The 2012 Florida legislative session is over. Here’s a recap list of some of the bills that passed and some that failed, from abortion to charter schools to Sharia law.
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Abandoned By Its Chief Executives and Board, Heritage Academy Loses Appeal to Stay Open
A seven-hour hearing ended in the Flagler County School Board voting 4-1 to uphold its decision to close Heritage Academy, whose CEO, Doug Jackson, and own board members were no-shows, leaving the school’s defense in the hands of its dean of students.
Woman’s Arm Severed in 3rd Bike Week Wreck in 5 Days on Flagler Roads
A single-bike wreck on State Road 11 south of Cody’s Corner left a woman with a severed left arm and her fiancee, who was piloting the bike, with various fractures Tuesday afternoon.
Shannon Diamond, Flagler County Youth Center’s Assistant Director, Arrested on DUI
Shannon Diamond, a full-time employee of the school district, is a role model to the 80-some students who use the Youth Center daily, his employers say. A decision on his status hadn’t been reached Tuesday. He was due at work.
Flagler Unemployment Improves to 13.5%, Florida’s to 9.6% as Trend Solidifies
Flagler County’s January unemployment rate of 13.5 percent,. released Tuesday, is the best in three years, going back to December 2008, when it was 11.8 percent.
From “I’m Not a Dog” To Compromising Bullets as Teachers Union and District Negotiate
After recriminations and a particularly insulting whistle from the district’s lead negotiator, the two sides appeared headed for compromise over the one issue–how teachers are to be evaluated–keeping the district from approving the 2012-13 teachers contract.
62-Year-Old Zip-Tied and Robbed on Lancaster Lane; 2 Girls Charged With Burglaries
In a pair of unrelated events, a 62-year-old was robbed of guns, cash and jewelry on Palm Coast’s Lancaster Lane Sunday evening while two girls, 16 and 17, were charged with a half dozen car burglaries they called “car shopping.”
Better Assisted Living Oversight Fails as Legislature Drops Several Health Care Bills
Florida lawmakers ended the 2012 session without passing major health-care bills dealing with assisted-living facilities, malpractice lawsuits and physicians dispensing drugs to workers-compensation patients.
Flagler Reads Together: The Red Badge of Courage, Chapter 1
Stephen Crane’s Red Badge of Courage, Chapter 1: Union soldier Henry Fleming mulls his fears and apprehensions before his first battle against Confederate forces on the other side of the river.
Seeking Thaw, Flagler School Board Pleads Its Case Against Teachers’ Charge of “Bad Faith”
School Board member Colleen Conklin and Superintendent Janet Valentine explain why the controversy over a controversial provision in teachers’ contract doesn’t tell the whole story.