Middle school students put on “Shrek” at the Flagler Playhouse, the school board buys 22 million sheets of paper and approves a new school resource deputies contract, kids talk about the court’s gay marriage decision.
Charter Schools Are Not Required To Provide Bus Transportation to Students, Judge Rules
As part of a school-choice movement heavily backed by state Republican leaders, charter schools do not have to operate under all of the same requirements as more-traditional public schools.
Dead Person Found Decomposing Behind Walmart; Identity and Cause Unconfirmed
The dead person’s identity and gender have not been positively identified nor a cause of death determined, with those questions pending an autopsy by the medical examiner’s office.
Palm Coast’s Opelka Wins Come-From-Behind Thriller in Wimbledon Debut
The former Palm Coast resident made his Wimbledon debut Monday in epic fashion, capturing a marathon win in the first round of the Boys Tournament Monday, defeating Australia’s Alex De Minaur, 4-6, 6-3, 13-11.
2 More “Ridiculous” Ethics Complaints Against Commissioner Revels and Attorney Hadeed
The complaints, filed by Ronald Reagan Assemblies member John Ruffalo, allege conflicts of interest in the commissioner’s votes and target the attorney’s counsel to the commission.
As Cremation Outpaces Burial Rates,
Jewelry Glitters the Afterlife
Florida is well ahead of the nation in cremation rates, but for the first time this year cremations nationally will outpace burials. A jewelry industry is marking the shift.
Monday Briefing: $4.9 Million for Old Kings Road Extension, Naming Buildings, Confederate Flag Debated
The Flagler County Commission considers a policy on tacking names to buildings and other government landmarks, the South Carolina Senate debates the Confederate flag.
Palm Coast Motorcyclist Gregory Fagas, 40, Is Killed Across from Belle Terre Elementary, Rider Critical
Gregory Daniel Fagas, a 40-year-old motorcyclist from Palm Coast, was killed, and Nacomi Marie Campbell, 27, was flown to a hospital in critical condition
Flagler Chamber Membership Director Thompson Is Fired, Then Insurrection Breaks Out
In 24 hours of feverish developments after Heather Thompson’s firing, a chamber member’s web page in support of Thompson drew 50 testimonies before it was taken down.
Say Goodbye: Old ITT Landmark and School Board Clunker to Be Demolished By Year’s End
The Flagler School Board got no bids on its 54,000-square foot building in pring, which it’ll pay $200,000 to demolish, after paying off a $770,000 debt on it.
Another Strong Growth Month Adds 223,000 Jobs, Lowering Unemployment to 5.3%
For all the economy’s overall improvements, when it comes to the majority of workers, there are no improvements where it matters: in families’ standards of living.
Independence Weekend Briefing: It’s All About the 4th, Savior Nicholas Winton, RIP, Trump’s Continued Surge, Copeland’s Common Man
Before starting your July 4 celebrations, remember the great Nicholas Winton, savior of nearly 700 Jews and others from the gas chambers. Plus, Susan Sontag, how art became irrelevant and a few safety tips.
Rick Gets Richer: Governor’s Net Worth Climbs $14 Million in 2014, Padded By Blind Trust
Scott, who reportedly spent $13 million last year on his re-election, stated he generated $9.8 million last year from his blind trusts. Unlike last year, however, Scott did not disclose the assets of the blind trust in the most recent report.
Disney’s CEO Makes $248 a Minute as Some of His Employees Go Homeless on $8.03 an Hour
Even after a raise to $10 an hour, Disney employees can only expect to take home about $20,000 over the course of a year, not enough to live decently in Orlando. A $15-an-hour wage is more critical, argues Scott Klinger.
At Bunnell’s Methodist Church, Rev. Terry Wines Begins Filling Beth Gardner’s Big Void
It’s pat of an annual and anxious ritual in the sprawling world of the United Methodist Church when “elders” typically move from church to church around this time of year.
Palm Coast’s “D.J. Chris” and Owner of Kids’ Bounce House Co. Charged With Soliciting Minor for Sex
Christopher Pintek, known as “D.J. Chris,” a P-Section resident, was arrested on charges of luring a 14-year-old boy for sex through a phone app. He is the owner of Surround Sound DJ and Party Bounces.
2 More Men Arrested on Sex-Assault Charges Involving Children Closely Related To Them
Waldemar Rivera, a 36-year-old resident of Palm Coast’s R-Section, faces a charge of raping a 13-year-old girl, John J. Schenone, 32, of the W-Section, is charged with two counts of lewd and lascivious acts on a child younger than 12.
Wednesday Briefing: Principals Hinson and Pryor Say Farewell, Full-Moon Gamble, Bunnell’s Cop Cars
Buddy Taylor Principal Stephen Hinson and Matanzas Principal Chris Pryor bid their last farewell, why racists burn black churches, more overtime pay for managers.
Judge Halts Abortion Waiting Period Set to Start Wednesday, Pending ACLU Challenge
But the appeal by Attorney General Pam Bondi triggered an automatic stay on Francis’ decision, which could allow the law to go into effect. The American Civil Liberties Union, which filed the initial case, immediately responded by asking for Francis to lift that stay.
Palm Coast Dead Zones: City Proposing Less Restrictive Cell-Tower Rules, But Council Demurs
The proposal is being made ahead of a deal between the city and a cell tower company to put a 150-foot tower near Heroes Park, behind Palm Coast Parkway, on land where Palm Coast’s Water Plan No. 1 sits.
Don Apperson, Long-Time School Resource Deputy and Youth Leader, Retires
For 13 years until last fall Don Apperson was the face of school resource deputies in Flagler County and appearing before local government boards to advocate either for the SRD system or for stronger laws on various issues.
School Board Hears Good and Bad of New Budget and Agrees to 3-Month Patch for Disabilities Program
The $2.5 percent state-funded budget increase falls short of restoring the money lost last year. The board agreed to a $120,000 band aid for the adults with disabilities program run by FTI, which lost its state funding this month.
Flagler Officials Caution Against Beached Debris From SpaceX Rocket Explosion
While it is highly unlikely any of the debris resulting from the explosion of the SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule will reach Flagler County’s coast, emergency officials are asking residents to steer clear of it and notify authorities.
Tuesday Briefing: Palm Coast Talks Fences, School Board’s Disability Dollars, Social Media Day
Social Media Day is marked at Cowork this evening, fencing regulation is again on the Palm Coast Council’s agenda, while the school board hunts for dollars to keep its adults with disabilities program going.
Backdoor Snooping: Why the U.S. Is Wrong to Oppose Full Encryption of Your iPhone
The U.S. argues that the country will be less safe if the proper authorities have no “backdoor” – a piece of code that lets them in. Software engineers call backdoors “vulnerabilities,” deliberate efforts to weaken security.
Supreme Court’s Lethal Injection Ruling Clears Way For More Florida Executions, and Challenges
In the 5-4 majority opinion issued Monday, Justice Alito wrote that the first of the three-drug lethal cocktail used also used in Florida, “entails a substantial risk of severe pain.”
With 11 Jobs and Life Skills for 85 Disabled Adults at Stake, School Board Scrambles for Lost Money
The Flagler school board lost $535,000 for two essential programs for adults with disabilities when the Legislature slashed $10 million from its budget for that program. On Tuesday, board members will look for a patch on the way to a solution to keep the program from closing.
Sunday Night Standoffs: Deputies Contend With Armed Men in Hammock and W-Section
Both stand-offs, which began after domestic confrontations, ended peacefully, with the arrest of Val Mateyshin in the W Section and no arrest in the Hammock.
Palm Coast Man, 60, Faces Capital Felony on Rape and Molestation Charges of 12-Year-Old Relative
Mario Edward DiGirolamo is at the Flagler County jail on $300,000 bond following his arrest Friday on three sex-crime charges involving a 12-year-old relative, including a count of rape, a capital felony.
Monday Briefing: Supreme Court Goes Lethal, Puerto Rico Goes Greece, Flagler Goes Jet Skis
The Supreme Court refused to declare lethal injection unconstitutional in a fractured 5-4 opinion, Flagler County Fire Rescue has itself new jet skis in time for July 4.
New Laws Kick In This Week: Body Cameras, Drones, Abortion, Traffic Tickets, Secret Recordings, Flags
Florida’s record-setting budget goes into effect on Wednesday, along with 130 other new laws that were produced by the Legislature this year in the regular and special sessions and signed by Gov. Rick Scott. Here’s a run-down.
Reported Runaway, 14, Is Found at Her Father’s as Family Custody Issues Emerge
Ashley Martin, 14, had left home her mother’s June 20 and was found at her father’s June 26, where police were told of family conflicts and custody issues.
The Confederate Flag:
A Swastika Cross-Dressing as Heritage
Removing the Confederate flag from public places isn’t a denial of first amendment rights. It corrects an offensive version of false history and opposes black honor to white supremacy.
Gay Marriage Is Now Legal in the United States: Supreme Court Rules for Equality, 5-4
The United States Supreme Court this morning declared gay marriage legal across the United States in a 5-4 decision authored by conservative Justice Anthony Kennedy.
Bad Judges: Florida Supreme Court Seeks to Rein in Rogues and Hotheads
The number of judges facing sanctions in Florida jumped last year, and the high court is more often seeking harsher penalties than those originally proposed by the state Judicial Qualifications Commission.
Algal Bloom Observed at the Confluence of Flagler’s Dead Lake and Bull Creek
Algal blooms damage the environment because they replace vital food sources, clog fish gills, prevent sunlight from reaching seagrass and contribute to low oxygen “dead-zones” when they degrade.
Weekend Briefing: Banning the Ghastly Selfie Stick, Ham Radio Fest in Flagler Beach, Construction Updates
The selfie stick is finally banned at Disney, Flagler County’s ham operators hold their annual open house in Flagler Beach Saturday, all sorts of construction progress reports.
Explosion at Santore Fireworks Causes Small Fire, Panic But No Injuries
The fire was restricted to a 12-by-12 area at Santore Fireworks’s manufacturing plant on County Road 305 in western Flagler. Two employees had minor injuries.
Phoenix Will Close as All But Handful of Students Sign Up for Wadsworth’s New STEM Academy
An open house to introduce Phoenix Parents to Wadsworth’s new STEM Academy, and sell them on enrolling their children, was hugely successful Wednesday evening, sealing the fate of Phoenix for good.
Following Her Dog, a 2-Year-Old Girl Wanders Across Belle Terre Parkway As Her Mother Sleeps
Heather Seils, the 24-year-old mother of a 2-year-old girl and a 3-year-old boy, was asleep Saturday morning in her B-Section home in Palm Coast when, somehow, her daughter manager to wander out of the house unattended.
Supreme Court Upholds Obamacare Subsidies, 6-3, Protecting Benefits For 1.3 Million Floridians
Some 1.3 million Floridians and millions more across the country will not lose their health insurance subsidies as the U.S. Supreme Court this morning ruled decisively, by a 6-3 vote, that the subsidies are legal and must remain in place, even in states that have not established their own health insurance exchanges.
Thursday Briefing: Regulating Flagler Beach’s Farmer’s Market, Amazon’s Lovably Stupid Alexa, Flagler Cigar Launch
The Flagler Beach City Commission again tries to regulate farmer markets after its clumsy and failed attempt in September, the launch of the Flagler Cigar Company’s own cigars, evaluating Amazon’d Alexa.
Judge Considering Temporary Block of Florida’s New 24-Hour Abortion Waiting Period
A judge is considering halting the law from going in effect July 1 while a constitutional challenge goes forward. The challenge was filed by the Florida ACLU.
Three Adults and a Child Hospitalized After Two-Vehicle Wreck on SR100 and CR305
A pick-up truck attempted to pass a Toyota in a no-passing zone as the Toyota was making the turn, triggering the wreck at 3:30 p.m. The road was reopened by 5:30 p.m.
Confrontation at Flagler Jail Nets New Felony Charge for One Inmate and 12 Stitches For Another
Kevin Harris Jr. of Bunnell is accused of attacking inmate Anthony M. Petrillo and calling him a ‘police ass cracker’. Harris is serving 270 days in a Volusia jail, and was brought to Flagler for breaking his probation on an earlier case.
Believe It: Trump, in 2nd Place, Is Within 3 Points of Bush in New Hampshire Poll
Bush was favored by 14 percent of the 500 likely primary voters surveyed, with 11 percent preferring Trump, even though only 37 percent of those surveyed viewed Trump favorably compared to 49 percent who had an unfavorable opinion of him.
Scott’s Veto Pen Hits Flagler’s Top Priority, Sinking $600,000 For Malacompra Drainage
The $600,000 appropriation for the Malacompra drainage project was among the 450 line-items and $461 million he vetoed as he approved a $78.2 billion budget.
Wednesday Briefing: Open House on Phoenix Academy’s Likely Closure, Home-Grown Extremism’s Death Tally, Don Lemon Whiffs
A 6 p.m. open house on the likely closure of Phoenix Academy as it “transitions” to Wadsworth Elementary’s STEM Academy is scheduled at Wadsworth’s media center, the truth about American right-wing extremists, in numbers, Don Lemon’s outrageous advantages to CNN.
The Climate Pope’s Message: Reversing Global Warming is Humanity’s Responsibility
If we do not change our behavior quickly, we may well lose the environmental stability upon which our planet – and our lives – depends. This is the main message of the pope’s encyclical.
Flagler Looking to Raise Tourism Tax For 2nd Time in Four Years Despite Surging Revenue
Flagler County wants to raise the local sales surtax on hotel and motel stays to 5%, from 4%, even though revenue has grown ten-fold over the past decade.