County Commissioner Donald O’Brien said he is not interested in continuing to extend moratoriums on medical-pot businesses as neighboring counties see such businesses open, leaving Flagler behind.
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Monday Briefing: Drought Index Dips to 399, Replacing the 800MHz System, AIDS, Sean Monti Trial
Repeat offender and felon Sean Monti goes on trial, the County Commission hires a $175,000 consultant to study the future of the emergency radio system, and it talks library expansion.
He Was About To Pick Up His Newborn Son After Surgery When He Was Arrested By ICE
The case of Oscar Millan shows ICE’s renewed focus on strict immigration enforcement. Under the Obama administration, agents had discretion in cases of immigrants with gravely sick children.
Scott Vetoes Money for Flagler’s 2nd County Judge, Bunnell Bypass, Flagler Beach Sewers
The more than $300 million in vetoes are to make up for money restored to Visit Florida, economic development, and a bump in per-student funding.
A Lifetime In One Picture
My Daughter Odysseus
FlaglerLive’s editor reflects on the painful and joyful history behind a moment unexpectedly captured by a photographer at his daughter’s graduation from Grinnell College last week.
CareerSource Flagler Volusia, Which Helps Unemployed, Will Lose 10% of Its Workforce
A $1 million cut to CareerSource’s budget is due to lower unemployment, but an agency official notes that underemployment remains a steep challenge, and further cuts may be on the way.
Medical Pot Left Out of Scott’s Special Session Call, But Lawmakers Angle For Joint Effort
Florida House and Senate leaders may expand the special session to include medical pot since they failed to reach agreement on implementing the voter-approved amendment in regular session.
James Taylor Is Sentenced to Life In Prison on Molestation Charge; Appeal Immediately Filed
Attorneys for James Taylor, 39, of Palm Coast and Gainesville, said his trial was unfair and prejudicial in several regards, and the act itself no evidence of molestation.
Budget Deal Will Increase Per-Student Funding By $100 and Reset Visit Florida at $76 Million; Special Session Next Week
Florida lawmakers will hold a special session next week after Gov. Rick Scott and legislative leaders announced Friday they have reached the outline of a budget deal.
Weekend Briefing: Dunk a Chief in Flagler Beach, Volleyball at Hammock Beach, Road to Success at Carver, Tax Holiday
Road to Success open house at Carver Center, the fallout from Trump’s Paris pullout, child molester James Taylor is sentenced, Anderson Cooper at 50, volleyball tournament.
“Trump’s Stupid and Reckless Climate Decision”
Two critical and one favorable view of Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris climate accords to combat global warming, as Trump calls it a reinstitution of American sovereignty.
Palm Coast Parkway Crash Slings Van Into Pond, SUV Overturns, 4 Hospitalized
Two vans collided on Palm Coast Parkway shortly after 5 p.m. today, sending one van into a deep pond and overturning the other. Four people, including two children, were hospitalized, none with life-threatening injuries.
Flagler Depleted as 2017 Hurricane Season Begins; Tax Holiday This Weekend on Emergency Supplies
For Flagler County, a season a 70 percent likelihood of 11 to 17 named storms is beginning even as costly and exhausting recovery efforts from Hurricane Matthew have a long way to go.
Two 16 Year Olds Arrested in “Crime Spree”; Cops Searching For Blue-Mohawk Man
Tyrekk Reed, a student at Buddy Taylor Middle School, and Kenderrick Morton, both 16, were arrested Wednesday as detectives continue to look for additional suspects in what they’re calling a crime spree.
Thursday Briefing: Hurricane Preparedness, Junior Lifeguard Camp Registration, Oliva’s Last Bowl, A 10-Year-Old Sings the Blues
Superintendent Jacob Oliva wanted to cap his last day with a bowling outing with FPC students, hurricane preparedness talks and kits at the Hilton, junior lifeguard camp registration in Flagler Beach.
Flagler Secures Millions for Beach, Roads, Judges, But That’s Before Scott Lifts Veto Pen
Millions of dollars through numerous Flagler-bound appropriations could potentially be vetoed as Gov. Scott today received the state’s budget, and will soon decide what stays and what goes.
Palm Coast Man Accused of Threatening 17-Year-Old With Gun Arrested for 5th Time in 8 Months
Anthony Eason, a 35-year-old resident of Port Echo Lane in Palm Coast with a history of arrests involving weapons, threats of using weapons, domestic violence and hiding from police, was again arrested Sunday, hiding in his bedroom.
In American First, Scott Signs Bill Providing for Birth Certificates In Cases of Miscarriage
The bill, which easily cleared the Senate and House in early May, makes Florida the first state in the nation to issue birth certificates for miscarriages. The implications of the bill are unclear.
This Time Palm Coast Council Agrees to Explore Charter Review, But Under Its Control
The council will solicit public input for possible changes to the city charter, but it will not appoint a charter review committee, and will make changes only if it senses a groundswell for changes.
Journal of the Plague Year
In the assisted-living Neverland that’s become our White House, all pretense of reality is giving way to the sort of sycophant fawning previously associated with the yes-men around North Korea’s or Egypt’s dictators.
In Latest Polling, Obamacare Beats Trumpcare, 49-31, With Little Support For Means-Testing
The health overhaul bill passed by the House earlier this month accomplishes one major feat: It is even less popular than the not-very-popular Affordable Care Act.
Wednesday Briefing: More 90s, Get Set for Basketball League, Eastwood at 87, Whitman at 198
A relatively quiet day in the region aside from a busy court docket and a still-rising drought index, with Walt Whitman’s advice on disobedience and Clint Eastwood Unforgiven.
Bloods Gang Leader Brandon Washington Back in Flagler, Contesting Life Sentence
Brandon Washington was accused of leading a Bloods-affiliated gang in Palm Coast until his arrest in 2008 sentencing to four life terms without parole in 2011.
European Village Shooter Facing Up to 35 Years in Prison Is Termed an “American Hero” and Gets 7 Years’ Probation
Daniel Noble fired two shots from an assault rifle at European Village before being wrestled to the ground by three men in December 2014. His attorney pointed to his Iraq War service for leniency.
GOP Defends Health Bill With Euphemisms, False Statements and Deleted Comments
Since the passage of the American Health Care Act, Republican members of Congress have tried to swing public opinion to their side, but through deceptive means.
Tuesday Briefing: Mid-90s Today, Charter Review (Again), Street Lighting, Power, Education and Religion, Last Day for Teachers
The Palm Coast Council again talks charter review and finally takes on street-lighting in earnest, it’s the last day for schoolteachers, temperatures will rise to the mid-90s, Robert Caro on power.
J. Marie Battenhouse, 19, Is Killed in I-95 Crash; Former Matanzas Student Is 20th Death on Flagler Roads This Year
Jirawadee Marie Battenhouse, a 19-year-old resident of Palm Coast’s C Section, died early Saturday morning (May 27) as a result of her injuries, hours after a two-vehicle crash on I-95 near Palm Coast Parkway.
Awakening from the Trump Nightmare
Forget impeachment. It ain’t going to happen, not when 19 Senate Republicans would have to join Democrats to pull it off. But public opinion is a different matter, argues Bernard-Henri Lévy.
3 Flagler Jail Deputies Quit While Under Investigation for Sexual and Other Misconduct
No charges will be filed against Bradley Gilyard, Julio Vazquez and Jonathon Vitale, who resigned before facing disciplinary action that may have included getting fired.
Only One Flagler Project Lands on Tax Watch’s $178 Million In Budget Turkeys
TaxWatch flagged 111 budget items as turkeys, among them a Bunnell road project, though the organization stresses that it isn’t making a value judgment.
Palm Coast Woman Facing Murder Charge in Death of Her Husband Is Found Dead
Jan E. Sochalski was facing a second-degree murder charge in the death of her husband Henry last May. She was accused of suffocating him in his hospital bed.
Bunnell’s PFC Jonathan Nat Spicer, A Conscientious Objector, To Be Honored On Memorial Day
It isn’t often that a conscientious objector who refused to carry a rifle in the thick of battle is the decorated hero to be recognized at a Memorial Day ceremony Monday in Bunnell.
In Flagler and Palm Coast, Hate Crimes Are a Rarity Even as State and National Stats Soar
Officials and experts cite many reasons why reported hate crimes are rare: there may be more harmony locally, but also more subjectivity, under-reporting and lack of awareness when hate crimes are committed.
Gallery Openings: Palm Coast Modern Artist Krystyna Spisak-Madejczyk Looks for ‘Secrets’
Krystyna Spisak-Madejczyk found herself almost a refugee in 1981, with nothing but her art work, when she was in New York and martial law was declared in her native Poland.
Florida Hospital Flagler Honors County’s First Responders
This week, May21-27, is the 43rd Annual National EMS (Emergency Medical Services) Week.
The Live Interview
Six Questions For James Tager, Superintendent
James Tager, who begins as Superintendent June 1, answers questions about his temperament, open government, transgender rights, zero tolerance and other issues.
Prohibition-Era Liquor Wall Stays in Place as Gov. Scott Vetoes Bill to Deregulate Stores
ABC Fine Wine & Spirits and Publix win, Target, Costco and Walmart lose, as Gov. Scott, opposing deregulation, signs his first veto of the year.
Home Rule: Palm Beach District Challenges Constitutionality of Charter School Law
It’s a first step in asking the Florida Supreme Court to declare unconstitutional a law that allows the State Board of Education to overturn local denials of charter-school applications.
The Coming Assault on America’s National Monuments
President Trump is on track to throw away part of our national heritage, remove some national monument protections to make way for mining corporations and other extractive industries to operate there.
Flagler Beach Pier Cleared for July 4 Fireworks, Which Will Go Off Even If Burn Ban Persists
Flagler County Fire Chief has cleared the July 4 fireworks for takeoff while an engineering firm certified the Flagler Beach pier’s safety for the event.
High Court Denies Challenge to Florida’s New Unanimous Jury Requirement in Death Cases
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision cements a state law enacted this year that requires unanimous jury recommendations for the death penalty to be considered in capital cases.
Palm Coast Man Faces Felony for Interfering in Custody of Missing Girl, 17
Christopher McMurphy faces a 3rd-degree felony charge following accusations that he interfered with the custody of a 17-year-old girl reported missing on May 21.
Sheriff’s “Taxi-Patrol Car” Cautions Against Drunk Driving Over Memorial Day Weekend
More than 400 deaths and 47,000 injuries are projected on U.S. roads over the Memorial Day weekend, prompting police agencies to heighten awareness campaigns.
Funnel Cloud Reported Just North of Marineland; Severe Storm Watch Until 11 PM
A small, brief funnel cloud touched down over the Intracoastal just north of Marineland this morning, scampered over A1A then dissolved over the ocean.
Sheriff’s Request for 15 New Deputies Adds to Budget “Challenges” as Local Governments Begin to Haggle
Sheriff Rick Staly wants 10 new deputies from the county and five from Palm Coast. County government is facing $9 million in “challenges” as budget season launched this week.
Bowlers Raise $2,200 for Domestic Violence Shelter as Government Demurs on Funding Request
An official for the Family Life Center asking for a budget increase was told “we’ll see” by the County Commission, but a Palm Coast Yacht Club fundraiser netted $2,200.
No Coal Resurgence Here: FPL Seeks to Shut Down Dirty-Energy Plant in Jacksonville
FPL says shutting down the coal-fired plant will save customers money and have environmental benefits, including a reduction of carbon-dioxide emissions.
Go Ahead, Gov. Scott, Veto This Bad Education Bill in Good Conscience
Gov. Scott has said he wants to sign only bills that are good for Florida families. This one is not. Its process was particularly dishonest — something even committed conservatives should disown when they look at it up close.
Profile In Resilience: Cindy Dalecki’s Journey From Loss Back to Radiance
Cindy Dalecki, one of the most recognizably sunny personalities and marketing executive in Flagler Beach and Palm Coast, describes her ongoing recovery from losing her husband and companion of 28 years.
Flagler 3rd Graders’ Reading Scores Jump, And Exceed State Average By 11 Points
The Flagler school district average of 69 percent of students at proficiency or better exceeds the state average of 58 by 11 points as every elementary school showed strong improvement.