The crack-up is upon us. The locks have popped. The insane asylums have emptied. The loons are casting ballots. And Mitt Romney’s string quartet is arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
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Troubled Florida Department of Corrections Asks for 734 More Positions for Security. Lawmakers Say No.
The department has been reeling from a series of reports about issues such as contraband smuggling and abuse of inmates. The new jobs were part of an effort by the department to have corrections officers work eight-hour shifts instead of 12-hour shifts.
SWAT Team Serves Search Warrant at House of Man at Center of Puppy-Shooting Controversy
Neighbors have accused Miles Smith, 31, whose house was being searched, of shooting a puppy and texting an image of it, dead in his bathtub, to the dog’s former owners. Smith denies he shot the dog.
Flagler’s Athletic Directors Concerned By Proposed Law Facilitating Student-Athletes’ Transfers
The bill, SB 684, which has drawn little attention, would ease the path for student-athletes looking to transfer, which would benefit big schools at the expense of smaller schools.
Florida House Overwhelmingly Approves Use of Full-Strength Pot for Terminally Ill, 99-16
The measure approved Thursday, in part, would likely lead to more licenses for nurseries that would be able to grow, process and distribute the full-strength and non-euphoric types of pot.
U.S. Economy Adds Robust 242,000 Jobs, Leaving Unemployment Rate at 4.9%
After a relatively weaker December, when only 172,000 jobs were created, the job market resumed the late 1990s-like pace it has maintained for most of the past two years.
Ex-Flagler Superintendent Delbrugge’s Son and Daughter Arrested For Stealing Girl Scout’s Cookie Money
Nicholas Delbrugge, 20, and his sister Ashley Winters, both former residents of Flagler County and the son and daughter of former Flagler School Superintendent Bill Delbrugge, were arrested this evening in Deltona and charged with snatching a a girl scout’s cookie money from her hands four days earlier.
District and Palm Coast Will Redesign Some Bus Stops in 1st Step To Counter Crashes Involving Children
Some of the county’s 600 bus stops will be redesigned to include a $1,200 “pad” where students should wait for buses, while an education campaign will target students in elementary and middle schools.
Gov. Scott Sought $1 Billion in Tax Cuts. Senate Cuts It Down to $129 Million.
The new tax-cut package will combine with about $290 million earmarked to hold down local property taxes that would otherwise go into the state’s school-funding formula.
Sheriff’s Office Swears In 8 New Recruits, This Time With More Than Token Minorities
Three of the eight new recruits sworn in Wednesday are black. In late September, 13 young deputies were sworn in, though not all made it, and attrition has continued.
With Curt Emphasis on “NOW,” Palm Coast Mayor Wants Radio Answers from County
For Netts, usually a model of decorum and grace, it was an unusually demanding letter over an issue that has created simemring tensions between the county and city managers for months.
Supreme Court Halts Double Murderer James Asay’s Execution, 2nd Stay in 4 Weeks
Hours after hearing arguments in the case, the Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday indefinitely postponed the execution of Mark James Asay, a convicted double murderer scheduled to die on March 17.
Centra Urgent Care Center Opens on Palm Coast Parkway Under Florida Hospital Imprint
Centra Care on Palm Coast Parkway is the latest urgent care clinic to open in the region as health care providers shift services away from emergency rooms when possible, to control costs. But Centra Care also helps channel patients to the Florida Hospital Flagler system.
A Dog Is Shot Dead in Palm Coast’s W-Section, Triggering Murky Investigation–and Fear
The Flagler County sheriff’s office is investigating the strange case of a three-and-a-half-month-old puppy killed apparently by gunshot sometime late Saturday or early Sunday as accusations fly between two neighboring households in Palm Coast’s W Section.
In Major Shift, Florida Senate Panel Approves Use of “Full-Strength” Pot for Terminally Ill
The bill, in part, would likely lead to more licenses for nurseries that would be able to grow, process and distribute the full-strength and non-euphoric types of pot.
Firearm Flagler: 3 Separate Gun Incidents Land 1 in Hospital With Gunshot Wound and 2 in Jail
A Palm Coast man shot at his wife and son through their front door on Kathleen Trail, a man was taken to Florida Hospital Flagler with a gunshot wound to his leg after a Seminole Woods party, and an ex-boyfriend allegedly threatened to shoot his girlfriend as he held a 9 mm gun during an argument.
FPC Will Launch a Firefighter-EMT Academy, Filling a Recruiting Gap for Fire Departments
The Fire Leadership Academy is designed to appeal to students who may be losing interest in school while giving the county’s and cities’ fire departments a reliable recruiting ground of new firefighter-EMTs.
“Spotlight,” the Oscars’ Best-Picture Upset Winner, Gets Investigative Journalism Right
Unlike many films about reporters, “Spotlight,” about the Catholic Church’s cover-up of sex abuse by priests, accurately depicts the frustrations and joys of breaking a big story, from the drudgery of spreadsheets to the electric thrill of revelatory interviews.
William Lavender, 92, Dies in Wreck as Car Crashes Into McDonald’s on Belle Terre
William Lavender, a 92-year-old resident of Palm Coast’s P-Section, died of a heart attack Sunday afternoon as his car crashed into a McDonald’s, slightly injuring three patrons.
Florida Court Clears Way for 24-Hour Waiting Period Before an Abortion
Florida joins 27 other states with waiting periods. Opponents say the law would impose hardships on women seeking abortions because it would force them to miss work, lose wages and pay for additional child care and travel.
Ex-Flagler Sheriff’s Deputy Patrick Pielarz Was Fired for “Arrogance” Before Arrest on Strangulation Charge
Ex-deputy Patrick Pielarz had faced complaints from the public and counseling before he was fired for “arrogance” during his probation period. He was arrested after a violent confrontation with his girlfriend.
Flagler’s Aveo Pandering: The Artful Way To Do a Groundbreaking, and the Bogus Way
It was rank manipulation when Aveo Engineering, county government and Rick Scott pretended to break ground on a factory at the Flagler County airport three years ago. It was never built.
Driver’s Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants: Flagler Sheriff Says Yes, But Local Opinion Is Divided
A dozen states have legalized issuing driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants, primarily as a safety measure, but Flagler officials reflect state opinion that has prevented such legalization from taking place in the Sunshine State.
With 3 Weeks to Go Before Florida Primary, Trump Is Thumping Rubio By 16 Points, on Rubio’s Turf
The New York real-estate mogul holds a commanding 44-28 percent lead over Rubio among likely GOP primary voters, the Quinnipiac University poll found. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas came in third with 12 percent.
Chamber Crystal: How Pot, Trump, and Independents Will Affect Elections in Flagler and Florida
Marian Johnson of the Florida Chamber of Commerce gave a Flagler County group of candidates and business interests an overview of the election season ahead Thursday at the Hilton Garden Inn.
Palm Coast Concedes: Keeping Golf Course At Taxpayers’ Expense No Longer Tenable
The Palm Coast City Council wants to explore leasing out the Palm Harbor Golf Club and the city tennis center, or possibly managing both itself, rather than keep pouring taxpayer subsidies into operations that have lost money for eight years.
Put Away Your Glocks, Backyardigans:
Gov. Scott Signs Bill Banning Urban Gun Play
Scott’s signature Wednesday comes nearly five years after the governor signed into law a measure that voided all local firearms restrictions.
Too Many Questions Beg The Answer: End the Death Penalty in Florida
Rick Scott shouldn’t plan on signing any more death warrants soon, if ever, argues Martin Dyckman, even as the Florida House “cured” what the U.S. Supreme Court specifically found wrong with Florida’s death penalty.
For 2nd Time in 4 Days, Deputies Disarm Assailant at Gunpoint, This Time a 15 Year Old
A 15-year-old boy rushed a sheriff’s deputy with a knife in an R-Section confrontation Tuesday, before he dropped the knife at gunpoint. The incident had followed a confrontation between the boy and his grandparents.
As Palm Coast Surveys Residents Yet Again, For $13,000, Council Members Question the Point
Several council members criticized the latest survey of Palm Coast residents–its small sample size, its limited uses, and whether it should be an annual exercise anymore.
But Can He Win?
Helping to rally Florida Republican leaders behind Rubio is the fear that real-estate tycoon Donald Trump could win the nomination. But it’s a long way to the 1,236 delegates needed for nomination.
Citing Home Rule, Bunnell Opposes State Move Forcing Cities to Alter Election Schedules
Voter turnout in Bunnell city elections has been notoriously low. A state proposal aims to change that by forcing cities like Bunnell to adopt different election schedules. The Bunnell City Commission is opposed.
Court Ruling Favoring Counties in Juvenile Detention Costs Could Send Flagler $300,000
An appeals court ruling could mean the state owes more than $100 million to counties in a long-running dispute about who pays to detain juvenile offenders.
Flagler Voter Registrations Surge to 90%, Aiding GOP as Democrats Fall to Historic Low
Flagler County’s voter registration rolls have surged by 21 percent since 2009, resulting in a 90 percent registration rate, with Republicans riding a 4,500-voter advantage over Democrats.
Upset By Cheesy Garlic Knots and “Disrespect,” Quartet Trashes Palm Coast Pizza
Four Palm Coast residents are accused of trashing Palm Coast Pizza after one of them was upset by cheese on her garlic knots, and the way she was refunded the money.
Master of Obstruction: Why McConnell Is Picking a Fight Over Scalia’s Replacement
It is less about blocking liberal policy goals than about boosting Republican chances. Remarkably, McConnell has chosen a path that would seem to reduce his party’s odds in November.
Buy This Art: Ocean Art Gallery’s Laws of Shopper Attraction, at the Point of a Spear
Frank Gromling, owner of Flagler Beach’s Ocean Art Gallery, is all about marketing and selling art. He’s not interested in museum-like browsers, let alone displaying art for art’s sake.
Promising 300 Jobs 3 Years Ago, Aveo Engineering Bails on Airport Lease But Pledges to Remain in Flagler
Aveo Engineering, the much-touted LED parts manufacturer had promised 300 jobs by 2016 at the Flagler County Airport. Neither jobs nor facility have materialized, though the company is still pledging to grow in Flagler, but not at the airport.
Florida Still Outlier as Death-Penalty Fix Falls Short of Requiring Unanimous Jury Verdicts
The measure would require at least 10 jurors to recommend the death penalty for the sentence to be imposed and would empower juries to decide whether defendants should die or be imprisoned for life without the chance for parole.
At FPC, Community Problem Solvers Re-Imagine Library as Fluid “Learning Commons”
When every student has a media center in the palm of the hand, it’s time to change the name and purpose of a school library. That’s what FPC’s Community Problem Solvers set out to do, and achieved.
Palm Coast Signals Going Its Own Way In Growing Rift With County Over Radio System
City Manager Jim Landon is pressuring the county to replace its emergency radio infrastructure–on which the city and sheriff depend– well before 2020. The county is resisting, citing costs.
Citing Overreach, Senate Kills Public Record Exemption for Hunters’ Personal Information
Barbara Petersen, president of the First Amendment Foundation, welcomed the defeat of the bill, which she labeled “the Ted Nugent Act” because of publicity surrounding a bear hunt last year.
Drone, Pellet Gun and Protected Bird Mix Into Novel Confrontation in Palm Coast’s C-Section
A man threatened to shoot down his neighbor’s drone on Palm Coast’s Collingwood Lane after claiming he was using the drone to harass purple martins, the federally protected birds.
Florida Senators Reject Weakening State’s Regulatory Power in Health Care Expansions
The Senate on Wednesday listened to hospitals, nursing homes and hospice providers and killed a bill that would have weakened the “certificate of need” process that gives the state power to review and approval new health-care facilities.
Call The Question! School Board Moves to Demolish Old ITT Building in “Awkward” Vote
The school board will spend $163,000 to demolish the iconic hulk on Palm Coast Parkway, but the 5-0 vote was marred and rushed by an improper maneuver by board member Sue Dickinson.
To School Officials’ Surprise, NAACP Accuses District of ‘Obstruction’ and More Arbitrary Discipline
The Flagler branch of the NAACP is accusing the school district of “willful” obstruction in disciplinary cases involving black students, and of ignoring behavior problems at Buddy Taylor Middle School.
Florida Senate’s Latest Bow to Guns: Allowing Them in Airport Terminals
The measure would allow people to continue carrying sidearms in the areas of airports up to where passengers go through the security-screening process.
Sheriff Manfre Ethics Case: In Eviscerating Language, Judge Recommends $6,200 Fine, Public Reprimand and Censure
An administrative law judge suggests the sheriff lied under oath as part of his defense in a case that has clouded his term since 2014 and that continues to damage his image in a re-election campaign featuring a slew of opponents.
Against Mayor’s Opposition, Palm Coast Council Discovers Public Input at Workshops
For the first time in 17 years the Palm Coast City Council will join other local governments in allowing public participation at council workshops, where most of the decisions are made, not just at “regular” meetings.
At Florida Hospital Flagler, an Additional 32 Beds as Facility Grows Beyond Rural Stage
The $15-million, 32-bed addition tips Florida Hospital Flagler past the 99-bed threshold, reducing its Medicare dollars by up to $12 million, but hospital officials see the expansion as meeting local needs.