Frank Gromling, the Right Whale Guy, gives a State of the Whales talk at the end of the 2015-16 season, Flagler Beach talks bait shop, four schools celebrate the end of the year with various events, Schumann’s Papillion.
Backgrounders
Flagler Takes 1st Step To Pot Decriminalization With Broad Agreement on Principle, Less So on Details
All of Flagler’s major law enforcement and government agencies agree that marijuana decriminalization for first-time offenders is a good idea. The county next will develop an ordinance all can agree on. That step may be more difficult.
Wednesday Briefing: Cops and Managers Talk Pot Decriminalization, Senior Awards, Susan Rice at FIU
A much-anticipated meeting of local officials to discuss decriminalization of pot, National Security Adviser Susan Rice is at Florida International University, Bach’s Goldberg Variations.
For Flagler’s Gun Shops, New Residents Spur Brisk Business But Laws Conceal Debate
Flagler County’s gun shop owners say fear and a need for protection rather than hunting still drives much of their business, but they have differing views on gun regulations and the need for additional laws.
Monday Briefing: A Slew of Sentences, Obama on Students Who Silence Speech, Bunnell Parking Regulations
James Russell Brink had his statutory rape charge reduced to felony child abuse and his adjudication withheld by a judge. He’s back in court. Obama decries students who censor speech. Mozart at his most Bach-like. Bunnell changes parking regulations.
Housing Restrictions on Sex Offenders Spread Even as Evidence Shows They Don’t Work
The restrictions can make offenders’ lives less stable by severely limiting their housing options, and can push them away from family, jobs and social support — all of which make it more likely they will abuse again.
Behind Palm Coast’s Inspired Mic, A King With Nine Lives Defies Dreads, Death and Taboos
After a hiatus The Inspired Mic, Palm Coast’s most daring and unpredictable open mic event, returned to the New Europa under the direction of Michael Ray King, who organizes the monthly event with a light touch, himself inspired by a personal history of harrowing survival.
Weekend Briefing: Arbor Day in Central Park, Bogosian at CRT, Prom Night, Drug Court Graduation
You can get a free hardwood tree in exchange for a food donation at Arbor Day, Pastor Charles Silano keynotes drug court graduation, last chance to see Bogosian’s Sex Drugs Rock & Roll.”
Three Candidates for Elections Supervisor Offer More Strengths Than Differences
The three candidates for elections supervisor–Kaiti Lenhart, Abra Seay and Kimble Medley–had their first chance to distinguish themselves before voters this evening in a 60-minute forum that featured more qualities between them than anything else, and no abrasiveness.
Flagler County Quietly Scraps Plan for 3 New Emergency Communications Towers, For Now
After the Flagler County Commission voted down a planned 350-foot tower on John Anderson Highway, NexTower, which would have built three towers, pulled out of the deal entirely, returning the county’s planning for its emergency infrastructure’s backbone to close to near zero.
Flagler Firefighter Among Targets of Car Thieves and Burglars in Palm Coast’s R and P’s
Palm Coast’s R and P Sections were the target of four car thefts and almost a dozen burglaries between Sunday and Monday, including two vehicles at the address of a Flagler County Fire Rescue lieutenant.
County Floats Consolidation of Fire Services And Finally Agree to Meet With Palm Coast
At a long-awaited workshop this afternoon Flagler County responded to Palm Coast’s pressing for a new way to deliver ambulance services, but by countering with a proposal the city is not likely to approve in any way.
Monday Briefing: EMS Ping-Pong, Flagler Edition, New Vote-Counting Machines, Peace Run, The Somme in Poems
The County Commission responds to Palm Coast’s EMS obsession with a proposal of its own, the peace run comes to Palm Coast City Hall, the supervisor of elections gets to buy new vote-counting machines, the Somme in poetry, from the air.
Jacksonville Symphony Plays to Palm Coast Arts Foundation Overture, 12 Years in Making
The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra played to close to 1,200 people Sunday evening at the Palm Coast Arts Foundation’s new home in Town Center, an audience as rich in stories as the music.
Flagler’s Emergency Operations Center at 10 Years: A Few Fires, 5 Managers, Zero Hurricanes
The Emergency Operations Center was part of a $90 million public building spree at the height of the housing boom, just before it all crashed. The center has yet to know its first hurricane emergency, though it’s helped the county through several fire and major storm emergencies.
Weekend Briefing: Sex, Drugs, Rock n Roll at CRT, Jax Pops and PCAF, Domestic Violence 5K, Ben & Jerry’s Comes to St. Augustine
Local stages will be rich with plays and musicals this weekend–“Sex Drugs, Rock n Roll” at City Rep, “Into the Woods” at the Playhouse, “Spelling Bee” at Matanzas, and of course the Palm Coast Arts Foundation’s annual Picnics and Pops Concert with the Jacksonville Symphony on Sunday.
Jonathan Canales, Accused of Shooting His Wife in Mondex, Will Not Face Trial Just Yet
Committed to a psychiatric hospital a year ago, Canales, a PTSD-suffering Iraq veteran, was judged still incompetent for trial in alleged shooting of Tiffany Norman, but today’s hearing suggested that such a trial is now a matter of time.
Homeschooling: Not So Eccentric Anymore
The number of American K–12 children educated at home increased from 1.09 million in 2003 to 1.77 million in 2012. That means they make up 3.4 percent of the nation’s school population.
Monday Briefing: Doughnuts With Doughney in Flagler Beach, Rezoning in Bunnell, Lippmann’s Nutty Elitism
Flagler Beach Police Chief Matthew Doughney has a few donuts with anyone who drops by, FBI investigating Palm Coast Swatting incident, why some Social Security benefits are going away soon.
Right to an Attorney Often a Myth as Public Defenders Are Overworked and the Poor Bullied to Plea
There is a lack of funding for public defense in every state, and people charged with low-level misdemeanors, often poor minorities, suffer the most as public defender offices focus their few resources on felony cases.
Does Arabic Offend You?
When a traveler’s stupidity and racism lead to a fellow-traveler being searched, interrogated and kicked off a plane for speaking Arabic, not only do we all have a problem. We are the problem.
Sheriff Manfre Calls Ethics Case Against Him “Terrorism,” Vows to Fight To Supreme Court
Calling the protracted ethics case against him “terrorism,” “nonsense” and politically motivated “slime” by two former colleagues, Flagler County Sheriff Jim Manfre this morning delivered his most detailed—and impassioned—defense of himself since the case against him began in 2014.
Despite Alarms, an Ex-Cop on Disability–and Supporter of the Sheriff–Is Hired As Deputy
An internal investigative report had recommended against hiring ex-NAACP Vice President Eric Josey, a veteran of the NYPD on disability who had difficulties fulfilling basic training exercises. The Sheriff’s Office defends the hiring, while Josey calls criticism of his performance “embellished” and a political “firestorm.”
Wednesday Briefing: Assisted Living on Cypress, $200,000 Lawsuit Against Sheriff, Autism’s Surge
The Palm Coast Planning Board looks over plans for a new assisted living facility on Cypress Point, speaking Arabic on a plane, a $200,000 lawsuit against the sheriff over a wrongful arrest, autism and a Beethoven string quartet.
County Approves Big Spending on Tourism Office Staff and Rigs and Hints at Raising Tax
County government absorbed the tourism office last fall and is spending big on it, raising staff pay, expanding staff, buying $300,000 worth of equipment and talking about raising the 4 percent sales tax supplement on short-term rentals to 5 percent.
You’re Dying. But Most Doctors Don’t Know How to Tell You.
Policy experts are urging more end-of-life conversations not just to accommodate patients’ desires, but to save money on aggressive medical interventions that patients and their families don’t want and that won’t prolong life.
Citing Problematic Time-Sharing of Children, Gov. Scott Again Vetoes Alimony Reform Bill
The plan became one of the most hotly contested issues of the 2016 legislative session when it was amended to include a child-sharing component that would have required judges to begin with a “premise” that children should split their time equally between parents.
Survey Puts Homeless Total in Flagler-Palm Coast at 104, But Undercount Likely
The 2016 census of the homeless population in Flagler-Palm Coast was a dramatic decline from 2015, but also very likely an under-count. The majority of homeless people who have no shelter at all are in Palm Coast.
Claiming “Robust” Bear Population, Florida Wildlife Commission Targets Another Hunt
The commission in October 2015 held its first bear hunt in more than two decades as a means to slow the increase of black bears in the state and to reduce dangerous interactions between bears and humans. But the hunt was highly controversial, with opponents protesting in various parts of the state.
Tuesday Briefing: Women’s Unhappy Hour at Farley’s, More Costs at Holland Park, Spring Band Concert
What equal pay? Women will gather at Farley’s Irish pub this evening to drown their unhappiness in booze over women’s pay still not matching men’s, some minor cost overruns at Holland Park, FPC’s band in action.
Rick Scott’s Shout Show
To trade public punches with another politician or a media critic is an accepted part of the game. To defame a private citizen — one who wasn’t even responsible for publicizing the original incident — is out of bounds.
IRS Could Easily Signal to 10 Million Uninsured Working Poor Eligibility for Coverage. But It Doesn’t.
About half of the uninsured people in families receiving the earned income tax credit are eligible for significant financial assistance — 4.1 million are eligible for Medicaid, and another 1.1 million are eligible for large subsidies.
Weekend Briefing: Relay for Life in Palm Coast, Right Whales Talk, Rockin’ County Fair, Twitter’s Perv Park
Relay for Life in Palm Coast’s Central Park Friday and Saturday, the fair and Rock n Ribfest continue, Frank Gromling talks whales, how Twitter has turned into a park for pervs.
Benghazi Syndrome: Obama Learns the Wrong Lesson
There was clear support from Security Council members for the initial military action, which unquestionably spared thousands of innocent lives in Benghazi, argues Gareth Evans.
Wednesday Briefing: Botched SWAT Raids, County Fair Kick-Off, Auditorium’s Tea at Tiffany’s
The Flagler County Fair begins today and runs through Sunday, the Cato Institute has a map of botched SWAT raids, Palm Coast Code Enforcement board meets, the Flagler Auditorium’s Tea at Tiffany’s, a fund-raiser for the Arts in Education fund.
In Major Shift, County Proposes Rebuilding Beach Without Federal Dollars For Now
With federal dollars unlikely to share in the $44 million project, Administrator Craig Coffey wants the county commission to share costs with state transportation and environmental agencies instead, though the plan is rife with uncertainties.
Criminal Immunity: Prosecutors Are Rarely Punished for Mistakes and Misconduct
The Innocence Project alleges that prosecutors across the country are almost never punished when they withhold evidence or commit other forms of misconduct that land innocent people in prison.
Monday Briefing: Palmer Talks Union Power at Caucus, Commissioners Talk Complaints and Bypass, Trump Obscenities
Firefighters union chief Stephen Palmer talks about the new coalition of six public sector unions in Flagler to the Democratic Caucus at AACS, busy county commission meetings, the latest Trump obscenities.
A Bunnell Man Is Falsely Arrested Over Name Error, and Case Proceeds Despite Corrections
In a nightmare of the persistence of bureaucratic errors, Dakota Ward, 19, who’s never been in trouble, was confused with another man and falsely arrested on a battery charge last week. His case is still proceeding.
Retreating from Confession in Husband’s Killing, Anna Pehota Vies for Trial: “I’d Rather Take My Chances”
Anna Pehota, 76, had previously confessed to killing her husband in the Hammock last fall, but has since withdrawn her confession and seeks a defense on a second-degree murder charge.
Tuesday Briefing: Art as Day Job at FPC, Entrepreneur Night, Palm Coast Talks Cell Tower
Entrepreneur Night is at the Beachfront Winery, Palm Coast talks debt and cell tower for Corporate Drive, An Art League grants brings a discussion of art as a job to FPC.
“It Is Done!” Flagler Celebrates Opening of Exit 293 Interchange With North Palm Coast’s Future
Eighteen years in the making, the Matanzas interchange with I-95 is expected to alleviate traffic in palm Coast and spur development in the north of the city while giving residents of the L, B and F Sections faster, safer access to I-95.
Navy Schedules Bombing in Ocala Forest All Week: Windows Will Rattle
The Navy’s live bombing runs at Pinecastle this week are scheduled for 10 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday, and noon to midnight into the weekend.
Weekend Briefing: Cracker Day Rodeo, Motown Madness for Carver Gym, Newman’s Stations of the Cross
The 61st Cracker Day at the Flagler County Fairgrounds, Good Friday with Barnett Newman’s Stations of the Cross (video), a few egg hunts, Motown Madness, a fund-raiser concert for Carver Gym.
In Step-Father’s Rape Trial, Defense Hinges on Doubts Over Credibility of 13-Year-Old Girl
Waldemar Rivera, on trial over accusations that he raped his 13-year-old step-daughter, is hinging his defense over sowing doubts about the accounts of his step-daughter, who was 13 at the time of the alleged attack.
Flagler Reads Together:
In Search of Wilderness
Along the Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian Trail reveals the limits and deceptions, but also the joys, of wilderness in urban America: An essay to accompany Flagler Reads Together’s focus on “Grandma Gatewood’s Walk.”
Sheriff Applauds New Law Regulating Police Authority to Seize Cash and Property
“Civil asset forfeiture” is a controversial practice that gives police authority to seize cash, cars, homes or pother property suspected of use in a crime even absent an arrest. Florida just reformed the law to make forfeiture more difficult and accountable.
The Closing of the Academic Mind
Any denial of academic freedom is a blow struck against the meaning of a university. The irony today is that some of the most worrying attacks on academic freedom have been coming from inside university.
In a Child-Rape Case, Fair Questions Are Weighed Against Inadmissible Evidence
Waldemar Rivera is accused of raping his 13-year-old step-daughter. A hearing today tested the boundaries between justified questions and blaming the victim as a judge ruled on witness statements and what sexual histories may be admitted when the trial resumes next week.
Wednesday Briefing: New Assisted Living on Cypress Point, Florida Fossils, Elections Recaps
Palm Coast’s planning board considers a new assisted living facility near City Market Place, election-day hangovers, lunch-n-learn series lecture focuses on… fossils.