Despite a clear opinion from Ronald Labasky, the general counsel for the Florida State Association of Supervisors of Elections, telling Weeks to follow Palm Coast’s lead, Weeks a month later was still publicly casting doubt on Palm Coast’s legal standing and delaying her announcement that she would handle the city’s 2014 elections.
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Massive Police Search Just North of Flagler-St. Johns County Line, But Only For Fraudster
That heavy police presence–involving several local and state police agencies–motorists in and out of Flagler County are seeing on I-95, in the area of mile marker 315, is all for a suspect involved in… the fraudulent use of a credit card.
Chamber Players of Palm Coast and Flagler Youth Orchestra in Concert Sunday
The Chamber Players of Palm Coast are in concert at Palm Coast United Methodist Church Sunday, March 16, at 4 p.m., with a special appearance by the Flagler Youth Orchestra’s Harmony Chamber ensemble, the youth orchestra’s most advanced group.
Pot’s Uphill Toke in Florida, CIA Torture Cover-Up, Obama Between Two Ferns, Dieudonné: The Live Wire
Florida’s medical marijuana amendment is no sure thing, a senator reveals a CIA torture cover-up, Bill O’Reilly attacks Obama’s Between Two Ferns appearance, Kevin bacon offers up 1980s awareness, Dieudonné heats up the hate on France’s comedy circuit.
GOP’s Jolly Beats Sink in Congressional Election That Augurs Trouble for Democrats’ Midterms
Both parties viewed the special election to replace Rep Bill Young as a critical test of their chances for success in the mid-term elections in November. The result spells trouble for Democrats, who are expected to lose seats in the House–amplifying the Republican majority–and possibly lose the Senate, which they’ve held since 2006.
Marco Rubio Flirts With Immigration Reform Then Capitulates to the Lunatic Fringe
Rubio placed a dismal seventh at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in a straw poll of likely GOP presidential hopefuls, where his kind of immigration talk doesn’t sit well with the GOP fringe, political or lunatic, writes Andrew Skerritt.
6-Year-Old Girl Is Baker Acted From Old Kings Elementary; Palm Coast Man Accused of Rape
The 6 year old’s Baker Act is the second time in two weeks that a young child was Baker Acted from an elementary school in Flagler. Separately, Andrew J. Vasquez, a 23-year-old resident of 56 Filbert Lane in Palm Coast, was arrested on March 9 and charged with rape.
Sheriff Defends Weekend Use of Code Red Alert For Missing Boy But Initiates Review
Future Code Red alerts will have to be approved by the sheriff himself, though the two Code Red calls that went out Saturday night, including the one that told residents that the Palm Coast boy was found, were both matters of public safety, emergency officials said. Some 30 people asked to be dropped out of 150 people who called emergency services to complain.
NRA-Backed Measure to Let Armed Vets and Ex-Cops In Schools Triggers Controversy
Under the bill, opposed by the state School Board Association, principals and school superintendents could appoint staff members or volunteers who are military veterans with honorable discharges, active military or retired law enforcement officials as gun-toting “designees.”
Palm Coast Dedicates Third Bike Maintenance Station, This Time in Frank Celico’s Memory
It is Palm Coast’s third maintenance station. The Celico Foundation also donated one at the Lehigh Trail on Belle Terre Parkway and Royal Palms Parkway, near the fire station. The Palm Coast Observer and PC Bike donated the first one, located at Waterfront Park. The stations are part of Palm Coast’s emphasis on its trails.
Al Sharpton Leads Call For Repeal of Stand Your Ground in Florida Capitol March
Sharpton marched alongside the parents of Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis, two teens the marchers said were wrongly killed under Florida’s first-in-the-nation law, which allows people to use deadly force when they feel their lives are in danger and provides immunity from prosecution.
A Florida Panther Struck By a Car Last May Is Returned to the Wild After 10-Month Rehab
The 9-month-old kitten was panther was rescued in Collier County last May after a homeowner saw it drag her hind leg. She went through two surgeries and rehabilitated in a 10-acre enclosure before she was released back into the wild on March 10 by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Les 400 Coups: Missing for 11 Hours on Saturday, 14-Year-Old Boy Was Picking Up a Seashell For His Mom
Alex Michael Cargo walked 20 miles after leaving home in Palm Coast’s B-Section following an argument with his mother Saturday, triggering a search involving several K-9 units, police agencies and Flagler County’s emergency helicopter. Alex was unaware, and made it as far as the ocean, where he picked up a seashell for his mother before beginning the trek home.
Girl, 15, Uses School-Issued Macbook to Record Alleged Sex Assault by 22-Year-Old Man
Keith Foreman III, an R-Section resident, is in jail this morning on $11,000 bond, on charges of lewd and lascivious battery and marijuana possession following an incident his alleged 15-year-old victim video-recorded on the Macbook Air issued by the Flagler County School District.
The Dangers of Problematic Prescribing: A Double Dose of Warnings
Two new reports from the CDC show the dangers of overprescribing narcotics and antibiotics. Is there a way for doctors and consumers to make better decisions? An instructive set of answers.
Missing 14-Year-Old Alex Cargo of Palm Coast’s B Section Returns Home; Flagler Sheriff’s Office Cancels Alert
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office issued an alert for a missing teenager, 14-year-old Alex Cargo of Palm Coast, at 9:43 Saturday evening.
Going Coastal, Going Local: Palm Coast’s Workhorse Galleries Celebrate Their Own
Hollingsworth Gallery opens its 6th annual show featuring its membership’s works while the Flagler County Art League opens its first ever “Going Coastal” show as part of Second Saturday’s Art Walk at City Market Place in Palm Coast.
Palm Coast’s Red-Light Cameras: How the City Council Locked In a Fraud on Taxpayers Through 2019
Palm Coast’s red-light cameras siphon off more than $2.5 million out of the local economy every year, in the share that goes to the state and to ATS, the company that runs the scheme, yet the city council quietly approved the deal through 2019, long past the terms of every one of the council members and some of their successors.
How County Engineer Faith Alkhatib Saved Taxpayers $600,000 and Returned 12 Acres to Palm Coast and Flagler
County Engineer Faith Alkhatib detected a recent state rule change that enabled a redesign of the coming Matanzas Woods Parkway interchange with I-95, netting a $600,000 saving and the return of 6 acres to Palm Coast and 6 acres to the county.
Supreme Court Calls on Florida Legislature to Legalize Right of Undocumented Immigrant “Dreamers” To Practice Law
The Florida Supreme Court unanimously ruled on Thursday that undocumented immigrants cannot be admitted to The Florida Bar, calling on the Legislature to change state law to allow so-called “Dreamers” to become attorneys.
Economy Adds 175,000, Reversing
Early Winter Plunge; Unemployment at 6.7%
Despite successive cold spells and snow storms in the east, the national economy added 175,000 jobs in February, reversing a two-month trend that saw job creation fall. The unemployment rate, however, ticked up a decimal point, to 6.7 percent.
Undiscovered For Several Hours, a Motorcyclist Is Found Dead on U.S. 1 Near Seminole Woods
Peter Lonchar Jr., a 66-year-old motorcyclist traveling north on U.S. 1 early this morning, was killed when he drifted off the highway, struck a concrete culvert and jumped a silk construction fence, ending up near a waterlogged ditch. He was not discovered until after noon.
Four Palm Coast Baker Acts in 24 Hours: A Day in the Life of Flagler Sheriff’s Deputies
In barely a 24-hour period between late Monday afternoon and the early evening of Tuesday (March 3 and 4), deputies were involved in four commitments under the Baker Act, each one is illustrative of the variety of mental health situations deputies are confronting, compelling them to make the determination between simply diffusing a situation, making an arrest or carrying out a Baker Act.
Life Without Parole for Juveniles: Florida Struggles to Comply With Supreme Court Ruling
Florida sentences more juveniles to life in prison without parole than any other state, but the pressure is on the Legislature this year to comply with restrictive U.S. Supreme Court rulings because without sentencing guidelines, the Florida judiciary is filling the gap one case at a time.
Palm Coast Scrambles To Right Its Way After Discovery That Bulldog Drive Is a County Road
Palm Coast has never owned Bulldog Drive, a county road since 1956, though the city is widening the street, has acquired land alongside it and has engaged in an epic battle with business owner Gus Ajram as if the right of way were Palm Coast’s. City and county are speeding toward formalizing the city’s ownership.
Seeking Cool Whip High at Publix, A Couple Is Charged With Inhaling
Gretchen Wentworth, 35, and David Collins, 34, residents of 609 North Ocean Shore Boulevard in Flagler Beach, were arrested for inhaling cool whip. That is, the nitrous oxide that powers the cream out of its canister. They were arrested for allegedly doing so at the Flagler Beach Publix, after they’d aggravated other customers.
The Thaw Cometh: Kimberle Weeks Pledges To Oversee Palm Coast Elections After All
Weeks did not tell the city that she would work with Palm Coast, but rather took to the pages of the Palm Coast Observer to pen a caustic OpEd, essentially coloring her concession by painting herself as the election’s white knight. The city welcomed the breakthrough anyway.
Speed Limit of 75 Advances Against AAA Opposition as House Panel Endorses Measure
The House Transportation & Highway Safety Subcommittee voted 13-1 to support the measure (HB 761), which would direct the state Department of Transportation to determine the safe minimum and maximum speed limits on all divided highways that have least four lanes.
Trouble at the Tampa Bay Times, D.C. Decriminalizes Pot, Mozart’s “Kiss My Ass” Canon: The Live Wire
The Tampa Bay Times is losing readers and money, Orlando gets its first natural gas station, Washington D.C. sees the light on pot, Hollywood, Fla. police has a problem, Sherwin Nuland dies, and Mozart’s potty mouth takes expression in a musical piece.
Bunnell City Election: John Rogers and Bonita Robinson Win, As Does Status Quo
John Rogers won re-election to the Bunnell City Commission Tuesday, taking the most votes in a four-way race, and Bonita Robinson won the seat formerly held by Jenny Crain-Brady. Rogers and Robinson defeated Daisy Henry, the former commissioner trying to make a come-back, and Randall Morris, who had been a no-show in most ways through the election period.
With His Job in Mind, Gov. Scott Campaigns to “Keep Working” in State of the State Address
The half-hour speech, delivered before a joint meeting of the Legislature, plowed little to no new ground on the policies the governor will tout during the 60-day session that opened Tuesday. But Scott used the speech to connect his family’s financial troubles when he was young to his quest to bring more jobs to the state.
A 7-Year-Old Girl Is Baker Acted at Belle Terre Elementary; It’s Not Punishment, District Says
The Baker Acting of a 7-year-old girl at Belle Terre Elementary last week, following a report of her allegedly lacerating the dean of students with thumb tacks, is one of three or four Baker Acts of students in the district every month, though they’re usually older. The district defends the Baker Acts as a necessary last resort that addresses underlying issues, and that must not be seen as retribution or punishment.
Angel’s Diner in Palatka: Radiant Relay
Angel’s Diner in Palatka is reported to be the oldest diner in Florida, across the street from the stately Larimer Arts Center and a toast’s throw from the St. Johns River. It’s also proving to be the ideal relay on the way to a nuking.
On World Tennis Day, Palm Coast’s Reilly Opelka, 16, Plays Madison Square Garden
Palm Coast’s Reilly Opelka, a top American junior tennis player, made it to one of the world’s premier sports arenas as he opened for Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray in an exhibition match at Madison Square Garden Monday evening.
Moral Monday Comes to Florida as NAACP Leads Capitol Protest, and Right-Wingers Respond
“Moral Monday” included an array of left-leaning groups calling for lawmakers to expand Medicaid, stop the state’s voter purge and roll back the “stand your ground” self-defense law, while a right-wing group later held its own event to oppose expanding Medicaid and support overhauling the state’s pension system, cut taxes and expand school vouchers.
Gov. Scott’s Secret Travels, Boy Scout Bigotry Loses Disney, Here Come Hillary and Jeb: The Live Wire
Gov. Scott travels secretly on his private jet, claiming a dubious security exemption, the Boy Scouts deservedly lose Disney grants for insisting on remaining homophobes, a town in Nebraska enshrines anti-immigrant racism in its ordinances, Israel invites tourist target-practice against Palestinians, and a farewell to Paco de Lucia.
Flagler-Based Family Life Center Will Provide Rape-Exam Services, Ending Year of Failures Under Children’s Advocacy Center
The Children’s Advocacy Center failures came to light last spring when it failed to provide a certified nurse following a rape, forcing the victim to wait for hours. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office will administer the contract, awarded to Palm Coast and Bunnell-based Family Life Center. which says it has Flagler-based nurses to provide exams when needed.
A 44-Year-Old Man Is Found Dead in a Hot Tub in Palm Coast’s F-Section
Robert Brewer, a 44-year-old resident of Forrester Place in Palm Coast, was found dead in a hot tub at his home the morning of Feb. 27, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office reported. Nothing suspicious was found in the immediate area of the pool, and no foul play is suspected.
Enterprise Florida’s Version of Economic Development: Lavish Perks at Steakhouses, Hotels and Yankee Stadium
Enterprise Florida, The state’s economic development agency, is under fire again. This time, a recent report highlighted lavish spending by its staff, which prompted a watchdog group to ask the governor to launch an investigation.
From Child Protection to Early learning, Advocates Aim For More Serious Funding From 2014 Legislature
With Florida’s coffers filling again and state leaders focusing on child protection, advocates are hopeful the 2014 legislative session will bring both policy and funding gains for children’s services as high-profile issues include a massive crackdown on sexually violent predators and an overhaul of the child-welfare system.
Permanent Temp Workers in the U.S. Are at the Mercy of Some of the Weakest Labor-Protection Laws in the West
“Permatemping’ cases highlight a lack of U.S. protections for temp workers., who are exposed to more dangers in return for far less job protection or benefits. Other countries limit the length of temp jobs, guarantee equal pay and restrict dangerous work.
Yusuf Abdullah, Medic at Flagler Jail and Ex-Firefighter, Is Arrested on Cocaine-Sale Charge
Yusuf Abdullah, 45-year-old part-time paramedic at the Flagler County jail and a former Daytona Beach fire fighter was arrested Friday afternoon on a charge of sale of selling cocaine within 1,000 feet of a convenience store, a first-degree felony.
Denying Service to Gays and Lesbians: Right of Conscience Vigilantism Meets Stand Your Ground
Bills in four states that would let businesses deny service to gays and lesbians on religious-freedom grounds are based on the same faulty justification of Stand Your Ground laws on self-defense grounds. In both cases, the 1st and 2nd Amendments are perverted into defenses of vigilantism rather than protection of rights.
Lock and Load: NRA-Willing, Florida Legislature Takes On Slew of New Gun Legislation
Bills dealing with toaster pastries and insurance policies are just two of more than a dozen gun-related measures lined up for the 2014 legislative session that starts Tuesday. As in previous years, many of them will go nowhere, especially if Marion Hammer, the National Rifle Association’s powerful Florida lobbyist, doesn’t like them.
Ten Issues to Watch as Florida’s Legislative Session Starts
Florida lawmakers will start the 2014 session Tuesday with a budget surplus and an eye on the November elections. But they still will have to address some tough questions before the session ends May 2. Among the questions: How can Florida better protect vulnerable children? Is it time to overhaul the state pension system? And should the state allow resort casinos to set up shop? Here are 10 issues to watch during the next two months.
Palm Coast’s Entrepreneur Night Taps Into a Diversity of Niches, Pollinating Local Business
In its two years on the Palm Coast business scene, Ky Ekinci’s monthly Entrepreneur Night has grown from a gathering of 20 people who knew each other to an event that consistently draws more than 100 people from all walks of business.
Lawmaker Files Bill Favoring Trauma Centers Run by HCA, Gov. Scott’s Former Company
The proposal, opposed by numerous Florida hospitals, would help the HCA health-care chain keep trauma centers open and could short-circuit a debate about how the Florida Department of Health determines where new trauma centers should be allowed to open.
A Man Is Found Incinerated in a Burning Car in Palm Coast’s Town Center Woods
Henry Cornish, 71, was found in a burning car at 11:30 this morning (Feb. 27) in the heart of Palm Coast’s Town Center, not far from the Epic movie theater, after suffering an apparent medical episode, according to FHP. Town Center access is closed going west at the intersection of Town Center Boulevard and Central Avenue, and going east at Central Avenue and Brookhaven Way.
2-Year-Old Girl Brought to Hospital Bruised and Unresponsive; Palm Coast Man Charged With Aggravated Child Abuse
Stanley Wykretowicz, a 38-year-old resident of Palm Coast, claimed his 2-year-old daughter fell in the tub, but doctors discovered extensive internal and external injuries that required emergency surgery after the child was taken to a children’s hospital in Jacksonville. Wykretowicz is at the Flagler jail on $150,000 bond.
Convicted in Trooper’s Murder, Paul Howell Is Executed, Gov. Scott’s 15th
Howell was convicted in 1994 in the 1992 murder of Florida Highway Patrol trooper Jimmy Fulford in 1992 when a bomb Howell manufactured exploded in the trooper’s hands after a traffic stop.