British imports, promote American-made goods and forgo undue profits in business.
With Hurricane Milton’s Worst Ahead, Torrential Rains Raise Flooding Concerns in Palm Coast and Close Roads
Torrential rain in Palm Coast ahead of Hurricane Milton has “severely overwhelmed” the city’s stormwater system. Milton’s advance rain bands have led to a few street closures in the B Section, to city crews special-delivering sand bags to some residents, and to an alert from the city to residents to minimize water usage as the stormwater system is being overwhelmed by precipitation–with the worst yet to come.
Commissioner ‘Disheartened’ By Lack of Evacuations in Flagler Beach, Where Milton Preparations Are Plainly Low Key
But for significantly less traffic on most roads, you’d be hard-pressed to see that the largest part of Flagler County under an evacuation order was heeding the warning this morning. From the looks of the Barrier Island and the mainland part of Flagler Beach in the first hours after the 8 a.m. evacuation order, there were many more cars parked in driveways than getting packed or driving off. Homes with sandbags or other storm preparations were the exception. Businesses were more likely to be boarded up than homes, though that was the exception even for businesses, most of which were closed.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, October 9, 2024
Nobel Prize Week. Today: Chemistry, Separation Chat, Open Discussion, Weekly Chess Club for Teens at the public library, the state of freedom in 2024, James Baldwin debates William Buckley, Joseph Brodsky on beauty.
Tolls Suspended Until Oct. 14 on Roads in Gulf and Orlando Area
The state Monday suspended tolls on highways in the Gulf Coast and Orlando regions, including on a large portion of Florida’s Turnpike, to help residents evacuate before Hurricane Milton hits this week.
How Anti-Semitism Struck Out Against Hank Greenberg, Baseball’s 1st Jewish Superstar
Hank Greenberg might be the best baseball player you’ve never heard of. Greenberg led the American League in home runs four times, played in five All-Star Games, twice won the American League’s Most Valuable Player Award. Greenberg was also Jewish, and he is often called America’s first Jewish sports superstar. As Greenberg wrote in his autobiography, that was not an easy honor to bear. Greenberg played during a time of rising antisemitism, and the cruel taunts he suffered from players and fans lasted throughout his career.
Federal Appeals Court Backs Florida Law Cracking Down on Protesters, Overturning Injunction
After seeking help from the Florida Supreme Court on the meaning of the word “riot,” a federal appeals court Monday overturned an injunction against a 2021 state law aimed at cracking down on violent demonstrations. A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the law is not unconstitutionally vague and overbroad and would not affect peaceful protesters. Civil-rights groups contended the measure could lead to peaceful protesters facing criminal charges when demonstrations turn violent.
Evacuations Ordered for Entire Barrier Island and Much of Mainland East of I-95, Curfew Wednesday Night
Hurricane Milton’s projected path has remained remarkably steady with very slight variations north or south, but with models agreeing on landfall in the Tampa Bay area after midnight Thursday and now mostly merging to agree on a path along or a bit south of I-4, toward Merritt Island and the Space Coast, where it would exit, still as a hurricane, Thursday afternoon. Tropical-storm force winds ranging between 40 and 70 mph are expected in Flagler County, with the possibility of hurricane-force winds especially on the barrier island.
County Has No Intention of Closing SR100 Bridge and Sheriff Says It’s Not His Call Alone. Flagler Beach Had Other Ideas.
The Flagler Beach City Commission in an emergency meeting Monday approved a resolution asking the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office to “exercise appropriate measures” regarding the State Road 100 bridge. The resolution does not explicitly ask the sheriff to close the bridge if need be, but the commission’s discussion before voting on the resolution indicated that intent, even though it appears to clash with the county’s emergency declaration, state law, and the sheriff’s own position.
AdventHealth Offering Free Video Consults Through Centra Care Wednesday and Thursday
AdventHealth is deploying its extensive safety preparations as Hurricane Milton approaches the region. The health system has stockpiled thousands of gallons of water and generators are standing by to run the hospital on emergency power if necessary. Sandbags are prepared should they be needed to secure doors and windows.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, October 8, 2024
Nobel Prize Week. Today: Physics, the Palm Coast City Council meets in workshop, the Flagler County Planning Board meets, Adam Shatz on what comes after Hezbollah, the myth of Israel’s self-defense wars.
Yes, Calling Someone ‘Mentally Disabled’ Causes Real Harm
Donald Trump is using the language of intelligence, or intellectual impairment, as a weapon against Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. Trump’s language is what is called “ableist,” meaning that it assumes people with disabilities are somehow less valuable than those without. The language becomes even more horrific when race is brought in.
Tampa Mayor Betty Castor: ‘We Are In For Over a Century’s Storm Here’
As Hurricane Milton strengthened to a Category 5 storm Monday, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor warned: “It’s going to be a surge event. It’s going to be a rain event. It’s going to be a wind event, and, if it stays on the predicted trajectory, we are in for over a century’s storm here with Milton. This is the real deal here with Milton.”
County Commission Recognizes Domestic Violence Awareness Month and ‘Red Ribbon’ Week
In a pair of proclamations that shed light on some of society’s grimmer realities, the Flagler County Commission on Monday recognized National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and the county’s Family Life Center as well as “Red Ribbon Week,” an annual effort to bring attention to alcohol and drug abuse–or misuse, as professionals in the field prefer to call it–which has nevertheless only grown since the inception of Red Ribbon Week in 1988.
On an Unsettled Day, Judge Dawn Nichols Brings Order to Court as She Begins Post-Perkins Tenure
A week after Terence Perkins’s retirement, Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols walked into court at 1:35 this afternoon, wished the lawyers, a half dozen inmates inmates and a dozen people in the gallery a good afternoon, and got to work with pleas, a couple of sentencing hearings, bond and status hearings with workmanlike cheer and speed just shy of breathless.
Milton Could Be Among ‘Most Destructive Hurricanes on Record,’ NHC Warns; Flagler Readies for Flooding; Cancellations Multiply
Hurricane Milton, now a monster storm, had sustained winds of 180 miles per hour, making it one of the most intense and dangerous hurricanes ever recorded. It had crashed NHC’s site in early evening Monday, as Florida’s midsection was bracing for a direct hit in the Tampa Bay area and Flagler County was preparing for severe impacts and potential hurricane-force winds that it did not record even during Hurricanes Mathew and Ian in 2016 and 2017.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, October 7, 2024
The Beverly Beach Town Commission meets, the Flagler County Commission meets, another excerpt from the J.D. Vance epic, Barbara Ehrenreich on working two jobs, Jon Stewart.
In Lebanon, Israel Again Tempts History of Unsuccessful Invasions
Israel is now set to repeat its Gaza operations in Lebanon, with a view to reordering the Middle East in its own interests. But has it bitten off more than it can chew? Israel has been here before. It invaded Lebanon as far as the capital Beirut in 1982, in an attempt to eliminate the Palestine Liberation Organisation. 1982 was also the year Hezbollah was formed with the help of the recently established Islamic government in Iran.
Ahead of Hurricane Milton, State Emergency Director Guthrie Warns of Possibly ‘Largest Evacuation’ Since 2017
With Hurricane Milton expected to reach Category 3 or 4 force before hitting Florida in the middle of the week, state Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie on Sunday urged residents to immediately start putting storm plans in place, which could include evacuating further inland.
Hurricane Milton, Gaining Force Quicker, Is Barreling Toward Florida’s I-4 Corridor and Flagler By Midweek
Eleven days after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend, Tropical Storm Milton, expected to be Hurricane Milton by tonight, is rapidly gaining strength and is expected to become a major hurricane by Tuesday. It is mobilizing Florida from Tampa Bay through the north-central midsection of the state, including Flagler County, where severe conditions and impacts are expected. Tropical-storm-force winds are expected in Flagler County late Tuesday night into Wednesday. The rainfall potential over the next five days for coastal Flagler County, including Flagler Beach and Beverly Beach, is in the 8 to 12-inch range, and in the 6 to 8 inch range for inland Flagler.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, October 6, 2024
Pink on Parade in Town Center, Creekside Music and Arts Festival at Princess Place, ESL Bible Studies for Intermediate and Advanced Students, the origins of “boots on the ground,” John Oliver, the interview.
Why Trump Should Be Tried for Efforts to Overturn 2020 Election
A new filing by special counsel Jack Smith in the case he has brought against Donald Trump for his alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election provides greater detail and support for Smith’s argument that Trump, while president, committed illegal acts to reverse his 2020 election loss. Those acts, argues Smith, were taken by Trump as a candidate for reelection and therefore are not covered by a 2024 Supreme Court opinion related to the case that says presidents’ official actions are immune from prosecution when they exercise their core constitutional powers.
Republicans Follow Trump’s Lead in Landslide Shift and Falsehoods on Vaccines
Trump has presided over a landslide shift in his party’s views on vaccines, reflected this campaign season in false claims by Republican candidates during the primaries and puzzling conspiracies from prominent conservative voices. Republicans increasingly express worry about the risks of vaccines. A September 2023 poll from Politico and Morning Consult showed a narrow majority of those voters cared more about the risks than the benefits of getting inoculated. On at least 17 occasions this year, Trump has promised to cut funding to schools that mandate vaccines.