Even now Artiles doesn’t get it, and seemingly neither does Negron–they don’t understand how ugly racially charged language is to all people of good will, but especially when it comes from a state senator.
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Along A1A, Protective Plants Replace Rock Art as Volunteers Pilot Adopt-A-Dunes Program
Flagler Beach City Commissioner Joy McGrew is leading an all-volunteer effort to dug up plants from properties of willing owners along A1A and replanting them on dunes as protection against people using them as walkovers.
As Flagler Considers Countywide Burn Ban, Fire Units On Stand-By to Help Elsewhere
Twenty-one counties have a burn ban in effect, though for now that has not been declared in Flagler, where firefighters are on stand-by to assist battling forest fires in Southwest Florida if necessary.
Embattled State Attorney Ayala Gets Big-Name Backers In Fight With Scott Over Death Penalty
Ex-prosecutors, former state Supreme Court justices, civil-rights organizations and families of homicide victims from across the country have filed briefs supporting Ayala in her legal battle with Gov. Rick Scott.
4 Hurt in Head-On Crash Between SUV and School, Bus at Royal Palms and Rymfire
Four people were hurt including two children in a crash involving a school bus and an SUV at the intersection of Royal Palms Parkway and Rymfire Drive in Palm Coast this morning just before sunup.
Trump, You Bombed Syria Because You Care. Now Get Rid of the Muslim Ban in Any Form.
Both versions of that order, now held up in the courts, would have indefinitely banned all migration from Syria — and suspended refugee resettlement from everywhere.
Secret Hospital Inspections Revealing Errors and Mishaps and May Become Public at Last
The federal government has proposed requiring that accreditors release reports on the problems they find during hospital inspections. Right now, the reports are secret.
Sen. Artiles Resigns as Senate Investigates Racist Insults to Black Colleagues and Others
Sen. Frank Artiles called his presence a “distraction” days after apologizing for a public tirade that included racially charged and vulgar expletives directed at Sen. Audrey Gibson and others.
Badcock Furniture Will Fill Old Food Lion Space in Flagler Beach, Ending 8-Year Drought
Badcock Furniture will open in mid-summer in Flagler Square, as will a sweet shop, completing a remarkable revival of that commercial strip eight years after it had become a gaping hole for business.
Hitting New Post-Recession Low of 4.8%, Flagler’s Unemployment Now Matches Florida’s
The number of unemployed in Flagler county fell sharply in March, from 2,482 to 2,214, a drop of 268, an impressive 11 percent decline, with work activity especially pronounced in construction.
Lawmakers Set to Enact Long-Sought Solar Energy Tax Break, But Concerns Remain
The House and Senate are working on the proposals to carry out a renewable-energy constitutional amendment, known as Amendment 4, that voters approved during August’s primary election.
Flagler Schools Superintendent Interviews: James Tager
James Tager, the closest thing to a home-grown candidate for the Flagler County School Superintendent job, projected confidence, fluent knowledge of local and state issues and quite a bit of familiarity with Flagler schools.
Flagler Schools Superintendent Interviews: Gerald Wilson
In approach and demeanor, Gerald Wilson echoed Janet Valentine, the superintendent who preceded Jacob Oliva: not much excitability or charisma, but solid knowledge and deference to process.
Flagler Schools Superintendent Interviews: Jeff Umbaugh
Jeff Umbaugh was energetic, congenial, discursive, fast-talking, quick to take verbal tangents or make the occasional humorous aside, but mostly, he spoke in generalities and clichés.
Life in Prison for Palm Coast Man as Jury Finds Him Guilty of Molesting 11-Year-Old
A two-second feel over the clothes of an 11-year-old in a Palm Coast home by her guardian four years ago will result in a life sentence for James Taylor, a previously convicted sex offender.
Palm Coast Approves $425,000 Parasols at 4 City Parks, But Council Members Grumble
Council members Nick Klufas and Steve Nobile, who are seeking more oversight of the city administration, had serious misgivings about cost and a bidding process that left them with little choice.
Sen. Artiles Apologizes to Sen. Gibson After Cursing Her Out In Racist and Sexist Language
Florida Sen. Artiles unleashed racial and sexist slurs at Sen. Audrey Gibson, who at one time represented parts of Flagler County, in a tirade at the Governors Club near the Capitol Monday night.
Palm Coast’s Thames Envy Holds Weir-dest Ribbon-Cutting You’ve Ever Heard Of
There’s a ribbon-cutting for every imaginable non-event these days, and today Palm Coast cut the ribbon at a water-control structure called a “weir,” in the B-Section.
At Man’s Trial, Weighing the Line Between A Parent’s Touch and Outright Molestation
Defense attorneys for James A. Taylor, the man on trial for allegedly molesting his ex’s 11-year-old daughter in Palm Coast, effectively plundered his accuser’s and her sisters’ credibility in four hours of testimony today.
Rocky Superintendent Search Jarred Again as Phyllis Edwards Withdraws Candidacy
With the latest top candidate to drop out, the Flagler County School Board’s search for a new superintendent is turning into a poorly scripted season of Survivor.
In Big Victory for Flagler Government, Feared Vacation-Rental Bill Suddenly in Retreat in Legislature
Flagler County’s vacation-rental regulations currently in place would be preserved according to a new version of a Senate bill the county had been fighting before. And a House bill may be dead.
James Taylor Trial: A History of Violence and Rapes of Women and Children, But Jury Won’t Hear It
The single charge of molestation James A. Taylor faces as he went on trial in Flagler County today is deceptive: the sex offender has a history of brutality, rapes and assaults involving women and children, but it’s all off limits.
Governments Mull Way To Fight Prescription-Drug Crisis That Worked With Tobacco: Taxes
California, Alaska and the US Congress are considering taxing prescription drugs to raise money for treatment and discourage their use, but the amounts of the taxes would be relatively small.
Two Killed, One Critical in Single-Vehicle Crash On Hammock Dunes Parkway
An elderly couple was killed and a man, Arthur Thornton, was in critical condition after a single-vehicle crash on Hammock Dunes Parkway just after 6 p.m. Easter Sunday evening.
A Suicide By Gunshot Jolts 911 Call as Sheriff Observes Flagler’s Dispatch Center in Action
A gunshot suicide took place live as a 911 dispatcher was on the phone Wednesday, while Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly sat in as a “trainee” to mark National Public Safety Telecommunications Week.
Carrabba’s on Palm Coast’s Cypress Edge Drive Is Target of a Bomb Threat
A bomb threat was called into Carrabba’s restaurant on Cypress Edge in Palm Coast late this afternoon with a “pretty straight-forward” threat by the caller, according to the sheriff’s office.
Florida Supreme Court Upholds Taxing Satellite TV at Nearly Twice the Rate of Cable
Under state law, cable services are taxed at 4.92 percent, while satellite services are taxed at 9.07 percent, according to the Supreme Court ruling, which upheld the different rates.
Goons With Guns, Sheriff Edition
A Florida sheriff’s ISIS-like video warning to drug dealers and the brutalizing of Dr. David Dao on a United flight in the same week are no coincidence, but symptoms of a re-emerging authoritarianism.
2 Teens Face Felonies For Firing BB Gun at Full School Bus and Vehicles on Belle Terre
There were 40 students returning from Bunnell Elementary when the school bus was the target of boys allegedly firing a BB and an air soft gun at the vehicle on Belle Terre Boulevard Wednesday afternoon.
With Rising Death Toll From Opioids, Florida Still Gropes For Effective Answers
State officials have few responses as the death rate from synthetic opioids other than methadone increased 72.2 percent from 2014 to 2015, to 3,228 deaths by overdose in Florida.
In Unprecedented Flagler Beach Town Hall, Old Kings Elementary Students Become All Stars of Ideas
Mayor Linda Provencher’s Kids Town Hall drew a standing-room-only crowd, almost the entire city commission and the city’s top staff for a lively hour of ideas and suggestions from Old Kings Elementary students.
Charles Singer Was Murdered, Sheriff’s Office Says After ID of West Flagler Man Missing 2 Months
Nobody is in custody at the moment, though several individuals have been interviewed in connection with the discxovery. Singer was found buried in his backyard at 80 Pine Tree Lane in West Flagler last week.
With 3 Large Flagler Fires in 2 Months and 107 Burning in the State, Scott Declares Emergency
Gov. Scott’s declaration of a wildfire emergency comes in the wake of several large fires in Flagler County and more than 100 ongoing fires elsewhere. It will allow for swifter sharing of firefighting resources, including the use of the National Guard.
As One More Name Drops Out, Board Settles On 4 Candidates For Superintendent Interviews
James Tager, the principal at Atlantic High School in Volusia County, is the front-runner, getting all five board members’ nod, in an otherwise more fractured field as yet another top candidate dropped out.
Joseph Bova, Accused Killer of Store Clerk, Again Declared Incompetent In Threatening Court Appearance
Joseph Bova, accused killer of store clerk Zuheili Roman Rosado in Palm Coast in 2013, threatened that the judge and four others would die in “seconds” during an appearance before Judge Craig this afternoon.
Eyes on International Prizes, Flagler’s Problem Solvers Launch Flocking Fund-Raising Season
Two mayors, two county commissioners and a school board member gathered Monday for the launch of Flagler Schools’ Future Problem Solvers’ fund-raising season to help send 51 students to international competition in Wisconsin in June.
Another Bear Hunt? Florida Fish and Wildlife Readies to Look at Latest Numbers
Florida game officials are getting an update on the state’s growing black bear population, a discussion animal-rights supporters contend is a first step toward holding a hunt later this year.
Sowell Sworn-In as Bunnell Commission’s Latest Rookie; Rogers, Almost Forgotten, Begins 3rd Term
Newly elected City Commissioner John Sowell, a largely unknown entity, and third-term Commissioner John Rogers were sworn-in in a brief ceremony in Bunnell this evening.
Sheriff Will Ask Palm Coast to Pay for 5 More Cops, a 21% Increase of City’s Policing Budget
Sheriff Staly wants to double Palm Coast’s traffic unit, but five more cops would cost close to $600,000 on top of the city’s current $2.6 million budget. Mayor Milissa Holland signals some push-back.
As Washington Piddles, Liberal California Forges Ahead With Universal Health Care Ideas
Organized labor and two lawmakers are leading the charge for a single, government-financed program for everyone in the state. Another legislator wants to create a commission that would weigh the best options for a system to cover everyone.
Detectives Arrest Man, 23, In Connection With Armed Robbery and Shooting Near Rymfire
Edward Leroy Stark Jr. is charged him with four felonies in connection with the Feb. 12 alleged armed robbery and shooting near Rymfire Elementary in Palm Coast, during a drug deal gone bad.
Florida House and Senate In Duel Over Shifting Stand Your Ground Burden to Prosecution
The two chambers have approved different versions of a proposal (SB 128) intended to shift a key burden of proof in “stand your ground” cases from defendants to prosecutors in pre-trial hearings.
Florida Senate Wants 81% Increase in Aid for Poorer College Students, and Boost For 1st-Gen
Florida student assistance grants would grow by $121 million. Senators also want to double the state’s matching grants for “first generation” college and university students to a total of $10.6 million.
Fatal Irresponsibility:
How Palm Coast Willfully Ignored Street Lights And Sidewalks For 10 Years
Palm Coast’s government’s claim that it didn’t have the money to build sidewalks and street lights is a cynical lie: as people died, the city put luxury ahead of necessity, from city hall to expensive beautification and plenty more.
Cops Out in Force on I-95 Over the Weekend as Part of Drive to Save Lives Campaign
Be warned: cops from Florida to Maine are out in force this weekend (April 8 and 9), pulling over, warning and ticketing speeders, careless, reckless and distracted drivers.
State Transportation Department Asks Flagler Beach Police to Crack Down on A1A Rock Art
Flagler Beach City Manager Larry Newsom said police officers will not suddenly arrest people who build rock structures on A1A, but will use a more friendly, educational approach.
Dead Body Found in “Suspicious” Circumstances at Property of Man Missing 2 Months
Charles Singer last week was reported him missing two months from his west-Flagler home. Today, a body was found at the property after detectives and homicide investigators served a search warrant there.
New Starbucks Location Brewing Next to Aldi in the Shoppes of Palm Coast on SR100
A 2,200-square-foot Starbucks just got a development order and will soon rise next to Aldi, Gate gas station and Tractor Supply Co at Belle Terre and SR100.
Man Who Fled From Deputy at Traffic Stop Near Old Kings Elementary Turns Himself In
The search for an individual who fled the stop caused a partial lock-down at Old Kings Elementary and required the involvement of a K-9 unit and Flagler County Fire Flight, the emergency helicopter.
Education, Medical Pot, Guns, Death Penalty and Budget: Legislature Hedged at Midpoint
Halfway through Florida’s 60-day legislative session, almost all major issues remain unresolved. That’s not unusual, but lawmakers are not going at a pace that suggests they’ll be done by the scheduled end of the session on May 5.