“Charley’s Aunt,” at City Repertory Theatre, First Friday in Flagler Beach, “Driving Miss Daisy” at Flagler Playhouse, other media catch up to Will Fury’s sleaze, extremists and political violence.
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Political Violence, at Home in America
A warning about the threat of political violence heading into the 2022 midterm elections was issued to state and local law enforcement officials by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Oct. 28.
Potential Storm Has Flagler Officials Worried About Further Damage to Weakened Dunes
A storm developing east of the Bahamas has Flagler County officials worried–not about a significant wind or rain event, but about higher tides, high waves and further damage to the already weakened dune system along the county’s 18 miles of coastline.
FEMA Dollars May Not Be Enough to Rebuild Pier, State Emergency Chief Guthrie Tells Flagler Officials
Florida Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie told a group of Flagler County and Flagler Beach officials that they’ll need to lobby their state representatives for additional money if they hope to have all the funds necessary for an 800-foot concrete replacement pier.
Palm Coast Loses Firefighter-Paramedic Brant Gammon to Cancer Days After He Is Honored for Milestones
The Palm Coast Fire Department’s Firefighter-Paramedic Brant Gammon died today of an inoperable brain tumor less than three months after he was diagnosed, and barely two weeks after he was recognized in a ceremony for earning his paramedic certification. He had just turned 51 on Tuesday.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, November 3, 2022
Three days left for early voting, open registration for spring 2023 classes at all DSC campuses, the Pegasus String Quartet in recital, Beppe Severgnini on shopping in America.
Christian Nationalism’s Gated Community
According to a May 2022 poll from the University of Maryland, 61% of Republicans favor declaring the United States a Christian nation – even though 57% recognized that it would be unconstitutional. Christian nationalism is more than religiosity and patriotism. It is a worldview that guides how people believe the nation should be structured and who belongs there.
Flagler Schools Have Been Quietly Banning or ‘Removing’ Many Books Since Summer in Bow to ‘Moms for Liberty’
The school district has been quietly and steadily banning books from library shelves at Flagler Palm Coast and Matanzas High, and at Indian Trails and Buddy Taylor middle schools since summer, FlaglerLive has found, with every title part of a list of challenges from just three members of the group known as “Moms for Liberty.” There is no indication that the challengers are reading the books, but they have been asked to join the district’s review committee.
Amendment 3: Is Yet Another Homestead Exemptions Needed, Or Prudent?
Florida voters could offer significant property tax exemptions to Florida’s teachers, firefighters, active-duty members of the U.S. military, and other specified professions, amid a relatively hostile housing market. But a well-meaning tax exemption may bring about other complications, such as a loss of local government tax revenue.
Brittany Myers, Former NICU Nurse, Sentenced to 14 Months in Prison Over Child Beatings
Brittany Ann Myers, the 39-year-old former neonatal intensive care nurse and mother of five, was sentenced Monday to 14 months in prison followed by three years on probation for brutalizing her 14-year-old son, acts captured on video by the boy’s sister.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, November 2, 2022
The county’s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee talks building incentives, early voting continues, an explanation of Magritte’s treachery of images, the rise of juvenile delinquency, circa 1921.
Race-Based Diversity in College Admissions Is on the Brink of Extinction
The U.S. military learned a valuable lesson about race during the Vietnam War: Diversity does not happen without affirmative action. The conservative majority of the United States Supreme Court is about to unlearn that lesson.
American Legion Post 115 Commander Headlines Flagler-Palm Coast County Veterans Day Ceremony
The Flagler County Board of County Commissioners and the City of Palm Coast invite residents to gather for a blended Veteran’s Day Ceremony at 10 a.m. Friday, November 11, at Central Park to honor the men and women who bravely served in the country’s military. The “Flagler County Colonel Gary E. DeKay Veteran of the Year” award recipient will be announced.
Sen. Ben Sasse, ‘Sole Finalist,’ Chosen by Trustees to Lead University of Florida After Secret Search
The University of Florida’s Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to approve Nebraska’s U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse as the new president to lead Florida’s flagship institution, despite weeks of outcry, questions about the senator’s political views, and an air of secrecy around the search process that led to his candidacy.
The board agreed to provide compensation for Sasse that would be up to but not exceed $1.6 million.
The Next Medical Examiner for Flagler, St. Johns and Putnam: Powerful Panel Narrows List of Candidates to 5
The committee tasked with recommending a new medical examiner for Flagler, St. Johns and Putnam County this morning narrowed its search to five applicants who will be interviewed for the $320,000-a-year job on December 6 in St. Augustine. The five candidates are Kent Harshbarger, Keng-Chih Su (he goes by Kenny), Stacey Simons, Catherine Miller and Wendolyn Snead.
‘A Failed Model Ends Today,’ Recovery Pioneer Says in Flagler Launch of New Drug Treatment
Dr. Kenneth Scheppke, a state health official, appeared in Flagler County alongside others in a formal launch of a $1.3 million, medically assisted drug-addiction treatment system called Coordinated Opioid Recovery, or CORE. Flagler is one of 12 counties in the state to enact the program.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, November 1, 2022
The school board rehearses saying good bye to Trevor Tucker, Jill Woolbright and Janet McDonald, early voting continues, the Lisbon earthquake of 1755, How To Build a Semi-Fascist Party.
The Dangers Behind the Supreme Court Losing Legitimacy
The Supreme Court’s historically low public standing has prompted a national conversation about the court’s legitimacy. It’s even drawn rare public comment from three sitting Supreme Court justices. What’s referred to by experts as the problem of “judicial legitimacy” may seem abstract, but the court’s faltering public support is about more than popularity.
Sheriff’s SWAT Team Assists FBI in Serving Warrants in ‘Multiple Locations’ in Flagler
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office’s SWAT team joined agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation early this morning to serve warrants in “multiple” locations around the county, Sheriff Rick Staly said. But details about the operation, as is common when federal agents are the lead agency, are scant to none.
Higher Proportion of Flagler Democrats Are Voting Than GOP, But Still Not Enough to Outnumber Advantage
The perception is that Democrats appear to be sitting on their hands. They’re not: they’re outvoting Republicans, but only in proportion to their registration numbers, not in ballots cast. Since there are so many more registered Republicans than there are Democrats in the county, Democrats’ slight enthusiasm edge has not been nearly enough to compensate for the huge gap in actual ballots cast by Republicans.
Flagler County Emergency Management Planner Nealon Joseph Deploys to Lee County
Flagler County Emergency Management Planner Nealon Joseph, a mass care (sheltering, victim/evacuee care) specialist, was requested to deploy to the Lee County’s Emergency Operations Center to relieve existing mutual aid support from Brevard County.
Safety Meeting for Holiday Boat Parade Will be Held at Palm Coast Community Center
The venue for the required safety meeting for registered boat captains in the 2022 Holiday Boat Parade on December 3 has been changed. The meeting will be held this year at the Palm Coast Community Center, 305 Palm Coast Parkway NE, Palm Coast, Florida 32137, not at Pine Lakes Golf Club as previously announced.
Halloween Hangover: Gas Prices Will Jump at Least 25 Cents Tuesday as Election Ploy Ends
The GOP-dominated Florida Legislature and the Biden administration have both manipulated gas prices ahead of the 2022 election, with a gas-tax cut in Florida that ends tonight, sending prices soaring 7 percent overnight, and continued releases from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, now at its lowest since 1984.
Churches Are Breaking the Law by Endorsing in Elections, Experts Say. The IRS Looks the Other Way.
For nearly 70 years, federal law has barred churches from directly involving themselves in political campaigns, but the IRS has largely abdicated its enforcement responsibilities as churches have become more brazen about publicly backing candidates.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, October 31, 2022
The Halloween Hall of Terror is back at Palm Coast Fire Station 21, giving books for treats instead of candy, Lake Okeechobee in memoriam.
The Ethics of Cancelling Student Debt
Is student debt cancellation unfair? It isn’t as simple as yes or no answer. It seems to violate the moral principle of following through on one’s promises. Fairness and respect, however, also demand that society address the magnitude of student debt today, and especially the burden it imposes on low-income, first-generation and Black borrowers.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, October 30, 2022
The Halloween Hall of Terror is back at Palm Coast Fire Station 21, “Charley’s Aunt,” at City Repertory Theatre, Steinbeck’s East of Eden, a word from M*A*S*H.
Elon Musk Is Wrong: Content Rules Preserve Free Speech
Musk’s likely acquisition of Twitter raises concerns that the social media platform could decrease its content moderation. Research shows that stronger, not weaker, moderation of the information ecosystem is called for to combat harmful misinformation. It also shows that weaker moderation policies would ironically hurt free speech.
Will Furry Chooses Sleaze. Again.
Will Furry, the candidate for Flagler County School Board in the race he’s contesting against Courtney VandeBunte, is running a sleazy campaign funded by deceptive PACs and rich in lies and fabrications. Yet he calls it his “journey of faith.”
Witches in Bunches Ride the Streets as Flagler Beach Creates New Brew For Art’s Charms
The first Witches of Flagler Beach Bike Ride surprised residents and drivers along a 2.5-mile circuit in the city this morning as some 30 witches on bikes took to the streets, an event organized by the fledgling Flagler Beach Creates, a volunteer organization focused on enriching the city’s public art and culture.
Expect Higher Power Bills: FPL Wants to Make Customers Pay $1.1 Billion More for Ian Repairs
About $220 million of the $1.1 billion would be used to replenish a storm reserve, Kirk Crews, executive vice president and chief financial officer of NextEra Energy, FPL’s parent company, said Friday during a third-quarter earnings call with analysts.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, October 29, 2022
Witches of Flagler Beach Bike Ride, “Charley’s Aunt,” at City Repertory Theatre, Halloween Scavenger Hunt in Flagler Beach, Northeast Florida Jazz Association, Boswell, Vaclav Havel.
Dangerous Flagler Beach Pier Is Condemned, Demolition Moved Up As Hazards Worry City Officials
With repair costs pegged at $2 million over 14 months and dangerous collapses possible, the Flagler Beach City Commission agreed to condemn the rickety pier and wall it off, accelerating a demolition schedule in preparation for the construction of a $15 to $18 million, 800-foot concrete pier that could be completed in late 2025.
Angry American Voters. Good for Turnout. Bad for Democracy.
Guided by the mantra that an angry voter is a loyal voter, politicians have a strong incentive to agitate the American public – incumbents and challengers alike. Anger’s ability to cause individuals to socially polarize has potentially drastic ramifications for the health of American democracy. Crucially, social polarization precludes opportunities to form ties and build relationships with people from diverse backgrounds.
FEMA and Flagler Open ‘Disaster Recovery Center’ at County Fairgrounds
Flagler County Emergency Management has been working with the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA), which will open a “Disaster Recovery Center” on Saturday, October 29, at the Flagler County Fairgrounds, 150 Sawgrass Road, Bunnell.
Courtney VandeBunte, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Courtney VandeBunte is in a runoff election for the open District 2 seat on the Flagler County School Board, facing Will Furry. All Flagler voters, regardless of party affiliation and address, may cast a ballot in the race.
Will Furry, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Will Furry is in a runoff election for the open District 2 seat on the Flagler County School Board, facing Courtney VandeBunte. All Flagler voters, regardless of party affiliation and address, may cast a ballot in these races.
Inmate with Competency Issues Is Tased Twice Into Submission After Challenging Deputies With Broken Plunger
Isaac Brevil, 35, whose competency has been ordered examined by a Flagler court, was twice tased and subdued in a violent scuffle with deputies at the county jail after he allegedly broke a plunger, turned it into a weapon and attempted to stab a deputy with it.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, October 28, 2022
Early voting, the Scenic A1A Pride Committee meets, Theatre UCF’s ‘Working,’ the Volstead Act and Erasmus’s Praise of Folly, and a happy birthday to Andy Sipowicz.
A New Tool for Protecting Newly Hatched Sea Turtles
Humans can best protect sea turtle hatchlings as they make their way from the beach to the sea if they know precisely when the baby turtles will appear. But predicting emergence has been difficult. By placing a simple sensor disguised as a turtle egg in the nest, it indicates when the baby turtles would emerge from the sand and swarm toward the water.
City Repertory Theatre and Beau Wade Drag ‘Charley’s Aunt’ Onto the Stage
“Charley’s Aunt,” a favorite farce for over a century, the play is laugh-out-loud fun from start to finish. Written by the Liverpool-born British playwright and actor Brandon Thomas, the play premiered in England in 1892, broke the then-current record for longest-running play worldwide, landed on Broadway in 1893 and later toured internationally. It has been revived ever since, as well as adapted for films and musicals.
Carlos DuPree, 36, Sentenced to Life in Prison for Armed Home Invasion in Palm Coast’s P-Section
Carlos DuPree, a St. Louis man who’d been in Palm Coast just 10 days the night he said he wanted to buy $400-worth of pot at a house on Prospect Lane, was sentenced to life in prison this afternoon at the end of a four-day trial on six charges, including armed robbery during a home-invasion on Prospect Lane.
Trump’s Persistent Lies About 2020 Results Undermining Supervisors of Election’s Assurances of Sound Process
The challenges have come amid supervisors’ years-long battle to convince voters that, contra Trump lies, election processes aren’t rigged, an issue that took root and spread as Trump and maga supporters continue to maintain that Joe Biden’s 2020 victory was fraudulent.
Flagler Cares Awards $800,000 in 1st Round of Social Service ‘Catalyst’ Grants
Flagler Cares on Wednesday announced its inaugural “catalyst fund” grants totaling $800,000 to three organizations that will each provide needed social services in Flagler County–for teens suffering from anxiety and depression, for individuals and families recovering from abuse or other forms of dislocation, and for the food-insecure.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, October 27, 2022
Early voting, The Flagler Beach City Commission talks pier and utility rates, The Flagler Education Foundation hosts a tour of Flagler Palm Coast High School’s Classrooms to Career programs, Teddy Roosevelt’s racism, Ross Douthat on California’s extremism.
State Courts Are Fielding Sky-High Number of Lawsuits Ahead of Midterms
The current volume of state election litigation also has the potential to derail the safeguards that state courts can provide. When every aspect of an election becomes a lawsuit, negative effects may follow – including destabilizing elections, overwhelming already strained courts and imposing significant costs on states.
At Post-Ian Town Hall, Flagler Beach Projects Resilience, Public Is More Guarded
The city’s message was: Between city preparedness, the mobilization of volunteers, the city’s (and the county’s) continuing luck and ongoing planning for recovery, Flagler Beach made it through with limited damage but to its pier and beaches, which are unrecognizable. Some residents were a bit less cheery.
Developer Planning 750-Home Subdivision, One of Palm Coast’s Largest, at SR100 and Old Kings Road
In what would be one of the largest developments in Palm Coast, a company is applying to build up to 750 upscale single-family homes in a Grand Haven-like gated community over 500 acres stretching from State Road 100 north, parallel to Old Kings Road.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, October 26, 2022
Early voting continues, so does Carlos Dupree’s trial for home invasion, Hurricane Ian Information Forum in Flagler Beach, Weekly Chess Club for Teens, Domenico Scarlatti’s birthday.
DeSantis Administration Violated Public Records Law With Snub of Migrant Flight Data Request
A Leon County circuit judge Tuesday ruled that Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration did not comply with the state’s public-records law after an open-government group sought records about a controversial decision to fly migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts.