Andy Gardiner, The 44-year-old Orlando Republican, was lauded as a compassionate and temperate conservative as he laid out an agenda focused on the economy, water and natural resources and expanding educational and employment opportunities for disabled Floridians.
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Palm Coast’s Ambitions for More Parks Soar, But Development Tax to Fund Them Declines
Palm Coast’s park impact fees levied on new construction are about to decline by a few hundred dollars, though the city’s ambitious plans for new parks and recreational facilities over the next few decades are unchanged.
Court Strikes Down University of North Florida Ban on Guns in Vehicles Parked on Campus
Alexandria Lainez, a business student at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, is celebrating. On Tuesday, the District Court of Appeal for the First District in Tallahassee upheld her challenge of a UNF rule banning firearms on campus. The full court voted 12-3 to overturn a Duvall Circuit Court decision that had upheld the university’s ban.
As Superintendent Search Committee Meets, A Ringer for Board’s Favorite Leads the Way
If there was any doubt left that the Flagler County School Board intends to leave little to chance as it steers its way to the appointment of Jacob Oliva as its next superintendent, that doubt was dispelled Tuesday afternoon when the board’s 15-member search committee met for the first time.
Employers Would Be Barred From Using Applicants’ Credit Reports or Firing Pregnant Women
The Florida Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee gave support to both proposals on Monday, even though a number of senators expressed concern about limiting an employer’s ability to use a credit history when judging a potential new hire for a non-financial or non-managerial role.
Satanists Now Want to Join Beer Pole and Nativity Scene at Florida Capitol
The state Department of Management Services has received three more applications, including two from atheist groups and one from satanists, to put up displays after approving a banner for the Freedom From Religion Foundation and an aluminum pole — made of empty beer cans– – to mark the parody festival Festivus.
Florida Sentencing Guidelines
Overview of Florida’s sentencing policies, guidelines, first, second and third degree felonies, life sentences.
Twin-Engine Plane Crash-Lands at Flagler County Airport as Nose Gear Collapses
A small twin-engine plane crash-landed on runway 24 at the Flagler County Airport at 12:50 p.m. Tuesday after the plane’s landing gear failed. There are no reports of injuries at the moment. The runway is closed, but the airport is not.
Palm Coast Unveils Design for a Spruced Up Community Center, With Premium on Visibility
The Palm Coast Community Center on Clubhouse Drive and Palm Coast Parkway would potentially more than triple its current 5,800 square feet (to close to 20,000 square feet), and accommodate up to 200 people, starting with a $430,000 design in 2014 and first-phase construction in 2015.
Flagler Youth Orchestra’s 300 Musicians Take Concert Stage Wednesday at Flagler Auditorium
The Flagler Youth Orchestra performs its first concert of the 2013-14 season on Wednesday, December 11, at 7 p.m. at the Flagler Auditorium in Palm Coast. Conductor Sue Cryan and fellow teachers of the FYO will lead five orchestras with more than 300 string musicians.
Nativity Scene in Florida Capitol Will Share Space With Beer-Can Pole Celebrating Festivus
A nearly 6-foot-tall pole made from emptied Pabst Blue Ribbon beer cans, marking the Festivus holiday once parodied on Seinfeld, will be put up in the Florida Capitol this week as a not-so-subtle protest to the recent placement of a Christian nativity scene by the Florida Prayer Network.
5-Car Wreck Injures a Baby on Belle Terre at Royal Palms Parkway
A mid-afternoon pile-up involving five vehicles injured a baby and snarled traffic in the southbound lanes of Belle Terre Parkway. Two vehicles had moderate damage. Three had minor damage.
56-Year-Old Man Accused of Cigarette-Burning a 9-Year-Old Girl in Inappropriate Beach Encounter
Thomas Checchio, a 56-year-old resident of 612 John Anderson Highway in Flagler Beach, faces a charge of felony child abuse after he reportedly “flirted” with a 9-year-old girl at the beach before he claims to have tripped her, causing her to burn herself on his cigarette.
Extra State Revenue Could Top $1 Billion As Legislature Approaches Spring Session
State economic forecasters added $324.3 million to expected tax revenues during the current budget year, which ends June 30, and the fiscal year that begins the next day. Because lawmakers have already passed a budget covering this year, all of the new money should be available for the spending plan that starts in July.
Pam Bondi’s Pot Problem
It’s a matter of time before marijuana is legalized, for medical uses or not, even in Florida. But Attorney General Pam Bondi is doing her best to preserve a prohibition that relies on disinformation to benefit cops and jails at the expense of greater safety, less crime and more compassion, were marijuana to be legalized.
State Attorney Files Attempted Murder Charge Against Morris in Trevor Blumenfeld Shooting
The State Attorney’s Office filed charges against two of the four suspects involved in the Nov. 4 shooting of 19-year-old Trevor Blumenfeld in Palm Coast’s LL Section, changing a charge of aggravated battery against suspect Matthew D. Morris to attempted third-degree murder, a third-degree felony. Three charges were filed against Matthew Smith, each carrying life felony sentences.
Matanzas High Student Accosted By Man Impersonating Police in Palm Coast’s C-Section
A 16-year-old Matanzas High School student reported that as she was walking to her bus stop around 6:45 a.m. when a white or Hispanic man in a car began following her and telling her, as the girl ran, that she was resisting arrest.
School Board Honors John Winston, Tireless Advocate of Flagler’s African-American Mentor Program
At 76, John Winston has continued to be the leading force behind the Flagler school district’s African-American Mentor Program, which pairs young boys and men in need of solid direction with adults who take on the role of father figures. Winston is himself the patriarch of a family of seven children and three dozen grandchildren.
Rick Scott Puts State Employees to Work On Re-Election Campaigning Veiled as “Outreach”
On-the-clock state employees from a number of agencies have been splitting shifts since Monday to call businesses and use talking points that are indistinguishable from the language of campaign ads to help Rick Scott’s re-election.
Unemployment Falls to 7%, Lowest Level in 5 Years, as Economy Adds 203,000 Jobs
The national unemployment rate fell to 7 percent in November, the lowest level since December 2008, when it was 6.8 percent. The economy added 203,000 jobs over the month, continuing relatively strong growth since summer despite the 17-day government shut-down in October.
Superintendent Jacob Oliva: School Board Frames a Near-Certainty In Pro-Forma Search
It is almost a certainty that come Feb. 4, Jacob Oliva will be named Flagler County’s new school superintendent, but the school board has appointed a 15-member search committee to broaden public input, vet Oliva and avoid accusations of reaching a pre-determined conclusion. Nevertheless, Oliva’s favored status has rankled some members of the black community.
Medical Marijuana Tangles Up Florida Supreme Court Justices In Weeds of Words
The idea of medical marijuana technically isn’t at issue in the case. Instead, Attorney General Pam Bondi, legislative leaders and medical, law enforcement and business groups argue that the ballot title and summary that would appear on the ballot could deceive voters about the scope of the amendment.
Nelson Mandela, 1918-2013
Forgive, But Don’t Forget
Nelson Mandela, one of the towering figures of the 20th century and the liberator of South Africa from apartheid, died today–Dec. 5–at 8:50 p.m. in Johannesburg. He was 95. Here are exts from his own pen, which speak more eloquently than obituaries about his vision for a world of equality, human rights and dignity unobscured by illusions.
Two Years In, Tourism Director Georgia Turner Is Leaving Flagler For Native Alabama
Georgia Turner, the county’s radiant tourism director who oversaw Flagler’s and Palm Coast’s realignment as niche sports destinations, a steady rise in tourism-tax revenue and a first-ever working coalition of local arts groups, is leaving after just two years on the job. Personal, not political, reasons led her to the decision.
Another Obamacare Surprise: Married Couples Not Eligible For Subsidies Given Single Filers
For middle class married couples who don’t have children, the subsidy cutoff is $62,000. If one spouse makes $30,000 and the other $40,000, they are ineligible for a subsidy when combined. But if they were just living together, each would be eligible for a subsidy.
Flagler Technical Institute:
Registration Open for Winter Term
Flagler Technical Institute is now accepting registrations for its career and technical programs for the Winter Term. Most classes will be held in the Flagler Technical Institute building at 1 Corporate Drive in Palm Coast.
An Attempt to Discredit a Commissioner Over Her Temporary Digs in Palm Coast Backfires
Bunnell City Commissioner Jenny Crain-Brady sold her house in Bunnell and temporarily moved to a friend’s house in Palm Coast, though she was rebuilding another house in Bunnell. The move triggered a complaint about her right to serve on the commission–or to run for re-election in March–and a fellow-commissioner brought the question to the full board.
Medicaid Gap: A Reporter Who Covers Obamacare But Doesn’t Qualify For It
The Supreme Court allowed states to opt out of the Medicaid expansion under Obamacare, as Florida did, but the law didn’t include subsidies for people in those states who earn less than the federal poverty level to buy coverage through the exchanges. They were supposed to be covered under Medicaid. And Medicaid is not there for them.
FPL Customers Will See Power Bills Increase 5% Starting in January, Adding to Other Local Utility Hikes
For Palm Coast residents, the rate increase compounds steeper utility rate increases as the city raised its water and sewer rates 8 percent in April, another 4 percent in October, and will raise them again 4 percent next October. The typical combined annual price increase: $175.
School Enrollment Stabilizes But Remains Below Last Year’s, With Decreases Projected
As of the end of November, the district had 12,794 students. The good news is that the district saw enrollment rise for the past two months, but the number is still 100 students below last November’s, with projected declines of 1 to 2 percent between January and May, which may have ripple effects on the economy.
Proposed Monument Honoring Union Soldiers at Florida’s Olustee Battlefield Sparks Outrage
The bid to add a Union monument to the Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park near Lake City, site of the Civil War’s largest battle in Florida, turned a public hearing into a three-hour bout of recriminations that re-enacted some of the Civil War’s deepest passions.
Florida Lawmakers’ Bugsy Fixation
We have become a nation of people who sue each other and serve each other hamburgers. Are we also to become a nation of croupiers and cocktail waitresses? Sadly, that seems to be the message our politicians are delivering as they bet more of Florida’s future on gambling.
Court Appearance Adds to Puzzles Behind Mobil Mart Murder Suspect as Victim’s Mother Looks On
A Tuesday court appearance by Joseph Bova II, accused of murdering Roman Rosado in an execution-style killing at the Mobil Mart on SR 100 in February, added to questions surrounding his case, including about his competence and a mysterious incident involving him that took place at the jail on Thanksgiving Day.
Debris Fire on Land Off CR 304 Is No Threat, But Will Smoke Up Palm Coast and Bunnell For Days
The 9-acre fire is consuming tree stumps, mulch and related debris at a dump for such material, and will continue burning at a lesser intensity for days, possibly weeks, creating smoke issues. Firefighters left the scene Tuesday morning, leaving it to the landowners to resolve.
As County Library’s Purpose Changes, Commissioners Examine Expansion Plans
Flagler County Library Director Holly Albanese led county commissioners on a tour of the main branch Tuesday morning in hopes of persuading them to soon approve expansion plans in line with the library’s changing mission.
Gambling’s Odds in Florida May Be Left To a Constitutional Amendment in 2014
House Speaker Will Weatherford’s new plan–to let voters decide if they should weigh in on future expansion of gambling–could provide cover for Republican House members reluctant to expand gambling as the Legislature takes up the thorny issue during the upcoming session.
Jacksonville Zoo Announces Birth of Two Amur Leopards, a Critically Endangered Species
There are only three dozen or so Amur leopards living in the wild, and as such they may be the most endangered big cats in the world. The first cub was born at the Jacksonville zoo at about 10:30 a.m. on Nov. 16. The second followed at 11:15 a.m. They have not yet been named.
Palm Coast Couple Charged With Aggravated Child Abuse After Neglecting Broken Arm
Authorities learned that the couple allegedly had cruel means of disciplining the 3-year-old boy, including dousing the child in cold water for napping when he wasn’t supposed to, sitting the child by the front door, as punishment, for 10 to 60 minutes, “and twisting [the child] into a pretzel with legs behind [his] head, causing pain to the groin area,” according to the arrest report.
County Rejects Donations of Flagler Estates Lots, Seeing No Public Purpose in Acquisition
A divided commission rejected the proposal, 3-2, with Nate McLaughlin leading an adamant opposition that showed no interest in bailing out private property owners who made poor investments, or setting the county on a course that has no clear objective.
With 3 Weeks To Go, Consumers Fear Ending Up Without Health Coverage On New Year’s
The next three weeks are critical for consumers keen on getting health coverage as soon as the health law allows it on Jan. 1. People who desire coverage by then need to sign up in the new marketplaces no later than Dec. 23. Consumers can still enroll up to the end of March, but their coverage will begin later.
Don’t Slash Government Spending. Increase It.
One of the biggest common misunderstandings is that governments are like households, which need to tighten their spending when times are tough. Actually, governments and households work in opposite ways. Governments can and should spend more when times are tough.
Obama’s Free Press Problem: Why Reporters in the U.S. Now Need Protection
The Obama administration has made the most concerted effort since the Nixon years to intimidate officials from talking to a reporter. Paul Steiger, Paul Steiger recipient of this year’s the Burton Benjamin Memorial award from the Committee to Protect Journalists, argues for a response.
Rick Scott’s $11,370-Worth of “Congratulations” Letters Blur Line Between Applause and Electioneering
Scott views the missives as a means to applaud individuals and to promote Florida. His critics say some of the messages include language that deviates into campaign talking points. Don’t expect the letter-writing campaign to slow or the questionable language to disappear from such messages.
Of Thanksgiving Day Parades and Friends in Exile
Watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on CBS was a bit like being waterboarded, but matters improved very quickly when the channel changed and the aromas of the day began invading the house, along with just the right spirits: Praise be to Beaujolais Nouveau.
Tricia James, 22, Is Killed in a Head-On Collision on Pine Lakes Parkway, One Hour Into Thanksgiving Day
Tricia A. James, 22, of Ormond Beach, was killed at 1 a.m. Thursday in a head-on collision in Palm Coast as she drove on Pine Lakes Parkway. Her car collided with an SUV driven by James J. Rumph of Palm Coast. Rumph, 18, is recovering from serious injuries at Florida Hospital Flagler.
Convicted Sex Offender Is Accused of Coercing His Fiancée’s 14-Year-Old Sister Into Sex
Ismael Angel Rios, a convicted sex offender who’d molested young girls he taught in a theater program a few years ago, was arrested again on a charge that he coerced a 14-year-old girl into oral sex while he was painting the girl’s Palm Coast home.
Dawn to Starlight: Palm Coast, Flagler Beach and the Hammock Warm Up Christmas Parades
Palm Coast’s annual Starlight parade is scheduled for Dec. 14. Flagler Beach’s Holiday at the Beach Parade is scheduled for Dec. 7 at 1 p.m., and businesses in the Hammock will be lighting up A1A with special events, lights and Christmas cheer for the first two week-ends of December.
Robyn Anderson, Daytona State Graduate, Joins Flagler Dental as Hygienist
Flagler Dental Associates has hired Robyn Anderson as its new hygienist in the practice’s Palm Coast North office on Park Drive. Anderson also works in the Palm Coast South office one Wednesday evening per month, when the office stays open until 8 p.m. to accommodate patients’ scheduling needs.
State Website for Florida’s Unemployed Still Plagued By Flaws, Delaying Urgent Checks
Claims by jobless people that are flagged for investigation or are under appeal continue to be a major hurdle to correct. The Department of Economic Opportunity’s goal is to complete the remaining conversion issues by Dec. 20.
Why Florida Should Embrace Common Core: A Conservative Perspective
“I believe in Common Core State Standards, believed in them decades before they existed, and desperately want them for my grandchildren, their children and the future of this great nation,” writes Nancy Smith, the conservative editor of Sunshine State News. “If I’d been an educator, I might have invented them.”