Palm Coast is bringing back its rescheduled Arbor Day celebration to Central Park (from Waterfront Park), on May 18. the event will be featuring a tree give-away, butterfly release, food drive, walk and run, exhibits and activities for children including a petting zoo, character visits and rock-climbing wall. Admission and parking are free.
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As Closing a School Emerges as an Option, District Calls for Emergency Meeting Thursday
Despite some confusion about budget numbers described as a “moving target,” the Flagler school board was spending a day-long workshop to find some $1.7 million in cuts, many of them affecting educational programs directly.
As Gov. Scott Looks to Re-Election, Legislative Wins Have Yet to Bump Approval
Gov. Rick Scott got the teacher raise he sought, and a sales-tax exemption for manufacturing equipment in the last legislative session, but his poll numbers haven’t showed improvement as he heads into the 2014 campaign for a second term.
Divided Flagler Commission Moves Ahead With $1.23 Million Option on Old Hospital
The vote to acquire the old 60,000-square-foot memorial hospital property in Bunnell followed a flash-lit tour of the building for the commissioners, but did not change the option agreement except to require an appraisal and extend the due diligence period to 90 days. The county would still be acquiring the building for $1.23 million, as is.
Flagler Youth Orchestra’s 280 Musicians Take The Auditorium in Year-End Concert
The Flagler Youth Orchestra’s “Take a Bow” concert at the Flagler Auditorium Monday at 7 p.m. will feature all 280 musicians in different orchestras in the culmination of a year’s–and for many, several years’–work.
A Mondex Woman, 27, Is Attacked by 5 Pit Bulls as She Protects Her 6-Year-Old
Brandy Bookamer, 27, was attacked Sunday evening (May 5) by what were reported to be five pit bulls as she and her six-year old daughter walked near their home on Holly Lane in Daytona North, also known as the Mondex.
Mayor Netts and Fire Chief Beadle Show Their Coconuts and Bananas (For the Arts)
At the Flagler Auditorium’s Duck Dive, a fund-raiser for arts in education Sunday, Palm Coast Mayor Jon Netts and Fire Chief Mike Beadle stole the show with their impersonations of pāʻū-clad Polynesian dancers. Here they are in two uncensored videos.
Stop Sign Blown on Lakeview Blvd. Wrecks 2 Cars, Sends One Victim to Hospital
A wreck just before 9 p.m. on Lakeview Boulevard–the road that continues north from Belle Terre Parkway, past Matanzas Woods Parkway–sent one person to the hospital and closed Lakeview between London Drive and Laramie Drive.
Altered States: Now Lefty Hollywood Is Protesting Gun Control in Gotham
Movie-makers opposing New York’s recently passed gun-control laws are upset that they may have to use props instead of real firearms in films, a a blatant admission from people we call “creative,” , argues Steve Robinson, that without endless, massive gunfire there are no stories to be told, no issues to explore, no human experiences to illuminate.
Red-Light Camera Fines May Go Up to $408 and Be Harder to Fight Under Newest Rules
A new law awaiting Gov. Scott’s signature returns hearings to the control of local governments that have red-light cameras, such as Palm Coast, and allows them to impose an additional fee of $250 on top of $158 tickets, when contested, among other changes.
Flagler Beach’s Opposition to Fire Department Consolidation Costing Taxpayers $200K a Year
Consolidating the Flagler Beach Fire Department with the county’s would save $200,000 and vastly improve fire and rescue services in the city, argues Rick Belhumeur, yet the Flagler Beach City Commission has consistently scuttled debate on the issue while pretending to invite residents to offer cost-saving ideas.
Jacksonville Symphony’s Sunday Concert in Town Center Cancelled
The Palm Coast Arts Foundation’s 7th Picnic and Pops concert with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra will feature the usual favorites, surprises and a celebration to Cinco de Mayo as the big event takes over Palm Coast’s Central Park on May 5.
Flagler and Palm Coast Rainfall Totals Soak Up to 11.75 Inches in One Area
The heavy rainfalls of the last 48 hours in Flagler County, with more expected before rain tapers off during the weekend, ease drought conditions that have persisted over the region, and lower fire dangers. Rainfall totals broken down from across the county are included.
Other People’s Money: How Flagler County Is Closing on a Raw Deal at Taxpayers’ Expense
The proposed $1.23 million county acquisition of the old Memorial Hospital property in Bunnell reveals, especially in its fine print, its secrecy until now and gun-to-the-head May 6 deadline for commissioners to sign off on it, hurried deal-making that profits the sellers while exposing taxpayers to huge uncertainty and costs.
Sid Nowell Resigning as Bunnell City Attorney After 8 Years as Realignments Continue
Sid Nowell, citing health and other matters, will formalize his resignation at the Bunnell City Commission meeting Monday evening, giving Commissioner Eklbert Tucker a new opening to hire Lonnie Groot as his replacement–a move Tucker said he intends to make.
Yet Another Flagler School Bus Rear-Ended–on Pine Lakes Near Belle Terre
Less than 24 hours after a Flagler County School bus was rear-ended on State Road 100, another school bus was rear-ended by a pick-up truck on Pine Lakes Parkway in Palm Coast at 4 p.m. Friday afternoon, sending a teacher’s aide to a local clinic. No students were on the bus.
Judge Rejects Teachers’ Challenge to Law Tying Pay and Evaluations to Student Performance
A group of teachers, backed by the Florida Education Association, contended in the challenge that the law violated constitutionally guaranteed collective-bargaining rights and that lawmakers had given too much decision-making authority to the state Board of Education.
Flagler’s Tourism Industry Takes Its Pulse, Declares Itself Healthy, and Cheers Its “Heroes”
In Flagler County, 2,600 people work in tourist businesses, which have weathered the recession and are seeing strong, sustained activity. Flagler County’s annual Hospitality Employees Recognition of Excellent Service (or H.E.R.O.E.S.) awards lunch at the Hammock Beach Resort Thursday was an occasion for the county’s tourism industry to cheer its own.
Grinding Down: U.S. Unemployment Falls to 7.5% as 165,000 Jobs Are Created
The national unemployment rate ticked down to 7.5 percent in April, from 7.6 percent in March, as the economy added 165,000 jobs, a bit more than analysts had predicted. But job-creation figures for the two previous months were revised upward, with 332,000 jobs created in February (instead of 268,000) and 138,000 in March (instead of 88,000).
Texting While Driving Ban Passes Florida Legislature, But Scott Hasn’t Said He’ll Sign It
The Senate voted 39-1 in favor of a bill (SB 52) that makes it illegal to read or type texts or emails while actually driving, though it would remain legal to do it while stopped, such as at a red light. Drivers can;t be stopped for texting, however. They can only be cited if stopped for another offense.
Pick-Up Rams Stopped School Bus on S.R. 100; Student Aboard Is Uninjured
A GMC Sierra pick-up truck rear-ended a Flagler County school bus at 5 p.m. today (May 2) in the eastbound lanes of State Road 100, slightly injuring the pick-up truck driver. An 18-year-old girl on the bus and the bus driver were uninjured.
Church-State Separation Be Damned: Bunnell Sponsors 3rd Prayer Day, Invoking “God’s City”
Bunnell marked the national Day of Prayer for the third year with its own sponsored religious event, a distinctly Christian, evangelical-like service that features commissioners and the mayor offering prayers and pastors invoking Jesus’s name and god’s law above all others.
Attempt to Rein In FPL and Progress Energy’s Ghost Construction Fees Evaporates
The changes in the nuclear cost bill establish a series of benchmarks for a utility seeking to build a nuclear power plant to follow in order to impose pre-construction fees. But the amendment also removed a provision that would have required the companies to refund money if they halted their plans.
Gov. Scott Vetoes Bill Ending Permanent Alimony After Fierce Backlash
Gov. Rick Scott vetoed a bill that would have ended permanent alimony and limited alimony payments based on income and the length of marriage, a victory for thousands of constituents who’d urged the governor to do just that.
Human Remains Found in Flagler Estates Confirmed to Be Those of Barbara Parchem
The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, following a preliminary autopsy by the medical examiner, has confirmed that the remains found ion the Flagler County side of Flagler Estates Tuesday morning are those of Barbara Parchem, the 67-year-old woman who went missing from her Vermont Heights home on April 5.
Paul Miller’s Stand-Your-Ground Trial Over Dana Mulhall Killing Set for May 20
Paul Miller’s trial will be the first Stand Your Ground case in Flagler County since the controversial law was enacted in 2005. The trial before Circuit Court Judge J. David Walsh may take two weeks.
Can’t Say It’s Not Producing: Flagler’s Economic Arm Lands 4th Firm in 11 Months
Gioia Sails South, a supplier of boat interiors for Sea Ray Boats, will move 30 jobs to Palm Coast and create 10 more in the coming year, the latest success for the county’s Economic Development Council.
Parent-Trigger Bill Fails on Tie Vote in Setback for Charters and Jeb Bush’s Foundation
In a stunning vote Tuesday, the Senate rejected on a tie vote a controversial bill that would have given parents the ability to register their wishes with a district that’s choosing how to turn around failing schools.
Flagler Schools Gets $5.3 Million in New State Dollars and Still Ends Up in the Hole
The Flagler school district is looking at next fall’s budget from a $1.4 million deficit despite a substantial increase in state dollars, because the state’s new revenue is attached with so many strings as to strangle the school district. Meanwhile, board members are looking to convince voters that a new property tax is necessary for needs beyond that deficit.
Forget Rio: Palm Coast Lands Soccer Academy in Planned Expansion of Economic “Niche”
The New Jersey-based Player Development Academy will build up to six fields on 65 acres west of U.S. 1 that will link with the Indian Trail Sp[orts Complex–and with Palm Coast’s sports-niche market, which has turned into an engine of economic development.
Stop-and-Frisk in Bunnell Turns Into Brawl With Officers, and Threats of a “Hit”
Theodore Moore, 25, was observed by a Bunnell cop allegedly trespassing–near Moore’s home. The cop briefly pursued Moore and handcuffed him, finding a gun and contraceptive pills on him as Moore resisted his arrest and dared cops to Tase him as a crowd gathered in South Bunnell.
Bill Speeding Up Executions in Florida Passes Despite Disturbing Rate of Exonerations
Florida lawmakers gave final approval to fast-tracking executions and reducing Death Row stays, with supporters saying they want justice for victims’ families — but critics warning about executing innocent people, 24 of whom have been exonerated in Florida since 1976.
Fat Firefighters Need Not Worry: Body Mass Index Not an Issue in Florida
The Florida House rejected an amendment that would have required all firefighters to keep their Body Mass Index at 25 or under. Above that number, an individual is considered overweight.
From Jackie Robinson to Jason Collins: Still Telling It On the Mountain
It will be Jason Collins’s misfortune to be labeled the “gay Jackie Robinson.” Like Robinson, he may have to endure a painful personal burden. But, argues Steve Robinson, history is less likely to view him as a pioneer than ask instead: “what took so long?”
Angela Wray Collapses as She Is Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison Over Defrauding Celico of $60K
Angela Wray was sentenced to three years in state prison and 15 years’ probation Monday afternoon, and required to repay the nearly $60,000 she embezzled from Celico Auto Body shop in Bunnell during the years she worked for Carlo Celico, a crime she maintained she never committed, blaming Celico instead.
Anthrax-Letter Threat Dispelled at Florida DMV Office in Tallahassee
The letter was said to contain anthrax was sent to the DMV’s records department on Apalachee Parkway in Tallahassee, and forced the evacuation of the building until field tests found the letter not to pose any threats.
Bizarre Story Aside, Aaron Kinney, Gas Station Robber, Is Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison
Aaaron Kinney of Palm Coast was sentenced to nine years in prison for the three gas-station robberies he committed in Palm Coast last July, supposedly because a man he owed money to made him do it while threatening to do harm to Kinney and his mother. Judge J. David Walsh did not believe Kinney’s story.
Lawmakers Seal $74 Billion Budget Deal, With Merit Teacher Pay and Medicaid Patch
Under the deal on teacher pay raises, one of Gov. Rick Scott’s top two priorities, teachers rated as “effective” would receive a raise of at least $2,500, while those rated “highly effective” would get $3,500. The raises wouldn’t be paid out, though, until June 2014.
Florida House Rejects $50 Billion in Federal Medicaid Help, Opting for Stingy Alternative
Florida’s rejection of federal aid for the expansion of Medicaid leaves the state with a bare-bones alternative to provide health care for the poor and uninsured while setting a defining marker against Obamacare and the federal vision of health care reform.
Walk for Jennifer Barnett, May 11 in Flagler Beach
28-year-old Jennifer Barnett, a former teacher at Matanzas High School and the mother of two young boys, suffered a brain-stem stroke on Feb. 4. A friend is organizing a walk for her on May 11 near the Flagler Beach water tower at 9 a.m.
Militarizing the Border: Where Those Billions for More “Security” Will Go
The U.S. spent nearly $18 billion dollars on immigration enforcement agencies last fiscal year, more than all other law enforcement agencies combined. Where would another $4.5 billion go? Here’s a closer look at what is being proposed, and how the government has spent (and often wasted) border money in recent years.
Flagler Beach Snuffs Out Discussion of Combining Fire Department With County
Flagler Beach City Commissioner had placed a discussion of consolidating fire departments on the agenda of Thursday’s meeting, only to have City Manager Bruce Campbell pull the item. Carney put the commission on notice that she wasn’t done.
Senate Passes Bill Forbidding Local Measures That Would Ensure Sick Leave for Workers
A Florida House bill supported by the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Disney and other industry and corporate groups would forbid local governments from passing living wage ordinances or require employers contracting with government to provide paid sick leave. A Senate amendment would leave those decisions to local governments.
Ahead of National Police Week, A Sheriff Remembers That Knock at the Door
Commemorating National Police Week in May, Flagler County Sheriff Jim Manfre remembers his first memory of law enforcement, when he was 7 years old and a police officer knocked at the family home’s door to report his father’s accident with a drunk driver.
County Is Negotiating Acquisition of Old Hospital in Bunnell for New Sheriff’s HQ
Memorial Hospital Flagler’s dead years may be over if its current owners, who are politically well connected locally, can agree on a sales deal to Flagler County. The property is listed for sale at $1.75 million. It was acquired in 2006 for $750,000.
Furniture-Filled 30-Ft. Moving Truck Overturns at I-95 On-Ramp off State Road 100
A 30-foot moving truck owned by the “Two Men and a Truck” company overturned and slammed on its side, blocking the on-ramp to I-95 southbound at State Road 100 in Palm Coast Thursday evening.
19-Year-Old Accused of Burglarizing Then Running Over a 65-Year-Old in the Hammock
Kenneth Stancil, a 19-year-old resident of 12 Portland Place in Palm Coast, is accused of burglarizing 65-year-old Sandra Laden’s car then running her over with a Ford before fleeing a park in the Hammock Wednesday.
So Long, Teeny Weeny Bean Plan: Skeletal Health Plan for Florida’s Poor Is Dying
Sen. John Thrasher says he doubts Sen. Aaron Bean’s small-budget plan for some of Florida’s low-income uninsured will get a floor vote. Bean’s plan was criticized as not much of a plan at all, as it would have cost beneficiaries more than they might have benefited.
Place Your Bids: Today Is the Final Day for Carver Gym Auction
The third annual Carver Gym auction aims to exceed last year’s total of $6,000 as the gym’s foundation hopes, beyond sustaining the gym one more year, to improve insulation and work toward adding weekend staff.
Orlando Man Leads Cops Through 5-County Chase Before Flagler Deputies Stop Him
Thomas J. Loncala, 47, of Orlando, was arrested late Wednesday on drug-possession, assault and fleeing and eluding charges after leading police on a chase through five counties, including Flagler. He was finally stopped in St. Johns County.