A federal judge appointed by Donald Trump dismissed a Broward County teen’s challenge to the constitutionality of a 2021 Florida law that bars transgender female students from playing on women’s and girls’ sports teams.
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21% Surge in Immigration Drives Nation’s Population Increase, Offsetting Decline in US Birth Rate
With Texas and Florida making up nearly a third of the nation’s population increase, a recent immigration surge brought newcomers to every state this year, helping to offset a continued drop in U.S. births while contributing to a national upswing of about 3.3 million new residents, according to new U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
The Moral Dimension of America’s Flawed Health Care System
The killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has set off soul-searching among many Americans. Part of that reflection is about the public reaction to Thompson’s death and the sympathy the suspect received online, with some people critical of the insurance industry celebrating the assailant as a sort of folk hero. Frustrations are no excuse for murder. But it has become a moment of wider reflection on health care in America, and why so many patients feel the system is broken.
Ragga Surf Eviction Stands as Marineland and Flagler County Snipe at Each Other and State Snubs Them All
If the 50-some of supporters of Ragga Surf Café who turned out for a Marineland Town Commission meeting Thursday evening to hear some hope, any hope, that the café can stave off eviction from its temporary home at the River to Sea Preserve on Dec. 31, they were disappointed. The eviction stands. The earliest Ragga may have a chance to reclaim its spot, if at all, may be March, judging from what County Administrator Heidi Petito estimated, though it would likely be longer.
Colossal 6,000-Home Plan in Bunnell is Now 8,000 Homes, and Developer Wants to Cut Open Space by 10%
The developer of the proposed Preserve at Haw Creek, a 2,800-acre development west of Bunnell that would dwarf the city in size and population, has raised the number of dwellings from 5,000-to 6,000 in a May presentation to 6,000 to 8,000 now, and is asking the city to lower the minimum required open space from 60 percent to 50 percent. The city’s planning board unanimously rejected the request. The Bunnell City Commission hears the appeal on Monday.
State Raises Objections to Flagler Beach’s ‘Black Hole’ of Data About Veranda Bay as County Repeats Concerns
Flagler Beach’s proposed annexation of Veranda Bay, the planned 2,400-home development along John Anderson Highway, is facing yet more obstacles in addition to an opposition group’s threat to sue. State agencies tasked by law with reviewing the city’s planned amendment to its land-use rules to accommodate the development have raised objections, citing a lack of data.
Kevin Guthrie and UF Show Off AI-Powered Disaster Information Dissemination Service
The University of Florida, in partnership with government agencies, has showcased an artificial intelligence-driven disaster warning system leveraging radio waves — a program Florida Department of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie said is guaranteed to save lives.
County Knocks Off $100,000 from Offer for ‘Sensitive’ Land Purchase to Expand Bull Creek Campground
After knocking $100,000 off the asking price due to some problematic maintenance issues on the property, the Flagler County Commission agreed to buy an eight-parcel, 27.5 acre property, including a homestead, near Dead Lake for $1.145 million, using the county’s tax-supported Environmentally Sensitive Land fund. The property will be converted into an extension of the Bull Creek Campground.
Argument Escalates To a Shooting at Palm Coast Econo Lodge, and 2 Men Are Arrested
Two men were arrested Tuesday following a shooting at the Econo Lodge motel off Kingswood Drive in Palm Coast. No one was injured in the incident, which drew a substantial response by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. James L. Everett, 19, faces felony charges of firing into a dwelling and tampering with evidence. Steven Hyatt, 22, faces a felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Florida Senate President Ben Albritton Wants to Phase Out ‘Dreamers’ Tuition Break
Senate President Ben Albritton suggested phasing out a decade-old law that allows some undocumented immigrant students, known as “dreamers,” to receive in-state tuition rates at Florida universities and colleges.
School Board’s Furry Defends No-Bid Contract for New Attorney as Ruddy and Ramirez Raise Questions
Janie Ruddy and Lauren Ramirez are discovering that the Flagler County School Board to which they were just elected is its own peculiar governing creature, unlike any local government when it comes to transparency and certain procedures. Exhibit A: its attorney hires. The new board members raised questions about the no-bid hire of the board’s attorney in addition to a separate counsel for the district’s staff work.
Flagler County Wants 2025 To Seal the Deal for Beach Protection, Paid For Mostly With Your Taxes
The Flagler County Commission wants to ensure that 2025 will be the year when it will vote in a beach-management funding plan, ending Flagler’s long and undistinguished run as the only county in Florida without one. That, along with lowering the tax rate and paying more to retain county staff are among the commission’s priorities for the coming year.
Commissioner Pennington Assails County Administration Over Ragga Surf Fiasco: ‘Issues Didn’t Get Handled Properly’
Flagler County Commissioner Leann Pennington late Monday night sharply criticized the county administration, including its legal department, over a series of errors and missed steps that led to a state rebuke of the county’s permission to Ragga Surf Cafe, a for-profit company, to use public land at Marineland’s River to Sea Preserve to run its business. County Administrator Heidi Petito and County Attorney Al Hadeed defended their actions.
Ragga Surf Cafe Supporters Urge County Commission for Eviction Reprieve, But Hear Only Silence
A little over half a dozen people–fewer than expected or feared by county officials–urged the Flagler County Commission this evening to reverse its ordered eviction of Ragga Surf Cafe, the for-profit business operating rent-free at the River to Sea Preserve in Marineland in violation of state rules. County commissioners offered no solace or hope of further talks other than restating a terse explanation of what led to the eviction.
Flagler County Will Spend $250,000 to Fix Wadsworth Skate Park, Exploring Concrete Upgrade in Future
The Flagler County Commission agreed today to spend up to $250,000 to repair and rebuild steel ramps at Wadsworth Skate Park near Flagler Beach in the coming year, while investigating a plan–but not a commitment–to rebuild the park with concrete ramps and possibly include a pump track for cyclists. But that $2 million plan would be more of a hope than a reality.
‘God Saved His Life So He Could Save the World,’ Randy Fine Says of Trump, Who Now ‘Needs My Help’
Randy Fine, the Brevard County senator who declared a run for U.S. Rep. Mike Waltz’s seat in a special election, said he is running for Congress to help Donald Trump save the world, and that he would “wash bathrooms in the White House in order to make him be successful,” if that’s what it takes. Meanwhile, he continues to file ideologically incendiary bills in the Florida Legislature.
Ragga Surf Fiasco: How Flagler County Risked Losing River to Sea Preserve Over Botched Favor for a Private Business
Flagler County government and the town of Marineland have come close to losing their joint ownership of the 90-acre River to Sea Preserve, the public park, after the state’s land trust discovered that the county and the town were allowing the for-profit Ragga Surf Cafe to use the preserve for its operations since September without permission from the state and in violation of the county’s own rules and procedures. Here’s what happened.
Florida Supreme Court Calls for 50 Additional Circuit and County Judges, Including 2 in 7th Judicial Circuit
Pointing to a study of judicial workloads, the Florida Supreme Court this week recommended adding 50 judges across the state. Under the recommendation, the state would add 23 circuit judges, 25 county judges and two judges on the 6th District Court of Appeal. The 7th Judicial Circuit, which includes Flagler, Volusia, St. Johns and Putnam Counties, was found to need two additional circuit judges but no additional county judges.
Matanzas’s Kristin Bozeman Is Principal of the Year, FPC’s Mandy Kraverotis, a Book Advocate, Wins Assistant Honor
Flagler Schools announced that Matanzas High School Principal Kristin Bozeman has been named the 2024 Flagler Schools Principal of the Year, and Flagler Palm Coast High School Assistant Principal Mandy Kraverotis has been recognized as the 2024 Flagler Schools Assistant Principal of the Year.
Why Americans Are Furious With Health Insurance CEOs
Over 8,000 Americans die every day, many unnecessarily. The United States still does not have in place a national health care system that guarantees everyone adequate medical attention. Some 25 percent of Americans have people in their family who have had to delay medical treatment for a serious illness because they couldn’t afford the care. Some 79 percent of America’s nurses, for their part, say they’re working in inadequately staffed health facilities.
As Trial Is Set for Man on Charges of Raping His Granddaughter, Judge Asks: “You Want To Put Her Through That?’
Michael Wayne Jennelle is a 53-year-old Palm Coast resident. He’s been at the county jail for the last year and a half. Earlier this week Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols set his trial for Jan. 13 on charges of raping and molesting his granddaughter for several years when she was between 7 and 10. No plea appears forthcoming. Reflecting on two “compelling” one-hour interviews of the child, the judge asked Jennelle whether he was willing to put the child through the trauma of trial. He unhesitatingly said he was.
$405 Million for 2 New Schools by 2033? Not If Flagler District’s Enrollment Continues to Flatline
Since 2007, enrollment in Flagler County’s nine traditional, brick and mortar schools has barely budged even as the county’s population has surged. Enrollment in those schools was 12,580 in 2007. At last count this year, it is 12,478–a slight decline both from 2007 and from the end of last school year, when enrollment rose a bit. The district is projecting a new middle school and a new high school by the early 2030s, for $405 million.
A Furious Judge Puts 34-Year-Old Suspect and His Family ‘On Notice’ in Bizarre Aggravated Stalking Case
Zachary Tuohey, 34, is facing a felony charge of aggravated stalking after an injunction. He was arrested in October for repeatedly violating an injunction by continuing to send communications to the alleged victim. The case’s bizarre turns and the maneuvers by the defendant and his family to avoid another jailing illustrate how difficult it can be at times for authorities, including the court, to ensure that victims of harassment or stalking,
Veranda Bay Annexation in Flagler Beach Tabled Until Next Year as City Mulls Threat of Lawsuit
At the suggestion of Scott Spradley, its chair, the Flagler Beach City Commission this evening voted unanimously to table the proposed annexation of Veranda Bay until next year so city officials have time to study the merits of what Spradley described as a threat to sue the city if annexation went ahead.
Flagler Beach May Start Policing Grease, Fats and Oil Discharges at Restaurants and Other Businesses
The Flagler Beach City Commission this evening will hear a proposed ordinance that would create a “fats, oils and grease” (or FOG) inspection program that would apply to all restaurants, fast food establishments, automotive businesses and others, with a $25-a-month fee. The program is intended to reduce grease clogging city infrastructure and causing taxpayers expensive repairs.
Ex-Trump Adviser Michael Flynn Loses Defamation Suit Against Man Who Called Him ‘Putin Employee’
A state appeals court upheld a decision dismissing a defamation lawsuit that former Trump administration national-security adviser Michael Flynn filed against Rick Wilson, a political strategist and key player in the “Never Trump” movement. Wilson referred to Flynn in a 2022 tweet as “Putin employee Mike Flynn” and in 2023 retweeted “FYI, Mike Flynn is Q.”
Threat of Lawsuit Over ‘Enclave’ Is New Snag on Eve of Flagler Beach Vote on Veranda Bay Annexation
The lawyer representing opponents of the Veranda Bay annexation into Flagler Beach sent a letter today to city officials warning them that annexing would create an illegal enclave, implying that a lawsuit might follow. The City Commission was prepared to annex at its meeting Thursday evening. The letter could pause those plans.
Stephen Monroe and Derius Bauer Will Risk Trials and Life in Prison Even as 4 Co-Defendants Folded
Over the past year, Stephen Monroe and Derius Bauer have seen all their co-defendants in murder trials take pleas and agree to long prison sentences, including 55 years and life in prison in two cases. Bauer and Monroe are both up for capital murder charges stemming from unrelated killings. If they’re convicted at trial, they would face mandatory life prison terms without parole. Neither wants to deal. Their trials were scheduled today.
USTA Interested in Managing Southern Rec Center, But Locals Worry About Messing With a Good Thing
After granting Palm Coast $700,000 to build five additional tennis court at the Southern Recreation Center, the USTA is interested in a management partnership with the city there. But tennis and pickleball players at the center are raising cautions about such an arrangement, worrying either that pickleball would get cheated or that other amenities would be run differently, though the potential arrangement also has some notable support.
‘Granny Cams’ Could Be Coming to Florida’s Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities
The bill (SB 64) by Republican Sen. Illeana Garcia would allow residents to install cameras so long as they are willing to foot the bill for installation and removal. Nursing home residents who share rooms would have to secure permission from their roommates to use the cameras, as well.
Prosecution Seeks Death Penalty For Jermaine Williams, Who Stabbed Wife to Death in Bunnell
Assistant State Attorney Jason Lewis told the court today the state filed notice that it will seek the death penalty against Jermaine Williams, the 52-year-old Bunnell resident who stabbed his wife Yolonda Williams to death outside their home on Pine Street the morning of Aug. 2, as one of the couple’s sons, 14 at the time, tried to intervene and implored his father to stop.
Palm Coast’s Vacation-Rental Rules Ready for Prime Time as Council Refines Them, But They Could Be Short-Lived
Palm Coast’s debut short-term rental ordinance is heading for approval over the next few weeks as the City Council today, inheriting a draft in the works for months under a largely different council, signed off on it with minor adjustments. The council will vote on the proposal on Dec. 17 and Jan. 7, when the public may yet address it.
Palm Coast’s Push for Evening-Only Meetings Relies on Unproven and Problematic Assumptions
The Palm Coast City Council is considering moving all its meetings to evening sessions. The possibility is prompted by some council members’ assumption, disproved by the record and other local governments’ experience, that evening meetings would increase attendance and participation.
Mother Faces 4 Felony Child Neglect Counts As Loaded Gun Is Found on Top of Disney DVDs in Deplorable House
Amanda Gaisford, a 37-year-old resident of Fanwood Court in Palm Coast, was charged with four felony counts of child neglect after authorities found a loaded firearm and numerous drugs within easy reach of the four young children she cares for, and a house in dire conditions. The house had no running water and was infested with insects and roaches.
Florida Leads an Authoritarian Assault on Higher Education
Authoritarians always love the poorly educated and the mis-educated. The well-educated, the readers, the questioners, those who demand evidence, gather facts, and trust verifiable information (as opposed to propaganda) are a threat. Aspirants to dictatorhood know the first play is destroy education. Nip that critical thinking in the bud. DeSantis is showing the way in Florida.
RFK Factor: An Unwelcome, Possible Return of Measles, Whooping Cough, and Worse
After backlash against public health interventions culminated in President-elect Donald Trump’s nominating Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the country’s best-known anti-vaccine activist, as its top health official, infectious disease and public health experts and vaccine advocates say a confluence of factors could cause renewed, deadly epidemics of measles, whooping cough, and meningitis, or even polio.
Notre Dame Rises from the Ashes, But at What Price?
On April 15, 2019, viewers around the world watched live footage of one of the most famous cathedrals on the planet, Notre-Dame de Paris, being devastated by fire. More than five years later, Notre Dame was due to reopen to the public on December 8th. Behind the headlines, a fierce debate has been raging about who is responsible for funding France’s cultural heritage and whether visitors to the landmark should be charged an entry fee.
Charging 1st Degree Murder for an Overdose Death Is Indefensible
A charge of first-degree murder requires premeditation. Florida’s law charging first degree murder for causing a death by overdose does not. It relies on assumptions and entirely negates the user’s responsibility. The law was intended as a deterrent. But in Florida, overdose deaths have increased sixfold in 25 years. The law beings neither deterrence nor justice in a crisis that will not be solved by sending people to prison for life.
3.5-Mile Graham Swamp Trail Link to Lehigh and Bulow Finally In Design Thanks to Federal Money
As Palm Coast continues to broaden its crown-jewel-like trail system, the city has finally secured federal aid money to design the long-planned segment from Graham Swamp to Lehigh Trail–a plan 15 years in the works. But construction money remains elusive, so it may be a while yet before hikers are able to trek the entire distance from the Woodlands to Bulow Park several miles south, where another trail is under design.
After Losing Her Mother and Grandmother, Crash Victim Extends Kindness to Driver as He Is Sentenced to Prison
Shana Sciortino, was 41 when she and her grandmother were severely injured and her mother Debra Ashrafi was killed in a head-on crash with a car John Garrison, 50, was driving just outside Bunnell two years ago. Garrison was sentenced to three years in prison today, a lenient sentence. Sciortino had agreed to the lenience, and today in court she spoke kindly to him even as she described the grief and loss he has caused.
Water and Sewer Projects Top Palm Coast’s List of Asks from Legislature in a Year of Leaner Pork Barrels
This time, the Palm Coast City Council wants to be very clear with the state legislature and the governor: the city’s priorities for state dollars are its oldest of two sewer plants, and for one of its three water plants. But it’ll be difficult for Palm Coast to repeat its record haul of state money of the last two years, now that it has lost Paul Renner and Travis Hutson, who have been replaced by backbenchers.
Florida’s Insurance Market Rebounds ‘From Brink of Collapse’ Despite Three Hurricanes
Changes to Florida laws — including a provision making it harder for policyholders to sue insurance companies — are working as intended to help bring the state’s property-insurance market “back from the brink of collapse,” the head of Citizens Property Insurance Corp. said Wednesday. Despite three catastrophic hurricanes hitting the state this year, Florida’s property-insurance market “continues to recover,” Citizens President and CEO Tim Cerio told the state-backed insurer’s board of directors Wednesday.
Cody’s Corner Roundabout Now Open to Traffic as Flagler’s 3 Once-Deadliest Intersections Are Tamed
The $4.7 million roundabout at Cody’s Corner that started construction at the beginning of April is now open to traffic and is expected to significantly reduce fatal and grave crashes at what had been one of Flagler County’s three deadliest intersections. Cody’s Corner, named for a convenience store there, is the intersection of State Road 11 and County Road 304, 10 miles southwest of Bunnell.
In Puzzling Move, Palm Coast Mayor Norris Seeks ‘Legal Opinion’ On Gambaro Appointment, But Is Rebuffed
Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris tried and failed Tuesday to get the council’s approval for a “legal opinion” about the propriety of the previous council’s October appointment of Charles Gambaro to the seat Cathy Heighter had resigned. Norris said he wanted a legal document protecting the city in case the city was sued over the appointment. It was a puzzling move.
County Favors State Aid for New Sheriff’s Station in Hammock, But Not for Animal Shelter or Library
The Flagler County Commission wants the state to help it pay for a new Sheriff’s District Office on the barrier island, but not paired with a community center and branch library. It wants financial aid with its projected tourism center on State Road 100. And it wants aid with a drainage project and a new agricultural extension center. Commissioners are foregoing asking for state money for a countywide animal shelter, among other projects.
Gun-Shy County Delays Buying ‘Sensitive Lands’ Acres That Could Allow Expansion of Bull Creek Campground
The Flagler County Commission was ready Monday to buy 28 acres of pastureland not far from its Bull Creek Campground near Dead Lake at the west end of the county, for $1.245 million. At the last minute County Administrator Heidi Petito, who knows firsthand the cost of acquiring potentially troublesome properties absent thorough vetting, requested that the purchase be delayed.
Florida’s Gen Z Are No Longer Solid Blue
Democrats can no longer assume young Floridians will vote blue, highlighting the need for the party to learn how to sway voters through social media, renowned political analyst Susan MacManus said during the Capital Tiger Bay Club’s post-election deep dive.
As Palm Coast Recruits for a New City Manager, Two Brochures Tell a Tale of the Last 5 Years
A job posting for a new Palm Coast City Manager appeared on a dozen websites on Nov. 22, paired with a brochure that in many ways mirrors the brochure the same recruiting firm sent out when it was recruiting for a replacement for Jim Landon. The two brochure’s similarities and differences tell their own story about Palm Coast in those five years.
Fairness in Question as Flagler County Puts in Place ‘Tool’ to Tax Barrier Island for Beach Protection
Flagler County’s Hammock residents applaud the county’s efforts to devise a permanent method to pay for the $8 million a year it needs to manage the county’s beaches against constant erosion. But today, those residents told the County Commission that the special taxing district the county is planning for the Hammock and other portions of the barrier island, but not Flagler Beach and not anywhere on the mainland, is unfair.
The Baalbek Ruins, Israeli Edition
The city of Baalbek in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley–the City of the Sun–was settled almost 10,000 years ago, and is famous for its long history and its Roman ruins, one of the architectural marvels of the world. To the author, it is wrapped up in memories of childhood and of a father who died decades ago, and now in renewed sorrows as Baalbek was again among Israel’s targets in the last few weeks of bombing.