“Ocean Pop,” opening Friday at 6 p.m., featuring two dozen nature and pop culture paintings by Kelly Kryspin, is the young artist’s first solo show, and another one in a series of art shows at Ocean Publishing in Flagler Beach.
Flagler Loses John Mica; Costello and Miller Vie to Replace Him; Beaven Is Undecided
Republican John Mica is opting to battle against Sandy Adams in another congressional district, opening the way for what’s likely to be a contested race for Flagler’s new Congressional District 6.
Wrongful Death Case Against Jamesine Fischer: Insurer Settles for $1.25 Million
Jamesine Fischer, the 55-year-old wife of Flagler County School Board member John Fischer, was served with a wrongful death lawsuit on Jan. 27 after striking Francoise Pecqueur with her PT Cruiser in November, and not immediately reporting the accident. Pecqueur died two days later.
Flagler Schools Will Start Earlier, On Aug. 16, End June 8, As District Sets 2012-13 Calendar
Thanksgiving will still be a full week off, but Christmas break will entail two broken weeks at either ends, so students can come back on Jan. 2 and have more time to prepare for the new FCAT: end-of-course exams. Printable calendar included.
Indian Trails Video Wins $70,000 in National Contest–But Needs Your Vote To Win More
Indian Trails Middle School was one of 25 schools selected out of 1,500 in the first round of a national technology contest, and made the cut to the final 12. Now it has a chance at $100,000 in prizes, but you must vote to help make it happen.
K-12 Education Would Get a $1.2 Billion Boost, Higher Ed Would Be Slashed By $400 Million
The proposed increase–and higher ed decrease–comes as Gov. Scott has vowed to veto any budget that does not significantly increase education spending, even though lawmakers are trying to close a nearly $2 billion shortfall without raising taxes.
Public Censure and $5,000 Fine Sought Against Ex-Juvenile Justice Secretary Frank Peterman
A round-up of 32 cases brought before the Florida Commission on Ethics, including a $5,000 penalty against Frank Peterman, former secretary of the Florida Department of Justice, and probable cause findings against former Hillsborough County Commissioner Jim Norman.
In Quiet Coda to Controversy, School Board Unanimously Approves Uniform Policy Details
The new uniform policy makes broad allowances for color, types of clothing and shoes, but makes the wearing of IDs compulsory in all middle and high schools. The policy goes in effect next fall.
Big Opportunities, and Potential Losses, for Flagler Power in State and Federal Redistricting
Between redistricting and term limits, Flagler County for the first time in years could have its biggest chances at direct representation in Tallahassee and Washington–depending on who runs. Some big names are counting themselves out.
Bill Requiring Property Tax Revenue to Pay For Charter School Construction Advances
Supporters say the measure creates more parity between charter schools and other public schools. Opponents slammed the measure as corporate welfare that would provide tax dollars to the private operators of charter schools — despite the fact that supporters of charter legislation said years ago that they would not ask for capital outlay dollars.
Palm Coast Council Rejects Latest Cypress Knoll Development Proposal
The proposal, rejected 4-2 by the Planning Board, is part of a settlement of a long-running dispute between developer ICI and Palm Coast, would have allowed up to 60 homes west of East Hampton and south of Eric Drive.
Flagler County Jail Daily Bookings: Feb. 3-10
Flagler County jail daily bookings for the week of Feb. 3-10, 2012. With links to inmate search functions, visitation rules and correspondence requirements.
Sheriff Embroiled in Questionable Calls, Complicating Case of Walker’s Death; Suit Filed
As the investigation continues in the death of Francoise Pequeur, 76, after she was struck by the card driven by School Board member John Fischer’s wife, Sheriff Don Fleming is finding himself in a thorny situation after exchanging six calls with John Fischer.
Warning of Brain Drain, Flagler Government Signals a Return of Employee Raises in 2012
County employees, including firefighters and sheriff’s deputies, haven’t had a raise in three years, and have seen their take-home pay severely erode through inflation, health care and retirement costs. County officials are now worried about losing employees to better-paid jobs.
Flagler 911: Child Abuse, Aggravated Assault, and a Target Shoplifting Spree
A man is jailed for allegedly beating up his wife and bruising his 10-year-old daughter, a pair of alleged shoplifters from Port Orange are caught in the act at the Palm Coast Target, and innumerable lesser incidents.
In a Break, College Presidents Draw a Line Against Universities Over Tuition Increases
Breaking with their counterparts at the state’s universities, presidents at a handful of Florida colleges urged lawmakers to be cautious about any moves that could push tuition upward again.
Flagler Youth Orchestra Leader Umbarger Wins Florida Book Award for 1st Novel
Caren Umbarger, the Flagler Youth Orchestra’s artistic director, won a bronze medal for “Coming To,” her first novel, about a woman struggling for liberation from an imperious husband in Depression-era Iowa.
A Video Message to the Komen Foundation: What Breast Cancer Is, and Isn’t
As good an answer to the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s misguided two-step as you’ll see: a woman’s testimony about what breast cancer has done to her, all politics aside.
Fox’s Islamist Gene, 9/11 Conspiracies, Planned Parenthood Reborn: The Live Wire
What Fox News’s right-wingers have in common with Sharia-loving Islamists, stem-cell hype, 10 best Super Bowl ads, deadly sugar substitutes, the war on Planned Parenthood, and more.
English-Only Laws: The Hispanic Poll Tax
The court-ordered testing of a Hispanic political candidate’s English-language skills is reminiscent of the “literacy tests” once used by southern whites to prevent black Americans from voting and gaining political power.
Extensive Water Damage After Accidental Sprinkler Drench Evacuates Holiday Inn
Palm Coast’s Holiday Inn Express, a three-story, 81-room hotel, was evacuated this afternoon when sprinklers went off on the second floor. Guests were invited to register at the nearby Hampton Inn.
Florida’s Casino Bill “Dead for This Year”
A controversial bill to allow mega-resort casinos in Florida appears dead this year, after the House sponsor scrapped a vote Friday by a subcommittee that likely would have rejected the idea.
In Bunnell Police Chief Battle, a Popular Choice Against City Manager’s Unpopular Criteria
Lt. Randy Burke wants to be Bunnell police chief and has been at the department for almost 20 years. Some 200 people signed a petition favoring his appointment. But Burk has no BA–a new job requirement that outgoing chief Arthur Jones never had to meet, and that Burke says was put there to keep him out.
Mission Stumbles: How Fannie and Freddie Put Homeowners and Taxpayers at Odds
Here’s a primer on Fannie and Freddie’s role in the housing market, why their actions often go against the interests of homeowners and are even at odds with their own mission, and what to expect from here on.
US Economy Adds 243,000 Jobs in January, Unemployment Rate Falls to 8.3%
The economy’s recovery continued to solidify as employers added 243,000 jobs in January, the third-best total in three years, and the unemployment rate fell to 8.3 percent.
Details Emerge in Strathmore Deli Collapse as Landlord and Lender Sue
The reality of the closure of the popular Palm Coast deli is more complicated than its owners let on as a lender just sued the owners over a loan default and the landlord sued them in December over $20,000 in back rent.
Sheriff on the Look-Out for Assailant in Brutal European Village Attack on 60-Year-Old Man
A 60-year-old man has been in the hospital for the past two days, recovering from a brutal attack at European Village Tuesday afternoon that left him needing 50 staples and more stitches to his head and face.
Florida Senate Approves School Prayer Bill, 31-8
The school prayer bill’s approval overrides objections of senators who said the measure will lead to prayers at school events that students can’t get out of, including possibly in classes, and that some students will have to listen to prayers or risk being ostracized because they come from a different religious tradition.
Enthusiasm Curbed as GOP Primary Turnout In Flagler and Florida Plummets From 2008
Just 10,825 Flagler Republicans turned out to vote in Tuesday’s primary, for a 43 percent turnout, compared to a 53 percent turnout in 2008. The drop across the state was steeper, adding to Republican anxieties about having the numbers to take back the White House in November.
Shifting More Burden To Students, Lawmakers OK 15% Tuition Hike at Florida Universities
The Florida House approved an 8 percent increase and each state university is allowed to add an additional 7 percent, as universities have for the past several years. Gov. Rick Scott is opposed to the tuition hike.
Sparing RVs, Palm Coast Takes On Truckers Making Rest Stops of Box Store Parking Lots
Truckers like using box stores’ parking lots as rest stops. Store managers haven’t objected and nearby restaurants love it. But Palm Coast is cracking down on the practice at council member Bill Lewis’s urging, though another council member says it’s not been an issue.
Bunnell Takes Tallahassee; Bill to Ban Internet Cafes Clears Florida House Committee: The Live Wire
4:35 p.m.Bunnell’s Daisy Henry turns ambassador at League of Cities; the proposed ban on internet cafes cleared the House Economic Affairs Committee 12-6 Wednesday. Opponents of the bill call it a job killer, but proponents look to curb a proliferation of low-stakes gambling halls. Also, Fox Business takes on the Muppets, and they snark back; St. Johns County schools, best in the state, face a $9 million deficit, when adolescent girls need exorcism, and the bogus supremacy of Stradivarius violins.
U.S. Citizen, Floridian, But Denied In-State Tuition Over Parents’ Status: Senate Kills Fix
A measure that would grant in-state tuition to Florida high school students who are U.S. citizens but whose parents are in the country illegally was voted down Tuesday by a Senate committee.
Provencher and McGrew Win in Flagler Beach, Romney Trounces Gingrich in Flagler
Linda Provencher has beaten J. NeJame for Flagler Beach mayor, while Joy McGrew has beaten Sandra Mason for a city commission seat. Mitt Romney beating Newt Gingrich handily in Flagler and Florida.
For Flagler’s Republican Leaders, Romney-Gingrich Anxieties Frame an Unenthused GOP
Nearly a dozen prominent Flagler County Republicans spoke of their choices or hesitance in the Florida primary and beyond, illustrating a lack of excitement in the GOP, and nervous predictions about November.
Mediocre Results for Flagler Schools, Worse for Its Charters, in Controversial State Rankings
School-by-school rankings follow last week’s district rankings. Belle Terre Elementary and Indian Trails Middle ranked best, but still barely in the top quartile, while Flagler’s three charter schools scraped the bottom, in contrast with several top-performing charters elsewhere in the state.
Tranquility Settles on Palm Coast Standards for Children’s Memorial Garden
Last July’s controversy over what families could and could not say to memorialize children they’ve lost yielded to a calmer compromise as Palm Coast will oversee the Children’s Memorial Garden’s messages near Waterfront Park.
Who’s on Faust? “Damn Yankees” Damn Election Night at the Flagler Auditorium
“Damn Yankees” revives Eisenhower-era innocence by way of every misguided American’s fantasy: beating the New York Yankees. There may be no better way to counter the deviltry of Election Night.
Florida Small-Government GOP to Food Stamp Recipients: No Pretzels, Pastries or Cupcakes
The list of foods proposed law would prohibit food stamp recipients from buying is much longer, drawing opposition that may convince its sponsor to moderate some of the restrictions. No state dollars are at stake, though food retailers health is.
Good News for Flagler Property Owners: Most Home Values Will Barely Fall; Some Will Rise
Flagler County Property Appraiser’s preliminary estimate sees a property value drop in “the low single-digits” at most, with taxable values rising in Grand Haven and Flagler Beach, among other spots, as the five-year collapse in values appears to draw to an end.
Perth Amboy’s Van Eckert Accepts Flagler’s Offer To Be Economic Development CEO
Helga Van Eckert has accepted Flagler County’s government’s offer to become its latest economic development CEO. She will start in late February with a salary of close to $110,000 a year. The future of Greg Rawls, the previous CEO still serving through the transition, is unclear.
House Close to Approving Redistricting Maps as Coalition Charges “One-Party State”
The maps the House panels approved would change Flagler’s place in the congressional district, which would no longer include portions of Orange County, where John Mica is based. If Flagler loses Mica, it would mean losing Mica’s seniority and the benefits of his chairmanship of the powerful House Transportation Committee.
Deaf District as Flagler Students Are Cheated Out of Dozens of Hours of Test Preparation
As high schools prepare students for the FCAT writing test in a few weeks and end-of course exams in May, Matanzas High School’s Jo Ann Nahirny explains how the district’s abbreviated schedule is hurting student preparation and will likely hurt results. Yet administrators seem deaf to alternatives.
Florida’s Disgraceful New Limits on Voting
The upcoming election is about to be stolen – or, at the very least, rigged – and thousands of your neighbors and, in some cases, your children, are about to be disenfranchised, argues Martin Merzer.
House Releases $69.2 Billion Budget, Including 9.5% Increase in Pre-K-12 Funding
House budget builders on Friday released their $69.2 billion spending blueprint that includes more than $1 billion in additional funding for K-12 education and more than $2.5 billion in reserves.
Gingrich Momentum in Florida Has Vanished, Romney Win Expected
4:36 p.m….Flip-flop again: the Gingrich lead in Florida was short-lived and, as it turns out, not so sweet. Romney is back ahead, comfortably, and expecting a solid win on Tuesday. In a rare victory for the 4th Amendment, the US Supreme Court rules unanimously against police “intrusion” by way of GPS tracking, when it’s physically tacked onto private property, including vehicles on public roads.
25 Homes in P-Section Under Boil-Water Advisory After Water Main Break
Some 25 homes in Palm Coast’s P-Section lost their water connection for a few hours and remain under a boil-water advisory for the next 48 hours when workers serving a line today tapped into a water-main and split it
Canvassing Board Certifies 1,095 Absentee Ballots, County Commission Picks Alternate
The three-member Flagler County Canvassing Board met at noon Friday to certify the first batch of primary election ballots ahead of Tuesday’s vote. On Thursday, the county commission picked Milissa Holland as an alternate canvassing board member.
Flagler County Education Foundation
9th Annual Mardi Gras & Casino Night
The Flagler County Education Foundation will host their annual fundraiser, Mardi Gras and Casino Night on February 21st at 6:30 pm to benefit programs such as Pack 4 Backs, STUFF Bus program and the Dell Trayer Teacher Grants.
Bloodied Candidates Stumble Toward Florida Finish as Gingrich Wilts and Romney Adjusts
Newt Gingrich was under fire from all sides at the 19th GOP primary debate in Jacksonville Thursday, looking weaker and less sure-footed than he had in South Carolina, and ceding the advantage to Mitt Romney ahead of Tuesday’s vote in Florida.