Marion Al Jennings, a Palm Coast retiree who officiates with A-1 Officials Association, faces a battery charge for allegedly grabbing a 14-year-old girl’s buttocks and rubbing her breast as he officiated her game earlier this month at Calvary Christian Academy. A-1 referees also officiate at Matanzas and Flagler Palm Coast High School.
Crain-Brady’s Disqualification In Bunnell Is Final, But Errors Were Far From Hers Alone
Bunnell City Commissioner Jenny Crain-Brady disqualified herseolf from the March 4 election when she failed to meet a fee deadline last week, but the error unraveled a series of errors and misjudgments that run through Bunnell’s election process, and go as far as documentation released by the Supervisor of Elections.
Scott’s River of Green Swells as He Asks for $130 Million for Everglades and South Florida
The proposal comes a day after Scott announced he would recommend $55 million to restore and maintain the state’s natural springs, boosting money for the water bodies in Central and North Florida by $45 million from the current year.
California Sharply Improves Regulatory Oversight of Assisted-Living Facilities
The wide-ranging array of proposed regulations would mandate annual inspections of the facilities and increase the size of financial penalties that the state can levy for failures in care. The proposals would also step up mandatory training for assisted living employees, require facilities to employ registered nurses in some instances and demand that California post inspection results online for the public to review.
Eulogy For a Tornado: Palm Coast Memorializes December Twister in Numbers and Kudos
With a dramatic video narrated by Mayor Jon Netts and a line-up of presenters, the Palm Coast City Council heard and watched a recap of the December tornado that ripped through the city’s B, C and F Sections, with nearly final costs to property owners and to the city’s bottom line.
State Plans to Rebrand Common Core to “Florida Standards,” But With Minor Changes
Stewart said the changes — which include 60 new standards, 37 clarifications and two deletions — and the inclusion of standards beyond the reach of Common Core, which only covers English and math courses, justifies the new name.
Superintendent Search Group Ends With Short-List of 5 to School Board, Including Oliva
After a day-long process Tuesday that included working through lunch and not adjourning until 4 p.m., the search committee for Flagler County’s next school superintendent agreed to recommend five names to the school board: Mary Murray, Jacob Oliva, James Parla, Christopher Quinn and Pamela Tapley.
Six Gay Couples and Equality Florida File Lawsuit in State Court Seeking Freedom to Marry
The lawsuit argues that Florida’s laws barring same-sex couples from marriage violate the United States Constitution by denying them the legal protections and equal dignity that having the freedom to marry provides.
Hit-and-Run Leads to DUI and Child Abuse Charges for Repeat Offender Bruce Ganem
Bruce Ganem, a 49-year-old resident of Bracken Lane in Palm Coast who’d been booked at the Flagler County jail six times on charges ranging from drunk driving to indecent exposure, was arrested a seventh time Sunday after an alleged hit-and-run and leading cops on a weaving chase up Belle Terre Parkway, with three young children in his car’s backseat.
From Buddy Holly to Dr. Seuss, the Jacksonville Symphony Goes Winter Dance Sneetching
It’s the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra as you’ve never heard it before in two end-of-month concerts, with a tribute to Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper on Jan. 24-25, and Dr. Seuss’s “The Sneetches” on Jan. 26.
Obamacare’s Popularity Overwhelms Florida Blue as System Crashes, Costing Enrollees
Many who signed up and paid Florida Blue for their new plan between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31 say the insurer has lost them in its computer system. Now, when they go to the doctor or try to get a prescription filled, they have to pay the bill themselves or cancel.
Cindy Moore and Jill Espinosa Earn School District’s Top Honors for 2013
Cindy Moore, a testing coordinator and secretary at Flagler Palm Coast High School, was named the 2014 Employee of the Year, and Jill Espinosa, a kindergarten teacher at Belle Terre Elementary, was the Teacher of the Year.
Martin Luther King’s Nightmare: The Inequality Behind Forbes’ Richest 400
The net worth of just 400 billionaires is on par with the collective wealth of our more than 14 million African- American households. Both groups possess some $2 trillion, about three percent of our national net worth, an economic injustice Martin Luther King would have decried, argues Bob Lord.
Superintendent Application Window Closes With Just 20 Applicants, Several of Whom Are Already Disqualified
It is an unusually low number for superintendent postings across the state, but not a surprising one considering the circumstances in Flagler, where Jacob Oliva is a heavy favorite, his front-runner status broadly publicized. All the applications are included.
In Latest Re-Election Ploy, Scott Proposes 10-Day Sales Tax Holiday, Triple the Usual Length
Scott announced Friday he wants lawmakers to approve a 10-day sales tax holiday in August. The extended tax-free period is the latest of the budget proposals Scott has rolled out in advance of the 2014 legislative session.
Public’s Help Sought in Locating Caressa Lynnette Mercer, 25, Disabled Woman Missing Since Saturday Morning
Margaret Mercer reported to deputies that her daughter, Caressa Lynnette Mercer, left the home sometime after 3 a.m. Saturday morning. According to the mother, Caressa has the mental capacity of a 5 or 6-year-old child and has run away several times in the past.
Michelle Hunter Roberts, 59, of Palm Coast, Is Killed in Midnight Wreck on Belle Terre Pkwy
Michelle Hunter Roberts, 59, was killed moments before midnight in the night of Friday to Saturday in a two-vehicle wreck at the intersection of Belle Terre Parkway and Pine Grove Parkway.
Jenny Crain-Brady, Not Paying a Fee, Fails to Qualify for Bunnell Commission Election; 4 Others Do
In an unexpected and significant reversal of fortune for an incumbent candidate for the Bunnell City Commission election set for March 4, Jenny Crain-Brady has not qualified for the seat she had gathered petitions to run for. Brady failed to pay the $96 state assessment fee required of all candidates, whether they have the necessary number of petitions or not.
Deputies Looking For Suspect in Car Break-In at Anytime Fitness
Flagler County Detectives are looking for the public’s help in identifying a woman who broke into a parked car outside of Anytime Fitness located at 260 Cypress Edge Drive in Palm Coast just before noon on Thursday.
Flagler a No-Show in Rep. Ron DeSantis’s Talk at Chamber’s “Think Flagler First” Event
Speaking before almost 100 people at a Chamber of Commerce lunch at Pine Lakes Country Club today, U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, whose district includes all of Flagler, talked mostly critically about a series of national issues, but never touched on matters relating to Flagler County until a county commissioner elicited one general response about unemployment.
Stores May Host Tastings For Wine But Not Beer. Senate Bill Would Repeal Prohibition.
The Florida Senate Regulated Industries Committee on Thursday gave unanimous support to the bill (SB 470)–including the vote of Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine–but lawmakers, lobbyists and substance-abuse prevention advocates were quick to question the packaging of the proposal.
Flagler Sheriff Renewing Call For Help Solving Dennie Cayton’s Murder in Palm Coast a Year Ago
Flagler County Sheriff’s detectives are seeking the public’s help in solving the stabbing death of Dennie Keith Cayton, 60, whose body was found the afternoon of January 11, 2013 in a marsh area behind the home he was staying in at 16 Covington Lane in Palm Coast.
Flagler Beach Holds an Election and Nobody Shows: Kim Carney and Marshall Shupe Are Re-Elected Without Opposition
It is the second successive election cycle in which Flagler Beach commissioners have drawn no opposition. Last year Jane Mealy and Steve Settle were re-elected automatically. Kim Carney and Marshall Shupe were first elected three years ago.
Florida’s Legislative Black Caucus To Gov. Rick Scott: Drop Dead
The Florida Legislative Black Caucus on Wednesday abruptly canceled its annual meeting with Gov. Rick Scott, a move the group said was meant to underscore its frustration with the governor.
Carlos Lopez-Cantera Is Florida’s First Latino Lt. Governor as He Fills an Office Vacant Almost a Year
Scott’s previous lieutenant governor, Jennifer Carroll, resigned early last year after getting caught up in a criminal investigation into a veteran’s charity that was tied to internet cafes hosting illegal gambling operations.
Teddy Roosevelt Impersonator Joe Wiegan Will Be Featured Performer at Flagler Beach Rotary Jan. 30
Joe Wiegan has taken his Teddy Roosevelt one-man show all the way to the White House, where George W. Bush invited him to commemorate the 150th anniversary of one of the nation’s greatest, most exuberant and paradoxical presidents.
As Walkers and Cyclists Complain of Predatory Drivers at Belle Terre and SR100, Officials Call For More Education
The dangerous intersection at State Road 100 and Belle Terre Parkway focused discussions by county and city officials this week about more safety improvements, starting with making drivers more respectful of pedestrians and cyclists–a shift many drivers are resisting.
How Now, Wit: City Rep Theatre Makes Twitter of Shakespeare in 90-Minute “Complete Works”
John Sbordone’s City Repertory Theatre in Palm Coast opens 2014 with “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged,” a supersonic and hilarious run through the bard’s play with a strong dose of improv. From Jan. 17 to the 26th at CRT’s City Market Place theater.
He Won’t Give Up: Scott Taking Drug Testing of State Employees to U.S. Supreme Court
Lawyers for Scott filed a petition this week asking the Supreme Court to hear the case, after the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last year ruled against across-the-board drug testing, but various groups blasted the Scott administration for continuing to pursue the drug tests. They pointed to repeated past rulings against such drug testing.
Mayhem on Belle Terre: 4 Teens Arrested in Stolen Car After a Chase, A Crash and a Foot Pursuit in R-Section
Kelvin Parks, 18, was among four teens arrested Tuesday afternoon after a car chase up Belle Terre Parkway as the suspects fled in a stolen vehicle. Marijuana and a stolen gun were found in the car, which crashed near Ponce de Leon.
Another Florida Goon With a Gun, the End of the Internet, Your Richer, Happier Friends: The Live Wire
Why retired cops are as dangerous as anyone with a gun, why the free Internet as we knew it may be over, Why your friends really are richer, happier and more popular than you, plus the smashing of Sigmund Freud, Dostoevsky’s doodles and Susan Sontag’s return from the dead.
With 3 Days To Go, Flagler Superintendent Job Draws Just 13 Applicants and Fewer Serious Contenders
Candidates may have been turned off by the school board loudly and repeatedly telegraphing its favoritism for Assistant Superintendent Jacob Oliva, with the job posting straddling the holidays and the abbreviated search process likely not helping. The applications are published in full.
Sheriff Pleads Long Punishment For Old Nemesis: Andrew Rulon Is Sentenced to 8 Years
Andrew Rulon, 41, of Palm Coast, had served seven years in prison when arrested on armed robbery charges during Jim Manfre’s first stint as sheriff in 2004. In an unusual move, Manfre appeared in court Monday to plead for a long sentence on drug and burglary charges against Rulon, who was released from prison in 2010.
Arrest of Deputy’s Wife Over Stolen Power Meters and Jewelry Triggers Internal Affairs Investigation
Heather Anne Nunziato, the 39-year-old wife of Flagler County Sherifff’s deputy William Greg Nunziato, turned herself in at the Flagler County jail Monday on a felony and two misdemeanor charges relating to incidents that took place over the past 22 months. The arrest triggered an internal affairs investigation of William Nunziato, who’s been with the agency 13 years.
Extending Spending Spree, Scott Asks for $200 Million Increase For Roads, Bridges and Ports
The $200 million proposed increase for infrastructure follows Friday’s request for $100 million for tourism from Scott, who entered office in 2011 slashing a state budget he said was weighted down with “short-sided, frivolous, wasteful” projects.
GOP Lawmaker Calls State’s Surplus Land Sale Program a “Disaster”
The Department of Environmental Protection effort was created with the intent of generating $50 million and replace the defunct and once-popular Florida Forever program, but so far no money has been raised and what has become a shortened list continues to draw criticism for sites remaining under consideration.
A Billboard Crashes Down on A1A and Flagler Makes a Little History as “Goodliest Land”
The demolition and permanent removal of the massive billboard in a ceremony Monday afternoon is the first of up to 10 billboards the county bought and will have removed by 2016 as part of a deal to diminish visual blight along the scenic highway.
Elections Supervisor Skeptical as Palm Coast Tries To Resolve Conflicts Ahead of 2014 Cycle
The Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday will set in motion the legal mechanism—through amended ordinances—to resolve an ongoing conflict with the Supervisor of Elections over past and future elections, but Supervisor Weeks says that may not be sufficient if charter requirements are not met.
Inaugural Flagler Film Festival Draws Mixed Crowds and Promise Over 3 Days in Palm Coast
The first Flagler Film festival was held at the Hilton Garden Inn from Friday through Sunday, packing dozens of screenings of films from around the world and ending with an award ceremony late Sunday evening, and the promise of a second festival next year.
How I’m Graduating My Children From College Debt-Free: Planning, and Lots of Hard Work
Explaining what it takes to develop college-ready students and debt-free parents, columnist and Matanzas High teacher Jo An n Nahiriny describes the frustrations of dealing with students and families who don’t plan ahead and busts the myth that a college education must be debt-ridden.
Appeasing GOP Panic Over Common Core, Gov. Scott Promises Revisions To State Standards
Education Commissioner Pam Stewart said earlier this week that her department would propose about 40 changes to the voluminous education benchmarks. The overwhelming majority of the changes Stewart is set to propose would add material to the state’s version of the standards.
Marijuana Legalization: A Dissent
We can all recite the arguments for legalization of marijuana. But making marijuana available to anyone over the age of 21 seems to me to be a sad statement of societal surrender, rather than an uplifting event, argues Steve Robinson.
Flagler Film Festival Featuring 4 Local Productions Among Dozens from Around the World
The inaugural Flagler Film Festival is scheduled for Jan. 10-12 at Palm Coast’s Hilton Garden Inn. Fourteen of the 46 submissions originated in Florida. Four from Flagler filmmakers were ultimately selected, including a horror flick filmed in Flagler Beach.
The Slow-Motion Lynching Of President Barack Obama
If this country will lynch a brilliant, civil, kind, humble, compassionate, moderate, articulate, black intellectual we’re lucky enough to have in the White House, argues Frank Schaeffer, we’ll lynch anyone. What chance does an anonymous black man pulled over in a traffic stop have of fair treatment when the former editor of the Harvard Law Review is being lynched?
Suspected New Year’s Day Burglar in Palm Coast’s W-Section Is Arrested, Staking Targets
Frank Debisceglie, 28, a resident of 6 Warren Place in Palm Coast, was sentenced just last July to three years’ probation for dealing in stolen property. He’d been allegedly staking homes to burglarize not far from his own home when he was arrested Wednesday and charged in connection with a Jan. 1 burglary.
In a Victory for Flagler, Senate Measure Restoring Local Authority to Regulate Vacation Rentals Moves Ahead, With Long Way to Go
The proposal has a long way to go. It hasn’t yet been heard in the House, and must still clear several committees in the Senate before it reaches the Senate floor—if it does. It can die along the way. But Sen. John Thrasher’s backing is no small momentum, nor is Thursday’s 8-0 committee vote, including five Republicans and three Democrats.
Weeks After Bunnell Commissioner’s Residency Is Questioned, Lawmakers Float Tighter Rules
A pair of state lawmakers announced a proposal Thursday that would tighten the definition of residency for elected officials, but the measures don’t specify what the punishment might be or who would be responsible for enforcing the standards.
Proposed Law Would Halt New Red-Light Cameras and Cut Fines By Half to End Profits
Besides no longer allowing municipalities and counties to install red light cameras after July 1, the proposal would cut fins to $83 and allow local governments to impose only a $25 surcharge on tickets to fund the existing systems, which would be allowed to continue. That would lower Palm Coast’s and its private provider’s take by two thirds, likely rendering the system too expensive to run.
Superintendent Search Committee Signs Off on Applicant Pool Criteria, But Questions Speed
The 40-odd questions aim to provide as objective a set of criteria as possible to weed through the pile of superintendent applicants and reduce it to a short list of four to six names that will be passed on to the school board as recommendations.
Again Breaking a Pledge, Children’s Advocacy Center Sets Ultimatum On Rape-Crisis Intervention as Top Cops Scramble
The Children Advocacy Center’s promise in July to provide rape-crisis exams to adults in Flagler and Volusia counties turned out to be relatively hollow, and was followed by an ultimatum that the CAC would get out of the business altogether by June, triggering a furiously critical response from State Attorney R.J. Larizza, Sheriff Manfre and other local top cops.