Susan and Alan Wheeler wanted Palm Coast and Flagler residents to help fill a 20-foot box truck with emergency goods and drive it to Keansburg, N.J. By Friday, they’d filled up two trucks and were likely going to need a third, as Palm Coast Mayor Jon Netts challenged the city and the county to fill it up, too, by evening, while Wheeler said overflows might go to Feed Flagler.
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How Flagler County Democrats Killed Milissa Holland’s Shot at a Florida House Seat
Dissension, dysfunction and confusion within the Democratic Party structure proved to be fatal obstacles for Milissa Holland, a popular Democrat who lost her bid for a Florida House seat by a slim margin.
State Attorney Files Felony Charge Against Timothy Draper for Shooting a Gun at Public Park
Jeremy Blackwelder and Timothy Draper were riding around Herschel King Park off Colbert Lane late the night of Oct. 29, with two women and a child, when Draper allegedly fired a .22 from a Chevy’s window, not far from the Grand Haven community.
Cyclist Bertram Ralph, 78, Critically Injured in Collision With Car on Belle Terre
Bertram Ralph, a long-time resident of Braddock Lane in Palm Coast, was cycling along Belle Terre Parkway early this morning, less than a mile from his home, when he was struck by a car as he crossed Pine Lakes Parkway. He was evacuated by air in critical condition, to Halifax hospital in Daytona Beach.
Daytona State Launches Social Media Course This Spring, Available Online (Naturally)
Daytona State College is offering Social Media Marketing, a college-credit, stand-alone course launching this spring semester, along with a parallel course, Advertising. Both courses will be offered online.
Central Florida Helps Democrats Erode GOP’s Legislative Majority as State Realigns
For the first time in three decades, Democrats get a net increase in Florida Senate seats. They reduced the GOP majority in the house from 81-38 to 76-44, despite redistricting, and the state’s direction appears no longer to favor Republicans as easily as it has.
“DrumLine,” at the Flagler Auditorium, Turns Half Time into Showtime
“DrumLine”‘s live stage band show recreates the common joke at black college football games–that the first two quarters are merely time for fans to eat, drink and flirt until it’s time for the real show at half-time. “DrumLine” is four quarters’ worth of half time shows.
16 Applicants for Palm Coast Council Short-Listed to 4; Closed-Door Interviews Next
The Palm Coast City Council will appoint one of four remaining applicants to fill out Frank Meeker’s term, which ends in 2014. The appointment will follow council members’ closed-door interviews with each candidate next Tuesday, then a vote. Meeker won an election to the county commission.
Allen West Gone, Alan Grayson Back: Democrats Hail Gains in Florida’s Congressional Delegation
Allen West, a Tea Party favorite, lost against Patrick Murphy despite outspending him 6-to-1, while Alan Grayson returned to to Congress in what Democrats are calling a mini-wave in Florida, where they picked up seats in the Legislature as well while keeping the state in Obama’s camp.
No Close Call: Obama Wins; Weeks, Meeker, Nelson, DeSantis, Thrasher, Hanns, Moore-Stens, Manfre and Hutson Win
Flagler County election results will be posted here as soon as they are available, along with results of presidential, federal and state races, and updated as long as results are generated. All results for all Flagler County and related elections will be on this page.
Scenes from Flagler’s Election Day
Short lines, minor problems, strange decisions at polling locations to restrict campaign solicitors as Flagler County and the rest of the nation votes. FlaglerLive is gathering impressions, reactions and images from Election Day around the county.
With Fewer Days and Places to Vote, Early Voting Falls Significantly in Flagler
On-person early voting was down in Flagler County from 36.6 percent in 2008 to 29.1 percent this year, for several reasons: a shorter early-voting window, two early voting locations instead of three (Flagler Beach was eliminated), and less enthusiasm than the 2008 election, which drew the highest turnout in a presidential election in 40 years.
Florida’s Political Petals: Where Obama and Romney Will Win Easily, Region By Region
From Little Haiti to West Orlando to The Villages and rural northeast Florida, certain regions are sure wins for either Obama or Romney, and counties ripe for each campaigns’ get-out-the-vote ground game. An analysis.
Fox News and the Politics of Hurricane Obama
On Fox News, Hurricane Sandy’s aftermath was replaced with endless and largely manufactured claims of an Obama cover-up of the attack on the American consulate in benghazi. Fox’s latest Swiftboat attack on the president foundered.
Jaime Hutcherson, 23, of Palm Coast, Is Killed in a Motorcycle-SUV Wreck on US1
Jaime Hutcherson, a 23-year-old resident of Palm Coast, was killed following a wreck on U.S. 1 Saturday night after Hutcherson, riding his motorcycle, violently struck an SUV from behind, just past the Hess station and convenience store.
Flagler County Fire Flight Knocks Down Brush Blaze Within Yards of Plantation Bay Homes
A brush fire broke out just after noon today in a wooded area immediately behind a line of houses in Plantation Bay. The fire, within some 20 yards of the houses, was quickly put out by Flagler County Fire Flight and Volusia County Fire Rescue crews.
Dirty Harry’s Man: Obama Approved The Fewest Clemencies of Any President
Obama has parceled out forgiveness far more rarely than his recent predecessors, pardoning just 22 individuals while denying 1,019. At this point in his presidency, Ronald Reagan had pardoned 1 of every 3, George H.W. Bush 1 in 16, Bill Clinton 1 in 8 and George W. Bush 1 in 33.
Trey Corbett: The Live Interview
Flagler County Supervisor of Elections Race
Trey Corbett is the Republican candidate for Flagler County Supervisor of Elections in the Nov. 6 election, facing one-term incumbent Supervisor Kimberle Weeks, a Democrat. All registered Flagler County voters get to cast a ballot in this race.
Kimberle Weeks: The Live Interview | Flagler County Supervisor of Elections Race
Kimberle Weeks, the incumbent Democrat, is a candidate for Flagler County Supervisor of Elections in the Nov. 6 election, facing Trey Corbett, a Republican. All registered Flagler County voters get to cast a ballot in this race.
Flagler Schools’ Overall Enrollment Flat For 4th Straight Year as Charters Keep Growing
Flagler County’s three charter schools’ enrollment exceeds 1,000, or 8 percent of the district, which saw its traditional schools’ enrollment fall to the lowest level since the 2005-06 school year.
U.S. Economy Adds 171,000 Jobs in October, Topping Half a Million in Last 3 Months
The economy added 171,000 jobs in October, exceeding economists’ expectation of 135,000, and figures for August and September were revised upward, adding 84,000 to previous tallies, for a total of 511,000 jobs in the last three months.
Crime in Flagler County Declines Again, Adding Another Wrinkle to Sheriff’s Race
Flagler County Sheriff Don Fleming was quick to tout the 6.2 percent crime rate decline in the first six months of 2012 as vindication of his policies, while his opponent, Jim Manfre, a former sheriff, pointed out that crime was lower during his tenure.
To Reduce Jail Overcrowding, Civil Citations Are Advocated For Lesser Offenders
Florida’s criminal justice system has seen some success with using alternatives to lock-ups for juvenile offenders. It’s been so successful that there’s a burgeoning movement to increase the use of non-jail diversion programs with non-violent adult offenders, which could have significant impact in Flagler County.
Van Carrying 75 Car Batteries Overturns on 95 Near SR100, Spilling Acid and Causing Delays
A van transporting some 75 vehicle batteries and traveling north on I-95, just north of State Road 100 in Palm Coast, lost control from a tire blow-out and overturned into the southbound lanes, spilling batteries, acid and candy. The driver was evacuated to Halifax with traumatic injuries.
Palm Coast Water and Sewer Rates Set to Rise Up to 22% Over the Next Three Years
The Palm Coast City Council prides itself on keeping property taxes low, but its array of fees continue to increase steeply, as will utility rates if the council approves a debt refinancing plan that would let the city borrow another $15 million for utility improvements, even though growth in the city has slowed to a drip.
Blaze at Woodstone Lane House With Troubled History Termed “Absolutely” Suspicious
A fire that broke out late Tuesday night at 20 Woodstone Lane in Palm Coast is the latest in a series of incidents that have involved homeowners Harold and Karen Pizzetta since September.
Obama Clings to Smallest Lead in Florida, But His Ohio Margin May Make Florida Irrelevant
The latest Quinnipiac/New York Times/CBS News poll–one of the more reliable polls tracking the swing-state electorate–shows President Obama again in the lead in Florida. A larger lead in Ohio may make Florida irrelevant to Obama’s path to 270 electoral votes.
Election Antidote: A Schubert Sonata
Between smarmy candidates who speak like hobbits on furlough from Neverland and the increasing juvenilia of the presidential campaign, there’s not enough oxycodone on earth to dull the torture. But there’s Schubert.
In Startling Confrontations, DeLorenzo Takes On Palm Coast’s Jim Landon–and Impact Fees
Palm Coast City Council member Jason DeLorenzo on Tuesday questioned the veracity of City Manager Jim Landon’s numbers and his “backroom” style while making the case for a two-year moratorium for impact fees on new construction in the city in a rare, direct and sustained public challenge to the assuming city manager.
Rotary Club of Flagler County Donates 1,000 Dictionaries to 3rd Graders
The Rotary Club of Flagler County is donating 1,032 dictionaries to third grade students of Flagler County Public Schools. The presentation will take place on Tuesday, October 30 shortly after the noon meeting begins, at The Grand Club at Pine Lakes Golf Course, 400 Pine Lakes Parkway N, in Palm Coast.
Party Spin Kicks In as 1.9 Million Floridians Have Already Cast Early Voting Ballots
Democratic voters accounted for 39.5 percent of the absentee returns, with voters affiliated with other parties and NPAs making up the remainder. In early voting, the roles reverse. Democrats made up 49.1 percent of the more than 528,000 voters who cast ballots over the weekend. Republicans made up 28.6 percent.
Big Storm Requires Big Government: Five Reads Tuesday
Mitt Romney wants to send FEMA’s responsibilities to the states. Hurricane Sandy proves him wrong. Joseph Stiglitz on inequality, Bahrain, an American ally, bans all protests, coal mining’s bigger costs, the FBI’s cell-phone stingrays, and Flagler jail bookings.
Three Men Stabbed at Hammock Community Center Party; No One Is Talking
The Halloween party took place at the Hammock Community Center on Malacompra Road Friday night and broke up after a big fight early Saturday morning, but the victims would not speak, and most witnesses had scattered before cops were able to investigate. The investigation is ongoing.
Another Feather in Bird’s Cap as Fire Flight Rescues 2 Mud Muckers Lost Overnight
Wayne Oley, 30, and Brigett Madorma, 24, lost their ATV in the wilds of Mud Muckers’s 19,000 acres Sunday night, and were lost after that, until Fire Flight spotted them Monday morning, shivering from a cold night but otherwise fine.
Crossing Out Amendment 8: Public Money Does Not Belong in Religious Schools
Religious groups have no rights to public money when it comes to funding private schools, precisely because religious indoctrination is part and parcel of the mission of those schools, and taxpayers should not have to pay for that, argues Cary McMullen.
William Merrill, Who Shot and Killed His Wife With an AK-47, Is Sentenced to 25 Years
William Carson Merrill, who shot his wife with an AK-47 in their Palm Coast home in February as she gave their daughter a bath and he played with the assault rifle, faced a maximum of 30 years for manslaughter–almost what Judge Raul Zambrano handed down in a full courtroom Monday afternoon.
County Line Bar in The Mondex Burns in Mysterious Morning Fire; No Injuries
The County Line Bar in Daytona North, or the Mondex, went up in flames Monday morning just after 11 a.m. for unknown reasons. The fire was still burning at noon.
More Charter Schools, and Debit Cards to Teachers, as Scott Unveils Education Agenda
The most controversial element of Scott’s plan could potentially prove to be measures to increase the role of charter schools, removing enrollment caps on existing charter schools and allowing school districts to operate their own charter schools.
Republican Presumptions Aside, Florida Is Not a One-Party State Yet
Florida is dominated by Republicans, but to argue against the election of a Democrat to the Florida House–as the GOP’s Travis Hutson is arguing in his bid against Milissa Holland–is a reflection of the arrogance of a majority party that considers minorities, if not democracy, irrelevant, and that assumes that once a majority, always a majority.
Free Morgan: A Killer Whale’s Punishing Captivity Gets Its Day in Court
In June 2010, Morgan, an orca, or killer whale, was captured from the North Atlantic and rehabilitated, but instead of being returned to the wild, was sent to an amusement park. A judge may decide its fate on Nov. 1.
Flagler’s First Day of Early Voting Brings Out 2,172, But Turnout May Be Lower Than in 2008
The voting line snaked around at the Flagler County Public Library for most of the first day of early voting, but with one fewer voting location, four fewer days and diminished enthusiasm, it’ll take a greater surge of voting to top the 2008 tallies.
Ghost Election: Obama, Romney and The Future of the U.S. Supreme Court
The next president could very well appoint one or two new justices. And who steps down among the justices first could also depend on who’s elected. Here’s a guide to the election and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Atack vs Moore-Stens: An Attorney’s Evaluation Of the County Judge Race, and a Response
In the Flagler County Court Judge election, Paul Guntharp, a Palm Coast attorney, evaluates the candidacies of Craig Atack and Melissa Moore-Stens, and Atack replies.
Flagler County Library’s 2012 Teen Photography Contest Winners Announced
The winners, in a contest made possible by the Friends of the Library, are Anila Lahiri, Melanie Kantasee, Mary Thompson and Madison Gibbs. Their original works will be on display at the Flagler County Public Library until the end of November.
Global Warming Silence from Romney and Obama: Five Reads Thursday
Global warming is the nonexistent issue in the Romney-Obama campaign, I-4 as the road to the White House, a Biden tell-all, justifying obscenely expensive meals, Voyager’s continuing outer-space miracle.
Hutson and DeSantis Are No-Shows as Holland and Beaven Stress Flagler’s Voice
Travis Hutson and Ron DeSantis did not attend Flagler’s broadest political forum of the season–it was broadcast live on WNZF–Wednesday, giving opponents Milissa Holland and Heather Beaven free rein to speak of the voice they’d give Flagler County if elected. County judge candidates Melissa Moore Stens and Craig Atack, and Senate candidates John Thrasher and Kathleen Trued, were also at the forum.
Florida Chamber, Countering GOP Allies, Opposing Ban on Cuba-Syria Contracting
The Florida Chamber of Commerce is asking a federal appeals court to continue blocking a new law that would prevent state and local governments from contracting with firms that have business links to Cuba or Syria. A a Miami federal judge ruled in June that the law likely violates the U.S. Constitution.
Abby Romaine: The Live Interview
Flagler County Commission, District 2
Abby Romaine is an Independent candidate for the Flagler County Commission in the Nov. 6 election, facing Frank Meeker in the District 2 race. All registered Flagler County voters get to cast a ballot in this race.
Frank Meeker: the Live Interview
Flagler County Commission, District 2
Frank Meeker, a Republican, is a candidate for the Flagler County Commission in the Nov. 6 election, facing Independent Abby Romaine in the District 2 race. All registered Flagler County voters get to cast a ballot in this race.
Hurricane Sandy: Flagler May Get Lashed By Winds and Rip Currents But Little More
Hurricane Sandy became the 10th hurricane of the season Wednesday as it approached Jamaica and Cuba, but Flagler will only feel side effects from its tropical-storm winds, at most 25 to 35 mph, this weekend.