Gunnar Galambos pleads out in court, Circuit Judge Perkins is in pre-trials, including that of Brennan Hill, the Microtel shootist, the cold-weather shelter opens again, recalling “Homosexuality and Citizenship in Florida,” the 1964 legislative report.
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Whoopi Goldberg’s Holocaust Muddle
Whoopi Goldberg, co-host of ABC’s “The View,” set off a firestorm when she insisted on Jan. 31, 2022 that the Holocaust was “not about race.” Hands outstretched, she went on to describe the genocide as a conflict between “two white groups of people.” Her apology tour raised more questions about her views on race, antisemitism and the Holocaust.
‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill Advances in Legislature as Speakers Are Told Not to Say Too Much
The bill allows parents to sue school districts if they are not privy to situations related to their children or if their students are encouraged to have discussions on sexual orientation and gender identity. Opponents fear the bill would bring a chilling affect to Florida classrooms regarding LGBTQ students, putting them at risk of bullying. Almost all who addressed a Senate committee today were opposed to the bill.
‘Normal Life’ Likely a Month Away in Flagler as Omicron Surge and Covid Risks Recede
Flagler Health Department Medical Director Dr. Stephen Bickel expects a measure of normalcy to return to Flagler County in about a month as the covid pandemic’s latest surge tapers off. Hospitalizations have persisted even as new cases have fallen off, but hospitalizations always lag new cases by a few weeks.
Flagler County Fire Rescue Receives 400 Doses of Narcan from Florida Department of Health for Fifth Year
Flagler County Fire Rescue has an additional 400 doses of Narcan to administer, if needed, on each rescue truck thanks to the Florida Department of Health.
How Republicans Take Biden Relief Bill Money and Run, After Unanimously Opposing It
The Biden administration’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan package was opposed by every Republican in Congress and criticized by Republican governors, most of whom are now grabbing the money.
Palm Coast Boy’s Father Brutalizes His Son for Wearing Make-Up; 2 Felony Counts, But No Hate Crime Charge
Lomack J. Bennett, 33, was allegedly angered by his high school son wearing make-up and proceeded to slap him repeatedly, choke him, throw him to the ground and bust his lip, according to the boy’s account. He faces a child abuse “without great bodily harm” charge and a battery charge, but no hate crime charge.
Vacation Rental Bills Would Eliminate Flagler’s Ability to Regulate Occupancy or Conduct Inspections
Nearly identical Florida House and Senate bills that would all but eliminate Flagler County government’s authority to regulate vacation rentals are making their way through committees. The Senate bill started as more friendly to local regulations, and one committee approved it unanimously. But amendments have since pared that local regulatory power.
Florida Lawmakers Applaud Local School Board members Even as They Consider Cutting Their Salaries
Republican members of the Florida House and Senate have been pushing legislation to limit school board pay. At first, a House bill proposed zero salary for local school board members. Then, the Senate proposed a small salary of $29,697 — the same as Florida lawmakers, which would dramatically cut most school board member salaries.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, February 8, 2022
The cold-weather shelter is open tonight, the Flagler County Planning Board takes up the rezoning of Eagle Lake, the Palm Coast City Council talks public works, Joseph II talks burials.
How Truckers’ ‘Freedom Convoy’ Was Overtaken by Radical Fringe in Canada
The protest of commercial truckers swarming Canada’s capital in Ottawa shows how an issue can quickly be hijacked by extremist groups spouting themes of racism, hatred and violence.
Cost to Save Beaches and Properties in Flagler from Rising Seas: $6.3 Million a Year, Year After Year
Flagler County commissioners and other local officials heard the sobering conclusions of a seminal beach management study today, and the large costs ahead that will fall on all local governments and residents if the beaches are to be preserved. That money is nowhere in place for now, nor is a management plan.
Nissan and School Bus Carrying 25 Students Collide on Old Kings Road North, No Injuries
A Nissan Sentra and a Flagler County schools bus collided shortly after 4 p.m. today on North Old Kings Road at Fanshawe Lane, causing significant damage to the sedan but no injuries to the students on the school bus.
Transgender Athlete’s Challenge of Florida Ban on Hold Pending Resolution of St. Johns Bathroom Case
U.S. District Judge Roy Altman last week issued a stay in the challenge filed on behalf of a Broward County transgender girl who is in middle school. The lawsuit contends that the ban, passed by lawmakers last year, is unconstitutional and violates a federal law known as Title IX, which prohibits discrimination based on sex in education programs.
Imprisoned 4 Times in 16 Years, Palm Coast Man Faces 10 New Charges After Traffic Stop and Chase
Kevin Spearmon, 37, of Palm Coast, spent seven of the last 16 years in prison in four different stints mostly for two type of charges: drug possession or trafficking, and fleeing cops. He added more similar charges after fleeing cops and a brief chase Friday evening.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, February 7, 2022
Jason Reynolds on anxiety and book-banning, the Flagler County Commission holds a pair of meetings, including a workshop on beach issues, the Beverly Beach Town Commission meets, the biggest book ban advocates in the country are parents, Notes from Underground.
The Biggest Censor: Olympic Committee Silences Athletes’ Freedom of Speech
Beyond the Olympic’s facade of glitz, glamour and gold there’s a glaring and controversial regulation — the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Rule 50. Rule 50 prohibits athletes from demonstrating during competition or on the podium.
Florida’s Black Snow: How the Sugar Industry Makes Political Friends and Influences Elections
Florida produces more than half of America’s cane sugar and relies heavily on cane burning, a harvesting method in which the sugar industry burns crops to rid the plants of their outer leaves, producing pollution. Residents in the largely Black and Hispanic communities nearby claim the resulting smoke and ash harms their health. A city commissioner race provides a window into how the industry cultivates political allies, who help protect its interests.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, February 6, 2022
Cirque Ma’Ceo, the revolutionary theatrical experience, has its last day at the county fairgrounds, Ronald Reagan’s corruption and lawlessness, Richard Hofstadter on the Constitution’s paradox.
New Forms of Advertising Raise Questions About Journalism Integrity
Mainstream news media outlets have, in recent years, begun to create advertisements that look like news articles on their websites and on social media. Research raises questions about whether this modern form of advertising might influence those outlets’ real journalism.
Jamey “JuJu” Bennett, 19, Is Shot and Killed in Altercation Off Old Kings Road in Palm Coast
Early this morning, Jamey Jahiem Bennett, 19, a former student at Flagler Palm Coast High School, was shot and killed in the area of StorQuest Express, the self-storage facility off Old Kings Road North, just past Palm Harbor Parkway. Bennett is the third young Black man shot and killed in five weeks in Palm Coast and Bunnell.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, February 5, 2022
PCAF’s First Saturday Creative Bazaar Arts and Craft Market, Friends of the Library book sale at the Flagler County Public Library, John Adams on democracies’ suicidal tendencies, Olympic winners over the ages.
No, You’re Not Born Either Male or Female
Sex designation is not as simple as a glance and then a check of one box or another. Instead, the overwhelming evidence shows that sex is not binary. To put it another way, the terms “male” and “female” don’t fully capture the complex biological, anatomical and chromosomal variations that occur in the human body.
City Panel Votes to Name Sports Complex Baseball Field After Doug Berryhill, Palm Coast Little League Champion
The Palm Coast Beautification Committee voted 5-0 to rename Field 6 at the Indian Trails Sports Complex after Doug Berryhill, for more than a decade a legendary Palm Coast Little League vice president and coach who grew the organization and was beloved by thousands of families.
Joseph Bova, Serving Life for Murder, Rejects New Trial But Stunningly Wins Chance to Reduce Sentence to 45 Years
It was another astonishing court appearance and potential shift in a history of astonishing hearings and the trial involving Joseph Bova II, the now-34-year-old schizophrenic serving life in prison for the 2013 murder of Zuheily Rosado, the mother of five, at a Palm Coast convenience store on State Road 100.
Florida Department of Transportation Announces Crossing Guard Appreciation Day and Award Winners
The 2021 Florida School Crossing Guard of the Year is Pat Alfonso of the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, the 2021 Florida School Crossing Guard of the Year Extra Mile Award went to Heather Calloway of the Fort Walton Beach Police Department.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, February 4, 2022
Joseph Bova, convicted of murdering Zuheily Rosado at a Palm Coast convenience store in February 2013, is back in court, First Friday in Flagler Beach, Cirque Ma’Ceo at the county fairgrounds, Rigoletto in Daytona Beach and The Chris Thomas Band in Jacksonville.
ISIS’ Leader Is Dead. What Next for the Terrorist Group?
Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi was killed as he exploded a bomb at his compound in the country’s northwestern Idlib province. The blast also caused the death of members of his family, including children. Here’s how this raid fits the U.S.‘s counterterrorism strategy, and where it leaves the Islamic State.
It’s Fireworks as Usual in 2022 as Cities’ July 4 Grab Is Ticking Burst for Another Year
Flagler Beach and Palm Coast agreed to leave well enough alone this year, with July 4 fireworks in Flagler Beach and Palm Coast’s July 3 fireworks moved to the county airport. Palm Coast’s wish to have a some July 4’s of its own will be hashed out in future years.
In Trial Over Florida’s New Voting Law, Past Suppressions at Ballot Box Reverberate Anew
Post-Reconstruction history, first-hand narrative and statistics have laid the foundation this week in a legal challenge to a state election law that plaintiffs say will curtail Black and Hispanic Floridians’ ability to cast ballots and register to vote.
Florida GOP Lawmakers Pitches $15 Minimum Wage for School Service Workers
As schools across the state grapple with staffing shortages in positions such as bus drivers and food servers, senators are considering setting a minimum wage for school workers at $15 an hour.
Florida Judge Attacks Landmark 1st Amendment Decision Protecting Press as ‘Wrongfully Decided’
Judge Brad Thomas of the 1st District Court of Appeal wrote an 11-page concurring opinion that took aim at the Supreme Court’s 1964 New York Times v. Sullivan ruling, which, in part, required that public officials prove “actual malice” to prevail in defamation lawsuits. But the concurrence’s reasoning and citations lack context.
Sheriff Adds 160 Palm Coast Field Cameras at Parks and Other Facilities to Growing Surveillance Network
The Palm Coast City Council Tuesday voted to grant the Flagler County Sheriff untrammeled live access to the city’s 160 non-traffic surveillance cameras. Those cameras are not part of the sheriff’s license plate readers, which were installed a few years ago. The cameras in question in the latest agreement are all those located at city parks, City Hall, city facilities like its utilities department, including water and sewer plants, or public works department and other city-owned locations.
Bronx House Pizza Opens Feb. 13 Near Airport in Palm Coast
Residents of Palm Coast are invited to enjoy the newest and most dynamic member of its restaurant scene. Bronx House Pizza is formally announcing its opening at 5615 State Hwy 100 East, Suite 204, Palm Coast. The new location will open on Sunday, February 13th.
It’s Raining Rooftops: Palm Coast Council Approves 400 Units in 2 Gated Subdivisions in W and B Sections
The Palm Coast City Council approved 278 attached town homes just north of Belle Terre Elementary and 121 single-family homes in the W Section, both in what will be gated communities, as development in the city continues its torrid pace and the median single family home price reaches $350,000 with still-low supplies of homes for sale.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, February 3, 2022
Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin is the featured speaker at the meeting of the Palm Coast Democratic Club this evening, America’s non-partisan debt, an excerpt from John McGahern’s “The Barracks.”
11 Reasons Why Community College Students Quit Despite Being Almost Finished
Community colleges are designed to make college more accessible, yet 6 out of every 10 community college students cannot reap the full rewards of higher education because they do not earn their degree. For graduates, rewards often include making more money. For society, the reward is citizens who are more likely to vote, volunteer and pay more in taxes.
Florida House Completes Work on Its Own Voting Districts as Litigation Looms
The Florida House voted along party lines to approve a redistricting plan for itself and asked the state Senate to go along amid lingering uncertainty over the fate of congressional redistricting generated when Gov. Ron DeSantis got involved.
A City Seeks to Purchase Motels as Affordable Housing Instead of Letting Developers Demolish Them
The mayor of Reno is proposing to buy and rehabilitate motels through the Reno Housing Authority to accommodate low-income residents, moving quietly to buy two shuttered buildings, including one with a history of code violations that is now part of an estate sale.
Mondex Man Calls 911 Screaming for Help Then Allegedly Assaults Paramedics Who Responded
John Vincent Benning, 55, faces a felony aggravated assault charge after a Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy reported he assaulted paramedics with a metal pipe as they were tending to his brother’s health in the Mondex, or Daytona North, late Tuesday evening.
Shirley Chisholm Trail: Palm Coast Committee Votes 5-0 to Rename Pine Lakes Path After Maverick Black Leader
The Palm Coast Beautification Committee, an advisory panel of the Palm Coast City Council, is recommending the renaming of the Pine Lakes Trail along Pine Lakes Parkway to the Shirley Chisholm Trail to honor the first Black woman elected to Congress and run for president, before she moved to Palm Coast in 1991. The recommendation requires the council’s ratification, however.
$2,000 Reward for Return of Stolen “Quilty” Sculpture, One of 16 in Palm Coast Arts Foundation’s Turtle Trail
One or more thief stole “Quilty,” the sixth of 16 turtles in the Palm Coast Arts Foundation’s Turtle Trail, an $8,000 work installed in October 2019 at at the Grand Haven Condo Association’s Creekside Park, at Waterfront Park and Colbert Lane in Palm Coast.
Flagler Sheriff Presents 2021 Fourth Quarter Awards
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) celebrated those who serve and protect Flagler County with the 2021 Fourth Quarter Awards Ceremony Monday inside the Kim C. Hammond Justice Center in Bunnell.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, February 2, 2022
The Palm Coast Code Enforcement Board meets, Florida’s citrus crop is as bleak as ever (but not California’s), rediscovering Florence Price, Dostoevsky’s bleeding heart.
Facial-Recognition Technology’s Worrisome Government Uses
The U.S. stands at the edge of a slippery slope, and while that doesn’t mean facial recognition technology shouldn’t be used at all, it does mean that the government should put a lot more care and due diligence into exploring the terrain ahead before taking those critical first steps.
House Set to Vote on Plan to Scrap School Board Salaries
A bill that would eliminate salaries for school board members and increase scrutiny of the way public-school instructional materials and library books are chosen is now primed for consideration by the full House.
After 1,000 Manatee Deaths in a Year, Groups Sue to Upgrade Federal Protections
The Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife and the Save the Manatee Club filed the lawsuit in federal district court in Washington, D.C., against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
For Second Time in 3 Weeks, Flagler School Board Members Reject Declaration Against Hate
An attempt by Flagler County School Board member Colleen Conklin to revisit a proclamation denouncing hate speech failed today, with School Board member Jill Woolbright calling the debate a “waste of time” and Janet McDonald calling hate speech subjective.
Two 17 Year Olds Charged in Palm Coast Armed Home Invasion Will Plead to 10 to 15 Years in Prison
Darius Watts and Kori Jones were 15 years old when they took part in a home invasion robbery in Palm Coast’s P-Section in December 2020, when they victimized seven residents, beating and robbing them. They were charged as adults and faced up to life in prison if they were convicted on all charges. The plea deal allows them to lower the penalty substantially. A third defendant, Carlos Dupree, intends to go to trial.
Dear Chairman Tucker: Don’t Appease School Board’s Crackpots
School Board members Janet McDonald and Jill Woolbright are directly and exclusively responsible for the board’s degradation into binges of deceit and zealotry. Until they have their third vote, it’s in Chairman Trevor Tucker’s power to re-assert the reality-based majority he speaks for. Anything less is appeasement–or complicity.
