The UN’s 169 priorities for sustainable development are too many and are like having none at all, argues Bjorn Lomborg. So he asked leading economists to evaluate which targets would do the most good for every dollar.
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Flagler’s Next Congressman? Jacksonville Sheriff John Rutherford Announces for DeSantis Seat
Jacksonville Sheriff John Rutherford, term-limited after 12 years, will seek to replace Rep. Ron DeSantis in the 6th Congressional District, which includes all of Flagler County. The open seat is expected to draw numerous candidates.
Father Faces Child Abuse Charge Over 12-Year-Old Son’s Black Eye and Broom Violence
Angel Pablo Otero Diaz, 34, of Bunnell, was jailed Tuesday on a charge of child abuse after allegedly leaving his 12-year-old son with a black eye and striking him with a broom.
Crime Rate Falls to Historic Low in Flagler, Mirroring State and National Trend
Flagler’s crime rate is 40 percent lower than Florida’s, and in 2014 it was 29 percent lower than its peak in 2007. Bunnell continues to account for a disproportionate number of arrests.
Meeting in Bunnell, State Board of Education Urges Lawmakers to Preserve Historic Increase in Per-Student Funding
Gov. Rick Scott warned last week that a planned $261 per student funding increase from the current year was in jeopardy if the Legislature does not resolve an impasse over health care funding.
Wednesday Briefing: State Education Board in Bunnell, Letterman Ends, Digital Journalism Stalls
The state Board of Education holds its meeting in Bunnell Wednesday morning, with the education commissioner in tow. Tonight Dave Letterman ends his 35 years as the king of late night. Michael Massing explores the future of digital journalism.
If Violence Isn’t the Answer, Someone Should Clue In the Police
Nobody wants to see people hurt, businesses burned, or innocent lives disrupted by violence in their communities. But you can’t understand urban unrest in isolation from the violence residents face at the hands of their own government.
As Gov. Scott Seeks Information For His Health Commission, Hospitals Signal He’s On His Own
As Gov. Rick Scott’s newly created health-care commission prepares to meet Wednesday to begin sifting through data about hospital funding, the governor’s request for information has been met with hospitals essentially telling him to go look it up.
In a Victory for Students, Divided School Board Relaxes High School Dress Code Substantially
Starting in fall, students in high school can wear school t-shirts, club shirts or team jerseys, as well as plaid and striped collared shirts. The policy does not change existing rules for middle and elementary school students. The board voted 3-2 to adopt the new policy.
Flagler Beach Confrontation Sends Man to Hospital and Splash Car Wash Owner to Jail
The fight at the he Shell gas station on State Road 100 in Flagler Beach sent Ricardo Mercado of Palm Coast to jail on an aggravated assault charge, and Roman Miroshnik to the hospital.
Missing Key Ingredient—“People”—Charter Review Storm Evaporates as Quickly as It Came
Few people showed up at today’s Palm Coast council meeting and fewer still spoke on the charter-review proposal by Council member Steven Nobile, appearing to end the matter.
2 Hospitalized, 6 Dogs Rescued From House Fire in Palm Coast’s LL Section
A father and his young daughter, about 5 years old, were hospitalized for smoke inhalation this morning after a fire in the garage at 6 Llach Court in Palm Coast inundated the house with smoke, but was contained before spreading further.
Tuesday Briefing: City Council Braced, Man Booker Prize Announced, Ericksen Flocked, Food Truck Tuesday
It’s Food Truck Tuesday in Palm Coast’s Central Park, Britain’s Man Booker Prize is announced at 4:30 p.m., the Palm Coast City Council and Flagler School Boards are in action, 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Commissioner Charlie Ericksen was flocked.
Flagler’s Ronald Reagan Group Orchestrating Blitz on Palm Coast Council Over City Charter
An email request for “support” of council member Steven Nobile’s push for a charter review went to the local tea party membership, and was signed by the Ronald Reagan group’s president, Michael McElroy.
Lawmakers Preparing A Disastrous Overhaul of Florida High School Athletics Ahead
Not a high school in the state of Florida sees anything but disaster in proposed legislation that would overhaul the Florida High School Athletic Association, for good reason, argues Nancy Smith.
Florida’s Smallest Police Department Gets a Mine-Resistant Armored Vehicle
The Pentagon put more than 12,000 MRAPs into service in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Now many of those MRAPs are being unloaded to 780 domestic civilian law enforcement agencies.
Teachers Union has No Standing to Sue Over Florida’s School Voucher System, Judge Rules
The voucher-like program provides tax credits to companies that donate money to nonprofit entities that help pay for children to attend private schools. Some 70,000 students are enrolled.
On Parking Mire, Flagler Beach Commission Piles Confusion On Top of Indecision
After a proposal to put the question of paid parking to a referendum failed, the Flagler Beach City Commission had trouble giving its administration direction on what to do next.
At Matanzas Woods Parkway Interchange Groundbreaking, Praise For the Overdue
Most groundbreakings aren’t worth the PR, because that’s all they are: a chance for the shovel hogs to get their picture in the news, let their flesh be pressed and their egos stroked. But Flagler County and Palm Coast have earned this one. And when Flagler County Chairman Frank Meeker said of the Matanzas Woods […]
Flagler Commissioners Formalize Opposition to Fracking and Seismic Testing for Oil and Gas
A pair of resolutions put Flagler government on record opposing the Obama administration’s allowance for seismic testing for oil and gas offshore, and opposing hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in Florida.
Monday Briefing: Carver Gym Fund-Raiser Breaks 4-Year Record, Less Military Hardware For Cops, New Airport Tenants
The Carver Gym auction topped the $7,000 mark, Obama tires of sending military hardware to police departments, an investigation reveals the lack of black cops on Florida streets.
Florida Leads Nation in Boating Accidents With 70 Deaths; Coast Guard Releases Safety App
Features of the app include state boating information, a safety equipment checklist, free boating safety check requests, navigation rules, float plans, and calling features to report pollution or suspicious activity.
One Way to Lessen That Pain: Insurers May Not Charge for Anesthesia in Colonoscopies
Although the ACA health law made it clear that the colonoscopy itself must be free for patients, it didn’t spell out how anesthesia or other charges should be handled.
Adam W. Ryone, 43, Is Killed on SR100 In One of 4 Flagler Wrecks in Less Than 24 Hours
Adam Wade Ryone, 43, who lived on Mahogany Boulevard in Daytona North, was killed on his motorcycle when a woman rear-ended him in a moment of inattention on State Road 100 Saturday afternoon.
Suicide Standoff Shuts Down Portion of Florida Park Drive and Brings Out Swat
A standoff on Florida Park Drive shut down a segment of the road in the heart of Palm Coast shortly after 6 p.m. Saturday evening as the SWAT team was called out and residents from Foster Lane to Forest Hill Drive were ordered to stay indoors.
Online Voter Registration in Florida Is Now Law, Over Resistance By Gov. Scott and Detzner
Florida must now develop an online voter registration system by October 2017, joining 20 other states that already provide the service. Gov. Scott was reluctant to sign the measure into law.
We’ve Been Flocked! All Flamboyance For Future Problem Solvers’ Fundraiser
It was fabulous to wake up to a flock of pink flamingos on our lawn, part of a fund-raiser for Flagler County’s Future Problem Solvers, who head for international competition in Iowa in June.
Angered By Injunction, a Palm Coast Man, 25, Is Accused of Attacking His 72-Year-Old Grandmother
David Harris, 25, of Palm Coast’s L Section, is being held on $95,000 bond after allegedly attacking his grandmother and threatening her with a knife. He was angered by an injunction she’d taken out against him that same day.
Weekend Briefing: Bunnell Festival Returns, Rubio Hawks It Up, The Bush Who Created ISIS
The Bunnell Festival returns Saturday under a new name, sans potato, Hairspray continues at the Auditorium, Mitt Romney faces down Evander Holyfield in Salt Lake City.
When Liberal Democracy Isn’t All It’s Cracked Up to Be
The puzzle is not why democracy so often turns out to be illiberal. It is that liberal democracy can ever emerge.
Gov. Scott’s Latest Tactic in Budget Showdown: Threaten a Government Shutdown
In addition to raising the issue of a government shutdown with state departments, Scott appeared to try to preemptively blame the Senate if negotiations drag on past June 30, the end of the current budget year.
As Mom Struggles to Recover From Burns, Community Rallies Around a Family Made Homeless
As Jessica Johnson, mom to three young children, remains in intensive care, Flagler Beach has rallied around her family to raise money and collect furniture and toys.
Accused of Raping 11-Year-Old, Karl Westgate Pleads and Gets 25 Years
Palm Coast’s Karl Westgate, 19, had faced life in prison on rape charges but pleaded guilty to lesser charges and was sentenced to 25 years Thursday and a lifetime on sexual predator probation after that.
City of Palm Coast Employee Arrested on Charges of Impersonating Cop and Using Blue Light
Shaun Eric Fuller, a computer specialist with Palm Coast government, was arrested at city offices at City Marketplace in mid-afternoon Tuesday on charges of impersonating a police officer and using a blue light on his dashboard to pull over vehicles.
Thursday Briefing: Paid Parking Straw Poll in Flagler Beach? “Hairspray” at the Auditorium, Losing Letterman
Flagler Beach Commissioner Steve Settle tonight proposes a straw poll on paid parking in the city. FPC’s production of “Hairspray” kicks off at the Auditorium. Bidding farewell to Letterman’s art of talk.
At Rymfire Elementary, A Medical Lab Radiates School’s Health, Fitness and Science Flagship
Rymfire Elemetary teamed up with Florida Hospital Flagler and the Education Foundation to develop a student-centered medical lab as part of the school’s health-centered flagship program, and showcased it to acclaim Tuesday evening.
Gov. Reubin Askew, Sallye B. Mathis and Edward Daniel Davis Inducted Into Civil Rights Hall
Reubin Askew was named to the hall of fame in part because of his support for desegregation and his appointments of top black officials, including the first black justice on the Florida Supreme Court.
Rash of Assaults Helps Boost Jail Population; Burning Wick House Again Scene of a Bizarre Incident
The Flagler County jail population reached 160, higher than it’s been for most of the past four years, with a rash of domestic and other assaults contributing. A B-Section house that’s been a focus of trouble lately again drew police attention over the weekend.
John R. Lugo, 31, Missing Since May 7, Located in Jacksonville, Where He Wants to Stay
31-year-old John Raymond Lugo Jr., a resident of 1 Wellham Lane B in Palm Coast, who went missing the evening of Thursday, May 7, was staying with relatives in Jacksonville, where he said he wishes to remain.
Wednesday Briefing: Jeb Bush’s Iraq War Problem, Open Government Online, Benvenuto Cellini at Epic Theaters
The First Amendment Foundation adds new open-government courses online, Jeb Bush keeps stumbling over questions about the Iraq war, and a relatively quiet day in local government.
Gov. Scott Threatens to Delay Tax Cuts and Education Funding Hike Over Budget Standoff
A roughly $261 per student increase from the current year is at stake, as is a a $690 million tax-cut package, if a health care-fueled budget impasse continues in the Legislature.
Steven Nobile Thrust For Broad Charter Review Has Rest of Palm Coast Council on Defensive
A push for a charter review by Palm Coast City Council member Steven Nobile provoked an at-times heated discussion at council today as members largely opposed the notion absent a more defined public drive for changing the city’s equivalent of a constitution.
Paul Dykes Pleads Not Guilty in Child Rape and Retains Controversial Attorney David Taylor
Paul Dykes, the 18-year-old Palm Coast man accused of raping a child younger than 5, pleaded not guilty today and hired Jacksonville attorney David Taylor, who’s been disciplined by the Florida Bar and faced an assault charge in 2012.
Tuesday Briefing: Tourism’s Matt Dunn Lands National Board Seat, Obama’s Osama Lies, Palm Harbor Housekeeping
Rymfire Elementary celebrates its new medical lab this evening, Seymour Hersh’s piece on the Obama administration’s alleged lies regarding the killing of Osama bin Laden is making the talk show rounds, Palm Coast gets ready for the Palm Harbor extension.
Commencement Season in an Age of Community Failures
We can make excuses for failure and we too often do so, writes Ed Moore. In life there should be no excuses for quitting, for abandoning dreams and ambitions and for pursuing our goals.
Gov. Scott Stacks Hospital Panel Without a Single Hospital Expert in Overt Snub
Scott’s commission is to make recommendations for a special legislative session on health funding scheduled to begin June 1, but it includes beef, housing, real estate, banking and hospitality experts, but no health care executives.
Afternoon Brush Fire That Smoked Up Palm Coast’s P-Section and I-95 Is Mopped Up
A brush fire in an isolated strip of woods between I-95 and Palm Coast’s P-Section kicked off a lot of smoke and burned a 2-acre area but never threatened homes and by sundown had been all but mopped up.
Calling Puppy Killing “Offensive,” Judge Sentences Slayer to 9 Months in Jail, 5 Years’ Probation
Wesley Jackson of Palm Coast’s B-Section was masturbating when the 4-month-old Chihuahua interrupted him last September, causing Jackson to brutalize and kill the dog known as Little Man.
Sheriff Fires Ex-Narcotics Deputy For Quitting Post Days After Bruising Internal Investigation
An internal affairs investigation concluded that Alfonzo Dillard had misplaced one of his guns, traveled out of county with a department-issued vehicle, lied about the trip and possibly the gun, all violations of Sheriff’s Office policy.
Monday Briefing: Bunnell Bids Giving Gardners Goodbye, a Puppy-Killer Is Sentenced, Picasso Fetches $140 Million
Wesley Jackson, accused of stomping a dog to death for interrupting his masturbation session, is sentenced this afternoon. The Bunnell City Commission awards appreciation certificates to Beth and Charles Gardner,