The decennial redistricting exercise by the Flagler County Commission and School Board was virtually free of controversy and affects voters almost not at all–unlike legislative and congressional redistricting yet to come.
Georgia’s Killing of Troy Davis: A State-Sponsored Miscarriage of Justice
Troy Davis’s execution at 7 p.m. Wednesday is an extreme example of why the death penalty system is broken, barbaric, and should be abolished.
Ride In Peace: Kirt Smith (1995-2011) Would Have Been 16 on Thursday
Kirt Smith, who died after being hit on Seminole Woods Blvd. while riding his bike on Aug. 26, had received the bike as an early 16th-birthdya present. A growing memorial has gone up at the crash site.
Audrey Gibson Wins Special Senate Election for Tony Hill’s Seat
Audry Gibson, the former Florida House member, took 62 percent of the vote in the special election. The district includes a sliver of voters in Flagler County.
After Two Months of Charm Assaults, Gov. Rick Scott’s Approval Still a Freezing 37
The latest Quinnipiac Poll has Rick Scott improving by just two points but remaining one of America’s least popular governors as unemployment in Florida persists well above the national average.
Rick Scott’s Rising Radicalism, Obama’s Failing leadership, Housing Pains: The Live Wire
Rick Scott’s Texas obsessions, poverty rising, death penalty barbarity in Georgia, housing forecast shows pain through 2015, Sarah Palin’s welfare state, and much more.
In Flagler Beach, Questions, Ridicule and Anger in Search for Beach-Saving Answers
A three-and-a-half hour town hall meeting on saving the beach renourished a lot of old ideas and complaints without settling the heart of the matter: with what means and what money to stop the shore from eroding.
Sheriff, Citing Head-Butting Incident, Asking School Board to Let Tasers Back on Campus
A school deputy was briefly overpowered by a student at Matanzas High School in August, triggering renewed discussion of letting school cops carry Tasers. The board has prohibited Tasers on campus since 2005.
Creekside Festival Slyness: How the Chamber Discriminates Against Non-Party Candidates
Palm Coast City Council candidates Bill McGuire and Dennis Cross have been denied a booth at the chamber-run festival, though Democrats–whose members include Jason DeLorenzo, Cross’s opponent and the husband of the Chamber’s VP, will have a booth, as will Republicans and the Tea Party.
Frank Words and Revelations at Flagler Bar’s First Minority in Law Symposium
Circuit Judge Raul Zambrano, Judge Hubert Grimes, Mark Dwyer and students headlined the first of what’s to be an annual symposium to encourage minority participation in the law, particularly among students.
From WNZF to Beach-FM to Easy Oldies: Flagler Broadcasting Launches New Station
The addition of Easy Oldies at 100.7 on the FM dial pioneers a new genre, according to station manager David Ayres, that does away with the “oldy moldy” stuff and appeals to alpha boomers.
This Week in Flagler and Tallahassee: Tasers in Schools and Beach Preservation
The Flagler County School Board will consider reversing its four-year ban on Tasers in schools, the county offers up a $100,000-a-year post for an economic development director, Flagler Beach talks beach preservation, and more.
Spank On: Florida Court Says One Smack Isn’t Child Abuse, But No Limit Set
An appeal court ruled that the spanking of a 14-year-old girl by her father did not amount to domestic violence because the disciplining was applied in a “reasonable manner.”
Malaise from Jimmy Carter to Barack Obama: Recalling the “Crisis of Confidence” Speech
Jimmy Carter’s malaise speech is revisited in the more positive context in which it was initially received, when the nation faced an energy and self-confidence crisis. Barack Obama is not in Carter territory yet.
SAT Scores Fall Across the Board; Flagler Below U.S. But Above State Averages
Average SAT scores nationally fell to the lowest level recorded since 1995 on the combined reading and math tests. In Flagler County, Matanzas High School students fared better than Flagler Palm Coast’s, and both did better than Florida’s averages.
Following 10-Year-Old Nubia Barahona’s Murder, DCF Seeks More State Support
The Department of Children and Families is seeking $15.8 million to strengthen its investigative abilities, and hoping to shift millions more into the child-protection program to add investigators and case workers.
Bus Attack: Hundreds of Students’ Day Delayed By Vandalism at Transportation Depot
Rachael Mitroski, 26, removed buses’ radiator caps, opened all sorts of compartments and put brooms on buses’ roofs before she was found out. Almost two dozen buses were affected, and none could be used this morning for their normal runs.
Stalled: Unemployment Remains at 10.7% in Florida, Ticks Up to 14.9% in Flagler
As in the rest of the nation, job creation in Florida and Flagler is close to a standstill, with just 9,900 jobs created in July, leaving almost 1 million Floridians out of work.
Recycle Your Electronics at Matanzas High School Saturday
Come dump your recyclable electronics at Matanzas Saturday, Sept. 17, from 9 a.m. to noon and help do a little byte clean-up while helping Matanzas’s Future Problem Solvers.
Florida Teachers Union Sues the State
Over Merit Pay, Calling It Unconstitutional
The Florida Education Association says tying the state’s merit pay provision to standardized tests is unlawful because it violates collective-bargaining rights embedded in the constitution.
The Importance of Being Earnest, Or Verdi, Or Not: Culture Worth the Miles
Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest by The Orlando Shakespeare Theater, Kevin Kelly and Kate O’Neal at the Winter park Playhouse, Showdown’s country, Verdi’s greatest hits, improv and more.
Sgt. Frank Celico, 1978-2011
Sgt. Frank Celico was buried today following a solemn service and two funeral processions that brought various parts of Bunnell and Palm Coast briefly to a standstill. Celico was 33.
Road Closures for Frank Celico Funeral And Procession in Palm Coast Today
For the Frank Celico funeral and procession, several Palm Coast and Bunnell road closures are expected today between 9 a.m. and past noon. The full itinerary is included.
Jon Netts, The 5% Mayor: Election Turnout Was Lowest By Far in City’s 11-Year History
Just 10.6 percent of registered voters turned out on Tuesday, which means that just 4.7 percent of Palm Coast’s voting-age residents made the difference in electing Jon Netts. The turn-out was worse than Bunnell’s and Flagler Beach’s recent city elections.
Incomes at Their Worst Since 1996, Poverty At a 52-Year High, Inequality Deepening
Florida’s poverty rate rose to the highest level in 16 years, with 3 million residents—one in six—living under the poverty line in 2010. Nationally, most economic and health insurance indicators are worsening to historic levels.
Defying Polls and Tea Leaves, Jon Netts Is Re-Elected Palm Coast Mayor
Incumbent Palm Coast Mayor Jon Netts held on by defeating Charlie Ericksen with 54 percent of the vote, making a run-off in November unnecessary.
Seawall and “Renourishment” Alternative: Saving the Beach Without Losing a Town’s Soul
Speaking on behalf of SaveFlaglersBeach.com, Terry Potter argues for an alternative to seawalls, dredging and revetments in Flagler Beach and invites the public to the organization’s seminar on the matter on Sept. 15.
Dim Futures: Florida’s Student-Loan Default Rate Rises to 10 Highest in the Nation
Students are defaulting on loans at higher rates, especially in Florida, because of a lousy job market, higher interest rates, and a rise in for-profit colleges that typically charge more than public colleges.
Yes, Virginia, There’s an Election in Palm Coast Today. Go Vote For One of These Two.
Incumbent Mayor Jon Netts and Charlie Ericksen, along with perennial but non-serious candidate Joe Cunnane, are in the race for mayor. The election is today. All Palm Coast registered voters of any party, or non-party, may vote.
Jon Netts: The Live Interview
Jon Netts, incumbent mayoral candidate in the Palm Coast election, answers 12 questions and a few follow-ups on a broad range of issues. He faces Charlie Ericksen and Joe Cunnane.
Charlie Ericksen: The Live Interview
Charlie Ericksen is challenging incumbent mayoral candidate Jon Netts in the Palm Coast election. He answers 12 questions and a few follow-ups on a broad range of issues.
Services Set for Sgt. Frank Celico, 11-Year Veteran of the Flagler Sheriff’s Office, Who Died Sept. 9
Viewing is Wednesday at Craig Flagler Palms, the Funeral is Thursday. Frank Celico started his law enforcement career with the Flagler County Sheriff’s office in 2000.
Anger, Alcohol and a Rifle Shot a Few Blocks from Wadsworth and Buddy Taylor Schools
Patrick Kilichowski, 64, was reportedly angry that his girlfriend was chatting with neighbors, and allegedly drunk, when he walked out of his house with a Winchester rifle–and eventually fired a shot, he says by accident. He was jailed on several aggravated assault charges.
As Florida Teachers’ Salaries Stagnate or Fall, Superintendent Pay Is Rising
In nine Florida school districts, superintendent salaries increased by 5 percent or more in the last four years. It had gone up 3 percent in Flagler before this year’s pay cut, making it a wash.
This Week in Flagler and Tallahassee: An Election and the Gun to Governments’ Heads
A relatively quiet week if not for the Palm Coast mayoral primary, which is shaping into quite a contest. “The Laramie Project” opens at the Repertory Theatre, and the Palm Coast City Council will talk guns.
Palm Coast Mayor Poll: Make Your Voice Heard
Who are you voting for in the Palm Coast mayoral election? Netts? Ericksen? Cunane? None of the above? Take the FlaglerLive poll. Also: do you approve of the job Netts is doing? Of your choices in this year’s election?
Back from the Dead, Carver Gym Is Rededicated By Those Who Nearly Killed It
Flagler’s governments gathered at South Bunnell’s Carver Gym Saturday to celebrate the rebirth of what, just 15 months ago, looked to be the end for the community center. Some of the applause was deserved, much of it was self-serving.
Blue on Blue, the Flagler County Art League’s Homage to the Color of Imagination
Blue on Blue, the Flagler County Art League’s newest show, opens Saturday, Sept. 10, with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. and runs through September at the league’s gallery at City Market Place.
Jets Cut Mardy Gilyard Five Days After Picking Him Up, Leaving His Future Uncertain
The St. Louis Rams cut Mardy Gilyard on Sept. 3, the New York Jets picked him up on the 4th, then cut him five days later. The former Flagler Palm Coast High School and University of Cincinnati star has had a checkered few years.
Judge Throws Out Challenge to Fair District Amendment, Panicking Motley Incumbents
Federal District Judge Ursula Ungaro rejected the argument that the anti-gerrymandering amendment allows voters to meddle in legislative redistricting. Weird alliances between incumbent Democrats and Republicans have formed to keep fighting the voter-approved amendment.
Flagler County Tentatively Adopts Highest Tax Rate in 12 Years at Subdued Hearing
Only one person, a tea party representative, addressed the Flagler County Commission as it adopted, in the first of two votes, a $65.3 million budget and a 12 percent increase in its tax rate, though most property owners will pay less in taxes.
Hammock Carvings: Paul Baliker, Sculptor of Nature’s Balance at Man’s Mercy
Paul Baliker has been sculpting wood and bronze for 35 years, working out of his studio in the Hammock, where he also maintains a gallery. A video report by Charlotte Marten.
When Cops Track Your Cell Calls and Location On Public Roads: No Expectation of Privacy
Florida’s 4th District Court of Appeals Wednesday ruled that tracking a drug dealer through his cell phone as he traveled across the state was legal as long as he did not go onto private property.
Black Communities Through a Camera Lens, Louis Armstrong and More Dance: Culture Worth the Miles
Black photographers’ eye on Jacksonville, Daytona Beach and Winter Park, Satchmo at the Waldorf at the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre, Orlando’s Third Thursday exhibits, and more.
Palm Coast’s Joann Boardman, 48, Found Dead in Maine After Her Son’s Wedding
Joann Boardman, 48, had been attending her son’s wedding in Maine. She was found in her car, submerged, beyond a state road that ends at the water’s edge near Bar Harbor, Maine.
Federal Suit Filed Against Florida Law Requiring Drug Tests of Welfare Recipients
The new law requires recipients of temporary cash assistance to pay $35 to $45 for a drug test first. The ACLU charges the law stigmatizes low-income people and amounts to a suspicionless search.
Flagler Beach Touts Taut Budget With 14.6% Tax Rate Increase and 3% Employee Raise
Though Flagler Beach’s tax rate is again increasing, most property owners will see their tax bills decrease. For Acting City Manager Bruce Campbell, budget season closes a crucial part of his on-going job interview.
County Approves Tourist Council’s $800,000 Marketing Budget, Minus Raises for Staff
A proposal to raise TDC executive Peggy Heiser’s salary by 7.7 percent was pulled from consideration shortly before the meeting, eliminating what would have been a contentious debate over the council’s budget.
Mandatory Virtual Classes for High School Students Bugging Cash-Strapped Districts
A new state law that requires Florida high school students to take a class online is causing cash-strapped school districts to spend millions on new computers and exacerbating the digital divide.
Palm Coast Mayor: Tea Party Straw Poll Has Ericksen Far Ahead of Netts, 59-36%
The results, based on an internet poll conducted by the tea party, has its limitations, but nevertheless points to unexpectedly lopsided–and surprising–numbers. Jon Netts and Charlie Ericksen may be in a closer race than either expected as early voting continues.