The Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation awarded the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office its third re-accreditation since receiving initial accreditation in February 2005.
Florida’s Clergy Did Not Need More Protection from Gays. They Don’t Bite.
Florida lawmakers in each chamber are plowing ahead with bills to protect the religious freedoms of lawsuit-fearing clergy in case the U.S. Constitution doesn’t. It’s entirely unnecessary, argues Nancy Smith.
No Privacy: What Your Smart Home Reveals About You, and Possibly To The World
As trends toward networked smart homes and connected cars continue, customers may not be aware of just how much information their devices collect about them and share with the world.
Floridians Say Overwhelming No to Guns On Campus, Big Yes to Medical Marijuana
73 percent of Floridians oppose allowing students with concealed-weapons permits to carry guns on campus according to the latest USF-Nielsen Sunshine State Survey. Support for medical pot climbs.
Jesus as Clown, Disciples as Dirty Stinking Hippies: City Rep Returns With “Godpsell”
City Repertory Theatre, Palm Coast’s only daring troupe, opens its 5th season with the rather surpriring and popular “Godspell,” with laughs and sentiment to boot.
A Hillary Clinton Playground at Old Kings Elementary: What’s the School Board Smoking?
The school board approved a $15,000 Hillary Clinton Playground for Old Kings Elementary, dismissing Clinton’s political candidacy as a non-issue and ignoring her hatred for women.
Evocations of Aliens, Yeats and Yin at Flagler Art League’s Saturday Evening With Artists
The wealth of work at Flagler County Art League’s signature annual judged show, opening Saturday evening with a free reception, makes it difficult for artist-sculptor Harry Messersmith to choose winners.
11 Bands for 11th Creekside Festival at Princess Place This Weekend
The Creekside Festival is an annual tradition that celebrates the natural beauty of Northeast Florida with live bluegrass music, a delicious variety of food, arts and craft vendors, historic re-enactors, family friendly activities, and of course every politician running for office this side of the Suwanee River.
County Administrator Is “Chastised” Over Cryptic Handling of Question in Open Forum
Flagler County Commissioner Barbara Revels said she felt treated like “a bad girl” speaking out of turn when this week when Administrator Coffey would not openly address a question she raised about legislative priorities. Coffey later explained he’d mishandled the matter.
Senate Panel Votes 11-0 to Remove
Confederate Flag From Official Seal
In the latest sign of a backlash against the symbols of the Confederate South, the official insignia would still include other non-American flags that flew over Florida.
Weekend Briefing: A Fitting Festival for Princess Place, Soccer Fall Classic, A Nobel for Tunisia, Godspell
A weekend filled with events in Flagler and Palm Coast, including “Godspell”‘s last three shows, the Flagler County Art League’s signature new show, Creekside Festival at Princess Place, and a lot more.
A Ben Carson Reading Room at Old Kings Elementary: What’s the School Board Smoking?
The school board this week approved a privately funded $15,000 Ben Carson Reading Room for Old Kings Elementary, dismissing Carson’s political candidacy as a non-issue and ignoring his Islamophobia. It’s a serious mistake.
Florida Lawmakers Consider Dumping Property Tax and More Than Doubling Sales Tax
If the state eliminated all property taxes, committee records indicate the state’s sales tax would have to go from 6 percent to 12.72 percent to cover existing state, local, school and special district expenses.
Thursday Briefing: FPC Chorus Solos, A Nobel for Belarus, Florida Senate’s Seal, Trump’s Diminishing Money
Flagler Palm Coast High School’s chorus in solos tonight, the Florida Senate takes up its Confederate-tainted seal, Belarusian author Svetlana Alexievich wins literature’s Nobel.
A Year Later, a Memorial to Deputy Delarosby Flickers Steps From Where He Took His Life
A few dozen people gathered at Heroes Park Tuesday evening to mark the one-year anniversary of Deputy Joe Delarosby’s suicide there, recalling memories, saying prayers and singing Amazing Grace.
Kymora Christian, 7, Killed After Being Struck By Vehicle at White Star Drive Bus Stop
Kymora Christian, a 7-year-old student at Wadsworth Elementary in Palm Coast, was killed after being struck by a vehicle in front of 2 White Star Drive, a corner lot that fronts on Whippoorhill Drive in Palm Coast this morning at 8:14 a.m.
Owners of Dog the County Declared Dangerous for Attacking Child Appeal to County Court
A rare and controversial case involving a dangerous-dog declaration after the dog bit an 8-year-old child enters a new phase, starting with a request from the dog owners that county court determine how the appeal is to proceed.
Armed Robbery at Flagler Beach Publix: Police Seeking Help Looking For Middle-Age Suspect
The middle-aged white man staked the Publix store briefly then showed what appeared to be a semi-automatic handgun to a cashier and got away with a bundle of cash in a bag at lunchtime Monday.
Belle Terre Swim Club Pulled From Brink as School Board Turns to Community Group
In a remarkable turn-around for club supporters, the Flagler school board agreed to extend the life of the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club by turning over membership responsibilities to a community group and shortening hours of operation.
Proposed Florida Law Would Tell Employers to Butt Out of Employees’ Social Media Accounts
The measure, which is filed for the 2016 legislative session, would prohibit employers from requesting access to private social media accounts, but pressure from business caused it to fail in two previous years.
Jeb Bush Blows It On Race
With just two words — “free stuff” — Bush managed to insult millions of black Americans, completely misread what motivates black people to vote, and falsely imply that African Americans are the predominant consumers of vital social services.
Tuesday Briefing: State of Education, Nobile’s Last Charter Stab, Guns and the “Mental Health” Cop-Out
The Flagler School Board holds its 2015 State of Education tonight, Palm Coast Council member Steven Nobile tries one more time for a charter review, John Oliver rips the mental health cop-out on guns.
A Man, His 2 Sons and Their Dog Are Caught In Cop Chase of Felon, Fugitive and Stolen Car
Frederick President and his two sons weren’t aware that they’d hitched a ride with a felon and a fugitive in a stolen car until a dangerous chase stopped them on I-95 in Palm Coast–and President was handcuffed in front of his children.
3 Flagler Emergency Operations Specialists In South Carolina as Part of Incident Team
It is the first time since the 2011 wildfires in Flagler that the Northeast Florida Incident Management Team was activated, this time with three members from Flagler County: Flagler County Fire Rescue Operations Chief Mike Bazanos, Captain Richard Bennett, and Laura Nelson, a Mitigation Planner at Flagler County Emergency Management.
At Pink Army Flag-Raising, a Shaved Head Attests to Cancer’s Ravages, and Hopes
The breast-cancer awareness flag-raising marks the beginning of a series of fund-raising events in Flagler and Palm Coast. It featured Commissioner Frank Meeker, barely out of his own battle through chemotherapy and colon cancer.
Yet Another Sales Tax “Holiday” Proposal, For Two Months, This Time for Military Veterans
The military veteran sales tax break would last from Nov. 1, 2016, through Dec. 31, 2016, just in time for the holidays, but competes with other breaks.
Monday Briefing: Pink Army Flag-Raising, Legislative Priorities, Slavery Myths, Enrique Granados
The flag-raising for the pink army in the fight against breast cancer is at 8:15 a.m. at the GSB, too many myths about slavery, tax holidays, Enrique Granados’s poetry at the piano.
Psychiatry as Industry of Death: Scientology Blitzes Shrinks in New Clearwater Museum
The museum, “Psychiatry: Industry of Death,” occupies most of the 1st floor of new headquarters for the Citizens Commission on Human Rights in Clearwater. The Church of Scientology has long been at odds with the field of psychiatry.
In Plantation Bay, 1,600 Customers Are Stuck Between Cruddy Water and Cruddier Bills
As Flagler government fully acquires the Plantation bay utility from Bunnell, residents have seen water bills more than double, and may see further rate increases yet if the shoddy water plant is to be improved.
Quadruple Murderer Jerry Correll Will be Executed as Florida Supreme Court Lifts Stay
The unanimous decision issued today clears the execution by lethal injection. Correll murdered his wife, 5-year-old daughter, mother in law and her sister in Orlando in 1985.
Weekend Briefing: Guns’ 36-Kills-a-Day U.S. Habit, Hurricane Joaquin’s Waves, Godspell at CRT, Matt Beyrer at Ocean Art
Beyond the routine of the latest mass-shooting, Joaquin is moving away, Godspell should not be missed at City Repertory Theatre, Paul Krugman picks up on the resilience of vodoo economics.
5-Vehicle Wreck on I-95 Just South of Weigh Station Sends at Least 5 to Hospital
A five-vehicle wreck under heavy rain early this morning shut down the northbound lanes of I-95 just south of the Palm Coast weigh station and sent at least five people to a local hospital, none with life-threatening injuries.
Standoff With Armed, Ex-Flagler Beach Cop at Heroes Park in Palm Coast Ends Peacefully
Flagler County Sheriff’s units converged on Heroes Park in Palm Coast just before 8:30 p.m. after a report of shots fired there, and have since been in a standoff with an armed man there.
Facing Cruelty Charge for Killing Puppy, He’s Jailed for Battering Ex and Threatening Cop
In May Kevin McClenithan of Bunnell shot dead a puppy that had been fenced in. On Monday, he allegedly strangled, head-butted and spat on his live-in girlfriend before threatening to hurt the cop driving him to jail and burning a house.
At Least 10 Killed at Oregon College Where Students Are Allowed to Carry Guns
A gunman murdered at least 10 people and wounded at least 20 Thursday morning at Umpqua Community College in Southwest Oregon, in one of seven states where guns on campus are allowed.
Florida Senate Will Consider Removing Confederate Flag From Its Seal
It is the latest reflection of the persisting backlash against the presence of the Confederate flag in public spaces. Senate President Andy Gardiner and Minority Leader Arthenia Joyner pushed for the reconsideration. A committee will do so next week.
Repeat Child Molestor Sentenced to Life, Drunkard Faces 15 Years in Killing of Laura Hrobsky
Meshac Abentego, 43, was sentenced to life for molesting a 9-year-old girl, and Sandra Dee Heilman, 44, faces 15 years in the DUI killing of Laura Hrobsky, in November 2012 on Beville Road in Volusia County.
Palm Coast International Festival Saturday at Town Center
The Palm Coast International Festival is rich in food, wine, beers, various cultures, entertainment, games, and a parade of nations, at Town Center Saturday from noon to 9 p.m.
Flagler County Youth Center Marks 10 Years in Continuing County-School Board Partnership
Flagler County government built the $1 million youth center as part of a tax-supported referendum 10 years ago. The school board staffs it, under the leadership of Cheryl Massaro, its one and only director.
Thursday Briefing: Microplastics in Our Seas, Grand Reserve Sale, Disney at 44, Humidor at 10, Joaquin Churns
A seminar on polluting microplastics in our seas, held at the Flagler fairgrounds, Grand Reserve golf course sells, Hurricane Joaquin continues its churn north, Disney and the Humidor share a birthday.
Sheriff Shows Off New HQ to Public, But Commissioners Who Bought It Are No-Shows
None of the four county commissioners who voted for the $6.5 million acquisition and transformation of the old Memorial Hospital into the sheriff’s operations center showed up at Wednesday’s open house.
Growers Defend Annual Burning of Sugarcane Fields as Environmentalists Prepare to Sue
The burns, regulated by the Florida Forest Service, are intended to make it easier for harvest machines to cut down and collect the stalks, but they emit pollutants such as benzene and formaldehyde.
Flagler Fire Rescue Join Florida National Guard at Camp Blanding Search and Rescue Training
The 7th annual exercise, dubbed “Operation Integration,” involved statewide deployment of urban search and rescue teams with the Guard’s 83rd Troop Command.
Christian Recovery House for Addicts Wins Legal Battle, Costing Bunnell $500,000
The settlement agreement after an 18-month fight clears the way for Open Door Ministry to run a 12-bed residential program for drug and alcohol addicts on East Booe Street in Bunnell.
Wednesday Briefing: Hurricane Joaquin, Florida Hospital’s Pink Army Bikers, Sheriff’s New HQ, Gore v. Scott
Hurricane Joaquin is churning near the Bahamas but appears headed for open sea, Florida Hospital’s bikers raise $4,500 to fight breast cancer, the sheriff opens his new operations center to public view, Al Gore criticizes Rick Scott on global warming.
The Big Pharma Mafia:
Your Money Or Your Life
Hedge fund manager Martin Shkreli’s decision to raise the price of the lifesaving drug Daraprim from $18 to $750 per pill is emblematic of America’s pharmaceutical industry, where price-gouging is the norm.
Cabinet Outvotes Gov. Scott to Buy Ranch Lands at Near Appraised-Value Price
Florida Cabinet members agreed Tuesday to spend $7.8 million to conserve two large tracts of ranch land over objections from Gov. Rick Scott, who said he wanted a better deal on one of the parcels.
Offered a Chance at a Small Pay Raise, Split Bunnell Commissioners Decline
In 2014 Bunnell commissioners took a 10% pay cut. Monday they could have raised their pay back up 3.8%. A 2-2 vote meant the proposal failed, with Mayor Catherine Robinson and Commissioner Elbert Tucker voting against the raise.
City Manager Jim Landon as Control Freak: Two Council Members Fret Over His Grip
Palm Coast Council members Heidi Shipley and Steven Nobile described a Landon regime of control and cold shoulders in the latest discussion on charter review, while the manager was away at a conference.
Tuesday Briefing: Banned Books Week, Entrepreneur Night at Black Cloud, Why ISIS Demolishes History
It’s Banned Books Week, the Palm Coast City Cpouncil holds a special meeting to buy a dozen vehicles, Area entrepreneurs gather for their monthly meet-up, this time at Black Cloud,