All the facts, figures and projections about the US Postal Services financial troubles and means of escaping them as the USPS prepares to consolidate its Daytona Beach processing facility with Lake Mary’s.
Backgrounders
The Live Wire Weekend: Kent Sharples’ Latest Folly, Scott Sinking and Panthers Rising
Kent Sharples raids Daytona College fund to pay rock stars, Alex Sink is beating Scott, Obama is not as anti-business as he appears, Dali on “What’s My Line,” and much more.
Ending 33-Year Disgrace, Appeals Court Rules Florida’s Gay Adoption Ban Unconstitutional (Updated)
Updated at 2:55 p.m. The unanimous decision found no rational basis in the state’s prohibition on gay adoptions, and Gov. Crist, who’d once supported the ban, termed the decision “great.”
The Other Tax Referendum: School District Battles Misperceptions to Preserve Levy
What looks like a new school tax on the Nov. 2 ballot is, in fact, the continuation of a tax property owners have been paying all along. The school district still has a battle on its hand to convince voters.
The Live Wire, Sept. 22: Senate Does in Gays (Again), Crist Does Disney
The Senate sticks it to gays in the military and to potential citizens, Charlie Crist’s Disney finances are murky, poverty as a conspiracy of fees, a firing at UF, and more.
Town Center CRA: How Palm Coast Invented “Blightness” to Capture and Hoard Tax Revenue
In 2004, Palm Coast declared 3,000 acres of scrub and pine forest “blighted” and in need of “redevelopment.” The Town Center “Community Redevelopment Agency” was born.
Mica Challenger Heather Beaven’s First TV Ad Soldiers On, Without a Fight
Heather Beaven is running for Congress against nine-term incumbent John Mica, though her first TV ad, less than two months from the election, is more of an early-summer and gentle meet-and-greet.
The Live Wire, Sept. 20: The Chamber of Commerce’s Ricky Scotty Hypocrisy
The Chamber of Commerce’s Scotty hypocrisy, Rick Scott’s fraudulent math, over 50 and facing permanent unemployment, madness at the Orlando Magic’s new arena, India’s prostitutes of god, and more.
The Live Wire: September 16, 2010
8 p.m. Update Live coverage of the Flagler Beach City Commission’s discussion on its next manager. Also: Competing congregations in Flagler Beach, but no demonstrations. Attention fired Bunnell cops: the Border Patrol is hiring. Florida is redistricting. NASA is going nowhere fast. Florida’s Energy Star program is hostage to GOP games. And more.
The Live Wire: September 15, 2010
1,000 Friends of Florida reverses course on the Hometown Democracy amendment, going “neutral”; Koran 101 at UF, why Palm Coast Data should worry, and more.
The Live Wire, Sept. 14: Cops Chase Drug Suspect Around Pine Lakes Parkway
Why you saw all those cop cars and flack-jacketed deputies around Pine Lakes Parkway this afternoon, Civil War reenactments coming to the Ag Museum, tripping seniors, scoping out bin Laden, and much more.
Culture Worth the Miles: Nature Walks and Art Along the Highway
Have a hand in a community masterpiece at an “Eat, Paint and Party” arts district benefit at Orlando’s Sonesta Hotel Downtown, the art of the Florida Highwaymen (26 black artists of the 1950s and 60s), and more.
The Live Wire: September 13, 2010
Hurricane Igor update, UF’s drop to #10, an ad agency managing a state-funded pregnancy care system, the UF Alligator defends Koran-hating Terry Jones’s right to free speech, Florida is number 1 in corruption, and more.
Net Neutrality: The First Amendment Issue of Our Time
“Protecting an open Internet,” Sen. Al Franken argues, “isn’t just about developing new and enforceable net neutrality standards. It is also about making sure that the Internet isn’t effectively owned by a handful of companies.”
Enterprise Flagler’s Tax and Build Plan, Part 4: Wins and Losses
Part 4 of Enterprise Flagler’s “economic development” tax plan, word for word.
Enterprise Flagler’s Tax and Build Plan, Part 3: Details and Talking Points
Part 3 of Enterprise Flagler’s “economic development” tax plan, word for word: Details and Talking Points of the what and where. (Flagler’s New Game Plan)
Enterprise Flagler’s Tax and Build Plan, Part 2: The FAQ
Part 2 of Enterprise Flagler’s “economic development” tax plan, word for word: FAQ (Flagler’s New Game Plan)
Enterprise Flagler’s Tax and Build Plan Revealed: How They’ll Seek Your Vote
The 4,200-word plan is presented here uncut, providing readers with a first, comprehensive look at how Enterprise Flagler will sell its tax plan to subsidize private industrial incentives at public expense.
Work Crews–and Businesses–Idle Around Flagler Beach Farmers’ Market Land Dispute
Flagler Beach’s reconstruction of streets and sidewalks may have encroached on segments of the property belonging to the owners of the city’s weekly farmer’s market.
When Not Voting Is The Loudest Vote
Voting is neither a virtue nor a responsibility. It is a neutral civil right. Not voting is a right of equal weight, a choice as defensible as the choice to vote. Both are exercises in freedom.
Aerial View of Florida Hospital Flagler Campus, 2010
Large aerial view of Florida Hospital Flagler campus and property line, 2010.
Palm Coast Administrative Report on Florida Hospital Flagler’s Rezoning Application
Palm Coast Community Development Department’s staff report for Florida Hospital Flagler’s rezoning application, August 2010.
State Attorney’s Investigative Report on Bunnell Police Department and City Commissioner Jimmy Flynt:
Part 6 of 6
State Attorney’s 2010 Investigative Report on Bunnell Police Department and City Commissioner James “Jimmy” Flynt and Saxon’s Wreckers: Part 6 of 6
Flagler County Early Voting Locations and Times
Early voting in the Flagler primary election runs from August 9 through August 21, Monday – Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Here’s a list of locations.
Supervisor of Elections Scans Boards Through Emergency Meeting and 11th Hour Theatrics
An emergency meeting of the Flagler County Commission and some silly jockeying prefaced the certification of the county’s voting equipment.
Word on the Street: Palm Coast Data Adding 100+ Jobs
The Flagler Chamber of Commerce is hoping that the job announcement will buttress arguments for an “economic development” tax, though the connection is tenuous.
US Economy Loses 131,000 Jobs, Unemployment Rate Stalls at 9.5%
The economy is losing far more jobs than it is adding as more temporary census workers lose work.
The Judge Behind the Decision Striking Down Parts of Arizona’s Anti-Immigration Law
Judge Susan Bolton, responsible for seven suits filed against Arizona’s immigration law, was recommended for the federal bench by a Republican senator, nominated by Bill Clinton and confirmed unanimously in 2000.
School Board Candidate Peter Peligian’s Impersonation (and Tax and Claims) Problems
It’s not just that allegedly allegedly used his identity: School board candidate Peter Peligian is not living up to his own claims of transparency and accountability.
Andy Dance’s Two Masters: Voting for a Tax at the Chamber, Against One at the School Board
Dance says a perceived conflict between his positions on two tax proposals is unfortunate, but he’s still exploring the school option.
More Incitement to Violence Against Florida’s Alan Grayson
A $100 reward is put out to punch Florida Congressman Alan Grayson. A death threat follows, not for the first time.
Palm Coast Code Ordinance on Commercial Vehicle Parking in Residential Areas and Elsewhere
The full, original language of Palm Coast’s code enforcement’s ordinance regulating commercial vehicles and trucks parking in residential zones.
Regulations Will Put Dog and Other Animal Owners on a Tighter Leash in Palm Coast
Palm Coast’s proposed dog and animal control ordinance would impose more restrictive rules for pet owners and steeper fines for violations.
Crime Reports, June 28-July 4, 2010
A stolen tag from Volusia County is recovered, a bank refuses to refund customer for fraudulent charges, and more.
Tourism Panel Clears Half-Step Toward Palm Coast Arts Foundation Center, But Questions Persist
A $50,000 study is recommended for the smaller scale of a grand plan for the Palm Coast Arts Foundation’s arts, culture and conference center in Town Center.
FCAT Scores: Matanzas High School
FCAT Scores, passing rates and historical data for Matanzas High School, including 2010.
Hit the Beaches: Solidarity Against Oil As Hands Across the Sands Gets Set for Noon
Colleen Conklin, the school board member, is organizing the event–handing out slips and whistles, synchronizing the human link–along with Carmen Arasknick.
Crime Reports, June 14-20
An inmate with likely mental health issues, bad blood between a baseball team and an umpire, gunplay and an Xbox, and more.
Florida Law on Wrecker-Operators and Penalties for Skirting the System
Florida law prohibits unauthorized wrecker operators from monitoring police communications to scout for potential business.
Timeline: Bunnell Police Department Firings and Resignations, 2005-2012
The Bunnell Police Department has been riddled with serious internal problems for the past several years. The following is a list of firings, resignations and allegations going back only to 2005.
Talia Rose Harbater
Little Miss Flagler County Contestant (2010)
Talia Rose Harbater is a Little Miss Flagler County contestant in the 8 to 11 year old category of the 2010 Flagler County Pageant.
code
The cost of the program is borne entirely by federal assistance. But the rising numbers of children on free and reduced meals is a reflection of a rising, local cost on social services–and a rising toll on local families with fewer means. Drop-down: Contribution options Stringer Rate : $1 monthlyContributor Rate : $2 monthlyReporter Rate […]
House-Hunting Bunnell Hopes for an End to Old Courthouse Feuds Tonight
Absent a miracle with the old Flagler County Courthouse, the Bunnell city administration may have no home it can call its own for a few more years yet.
County Administrator Craig Coffey’s Consent Problem
Against commission direction, County administrator Craig Coffee placed his contract renegotiation on a portion of the agenda that doesn’t usually get discussed.
Emerson: The American Scholar
Emerson’s “American Scholar,” a graduation speech to Harvard’s Phi Beta Kappa, redefined the way Americans saw themselves–as intellectual individuals on their own terms. Take a second look in this season of commencements.
Crime Reports, May 17-23
A good samaritan holds a teen vandal at gunpoint until deputies arrive, domestic disturbance turns up backyard pot plant, a caller demands phone sex, and more.
Obama, Biden, Kagan: Where Their Pocket Money Comes From
Where does Obama’s, Biden’s and Elena Kagan’s money come from? Look for yourself: complete financial disclosure forms.
Smetana’s Fatherland: “The Moldau”
For your Sunday fix: “The Moldau” evokes the power of nature and nationalism as if flows through Smetana’s Czech fatherland.
Palm Coast Resolution of Support for Amtrak/Florida East Coast Railroad Project (2010)
Text of the Palm Coast City Council resolution supporting an Amtrak train station in Bunnell or Flagler County.
Gov. George W. Bush’s Jesus Day Proclamation in Texas
In 2000, while thick in his first campaign for the presidency, then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush issued a proclamation declaring June 10 “Jesus Day.” Here’s the full text and an image of the proclamation.