County Commission Chairman Barbara Revels called the emergency meeting “ridiculous,” School Board member Colleen Conklin called it “nonsense,” but neither commission nor school board felt it had a choice but to comply with Supervisor of Elections Kimberle Weeks’s demand that meeting be held.
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Hazing Fallout: Florida A&M President James Ammons Defies Vote of No Confidence
The university board’s vote raised doubts about James Ammons’s ability to weather a series of scandals that have shaken the school, including a hazing incident that has threatened one of FAMU’s most cherished institutions.
Florida’s Voter Purge: There Is a Better Way to Ensure Accurate Rolls
Voter rolls to be as accurate as possible, but shouldn’t this be initiated through the 67 locally elected supervisors of election, who are constitutional officers? And shouldn’t this be done in a non-election year and in a non-redistricting year?
Prescription Drug Traffickers Arrested on I-95; Serial Burglars Arrested in Hunters Ridge
Steven Shrowder,24, and Cristina Hersh, 28, were driving to Jacksonville without seat belts when a Florida Highway Patrol trooper pulled them over and discovered a stash of narcotics pain relievers. Separately, in Hunters Ridge, two serial burglars were arrested.
Attorney General OK’s Flagler Beach’s Plan to Spend Sales Tax Money on Erosion Projects
In an Attorney General’s opinion, Pam Bondi wrote that Flagler Beach’s plan to spend sales tax revenue on beach erosion projects is authorized by law, but that the ballot language authorizing that sales tax may have to specify erosion projects, not just general infrastructure.
Best Way to Keep Florida’s Manatees Wild: Do Not Disturb
Manatees are experts at finding food and fresh water – they don’t need our assistance. Quite the contrary, they will do far better if we can give them a wide berth and keep our distance, writes Katie Tripp.
Pollingergate: In Motor Voter Registrations, An Applicant’s Former State Is Barely Relevant
When John Pollinger, the embattled Republican candidate for Flagler County Sheriff, first registered as a Florida voter in 2008 through motor voter, his previous registration status in New Jersey would not have come up, according to the motor voter process.
Florida Is the Most Corrupt State in the Union, According to a Federal Tally of Convictions
Based on U.S. Department of Justice data, Florida led the nation in the number of convictions between 2000 and 2010, according to data compiled by Integrity Florida, a non-profit research group founded earlier this year by former Florida Chamber spokesman Dan Krasner and former Common Cause Florida executive director Ben Wilcox.
Write-In Sham: How an Obscure GOP Group Is Disenfranchising 40,000 Voters in Local Races
Democrats and Independents would normally be allowed to vote in primaries featuring only Republican candidates. By fielding write-ins who have no chance or intention of winning, the Ronald Reagan group is locking out those Democrats and Independents by creating the artifice of a contested general election.
“The Wreckage Was Vast and Startling”: Ernie Pyle on Omaha Beach, June 6, 1944
Ernie Pyle on Omaha Beach after the D-Day invasion of June 6, 1944 describes a wreckage “vast and startling” along “this shoreline museum of carnage” even as he anticipates inevitable victory for the Allies.
In a Stunning Reversal, Palm Coast Council Bows to Acid Opposition and Kills Utility Tax
The campaign to force the council to reverse course was brutally effective against a council that appeared willing to ignore its own history and a year and a half of its administration’s work on the matter.
With Few Flagler Exceptions, Reading, Math and Science FCAT Scores Drop for Most Schools
As reading and math scores improved statewide in most grades, despite tougher standards, Flagler County students lost ground over last year’s results, and struggled to keep up with state averages.
Jim Guines Is Honored By the African American Mentor Program He Founded in 2007
Jim Guines, who served nearly 13 years on the Flagler County School Board until 2007, was received the Founder’s Award at the mentor program’s annual banquet Monday evening.
Lesbians’ Parental Rights Case Challenges Florida’s “Birth-Mother Only” Law
The lesbian couple’s case, now before the Florida Supreme Court, is unprecedented in Florida because the fertilized egg of one woman was implanted in her then-partner, who gave birth. The couple began raising the child together, but a legal battle began after a break-up that included the birth mother moving to Australia with the child.
Florida Youth Orchestra Festival Ends with a Free Concert
The Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestra (JSYO) hosts the Tallahassee Youth Orchestras (TYO) for a weekend of music and activities, culminating with a free concert open to the public on Sunday, June 17, 2012, at 2 p.m. at Jacoby Symphony Hall, Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts.
Verdict on Jeb Bush’s Education Guru: “Nonsensical, Confusing and Disingenuous.”
Matthew Ladner got a 2011 Bunkum Award for the research he has published while working at Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education, a nonprofit whose mission is to encourage Florida-style education reform in other states.
County Budget, Upended By Deficit of $3 to $4 Million, Sets Off Crisis Mode–and Pitfalls
The much larger-than-expected deficit, which forced the abrupt cancellation of a budget workshop, raises questions of accountability just months before four of the county commissioners face elections either to hold on to their seats or seek a higher office.
Circuit Judge May Rule by Week’s End on Pollinger’s Eligibility as GOP Sheriff’s Candidate
Flagler County Sheriff Candidate John Pollinger was a registered Democrat in New Jersey, but registered as a Republican when he moved to Flagler County several years ago. An ally of Ray Stevens, another sheriff’s candidate, is challenging Pollinger’s qualification to be on the primary ballot as a Republican.
Hearing Echo of Broken Promise, Palm Coast Council Girds For Opposition to New Utility Fee
Vince Liguori, a member of the local tea party’s executive committee and an influential behind-the-scenes broker on local issues, is mountain an offensive against the city council’s utility-fee proposal that will culminate Tuesday evening.
The Fear of Mormons
“Making Mormons look bad helps others feel good,” J. Spencer Fluhman, a Mormon scholar, argues, but it neither explains nor justifies the unresolved prejudices and self-serving veils that cling to Mormon dogma.
The Joy of Writing, Strangled by FCAT
Testing, Is Revived One Page at a Time
Most students hate to write. Jo Ann Nahirny can’t blame them. Schools have snuffed the joy out of writing, all in the name of standardized testing, she writes, as describes how she empowers them to claim their voice back.
“We Won and Chilled”: In Czech Republic, Flagler Paramedics Are World Champs Again
Flagler County Fire Rescue’s team was led by Dennis Kline, William Kerek, John Moskowitz and Pius. The quartet won for the 3rd time in four years and faced competition from 22 teams from 13 countries spread over three continents.
Passports in Hand, Palm Coast Discovers Its Festive Internationalism
Palm Coast may well have discovered how to host a festival with down home charm even as it went global to do it: the International Food and Wine Festival taking place Saturday and again Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. mixes the intimate and the urbane for an affordable $3 admission.
Shooting at Would-Be Burglar on Brittany Lane Now Termed an Assault, not Self-Defense
Stephen Metcalf, a Palm Coast resident, apparently tried to get into Marc Barbee’s home. Barbee, who misled police about the incident, then fired three shots at Metcalf as Metcalf sped away.
Dolphin Deaths and Seismic Shockwaves: A Theory
Dolphins have been washing ashore, dead, by the hundreds, in Peru. Scientists theorize that oil and gas exploration’s blasting underwater, which breaks dolphins’ bones around the ear, may be the cause.
As Justice Department Warns Florida Of Illegal Voter Purge, Election Supervisors Urge Pause
Florida appears willing to defy federal warnings that the ongoing voter purge may be illegal, although the state is leaving it up to local elections supervisors to make the call. Election officials said earlier this year as many as 180,000 names may be erroneously included on state voter rolls.
Mark Dwyer, Again Running for Judge in Flagler, Finds Himself on the Defensive. Again.
Attorney Mark Dwyer two years ago was admonished by the Florida Bar for a minor trust account issue. He’s now being reprimanded for a more serious issue, but Dwyer wants it explained at length. He takes the stand in his defense.
Horseshoe Pitching at Flagler’s Old Dixie Park: An Out of the Way Sport Hooks In
The 18 Horseshoe-pitching courts at Flagler County’s Old Dixie Park are part of the Flagler Palm Coast Horseshoe Club’s hopes of drawing some of Florida’s 70 horseshoe tournaments and tourism dollars to the Flagler-Palm Coast area.
Lousy Numbers: Just 69,000 New Jobs in May; Unemployment Back Up to 8.2%
Bad unemployment numbers all around for the American economy in May, hinting at recession: the unemployment rate crept back up to 8.2 percent, from 8.1 percent in April. Just 69,000 jobs were created, the lowest number in a year.
FPC Commencement 2012
My Daughter, the Graduate
I have covered an endless number of graduations in my career. Tonight, for the first time, my child–my daughter–was among the graduates. There was only one way to cover this one: in the first person.
Five Questions for Wansley Walters, Head of Florida’s Department of Juvenile Justice
Before becoming secretary of the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, Wansley Walters directed the Miami-Dade County Juvenile Services Department, considered a national model for saving money while reducing the juvenile arrest rate. She’s the first woman to lead DJJ.
Seeking “Closure,” Ex-Bunnell Commissioner Flynt Will Pay $2,500 Fine on Ethics Violations
The ethics case against Jimmy Flynt was filed by Bunnell City Commissioner Elbert Tucker when Flynt was still a commissioner, in late 2010. Flynt admitted to three violations of law and now looks forward to possibly running for the commission again.
Philippe Petit, Still Soaring
“Improvisation,” Philippe Petit says in this absorbing 19-minute Ted talk, “is empowering because it welcomes the unknown. And since what’s impossible is always unknown, it allows me to believe I can cheat the impossible.”
Paul Miller, Who Shot and Killed His Neighbor, Makes Bail, Dismaying Victim’s Family
Paul Miller, 65, of Flagler Beach, posted $300,000 bond on Tuesday after spending 10 weeks in jail on a second degree murder charge following the killing of Dana Mulhall as the two argued over Miller’s barking dogs on March 14.
Despite Warnings of Corruption, Palm Coast Council Approves Meeker’s Job “Posse” Scheme
In a victory for Frank Meeker, the city will pay job “recruiters” $1,000 for being instrumental in expanding or relocating out-of-county business to Palm Coast, but many of the defining criteria remain vague and fraught with what the city terms unintended consequences.
Julia Roberts, a Cancer Patient at Florida Hospital Flagler, Marries Sweetheart of 17 Years
Palm Coast resident Julia Roberts was admitted at Florida Hospital Flagler on May 4. On May 22, in her hospital room, she was married to Terry Adolph after hospital staff took care of vritually all the arrangements.
Flalger County Lifts Burn Ban, For Now
The burn ban was in effect since April 16, but tropical storm Beryl and more rain in the forecast led Flagler Fire Chief Don Petito to let the ban lapse on Memorial Day.
Hero Whiplash: Abusing Soldiers, Misusing Honor
When it comes to talking about the troops who have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, hero is the most overused word, while those who have sent them to Iraq and Afghanistan let themselves off the hook, argues Mary Jo Melone.
Florida Supreme Court Is Asked To Decide What Constitutes a Life Sentence for a Juvenile
An appeals court today ruled that a 70-year prison sentence for Shimeek Gridine of Jacksonville, for an armed robbery and attempted murder committed when he was 14, doesn’t amount to lidfe in prison, but the 1st District Court of Appeal asked the Supreme Court to hear the case.
Palm Coast Resident Is Baker Acted Then Jailed On Charges of Strangling and Maiming Kittens
Angel Roman, a 28-year-old Palm Coast resident, has been in and out of jail for the past two years and suffers from several mental illnesses, people who know him told deputies. He’d been Baker Acted before his latest jailing.
Stand-Off on Cedar Street in the Mondex Ends After Man Shoots Himself and Surrenders
Henry Brock broke through a bedroom window where his brother was asleep with Henry’s ex-girlfriend. An assault ensued, then Henry apparently shot himself to keep from going to jail. It didn’t work.
Cup Cakes Get Their Day in Court as Palm Coast Agrees to a Hearing on Home Bakeries
A split Palm Coast City Council has been wrestling with a proposal to allow small home-based commercial bakery operations, as long as the bakeries don’t sell products from the home. Food safety has been a hang-up.
Ritchey Dauphin, 18, Who Drowned on Memorial Day in Daytona, Is Found in Ormond
Flagler County rescuers were asked to scour the beaches and the surf late Monday after a 19-year-old man was believed to have drowned in Daytona Beach late Monday afternoon. Flagler rescuers were called out because of the force of the current, which could have dragged the victim quite far north.
Flagler 911: A Bi-Polar Bulldog Attacks Her Owners, and Quirky Car Thieves
A 3-year-old bulldog attacks and bloodies her elderly owners, who are forced to lock themselves in their bedroom; a gun and its hollow-point ammunition is stolen from a car on Osprey Lane and mysteriously returned a few hours later. A car burglar leaves Altoids for a calling card. And more from the streets of Palm Coast and Flagler.
When Elderly Is an Offensive Term
The elderly are simultaneously the country’s most powerful single demographic and its least respected. But if the elderly don’t want to be infantilized, if they don’t want to be referred to as the elderly, it may be time to means-test the term and the literal benefits it entails.
How Obama’s Support of Gay Marriage Could Lose Him Florida Come November
With debate and votes taking place around the state and polls showing a growing acceptance, the issue of same-sex marriage and domestic partner rights will likely be among a host of second tier issues that could determine which presidential candidate takes Florida.
Businesses Don’t Create Jobs. Consumers Do.
Nick Hanauer’s TED talk demolishing the notion that businesses create jobs was allegedly censored by TED. That’s a bit of an exaggeration, but the controversy around the talk helps spotlight a prevailing dogma worth debating about job creators.
Tropical Storm Beryl: Weather Event Over, Memorial Day Brightens Up
Be cautious, but Beryl is no bear, and it may prove to have more benefits than drawbacks despite dampening Memorial Day plans and grills, at least for Flagler County, which may see heavy rain but may also be spared the rougher edges of the storm.
70 Homes and Counting as Brad Pitt’s Make It Right Project in New Orleans Builds On
Brad Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation, which builds affordable homes in new Orleans’s deva In many cases, the private sector can move faster and better than government agencies. In my opinion, that is the record of Brad Pitt’s vision and action in New Orleans.
Composer Don McCullough Is the New
Director of the Jacksonville Symphony Chorus
Donald McCullough is the celebrated choral director and composer of the Holocaust Cantata, and for over a decade the director of the the Master Chorale of Washington at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.