The Obama administration determined the CLASS Act program could not simultaneously meet three important criteria: be self-sustaining, financially sound for 75 years and affordable to consumers.
Scanner Rash: Man Shoots Mom by Accident, 3 More Teens Arrested in Burglary
The shooting took place on Belvedere Lane, the burglary on Eastwood Drive, following by hours another string of teen burglaries. Sheriff Don Fleming is wondering where the children’s parents are.
Florida Unions Looking to Reward Moderate Republicans for Support–and Influence
Following a brutal legislative session that brought them to the brink, Florida’s public employee unions are shifting strategy and rewarding moderate Republicans in hopes of re-amplifying their diminished influence in Tallahassee.
Seawall Soul-Searching and Yet More Muddles Over Alternatives in Flagler Beach
The Flagler Beach City Commission shelved state transportation dollars that would have refurbished the seawall along 13th Street and skirted around discussions of alternatives to beach-saving in confusing motions Thursday.
Bruce Campbell Appointed Flagler Beach Manager, 5-0, Ending 18-Month Spectacle
With Commission Chairman John Feind switching from opposition to endorsement, Bruce Campbell was finally given the permanent job, unanimously, a year and a half after the city began its search for Bernie Murphy’s replacement.
Two Teens Arrested After Rash of B-Section Burglaries Involving Unlocked Cars
Anthony Clark, 18, of Palm Coast, and William Medders, 17, of Daytona North (the Mondex) were riding bikes on Beechway Lane at 3 a.m. with GPS devices, a radar detector and a Bluetooth in their bags.
Herman Cain, Calling Himself “Häagen-Dazs Black Walnut,” Gets Front-Runner Flavor
Between the collapse of fellow-Republican candidates, his folksiness and the appealing simplicity of his 9-9-9 plan, Herman Cain is now leading Rick Perry and Mitt Romney among Republican voters.
Flagler’s State Lawmakers Lend an Ear to Local Pleas in Annual Wish-Listing Ritual
Gambling regulations, state dollars for Flagler’s roads, warnings against the unintended consequences of state budget cuts and numerous more local concerns busied the nearly two-hour meeting between Flagler’s state lawmakers and local politicians, organizations and citizens.
Gov. Scott Proposes Corporate Tax Cuts Even As Florida Faces a Deficit of Up to $2 Billion
Gov. Rick Scott wants to double the corporate income tax exemption to $50,000 and eliminate the tangible tax for half of the state’s 300,000 businesses that now pay it. It’s part of his plan to eliminate all corporate taxes ins even years.
John McDonald, Long-Time Beverly Beach City Commissioner, Dies at 76
John McDonald, a Beverly Beach city commissioner for almost 11 years, had retired there in 1986 after serving 26 years in the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office.
“Neptune’s Children,” the Art of Elizabeth Brody-Hastings, Opening at Ocean Publishing
Elizabeth Brody-Hastings’s work, inspired by the Roman god of the sea, evokes Van Gogh, Manet, Matisse, and Picasso, among others. It’ll be on exhibit at Flagler Beach’s Ocean Publishing through the month.
Quiet Woodlands Evening Shaken by an Armed Robbery; Sheriff Looking for Leads
A 32-year-old resident of Palm Coast’s Woodlands was robbed of his cash and cigarettes at gunpoint at Oak Trails Boulevard and Blare Drive, just off of Old Kings Road, just before sunset Tuesday evening.
Animal Kingdom Moves Into Flagler County Art League’s Gallery for the Month
The Animal Kingdom is the Flagler County Art League’s newest show, a rich (and uneven) menagerie of some 66 works in a half dozen mediums, on exhibit at the league’s gallery through October.
Real Living Palm West Home Realty Now at 5048 N. Oceanshore Blvd. in the Hammock
Real Living Palm West Home Realty’s expansion will enable it to provide higher levels of customer service in Flagler County.
Hans Tanzler III is Scaled Back St. Johns Water Management District’s New Director
Hans Tanzler’s tenure will dovetail with Gov. Rick Scott’s directive to make the district a friend rather than a regulator of big water users and applicants, such as utilities, developers and large landowners.
Universities Defend Against Rick Scott’s Primitive War on Anthropologists
Not wanting tax dollars spent educating anthropologists, Rick Scott appeared unaware that the science is among the STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering and math) he himself is emphasizing to add jobs in Florida.
Bunnell Manager Wants His Gun Back–as a Reserve Officer for Sheriff or Flagler Beach
Even though it’s a personal matter to the manager, the Bunnell City Commission agreed to use its city attorney, at $145 an hour, to seek out a state Attorney General’s opinion on whether Manager Armando Martinez may serve as a reserve cop elsewhere.
Bleak and Bleaker: State Revenue to Fall Another $2.5 Billion Over the Next 2 Years
The Legislature’s revenue estimating economists today announced a shortfall of about $1 billion for the coming year and $1.5 billion the following year. Rick Scott continues to rule out tax increases.
Flirting With the Bizarre and the Unconstitutional, Bunnell Retains 4 Lawyers
A Bunnell city commissioner opened Monday’s commission meeting with a hard-core Christian prayer as seven lawyers, including the city attorney, looked on–and took the fifth on the matter, as most were angling for a contract with the city.
Penny Wise, Light Foolish: Palm Coast in the Dark In Reclamation of Ralph Carter Park
League organizers and parents are calling Palm Coast’s plan to charge youth leagues for field and light use at city parks short-sighted and counter-productive, given the leagues’ stabilizing effect on once-troubled parks such as Ralph Carter Park.
Rubio’s Rig: Florida’s Answer to Obama Health Law Leaving Small Businesses Cold
Florida’s Marco Rubio-created insurance exchanges aren’t open to individuals, provide no subsidies or tax credits, and no essential health benefits, as federal plans do. The exchanges have not been popular.
Flagler County Jail Daily Bookings: Oct. 7-14, 2011
Flagler County jail daily bookings for the week of Oct. 7-14, 2011. With links to inmate search functions, visitation rules and correspondence requirements.
Major Power Outages in Flagler Restored, But Many Smaller Ones Remain
Winds of up to 60 miles per hour have downed power lines and trees, cutting power for 6,000 customers in Flagler County as of 10:30 p.m. See how you can track your outages and find out reconnection times.
Florida Is No. 1–In Costs and Effects of Hunger
In the past 3 years, costs related to hunger rose 62 percent in Florida. In 2010, the state’s hunger bill was $11.7 billion, or six times more than the $1.75 billion in budget cuts Gov. Rick Scott proposed for public schools.
This Week in Flagler and Tallahassee: Local Legislators’ Annual Drive-By Natter
Sid Nowell’s job is on the line in Bunnell, Bruce Campbell’s job may finally become more permanent in Flagler Beach, the African American Cultural Society’s 20th anniversary celebrations all week, dire state revenue estimates, and more.
In Praise of Steve Jobs
Lionel Rolfe, the writer and journalist, chronicles Steve Jobs’s influence on capitalism, cybernetics, typography, Rolfe’s own work and, to some extent, his life.
Occupy Jacksonville: Video and Reports of Saturday’s Occupy Wall Street-Inspired Protest
Occupy Jacksonville at hemming Plaza Saturday drew between 200 and 300 people, including participants from Palm Coast and Flagler County. Video of the protest, updates and pictures.
Dares From the Familiar From 7 Photographers at Hollingsworth Gallery’s Latest Show
Hollingsworth Gallery’s first all-photography exhibits features provocative, unsettling and arresting work by Steven Benson, Daniel Biferie, Jennifer Kaczmarek, A.J. Neste, Mark Townsend, Mercedes McCartney and Nik Clements.
Acting Time May Be Over in Flagler Beach As Commission Takes Up Manager’s Fate
It’s been nine months since Bruce Campbell started as actingcity manager, making it the longest job interview in memory for any local government executive. The wait appears to be over as two commissioners who’ve opposed his permanent appointment so far face a reckoning next Thursday.
Florida Lawmakers Gloomily Expect $2 Billion Shortfall: The State Week in Review
As Florida Legislature budget committees met this week, gloom set in again. Medicaid costs are rising, schools need to find money, tax revenues are lagging. Gambling-industry lobbyists had a better week.
Buddy Walk in Town Center Canceled, Creekside Festival Goes On
Buddy Walk in Town Center canceled, Great bed Race in Flagler Beach postponed, Creekside Festival goes on: the rains are playing havoc with weekend events in Flagler County.
Saturday’s Great Bed Race in Flagler Beach Postponed Until Dec. 3
Weather is causing the postponement of the third annual Great Bed Race, which means that there’s two more months to enter the contest, which has already drawn a record 17 beds.
Palm Coast’s First Business-to-Business Expo: How-To For Recession-Defying Entrepreneurs
Some 60 businesses and agencies turned up for the day-long business-to-business expo organized by Palm Coast’s Business Assistance Center to focus on local, small and emerging businesses.
A Shade Less Than Dire, Unemployment Holds Again at 9.1% as 103,000 Jobs Are Added
July and August figures were revised upward for a net addition of 287,000 jobs over the last three month, still far short of what the economy needs to be healthy, or to bring the unemployment rate down.
Flagler 911: The Live Crime Blotter
Defrauding Golden Corral, a stolen Jeep at St. Joe’s Plaza, a man jailed for attacking his mother after refusing to do the dishes, a case of bullying at Matanzas High School, and innumerable larcenies and burglaries.
Gambling Florida: Court Says Legislature May Expand Slot Machines Around the State
In a ruling that may open the way for gambling in Florida resorts, the first District Court of Appeal said it’s up to lawmakers to decide where they allow casinos. Companies are pushing hard for the expansion of slot-machine resorts.
Obama’s Job Creation Record: Millions Created or Saved, Still Too Few to Overcome Crisis
While the $825 billion stimulus raised employment from at least 1 million to 3.3 million people and significantly softened the recession, subsequent cutbacks at all level of governments reversed the gains and prevented a sustained recovery.
Ruthless Hilarity, Shop of Horror, Altar Boyz and Philharmonic Oscars: Culture Worth the Miles
The absolute fun of “Ruthless: the Musical” at the Winter Park Playhouse, “Little Shop of Horrors” at the Winter Garden Theater, “Altar Boyz” at Orlando’s Abbey, the Oscars with the Orlando Philharmonic, and much more.
Recoiling Over Park Fees, Little Leagues Shine a Light on Palm Coast’s Increasing Insularity
A debate over new lighting fees at Palm Coast’s athletic fields reveals a city out of touch with its community organizations and contradicting its own claims about being kid- and sports-tournament friendly.
Blessing of the Animals: At St. Thomas Episcopal, a Fall Ritual for Creatures’ Sake
The annual Feast of St. Francis is an occasion, at Palm Coast’s St. Thomas Episcopal, to celebrate the bond and love between people and their pets as each animal is blessed in a moving and modest ceremony.
Occupy Wall Street Protests Spreading to Florida–Jacksonville, Gainesville and Ocala
Occupy Wall Street, the tea party’s growing flip-side movement, is organizing a series of protests across the nation and in a half dozen cities in Florida, from Jacksonville to Miami to Tampa.
School Board Votes 4-1 To Allow Tasers Back on Campuses, With Vague Conditions
School Board member Andy Dance wants the superintendent to develop a school-centered policy with the sheriff on using Tasers, but the sheriff’s office is resistant to mixing school policies with its own.
Bogus Students, Fake Curriculums, Ghost Schools: Florida’s Voucher Fraud Is Probed
Florida House members grilled a Department of Education official Tuesday over reports of rampant fraud and lax oversight of private schools that receive state funds through a voucher program for students with disabilities.
Man With Prior Record, Believed to Be Target of Monday’s Burglary, Is Arrested
Brooklyn-born Brian J. Epshteyn, 25, was jailed three times since January, and a fourth on Tuesday as detectives believe his drugs were the target of three men’s assault on a Brunswick Lane home Monday.
All-Business Snub: Flagler County Can’t Fill Its Own Economic Development Council Seats
Only four people have applied for the county commission’s eight-member economic development council, an embarrassing result for the government that dissolved Enterprise Flagler, claiming it could do the job better.
“My Boyfriend Shot Him”: Sheriff’s Office Releases 911 Call on Brunswick Lane Invasion
The Flagler Sheriff’s Office released an edited version of the 911 call from the Brunswick Lane home three men invaded Monday, resulting in the shooting of one of them and the arrest of all three after a manhunt.
School Construction Money Slashed By $267 Million; Charters and Universities Affected
Traditional public schools in Flagler County no longer receive Public Education Capital Outlay dollars, which now go to charter schools, including Imagine School at Town Center. Imagine is again applying for PECO dollars.
Animal Refuge Regulations: Advocates Call Them Overbearing; Flagler Holds Off, For Now
Conceding that it overreacted, the Flagler County Commission tabled a proposal that would have imposed stringent rules on animal shelters and sanctuaries, pending more inclusive public meetings with animal advocates.
Smoldering Fire in Flagler Jail’s Laundry Room Causes Heavy Smoke, No Evacuations
Firefighters were called to the Flagler County jail at 5:45 this afternoon in response to a fire reported in the facility’s laundry room. No evacuations reported, though heavy smoke was.
Report Shows How Far Florida and Other States Are Scuttling Voting Rights and Turnout
Reductions in early voting days, ending voting-day address changes for registered voters, clamping down on registration drives and other new rules could make it harder for 5 million people to vote in 2012, which may be just what GOP-led legislatures passing those laws aimed for.