Living on the Atlantic Coast, we often hear about sea turtles while gopher tortoises get second billing, though they’ve inhabited Florida and a few other southern states for millions of years. A primer.
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FPC’s Preston Hagens Is Seriously Injured in SR100 Crash; FHP Seeking Witnesses
A T-bone crash closed SR100’s west lanes for two hours Saturday and sent three people to hospitals when a Ford Mustang lost control and crossed into the westbound lanes. FHP is looking for witnesses.
“We Are Trayvon Martin”: Two Moms Mobilize 125 Protesters in Spirited Palm Coast March
Saying the killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford could have happened to themselves or their own children, protesters in hoodies, brandishing skittles, iced tea and signs marched and chanted for more than an hour along Belle Terre Parkway Thursday evening.
From Depression to Mere Recession Flagler Unemployment Falls to 12.7%
Flagler’s improving numbers also show a net increase of nearly 800 people with jobs, reversing previous months’ declines in both the labor force and actual employment. Florida’s unemployment rate also fell, to 9.4 percent.
Flagler Clerk Gail Wadsworth Tries a Hail Mary As Courts Take Yet Another Budget Hit
The $31 million statewide budget cut in clerks of court’s budgets translates to a loss of $90,000 to Flagler County’s court system, and up to three jobs, adding to successive cuts going back to 2008 that Clerk Gail Wadsworth calls unsustainable.
Seriously Sit-Com: A Play in High “Art” at Palm Coast’s City Repertory Theatre
Three friends. A white painting. And the mayhem it causes. The latest play at Palm Coast’s City Repertory Theatre, opening Friday (at Hollingsworth gallery) is a provocative comedy that’s been translated in 35 languages since its premier in Paris in 1994.
Attention Flagler Political Candidates: These 5 Politicians Have Something to Teach You
The Flagler County Chamber of Commerce is hosting an informational political candidate panel discussion on April 18 with seasoned politicians who will share their insights and answer campaign-related questions.
Post-Trayvon, Florida’s Stand Your Ground Law Won’t Be Repealed But May Be Revised
As the 2005 Stand Your Ground law has come under intense scrutiny in the wake of the shooting of the unarmed Trayvon Martin, veteran lawmakers haven’t been able to agree even on what the measure allows but point to a need for clarification.
Facing $1.6 Million in New Cuts, Flagler School District Is Looking for “Big Ideas”
Flagler school board members don’t want to go through what they did last year, nickel-and-diming small programs, so they’re looking at offering students and parents morte “school choice,” revamping the district’s health insurance, offering early retirement and other “big ideas.”
Scott Signs a Series of Tax Cut Bills, Including Expansion of Corporate Tax Exemption
While supporters insisted that the legislation signed Wednesday will help provide a better business climate, they were quick to say that a variety of factors were at work in the economy, and it would be difficult to accurately figure out how many jobs the measures might create.
Rites of Spring: Flagler’s Jobs Council Retreats to Princess Place for Goal-Setting With CEO
For the third time in three years, an economic development effort gets under way to “to lead Flagler County out of the dismal economic landscape” of the last few years, hoping, this time, to make a mark.
Obama Surges Ahead of Romney and Santorum in Florida and Ohio in Latest Polls
In head-to-head contests, Obama is beating Romney and Santorum in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, three swing states that the GOP cannot lose if it hopes to win back the White House in November.
What Does a Black Father Say to His Son?
In the wake of the killing of Trayvon Martin, everyone has been talking about mothers having the talk with their sons. But I haven’t heard enough about us — fathers, black men — having that conversation with our sons, writes Andrew Skerritt.
From the Archives: Palm Coast’s Masonic Cemetery, Where a Cherished Glen Harbors Family Albums
The Masonic cemetery is Palm Coast’s oldest human landmark and the most noble monument to the region’s ancestry, forgotten relics of Indian haunts aside. But it’s been at the margins of care.
Desecration By Neglect: Palm Coast’s Masonic Cemetery Decaying Again 2 Years After Lift
A vandalized grave and exposed casket. Crosses thrown about. Piles of garbage: Palm Coast’s historic black Masonic Cemetery, refurbished with the city’s help just two years ago, is sinking into neglect again, with no help in sight.
In a Blow to the County, Palm Coast Explores Switch from Sales Tax to New Utility Taxes
The Palm Coast City Council is exploring dropping a half-cent sales tax surcharge it’s been levying with the county for 10 years, and adopting instead new utility taxes without need for voter approval or splitting revenue with the county.
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Loses as U.S. Supreme Court Refuses to Take Appeals of Florida Cases
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. was forced to pay tens of millions of dollars to the families of dead smokers, part of a flood of tobacco litigation moving through Florida’s courts, and the first of their kind to reach the U.S. Supreme Court.
Tea Party’s Medicare Beneficiaries Honk Up Palm Coast Against Federal Health Mandate
Some 50 to 60 Flagler tea party activists clumped around a Palm Coast intersection Monday, protesting “Obamacare” in a distinctly less impressive display of numbers or passions than in previous rallies.
Trayvon Martin Ripples: Attorneys Take On Profiling As NRA Defends Stand Your Ground
A group of Tallahassee criminal defense lawyers called Roundtable for Justice is moving to shed more light on racial profiling in Florida while the NRA’s lead lobbyist on Florida’s Stand Your Ground law defends the measure.
Obamacare’s Days In Court: A Primer
It’s the Super Bowl of Supreme Court cases with consequences for all: the three days of arguments over the constitutionality of Obama’s health care reform begin today. Here’s a clear-eyed explanation of what it’s about and likely outcomes. It’s the Super Bowl of Supreme Court cases: the three days of arguments over the constitutionality of Obama’s health care reform begin today. Here’s a clear-eyed explanation of what it’s about and likely outcomes.
Another Catholic Ban for “The Laramie Project”
A Catholic school in New Jersey is banning a student production of “The Laramie Project,” the play about a town’s psychology following the murder of a gay student in Wyoming in 1998.
Stonehenge Justices: The U.S. Supreme Court’s Stuffy Ban on TV Cameras and Live Audio
The U.S. Supreme Court’s ban on television cameras or live audio feed for its arguments, including this week’s on the health law, is absurd. The justices opposition to cameras rests on shabby reasoning and stuffed up conceits.
Jumping for His Late Brother and Wounded Warriors, George Hanns Flies Air Show’s Flag
George Hanns, a Flagler county commissioner for the past 16 years, deployed the flag from thousands of feet up to open this year’s Wings Over Flagler as he jumped for his brother, who died at Christmas, and other veterans.
Murder as Self-Defense: Florida’s Gun Zealots on a Rampage
Florida’s Stand Your Ground law was touted as protection for the innocent. It has instead led to killings during heated arguments and cases of mistaken identity, argues Susan Clary, with George Zimmerman’s shooting and killing of Trayvon Martin the latest example.
Fernando Chavez, Biker Hurt March 16 in A1A Crash in Flagler Beach, Dies
In the fifth Bike Week accident on Flagler roads, a biker speeding south on A1A in Flagler Beach struck a car this afternoon and was evacuated by air in critical condition.
Before You Next Feast on Seafood
Does it really matter what fish we eat? Yes, says Frank Gromling, if health and overfishing are concerns. The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch programs helps consumers and restaurants figure out how to do their part in preserving fishing stocks.
Palm Coast Code Enforcement Officer Tries Beating DUI Charge By Citing Ex-Cop Status
Stephen Tilley, a Palm Coast Code Enforcement officer, pleaded with a Florida Highway Patrol trooper about his ex-cop status to get out of a DUI charge, but failed when he was arrested in Pinellas County after driving while drinking from a bottle of Jim Beam.
“If I had a Son, He’d Look Like Trayvon”: Obama Speaks Out, FPC Students Protest
President Obama called the killing of Trayvon Miller a tragedy and addressed it in personal terms Friday as Gov. Rick Scott appointed an outside prosecutor Thursday night to investigate the shooting.
The Monster Has Landed: C-130 Lumbers In For Weekend’s Wings Over Flagler Show
The Hercules C-130 will be a main attraction at Wings Over Flagler, the annual air show at the Flagler County Airport on Saturday and Sunday, March 24-25, this year commemorating the life of William Wild Bill Walker, who crashed and died while performing at the show last year.
Amid Fury Over Trayvon Martin’s Killing and Stand Your Ground Law, Police Chief Resigns
Unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin’s killing in Sanford by a crime watch volunteer who hasn’t been charged led to the “temporary” resignation of Sanford police chief Bill Lee Jr. today and calls to Gov. Rick Scott to appoint an independent prosecutor.
Allen Whetsell, Craig Funeral’s GM, Latest Of 4 GOP Candidates Vying to Oust Weeks
Democrats are not fielding a candidate to challenge fellow-Democrat and Supervisor of Elections incumbent Kimberle Weeks as Allen Whetsell becomes the fourth candidate in the Republican primary for that seat.
Honoring Philip Cardillo, Slain in 1972, Retired Officers Form New FOP Lodge in Flagler
A group of retired police officers in Palm Coast and Flagler County from various departments across the country gathered to form Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #171 in Flagler. They named the new lodge in honor of Philip Cardillo, killed on duty in new York in 1972.
No Zebras Here: Florida Audubon Wants Gov. Scott to Veto Exotic Breeding-Ground Bill
Citing limited land for existing species, Audubon Florida is urging Gov. Rick Scott to veto a measure that would allow zoos and aquariums to lease state land to create breeding and research facilities for exotic birds or hooved animals like zebras, rhinos and giraffes.
Tim Tebow Gives New York Jets a Wobble and a Prayer
Tim Tebow was traded to the New York Jets, dashing his hopes of playing for the Jaguars, the Dolphins or the Buccaneers and placing the most ostentatiously pious player in the NFL in the thick of Gotham’s media and liberal glare.
Bait, Tackle and BBQ at Bings Landing as Flagler Cooks Up Park’s Latest Shop Lease
Captain’s BBQ at Bings Landing will operate the concession shop and kayak,canoe and bike rentals for $500 a month’s rent in Flagler County’s latest attempt to give life to a handsome but commercially problematic location.
Good News and Bad News for News
The online audience for news is enormous and growing, but the Pew Center’s State of the News Media 2012 report points to declining revenue for news-gathering and a consolidating trend among online giants, with serious implications for civic engagement.
We Have A Sighting: Lewis Colam, Epic Rower, Rides Tide Into Palm Coast
Lewis Colam, the British rower making the 1,400 solo trip from MIami to New York, entered Palm Coast this afternoon for a welcome at the Yacht Club, where he’s due at 4:40 p.m.
Fischer (Fatal Hit-and-Run) and Merrill (Wife-Shooting) Plead Not Guilty in Absentia
Jamesine Fischer pleaded not guilty to a 1st degree felony charge of hit-and-run with a death, while William Merrill pleaded not guilty to manslaughter in the killing of his wife with an AK-47 last month. Both wrote in their pleas.
Gov. Scott, Veto the School Prayer Bill
Today, several Florida and national leaders of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, including Palm Coast’s Merrill Shapiro, sent the following letter to Gov. Rick Scott, urging him to veto a school-prayer bill that cleared the Legislature.
Flagler Residents Would See $84-a-Year Jump in FPL’s Base Rate Despite Solid Profits
Despite higher profits than most industries, Florida Power & Light (FPL) is requesting the $690.4 million rate increase in 2013. FPL says the increase would be offset by fuel cost decreases, at least in 2013, reducing the net bill increase to $2.48 a month.
Rowing Into Palm Coast, On His 1,400-Mile Solo Way to New York–for Alzheimer’s
Lewis Colam, 24, has no row-boating experience, but set off from Miami on March 3 on a 1,400-mile solo trip up the East Coast to raise $20,000 for Alzheimer’s research. The England native stops in Palm Coast this week.
In 911 Call, Paul Miller Calmly Tells Dispatcher of Shooting Mulhall, Then Hangs Up on Her
Paul Miller is calm, collected and seemingly unshaken by the gravity of the situation as he tells a 911 dispatcher to send an ambulance because he’d just shot his neighbor, Dana Mulhall. The 911 recording.
Teachers’ Bane: Students Who Don’t
Give a Damn, and Parents Who Reward Them
In her latest installment from the trenches, teacher Jo Ann Nahirny describes how regulations force teachers’ time to be consumed by efforts to improve the performance of indifferent students at the expense of students who actually want to learn.
Flagler’s and Florida’s Economic Development Hoax
Florida lawmakers and their local replicas seem hypnotized by the buzz of economic development, nattering about it with great stamina. But it’s a hoax, and a costly one. The assault on public and higher education of the last few years proves it.
Senate’s New Redistricting Map: Flagler District Whole Again, With St. Johns and Putnam
The chairman of the Senate Reapportionment Committee unveiled a new proposal for legislative districts Saturday to answer criticisms from the Florida Supreme Court. The plan creates a much more cohesive district for Flagler.
Going Green on St. Patrick’s Day
Adding “Going Green” to our St. Patrick’s Day activities makes perfect sense, while lending a little fun to the festivities. Frank Gromling provides a list of suggestions in his Coastal View column.
Sixth Serious Bike Week Wreck, on A1A, Sends 2 to Hospital After BMW Cuts Off Motorcyclists
A man in a BWM cut off a married couple from Jacksonville on their Harley Davidson as the man was making an illegal turn into a JT Seafood Shack parking lot. The couple sustained serious but not life-threatening injuries.
When Rick Santorum’s Official Language Blares Idiocy
Rick Santorum telling Puerto Rico’s people this week that they must all speak English before the island can become a state is the latest of many idiotic, exclusionary statements during his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination, argues Angel Castillo Jr.
For Environmental Issues at the Legislature, a Less Than Devastating 2012
Despite being overshadowed by insurance, redistricting and higher education issues, to name a few, environmental groups say they had better session than last, with both legislative leaders and Gov. Rick Scott both being more amendable to their input.
Grim Details Emerge: 5 Bullets Struck Dana Mulhall, 4 as He Fled, 2 in His Back
Paul Miller’s arrest report openly casts doubt on suggestions that Miller was acting in self defense when he shot and killed Dana Mulhall, describing instead a moment of anger that escalated and did not stop even as Mulhall was, literally, running for his life.