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Trump’s Unconditional Discharge Explained

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Donald Trump is now a convicted felon, and will be the first president of the United States with a felony conviction. The sentencing brings this phase of the case to an end. Once the sentence is officially entered in a final judgment, Trump can appeal the case, as he has a legal right to do so. Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, made clear during the sentencing that Trump intends to appeal.

Veranda Bay Developer Pauses Annexation into Flagler Beach to Draft Workaround Litigation Threat

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The Flagler Beach City Commission Thursday evening agreed to pause indefinitely further annexation steps involving Veranda Bay, the large development along John Anderson Highway. The city did so at the developer’s request. The pause and its indefinite timeline look more dramatic than they are. In fact, the pause appears to be more of a strategic retreat allowing the developer to redraw annexation plans in light of the threat of a lawsuit by opponents of annexation, had the original plan gone forward.

How the Santa Ana Winds Fuel California’s Deadly Fires

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Thousands of homes and other structures, including several schools, had burned by Jan. 9, and at least five people had died. Officials urged more than 180,000 residents to evacuate at the height of the fires. With the winds so strong, there was little firefighters could do to control the flames. Here’s what causes extreme winds like this in Southern California, and why they create such a dangerous fire risk.

New Rules: Palm Coast Council Restores Extra Workshop Among Changes Reflective of New Crew and Law

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The shiniest-new Palm Coast City Council since the city’s founding voted to restore a second monthly workshop to go along with the two monthly meetings it’s held nearly since the city’s creation in 1999. It’ll need it: the council, with just one member barely exceeding two years’ service and everyone else a rookie or close to it, collectively is the least experienced in the city’s history. The decision is part of a relatively modest rewriting of council procedures prompted by its members’ wish to be more accessible to the public.

Palm Coast Enacts Vacation Rental Regulations as 10-Guest Limit Survives, But Milestone May Be Sort-Termed

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Ending a half-year slog, the Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday approved the city’s first-ever short-term vacation rental regulations, with registration and inspection fees and penalties for violators. There are well over 200 such rentals in the city. The 10-guest cap per rental survived after a last-ditch attempt by two council members to raise it, but children exempt from counting against the cap may now be up to 3 years old. The previous exemption applied for children up to 1 year old.

How Jean-Marie Le Pen Mainstreamed Nationalist Bigotry

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The death of Jean-Marie Le Pen, former leader of the party once known as the National Front, occurs at a time when the mainstreaming of far-right politics in France seems almost complete. Le Pen was, for most of his career, considered the devil in French politics. Yet today, his party, headed by his daughter and now called National Rally (Rassemblement National), is at the gates of power.

Florida Grand Jury Investigating Covid Vaccines Finds No Evidence of Crimes

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The publication of the grand jury’s final report comes more than two years after Gov. Ron DeSantis asked the Supreme Court to assemble it to investigate wrongdoing related to the Covid vaccines. At the time, DeSantis eyed his unsuccessful bid for the presidency and explained his petition by saying that misrepresenting the efficacy of a drug was against Florida law.

Fired Palm Coast Utility Director’s ‘Whistleblower’ Action Details Grave Issues and Conflicts But No Smoking Gun

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Former Palm Coast Utility Director Amanda Rees in a nine-page “whistleblower” letter to the City Council detailed dysfunction, personality clashes, discordant expectations, leadership issues and poor diplomacy, along with fearful or preemptive politicking among an administrative leadership clearly jarred by what had been an unpredictable and at times rash City Council. But anyone looking for corruption, malice, or a smoking gun in the letter would not find it. The city rejected its whistleblower claim.

Flagler’s New Legislative Delegation, Meager in Money and Seniority, Tells Locals: Don’t Expect Much

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The much-diminished Flagler County Legislative Delegation took its seats this afternoon in Bunnell, cautioning local government and organization representatives seeking state aid for numerous projects that it’s a new, poorer day in Tallahassee, where federal Covid aid and legislative seniority are gone. Sen. Tom Leek and Rep. Sam Greco are each in his first term, though Leek brings eight years of service in the House, where he rose to the appropriations committee chairmanship before he was term-limited.

Drag Show Case Still Has Legs, Orlando Restaurant Challenging Florida Ban Argues

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As an appeals court considers the constitutionality of a 2023 Florida law banning children from attending drag shows, it is pondering whether the case moot after Hamburger Mary’s, the Orlando restaurant challenging the law closed. An attorney for Hamburger Mary’s argued in a brief to the court that the business has continued to produce drag shows with other venues and plans to host shows when it reopens in Kissimmee.

Plants that Evolved in Florida Over Millennia Face Extinction and Lack Protection

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The potential extinction of one of Florida’s ancient plant species is more than just the loss of an individual species; it’s the loss of millions of years of evolution. These plants have thrived in Florida’s ecosystems through gradual adaptations over millennia, and their disappearance would leave lasting gaps in the region’s evolutionary history. The collapse of these plant species also threatens the broader ecosystem, including wildlife such as scrub jays and insects such as bee flies that rely on them for food and shelter.

Lee Greenwood Brings His ‘God Bless the USA’ and American Spirit Tour to Palm Coast’s Fitz Arts Center

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Country music star Lee Greenwood bring his trademark patriotism, his star-spangled-shirt, his veteran recognitions, his “God Bless the USA,” his many hit songs and many that weren’t to the Fitzgerald Performing Arts Center in Palm Coast the evening of Jan. 23 for a 7 p.m. concert, just six days after Crystal Gayle, that goddess of country, descends with her river of hair on the Fitzgerald stage.

5 Years in Prison for Joshua Sevin, Who Pleads to Reduced Charge of Child Abuse

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Joshua Eugene Sevin, a 30-year-old resident of Lakeside Place in Palm Coast, was sentenced this afternoon to five years in prison followed by five years on the near-equivalent of sex-offender probation after pleading to two reduced charges of felony child abuse. He had originally been charged with two counts of molesting a middle-school girl. The two felony counts carried a maximum penalty of 30 years.

Owner Appeals ‘Dangerous Dog’ Designation But Doesn’t Contest Bulldog’s Two Violent Attacks in the Hammock

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For only the third time in 10 years, the Flagler County Commission will hear an appeal next week by a dog owner whose bulldog, Luke, was declared “dangerous” by the county’s special magistrate following two attacks in the Hammock last October. The case hinges in substantial part on the determination of  a county animal control officer who is facing an unrelated criminal charge of animal cruelty, a potential vulnerability in the county’s case. 

Electrical Vehicle Fires: Should We Be Worried?

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It’s save to own an electric vehicle, or EV, but only if certain safety measures are followed. Systemic measures, like advanced fire suppression systems in public spaces, are critical, but individual EV owners also play a vital role in minimising risks. Owning an EV with a home-charging setup offers great convenience, but it’s essential to address potential hazards.

Signaling Sunset of Florida’s Citrus Industry, Alico Inc., a Major Grower, Exits the Business

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Pointing to Florida’s decades-long fight with deadly citrus greening disease and damage from hurricanes, a major grower Monday announced it will “wind down” citrus operations and focus on more-profitable uses of its land. Fort Myers-based Alico Inc. said it will not spend additional money on citrus operations after the current crop is harvested. It said about 3,460 acres of its citrus land will be managed by other operators through 2026.

David Allen Gee, Known as Dr. Dave and Voice of FPC and Matanzas Football, Dies at 73

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David Allen Gee, age 73, of Palm Coast, Fla., passed away on January 2, 2025 at his home, surrounded by loving family after a long illness. David was a sportscaster in Atlanta and in Palm Coast was a D.J. on WNZF and KOOL – Lunch with Dr. Dave – for 10 + years and a D.J. on The Blizzard for five years. A sports junkie, he was also the radio voice of Matanzas and Flagler Palm Coast High School football in Flagler County.

‘Literally’ Is Here to Stay, and English Will Survive

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Few words so rile language purists as the use of the adverb “literally” in a figurative sense, as in, “That movie literally blew my mind.” While it might feel like nails screeching on a blackboard, the use of nonliteral “literally” developed as an organic and dynamic outgrowth of the very human desire to communicate emotion and intensity.

Rethinking Who Belongs on Historical Markers

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As the United States prepares to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, many states are inventorying, mapping and repairing old historical markers, as well as installing hundreds of new roadside signs, plaques and interpretive panels. In South Carolina, the focus is on sharing lesser-known stories of women, children, Native Americans, enslaved and free Black people and even the Loyalists who sympathized with King George III.

How Cities Are Reinventing the Public-Private Partnership

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An emerging trend with local governments engaged in private-sector collaborations – what we have come to describe as “community-centered, public-private partnerships,” or CP3s. Unlike traditional public-private partnerships, CP3s aren’t just about financial investments; they leverage relationships and trust. And they’re about more than just building infrastructure; they’re about building resilient and inclusive communities.

Clarence Thomas Eludes Investigation Over Ethics Lapses as Federal Courts Circle Wagons

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The federal courts will not refer complaints that Justice Clarence Thomas violated ethics laws to the Department of Justice for investigation. The national policymaking body for the federal courts on Thursday rejected Democratic lawmakers’ request to refer to the attorney general claims that Thomas violated the law when he failed to disclose luxury travel, the sale of property to billionaire Harlan Crow, and other gifts.

Men Are Carrying the Brunt of the ‘Loneliness Epidemic’

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Emotional pain is linked to serious health issues. But the public’s response to male expressions of emotion and vulnerability is often minimizing, if not dismissive. In May 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released an advisory highlighting what he described as an epidemic of loneliness and isolation in the country. Research confirms this scourge.

Bunnell’s 8,000-Home Development Plan Nears Approval. Residents Raise Questions. Officials Don’t.

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Members of the public had many questions, at least to the extent that they were allowed to speak their mind. Members of the Bunnell City Commission and its planning board barely had any as the two panels met in a joint workshop Thursday evening to examine the development agreement for the 8,000-home Reserve at Haw Creek project that will transform the city.

Behind the Scenes in the Battle Over “The Satanic Verses”

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In March 1989, Mahathir wrote a letter to then UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher that was blunt even by his standards. Unlike a lot of his angry letters, this one wasn’t published. Mahathir’s letter was about Salman Rushdie’s controversial book, “The Satanic Verses.” The letter has now been declassified and reveals uncomfortable words.

‘Smart Cities’ Are Also Surveillance Cities: Privacy-Busting Cameras Are Everywhere

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People on the roads are likely used to red light and security cameras at intersections, but advancements in cloud technology and artificial intelligence allow transit agencies and cities to collect far more data than ever before, and to use that data in more strategic ways. But with increased monitoring, data collection and analysis comes ethical and privacy concerns.

Despite Investigation Clearing Starbucks, Moody Targets Company for Alleged Race-Based Hiring

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Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody in May filed a complaint with the Florida Commission on Human Relations alleging that Starbucks had policies that “appear on their face to be racial quotas.” But after an investigation, the commission’s executive director in November issued a determination that there was “no reasonable cause” to believe that the Seattle-based coffee company violated a state anti-discrimination law.

Election Reform Lost in the Last Election

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In the 2024 election, voters proved hesitant to overhaul the election systems they were already familiar with, as almost all of the reforms failed. Voters become familiar with the electoral system they live under and can be slow to embrace changes to that system. It can take several election cycles before they fully adapt to these changes.

Court Sides with Prison Guards Accused of ‘Deliberate Indifference’ in Restrained Inmate’s Death

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A panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 decision, upheld a district judge’s ruling granting summary judgment to 10 Lake Correctional Institution officers. The estate of inmate Jose Gregory Villegas filed the lawsuit, but a district judge and the appeals-court majority found that the officers were entitled to what is known as qualified immunity.