The Florida Ethics Commission threw out complaints against four of the five Flagler County commissioners and County Attorney Al Hadeed in the latest sweep of what has been a drizzle of frivolous complaints against county officials.
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Wednesday Briefing: Assisted Living on Cypress, $200,000 Lawsuit Against Sheriff, Autism’s Surge
The Palm Coast Planning Board looks over plans for a new assisted living facility on Cypress Point, speaking Arabic on a plane, a $200,000 lawsuit against the sheriff over a wrongful arrest, autism and a Beethoven string quartet.
Poll-Tax Redux: Millions Free From Jail Are Barred From Voting By Criminal Debt
Debt from fines starts at sentencing and can grow at interest rates of 12 percent or more while inmates serve their sentences. It continues to grow after they’re released and face the numerous barriers to finding work and housing.
In a Rebuff to Florida, Federal Government Says New Abortion Law Can’t Block Clinic Funding
A key federal health agency on Tuesday notified Florida and other states that they may not ban Medicaid funding for family-planning services at clinics that also offer elective abortions.
R-Section Shooting Is Caught on Private Surveillance Video, But No Suspects or Known Injuries
Several shell casings were recovered from the 11 p.m. shooting in the area of 11 Riverview Place, and several people interviewed, but no suspects and no vehicle were recovered.
Gate Gas and Aldi Grocery Will Rise at Corner of SR100 and Belle Terre, Ending Political Signs
The Palm Coast City Council approved a redrawing of the property into six lots, three of which are under contract, with two projected for non-fast-food restaurants in the future.
County Approves Big Spending on Tourism Office Staff and Rigs and Hints at Raising Tax
County government absorbed the tourism office last fall and is spending big on it, raising staff pay, expanding staff, buying $300,000 worth of equipment and talking about raising the 4 percent sales tax supplement on short-term rentals to 5 percent.
Tuesday Briefing: Tourism Department’s Go-Go Giddiness, School Discipline, Car-Seat Checks, Beyond Pluto
Now that the tourism office is a county department, the county wants to add a $45,000 employee, loosen up the grant standards and buy lots of equipment, the school board talks student code of conduct.
“Go Forward!” Flagler Beach Tells County, Clearing Way for $900,000 Design of Beach-Erosion Project
The Flagler Beach City Commission endorsed the county’s decision to give up on federal dollars and instead spend county and state dollars on the first phase of what will amount to a hugely expensive, $44 million beach-protection project over the next 50 years.
Step-Father Accused of Child Abuse After Boy Throws Burrito at Him
Peter Adelstein of Palm Coast was disciplining his step-son for not cleaning up after lunch when he allegedly grabbed the boy by the neck and dared him to “try me.”
Sheriff’s Sgt. Jason Neat Reprimanded Over Errors in Cocaine Seizure That Affected Case
Had Christopher Demon Lang’s lawyer not noticed that the cocaine amounts he was charged with possessing were higher than those found in his home, he could have faced a much stiffer prison sentence.
Zone-Busting School Bill That Allows Student Transfers Anywhere in the State Is Now Law
The measure would allow parents to transfer their children to any public school in the state that isn’t at capacity through an “open enrollment” process, among many other provisions in the 160-page bill.
Monday Briefing: $3.4 Million for County Road 13, a Holocaust Memorial, Flagler Business Women, Cops Gear Up for GOP
Police in Cleveland are militarizing ahead of the GOP convention, County Road 13 will get a major improvement, Gov. Scott brings attention to a Holocaust memorial.
You’re Dying. But Most Doctors Don’t Know How to Tell You.
Policy experts are urging more end-of-life conversations not just to accommodate patients’ desires, but to save money on aggressive medical interventions that patients and their families don’t want and that won’t prolong life.
Deputy Responsible for False Arrest of Dakota Ward Is Suspended For 3 Days as Investigation Concludes
James Gore, a Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy who two weeks ago was disciplined in an unrelated matter, was suspended for three days without pay and charged with “unsatisfactory or incompetent performance” as a result of his investigation that led to the false arrest of an 18-year-old Bunnell resident late last month.
Give Tax and Spend a Chance
The astonishing momentum of Bernie Sanders’s presidential candidacy reveals that millions of taxpayers are willing to entertain the idea that some of us aren’t taxed enough, and that it’s hurting the rest of us, argues Isaiah J. Poole.
Citing Problematic Time-Sharing of Children, Gov. Scott Again Vetoes Alimony Reform Bill
The plan became one of the most hotly contested issues of the 2016 legislative session when it was amended to include a child-sharing component that would have required judges to begin with a “premise” that children should split their time equally between parents.
Father Accused of Smacking and Suffocating 9-Year-Old Son For Talking Back During Chores
Joshua Stevens, 31, a resident of Prospect Lane in Palm Coast, allegedly struck his child five times and closed his nose and mouth when the child talked back while mopping the floor.
Flagler’s Unemployment Ticks Down to New Post-Recession Low of 5.3% as Employment Surges
In March, strong job growth continued in Flagler County with a gain of 396 for a two-month gain of 868 jobs–numbers not seen since before the Great Recession. Florida’s unemployment rate fell to 4.9 percent.
Ethics Commission Unanimously Approves $6,200 Fine Against Sheriff Manfre, and Public Censure
State ethics commissioners voted without discussion to impose the fine and censure. Manfre has vowed to keep fighting the charges dating back to the early part of his tenure in 2013.
Weekend Briefing: New Show at Salvo, Victims’ Rights Sunrise Memorial, Sheriff’s Ethics, Gershwin’s Rhapsody
Sheriff Jim Manfre’s ethics case again goes before the state ethics commission, Salvo Art Gallery shows four artists’ new works, a victims’ rights memorial on the pier Saturday, and plenty more.
Public Agencies That Violate Sunshine Law Must Pay Attorney’s Fees, Supreme Court Rules
Justices rejected arguments that agencies should be shielded from paying plaintiffs’ legal fees if public-records requests are handled in “good faith.”
Palm Coast Man, 23, Accused of Sexually Assaulting Two Teen Girls at Long Creek Preserve
Christopher Hollinger, 23, of 43 Forsythe Lane, is at the Flagler County Jail on $270,000 bond on accusations of statutory rape and other charges stemming from an alleged March 15 incident.
Nurse Assistants at Grand Oaks Rehab Strike for $15/hr Wage in Echo of National Movement
Workers at Grand Oaks Rehab Center in Palm Coast, most on poverty wages, walked out for 24 hours, though they’d given the facility almost two weeks’ notice and replacements ensured no residents lacked care.
Pot-Possession Decriminalization Could Advance in Flagler As Part of Broader Civil Citation Program
Not just the possession of small amounts of pot, but such offenses as battery and criminal mischief could be de-criminalized and shifted to civil citations in an approach that will be studied by a newly formed committee.
Thursday Briefing: 7 Month Old on Terrorist Watch List, FPC Chorus Spring Concert, Beach-Saving Talk
The Flagler Beach City Commission hears about repairing its beach south of the pier, how a 7-month-old American baby ended up on the terrorist watch list, FPC’s chorus in action at the auditorium, a priest disappears in St. Johns and foul play is suspected.
Survey Puts Homeless Total in Flagler-Palm Coast at 104, But Undercount Likely
The 2016 census of the homeless population in Flagler-Palm Coast was a dramatic decline from 2015, but also very likely an under-count. The majority of homeless people who have no shelter at all are in Palm Coast.
Islam’s Contempt for Self-Criticism: From Salman Rushdie to Kamel Daoud
When the Algerian journalist Kamel Daoud linked rapes in Germany on New Year’s Eve to Muslims’ extreme sexual deprivation and “unhealthy relationship with women, their body, and desire,” he was vilified, and silenced.
Claiming “Robust” Bear Population, Florida Wildlife Commission Targets Another Hunt
The commission in October 2015 held its first bear hunt in more than two decades as a means to slow the increase of black bears in the state and to reduce dangerous interactions between bears and humans. But the hunt was highly controversial, with opponents protesting in various parts of the state.
For 2nd Time in 2 Months, County’s Emergency Communications Falter, and Agencies Chafe
A problem at a tower on John Anderson Highway hampered sheriff’s deputies’ ability to communicate for an hour Monday evening. The county is describing the issue as minor while Palm Coast and the sheriff’s office see it as more emblematic of a recurring problem.
Anna Pehota’s Defense Takes Fresh Turn Down Memory Lapse in Husband’s Killing
An unexpected statement by Pehota, 76, who faces a 2nd degree murder charge, that she doesn’t remember her interrogation opened the way for a defense on psychological grounds, and a request for a delay in her trial, initially scheduled for next week.
Wednesday Briefing: Take a Transportation Survey, Victoria Acierno’s Continued Commitment, Paul Ryan’s Future
Victoria Acierno, who drove her car through a brick wall at Indian Trails school in January 2001, will remain in a psychiatric hospital against her will, Palm Coast wants you to take a transportation survey, and what remains of the bus that started the Lebanese Civil War 41 years ago.
Outside Gov. Scott’s Office, a Battle Over Alimony Bill’s Elevation of “Father’s Rights”
The most contentious part of the measure involves not alimony but offspring. It would tell judges that, when determining child-custody arrangements, they should begin with a “premise” that children should split time equally between parents.
Hear Us Roar, Older Residents Tell Palm Coast Council as They Clamor for a Senior Center
But the Palm Coast City Council is cool to the idea of a dedicated senior center: it has an active community center on Palm Coast Parkway and is ramping up uses of its new city hall’s community wing.
New Partnership Will Expand Grand Haven Realty Beyond the Gates
Grand Haven Realty announced today a new partnership between company president Jim Cullis and Lindsay Dolamore, the 2016 President of the Flagler County Association of Realtors.
Costlier and Behind Schedule, Holland Park Renovation Swings For Another $50,000
Holland Park’s $4.7 million renovation was to be completed by now. Instead, completion is not expected until late June and the council said it would approve another $50,000 in unexpected expenses.
Tuesday Briefing: Women’s Unhappy Hour at Farley’s, More Costs at Holland Park, Spring Band Concert
What equal pay? Women will gather at Farley’s Irish pub this evening to drown their unhappiness in booze over women’s pay still not matching men’s, some minor cost overruns at Holland Park, FPC’s band in action.
What Cara Jennings and Black Lives Matter Protesters Don’t Get
Progressive ideals and values are strong, they don’t need to be shouted or paired with epitaphs to pack a punch. Our jobs are already challenging, and you are making them worse, argues Catherine Durkin Robinson.
Rick Scott’s Shout Show
To trade public punches with another politician or a media critic is an accepted part of the game. To defame a private citizen — one who wasn’t even responsible for publicizing the original incident — is out of bounds.
Demolition Devours Another Chunk of Old Palm Coast as Backhoes Blitz ITT Building
The massive building at 1 Corporate Drive had been ITT headquarters in Palm Coast’s nascent days then office and classroom space for the school district’s adult education programs. The building had its uses but was never a good investment for the district.
IRS Could Easily Signal to 10 Million Uninsured Working Poor Eligibility for Coverage. But It Doesn’t.
About half of the uninsured people in families receiving the earned income tax credit are eligible for significant financial assistance — 4.1 million are eligible for Medicaid, and another 1.1 million are eligible for large subsidies.
Car Rear-Ends Wadsworth-Bound School Bus With 19 Students on Board in P Section
A car rear-ended the Elk school bus at 8:15 this morning at Pine Grove Drive and Pittman Drive in Palm Coast. The driver of the car was injured, but none of the 19 students aboard the bus nor the driver were injured, a school district spokesperson said.
Cycle Flagler, Flagler Beach Rotary’s Annual Tour, Returns May 1 With Circuits of 16 to 100 Miles
The Rotary Club of Flagler Beach’s Cycle Flagler is back. The 2016 edition is scheduled for May 1, starting with 6 a.m. registration at the Flagler County Airport, one of the event’s hosts.
Monday Briefing: National Library Week, Speed Bumps in Bunnell, Zez Confrey’s Kitten on Keys
Colony Park residents in Bunnell want speed bumps but the city is speed-bumping the request, it’s National Library Week, so read all week, and it’s time to watch Zez Confrey’s Kitten on the Keys.
Weekend Briefing: Relay for Life in Palm Coast, Right Whales Talk, Rockin’ County Fair, Twitter’s Perv Park
Relay for Life in Palm Coast’s Central Park Friday and Saturday, the fair and Rock n Ribfest continue, Frank Gromling talks whales, how Twitter has turned into a park for pervs.
Benghazi Syndrome: Obama Learns the Wrong Lesson
There was clear support from Security Council members for the initial military action, which unquestionably spared thousands of innocent lives in Benghazi, argues Gareth Evans.
Why North Carolina’s New Anti-LGBT Law is a Trojan Horse That Kills Workers’ Rights
Another provision banned local minimum wage laws like the $15-an-hour “living wage” ordinances gaining traction around the country. The state minimum wage is $7.25 an hour.
Bowing to Baptist and Catholic Pressure, DCF Backs Off Protecting LGBT Children from Discrimination
Proposed language protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth in a DCF rule was opposed by the Florida Baptist Children’s Home and the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops, so it was deleted.
Gateway Drug Bunk: No, Smoking Pot Doesn’t Lead to Harder Drugs
Smoke pot and be merry. Cops’ and politicians’ claims that pot is a gateway drug is baseless fear-mongering intended to stop the legalization of marijuana. But it’s time to dispense with the lie once and for all.
Palm Coast Man Who Shot Wife With AK-47 Continues to Fight His 25-Year Sentence
William Carson Merrill shot and killed his wife as he played with the assault rifle in their home four years ago. He is battling in court for a new trial, arguing that he tendered an involuntary plea to the manslaughter charge.