Not a high school in the state of Florida sees anything but disaster in proposed legislation that would overhaul the Florida High School Athletic Association, for good reason, argues Nancy Smith.
Florida’s Smallest Police Department Gets a Mine-Resistant Armored Vehicle
The Pentagon put more than 12,000 MRAPs into service in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Now many of those MRAPs are being unloaded to 780 domestic civilian law enforcement agencies.
Teachers Union has No Standing to Sue Over Florida’s School Voucher System, Judge Rules
The voucher-like program provides tax credits to companies that donate money to nonprofit entities that help pay for children to attend private schools. Some 70,000 students are enrolled.
On Parking Mire, Flagler Beach Commission Piles Confusion On Top of Indecision
After a proposal to put the question of paid parking to a referendum failed, the Flagler Beach City Commission had trouble giving its administration direction on what to do next.
At Matanzas Woods Parkway Interchange Groundbreaking, Praise For the Overdue
Most groundbreakings aren’t worth the PR, because that’s all they are: a chance for the shovel hogs to get their picture in the news, let their flesh be pressed and their egos stroked. But Flagler County and Palm Coast have earned this one. And when Flagler County Chairman Frank Meeker said of the Matanzas Woods […]
Flagler Commissioners Formalize Opposition to Fracking and Seismic Testing for Oil and Gas
A pair of resolutions put Flagler government on record opposing the Obama administration’s allowance for seismic testing for oil and gas offshore, and opposing hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in Florida.
Monday Briefing: Carver Gym Fund-Raiser Breaks 4-Year Record, Less Military Hardware For Cops, New Airport Tenants
The Carver Gym auction topped the $7,000 mark, Obama tires of sending military hardware to police departments, an investigation reveals the lack of black cops on Florida streets.
Florida Leads Nation in Boating Accidents With 70 Deaths; Coast Guard Releases Safety App
Features of the app include state boating information, a safety equipment checklist, free boating safety check requests, navigation rules, float plans, and calling features to report pollution or suspicious activity.
One Way to Lessen That Pain: Insurers May Not Charge for Anesthesia in Colonoscopies
Although the ACA health law made it clear that the colonoscopy itself must be free for patients, it didn’t spell out how anesthesia or other charges should be handled.
Adam W. Ryone, 43, Is Killed on SR100 In One of 4 Flagler Wrecks in Less Than 24 Hours
Adam Wade Ryone, 43, who lived on Mahogany Boulevard in Daytona North, was killed on his motorcycle when a woman rear-ended him in a moment of inattention on State Road 100 Saturday afternoon.
Suicide Standoff Shuts Down Portion of Florida Park Drive and Brings Out Swat
A standoff on Florida Park Drive shut down a segment of the road in the heart of Palm Coast shortly after 6 p.m. Saturday evening as the SWAT team was called out and residents from Foster Lane to Forest Hill Drive were ordered to stay indoors.
Online Voter Registration in Florida Is Now Law, Over Resistance By Gov. Scott and Detzner
Florida must now develop an online voter registration system by October 2017, joining 20 other states that already provide the service. Gov. Scott was reluctant to sign the measure into law.
The Bunnell Festival Rises Phoenix-Like From Its Spuds to Celebrate Flagler’s Earthy Culture
The Bunnell Festival revives what used to be the Potato Festival with a broader emphasis on Flagler’s agricultural and industrial heritage as it takes over the grounds at City Hall Saturday, May 16.
We’ve Been Flocked! All Flamboyance For Future Problem Solvers’ Fundraiser
It was fabulous to wake up to a flock of pink flamingos on our lawn, part of a fund-raiser for Flagler County’s Future Problem Solvers, who head for international competition in Iowa in June.
Angered By Injunction, a Palm Coast Man, 25, Is Accused of Attacking His 72-Year-Old Grandmother
David Harris, 25, of Palm Coast’s L Section, is being held on $95,000 bond after allegedly attacking his grandmother and threatening her with a knife. He was angered by an injunction she’d taken out against him that same day.
Weekend Briefing: Bunnell Festival Returns, Rubio Hawks It Up, The Bush Who Created ISIS
The Bunnell Festival returns Saturday under a new name, sans potato, Hairspray continues at the Auditorium, Mitt Romney faces down Evander Holyfield in Salt Lake City.
When Liberal Democracy Isn’t All It’s Cracked Up to Be
The puzzle is not why democracy so often turns out to be illiberal. It is that liberal democracy can ever emerge.
Gov. Scott’s Latest Tactic in Budget Showdown: Threaten a Government Shutdown
In addition to raising the issue of a government shutdown with state departments, Scott appeared to try to preemptively blame the Senate if negotiations drag on past June 30, the end of the current budget year.
As Mom Struggles to Recover From Burns, Community Rallies Around a Family Made Homeless
As Jessica Johnson, mom to three young children, remains in intensive care, Flagler Beach has rallied around her family to raise money and collect furniture and toys.
Accused of Raping 11-Year-Old, Karl Westgate Pleads and Gets 25 Years
Palm Coast’s Karl Westgate, 19, had faced life in prison on rape charges but pleaded guilty to lesser charges and was sentenced to 25 years Thursday and a lifetime on sexual predator probation after that.
City of Palm Coast Employee Arrested on Charges of Impersonating Cop and Using Blue Light
Shaun Eric Fuller, a computer specialist with Palm Coast government, was arrested at city offices at City Marketplace in mid-afternoon Tuesday on charges of impersonating a police officer and using a blue light on his dashboard to pull over vehicles.
Thursday Briefing: Paid Parking Straw Poll in Flagler Beach? “Hairspray” at the Auditorium, Losing Letterman
Flagler Beach Commissioner Steve Settle tonight proposes a straw poll on paid parking in the city. FPC’s production of “Hairspray” kicks off at the Auditorium. Bidding farewell to Letterman’s art of talk.
Florida Issues “Open Season” Bear-Hunting Rules as Humane Society Calls For Delay
Opponents of the proposed hunt have argued the state should consider relocating problem bears and that people need to be held more responsible for leaving out unsecured food and trash that attracts bears.
At Rymfire Elementary, A Medical Lab Radiates School’s Health, Fitness and Science Flagship
Rymfire Elemetary teamed up with Florida Hospital Flagler and the Education Foundation to develop a student-centered medical lab as part of the school’s health-centered flagship program, and showcased it to acclaim Tuesday evening.
Gov. Reubin Askew, Sallye B. Mathis and Edward Daniel Davis Inducted Into Civil Rights Hall
Reubin Askew was named to the hall of fame in part because of his support for desegregation and his appointments of top black officials, including the first black justice on the Florida Supreme Court.
Rash of Assaults Helps Boost Jail Population; Burning Wick House Again Scene of a Bizarre Incident
The Flagler County jail population reached 160, higher than it’s been for most of the past four years, with a rash of domestic and other assaults contributing. A B-Section house that’s been a focus of trouble lately again drew police attention over the weekend.
John R. Lugo, 31, Missing Since May 7, Located in Jacksonville, Where He Wants to Stay
31-year-old John Raymond Lugo Jr., a resident of 1 Wellham Lane B in Palm Coast, who went missing the evening of Thursday, May 7, was staying with relatives in Jacksonville, where he said he wishes to remain.
Wednesday Briefing: Jeb Bush’s Iraq War Problem, Open Government Online, Benvenuto Cellini at Epic Theaters
The First Amendment Foundation adds new open-government courses online, Jeb Bush keeps stumbling over questions about the Iraq war, and a relatively quiet day in local government.
Gov. Scott Threatens to Delay Tax Cuts and Education Funding Hike Over Budget Standoff
A roughly $261 per student increase from the current year is at stake, as is a a $690 million tax-cut package, if a health care-fueled budget impasse continues in the Legislature.
Steven Nobile Thrust For Broad Charter Review Has Rest of Palm Coast Council on Defensive
A push for a charter review by Palm Coast City Council member Steven Nobile provoked an at-times heated discussion at council today as members largely opposed the notion absent a more defined public drive for changing the city’s equivalent of a constitution.
Paul Dykes Pleads Not Guilty in Child Rape and Retains Controversial Attorney David Taylor
Paul Dykes, the 18-year-old Palm Coast man accused of raping a child younger than 5, pleaded not guilty today and hired Jacksonville attorney David Taylor, who’s been disciplined by the Florida Bar and faced an assault charge in 2012.
Tuesday Briefing: Tourism’s Matt Dunn Lands National Board Seat, Obama’s Osama Lies, Palm Harbor Housekeeping
Rymfire Elementary celebrates its new medical lab this evening, Seymour Hersh’s piece on the Obama administration’s alleged lies regarding the killing of Osama bin Laden is making the talk show rounds, Palm Coast gets ready for the Palm Harbor extension.
Commencement Season in an Age of Community Failures
We can make excuses for failure and we too often do so, writes Ed Moore. In life there should be no excuses for quitting, for abandoning dreams and ambitions and for pursuing our goals.
Gov. Scott Stacks Hospital Panel Without a Single Hospital Expert in Overt Snub
Scott’s commission is to make recommendations for a special legislative session on health funding scheduled to begin June 1, but it includes beef, housing, real estate, banking and hospitality experts, but no health care executives.
Afternoon Brush Fire That Smoked Up Palm Coast’s P-Section and I-95 Is Mopped Up
A brush fire in an isolated strip of woods between I-95 and Palm Coast’s P-Section kicked off a lot of smoke and burned a 2-acre area but never threatened homes and by sundown had been all but mopped up.
Calling Puppy Killing “Offensive,” Judge Sentences Slayer to 9 Months in Jail, 5 Years’ Probation
Wesley Jackson of Palm Coast’s B-Section was masturbating when the 4-month-old Chihuahua interrupted him last September, causing Jackson to brutalize and kill the dog known as Little Man.
Flagler County Assist REACT Marks 30 Years of Emergency and Public Service
Flagler County Assist REACT started in the days when CB radios were the surest means of communications during emergencies, and has adapted in the age of cell phones to new roles and responsibilities.
Sheriff Fires Ex-Narcotics Deputy For Quitting Post Days After Bruising Internal Investigation
An internal affairs investigation concluded that Alfonzo Dillard had misplaced one of his guns, traveled out of county with a department-issued vehicle, lied about the trip and possibly the gun, all violations of Sheriff’s Office policy.
Monday Briefing: Bunnell Bids Giving Gardners Goodbye, a Puppy-Killer Is Sentenced, Picasso Fetches $140 Million
Wesley Jackson, accused of stomping a dog to death for interrupting his masturbation session, is sentenced this afternoon. The Bunnell City Commission awards appreciation certificates to Beth and Charles Gardner,
Fifteen Years For Sex on the Beach? Seriously?
Federal prisons are full of white collar criminals who won’t serve a day over five years, criminals who destroyed companies and bilked citizens out of their life savings. Yet Elissa Alvarez and Jose Caballero face 15 years for “lewd and lascivious” sex on the beach, a ridiculous excess, argues Nancy Smith.
How Health Care Blew Up the 2015 Session
Dramatic miscalculations and eagerness for showdown over health care derailed Florida lawmakers’ plans in the 2015 legislative session–impulses they must guard against if the special session is to go more smoothly.
Two Months Late, Salamander Makes $250,000 Payment That Induced Hammock Beach Hotel Agreement
The payment is part of the $500,000 Salamander agreed to pay for better public beach access in exchange for county approval of a 198-room beachfront hotel at Hammock Beach Resort.
Weekend Briefing: Last Weekend for CRT’s “Committed,” Art League Goes Nude, UK Stays Conservative
City Repertory Theatre’s “Committed” has three more shows this weekend, the Flagler County Art League’s new Figuratively Speaking show gives nudes a chance, Team Florida Elite Lacrosse Summer Showcase is at the Indian Trails Sports Complex, and a lot more this weekend.
Economy Resumes Climb With Healthy 223,000 Jobs, Unemployment Ticks Down to 5.4%
The 5.4 percent unemployment rate is another new low since the Great Recession: the rate was last this low exactly seven years ago, in May 2008, when it was beginning to rise rapidly.
Early Morning Flagler Beach Fire Levels One House, Guts Another, 5 Hospitalized, 2 Critical
Last Updated: 12:23 p.m. A fire that started around 2 this morning in a wooden house built on stilts at 208 Ocean Palm Drive leveled the house and spread to the house next door at 210, gutting it. The five occupants of the wooden house managed to get out but were all hospitalized, two of […]
Don’t Tell Rick Scott: Pope Francis Wants Action on Global Warming, Steaming Conservatives
Pope Francis’s call for action against global warming has many conservatives in the US up in arms, but his message is a matter of morality, argues Jeffrey Sachs.
Gov. Scott Seeks Court-Ordered Injunction Against Federal Government in Health Fight
Lawyers for the state asked Thursday for a federal judge to immediately bar the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from considering whether the state has expanded Medicaid as the agency weighs a decision on $2.2 billion in funding for hospitals and other health-care providers in Florida.
Fallen Officers Are Remembered as Months Of Police Tensions Elsewhere Elicit Silence
A ceremony honoring fallen officers and marking National Police Memorial Week was held on the steps of the Flagler County courthouse Thursday morning.
Beating and Crash Lead to Meth Lab in Palm Coast’s P-Section, and Arrests of 3 Men
Kenneth Stancil, Joseph Canfield and Brian Hitas were arrested for allegedly operating a methamphetamine lab at 20 Philmont Lane in Palm Coast’s P-Section after a disturbance and a car crash were reported in the area.
Thursday Briefing: Fallen Officer Memorial at Courthouse, Day of Prayer in Bunnell, Salamander Pays
The Sheriff’s Office hosts the annual fallen officer memorial at the Justice Center, Bunnell holds its fifth annual Day of Prayer, Ron DeSantis is at Wadsworth Elementary, Hammock Beach Resort makes a $250,000 payment to the county.