A majority of the committee clearly wanted the play staged. But it’s recommendation goes no further than declaring Mockingbird “appropriate” for instruction–a matter never in doubt.
Beyond
Stetson Scores Freedom‘s Jonathan Franzen For Its James Turner Butler Lecture Nov. 22
The author of Freedom and The Corrections, an almost sure winner of this year’s Pulitzer for fiction, will be at Stetson on Nov. 22 for just one hour. The event is free, but tickets are extremely limited.
From Fringe to Voting Booth, a Machinery of Information Churning Push-Button Citizens
Politicians know that the obsessed, the fearful, the paranoid and the insane are easier to manipulate and outnumber by far than the attentive, Darrell Smith argues in a column. They can push their buttons at will. Tuesday proved it.
Private Sector Leads Surge as Economy Adds 151,000 Jobs; Unemployment Stuck at 9.6%
The unexpectedly large job increase was also accompanied by revised and much smaller job losses in August and September, suggesting a stronger turn-around for the economy as a whole.
Don’t Celebrate Yet, Republicans:
Between Din and Tea Stains, a Reality Check
Short-attention span politics are here to stay, which is why Tuesday’s results are merely the latest re-casting of the same tiresome play that’s not about to end its run on our second-world stage. Not with allegedly educated voters like us buying tickets.
Before School Censors: When Mockingbird‘s Harper Lee Spoke Proudly of Flagler County
In 2002, Harper Lee addressed Flagler County proudly when her book was the centerpiece of county-wide events. The school district’s censoring of the play this month contrasts sharply with that progressive history.
Marineland’s John Hankinson Appointed Director of Obama’s Gulf Recovery Task Force
John Hankinson, chairman of Florida Audubon, has an environmental consulting office in Marineland and was the Southern Region’s EPA administrator during the Clinton administration.
7-Year-Old Nate Truelove, Old Kings Wreck Victim, Is Going Home
Nate’s rehabilitation at Brooks Rehab in Jacksonville did not produce the desired results. He is still mostly unresponsive, though awake. His family hopes that back home in DeLand, he will begin to progress better.
Florida State Intervenes As More Soldiers Die from Risky Behavior than Combat
In 2009, more soldiers died from suicide and high-risk behavior than in combat. The Pentagon is drafting Florida State to fight the epidemic.
A Halloween Concert of Myth and Poetry and a Neanderthal Friend-Raiser: Culture Worth the Miles
The Orlando Philharmonic’s Halloween concert, Edward Gorey at the Orlando Museum of Art, ‘Girls Night: The Musical,’ and the Neanderthal Ball friend-raiser at the Orlando Science Center, plus plenty more.
How Republicans Became America’s Arabs
That’s the strength behind the Republican No, as it is behind the Arab No, the Islamist No in particular: it appeals to some mythical, mass-marketable golden age. No proof necessary.
A Bench, a Homeless Man, A Cop’s Brutal Judgment: Poverty as a Presumption of Guilt
The man was sleeping on a bench in Sarastoa. The cop noticed a duffel bag and decided to invoke the city’s anti-camping ordinance. The result: felony charges for the man, and neither justice nor common sense served.
Calvary Christian’s Bus Ministry: Treasuring the Homeless, One Sunday at a Time
Every Sunday, Calvary’s school buses pick up some 120 homeless men, women and children to clean, feed and clothe them while ministering to them without illusions.
In Race to Replace Judge Hammond in Flagler, Craig and Horrox Scrape for Distinctions
In the race for the 7th judicial district’s court seat Judge Hammond is vacating, Dennis Craig and Joe Horrox are two competent, unexciting choices, though Craig’s experience is more varied.
The Live Wire, Oct. 18: Mica’s Night Terrors, the Davidsons’ Park and Tea Party Writ
The ex-News-Journal’s Davidsons get a pasturage, John Mica wants you to be scared of Heather Beaven, tea partiers think the Constitution is a biblical excerpt, and Facebook is betraying your privacy.
FPC’s Boys Raced, Pink-Socked, in Breast Cancer Solidarity at Manhattan Invitational
Inspired by their coach, an idea started by Brad Walbert, to honor his grandfather, developed into team-wide solidarity for breast cancer victims–with unexpected and moving results as the boys raced in in New York City.
Election Primer: Amendments 5 and 6 Pit Power Against Voters in Redistricting
Florida’s proposed Amendments 5 and 6 would diminish the power of incumbents and legislative majorities to pick their own voters when they draw up voting districts every 10 years.
Burglaries Spike 44% In Flagler in 1st Half of 2010; Violent Crime Falls Locally and Statewide
Aggravated assaults and robberies are down, but Bunnell continues to record a disproportionate number of arrests for a town its size in the semi-annual crime report, which points to the year’s overall crime trends.
Abu Ghraib Brutality in Florida’s Youth Prisons: Suit Charges Rape and Other Abuses
A class-action law suit against a private Florida juvenile prion contractor claims children were physically abused, forced to have sex with counselors, and kept from seeing lawyers.
When Courts and the Justice Department Conceal, Deceive and Lie: A Gitmo Fabrication
A U.S. District Court opinion about an Al-Qaeda suspect held at Guantanamo Bay’s Gitmo prison was removed from circulation and rewritten, revealing critical alterations and insights into the Justice Department’s elaborate deceptions, which undermine the credibility of the court system.
To Counter Bullying, Flagler Sheriff Is Giving Away 3,000 Internet Monitoring Programs
The free programs enable parents to keep track of their child’s internet activity and exposure, from chats to bullying, though the cyberbullying problem may be overstated.
Live Wire Weekend, Oct. 8-10: Torture Made in China (and America), Bullies and Trump
The Chinese Solzhenitsyn, Liu Xiaobo, wins the Nobel peace prize, class-size moves on, Ellen DeGeneres mourns bully victims, Orson Welles talks politics, Donald Trump talks presidential bid again, and much more.
Losses Accelerating As Economy Drops 95,000 Jobs Overall; Private Sector Adds 64,000
Economists had expected a loss of only a few thousand jobs. The September figures, led by government job declines, are in line with a continuing trend downward in Florida.
The Sentinel’s Mica Endorsement Over Beaven: Pork Is Good As Long As It’s Our Pork
The Orlando Sentinel’s unsurprising endorsement of John Mica over Heather Beaven replicates duplicity and errors rampant in discussions of federal spending, pork and earmarks.
The City of Palm Coast’s Problem With Breast Cancer Awareness Month? Not Regulation.
Lenny Grocki, a Palm Coast utilities employee, was told to go home and take off his pink steel-toed boots. When he switched to pink laces and pink socks, he was told he’d face disciplinary action for those, too.
The Live Wire, Oct. 7: Mario Vargas Llosa, “Christian” Homophobes, Soldiers and Privacy
The Nobel Prize goes to a great writer for once: Mario Vargas Llosa; plus the Supreme Court case on homophobes at soldiers’ funerals and more on privacy, obesity and hometown democracy.
Small Recovery Victories for Nate Truelove, the 7-Year-Old in Brutal Old Kings Road Wreck
Sixteen days after the accident that sheared in half the car he was riding in, Nate is still in critical condition but now breathing on his own and giving his family more reasons to hope.
Circuit Judge Raul Zambrano Will Take Over Kim Hammond’s Criminal Docket Come Jan. 1
Depending on who wins, Dennis Craig or Joe Horrox will be assigned to the civil and family division now assigned to Zambrano.The rotations in the 7th Judicial Circuit are made to familiarize judges with various aspects of the law.
Why You Won’t Have to Leave Your Foreclosed House (If You have a Good Lawyer)
Some banks are still insisting that their errors are minor and foreclosures will continue, but what they say publicly and do privately are two different things.
Idioting Up Over Islam, Rev. Franklin Graham Reveals America’s More Present Dangers
This time, Rev. Franklin Graham is unable to get away with his usual offenses and fallacies on Islam during a town hall with Christiane Amanpour.
All Maya All the Time: How the Government Building in Bunnell Became Archeology Central
The four-day Maya at the Playa Conference at the county and school building gathered the leading experts in Maya archeology and history from nine countries and 29 states, drawing some 160 participants.
Blogger and South Florida Health Care Firm Battle Over Workers Compensation Drug Costs
Automated HealthCare Solutions, a growing and politically powerful private firm in Miramar, is suing a solo blogger who accused the company of being part of a workers’ compensation system that benefits from “rampant greed.”
French Maids Worth the Miles, Not To Mention Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival
French maids like you’ve never seen them before, Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival returns, Kevin McKenzie at the Orlando Ballet, words to works at the Orlando Museum of Art, and more.
Census: Flagler’s Population Stalls at 91,600; 28% of Housing Units Vacant; Poverty Rising
The 2009 population figures mean that Flagler will almost certainly not cross into six-figure territory when decennial census figures are announced. Figures on housing, income, poverty and insurance were also released.
The Live Wire, Sept. 28: War Crimes, Pill Mills, Confederates and God
US soldiers as murderers, Florida pill mills poisoning the South, Bertrand Russell on God, tales from Fatland, folding up the Confederacy, and more.
Beyond the Wounds: Purple Heart Monument Dedication at Heroes Park Tuesday Morning
Tuesday morning’s Heroes Park dedication of a monument dedicated to Purple Heart recipients was to feature veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam and both Gulf wars.
Daytona Postmark Vanishing, Postal Service Says Palm Coast Deliveries Won’t Slow
To save $5.7 million and cut 109 jobs, the USPS is planning to close the Daytona Beach mail processing facility, where most of Palm Coast and Flagler’s mail goes, and merge it with Lake Mary, doubling the distance the mail will travel.
Defending “Eroticism,” Cheaters’ Suit Against Ormond Disputes City’s Capricious Annexation
Beyond matters of sex and sensibility, a federal lawsuit by Cheaters against Ormond Beach raises serious issues of a city’s arbitrary and capricious powers of annexation over businesses it doesn’t like.
The Live Wire, Sept. 27: Liquoring Up on Genesis, Mark Rothko and Jimmy Carter
It’s Banned Books Week; before ABC liquor, there was green; the Jimmy Carter diaries; let’s not forget Mark Rothko’s birthday, nor a limerick from Dallas the day.
Backgrounder: Why the U.S. Postal Service Is In Trouble
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.
Existing Home Sales Edge Up 5.2% in South, But Still at 15-Year Low
Existing home sales rebounded as expected from a severe plunge in July, but not by much, and the large housing supply will keep prices falling.
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.”
Pastor Jim Raley to Strip Club: Not In Our Midst
“Cheaters”‘ presence would be “a moral and ethical blow” to the region and should not be allowed to prosper locally, argues Jim Raley, senior pastor at Calvary Christian Center in Ormond Beach.
State’s Small-Government Plan to Scale Back Food Inspections at Child Cares Backfires
Weeks after a new state law removed Florida Department of Health inspectors from child-care centers in hopes of saving money, they’ve quietly been welcomed back into a few centers, with more to come.
Mahler’s Greatest Hit and Museum Madness in DeLand: Culture Worth the Miles
Plenty of art, sculptures and museum days in DeLand, Mahler’s great “Resurrection” Symphony performed by the largest orchestra the Orlando Philharmonic has ever assembled, and lots more.
Brainless: How the Pentagon Denies
Purple Hearts to Soldiers With Head Trauma
Long a laggard in recognizing head traumas and mental-health issues on par with more physically visible wounds, the Pentagon is refusing to award Purple Hearts to some soldiers despite evidence of injuries.
Unemployment Spikes in Flagler Back to Near Record at 16.4%; Florida’s Back Up to 11.7%
Flagler County’s unemployment spike is one of the steepest month-over-month rises since the recession began in 2008. Florida may already be in a double-dip recession.
The Live Wire Weekend Edition: Chief Chitwood’s Moron Moment
The Daytona police chief calls the Volusia sheriff a “moron,” Ginn defaults on another property, John Tanner enters the Daytona State College board follies, FedEx lays off in Lakeland and elsewhere–and raises its earnings outlook, and more.
Record 43.6 Million in Poverty; Record 50.7 Million Uninsured; Only Elderly Thrive
The Census Bureau’s annual poverty, income and insurance report is the hardest data yet on the severity of the recession. The elderly are not only spared: they improve.
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.