The president and everybody in his administration really must stop talking about how much better off we are today than we were eight years ago. Here is the disastrous truth.
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Container-Loaded Semi Jackknifes Over Deep Gully on I-95, Snarling Traffic
Labor Day weekend traffic came to a near standstill on both sides of I-95 just north of State Road 100 in Palm Coast late this afternoon after a tractor trailer jackknifed in the rain and ended up hanging over a deep gully, half its rear wheels off the ground. Somehow the metal guardrail and perhaps trees helped the truck from going over.
America’s Other Doping Problem: Drugging Up the Elderly in Hospitals
An increasing number of elderly patients are on multiple medications, raising chances of dangerous drug interactions. Often the drugs are prescribed by different specialists who don’t communicate, and hospital doctors add to the list of drugs, sometimes unnecessarily or unsuitably.
1st Hurricane Hits Florida in 11 Years; Flagler Spared, Tropical Storm Warning Cancelled
Hurricane Hermine was mostly a non-event in Flagler County, with limited rain and a bit of wind. Most government offices remained open Friday. The story was uglier in Florida’s Big Bend, where the hurricane made landfall.
An Evening of Bardic Folk With Guitarist Mama Gina, Plus Rick de Yampert’s East-West Sitar Fusion
Gina LaMonte, whose stage name is Mama Gina, will sing the saga of Nine Toes when she performs Saturday Sept. 3 during a concert at Salvo Art Project in Bunnell. Palm Coast sitar player Rick de Yampert will open the show.
Cypress Knoll Golf and Country Club, Under New Ownership, Re-Opens Sept. 10
New owners Doug Brown and Janice Reid re-open Palm Coast’s Cypress Knoll Golf and Country Club on Sept. in in the E Section, with a concert the following day, just two months after the course closed.
Labor Day Weekend Briefing: Schools Close For Hermine, Political Correctness on Campus, Pentatonic Scale
Flagler County schools get a four-day weekend compliments of Hermine and Labor Day, a case of political correctness on campus, Plein air artist William Lurcott at Ocean Art, Bobby McFerrin and more.
Several Shots Fired Near Midnight at House on Palm Coast’s Bronson Lane
Bullets were found in the front of the house and in the garage door. The resident and his wife, both in their 40s, were the only occupants in the house at 65 Bronson Lane in Palm Coast. Neither was injured.
2016 Flagler Jail Bookings and Sheriff’s Crime and Incident Reports (Archived)
Archived 2016 Flagler County jail bookings, day and night shift commanders’ crime and incident reports investigated by Sheriff’s deputies and archive.
Embittered Palm Coast Fires Holland Park Contractor and Takes Over Project Months Behind Schedule
City officials, sensitive to the criticism directed at them over the delays, recast the problem as entirely the fault of the contractor, and themselves as heroes looking out for the city’s budget and local contractors, thus effectively changing the subject: it’s no longer a project behind schedule as much as a city wronged and aggrieved.
Tropical Storm Hermine: Flagler Included in State of Emergency, But No Major Threat Expected
Tropical Storm Hermine has moved north, Flagler is not in a tropical storm watch, school’s open Thursday, but some wind and rain are expected and authorities are taking a few precautions.
One Solar Amendment Passed, Backers and Opponents of November Measure Square Off
The November proposal is more controversial than the one voters approved Tuesday, drawing opposition from groups such as the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy that argue the measure is intended to benefit utilities.
Thursday Briefing: Hermine Visits, Pot Forum, Marineland Acres Special Taxing District, Corporal Punishment
The Flagler County Young Republicans host a forum on Amendment 2, the proposed constitutional amendment to legalize medical marijuana, end of the Daily Tar Heel’s daily schedule, Marineland Acres taxing district.
Flagler’s Primary Results: Shocks, Coronations and Probabilities
There were one or two shocks in the Flagler primary election results, not least of them another dismal turnout, but for the most part the numebrs produced expected winners and losers. Here’s a full analysis.
Man Hurt, 200 Lose Power After Car Crashes Into Utility Pole on Old Kings Road
A driver was seriously hurt–and had to wait for rescuers to get to him until his car was “de-energized,” as live electric lines were on top of it–and 200 customers lost power after a vehicle crash took down a utility pole at Kings Colony Court and Old Kings Road at 6:45 this evening.
Holland Is Palm Coast’s New Mayor, Lenhart Wins Supervisor, Conklin Wins School Board, Manfre Is Out, Staly Beats Lamb
Primary election results for Flagler County races including school board, sheriff, county commission, Palm Coast City Council, supervisor of elections, judges, and state congressional races.
Motorcycle Masturbator Sought in String of Incidents Involving Women in R, P and W Sections
The man, described as young, black and fit, scopes out a woman walking her dog or sitting in her garage, pulls up next to her, takes out his penis and starts masturbating.
The Reek of Hypocrisy Behind Federal Marijuana Laws
In most cases, our laws treat chemicals as safe until proven dangerous. Marijuana, on the other hand, is being held to a higher standard. It’s not even that it’s considered dangerous until proven safe. The government says that they won’t lift regulations on it until it’s proven beneficial.
Capping 2 Weeks of Record-Breaking Early Voting, Final Day of Primary Ends at 7pm
Some 18 percent of registered voters had already cast a ballot in early voting or by mail by the time polls opened at 7 this morning. But that means 82 percent of registered voters had not cast a ballot. Go vote.
Election Day Briefing: It’s Primary Day, Tyler Harrison’s Status, Palm Coast Tax Rate, 10,000 Syrians, Vaping
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., the Palm Coast City Council will decide where to set next year’s property tax rate, the United States gets its 10,000th Syrian refugee, vaping is as bad as smoking.
Appeals Court Sides With Florida Prisons in Public Records Dispute With Miami Herald
The Florida prisons department was required to provide item-by-item legal explanations for its decisions to black out information on public records requested by the Herald — a process known as redacting the information.
Florida Adds 15 Travel-Related Zika Cases for Total of 42
Fifteen new cases of the mosquito-borne Zika virus were reported Friday in Florida, all tied to people who brought the disease into the state after getting infected elsewhere.
Retired Palm Coast Nurse Accused of Suffocating Husband, a Cop, in Hospital Bed
Henry Soschalski, 64, and his wife Jan Sochalski, 61, had lived in their Palm Coast home 13 years. She faces a second-degree murder charge over his death in a hospital bed. He had been in a coma for weeks.
In Palm Coast’s F-Section, a Man Stabs Another in the Back Then Stabs Himself in the Throat
Two men, 19 and 18, were involved in an argument and had been drinking at 17 Felshire Lane when one of them stabbed the other in the back then stabbed himself in the neck. Both were hospitalized.
Monday Briefing: Last Day to Vote by Mail, Bunnell Budget, HPV Vaccine, Chomsky, Unambiguously Great Guitar Duo
You can still pick up a vote-by-mail ballot today, Bunnell wraps up its budget workshops, the HPV vaccine protects against cancer but not enough parents are vaccinating their children, João Luiz e Douglas Lora guitar duo.
Ransom Rubbish
Oliver North would have you believe that the Obama Administration paid a $400 million ransom to Iran in exchange for three Americans. His history and compass are off. Here’s a little reminder.
Does Diversifying Police Forces
Reduce Tensions? Not Necessarily.
Beyond diversity, hiring officers who know and understand the community, asking officers to build better relationships with neighborhoods they serve, reducing officers’ use of aggressive arrest tactics and increasing officer training is shown to be more effective than changing the color of the ranks.
Movement to Opt-Out of Standardized Testing Bolstered By Judge’s Ruling
A Leon County judge Friday declined to immediately order that students in a potentially precedent-setting lawsuit be promoted from third to fourth grade, but her rejection of several state arguments could fuel a movement that seeks to allow children to “opt out” of a standardized test.
In a First, Blind High School Student Is Matanzas-FPC Football Game’s Radio Commentator
Trent Ferguson, 18, a student at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind in St. Augustine, will be the color commentator on WNZF Radio of the Matanzas-FPC match at 7 p.m. Friday, a unique experiment for the radio station that may not end there.
Palm Coast Data Parent Posts $10.4 Million Loss, Biggest Since 2009 as Revenue Drops
The losses bode poorly for Palm Coast Data, which at one point a decade ago was the city’s largest private employer. Its parent company’s revenue is now almost synonymous with its own, and it’s a fifth of what it was 10 years ago.
Weekend Briefing: Early Voting Through Saturday, I Have a Dream Sunday, St. Thomas Episcopal Festival
Friday and Saturday are the last days for early voting, Sunday marks the 53rd anniversary of the March on Washington and MLK’s I Have a Dream Speech, family faith and fun festival at St. Thomas Episcopal Church.
Two Attorneys Disbarred Over “Unprecedented” DUI Set-Up of Opposing Lawyer in Big Case
The Florida Supreme Court unanimously supported the disbarment of Robert D. Adams and Adam Robert Filthaut of Tampa for their role in setting up the drunken-driving arrest of an opposing lawyer during a high-profile case.
Nasty, Brutish and Shrill: Flagler Sheriff’s Race Tests Edge of the Believable as Attacks Multiply
Rick Staly, one of six GOP candidates for sheriff, launched attacks on Don Fleming and Jim Manfre but reserved particular wrath for John Lamb, though claims in the shape of a smoking gun turn out to be more gossipy than substantive.
Two Wednesday Fires in Seminole Woods Now Suspected Acts of Arson By Youths
A fire that was close to consuming a house on Sellner Place Wednesday, followed by another four hours later a few lots down, are now suspected to be the work of youths who set them intentionally.
51 Years Later, Honor Is Resurrected for Flagler Sheriff Homer Brooks’s Line-of-Duty Death
Homer Brooks was first elected Flagler County Sheriff in 1956. A News-Journal reporter, Tony Holt, uncovered the circumstances of his death in 1965, leading the sheriff’s office to add Brooks’s name to the list of Flagler cops who died in the line of duty and honor Brooks today.
Thursday Briefing: A Flagler Sheriff’s Deputy’s Memorial, School Strategy, 33,000 Gun Deaths, Phone Pacing
The name of Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy Homer Brooks, who died in 1965, is added to the sheriff’s memorial today, early voting continues, what to do about gun deaths.
Florida Continues to Suppress Lethal-Injection Records in Face of Challenge by Death Row Inmates
Lawyers for seven Death Row inmates and the First Amendment Coalition of Arizona in June filed a subpoena seeking years of records related to Florida’s triple-drug lethal injection protocol, including the types of drugs purchased, the strengths and amounts of the drugs, the expiration dates of the drugs and the names of suppliers.
State Ethics Commission Will Hear Flagler’s Claim to Recoup Fees From Serial Complainers
It’s an unusual case: county government is seeking to recoup money spent to defend against the ethics cases filed against county commissioners and the county attorney by Kim Weeks, Mark Richter Jr. and Dennis McDonald.
“A Very Good Save”: Firefighters Beat Back Wildfire Within Inches of a House in Seminole Woods
The fire had burned into the eaves of the house at 7 Sellner Place when firefighters arrived, positioned themselves between it and the house, and beat it back this afternoon. The fire burned the entire neighboring, empty lot.
Flagler Beach Commission Considers Biggest Tax Hike Since Recession, and New Fire Costs
The Flagler Beach City Commission is considering a budget that would significantly raise taxes while restoring such positions as the fire and police chief, positions eliminated three years ago.
From Charlie Brown to Signs of Intelligent Life, City Rep Launches Next to Normal 6th Season
Palm Coast’s City Repertory Theater is opening its sixth season with its usual mixture of daring, squirm-inducing and mainstream fare, with such uncommon works as “The Mystery of Irma Vep,” the musical “John and Jen,” Jean Anouilh’s “The Waltz of the Toreadors” and the musical “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.”
Wednesday Briefing: More Early Voting, Hosseini’s ICI Homes Lands in Town Center, Cops Like SUVs, Messing With Muslims
An arresting statement by Judge Foxman at a sentencing, keep voting, ICI homes places parcels under contract in Town Center, Black Lives Matter still, how New York cops regularly violate rules in investigations of Muslim groups.
Devil’s Gambit: Sacrificing All Else to Ensure Trump Picks for the Supreme Court
To some Republicans, keeping Hillary Clinton from appointing new justices is worth letting everything else go to hell. The government, the country, maybe the world and certainly the court.
Publix Campaign Politics
Publix contributed at least $306,000 from Aug. 1 to Aug. 12, the latest information posted on the state Division of Elections website. Of that amount, $250,000 went to Florida Chamber of Commerce political committees.
Zaire Roberts, 17, Gets 7 Years in Prison in Shooting of Phillip Haire in Palm Coast Last Summer
Zaire Roberts was 16 and Phillip Haire 18 when they got in a fistfight on an L-Section street in Palm Coast and Roberts shot Haire twice in July 2015. Haire today pleaded for mercy on behalf of Roberts.
“Opt Out” Movement in the Balance as Judge Weighs Whether Tests Can Decide 3rd Grade Promotion
The parents of the students involved in the case told their children to “minimally participate” in the Florida Standards Assessment for third grade by filling in their names, breaking the seals on the tests and then refusing to answer any questions.
For Bunnell’s Tucker, Sharp Loss on Firehouse Consolidation Signals Return to Minority
Bunnell Commissioner Elbert Tucker’s proposal to fold the Bunnell Fire Department into the county and shift savings to the city’s police department was rebuked Monday, and Tucker’s role on the commission appears to return to where it had been years ago: as a dissenter.
Tuesday Briefing: Youth Orchestra Recruiting, Zaire Roberts Sentencing, Solar’s Amendment 4, Shield Laws
The Flagler Youth Orchestra recruits at Wadsworth and Belle Terre Elementaries with its quartet, Zaire Roberts is sentenced for the shooting of Phillip Haire in 2015, a primer on shield laws for journalists.
Three Arrested in Palm Coast Are Tied to String of 11 B-Section Car Burglaries
Palm Coast has been the target of several burglary sprees. In this case, the alleged burglars are believed to have committed their spree in their own neighborhood.
Despite $1.65 Billion Profit in 2015, FPL Seeks 23% Rate Increase Over Next Three Years
The proposal would increase the monthly base rate for a typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity from $57 to about $70 by 2020. The Public Service Commission would have to approve.