Tuesday begins a month of memorial days as we watch our Supreme Court continue to roll back those very rights soldiers died for, trampling them more effectively than any enemy foreign or, for the most part, domestic, ever has.
World’s Tallest Digital US Flag Lights Up Miami Skyline for Memorial Day
The world’s tallest digital American flag coupled with the world’s most enormous electronic “Uncle Sam” image are lighting-up the South Florida skyline this Memorial Day weekend, at the 60-story Paramount Miami Worldcenter skyscraper, in downtown Miami.
A Trans Teen No Longer Feels Welcome in Florida. So She Left.
Josie moved more than a thousand miles from St. Augustine — and her parents — to start a new life in Rhode Island to escape a state where Gov. Ron DeSantis and the GOP Legislature politicized and passed policies that de-legitimize and demonize trans people.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, May 28, 2023
Palm Coast Farmers’ Market at European Village, the Ron DeSantis legislative scorecard, “Shenandoah,” the anonymous traditional, for brass, Willa Cather’s “Double Birthday.”
The Colorado River Wins a Reprieve. Now the Hard Part.
Arizona, California and Nevada have narrowly averted a regional water crisis by agreeing to reduce their use of Colorado River water over the next three years. This deal represents a temporary solution to a long-term crisis. Nonetheless, it’s an important win for the region.
Gun Groups Perpetuate Militia Myth to Keep Whatever Arms They Dream Of
This idea of the average American stockpiling an arsenal seems rather quaint when compared to the military and the taxpayer funded arsenal we’ve allowed the government to develop. It’s kind of like putting up a macaroni collage right next to the Monet.
Flagler Open Arms Recovery Services Receives Recovery Leadership Award
Flagler Open Arms Recovery Services (Flagler OARS) is pleased to announce that the organization was recognized with a Recovery Leadership Award this month in St. Pete Beach at the Floridians for Recovery Leadership Summit 2023.
Palm Coast’s Darryl Boyer, Running for Renner’s Seat, Appears on Fox & Friends to Talk Trump/DeSantis
Darryl Boyer, the youngest emerging face of Flagler County’s Republican Party and a candidate for the Florida House seat held by Paul Renner in the 2024 election, was a guest this morning on Fox & Friends Weekend, his second appearance in four weeks on the show.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, May 27, 2023
The City of Palm Coast Public Works Department hosts its Touch-a-Truck event, Gamble Jam, Rachel Carson and the sense of childhood wonder.
The Supreme Court Just Plundered Wetlands Protection
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in Sackett v. EPA that federal protection of wetlands encompasses only those wetlands that directly adjoin rivers, lakes and other bodies of water. This is an extremely narrow interpretation of the Clean Water Act that could expose many wetlands across the U.S. to filling and development.
Flagler Sheriff’s Sgt. Breckwoldt, In Charge of Narcotics Unit, at Center of Abuse of Power Allegation
Sgt. Michael Breckwoldt, a 20-year veteran of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office and the supervisor of its narcotics unit, is at the center of an allegation that he had a physical altercation with a bar patron and flaunted and abused his power while drunk at a Flagler Beach bar early this morning, claiming he runs the town.
State Urges Justices to Reject Arguments Seeking to Blocking Duane Owen Killing
Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office Thursday urged the Florida Supreme Court to reject arguments aimed at blocking the scheduled execution next month of Death Row inmate Duane Owen.
He Was Convinced the School Board Was Pushing “Transgender BS.” He Was Arrested. And Emboldened.
A parent had grievances to air about library books “trying to convert kids to gay,” and about mask and vaccine mandates. So he joined an activist group and headed to a school board meeting. This story explores how school board meetings across the country are fomenting conflicts and controversies that have led to violence and arrests.
Flagler County’s Local Government Leadership Academy Graduates 13 Professionals
Thirteen executives, managers and professionals from a half dozen local government agencies graduated from the Flagler County Local Government Leadership Academy at a special ceremony at the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Operations Center last week.
Peggy Border, For 17 Years Flagler’s Exact and Far-Seeing Elections Supervisor, Dies at 78
Peggy Rae Border, who ran the Flagler County Supervisor of Elections office for 17 years with foresight and meticulousness to great acclaim, died on Tuesday surrounded by family, following a long illness. She had been living locally at an assisted living facility for the last few months, and was 78.
(Redirected) Daylong July 4 Celebration in Flagler Beach, Then Fireworks at County Airport
Independence Day celebrations on July 4 will be a cross-county affair, stretching from Flagler Beach with the parade and daylong events there, then shifting to the county airport for evening ceremonies and the fireworks over the runways. Parking options are detailed.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, May 26, 2023
The Scenic A1A Pride Committee meets, the Blue 22 Forum meets, The Economist asks whether DeSantis can beat Trump, book-banners’ deepest fears.
Life Is Cheaper in Red States. But People Die Younger.
More and more Americans are moving from Democratic-leaning blue states to Republican-voting red ones, and one of the effects of this change is that they are relocating to places with lower life expectancy.
Mistrial: Jury Deadlocks in Teron Trial On Rape Charges, Questioning Where Crime Took Place
A 12-member jury this evening deadlocked in Monserrate Teron’s trial on charges that he raped his 7-year-old niece at his Palm Coast home in 2019. Absent a plea, which he has previously turned down, or the victim’s decision not to testify again, the Army veteran and nurse will be tried again.
Sheriff Increases Motors Unit Staffing to Address Traffic Violations
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has increased its Motors Unit staffing from five to eight deputies in an effort to address the traffic quality of life in the community.
Palm Coast Fines Waste Pro $125 For Every Recycling Bins It’s Taking Back and Threatens Litigation
Waste Pro, in its final week as Palm Coast’s garbage hauler, is driving through neighborhoods and taking back the recycling bins it freely provided residents over the years. The city is considering litigation, and fining the company for every bin it claims.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, May 25, 2023
The Monserrate Teron trial enters its fourth day, the Flagler Beach City Commission meets, Tina Turner, loving the internet.
Detention Facility Wins 2023 American Jail Association’s Innovation Award
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office’s Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility (SPHIDF) has been awarded the 2023 Innovation Award for medium-sized facilities by the American Jail Association.
DeSantis from Governor’s Mansion to Presidential Run
Now that Gov. Ron DeSantis has filled out the federal paperwork to officially become a 2024 candidate for president of the United States, here’s a chronicle of the trajectory of DeSantis’ tenure, from moving into the governor’s mansion on Jan. 8, 2019, to a presidential run, as compiled by the Florida Phoenix.
China’s Hypersonic Missiles May End America’s Pacific Supremacy
China’s newest hypersonic missile, the DF-27, can fly as far as Hawaii, penetrate U.S. missile defenses and pose a particular threat to U.S. aircraft carriers. This capability threatens to shift the strategic balance of power and leave the U.S. with limited options for assisting Taiwan in the event China invades.
A Shattering Day for Teron’s Trial on Child Rape Charges as 2 Other Alleged Victims Make Similar Accusations
The prosecution in the trial of Monserrate Teron, 59, rested Wednesday after a series of setbacks for the defense, including two adult women who testified that Teron had done to them, when they were 7 or 8, what he is accusing of doing to a 7-year-old girl in palm Coast in 2019. He faces life in prison if convicted.
Florida Will Publish Annual Index of Books Banned or Challenged in Schools
The State Board of Education on Wednesday approved a new rule that will lead to Florida officials publishing an annual list of library books and instructional materials that have drawn public objections, in a move that the board’s chairman said will “provide transparency for our families.”
On Flagler Schools’ Ban List: The Upside of Unrequited, a Review and a Recommendation
Becky Albertalli’s “The Upside of Unrequited,” about a fat girl’s desperate quest for a date after 26 unrequited crushes, is one of 22 titles on Flagler’s ban list, and the last to be considered by a school-based committee at FPC on Thursday.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, May 24, 2023
The Monserrate Teron trial enters its third day, Separation Chat, Veterans Creative Expression Workshop, Open Discussion Neil Gorsuch’s skewed perspective on civil liberties.
DeSantis Names Meredith Sasso, Another Federalist Society Apostle, to Supreme Court
Continuing to mold a conservative Florida Supreme Court, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday named Meredith Sasso, another Federalist Society faithful, to succeed former Justice Ricky Polston, who stepped down in March.
Daytona Area Home Sales And Prices Are Falling
Home sales continued to cool down across the Daytona Beach area during April, along with the median home sales price.
Biden’s About Consensus. America Is Increasingly Divided. Can He Win Again?
Joe Biden is arguably a provisional figure, and the prospect of his continuing tenure in office demonstrates that the U.S. has not yet moved on from the chaos generated by Donald Trump’s 2016 election.
11 Year Old Tells Jury Her Uncle Raped Her ‘Multiple Times’; Defense Fails to Impeach Her Credibility
In the trial of Monserrate Teron, accused of raping his 7-year-old girl niece in Palm Coast in 2019, the alleged victim, now 11, testified today, as did her mother, in a powerful day for the prosecution. The defense tried but failed to undercut the girl’s credibility.
In Seminole Woods, 42 Acres of Greenbelt Are Converted to Allow 180-Home Subdivision
The Palm Coast City Council last week approved rezoning 42 acres of greenbelt-designated land to make room for a 180-home single-family residential development that will expand the built-out footprint of Seminole Woods.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, May 23, 2023
The Teron trial enters its second day, the Palm Coast City Council begins its budget overviews, Robert Caro on the New York Public Library, Alberto Manguel on the library of Alexandria.
Trans Joy and Family Bonds: What Media and Divisive Legislation Miss
Drawing on the success of movements like the Black Joy Project, which uses art to promote Black healing and community-building, trans activists are challenging one-dimensional depictions of their community by highlighting the unique joys of being transgender.
General Surgeon Jessica Marshall Joins AdventHealth in Palm Coast
General surgeon Dr. Jessica Marshall has joined AdventHealth Medical Group and will perform procedures at AdventHealth Palm Coast.
Jurors Seated in Teron Sex Abuse Case After a Day of Triggered Anxieties and Traumas
A panel of 12 jurors and two alternates was seated this afternoon at the end of the first day of trial for Monserrate Teron, the 59-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting his 7-year-old niece in Palm Coast in November 2019.
Captain’s BBQ Trial Delayed to February as Both Sides Ask for More Time
The two sides asked for the delay jointly, but not necessarily because a resolution is pending. Rather, each side still has adversarial motions that have yet to be heard in court. Captain’s is also attempting to bring the county back to the mediation table. The county had been resisting. A trial would have been premature, the two sides agreed. The judge granted the delay two weeks ago.
Law Requiring Later School Start Times Is Causing Significant Push-Back from Local Boards
Several members of the Flagler County school board as elsewhere in Florida districts are not thrilled by the late start time for middle schools, or the earlier start for elementary schools. Opposition is focused on expected additional costs.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, May 22, 2023
Monserrate Teron goes on trial on capital charges, the Bunnell City Commission makes several appointments to its planning board, the death of Martin Amis.
Debt Default Would Be Far Worse Than a Government Shutdown. Here’s How.
A U.S. default on its debt would have a significantly broader impact on federal operations, financial markets and the global economy than recent government shutdowns that have left ordinary Americans largely untouched.
Some Churches Help Migrants. The Law Says Don’t. What Then?
Many religious traditions preach the need to care for strangers. But what happens when caring for the stranger comes into conflict with government policy?
Juneteenth Florida Arts and Film Festival in Lakeland
The Juneteenth Committee Lakeland will host the 31st Annual Observance beginning Saturday, June 17, culminating with its Inaugural Florida Arts and Film Festival in Lakeland on July 1st, 2023. This highly anticipated event commemorates Juneteenth, a significant milestone in African American history, marking the 158 years of emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, May 21, 2023
Palm Coast Farmers’ Market at European Village, conversion therapy is still legal in parts of the United States like Florida, Is the Establishment Clause Unconstitutional? Al Franken in a 1996 performance.
Joe Jacquot Latest DeSantis Acolyte Appointed to New College Board
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday appointed Joe Jacquot to the New College of Florida Board of Trustees, after the Florida Senate failed to confirm a previous trustee tapped by the governor.
Craft Breweries Are Fermenting Change and Addressing Local Ills
Beer and wine helped develop civilization and shaped culture and landscapes over millennia. Today, craft breweries, which are by definition small and independent and thus focus their production on innovative, small-scale methods rather than industrialized, mass-produced ones, are still playing that role.
Hang 8 Dog Surfing Brings Out Throng of a Thousand in Flagler Beach’s Zaniest Contest Yet
The second annual Hang 8 Dog Surfing contest in Flagler Beach this morning drew spectators in the low thousands, double or triple last year’s turnout, as big and small dogs surfed in rough waves then donned costumes for the red-carpet competition. Fifty dogs were registered in total.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, May 20, 2023
The second annual Hang 8 Dog Surfing Competition in Flagler Beach, Courtney VandeBunte at the Community Center, Jews of Florida, Miller Lite’s salute to women, Trump against America.
International Booker Prize 2023: The 6 Shortlisted Books
From a long list of 12, six novels have been shortlisted for the 2023 International Booker Prize. Here are six brief reviews of the finalists ahead of the announcement of the winner on May 23.