Florida gas prices surged to the highest levels this summer over the past two weeks, adding 30 cents per gallon to an average of $3.67 before declining slightly. Oil prices today topped $81 a barrel, approaching their highest level since April as economic data has been stronger than expected.
Without Authority, a County Commissioner Asks Flagler Beach to Table Sales Tax Increase Discussion
The Flagler Beach City Commission pulled from consideration for now a county proposal to raise the local sales tax, after Flagler County Commissioner Dave Sullivan requested that the item be tabled–even though he had not secured the County Commission’s authority to do that. It was the latest example of factual, political and procedural messiness surrounding the county’s sales tax proposal.
50-Year-Old Palm Coast Cyclist Is Killed in Crash While Crossing State Road 100 in Bunnell
A 50-year-old Palm Coast man on a bicycle lost his life Monday night in a collision with a car driven by a 77-year-old woman on State Road 100 just west of Commerce Parkway in Bunnell.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, August 1, 2023
The Palm Coast City Council will consider the management contract for a new cell tower at Ralph Carter Park, remembering Charlie Ericksen, Jack Reacher solves the mystery behind why hookers always carry big purses.
Aromatherapy and Its Skeptics
Aromatherapy is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treatment of any medical condition. Clinicians say there’s not sufficient evidence to show that it works. Conversely, public acceptance of aromatherapy has never been higher. But this is not always a good thing. Although information about aromatherapy abounds on the internet, many of the claims are based on personal experience. This is not scientific evidence.
Two-Term Flagler County Commissioner Charlie Ericksen, a Stalwart of Civility and Grit, Dies at 80
Charlie Ericksen, who served two terms as Flagler County Commissioner–two terms characterized by an immersive interest in all things Flagler, unfailing civility and understated wit–died today in Celebration, where he’d recently moved in declining health, to be closer to family.
Whispering Meadows Ranch Will Leave Flagler Over Next 2 Years For 9-Acre Tract in Ormond Beach
Whispering Meadows Ranch, the equine therapy non-profit that’s been looking for a new home for over two years, closed on a 9-acre tract in Ormond Beach, along State Road 40 just south of the Flagler County line, and will leave its John Anderson Highway location over the next two years.
36-Year-Old Man Breaks Into Church’s Playground to Charge Phone and Pleasure Himself
Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Eliezer Torres, 36, Saturday after he was accused of shoplifting at Goodwill, breaking into Christ the King Lutheran Church’s playground, destroying some property there so he could charge his cell phone, and masturbating at the entrance to the church.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, July 31, 2023
Heat index again at dangerous levels, stormwater and the Flagler County Commission, a celebration of the American language on the cusp of Gulden Draak.
Chief Justice Roberts’s Conflicting Views of Race
Though Roberts’ opinions appear at odds, his general disdain for the use of race is not. In both landmark race-related cases this term–the repeal of affirmative action, the requirement that race be considered when drawing congressional districts–he was clear that his preference is for as little use of race as possible, a position he has held for decades.
Affordable Housing is a Human Right, Not a Handout
Housing is more than a roof over our heads. It determines our ability to stay healthy, get an education, build wealth, and live longer. It is not merely a luxury commodity limited to those who can afford it. It is a right — and our government should start recognizing and treating it as such.
Health Care’s Familiar Symptoms: GOP Wants Less Regulation, Democrats Want More
GOP health plans would allow more employers to bypass the landmark health insurance overhaul’s basic benefits requirements and most state standards. Democrats want to limit short-term plans’ length before people go into ACA plans. Meanwhile, many still struggle to afford deductibles or other costs.
Flagler County Taking ‘Veteran of the Year’ Nominations Through Sept. 30
Flagler County’s Veterans Services Office is asking for nominations for its “Colonel Gary E. DeKay” Veteran of the Year Award, which will be presented on Veterans Day.
Without Evidence, Florida’s Surgeon General Blames Covid Vaccine for Bronny James’s Cardiac Episode
Despite scientific evidence to th contrary from federal agencies, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo this week bolstered the link between the Covid-19 vaccine and cardiac arrests suffered by two University of Southern California basketball players. One of those players is Los Angeles Lakers player Lebron James’ son.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, July 30, 2023
Sunday Chess Club at Chabad of Palm Coast, Shifted, at Limelight Theatre, Grace Community Food Pantry, A tribute to Jason Epstein, Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Make Developers Offer Strategies to Reduce Car Use
For decades, cities have required developers to provide a set number of parking spaces for their tenants or customers. And while many people still rely on parking, the amount required is typically far more than most buildings need.
Why Are Florida Republicans So Scared of Higher Education?
Florida Republicans are scared of higher education. Colleges. Universities. Known hotbeds of wokery, Marxism, and foreign languages, they should instead focus on the one thing that matters to real Americans: training future cogs in the uber-capitalist machine and sports.
Joe Avallone Takes the Reins as Head Coach of Daytona State College’s Men’s Soccer Team
In his three years as Daytona State’s men’s soccer assistant coach, Joe Avallone helped take the Falcons to three conference titles, three Southeast District titles and three trips to the NJCAA nationals. Named head coach following Bart Sasnett’s departure, Avallone says he’ll use his 30+ years of experience as a player and coach to build on that winning formula.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, July 29, 2023
Annika Chambers & Paul DesLauriers at Blues & Brews Bistro in Ormond, the Saturday Flagler Beach Farmers Market, taking stock of our Barbie world.
Do Smartphones Belong in Classrooms?
As school leaders in the U.S. wrestle with whether or not to ban smartphones–and Flagler County schools have banned the use of cell phones during instructional time–four scholars to weigh in on the issue.
Donelle Evensen Is Bunnell Elementary’s New Principal as Sanfilippo Moves to District Job
Interim Superintendent LaShakia Moore is appointing Donelle Evensen, the current Assistant Principal of the Year for Flagler Schools, as Bunnell Elementary’s next principal, replacing Marcus Sanfilippo, who moves to the district office.
Flagler Beach Bids Worshipful Farewell to One Manager and Welcomes the Next, with $165,000 Contract
The Flagler Beach City Commission bid a worshipful farewell to Mike Abels, the city’s interim manager and fixer extraordinaire for the past six months, and voted to approve the three-year contract of the city’s new manager, Dale Martin, who takes over on Monday.
Teron, in 2nd Trial, Is Guilty on All Charges of Raping 7-Year-Old Niece; Will Be Sentenced to Life in Prison
In Monserrate Teron’s second trial in six weeks, a jury of four men and two women today found the former Army nurse guilty of raping and molesting his 7-year-old niece at his Palm Coast home in November 2019. The jury deliberated three hours, its decision finally, clearly clinched by the testimony of the child, now 11, whom Teron had victimized for years.
Facing Cash Crunch and Skirting Rules, DeSantis Appears as ‘Special Guest’ at His Own Campaign Events
As DeSantis deals with a cash crunch, firing staffers, a super PAC required by law to keep its distance from him is now being assigned more campaign tasks, enabling DeSantis to take advantage of a loophole allowing a candidate to appear as a special guest at a super PAC event.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, July 28, 2023
Scenic A1A Pride meets, John Fogerty at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre, Bonkerz Comedy Night, the sound of a tank, what 3 degrees of warming looks like.
Dr. Spock’s Timeless Lessons in Parenting
“The Common Sense Book of Baby and Childcare,” written by Dr. Benjamin Spock and published in 1946, encouraged parents to think for themselves and to trust their instincts. Spock’s book was a huge best-seller, second in the U.S. only to the Bible. He believed that children come into the world with distinct needs, interests and abilities, and that the core of good parenting is attending carefully to what each child requires at each stage of development.
Prosecution Lets Glaring Falsehood, Key to Defense’s Arguments, Go Unchallenged as Rape Trial Goes to Jury
The prosecution and defense delivered their closing arguments in Monserrate Teron’s second trial in six weeks on charges he raped his 7-year-old niece in Palm Coast in 2019. The prosecution never challenged a key but medically false claim at the center of Teron’s defense: that since he suffered from erectile dysfunction, he could not have orgasmed as he was abusing his niece.
At African American Society, ‘Summer of 1969’ Exhibit Kicks Off Festival of Cultural Events
The art exhibit at Palm Coast’s African American Cultural Society, opening Saturday, and its numerous related programs, centers on “Summer of Soul,” the 2021 documentary film about the nearly forgotten Harlem Cultural Festival colloquially known as the “Black Woodstock.”
Palm Coast Man, 43, Is Killed in Rear-End Crash with Stopped Semi on I-95
A 43-year-old Palm Coast man lost his life Wednesday night in a rear-end crash as traffic was stalled on I-95 near the Old Dixie Highway interchange.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, July 27, 2023
The Flagler Beach City Commission has a full agenda–new manager’s contract, impact fees, sales tax increase, and more. The Teron trial may conclude. Joan Didion on Charlie Rose.
Why Immigrants Serve in U.S. Military. It’s Not to Gain Citizenship.
The fast track to citizenship is not as important in explaining immigrant enlistments as economic factors like poverty and debt, and cultural factors, such as valuing warrior masculinity and legitimization of war.
Brain Drain at New College? DeSantis Is ‘Good With That’
New College has been filling positions that account for nearly a third of the school’s faculty. DeSantis appointed a slate of conservative members to the school’s Board of Trustees early this year.
“Firebringer,” the StarKid Production, at City Repertory Theatre Aug. 4-7
A unique collaboration of comedians and song writers comes to the City Repertory Theatre (CRT) in August with a robust production of “Firebringer.” The production is noted as a hilarious take on what happens to the stone age when a life-changing discovery is made.
Defense’s Strategy in Teron’s Second Trial on Charges of Raping His Niece: Indict the Accusers
The defense’s strategy in Monserrate Teron’s trial on charges that he raped his 7-year-old niece has been on blunt display for the past two days in a Bunnell courtroom: indict the accuser. Indict her family. Indict her forensic interviewer. Indict the investigator. Make them look uninvolved, clueless, incompetent, prejudiced. Question them as if they are on trial, not Teron.
Flagler County Uses False Information as It Asks Cities to Support Increase in Sales Tax
Flagler County government is disseminating false information about the proportion of the local sales tax paid by visitors as it seeks letters of support from Palm Coast, Flagler Beach, Bunnell and Beverly Beach to increase the county’s sales tax by half a percent.
School Board Approves Funding for Flagler Youth Orchestra, Legal Opinion ‘Comfortable’ with Arrangement
The Flagler County School Board approved its annual funding of the Flagler Youth Orchestra Strings Program. Now it needs to find a new program director as well as a new artistic director and two more music instructors/conductors.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, July 26, 2023
Separation Chat, Day three of Monserrate Teron’s trial, The Flagler County Public Library Book Club takes on Kim Michele’s “Woman of Troublesome Creek,” Paul Robeson.
DeSantis ‘War on Woke’ Mirrors Whitewashing of History in Other Countries
Florida’s new law forbidding the teaching of systemic racism is the most extreme example in a series of recent U.S. state bills that critics call “educational gag orders.” The tactics that Gov. Ron DeSantis is using to censor the teaching of American history in Florida look a lot like those seen in the illiberal democracies of Israel, Turkey, Russia and Poland.
AdventHealth Prepares to Open Palm Coast Parkway Hospital, Doubling ER and Patient Capacity
The 158,000-sqaure-foot facility, which cost $167 million, includes 100 inpatient beds, which will double the inpatient capacity for Flagler County when added to AdventHealth Palm Coast, the hospital that recently marked its 20th anniversary at its campus on S.R. 100 just west of I-95.
Palm Coast Franchise Fee Killed Again as FPL Balks at Referendum; City Must Cut Budget $2.8 Million
The Palm Coast City Council is set to abandon the unpopular franchise fee it proposed adding to electric bills only last week. City Council member Theresa Pontieri said today she will withdraw the motion that she’d made on July 18. The reason, according to the city manager: Florida Power and Light won’t accept the city’s terms.
Waste Pro and Palm Coast Drop All Claims Against Each Other in Bingate Settlement
Waste Pro and Palm Coast signed an agreement that will have Palm Coast release $153,150 owed Waste Pro. The city will also void the $66,350 fines the company had accrued. Neither side admits wrong-doing. Neither side will sue.
Texas University Suspends Professor Accused of Criticizing Lt. Governor in Lecture on Opioids
The professor, Joy Alonzo, an expert on the opioids crisis, was placed on paid administrative leave and investigated, raising questions about the extent of political interference in higher education, particularly in health-related matters.
Sheriff’s Employees Donate $25,645 to Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches
Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) employees donated $25,645 to the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches (FSYR) making FCSO employee’s total donations to the FSYR over $158,000 since 2017.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, July 25, 2023
Monserrate Teron’s trial Day Two, the school board holds a pair of meetings, the Volusia-Flagler Sierra Club hosts a group social, taking on the multiverse.
Women’s World Cup: Gender Equity in Sports Is Still an Issue
For women playing football in this year’s Women’s World Cup, there are issues and concerns they must play through. Unfortunately, most of these obstacles exist outside the corners of the football pitch. Lack of funds for training and pay equity continue to be at the forefront.
ACLU Accused Florida Supreme Court of Abusing Its Authority on Recreational Pot Initiative
In a brief supporting a citizens’ initiative to legalize recreational marijuana use, the ACLU accuses the Florida Supreme Court of abusing its authority to strike proposed state constitutional amendments from the ballot.
Supreme Court Reprimands Former Judge Who ‘Embraced’ Prosecution After Cruz Mass Murder Trial
The court unanimously issued a one-paragraph reprimand of Elizabeth Scherer, who “unduly chastised defense counsel” and “embraced members of the prosecution” after Nikolas Cruz was sentenced to life in prison last year for killing 17 students and faculty members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018.
Jury Selection in Teron’s 2nd Trial Again Rattles Jurors
A jury of four men and four women, including two alternates, was seated late this afternoon in the trial of Monserrate Teron, his second in six weeks on charges that the 59-year-old Palm Coast resident and former Army nurse raped his 7-year-old niece at his home in 2019. The first trial ended with a deadlocked jury of 12.
District Breaks Ground on Two-Year, $22.6 Million Matanzas High School Expansion
The $22.6 million project is the largest on a Flagler school campus in a decade and a half, adding 20,000 square feet, including classrooms, and renovating 11,000 square feet over the next two years.
Will Furry’s Rate Plan for Belle Terre Swim Club Is ‘Ludicrous’ and Disconnected from Reality
School Board member Will Furry is demanding a new rate structure for Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club that is based on “personal belief unmoored to any study or research,” Doug Courtney, who leads the club’s advisory board, argues. The rates would increase sharply, and be split into tiers. The board is voting on the new rates Tuesday evening.