Rather than on the GOP debate, everything suggests the television should be tuned to something more grabbing, whether its Nadal-Federer at the Australian Open or Your Home With Jill on QVC. But civic penance may have its virtues. So let’s give this a shot.
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Florida’s Plan to Privatize 30 Prisons Fast-Tracks to the Dismay of Guards and Others
A legislative proposal to privatize about 30 prisons in most of the southern part of Florida is headed for the Senate floor after a vote in the Budget Committee that angered prison guards who feel they’re not being heard.
Alzheimer’s Disease Research:
Florida’s Inexcusable Indifference to Funding
Florida, the state with the largest per-capita population over age 65, invests zero dollars in Alzheimer’s research, though one in 40 Floridian has the disease–and half do over age 85. Nancy Smith argues the indifference is short-sighted on many levels.
Gingrich Surge Wipes Out Romney Advantage in Florida While Improving Obama’s Numbers
The latest Quinnipiac polls have Gingrich tied with Romney ion Florida, but losing badly to Obama in a head-to-head race, while Romney’s slight advantage over Obama two weeks ago has also vanished.
Flip-Flops OK, Tuck-In Not Required: District’s Uniform Policy Will Be Relatively Permissive
The Flagler school board met this morning to iron out the wording of its new “uniform dress code” policy, which merely tightens existing standards rather than imposes a rigid uniform standard.
When Even Hoboken Is Funny: Catholicism Optional in Flagler Playhouse’s “Nunsense”
What to do with four dead nuns in a freezer and no money for their burial? Why, throw a talent show and let the nun puns rip: the Flagler Playhouse’s production of “Nunsense,” running through Feb. 5, is worth an evening’s conversion. A review.
Full Text of Proposed Uniform Policy for Flagler County Schools
The full text of the proposed “uniform dress code” policy the Flagler County School board agreed to on Jan. 25, and is scheduled to vote on adopting, at its Jan. 31 meeting.
Roe Back: Florida Would Ban Abortions After 20 Weeks and Require 24-Hr Waiting Periods
A Republican-dominated House subcommittee approved three anti-abortion bills in party-line votes Tuesday, after testimony and debate that reflected the country’s deep divide over abortion.
Flagler Beach Rotary Hosting Wing-Themed 5K Race on Feb. 11
The Flagler Beach Rotary’s 5K Race at the Flagler County Airport will include helicopters, flyovers, resident planes on display as well as a peek at innovative projects currently underway at the airport.
In Another Move To Charters, Florida Would Give Parents More Say Over Failing Schools
Parents of children in chronically failing schools would get greater power to force the schools to change, including the possibility they could make the school into a charter school or contract its management out, under a Jeb Bush-inspired bill that advanced Tuesday in the Florida House.
In Flagler Beach City Election, More Reruns Of Faces and Ideas Than Stark Choices
Two of the four candidates in the Flagler Beach municipal election on Jan. 31 have served on the commission before, a third has run for office many times, leaving just one rookie in the mix. Fresh ideas, too, were wanting in a recent forum where the candidates laid out their positions.
JoAnne King, Who Oversaw Florida Hospital Flagler’s Hospice Expansion, Is Elevated to VP
As administrative director JoAnne King oversaw Florida Hospital Flagler’s expansion into hospice care across county lines last year, a first for a Florida Hospital. She was promoted to vice president for ancillary services, overseeing a half dozen departments, including hospice.
Grenade in a Tree in Woodland Home’s Yard Turns Out to be a Dummy as Bomb Squad Is Called In
Updated Tuesday with latest:A section of the Woodlands in Palm Coast was shut down to traffic and cordoned off after 7 p.m. Monday evening when authorities responded to an incident involving a pineapple grenade in the yard of the house on Blare Drive.
The Live Poll:
Gingrich, Paul, Romney, Santorum?
We believe in open primaries, so cast your vote, whatever your party affiliation, for the four contenders in the GOP presidential primary.
Maintaining Low A, Flagler School District Is 29th in New Florida Ranking; St. Johns Is 1st
The new rankings by the state Department of Education are a first step in what will lead to school-by-school rankings in the near future. But those rankings are entirely based on FCAT scores, limiting their validity.
Don’t Ban Internet Cafés. Regulate Them.
Internet cafés may be a pest, and their proponents make laughable arguments when they claim they’re not about gambling. But it’s not government’s business to ban them while swinging from the lottery’s levers. Regulation is the key.
Florida Virtual School Students’ AP Results Beat Brick and Mortar Peers’, at Less Cost
Online students at Florida Virtual School, the state’s virtual extension of the public school system, outperformed their traditional-school peers on Advanced Placement tests in 2011 for $2,159 less per student.
Co-Pay Interruptus: Catholic Bishops Will Sue Feds Over Contraception and Insurance Rules
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is promising a legal challenge to federal rules requiring health insurers to provide women with a range of preventive health services, including birth control, without charging a co-payment, co-insurance or deductible.
Florida Redistricting: More Transparent Than Fair
Floridians truly have a meaningful voice in the actions taken by the Florida Senate? Paula Dockery, in her last term as a Republican Senator, thinks not, particularly when it comes to redistricting.
Jacques Brel, Alive and Well and Living At Palm Coast’s City Repertory Theatre
Starting Friday, the City Repertory Theatre will stage six performances of “Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris,” the Eric Blau and Mort Schuman revue of the great Belgian troubadour, under the direction of John Sbordone.
News-Journal Re-Opening Flagler Bureau, in St. Joe’s Center, as Newspaper War Intensifies
The News-Journal’s 2,400-square-foot office in the St. Joe’s Business Park is less than a quarter the size of its old bureau on SR100, closed three years ago, and a concession that it can no longer address its Flagler competition–including a weekly newspaper and three radio stations–long distance.
Flagler’s Unemployment Falls to 13.9%, But Labor Force Is Down 3.6% Over the Past Year
Flagler’s rate is the lowest in three years, suggesting sustained, if slow, improvement, but the workforce has shrunk by 1,200, raising concerns that the county is losing population or attraction as a place to work.
When Profit-Raking Disney and the Daytona Speedway Beg Florida for Corporate Welfare
Disney is asking the state for an array of tax breaks that could cost Floridians as much as $100 million over 20 years. International Speedway Corp., owner of Daytona International Speedway, is in on the deal.
Live Wire: Newt Gingrich, Open Marriage Man
Newt Gingrich’s second ex-wife says he lacks the moral character to be president and describes how he wanted a wife and a mistress. Scott opposes Internet cafes; Wikipedia and other big websites go dark to protest the invasive Stop Online Piracy Act, states look to online gambling to plug their deficits, Diego Rivera ignites the Museum of Modern Art, a short history of atheism, and more.
Flagler Beach Election: Candidate Forum 6 p.m. Tonight at Disabled American Veterans Hall
Tonight’s forum starts at 5 p.m. with a meet-and-greet and at 6 with actual questions at the DAV Hall on 6th Street. Flagler Beach elections are usually held in March. This election was moved up to coincide with the presidential primary election on Jan. 31, and to save the city money.
Palm Coast’s Business Assistance Center Offering Three Training Sessions in January
The training sessions, ranging in themes on how to start your business to managing cash flow to developing a marketing strategy, are priced between $15 and $35.
Washington Oaks Gardens Events: Garden Walk in January, Citrus Festival in February
Washington Oaks Gardens State Park is offering a guided garden walk on Saturday, Jan. 28, and welcoming volunteers interested in beautifying the citrus groves at the park on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012.
Chief Rick Look, Ailing, Will Not Return to Sheriff’s Office; Maj. O’Brien Likely Successor
Chief Rick Look joined the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office from FDLE in 2005. His retirement, while not yet official, had been known for some time. He’ll be drawing disability as Maj. David O’Brien, acting chief since last year, takes over.
Debbie Reynolds, Too, Is Alive and Well, and Singin’ On Flagler Auditorium’s Stage Tonight
Debbie Reynolds, star of “Singin’ In the Rain,” is turning 80 in a few weeks–and taking the Flagler Auditorium stage Thursday evening to show off her enduring versatility as a singer and comic.
In Washington State, a Proposed Mandate for Abortion Coverage, Whoever the Insurer
Democratic members of the Democratic-controlled Washington State legislature introduced a bill that would require private and public insurers that provide maternity coverage to cover abortion services as well.
Turner Talk Begins at Flagler’s Tourist Development Council; Several Grants Awarded
Georgia Turner, Flagler’s new tourism chief, had her debut before the Tourist Development Council Wednesday as the council approved grants totaling $170,000, including underwriting for two popular and growing local conferences that attract numerous out-of-towners.
Don’t Let It Happen
The the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act give the federal government unprecedented powers to censor or block access to websites judged to be carrying pirated music or videos, a power usually associated with authoritarian regimes.
Flagler School Board Adopts Uniforms on 3-2 Vote But Only Vaguely Defines What It Means
The Flagler County School Board’s 3-2 decision to institute uniforms in all schools Tuesday evening was only vaguely defined beyond what may be only a somewhat more stringent dress code than the one in effect now.
Bill To Ban Internet Cafes Advances in Florida Legislature as Opponents Call It a Job Killer
A House panel Today approved a proposal to shutter the 1,000-some Internet cafés that have opened in shopping centers across the state in recent years, including nearly a dozen in Palm Coast.
Downplaying Expectations, County Ratifies Offer to Jobs Council CEO, for $110,700
Don’t start looking for bottom-line job creation from the county’s new economic development department, commissioners are saying, even as the county’s tax-funded efforts will be judged overwhelmingly by net new jobs that can be attributed to their existence.
New Garbage Contract: Hazardous Waste Option and Lower Monthly Cost, to Around $19
Only very faint public objections were raised Tuesday to Palm Coast’s new 5-year contract with Waste Pro for garbage, which would add curbside hazardous waste pick-up and lower the overall cost, assuming fuel prices don’t rise.
The Live Poll: 53% Against Uniforms
Should the Flagler school board adopt a uniform policy? Out of more than 700 responses, the verdict is 53 percent against as the school board prepares to vote on the issue Tuesday evening.
As School Board Votes on Uniform Policy, a Reality Check From the Trenches
Drawing on arresting experiences, Jo Ann Nahirny, a veteran teacher at Matanzas High School, disputes assumptions on school uniforms in a letter to Flagler County School Board members.
Miranda Vows: Commissioner Milissa Holland and Undersheriff O’Brien Will Marry April 21
WNZF’s David Ayers exerted the confession about the upcoming wedding from David O’Brien, the undersheriff, who had done his best to keep the news of his wedding to Milissa Holland an open secret.
Flouting the First:
Florida’s Slouch Back To Religious Favoritism
Florida’s proposed “Religious Freedom” amendment and a bill that would enable prayer at public school events project the false impression that religious expression in the public sphere is under siege, when the reverse is closer to the mark–as a bias particularly favoring Christianity.
A La Carte College Tuition: Florida’s Science-Tech Majors Could End Up Paying More
Florida’s quest for more science, technology, engineering and mathematics degrees might eventually lead to a quest for higher tuition for students entering those programs, based on comments by higher education leaders.
Hollingsworth Gallery Lets Its Members Rip in New Show; Art League Does The Open
Hollingsworth Gallery in Palm Coast opens its annual members show Saturday evening with new works that range from the overtly provocative to the contemplative. The Flagler County Art League opens with a humbler mix.
The Flagler Youth Orchestra in Concert Tonight at Palm Coast Methodist Church’s Festival
The annual youth festival features the 25-piece Harmony Chamber Orchestra, the Flagler Youth Orchestra’s top ensemble, in a free concert under the direction of Caren Umbarger, at 7 p.m. You can Tivo Tebow’s first three throws.
Why Tim Tebow Is Not God’s Jerry Rice
A pastor’s suggestion that God is favoring Tim Tebow is wrong, argues Aaron Rushing, because it turns the former Gator and Denver Broncos quarterback into a good luck charm. God is using Tebow in other ways, writes Rusher.
Palm Coast Observer Taking On News-Tribune As It Aims for Twice A Week By April
The Palm Coast Observer’s move would be a frontal assault on the Daytona Beach News-Journal’s diminishing hold on the Flagler market, where the paper has also been contending with competition from three new radio stations and online media.
Palm Coast Half-Marathon and 5K Run: Schedule and Road Closures
The second annual Palm Coast half-marathon and 5K run is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 15, starting at 8 a.m. at European Village. A summary schedule and road closures.
Scott Orders Review of Special Taxing Districts Like Grand Haven, Dunes and Every CRA
The review affects such “community redevelopment agencies” such as Palm Coast’s Town Center. Special taxing districts generate $15 billion in revenue annually. Oversight can be more lax than for more general government revenues.
Bunnell’s Barbara Korn and FPC’s Sarah Poppe Win School District’s Top Honors for 2012
The 2012 Teachers and Employees of the Year at the Flagler Auditorium Thursday evening featured every school’s nominees and a cheer-leading crowd with shrieking lung capacities.
14-Year-old Shot on Belle Terre Near Point Pleasant; “No Random Shooting,” Sheriff Says
The 14-year-old was riding in a car with his cousin early Saturday morning when another car pulled up and someone fired five to seven shots, injuring the 14-year-old in the hand.
No Surprise: Waste Pro Will Be Palm Coast’s Trash Hauler for Another 5 Years & $38 Million
Residents may see a negligible difference in their roughly $20-a-month trash bill, if that, as the city council, convinced by Waste Pro’s low bid, complies with what the city administration had wanted all along.