LGBTQ+ Night at Flagler Beach’s Coquina Coast Brewing Company, the Blue 22 Forum, Yogi Berra sayings on his birthday, the green light Gatsby sees on the distant dock.
Behind Record Low History Scores for 8th Graders
While one top U.S. education official described the scores as “alarming,” the decline actually began nearly a decade ago. From the perspective of education reform and policy, the latest history and civics test scores were a predictable outcome.
Indian Trails Teacher JaWanda Dove Loses Her Attorney Over Refusal to Settle Discrimination Suit Against District
Almost three years after filing an employment discrimination suit against Flagler County schools, and a few settlement offers that even her attorney implored her to accept, Indian Trails Middle School teacher JaWanda Dove may now head for trial representing herself, as her own attorney asked the court to be relieved of representing her.
FPC Removes 2 Books Under Challenge Without Review, Abruptly Cancelling 2 Committee Meetings
Flagler County’s three book-banners are getting their way the easier way: the books they’re challenging are now getting removed without committee review, even though such a process is set out in district policy. Twice in the last three weeks, Flagler Palm Coast High School abruptly cancelled scheduled challenge-review committee meetings at the last minute, “weeding” the books instead.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, May 11, 2023
The Flagler Beach City Commission meets, and will consider paying $83,000 for another year of insurance on the condemned pier, the Palm Coast Democratic Club meets, Neil King’s American Ramble.
Sexual Abuser: The Verdict Against Trump
The Trump attorneys’ line of questioning reinforced common myths about sexual assault that have been perpetuated in other high-profile sexual assault cases, such as those of comedian Bill Cosby and Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein.
Wadsworth Principal Paul Peacock Ordered on Leave Over Employee Complaints as District Hires Investigator
Wadsworth Elementary School Principal Paul Peacock has been placed on administrative leave with pay and barred from all district campuses or from contact with any employees pending the resolution of an independent investigation stemming from several employee complaints about Peacock, internal documents show and school officials say.
DeSantis Signs Most Restrictive Bill Against Undocumented Migrants in the Country
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed what both he and his critics agree is the strongest anti-illegal immigration bill passed by any state legislature in the country on Wednesday. Speaking in Jacksonville behind a podium with a sign reading, “Biden’s Border Crisis,” the governor blasted the president for the large influx of undocumented immigrants that has occurred across the U.S.-Mexican border over the past couple of years.
T-Bone Crash at County Road 302 and CR305 Results in ‘Incapacitating Injuries’ for Both Drivers
A two-vehicle collision at the crash-prone intersection of County road 302 and County Road 305 in western Flagler County Tuesday evening resulted in two injuries, one critical, one serious, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, May 10, 2023
The Atlantic Chapter of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State’s Separation Chat at Pine Lakes Golf Club, Elana K. Arnold on the misuses of girls.
How Your Dog’s Behaviors Can Impact Your Quality of Life
Dog ownership has several benefits for people’s psychological and physical health. However, relationships with dogs are complex and can involve some conflicts. Undesired dog behaviors such as aggression and barking are the leading reason people give up their dogs.
Haircuts and 10,000 Pounds of Food: Flagler Spring Fling Outreach Delivers to 90 Families
Flagler County Health and Human Services Department delivered up social services agencies and associated vendors at its May ‘Flagler Spring Fling Outreach’ that, in turn, provided haircuts, meaningful information, and 10,000 pounds of food.
At Charter School, DeSantis Signs Bills Against Teacher Unions and For School Board Term Limits
The bill (SB 256) bars public sector unions, including those for teachers but not for police or firefighters that tend to support the governor, from deducting dues from members’ paychecks, requiring employees to write checks instead. Furthermore, unions’ membership would have to constitute 60% of a bargaining unit, an increase from the old threshold of 50%.
DeSantis, On a Death Run, Signs 4th Execution Warrant in Less Than 4 Months
Duane Owen, 62, is scheduled to die by lethal injection June 15 in the murder of Georgianna Worden, who was bludgeoned with a hammer and sexually assaulted in her Boca Raton home in May 1984, according to the death warrant and court records.
On Flagler’s Ban List: Elana K. Arnold’s What Girls Are Made Of, a Review and a Recommendation
“What Girls Are Made Of,” Elana K. Arnold’s deconstruction of a 16-year-old girl’s being and nothingness, is one of 22 titles three Flagler County residents want banned from high school libraries. A Flagler Palm Coast High School committee takes up the challenge on Thursday.
Hang 8 Dog Surfing Contest Returns to Flagler Beach in All Its Ridiculous and Timely Exuberance
This time the Hang 8 Surfing Contest’s organizers are better prepared than they were last year, when they expected 50 people, maybe 100 at most, and got overrun with about 500. Hang 8 since its first edition last year has caught waves of attention, and gives Flagler Beach a break from seriousness, polarization and mountains of challenges.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, May 9, 2023
Lag Ba’omer Community Bbq at Bing’s Landing, Community Traffic Safety Team, The Flagler County Planning Board, origins of the word paradise.
Israel Is a Powder Keg Waiting to Blow
Even as Israeli society tears itself apart and investors pull their money from the country in response to the proposed overhaul of the justice system, many members of the government remain ideologically committed to neutering the courts – no matter the cost.
Rick Scott Wants Full-Time Armed Security in Every School in the Country
Sen. Rick Scott has filed federal legislation that would create a block grant program to be run through the Department of Justice to support hiring law enforcement officers to provide full-time security at every K-12 school in the country.
From REACT to Flagler County Assist: Crucial Volunteers Rebrand
For the past four decades, Flagler County Assist REACT volunteers have supported and responded to events and emergencies in Flagler County. The organization recently discontinued its affiliation with REACT International to develop a partnership with Flagler Volunteer Services.
9 Arrested on Federal Indictments in Phoenix-to-Palm Coast Drug Pipeline
A more-than-yearlong federal and local investigation into a drug pipeline from Mexico, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Palm Coast led to the indictment on federal trafficking and conspiracy charges of nine individuals, including two from Palm Coast and three from Bunnell.
Later Start Time for Middle and High School Students in Flagler Means Earlier Start for Younger Ones
A bill awaiting the governor’s signature would ban school start times before 8:30 a.m. for high schools and 8 a.m. for middle schools, starting in the 2026-27 school year. The Flagler County School Board had been reconsidering its own start times–but in the other direction. Now, it may be faced with making tough choices regarding elementary-school start times, which would go from latest to earliest starting times in the county.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, May 8, 2023
The Bunnell City Commission meets, a mother who abused her 12-year-old daughter pleads out, Louise McNeill’s Gauley Mountain, Louis Moreau Gottschalk’s birthday and last hope.
Banning Disliked Speech: America’s One Bipartisan Plague
Much of the rising intolerance to speech has a common thread: Instead of using speech or protest to counter the speech or expression that critics dislike, people on the right and the left appear to want to prevent ideas they don’t like from entering the conversation.
4-Day School Week Is Gaining Popularity, But Not Among State Lawmakers
Nationwide, the number of four-day schools has increased by 600% over the past two decades, now numbering more than 1,600 in 24 states. Many four-day schools report higher test scores, fewer discipline problems and strong support from parents.
End Language that Dehumanizes Immigrants
Sensationalizing, stigmatizing, and misleading imagery and rhetoric surrounding immigration leads to near-constant use of the term “illegal” or “unlawful” to describe unauthorized crossings. An advocate for immigrant survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, and trafficking is alarmed by the use of this language to describe a migrant’s attempt to survive.
Palm Coast Attempts to Control Canal Weed With Grass Carp
The City of Palm Coast Stormwater & Engineering department is implementing an eco-friendly alternative method to aquatic weed biological control in the canals in Palm Coast by rehoming triploid grass carp to several locations throughout the community.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, May 7, 2023
Last of Arthur Miller’s ‘All My Sons’ at City Repertory Theatre and the songwriters’ festival, record oil profits at your expense, Couperin’s mysterious barricades again, Eric Newby down the Ganges.
Exploitation of Hollywood’s Writers Is Digital Feudalism
Serfs lost stability in their everyday lives as they were thrust into a new economic system. Precarity, debt and a lack of stability are again the dominant themes in today’s digital economy. The gig economy, in which people can juggle two or three part-time roles to make ends meet, is largely to blame.
Finalists Named for Florida Supreme Court Seat
Four judges serving on the 6th District Court of Appeal — Chief Judge Meredith Sasso and Judges Joshua Mize, Jared Smith and John Stargel — are among the finalists selected by the Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission.
Imagining life in DeSantistan
In Caseytown, Desantistan, it’s Jan. 6, 2028, a year since Ron DeSantis declared himself President for Life, making this country the freest America in America, if not the world. Let’s recap.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, May 6, 2023
Flagler Beach All Stars’ beach clean-up, how the Intracoastal Waterway was built, Sunshine and Sandals, Arthur Miller’s ‘All My Sons,’ the beauty in the ordinary, Roxane Gay on this moment of danger.
Flagler County Works with Agencies for Larger Combined Dunes Project from Pier to Gamble Rogers
Flagler County Engineering has been working with the Army Corps of Engineers and the Florida Department of Transportation to combine two projects to expedite restoration of a larger section of dunes south of the Pier in a more cost-effective manner.
Flagler’s Vacation-Rental Regulations Again Survive at Last Minute as Lawmakers End Session
For the ninth year running, local regulations of short-term vacation rentals in Flagler County and across the survived a legislative attempt at dilution and pre-emption by the state, though it came down to a last-minute escape as lawmakers finalized a $117 billion budget and ended the session.
FPC Student Vandalizes ‘Offensive’ Civil Rights-Inspired Posters. School Board’s Chong Rallies To His Side.
In response to one parent’s complaint about civil rights era-inspired posters by students, and to the the parent’s son vandalizing posters he found offensive at Flagler Palm Coast High School, School Board member Christy Chong has rallied to the side of the parent and the student and is seeking to revisit policies that address the display of student work in school hallways. Board members Will Furry and Sally Hunt are joining Chong in seeking that discussion.
Behind Mondex Man’s Armed Encounter with Deputies: Delusions of Kidnapping, and Close Call with Death
If it weren’t for the restraint of Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy Jennifer Prevatt, Manuel Almeida, 72, who may have been suffering from delusions, might have been shot as he was approaching her on a street in Daytona North Thursday, moments after he’d already fired a round from a .22 rifle.
57-Year-Old Man Dies in Single-Vehicle Crash in Target Shopping Center
A 57-year-old Crescent City man who may have been suffering a medical episode died today after a single-vehicle crash in the parking lot of the Target shopping center in Palm Coast, near the Famous Footwear store.
Flagler Beach’s Next City Manager Salary May Go Up to $165,000 as Commission Pitches for Candidates
The next Flagler Beach city manager will have a salary of between $125,000 to $165,000, an upper range that would have been unthinkable only a few years ago for the small city of 5,000 people. The city commission in an often-snippy special meeting Thursday also rewrote the profile that accompanies the job announcement for a new manager, which will be issued this weekend.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, May 5, 2023
Arthur Miller’s ‘All My Sons’ at City Repertory Theatre, First Friday in Flagler Beach, Flagler Memorial Gardens, Israel, at 75, a shtetl with nukes, ‘Barnum,’ at Flagler Playhouse, the Palm Coast Songwriters Festival.
Firings of Carlson and Lemon Are Not the End of Trash TV
Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon had become potential threats to the networks’ audience shares and advertising revenue. And rather than a victory for women or truth, these firings are an effort to sustain and grow corporate profits for CNN and Fox.
Andrew Gillum Acquitted on Lying Charge, Mistrial Declared on Conspiracy and Fraud Charges
After five days of rocky deliberations, jurors on Thursday acquitted former Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andrew Gillum on charges of lying to federal investigators but were unable to reach a verdict on conspiracy and fraud charges.
Sheriff’s Deputies Resolve Dangerous Incident as Man Brandishes Rifle at Passing Cars in Mondex
After swarming the area with a score of units, Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies resolved a dangerous situation involving a man with a rifle who was threatening passers-by and behaving out of control this morning in the Mondex, or Daytona North. The man was apprehended within 30 minutes. Authorities appeared to have used non-lethal weaponry to subdue him.
Advertising in Schools
Flagler County School Policy 904
Flagler County School District policy on advertising in schools, policy 904: full text.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, May 4, 2023
May the 4th Storytime with Flagler Beach Police Captain Lance Blanchette, Evenings at Whitney Lecture Series, Market Street Palm Coast Senior Living Job Fair, more book-banning tactics.
America’s White Power Movements Have Often Relied on Veterans
For decades, the white power movement has gained steady momentum in the U.S. The movement has long included men, women and children; felons and religious leaders; high school dropouts and holders of advanced degrees; civilians and veterans and active-duty military personnel.
Women United Flagler Chapter Raises $30,790 at Power of the Purse
The Women United Flagler Chapter is pleased to announce the group’s Flagler Power of the Purse event held at Hammock Dunes Club on Monday, April 24th has raised $30,790.
Bill Banning Books During Challenges and Banning Preferred Pronouns Ready for DeSantis Signature
The bill restricts the way teachers and students can use their preferred pronouns in schools, expands last year’s “don’t say gay” prohibitions to eighth grade, and makes banning books and instructional materials easier, with simpler forms and a requirement that challenged materials to be removed from schools within five days of the objection, until the challenge is resolved.
Council Set to Approve 76% Stormwater Fee Increase Over 5 Years, With Annual Review to Possibly Lessen Impact
At the tail end of a five-year stretch doubled stormwater fees for Palm Coast residents, the City Council is set to yet again increase monthly fees by another 76 percent over the next five years. Council members pledge to review the stormwater budget annually and see if there’s room to lessen the impact of coming increases. But October’s 27 percent increase is all but certain.
YMCA, 3 Fire Stations, Road Projects: Palm Coast and Flagler Stand to Gain Nearly $100 Million From State
Flagler, Palm Coast, Flagler Beach and Bunnell may be at the receiving end of the largest appropriations of state dollars for local special projects, by far, in the county’s history–nearly $100 million for roads, fire stations, pier reconstruction, water projects, a substance abuse facility and other, smaller projects, according to the $116 billion budget the Florida House and Senate published Tuesday.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, May 3, 2023
The Flagler County Association of Realtors hosts its 15th annual Meet the Mayors, Weekly Chess Club for Teens at the public library, video of a main street in San Francisco before the 1906 earthquake, Danny Laferiere.