Legislatures have become increasingly reluctant to restrict driver’s licenses for seniors or impose extra requirements — such as vision or road tests — for getting them renewed based solely on their advancing age.
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Kelvin Smith, 16, Killed in Hit-and-Run As He Was Cycling on Old Kings Road in Palm Coast’s F-Section
Kelvin Smith, 16, was killed this evening, New Year’s Eve, in an apparent hit-and-run as the boy was cycling on Old Kings Road near Palm Coast’s F-Section.
Eroding Florida’s Checks and Balances, One Bill at a Time
A Florida Republican lawmaker’s proposal to give the Legislature the power to invalidate any court’s decision would upend centuries of precedent and make a mockery of a balance of powers, argues Ben Hogarth.
Alyce Whitman, 63, Is Killed in Two-Car Collision at County Roads 304 and 305
Alyce Whitman, a 63-year-old resident of Crescent City, was killed Friday afternoon in a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of County Road 304 and County Road 305 at the southwest end of Flagler County.
Trump and the Climate: His Hot Air on Warming Is Far From the Greatest Threat
Trump, who has called climate change a hoax, has frightened many with his embrace of fossil fuels. What’s truly scary, scientists and others say, is how much larger the problem is than one American president.
Controversial “Best and Brightest” Teacher Bonus Pay Program Heading for Revisions
Under Best and Brightest, first approved by lawmakers in 2015, teachers who are highly rated and scored in the top fifth of the test results on the SAT or ACT, are eligible for bonuses of up to $10,000.
Some Demotions and New Faces as Sheriff-Elect Rick Staly Outlines Agency Changes, But Greater Focus on Policing
Incoming Sheriff Rick Staly announced an agency-wide reorganization this morning, with some demotions but no firings, and an attempt to adapt an existing organization to his vision rather than to reinvent the law enforcement wheel.
Striking at Balance of Powers, Florida Lawmaker Files Measures to Nullify Court Decisions
Gonzalez’s bills are a reflection of the Legislature’s latest assault on judicial power. But taking aim at separation of powers considered fundamental, if not sacred, to American government may be more of a partisan than a realistic exercise.
Knowing When To Shut Up: What Florida Gov. LeRoy Collins Could Teach Politicians
Had LeRoy Collins spoken of some things in public as he did privately, he’d be remembered not as Florida’s greatest governor but as a failure who was voted out after serving only the last two years of a deceased predecessor’s term.
Rick Staly To Be Sworn-In as Flagler’s 18th Sheriff By Judge Emerson Thompson, Jr.
Senior Judge Emerson R. Thompson, Jr., who made history as the first black judge in Orange County and the first black judge to be appointed to the 5th District Court of Appeal in Daytona Beach, will administer the oath of office at Rick Staly’s swearing-in on Jan. 3.
Assume Obamacare Is Repealed. What Then?
Republicans have also pledged to repeal the taxes that Democrats used to pay for their health law. Without that funding, Republicans will have far less money to spend on whatever they opt for as a replacement.
Trump Effect: A Reporter on the Hate Beat Finds Stories Too Close to Home
Something profound appears to be changing in American life as a wave of ugly incidents has washed over the country in the weeks since Donald J. Trump was elected–agains minorities, but also at times against Trump supporters.
Where Flagler’s Democrats Go From Here: A Roadmap to Reclaiming Relevance
It’s time now to turn anger and disappointment into resolve, into commitment, into action, argues Mike Cocchiola, whose five-point plan proposes a way forward for Flagler County Democrats.
Justice James E.C. Perry’s Last Dissent Denounces Florida’s Death Penalty
Justice Justice James E.C. Perry in a blistering condemnation of the death penalty in general rendered a blistering analysis of the manner in which capital punishment is carried out in Florida.
3 Flagler Death Sentences Among More Than 200 Invalidated By Florida Supreme Court
The invalidation of 55% of death sentences affect those of two Flagler double-murderers–William Gregory, of Flagler Beach, David Snelgrove of Palm Coast–and Cornelius Baker, who killed a woman in Flagler.
With Florida leading the Way, Obamacare Enrollment Jumps Despite Trump Threats
Despite the Affordable Care Act’s rising prices, decreased insurer participation and a vigorous political threat to its survival, consumer enrollment for 2017 is outpacing last year’s.
Help With Beach Recovery and an Additional County Judge Dominate Requests to Flagler’s Lawmakers
Post-Hurricane Matthew recovery occupied almost half the requests at the annual legislative delegation meeting Wednesday, when Flagler’s governments, non-profits, private associations and citizens submit wish lists to state lawmakers.
European Village Attacker Daniel Noble Pleads Guilty on 3 Charges, Faces 8 to 35 Years
Daniel Noble, the Army veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, had fired two shots with an assault weapon before being wrestled to the ground in a 2014 incident. He’d originally faced attempted murder charges.
Flagler Seeks to Raise County’s Tourism Sales Surtax to 5% to Help Pay for Beach Restoration
The 4 percent surtax currently generates $2 million a year. An extra penny would add $500,000, but there are differences over whether all the added revenue should go to beach restoration or whether some should go to marketing the county.
Flagler School Board Finds New Way to Recite The Pledge: With Pixels and iPhone For All
In a retreat at Cattlemen’s Hall on the county fairgrounds today, the Flagler School Board faced a dilemma: there was no flag to which to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. A minor debate ensued, then Superintendent Jacob Oliva found a solution.
In “Retreat,” Flagler School Board Meets to Revamp Its Rules as Tucker Seeks Streamlining
The public is not likely to detect too many changes, other than the obvious reduction in actual meetings, which will be cut in half. But more subtle changes will be apparent.
Sheriff Manfre Talks Up Good of Body Cameras and Bad of Emergency Communications in Adieus
Sheriff Manfre described Flagler’s emergency communications system in dismal terms but spoke highly of other achievements in appearances before local governments.
Palm Coast Man Falsely Arrested Sues Sheriff, Saying Deputies “Did Not Act Reasonably”
Dakota Ward, 19, was arrested in March when he was mistaken for a man called De’Coda Ward, and was booked at the jail. A Sheriff’s internali investigation faulted a deputy’s carelessness for enabling the error.
County Tallies Up Almost $60 Million Cost of Repairing Beaches But Lacks Comprehensive Plan
Flagler County commissioners heard sobering costs of repairing 18 miles of beaches but a “unified” plan local cities, state and federal agencies can agree to is entirely lacking.
Pleading Guilty to Manslaughter Death of Invalid Uncle, Woman Now Faces Up to 15 Years in Prison
Prosecutors say Holly Norris, 38, had neglectfully left her 65-year-old invalid uncle alone for days by the time he was found unconscious on the floor of a bedroom. He died two weeks later. He’d had a stroke.
6 Palm Coast Adults and Teens, 2 Children Injured in SUV Wreck on I-95, South of SR 100
One of the children, who’s roughly 5 years old, was flown to Shands hospital in Jacksonville. A 3-year-old child was transported by ground to Halifax hospital in Daytona Beach.
The Unnecessary Controversy Over “Sanctuary Campuses”
Even if colleges were targeted by the Trump administration, numerous privacy and legal obstacles remain before administrators would be enlisted in identifying students for deportation.
Single-Engine Plane Crashes in Hunter’s Ridge, Pilot Survives With Severe Injuries
A single-engine plane crashed in Hunter’s Ridge, at the south end of Flagler County, at 4 p.m. today. The pilot survived with serious injuries, authorities are reporting.
Sheriff Manfre: Against Tribalism
In a call against the fracturing of society into self-interested groups, Sheriff Jim Manfre argues for the importance of resisting the worst of the tribal instincts roused by the last election.
Gail Wadsworth Holds Court A Final Time as Flagler’s Political World Pays Tribute to Legacy
Almost a dozen judges, innumerable elected officials, most of the courthouse staff and many others gathered today to bid farewell to Clerk of Court Gail Wadsworth, who retires after four terms and lifetimes of local politics.
Flagler Beach and Bunnell Will Have Contested City Elections in March as 2 Challengers Qualify
Flagler Beach incumbents Marshal Shupe and Kim Carney have drawn Paul Eik as an opponent. In Bunnell, John Sowell, a former pilot for Flagler County Fire Flight, will challenge incumbents Bonita Robinson and John Rogers.
In Tilt to Right Gov. Scott Appoints Appeal Court Judge C. Alan Lawson to Supreme Court
Lawson’s appointment to the Supreme Court reduces the influence of the liberal-leaning court majority, which has been made up of Perry, Chief Justice Jorge Labarga and justices Barbara Pariente, R. Fred Lewis and Peggy Quince.
Hurricanes Matthew and Hermine Damages Reach $1.59 Billion, A1A a Big Bite
By comparison the University of Florida’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research has placed damages from the 2004 hurricane season, in which four hurricanes hit the state, at $45 billion.
Flagler Unemployment Rate Ticks Up for 4th Month in a Row, to 5.7%, Florida’s Up to 4.9%
The streak in increasing unemployment is echoed by an equally suggestive streak: five straight declines in the number of house sales closing in Flagler County, going back to May’s post-recession peak of 259 sales.
New A1A Options Include Moving It to Central and Daytona Avenues, and 5.2-Mile Sea Wall
Six options for the future A1A in Flagler Beach were unveiled by the stat Transportation Department Thursday, three of them including a huge (but buried) sea wall, and three shifting traffic to Central and Daytona Avenues.
Florida Chamber of Commerce and Business Groups File Suit Against Plan to Raise Minimum Wage
The chamber of commerce joined a retail and a restaurant association to fight a groundbreaking living wage plan adopted in Miami Beach, which could serve as a model for other local governments.
Flagler Beach’s Closed-Door Session Ends With Agreement to Negotiate Settlement With Sklar and Marina
Spurred by a court order largely siding with Howard Sklar’s Marina, scuttled in disputes and litigation for years, the Flagler Beach City Commission voted 5-0 following a closed meeting to negotiate a final settlement and bypass appeals.
Salvo Art Is Evicted in Dispute With Nature Scapes, Rendering Vanguard Gallery’s Artists Homeless
JJ Graham’s Salvo Art Project, the vibrant gallery and artist colony, had a 10-year lease with Nature Scapes, but a long dispute with the nursery’s owners culminated in an eviction and mediated settlement today that closes Salvo’s doors on Jan. 7.
Palm Coast Council Talks As If It Wants To Be Pioneer in Medical Pot, But Post-Moratorium
In a radical departure from its previous incarnations, the Palm Coast City Council discussed medical marijuana in terms of economic development potential for the city as well as in line with its purported humane benefits.
Unlikely Alliance of Clergy and Pro-Choice Advocates Sue to Block Florida’s Abortion Law
Plaintiffs including rabbis, ministers and non-profits contend they don’t have medical training and aren’t qualified to offer information not spelled out in the abortion law.
Company Would Get $90,000 in County Subsidies to Build New Palm Coast Plant in Novel Incentive Approach
Manufacturer Gioia Sales employs 42 on Palm Coast’s Hargrove Grade and would build a larger facility on Commerce Boulevard, with 10 years of subsidies from Flagler County.
Ex-Commissioner Barbara Revels Faces $4,500 Fine in Ethics Violations Over Transparency
Barbara revels, the former Flagler County commissioner, agreed to settle the ethics case against her, admitting to numerous errors in three years of required financial disclosure forms.
Seizing on Orlando Murder Case, Justice Breyer Asks Court to “Reconsider Constitutionality of Death Penalty”
Justice Stephen Breyer characterized the death penalty as cruel and unusual in light of the case of Henry Sireci, 68, who’s been on Florida’s Death Row for 40 years and has yet again been cleared for execution.
In Flagler Beach Again, Sen. Nelson Conveys Feds’ Message on Beach Fix: No Seawalls
Sen. Bill Nelson was back in Flagler Beach to tout the passage of a water bill that includes authorization for $15.6 million in federal beach renourishment dollars for Flagler County. But it’s conditional on the state not building sea walls.
At Home Depot, a Road Rage Incident Goes From Parking Row to Pellet Gunshot
Trevor Mullennix, 37, of Lee Drive in Palm Coast, pulled out a pellet gun and fired a shot at another driver after his vehicle allegedly cut-off another in the Home Depot parking lot, and was charged with felony assault.
Enrollment in Florida’s 28 State Colleges Plummets 13.5% as Economy Rebounds
The actual head count of state college students is about 780,000 this year, down from a peak of nearly 900,000 in 2010. More than 60 percent attend part-time.
How Trump’s Health Secretary Will Alter Policy from Obamacare to Abortion to Birth Control
Tom Price, a Georgia physician who opposes the Affordable Care Act, abortion and funding for Planned Parenthood, among other things, could have a rapid impact without even a presidential order or an act of Congress.
Cops Aren’t Under Siege.
Civilians and Liberties Are.
It’s a widely accepted but dangerous myth: that cops are under siege, handcuffed by “new restrictions.” The reality is the opposite, with more unbridled and brutal policing than we care to admit.
Muslims In Palm Coast and Bunnell Still Feel Welcome Even as Political Rhetoric Snarls
Only a handful of Muslim immigrants live in Palm Coast and Bunnell. They speak of their many years locally fondly, remembering only rare instances of discrimination in the past and a current atmosphere of neighborliness and acceptance.
At Palm Coast’s City Rep Theatre, The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Trump Era
The Jane Wagner play made famous by Lily Tomlin comes to Palm Coast’s City Repertory Theatre with a gaggle of prophetic wit and satire about the dawning Donald Trump era.
