Like many states, Florida does not provide lost wages to first responders disabled with PTSD. A bill that would change that is now gaining momentum after 17 people were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last month.
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Monday Briefing: Kristin McCabe-Kline, Repaving Old Dixie Highway, U.S. Air Force Band, Tennis Day
Dr. Kristin McCabe-Kline, the emergency medicine director, is FHF’s physician of the quarter, the county commission approves a repaving contract, the legislature talks Daylight Saving permanence.
Florida Senate Backs Arming Teachers And Rejects Assault Weapons Ban
The Senate plan and a similar House proposal would allow school boards to decide whether they want to implement a “marshal” proposal to arm certain teachers.
“Do 17 Good Deeds”
Many Join Students Marching Across Flagler Beach Bridge For Gun Sense and Safety
A march of about 200 people across the Flagler Beach Bridge drew students, faculty, administrators and politicians and ended in a brief stand at First Friday for safety measures in schools.
Palm Coast Tells Matanzas Golf That Foreclosure Is On Again as Deadline Passes
Matanzas Golf Club owners did not comply with a deadline to demolish or renovate a cart barn at the site and now face a resumption of Palm Coast’s foreclosure proceedings.
Gov. Scott Pleads For More Cops In Schools as Safety Plans Provoke Divisions
Scott’s $500 million package would require, among other things, school boards to assign a law enforcement officer to each school and at least one resource officer for every 1,000 students.
Palm Coast Resident In New York For Friend’s Birthday Party Is Murdered Outside Pizzeria
Hakeem Javon Griffin, a 22-year-old resident of Ryan Drive in Palm Coast, was killed in an argument on a street in Queens, N.Y. on Feb. 28.
Weekend Briefing: The Nerd, Student March, Flagler Reads Together, Fearless Women, Chamber Players
Students march to Flagler Beach, “The Nerd” at the Playhouse, Flagler Reads Together kickoff, the Palm Coast Chamber Players in concert, Robert Wittman, founder of the FBI’s art crimes division, is back, and much more.
After Parkland Massacre, Friday’s Student-Led March Across Flagler Beach Bridge Aims for Solidarity of the Possible
The march head toward First Friday was organized by Flagler Palm Coast High’s Tyler Perry, mixing solidarity with students in South Florida with more local goals about safety.
3 Arrests Yield Stash of Weapons, Cash and Drugs–and Former Member of Mosquito Control Board
The arrests took place at 15 Fariston Place and 196 Pine Grove Drive in Palm Coast, yielding almost $50,000 in cash, more than a dozen firearms, and several pounds of pot.
Water’s Chlorine Taste, Smell and Discoloration Affects South Palm Coast Customers
A mechanical problem at one of the Palm Coast’s three water treatment plants Thursday caused the level of chlorine to spike, and shut down the plant.
Gov. Scott’s Boasts of “Recovering” $1.2 Million From Palm Coast Data Aside, New Documents Detail Extent of Deal’s Failures
Documents obtained by FlaglerLive and disclosed for the first time show the extent of Palm Coast Data’s difficulties and some of Palm Coast government’s own deception along the way.
Tougher Texting-While-Driving Law Passes House Overwhelmingly But Stalls In Senate
Appropriations Chairman Rob Bradley has indicated the proposal likely won’t appear in the Appropriations Committee before the legislative session ends next week.
Ex-Youth Pastor Convicted of Molesting Teen Church Members Back in Court, and Jail
Christopher Thomas Miller was convicted of molesting two 15-year-old girls at Bunnell’s Praise Assembly of God in 2006, but was jailed over violating his probation.
Thursday Briefing: Flagler Volunteer Services’ $10,000, Nate McLaughlin Visits Democrats, Ex-Youth Pastor In Court
Flagler Volunteer Services raised $10,000 at its masked and Venice-styled fund-raiser, Chris Miller, the ex-youth pastor found guilty of molesting children, is in court on a probation violation, spring conferences in elementary schools.
Gently But Firmly, Flagler Beach Tells County It Wants Control Over Wickline Center Back
The Wickline Center on Daytona Avenue is city-owned, but entirely controlled by the county, a situation the city wants changed in view of a revamp of that entire city-owned block, including the Montessori school.
Holy Cow! Three Crashes, Three Dead Cows in Three Separate Areas of West Flagler
Three vehicles, including a cop’s car, were totaled overnight in crashes with cows on three different Flagler County roads. The drivers were not hurt. Cows’ owners have yet to be identified.
Palm Coast and Matanzas Golf Course Owners Reach Agreement, With Conditions
Palm Coast government has agreed to significantly code enforcement reduce its lien on the Matanzas golf course in exchange for a dismissal of all pending litigation.
Ding Dong! The Obamacare Tax Penalty Is(n’t) Dead–Not Until 2019
That means you still will owe an Obamacare tax penalty if you didn’t have health insurance or an exemption from the mandate in 2017. The same holds true for this year.
Democrats, ‘Party of Intellectuals,’ Have a Second-Amendment Blind Spot
Americans possesses an unalienable and inherent right of self-defense, a lawfully armed citizenry is a free citizenry, and no government has merited the total trust of its people.
Wednesday Briefing: Wadsworth Skate Park Upgrades, Compassionate Friends, Sabal Palms, Orwell
Wadsworth skate park is getting an $80,000 upgrade, Sabal Palms, another assisted living facility, holds its grand opening, texting while driving at the Legislature, Orwell on poverty.
Does Palm Coast Have a Panhandling Problem? Council Member Thinks So, But Legal Options Are Limited
Palm Coast City Council member Heidi Shipley, citing “regulars” panhandling on Old Kings Road and Palm Coast Parkway, wants an anti-panhandling ordinance.
Palm Coast Council Whittles Charter Amendments Down to 3 Minor Changes
Council members discarded the idea of expanding the council to seven members and stuck to minor changes about elections in case of death or resignation, and the next charter-review process.
Bunnell Inmate With 8 Prior Charges For Assaulting Cops Gets 9th One
Samuel Higgins is awaiting trial on assault and burglary charges at the Flagler County jail. He threatened a correction’s deputy’s life and threw a liquid at him, an offense for which he’d previously served prison time.
Ban on Assault-Type Guns Fails in Raucous Hearing, Training and Arming Teachers Passes
The intense debate came during a Senate Rules Committee hearing on a broad package addressing school safety, guns and mental health, in response to this month’s massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland that left 17 people, including 14 students, dead.
Tuesday Briefing: Palm Coast Charter, Wickline Center’s Future, Get Out the Vote, Entrepreneur Night
The NAACP holds the season’s first Get Out the Vote campaign, Sheriff Staly is the Elks’ Citizen of the Year, Palm Coast talks charter, Flagler Beach talks Wickline, and Willie is in St. Augustine.
Bunnell’s Charles Cowart Jr. Arrested Again, For Allegedly Stealing 15 Flags in 3 Cities
Charles Cowart Jr. is accused of stealing enormous flags from Palm Coast Parkway and Indian Trails Sports Complex, among others. He’s been arrested many times for doing strange things.
For All of Sheriff Staly’s “Green Roof Inn” Tough Talk, the Green Also Stands For Hope and Renewal
Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly today unveiled the Stride Program at the county jail, an ongoing rehabilitation and preparatory program to help inmates reintegrate society and stay out of jail.
Flagler Beach Cuts Its Lifeguards in Half, Narrowing Coverage Area Closer to Pier
A $100,000 cut from the lifeguard budget accommodated the addition of a cop, a firefighter and a raise to the city manager, but will result in a smaller lifeguard coverage area.
As Calls For Broward Sheriff’s Removal Mount, Scott Orders Investigation of School Shooting Response
The directive came as House Speaker Richard Corcoran sent a letter co-signed by 73 Republican House members requesting that Scott suspend Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel, a Democrat.
Monday Briefing: Banning Vaping in Bunnell, Old Kings EarlyAct, African-American Entrepreneurs, Orientalism
Bunnell wants to ban vaping in certain places, The African-American Entrepreneurs Club hosts a networking event to celebrate Black History Month, The McCartney Years.
Inside Atomwaffen As It Celebrates a Member for Allegedly Killing a Gay Jewish College Student
When Samuel Woodward was charged with killing 19-year-old Blaze Bernstein last month, Atomwaffen members cheered the death, concerned only that the group’s cover might have been blown.
Robert Barshied, Missing Two Days, Is Found Dead Near Bings Landing, an Apparent Suicide
Robert Barshied, 69, of Matanzas Shores, was found dead in a marsh after an extensive air, sea and foot search. He’d left a suicide note at his home.
Zambrano Orders Judge Scott DuPont to Clear Out of His Offices In Flagler and Putnam
Chief Judge Raul Zambrano’s order, delivered to DuPont by letter today, is as close to the firing of a judge short of a Supreme Court impeachment, and follows an investigation’s withering recommendation for removal.
Behind the Shooting On Seamanship Trail: Drugs, Underage Sex and Mom’s Warnings
Contents of Tristan George’s phone reveal incriminating texts and videos about underage sex and drugs, and warnings to the Palm Coast man from his mother about his behavior.
Epic Child Abuse Case Fails Stand Your Ground Defense in Debacle of Witnesses
An unusual stand-your-ground case unfolded in Flagler court this morning over an allegation that a 39-year-old man punched a 16-year-old girl at Epic Theater in palm Coast last October.
Lawmakers Craft Law Allowing Teachers To Carry Guns In Florida Schools
The controversial measure would allow trained teachers to bring guns to schools, a concept that has divided Republican politicians and faces opposition from Democrats and educators.
Weekend Briefing: Job Fair, Volunteer Services Gala, Flagship Showcase, Shakespeare In the Park, George Winston
Flagler Volunteer Services holds a fund-raising gala, The annual Flagler jobs fair at DSC, Shakespeare in the Park all weekend in Town Center, Leading ladies at FPC, George Winston performs at Stetson.
New Trouble For Gunshot Victim and Suspect: Rape Charge Involving a Minor
Tristan George, 19, was shot outside his Palm Coast house at 28 Seamanship Trail in November in a case still under investigation. He now faces a statutory rape charge.
With ‘Macbeth’ and Measureless Content, Palm Coast Arts Foundation and City Rep Theatre Launch Shakespeare In the Park
It’s “Macbeth” time Thursday through Sunday as the Palm Coast Arts Foundation and City Repertory Theatre hope Shakespeare in the Park, in Town Center, becomes a local tradition.
Felony Counts Against Ex-Supervisor
Kim Weeks Back Up To 9 In Latest Twist
Six weeks before trial, the prosecution has re-filed against ex-Elections Supervisor Kim Weeks, bringing up the counts against her back to nine in a move to turn up the pressure and angle for a plea. Weeks is not biting.
Thursday Briefing: African-American Read-In, Shakespeare In the Park, Leading Ladies, Art League Gig
Two plays kick off, Belle Terre Elementary hosts its second African-American Readi-In, vacation rentals get two legislative hearings, Kim Weeks in court, the art league celebrates its 40th.
School Shooting Survivors Demand Change in Tallahassee, But NRA-Backed Bills Only “Paused”
Students turned into activists as they cried, pleaded and argued with lawmakers Wednesday in the state Capitol, but they made limited gains, if any, with pro-gun bills merely paused.
In a First, Palm Coast Drug Dealer Is Indicted on 1st Degree Murder in Overdose Death of Savannah Deangelis
Joseph Colon, 34, of Palm Coast, is accused of selling the heroin and fentanyl that killed Savannah Deangelis, 23, moments later at her Grand Haven home last October.
Anxious Morning of Gun Threats in Palm Coast Affecting 3 Schools, and a Demonstration by 200 Students at FPC
A gun threat at FPC’s i3 Academy proved unfounded, Buddy Taylor and Wadsworth went on lockdown as deputies resolved another gun threat in Palm Coast’s P-Section, and 200 students at FPC demonstrated against gun violence.
“I’d Like To Stare At Him In the Eyes Now”
Serial Masked Armed Robber Sentenced To 30 Years as Victim Rebukes Him
A Terranova Restaurant owner in court today told castigated Charles Rushing-Griffen for the way he’d stared at her while robbing her at gunpoint in December.
Wednesday Briefing: Elijah Miller, Veterans Show on WNZF, Citizenship Ceremony, Gordon Lightfoot
Flagler College celebrates its new president with a U.S. citizenship ceremony, a new show for veterans begins on WNZF, suicide prevention in Tallahassee, Gordon Lightfoot is at the Peabody.
Teacher Unions Protected But Public Funding of Private School Students Advances
The Florida Senate rejected a House proposal to dissolve teacher unions if membership falls below a certain point, but also approved a version of a school voucher program funding private school students.
Mold Found In 2 Rooms at Sheriff’s Operations Center After 4 Employees Complain of Rashes
The four employees were relocated and the concern prompted an environmental investigation of the old but renovated building and the closure of two rooms pending extensive clean-ups.
Matanzas High Students Developing Justice Academy For Aspiring Cops and Lawyers
Matanzas High’s law and justice academy, developed by students with help from the sheriff’s office and others, mirrors the popular fire academy at Flagler Palm Coast High School.