In contrast with Flagler Tiger Bay President Jay Scherr’s irradiating exuberance, U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg’s lunch talk to the club today–including a rare, full complement of the county’s circuit and county benches–was decidedly downbeat, like the Deuteronomy of heroin, opioids and fentanyl and the concurrent hockey-stick-shaped graph of overdose deaths since 2000 in Florida.
Annexation Into Flagler Beach of 2,700-Home Development Crosses Key 1st Hurdles, With Some Public Opposition
The Flagler Beach City Commission Tuesday night substantially moved forward with the annexation of Veranda Bay, a 2,700-home development along John Anderson Highway that will double the city’s population, hugely increase its tax revenue but also likely change its identity, its politics and its center of gravity as well as the character of its unincorporated surroundings by the time it’s built out near the middle of the century.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, September 18, 2024
US Attorney Roger B. Handberg is the guest speaker at Flagler Tiger Bay, the Palm Coast Planning Board meets, the Palm Coast Council holds its final budget hearing, what we lost in LBJ, and tales of a dismembered anatomy.
When Retirement Stirs Fears of Irrelevance
Most discussions of retirement focus on the financial aspects of leaving the workforce: “How to save enough for retirement” or “How do you know if you have enough money for retirement?” This might not be the biggest problem that potential retirees face. The deeper issues of meaning, relevance and identity that retirement can bring to the fore are more significant to some workers.
Danko’s Abuse of Mayor and Attorney Almost Hijacks Interviews for Council Appointment, But Some Applicants Still Shine Through
Palm Coast City Council member Ed Danko grilled applicants for an appointed position on the council on their political and ideological leanings, asked they’d vote on a charter amendment, berated, ridiculed and all but insulted the city attorney for cautioning him about partisanship, blustered and bellowed about “freedom of speech” while disparaging mayor David Alfin. The meeting then settled into a more civilized interview process through which some of the applicants distinguished themselves.
FPC’s Dylan Osborne, 17, Killed in Belle Terre Parkway Crash; Man, 60, Dies in Crash from Apparent Medical Episode
Dylan Osborne, a 17-year-old Flagler Palm Coast High School student on a bicycle, was killed in a collision with a dump truck and at a separate location in Palm Coast a 60-year-old man was died in an almost simultaneous three-vehicle crash in mid-afternoon Monday.
Thrill-Seeking P-Section Prowler, 29, Arrested on Aggravated Stalking Charge After Peering Into Girl’s Bedroom
Damon Smith, 29, who served two years ion probation for a bomb threat at FPC in 2013, was arrested on an aggravated stalking charge Saturday after he allegedly peered into a 14-year-old girl’s bedroom and twice prowled around the girl’s P-Section property in Palm Coast in early evening. The girl’s father was waiting for him with a baseball bat the second night.
Palm Coast Council Seat Vacated by Heighter Draws 11 Applicants for Appointment Ahead of Today’s Interviews
Twelve candidates have applied in hopes of appointment to the Palm Coast City Council seat Cathy Heighter resigned last month, two of whom have previously been appointed to local elected boards–including one who served on the City Council–and two who served on government advisory boards. One applicant did not qualify because she does not live in District 4, so 11 applicants will be interviewed when the council convenes at 1 p.m. today.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, September 17, 2024
The Palm Coast City Council interviews candidates hoping to replace Cathy Heighter, Constitution Day With County Judge Andrea Totten at the library, Food Truck Tuesdays, the dark side of girls’ gymnastics and Béla and Márta Károlyi.
2nd Lawsuit Filed Against State Meddling in Abortion Amendment
The ACLU of Florida and Southern Legal Counsel filed a joint lawsuit Thursday against the Agency for Health Care Administration, seeking an order for it to cease efforts on its agency website and other media to persuade voters to oppose Amendment 4.
Pennsylvania’s Mail-In Ballot System Problem
Mail-in voting in Pennsylvania will not begin on Sept. 16, 2024, as was previously slated. Due to ongoing court cases, the past is poised to repeat itself in the commonwealth in the upcoming presidential election. Legal battles over Pennsylvania’s election system drew national attention in 2020 as former President Donald Trump and his allies in the state leveraged quirks of the system to sow doubt about the results of the election. Trump is setting the stage to do the same in 2024.
Vague on How, DeSantis Wants ‘Credible’ State Probe Into Man Who Staked Out Trump With a Rifle
Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday the state needs to investigate the apparent attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump this weekend in Palm Beach County, alongside a federal probe. Without giving specifics, DeSantis said the incident Sunday at Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach appears to include multiple violations of state law.
Familiar Recruiter Returns to Palm Coast to Lead Search for Next City Manager
Strategic Government Resources Vie President Doug Thomas had last been in the Palm Coast City Council chamber in the fall of 2018, when his Texas-based recruiting company led the search for the manager that was to replace Jim Landon. The search and the council at the time landed on Matt Morton, the sharp-minded manager whose tenure had the misfortune of ill-timing with rancid politics in the city and Covid’s poisons beyond it. He was gone just after his second anniversary.
Flagler Beach Prepares to Annex Veranda Bay, Adding 2,700 Housing Units and Doubling City’s Size by 2044
The Flagler Beach City Commission holds a special meeting Tuesday to consider the annexation of Veranda Bay, the 800-acre development on the two sides of John Anderson Highway that, when it is built out in 2044, would total 2,735 housing units and 5,100 residents–equal to the current city population–over half a million square feet of commercial space, and a new, walkable downtown. The city’s planning board unanimously recommended approval. Opposition has been limited.
Mandatory ECGs for Flagler County’s Student-Athletes: It’s About Life, Not ‘Parental Rights’
For the past few years AdventHealth has made free ECGs a voluntary part of student athletes’ physical. Wednesday evening the Flagler County School Board is voting on whether to make ECGs mandatory. Three board members–Will Furry, Sally Hunt, Christy Chong–are opposed. They say an ECG should be a parent’s choice. They’ve wrapped the issue under the banner of “parental rights,” as if ECGs were the same as masking during Covid, or whether to teach kids sex-ed. Their reasoning is flawed, and may cost lives.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, September 16, 2024
The East Flagler Mosquito Control District Board and the County Commission meet (separately), the empty space of the Flagler Playhouse, the uncertainty principle explained by Stephen Hawking.
Conservative Opponents of DEI May Not Be as Colorblind as They Claim
Critics of diversity, equity and inclusion programs, commonly referred to by the acronym DEI, are increasingly using boycotts and bans to fight against their use. People often argue that this anti-DEI backlash is motivated by race-neutral concerns – for example, that DEI practices are irrelevant to work performance or are too political. But research suggests that conservative critiques of DEI often boil down to one thing: anti-Black racism.
Donald Trump’s ‘Weaves’ of Incoherence
We are truly blessed in the oratory department this political season with Donald J. Trump; we are perched on the Parnassus of campaign discourse. Nobody’s ever seen anything like it. If Samuel Beckett were alive (which he isn’t) he would be in awe of some of Trump’s monologues with their startling juxtapositions and its Dadaist energy.
WTF Presents: Inside Project 2025: A Blueprint for America’s Future?
Work Together Flagler, an emerging grass-roots organization by women formed to discuss the issues confronting voters in 2024–also known by its acronym, WTF–is sponsoring “Inside Project 2025: A blueprint for America’s future?” a free presentation by Dr. Michael Butler, Kenan Distinguished Professor of History at Flagler College, at 6 p.m. Oct. 2 at the VFW Post 8696 at 47 Old Kings Road in Palm Coast.
Florida’s Write-In ‘Loophole’ Disenfranchised 2 Million Voters in August. Why Aren’t Lawmakers Fixing It?
Florida has just had party primaries in which an estimated 2 million eligible residents were barred from voting in some state and local races by an indefensible little gimmick commonly known as the “write-in loophole.” It’s a legal fiction both parties refuse to fix because, every now and then, it comes in handy for them.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, September 15, 2024
ESL Bible Studies for Intermediate and Advanced Students, Palm Coast Farmers’ Market at European Village, the DEA’s drug museum and the futility of the war on drugs, with a few words from “The New Jim Crow”‘s Alexander.
Could Taylor Swift’s Endorsement Make a Difference?
Research shows that celebrity political endorsements don’t matter enough to determine an election’s results. Political campaigns seek them out because they still do matter and for many different reasons. Celebrities can easily get media attention, act as campaign surrogates, expand the voter base and make campaign contributions. All these things can help a candidate win.
Democrats Want More Transparency as Vouchers Subsidizing Private Schools Hit State Budget
Florida House Democrats are calling for the state to make public school choice scholarship data and budget plans–the private school vouchers paid with public tax dollars–as the programs grow. A similar issue arose in Flagler County, where School Board member Colleen Conklin complained about the district’s finance administration not disclosing the local number of taxpayer vouchers diverting tax dollars from the district budget, which this year exceed $10 million.
Opponents of Abortion Rights Are Using Suppression Tricks and Disinformation to Derail Ballot Initiatives
In Florida, the state health agency launched a “Florida is Protecting Life” website earlier this month that says Florida’s abortion amendment “threatens women’s safety” and warns voters, “Don’t let the fearmongers lie to you.” The site makes several other unsubstantiated claims, including that the amendment would lead to unregulated and unsafe abortions.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, September 14, 2024
Second Saturday Plant Sale at Washington Oaks Gardens State Park, Coffee With Commissioner Scott Spradley, American Association of University Women (AAUW) Monthly Meeting, America’s killer SUVs.
How Kamala Harris Baited Donald Trump
When Harris triggered Trump’s insecurity by questioning his popularity and political prowess, his responses were narcissistic, racist and occasionally unhinged from reality. Trump’s performance in the debate against Harris demonstrates not only that white male insecurity is a strategic liability but also a threat to democracy.
Greg Blose’s Sudden Exit from Chamber Was Preceded by Bitter Letter to Board About ‘Toxic and Unethical Behavior’
In a lengthy and detailed letter days before his sudden exit as leader of the Palm Coast-Flagler Regional Chamber of Commerce, Greg Blose described what he perceived as serious problems in the organization, including “toxic and unethical behavior” among the chamber leadership and an attempt to undermine him with his staff. Blose’s tenure ended this week after four years.
Ex-Paramedic James Melady, 37, Charged with Raping Unconscious Patient in a Flagler County Fire Rescue Ambulance
James Tyler Melady, a 37-year-old resident of 100 Navigator Drive in Daytona Beach and former paramedic, was arrested and jailed in Volusia County early today on a charge of raping an unconscious woman in a Flagler County Fire Rescue ambulance during a service call in 2021.
Jesus Christ – He’s a She! City Repertory Theatre Stages All-Female Version of ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’
Here comes City Repertory Theatre with its all-female version of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” which opens the Palm Coast troupe’s 14th season with performances tonight and through Sept. 29 in its newly renovated black box theater at City Marketplace. The she-Jesus – at least the one based on Webber’s musical – first reared her head in the 20-teens when Juilliard grad and soul-jazz-musical theater singer Morgan James had a dream that she was singing the role.
A Gender-Miracle Superstar, Shakespeare, Neil Simon and More fill City Repertory Theatre’s 14th Season
When City Repertory Theatre opens in 14th season on tonight with “Jesus Christ Superstar,” patrons will be greeted by a newly renovated venue space at CRT’s black box theater in Palm Coast’s City Marketplace. The new seating risers and new paint, says founding director John Sbordone, are courtesy of a $69,000 gift bequeathed to City Rep by the Palm Coast Arts Foundation. Here’s a look at City Repertory Theatre’s 2024-2025 season.
Bunnell Police Detective Jeff Traylor Is CrimeStoppers’ Flagler County Law Enforcement Officer of the Year
Bunnell Police Detective Jeff Traylor was named the Flagler County Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Thursday at the 24th Annual CrimeStoppers of Northeast Florida awards banquet. The occasion was held at the Daytona 500 Club at the Daytona International Speedway before a gathering of law enforcement personnel and officials from across the Seventh Judicial Circuit that includes Flagler, Volusia, St. Johns and Putnam counties.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, September 13, 2024
LGBTQ+ Night at Flagler Beach’s Coquina Coast Brewing Company, ‘The Great American Trailer Park Musical’ at Daytona Playhouse, Robert Reich on Trump’s campaign money, and do you know what’s more distracting than a cellphone in school, asks Clay Jones? An AR15 in your face.
Yet Another Problem with the Electoral College
The original brilliance of the Electoral College has become one of its prime weaknesses. Presidential candidates focus their rallies, advertisements and outreach efforts on the few states where campaigns could actually tip the balance. In 2020, 77% of all campaign ads ran in just six states that were home to only 21% of the nation’s population.
Palm Coast Urges Residents to Reduce Water Usage as Treatment Plants Are Overwhelmed By Heavy Rain
The City of Palm Coast is asking residents to limit water usage after receiving an unprecedented 7-10 inches of rain over the past five days. This heavy rainfall has caused our wastewater plants to process an additional 6 million gallons of water in a single day—equivalent to 10 Olympic-sized swimming pools. The system is under significant pressure, with 23 lift stations nearing capacity, especially in areas south of Palm Coast Parkway.
In Victory for Freedom to Read, Florida School District Wil Return 36 Books to Shelves in Lawsuit Settlement
Authors of the children’s book “And Tango Makes Three” and parents of students have reached a settlement with the Nassau County school district that will lead to 36 books returning to school libraries after being removed last year, according to court documents filed this week. The settlement came in a federal lawsuit filed in May amid widespread controversy about removing books from school libraries in Florida and other states.
County Approves Old Dixie Motel’s Plan for ‘Hotel Henry’ Even as Harsh Disputes in Court Continue
Flagler County government still doesn’t think the owners of the ruin known as the Old Dixie motel are admirable people by any stretch. But the Flagler County Planning Board on Tuesday finally approved on a 6-1 vote the owners’ site plan for a refurbished “Henry Hotel.” The vote does not end the county’s three-year-old legal dispute with the owners nor does it scrap the county’s pending order to demolish the motel–unless construction begins swiftly and proceeds earnestly.
BJ’s Wholesale Club Opens Palm Coast Store on Sept. 20 as State Road 100 Girds for Crush
BJ’s Wholesale, a 103,000 square foot store, anchors the Cornerstone at Seminole Woods shopping center on State Road 100, with an archipelago of gas pumps that opened earlier this month, Miller’s Ale House that opened last month, a LongHorn Steakhouse and a Chase bank opening soon, and a yet-unnamed chicken restaurant slated for the near future.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, September 12, 2024
The Flagler Beach City Commission meets, Evenings at Whitney Lecture Series, “The Great American Trailer Park Musical,” dance marathons and Gloria telling off the moms for liberty of her day in “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They.”
The iPhone 16 Shows How AI Is Shaking Up Devices
The unveiling of the iPhone 16 could mark a turning point in the history of Apple’s smartphone brand. Visual Intelligence allows you to search for content on whatever you can see through your phone with the help of a new camera control button on the side of the iPhone 16.
Supreme Court Expediting Case Alleging DeSantis Interference with Abortion-Rights Amendment
The Florida Supreme Court agreed Wednesday to fast-track a lawsuit filed by a South Florida attorney alleging that Gov. Ron DeSantis and other state officials are interfering with the campaign for the abortion-rights amendment.
Property Owners Opposed to Public’s ‘Customary Use’ Of Beach Appeal Ruling in Case with Implications for Flagler
Property owners are challenging a ruling by U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington that said the town had adequately shown a history of “customary use” by the public of parts of the beach that are privately owned, to let the public keep using those beaches.
Cell Tower Planned to Improve Coverage for Developments Along U.S. 1 and B Section in Northwest Palm Coast
Bronx House Pizza Parking Lot Approved Over Objections as Owner and Planning Board Member Attacks Resident
Though stand-alone parking zones are not allowed in the Hammock, the Flagler County Planning Board Tuesday evening voted unanimously to approve a special exception allowing Bronx House Pizza to operate a valet parking lot south of 17th Road to alleviate overflow parking. Planning Board member Mike Goodman abstained from the vote, since he co-owns Bronx House Pizza. He did not abstain from a personal and–in the words of attorney Dennis Bayer–a “highly inappropriate” tirade against Dennis Clark, a Hammock resident and the chair of the Scenic A1A committee that opposed the parking lot plan.
Clara Louise Douglas, 1951-2024
Clara Louise Douglas, 73, of Flagler Beach, Florida, passed away peacefully on August 6, 2024. Clara was born on May 12, 1951, in Putnam County, Florida.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, September 11, 2024
The Elks Lodge 2709 is holding its annual 9/11 ceremony, Weekly Chess Club for Teens, J. Michael Luttig recalls the prevarication of Mike Pence and how Jan. 6 almost caused an end to American democracy as Sept. 11 never could have.
Douglas Emhoff Campaigns for Harris in Central Florida Friday
Vice President Kamala Harris’ husband, Douglas Emhoff, plans to make a campaign stop in Central Florida on Friday, with the campaign announcing the event as part of a battleground tour. The stops scheduled for Emhoff days after the first debate between Harris and former President Donald Trump also include Henderson, Nevada, and Tucson, Arizona. However, the campaign did not announce where the Florida stop would take place.
Trump Support of Florida Pot Legalization May Show Growing Bipartisan Consensus
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s early Monday statement that he would vote to legalize recreational marijuana use in Florida sent a strong signal that both major parties are moving to adopt popular marijuana reform efforts, unexpectedly elevating the issue in the presidential battle.
Astor Defence, a British Manufacturer of Military Packaging, Is Opening Plant in Palm Coast with 30 Jobs
Astor Defence, an England-based military contractor that makes ammunition containers, bomb pallets, mortar packs and other military packaging, will open a manufacturing facility at 15 Hargrove Grade in Palm Coast, where it is expected to be operational by January with 30 mostly local jobs. It’ll be the company’s first American site. The company will not be getting any tax benefits or incentives.
No Forensic Audit for Palm Coast, But Council Explores Citywide ‘Risk Assessment’ for $45,000
The Palm Coast City Council agreed today to set aside any considerations of anything like a forensic audit, which would cost an estimated $500,000, and instead conduct a citywide “risk assessment” that could point to vulnerabilities, if any. The approach would placate what few members of the public have been asking for while resulting in a useful exercise for the city, according to some of the council members.
Former Mondex Man Convicted of Unlawful Sex Returns to Ask for a New Trial, Arguing More Bizarre Claims
Four and a half years ago Tonda Royal, 54 at the time, testified in his defense that he’d never had sex with a 16-year-old girl in his camper in the Mondex, or Daytona North, even though his DNA was found in her. He claimed it was a conspiracy, that another girl had gotten hold of his sperm and passed it to the alleged victim, who then inserted it in her to incriminate him. He claimed that racial motives were behind the conspiracy. Royal was back in court today, arguing that he was owed a new trial because his defense attorney, Regina Nunnally, had been ineffective.