Middle school students at Indian Trails get their laptops, two candidate forums–for Palm Coast City Council and GOP congressionals–teachers’ return, James Baldwin, John Oliver on Donald Trump.
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5 Names Emerge as Maneuvering for Governor’s Appointment for Meeker’s Commission Seat Intensifies
David Alfin, Ed Fuller, Howard Holley, Jon Netts and Patrick Kelly are all confirmed likely applicants to Frank Meeker’s county commission seat, while Milissa Holland, Gail Wadsworth, Garry Lubi and Jim Ulsamer have ruled it out.
Dennis McDonald, Palm Coast Mayoral Candidate: The Live Interview
Dennis McDonald is a candidate for Palm Coast Mayor. He faces three other candidates: John Brady, Milissa Holland, and Ron Radford. All registered city voters regardless of party may cast a vote in the non-partisan election on Aug. 30.
DuBose Pulls Out of Palm Coast Council Race, Opening Way to Quicker McGuire Replacement
Troy DuBose’s withdrawal essentially creates a two-way race between Bob Cuff and Sims Jones, and a stronger possibility of a winner by Aug. 30, who could then immediately fill the same seat Bill McGuire is resigning in mid-August, sparing the council the tortures of an appointment process.
Tuesday Briefing: Replacing McGuire, School Attorney’s Contract, Matanzas Students’ Laptops, Congressional Forum, Agustin Barrios
The Flagler County Democrats host a forum of congressional candidates, the school board approves the attorney’s contract through 2019, Palm Coast discusses replacing councilman Bill McGuire, Hispanic voters’ numbers.
For Commissioner Frank Meeker, a Tribute From the Hearts of a Decade’s Colleagues
For an hour Monday morning, Meeker’s closest colleagues remembered the man death surprised at 61 on July 22, themselves not yet over the shock of having lost him after seen him in that seat just 16 days before his death.
Palm Coast’s Eric Floyd, 35, Jailed On 4 Rape Counts Involving Minor Step-Daughter
Eric Floyd, 35, of 36 Fairway Circle in Palm Coast, was booked at the Flagler County jail Friday without bond on four first-degree felony counts of rape on a person within familial custody and a count of lewd and lascivious battery.
Homegrown Zika Cases in Florida Climb to 14 As State Asks for Additional Federal Help
A statement released by Scott’s office said the 14 locally transmitted cases are believed to have occurred in a 1-square-mile area north of downtown Miami. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a notice advising women who are pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant to avoid unnecessary travel to the targeted area.
Milissa Holland, Palm Coast Candidate for Mayor: The Live Interview
Milissa Holland is a candidate for Palm Coast Mayor. She faces three other candidates: John Brady, Dennis McDonald, and Ron Radford. All registered city voters regardless of party may cast a vote in the non-partisan election on Aug. 30.
Monday Briefing: Today is the Primary Registration Deadline, Meeker Tribute, Flagler Fluoride, Hobby Lobby
Last chance to register for the Aug. 30 primary, the County Commission has a busy day with two meetings and a tribute to the late Frank Meeker, FPC students get their laptops, Hobby Lobby opens at Island Walk, the doping Olympiads get set to begin, and picking rice is hard work.
Palm Coast Council Candidate Troy DuBose May Abandon Run and Opt For County Post
Troy DuBose, a candidate for the District 1 seat on the Palm Coast City Council, said he’ll drop out of he is appointed to the Flagler County Planning Board on Monday, where he is the only candidate who applied.
The American Dream, Canada-Bound
Our country has historically prided itself on being a socially mobile society, where your ability is more important than the race or class you’re born into. Not anymore. If you forgot to be born into a wealthy family, you’re better off today living in Canada or Northern Europe.
John Brady, Palm Coast Mayoral Candidate: The Live Interview
John Brady is a candidate for Palm Coast Mayor. He faces three other candidates: Milissa Holland, Dennis McDonald and Ron Radford in the non-partisan election on Aug. 30, in which all registered voters may cast a ballot.
5 Jacksonville Teens Arrested and Tied to Latest Burglary Spree in Palm Coast’s B-Section
Some 23 burglaries struck Palm Coast’s B-Section overnight, the latest in a series, but this time five Jacksonville boys from 14 to 17, and a 19-year-old man, were arrested after a chase and search through the neighborhood.
Texting 911? After Orlando Massacre, More Cities and States Moving Toward Next-Generation System
Texting 911 could be valuable in emergencies like the Orlando shooting or a domestic violence incident, where it is unsafe to make any noise let alone talk out loud about the danger at hand. And sending text messages to 911 could allow people who are deaf or have speech impairments to communicate without other special devices.
Arthur McGovern Jr., Palm Coast City Council Candidate: The Live Interview
Arthur McGovern Jr. is a candidate for Palm Coast City Council, District 1. He does not appear to be taking his candidacy seriously.
Mystery Woman Killed in US1 Wreck on July 10 Identified as Kathleen Tillman of Bunnell
A pedestrian killed in a crash with a motorcycle on U.S. 1 near Church on the Rock in Bunnell on July 10 has been identified as Kathleen Tillman, a 56-year-old Bunnell resident.
First Four Cases of Mosquito-Borne Zika Virus Reported in Florida–And the U.S.
Florida has seen a steady increase in Zika diagnoses to nearly 400, but until Friday, cases stemmed from people infected while traveling to South America. Today’s revelation is the first Florida-based set of infections.
Sheriff’s Sam Cooper Jr. Honored for Junior Police Academy and ROTC Work at Flagler Schools
School Resource Deputy Sam Cooper Jr., detention deputy Julio Vazquez and Communications Specialist Candice Cole were the quarter’s winners at the sheriff’s office.
Florida Hospital Will Install Infrared Palm Scan To Improve Patient Identification
The PatientSecure device uses infrared light to painlessly scan the palm, then links the unique biometric trait to each patient’s electronic health record. It’s the latest effort to combat identity theft.
With Latest Claims Against County Government Thrown Out, Flagler Prevails in 25 of 26 Cases
The latest claims were filed by Dennis McDonald, who is running for Palm Coast mayor, and who is disputing the elections commission’s findings that his complaints were legally insufficient.
Gov. Scott Censures and Reprimands Sheriff Manfre in Executive Order, Ending Ethics Case
Last November Gov. Rick Scott, in Bunnell, said Flagler County had a “great sherif”‘ in Jim Manfre. Earlier this week, the governor censured and reprimanded him over ethics violations.
Sims Jones, Palm Coast City Council Candidate: The Live Interview
Sims Jones is a candidate for Palm Coast City Council, District 1. He faces three other candidates: Robert Cuff, Troy Dubose, and Arthur McGovern, Jr. in the non-partisan election on Aug. 30, in which all registered voters may cast a ballot.
Weekend Briefing: Meeker Services, Tea Party Candidate Night, Solar Plunge, Trump’s Islam Problem
Services for the late Frank meeker are on Saturday morning in Palm Coast, the Tea Party hosts its traditional meet-the-candidate night Saturday evening, Trump’s Islam problem and Ray Bradbury.
Missing Frank Meeker
Some elected officials leave a much bigger void than others when they die in office. Flagler County Commissioner Frank Meeker’s loss an interrupted legacy that was just hitting its stride.
Carla Traister, Champion Protector of Flagler’s Homeless, Wins Outstanding Leadership Award
The 2016 Northeast Florida Community Action Agency’s award cites Traister’s work at the Sheltering Tree, Flagler County’s only homeless shelter on cold nights, which Traister co-founded in 2009.
Florida’s Only Openly Gay Lawmaker Describes a Rick Scott More Accepting of LGBT
In the days after 49 people were killed at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Gov. Rick Scott privately expressed some support for gay rights to the state’s only openly gay state lawmaker, David Richardson.
Troy DuBose, Palm Coast City Council Candidate: The Live Interview
Troy DuBose is a candidate for Palm Coast City Council, District 1. He faces three other candidates in the non-partisan election on Aug. 30: Robert Cuff, Sims Jones and Arthur McGovern, Jr. All registered voters may cast a ballot.
Thursday Briefing: Heat Index Up to 106, Flagler Beach Talks Higher Tax and Montessori, Cop Fatalities
Flagler Beach’s tax rate may jump considerably next year, a lease is in the works for its Montessori school, another global warming scorcher, Alan Wolfe on religion in the public sphere.
Republicans’ Women Problem
Long before Donald Trump the Republican Party has been relentlessly pushing policies aimed at curtailing women’s reproductive rights, economic freedom, access to health care, and autonomy.
Amazon to Open 1,500-Job Fulfillment Center in Jacksonville, 3rd in Florida
A day after announcing the opening of a 750,000 square-foot shipping center in Romeoville, Ill., Amazon today announced it would open a slightly larger fulfillment center in Jacksonville, employing some 1,500 people. It will be the third Amazon center in Florida. Centers in Lakeland and Ruskin employ a combined 3,000 people.
Boy, 13, Arrested in Assault and Robbery of 10-Year-Old Over Sneakers at Ralph Carter Park
A 13-year-old boy and resident of Riverina Drive in Palm Coast was arrested on a second-degree felony robbery charge after allegedly beating down a 10-year-old boy playing Pokemon Go and taking his sneakers at Ralph Carter Park Tuesday afternoon.
Appeals Court Upholds Red-Light Cameras But Urges Florida Supreme Court to Rule Decisively
A court upheld Aventura’s program, which relies on police, not the private contractor, to make decisions about ticketing motorists. But the court wants the supreme court to decide the issue more finally.
Robert Cuff, Palm Coast City Council Candidate: The Live Interview
Robert Cuff is a candidate for Palm Coast City Council, District 1. He faces three other candidates in the non-partisan election on Aug. 30: Troy DuBose, Sims Jones and Arthur McGovern, Jr. All registered voters may cast a ballot.
Wednesday Briefing: Chris Sepe on Blue, Black and All Lives, Indian Trails Stampede, America’s Colored Prisons
21-year veteran Sheriff’s Cmdr. Chris Sepe on black, blue and all lives, back to school continues with Indian Trails class assignments, disproportionate black populations of U.S. prisons.
Ex-Cop Stavris Pleads, “I Wouldn’t Make It Out of State Prison,” and Gets 3 Years for Lewd Facebook Use Involving Children
Ex-Bunnell cop Michael Stavris had fabricated a Facebook page under his girlfriend’s daughter’s name, solicited boys’ naked pictures and said he wanted to break up his daughter’s relationship because she was dating a black boy.
European Village Resident Ralph Wolff, 68, Critical After 4-Story Fall
Wolff had been locked out of his apartment and was attempting to hop from balcony to balcony to make it hope. A chair may have broken his fall.
School Board Readies to Approve Lowest Tax in at Least 22 Years, But Without Cheers
The new tax rate equates to a 4.2 percent decrease from the current rate for homeowners and businesses, which will make a noticeable difference on tax bills.
Tuesday Briefing: Ex-Cop Stavris’s Sentencing, School Tax Rate, 911 Maintenance, Zero-Sum Politics
Ex-Bunnell cop Michael Stavris’s computer porn charges were reduced to felony child abuse in a plea, the school board sets the lowest tax rate in at least 22 years, Palm Coast talks 911 dispatching.
Bunnell’s Tucker Upsets Colleagues With Surprise Bid to Merge Fire Department With County
Previously Bunnell Commissioner Elbert Tucker wanted to dissolve the city’s police department to save money. Now he wants to dissolve the volunteer fire department and shift savings to add a police officer. The commission is not enthusiastic.
Dena Minning Grayson Hopes to Keep Alan’s Central Florida Congressional Seat In Family
The marriage in late May between Alan Grayson and Dena Minning reshuffled a Democratic primary for a Central Florida congressional seat being vacated by Grayson, one of the party’s most progressive provocateurs.
Forest Grove Drive Access to Old Kings Road North Closes Permanently
This permanent road closure is the final step in the recent construction of the Old Kings Road extension on the west side of Forest Grove and the Palm Harbor Parkway extension on its east side.
Anita Moeder, Palm Coast City Council Candidate: The Live Interview
Anita Moeder is a candidate for Palm Coast City Council, District 3. She faces two other candidates: Nick Klufas and Pam Richardson in the non-partisan election on Aug. 30, in which all registered voters may cast a ballot.
Monday Briefing: Plantation Bay Steams Off, Joan Rivers’s Sex Life, Religious Americans
The Plantation Bay utility’s less than satisfied customers meet with county officials, Bob Graham meets with Florida’s Democratic delegation at the Democratic National Convention, how Americans’ religious beliefs stack up in the West.
Goodbye News-Journal
Rick de Yampert, the former arts writer for the Daytona Beach News-Journal, explains why he cancelled his newspaper subscription for the first time in 43 years.
Clinton, In Tampa, Punches Back Against “Fear and Resentment” as Florida Showdown Looms
Characterizing Trump’s acceptance speech Thursday night as dominated by “fear and resentment,” Clinton painted her opponent as a divisive and angry threat to the nation’s future.
Chris Yates, Flagler County Sheriff Candidate: The Live Interview
Chris Yates is one of six Republican candidates for Flagler County Sheriff in the Aug. 30 primary. Two Republicans are contesting the primary in what has been the most heavily and expensively contested race for a local office this year.
6 People Rescued From Tugboat on Fire in Ocean Off Marineland
It was not the first recent problem for the Thomas Dann tugboat. Two fireballs were seen from shore, indications of explosions. Its crew was picked up by a fishing vessel, though Flagler County Fire Rescue’s Marine Unit was set to carry out the rescue.
Bunnell’s Dalton Edwards Charged With 2 Counts of DUI Manslaughter in Deaths of 2 Women in Flagler Estates Crash
Katie Stecker, 19, and Victoria Sutton, 20, were killed Jan. 9 in a car crash in Flagler Estates allegedly caused by a drunk Dalton Edwards, who blew through a stop sign and collided with another vehicle. He is being held on on $367,518 bond bond.
At City Rep’s Theater Workshop for Teens, Homer’s Odyssey Navigates Scylla and Charybdis of Bad Habits
CRT’s “Odyssey,” staged this weekend at City Marketplace in Palm Coast, stars eight performers ages 15 to 21 in the culmination of the six-week-long workshop that sought to break the performers from the bad habits of middle and high school theater.