AdventHealth is launching a platform in March during Women’s History Month to celebrate the women working in NASCAR, including women drivers and the business professionals who serve as the backbone of race teams, tracks, agencies and media organizations.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, March 19, 2023
Palm Coast Farmers’ Market at European Village, “Scapino,” at Palm Coast’s City Repertory Theatre, Matthew Dallek’s Birchers, John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row.
Iraq War: A Relic of the Past to a Whole Generation
The 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq and the war that followed are defining events in the histories of both countries – and the region. Yet, for many young people in the United States, drawing a connection between the war and its present-day impact is becoming more difficult. For them, the war is an artifact of the past.
Ron DeSantis’ Amazing, Awesome, Heroic Life
This is the book wrote by me, Ronald Dion DeSantis, aged 44-½. I wanted to call it “My Struggle,” but Casey said that wasn’t a good idea. So, we gave it the title “The Courage to be Free.”
Varn Park Will Close for 3 Months as It Turns Into Latest Dune-Rebuilding Staging Area
Varn Park will be closed beginning March 27 for about three months as Flagler County undertakes two emergency sand operations – the first in Painters Hill and Beverly Beach, and the second north through the park into the Hammock Dunes Homeowners Association property.
Any Private or Home Schooled Student Would Be Eligible for $8,000 in Massive Expansion of ‘Vouchers’ at Public Expense
The Republican-controlled House passed a measure that would make every Florida student –in private school, religious schools or home-schooled–eligible for $8,000 in taxpayer-backed school vouchers, as Democrats and other critics slammed the expansion as a “coupon for millionaires.”
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, March 18, 2023
Fun Coast Down Syndrome Association’s Annual Ride, Palm Coast Rational Liberals and Humanists meet, “Scapino,” at Palm Coast’s City Repertory Theatre, Dutch television’s “Rita.”
Why SVB and Signature Bank Failed and What’s Ahead
The failures at SVB and Signature were two of the three biggest in U.S. banking history, following the collapse of Washington Mutual in 2008. How could this happen when the banking industry has been sitting on record levels of excess reserves – or the amount of cash held beyond what regulators require?
Belle Terre Swim Club’s Finances Are Not as Dire as Projected, Club Advocate Says
Doug Courtney, a member of the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club’s advisory committee, questions the school district’s claims that closing the club to public use would be a financial benefit.
Matanzas Aide Attacked by 17 Year Old Had Reported His Threats As Far Back as August
Joan Naydich, the 58-year-old Matanzas High School paraprofessional attacked by one of her students on Feb. 21 had alerted the classroom teacher as far back as late August of the student’s aggression and belligerence, according to a petition for an injunction she filed at the end of February.
Scapino Walks This Way Into City Repertory Theatre’s Farce, Ameliorating Molière
In “Scapino!,” the servant Scapino schemes to manipulate his authoritarian master Geronte and a rival patriarch away from disrupting the romances of their offspring. It’s a “a free-for-all farce,” in the words of City Repertory Theatre Director John Sbordone.
Soft Landing? Daytona Beach Condo Sales Down But Improving
110 condo units were sold around the Daytona Beach area in February with a median sales price of $241,250. That’s a 71 percent increase over January, but a nearly 31 percent decline from February 2022.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, March 17, 2023
“Scapino,” at Palm Coast’s City Repertory Theatre, Louis Gaskin in court, Russell Baker’s few words at the end, social security retirement threshold.
Downing Drones and International Law
Russia violated international law when it failed to act with “due regard” for the U.S. right to engage in freedom of overflight. In fact, based on the U.S. account, Russia directly interfered with that right. And it is presumably on this basis that the State Department spokesman called the drone’s downing a “brazen violation of international law.”
Starting Palm Coast Council Meetings with ‘Invocation’ Would Be Unnecessarily Divisive
At a time when communities are divided enough by party, ideology, color and sometimes geography, the Palm Coast City Council’s proposal to start its meetings with a prayer, or invocation would add yet more divisiveness, when the council should be celebrating residents’ shared humanity and basic decency.
A Series of Frantic Hearings at Bunnell Courthouse Are Preceding State’s Killing of Louis Gaskin
Nearly half a dozen hearings are taking place at the Flagler County courthouse between this week and next in the case of Louis Gaskin, who is scheduled to be executed by the state on April 12. The hearings are last-minutes attempt either to delay or to annul the execution, but the likelihood of success is beyond the realm of hail Marys.
6-week Abortion Limit, With 15-Week Rape Exception Only If Women Prove They Were Assaulted
The new bills would allow abortions up to 15 weeks of pregnancy in cases of rape or incest, but they would require women to present documentation to prove they were victims.
20-Year-Old Palm Coast Man Charged With Robbery of a Door Dash Delivery Man
Jakeem Washington-Howell, a 20-year-old resident of Breeze Hill lane in Palm Coast, faces a second-degree felony robbery charge that carries a maximum of 15 years in prison on conviction following an alleged robbery of a Door Dash delivery man Tuesday night.
Open Burning Regulations Adopted in Bunnell
This ordinance enabled regulations for open burning and requirements for open burning permits for properties within the City limits.
Fashion Show Fundraiser Raises $1,260 for Women United Flagler
Chez Jacqueline Boutique in Palm Coast hosted a charity fashion show on March 10 to benefit women and children in Flagler County via the Women United Flagler group. The sold-out event raised $1,260 for Women United Flagler.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, March 16, 2023
Healthy Living for Your Brain and Body: An Educational Program by the Alzheimer’s Association, drug court and a hearing on Louis Gaskin, Freedom of Information day.
Sally Hunt Courted Ex-FPC Principal Dusty Sims for Superintendent Outside School Board’s and Public’s Purview
Flagler County School Board member Sally Hunt has been courting Dusty Sims, the former Flagler Palm Coast High School principal, as a replacement for Superintendent Cathy Mittelstadt, without the school board’s approval or knowledge, and before Mittlelstadt’s fate is decided. Hunt’s maneuvering contradicts pretenses of neutrality at school board meetings.
Janet Valentine, a Juror and Future Superintendent, Regrets Voting for Gaskin’s Death. Prosecutor Does Not.
Janet Valentine, who would become Flagler school superintendent 20 years later, was one of the jurors who recommended the death of Louis Gaskin in 1990, a vote she now regrets. Gaskin is to be put to death in April. John Tanner, the State Attorney at the time, has no regrets for seeking the death penalty.
Lawmakers Move Closer to Scrapping Unanimous Jury Requirement for Death Penalty Recommendations
The House Justice Appropriations Subcommittee voted 8-6 today to approve a bill (HB 555) that would eliminate a requirement for unanimous jury recommendations before death sentences can be imposed. Under the bill, judges would sentence people to death based on recommendations of eight of 12 jurors.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, March 15, 2023
The Palm Coast Planning board has an extensive agenda, Separation Chat at Pine Lakes Golf Club, Chess Club at the library, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sally Hunt.
In Riveting Discussion on Prayers at Meetings, Palm Coast Council Defers to ‘Neutral’ Caution
The Palm Coast council discussed a proposed prayer policy today in what turned into an unusually absorbing and equally civil hourlong seminar on the First Amendment, the limits of expressions of belief in government settings, and the unintended and potentially offensive consequences of an open-invocation policy.
MAGA’s Pulse at CPAC: A Confederacy of Demons
The Make America Great Again faithful at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference trotted out all their demons: China, transgenderism, wokism, the media, and undocumented immigrants.
Ignoring Constitutional Cautions, Florida Lawmakers Seek to Make It Easier to Sue News Organizations
Ignoring arguments that the bill is unconstitutional, a House panel on Tuesday approved a controversial proposal that would make it easier for people to sue news organizations for defamation. The measure seeks to limit the “actual malice” standard that for decades has protected journalists writing about powerful government officials.
Ky Ekinci, Champion of Small Businesses and Office Divvy Co-Owner, Dies at 53
Kayhan Ekinci, the co-owner of Office Divvy and former co-owner of the Humidor, who was known to most as Ky, died on Sunday afternoon after he collapsed while jogging near Water Tower Road in the Cypress Edge area of Palm Coast. He was 53.
Louis Gaskin, Convicted for 2 Murders in R-Section in 1990, to Be 1st-Ever Execution of Flagler Resident
Louis Gaskin, a murderer known as the “Ninja Killer,” is set to be killed by lethal injection on April 12 for the 1989 murders of Robert Sturmfels, 56, and Georgette Sturmfels, 55, on Ripley Place in Palm Coast.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, March 14, 2023
The Palm Coast City Council considers adopting an invocation policy, a judge decides whether a man who shot his dog gets to keep his guns, the Flagler County and Flagler Beach planning boards meet, Joseph Conrad.
‘Cultural Misogyny’ and Why Men’s Aggression To Women Is So Often Expressed Through Sex
Some men participate in sexually denigrating women – both those in authority as well as those in positions of submission in hierarchical organizations. Why is male aggression towards women so often expressed through sex rather than through other means?
Would-Be Book-Banner Appeals Nowhere Girls Decision Even Before 14-0 Vote to Keep It
A 14-member district committee voted unanimously this evening to recommend keeping Amy Reed’s “The Nowhere Girls,” a book deconstructing high school rape culture, on the shelves at Flagler Palm Coast High School and Matanzas High School. The woman challenging the book filed an appeal to the school board even before the superintendent has weighed on.
Citing ‘Reason Above Prejudice,’ Superintendent Upholds Recommendation to Keep Sold on School Shelves
Citing “principle above personal opinion and reason above prejudice,” Flagler School Superintendent Cathy Mittlestadt upheld the recommendation of a district appeals committee to keep Patricia McCormick’s “Sold,” on human trafficking, on library shelves at high and middle schools.
Flagler District Wants Earlier High School Start Time Just as State and Research Go the Other Way
A disconnect is developing between the Flagler County School Board and a proposed state law to push middle and high school start times later. The Flagler board favors a later start time for middle schools. But it’s pushing an earlier start time for high schools.
Road Rage Stabbing on I-95 Leads to Arrest of Felon Out on Bond for Another Stabbing
Michael Marsh Jr., who faces a felony charge stemming from the stabbing of a truck driver on I-95, is a felon many times over in the past dozen years and a former state prison inmate who was out on bond at the time of the road rage incident–on an aggravated battery charge involving a stabbing.
Campaigning in Iowa, DeSantis Says Culture War Offensive Will Help GOP Elections
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told Iowa Republicans Friday that standing strong in the culture wars around issues like education, criminal justice and health care in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic will help their party win elections.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, March 13, 2023
A Flagler County School District Review Committee judges “The Nowhere Girls,” the Bunnell City Commission meets, Bach’s forth piano partita, banning Jack Kerouac.
Jehovah’s Witnesses: A Look at an Often Misunderstood Sect
In many countries, Jehovah’s Witnesses are known for their outreach work, going door to door or standing in public areas to try to distribute religious material. But many people are unfamiliar with their beliefs, and when the group makes headlines, it is often for reasons related to persecution abroad. So who are they?
How Cupcake Café’s TikTok of Mr Keith’s Surgical Cake Order Went Viral in Whirls of Good Wishes
TikTok clips by Theresa Tazewell, owner of Cupcake Cafe in Palm Coast, went viral as she documented customer Keith’s wish to pay for his wife’s birthday cake in advance for fear that he might die during surgery. He survived, and was lavished with millions of good wishes from a round the globe through Tazewell’s TikToks.
Michael Rickman Performs Beethoven’s 2nd Piano Concerto in Daytona Solisti’s Final Concert
The Daytona Solisti Chamber Orchestra’s annual Beethovenfest concert on March 26 will celebrate Ludwig van Beethoven with the first full-length orchestral piece the composer ever wrote: Piano Concerto No. 2, featuring pianist Dr. Michael Rickman, an internationally acclaimed pianist.
Florida House Advances Proposal to Renew Medical Pot Cards by Telehealth
A Florida House panel on Thursday unanimously signed off on a proposal that would allow doctors to renew patients’ medical-marijuana approvals using telehealth.
Severe Thunderstorm Potential Sunday Night Into Monday
A Low-pressure system and accompanying cold front will generate strong to severe thunderstorms Sunday afternoon into Monday in Northeast Florida and Southwest Georgia. The squall line is expected over Flagler County between 11 p.m. this evening and 8 a.m. Monday. after 7 p.m.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, March 12, 2023
Swingtime: The Jive Aces at the Auditorium, another day of the Strawberry Festival, Trinity Handbell Choir and Friends in Concert, when the good times were over at The Ledger.
Why the Job Market Is Still On Fire Despite Fed’s Hosing
The U.S. economy added 311,000 jobs in February, higher than economists were forecasting, keeping unemployment near the lowest level in over 50 years, despite the most aggressive pace of interest rate hikes since the 1980s. Why?
Iowa Outdoes Florida’s ‘Parental Rights’ Abuses
GOP lawmakers pushing a “parental rights” agenda nevertheless think it’s just fine for gun owners to leave loaded weapons in cars in school parking lots, to loosen child labor laws, to cut unemployment benefits for parents with more than three children.
A Motorcyclist Is Killed, Another Is Critically Injured in Separate Crashes in Flagler
As Bike Week was entering its closing weekend, a motorcyclist was killed and another was critically injured Friday in separate crashes in Flagler County, the first in Palm Coast, the second in Bunnell.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, March 11, 2023
The Annual Strawberry festival in Palm Coast’s Central Park, Gamble Jam, a bounty of pandemics, Tucker Carlson’s shtick, Yankees v. Southerners in the trenches.
Barbie’s Endurance More Than 60 Years On
Sixty-four years on, Barbie continues to be the subject of cultural, sociological and psychological interest. By creating an iconic brand with special meaning for fans of all ages toy company Mattel has successfully extended the lifecycle of the Barbie brand for well over half a century. Barbie is also a polarizing, paradoxical figure.
Challenged in Flagler Schools: Amy Reed’s The Nowhere Girls, a Review and Recommendation
Amy Reed’s “The Nowhere Girls,” a 2017 novel on high school rape culture and three girls’ attempt to counter it, is a #MeToo manifesto for young adults. It’s up for banning from Flagler schools. This review is a guide.