The dueling recommendations in the long-standing ethics case against Sheriff Manfre are awaiting an administrative law judge’s decision, further dragging on an issue that has clouded the sheriff’s term into his re-election year.
Backgrounders
In a Decisive Shift, Palm Coast Will Oppose Fracking On and Offshore, Citing Environment
Abandoning its silence and tacit nod to fracking, the Palm Coast City Council will forcefully oppose hydraulic fracturing in a resolution, citing water and environmental protection.
Florida’s Black Cowboys: An Exhibit Tours All Flagler Schools, Bucking Stereotypes
The Florida Black Cowboys exhibit, produced by the Agriculture Museum, opens a window on a little-known part of Florida and American history. The exhibit will appear at every Flagler County school.
As Flagler’s Emergency Communications Briefly Falter, Palm Coast and Sheriff Assail County Over Long-Term Plans
The county’s critical emergency radio system briefly failed when a tower lost its back-up power Thursday even as county, city and sheriff’s officials were meeting in the first high-level meeting since 2013 to deal with their differences over modernizing the emergency communications system.
E Pluribus Un-American:
The Judeo-Christian Smear of Islam
President Obama’s trip to a mosque to reassure American Muslims of their importance should have been unnecessary. It reveals how deep-seated prejudice remains, especially that of conservative Christians who claim to preach acceptance.
Where’s Opelka? Injury and Ranking Climb Keep Star From Palm Coast’s Tennis Tourney
Palm Coast’s celebrated Reilly Opelka, the boys Wimbledon Champ, says he probably would not have competed in the ongoing Men’s Futures Tennis Tournament even if he did not have a stress fracture as he targets bigger tournaments to earn more ranking points.
Low Gas Prices Are Great For You and Me. For World Security? Not So Much.
Banditry, corruption and tyranny from Saudi Arabia to Iraq to Russia depends on high oil prices. As prices fall, the bandits in charge will quarrel more among themselves – and with their neighbors.
FPL Reports Profits of $1.65 Billion for 2015 But Still Seeks 15% Rate Increase by 2019
Despite the good news to FPL shareholders, FPL has asked for an $8.50-a-month rate increase in 2017, rising to $14-a-month by 2019. The Florida Public Service Commission must approve the rate increases after public hearings.
Case Against Man Accused of Animal Cruelty and Battery Starts Anew as He Reverses Plea
Shawn Higgins previously had agreed to plead no contest to charges of animal cruelty and domestic violence after allegedly forcefully throwing a dog on the floor and strangling an ex-girlfriend. He now has withdrawn his plea even though he faces potentially stiffer punishment.
Luigi and Filomena Camporeale Killed in a Wreck With Truck on I-95 Just South of Palm Coast Parkway
Palm Coast’s Luigi Camporeale, 85, and his wife Filomena Camporeale, 76, were killed around 9:30 p.m. on I-95, immediately south of Palm Coast Parkway as Luigi attempted a hard left turn into the lanes of traffic, strucking a semi truck.
Radical Change Ahead for Palm Coast Council as McGuire Won’t Run, DeLorenzo Opts for County and Netts Is Term-Limited
The Palm Coast City Council will see the biggest turn-over in its history this November as Bill McGuire says he won’t run again, Jason DeLorenzo is running for the county commission and Mayor Jon Netts is term-limited. The council will see a complete turn-over in two years, possibly heralding a sea change in the city’s direction.
Sanders Revives Talk of Single-Payer System, Contrasting Differences With Clinton
Sanders’ main rival for the nomination, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, has criticized the plan for raising taxes on the middle class and said it is politically unattainable.
Sheriff Manfre Proposes De-Criminalizing Pot Possession; County Officials and State Attorney Open to Idea
Following in the steps of three Florida counties and some 20 states, Sheriff Jim Manfre wants to replace criminal penalties for small amounts of pot with civil fines. State Attorney R.J. Larizza and county officials are willing to explore the new approach.
Two Young Women’s Suicides, In Close Proximity, Stun and Mobilize Community
Lindsay Brockhaus, 20, killed herself on Tuesday, a month after her friend Cora Ann Engel, 18, committed suicide by the same method, two years almost to the day after Dalton Coxwell, also a Matanzas High student, had killed himself the same way.
Thursday Briefing: District Spelling Bee, Warmest Year on Record, Healthcare for Military Families
2015 was by far the warmest year on record, following on 2014, which also set a record, with human-caused warming to blame. The district spelling bee is at Wadsworth Elementary this evening.
At Salvo Art Project:
Rachel Thompson, Artist of the Year
“I am just art, I am art, I was born that way,” Thompson says. An opening reception sponsored by the Gargiulo Art Foundation at Salvo Art Gallery marks Thompson’s Artist of the Year honor Saturday.
Taking the Pulse of Crazy: The Election Season on Eve of Iowa and New Hampshire
The electorate is angrier and more fearful than in recent presidential contests, and both Trump and Cruz are capitalizing on it, but as the field narrows, Trump’s appeal may not be as lasting.
Thursday Briefing: Tourist Council Rediscovers Ethics, Newsom Begins in Flagler Beach, Relay For Life
Flagler County’s Tourist Development Council will take re-votes on a series of decisions to eliminate what had been conflicts of interest in previous votes. Larry Newsom starts as city manager in Flagler Beach.
Flagler Film Festival, Drawing on Works Near and Far, Flicks On For 3rd Year Friday
The Flagler Film Festival’s third edition features 47 films from 150 submissions this year, and starts Friday at Palm Coast’s Hilton Garden Inn, running through Sunday.
Flagler County Revises Vacation-Rental Rules as Lawmakers Propose Yet More Changes
The county commission’s authority is limited but it plans to stiffen fines against vacation-rental rule violators. Lawmakers meanwhile, catching on to the controversy, may revert more regulatory authority to local governments.
Losses at Palm Coast’s Golf and Tennis Clubs Mount to Record $431,000; City Council Shrugs
Palm Coast’s Palm Harbor Golf Club and its Tennis center have together lost more money in 2014 than in any year since 2009 under contractor KemperSports’ management, yet council members raised few questions about the operations during a presentation Tuesday.
U.S. Supreme Court Declares Florida’s Death Penalty Scheme Unconstitutional
The United States Supreme Court, in an emphatic ruling Tuesday, declared Florida’s death penalty sentencing scheme to be a violation of the Sixth Amendment.
Tuesday Briefing: Palm Coast Golf Course Examined, Schools’ Teacher and Employee of the Year Crowned, State of the State
The Palm Coast City Council hears an update on its KemperSports-run golf and tennis course, which have been losing money for five years, the school district’s teacher and employee of the year are crowned this evening at the Auditorium.
Monday Briefing: Honoring Judge Walsh, Family Life Center Golf Tournament, Lake Disston Land
The county commission honors Circuit Judge J. David Walsh, who retires next month. The Land Acquisition Committee again discusses possibly acquiring a parcel of land off Lake Disston.
Thursday Briefing: Grand Landings’ Problem With Blacks, Romeo and Juliet at Flagler Auditorium, Rubio’s Surge
The Observer runs the disturbing account of a former Miss Amrica describing the profiling of her son in Grand Landings, Rubio surges to second place in new Hampshire.
The Palm Coast Fraternal Order of Police Furthers a Lie in a Protest at Epic Theaters
The FOP’s protest was triggered by false claims that filmmaker Quentin Tarantino had called cops “murderers.” The lie didn’t stop FOP organizers from going ahead with their plans or standing by their protest even when shown Tarantino’s actual words.
Tuesday Briefing: A Billboard to Find a Missing Man, Limiting School Testing, Shakespeare’s Death Methods
Crime Stoppers and the sheriff’s office today unveil a billboard on A1A to further the search for George Contos, who disappeared in May. The school board meets tonight, and a chart shows every manner of death in every Shakespeare play.
Race Between 2 Boys “Testing Abilities” of Their BMWs Up Belle Terre Ends in Crash and Injury
Steven Zapata, 17, and Brian D. Rodrigues, 18, both of Palm Coast, were racing their BMWs up Belle Terre Parkway when Zapata lost control and ended up smashing an FPL light pole and a fence before dropping into a ditch.
A Beloved 85-Year-Old House on East Moody Is Leveled in Heap of Surprise and Consternation
The demolition of the stately house at 401 East Moody Blvd. in Bunnell Monday shocked many, but time had run out after more than two years of warnings by the owner that he wanted the property cleared.
For Millennials, Government Is a Gap of Generations and Representation
Millennials, those born after 1980 who entered adulthood at the turn of the century, hold just 5 percent of state legislative seats, while comprising 31 percent of the U.S. voting-age population.
The Real Enemy: Saudi Arabia’s Wahhabism, Mother to al-Qaeda, ISIS and the Taliban
If you want to know who inspired the Taliban, al-Qaeda and ISIS, look further than America’s “friend” and ally, Saudi Arabia, which has been financing the spread of Wahhabism’s lethal adulteration of Islam for years.
At Five Star Pizza, A Confrontation With A Dissatisfied Customer Ends With a Gun
When Palm Coast resident Tammie Bouie wouldn’t leave Five Star Pizza, owner-manager Denis Gotlib pulled out a Glock, telling deputies he had a right to stand his ground.
Congress Has Created An Average of 50 New Crimes Per Year for the Past Decade
In just the five years Congress created 439 new criminal offenses for a of 4,889 federal crimes. That’s in addition to the growing number of state and local crimes for which Americans can be prosecuted.
Monday Briefing: A Dedication at Princess Place, Miller Clayton’s Heroism, Dangerous Dog Reversal
Miller Clayton, the boy who saved his brother and himself from a fire last month, will be honored by several firefighters associations, a dangerous dog designation may be reversed.
Artless Censors: The Flagler’s School Board’s Misplaced Allegiance to “Staff”
The Flagler school board shirked its responsibility when it chose to be a cheerleader for a principal instead of offering guidance and oversight after a student’s art work was censored at FPC.
Denied Belle Terre Swim Club, Innovative Soccer Academy Turns to Permanent Palm Coast Roots
The 57 students enrolled at Palm Coast’s Professional Sports Pathways are part of a growing trend of hybrid specialty school-skill training programs that also serve as magnets for families looking for specific educational opportunities.
Supreme Court Removes Brawling Brevard Judge For Creating “National Embarrassment”
Calling Judge John C. Murphy’s behavior “appalling” the court ordered him removed from the bench after his altercation with a public defender last year was caught on videotape and went viral.
County Tourism Board Approves Speculative $40,000 Public Subsidy for Private Conference
The $40,000 in county tax dollars will help pay for rooms and food at a writers’ conference at Hammock Beach Resort, in hopes for good press in return. There is little evidence of such returns.
Thursday Briefing: Flagler Beach Contracts With New Manager Newsome, McLaughlin Takes Over Economic Opportunity
The Flagler Beach City Commission may approve a contract with Larry Newsome, its new city manager, this evening. Commissioner Nate McLaughlin takes over chairmanship of the county’s economic opportunity council.
Tuesday Briefing: Justin Boyles Guilty of Murder, Coming Years’ School Calendars, Wadsworth Park Closure
Justin Boyles was convicted of second-degree murder and faces life in prison for the murder of Hammock resident Ed Mellener in 2013, the Flagler School Board takes up calendars for the next two school years.
Donald Trump’s Funeral
If Donald Trump were to drop dead tomorrow Democrats would grieve, Republican candidates would celebrate, but Trump’s neo-fascism will have already damaged the nation beyond recognition.
Look Closer: Student Art Upstages Grown-Ups in Pair of Flagler County Art League Shows
Startling juxtapositions abound in “Look Close” and the “High School Student Art Exhibit,” two shows that open Saturday December 12 at the Flagler County Art League in Palm Coast.
Weekend Briefing: Community Chorus, Starlight Parade, Holiday Pops, Chess in Jax, Lotsa Schubert
The Community Chorus of Palm Coast in concert at Trinity Presbyterian Friday, Palm Coast’s Starlight Parade and preceding events start Saturday afternoon, The St. Augustine Orchestra at the Flagler Auditorium Sunday, and a whole lot more.
Santa Claus Meets His Match: “A Mark Twain Christmas” at City Repertory Theatre
Like the other one-man Twain shows Robert Gill has created, “A Mark Twain Christmas” is composed of about 75 percent of the author’s monologues and writings recited verbatim, and about 25 percent is Gill‘s creation.
It’s Finally Safe to Drink the Water in Bunnell as City Marks Opening of $4.8 Million Plant
Bunnell city government on Wednesday commemorated the opening of a water plant that ends a difficult and expensive journey for the city, from deficits and dirty water to clean water.
Ex-Clerk Dan Davis Is Appointed City Manager in Bunnell in 3-2 Vote, Ending Swift Course
The Bunnell city commission took less than a month from the time Larry Williams announced his resignation, looking internally and choosing from three candidates. Davis had been the deputy clerk after a much-publicized angry resignation two and a half years ago.
Hunting Undocumented Immigrants,
Travis Hutson Discovers His Inner Jim Crow
Sen. Travis Hutson filed a pair of bills that would criminalize undocumented immigrants in Florida. The bills are unconstitutional, bigoted and unnecessary.
Stillbirth: FPC Art Student May Show His Class Work at a Gallery, But Not At His Own School
A provocative painting by Patrick Conklin, a senior at FPC, was banned from display at his school but allowed at an art gallery, triggering a broad discussion on the lines between expression, censorship, fear and propriety.
Man Found Dead and Bloodied Outside Drain Street House: Police Investigating Homicide
John Robert Stubbs, a 46-year-old resident of Hymon Circle in Bunnell, was found dead outside a house in Bunnell this morning, soaked in blood. City Manager Larry Williams described it as “what appears to be a homicide.”
The Live Profile
Jim Guines, Smokin’ Shock to the System and Now 83, Will Be Celebrated Sunday
Jim Guines, the forceful and unpredictable member of the Flagler County School Board for 11 years until 2007, will be at the center of a community tribute Sunday at Flagler Palm Coast High School, at 3 p.m.