The demolition of the stately house at 401 East Moody Blvd. in Bunnell Monday shocked many, but time had run out after more than two years of warnings by the owner that he wanted the property cleared.
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Push for Policing Reforms Expected in 2016 Legislative Sessions, But Not in Florida
Passing more laws in 2016 will depend on politics — and the level of public outcry — in each state. The federal government has no jurisdiction over local policing, leaving state lawmakers are ultimately responsible for reforms.
For Millennials, Government Is a Gap of Generations and Representation
Millennials, those born after 1980 who entered adulthood at the turn of the century, hold just 5 percent of state legislative seats, while comprising 31 percent of the U.S. voting-age population.
The Real Enemy: Saudi Arabia’s Wahhabism, Mother to al-Qaeda, ISIS and the Taliban
If you want to know who inspired the Taliban, al-Qaeda and ISIS, look further than America’s “friend” and ally, Saudi Arabia, which has been financing the spread of Wahhabism’s lethal adulteration of Islam for years.
Florida’s Year of the Bizarre, The Messy and the Ungoverned
In Florida politics, the year was educational, entertaining and bizarre. It was a year unlike any other in recent memory — and many in Tallahassee hope it stays unlike any other for quite some time.
At Five Star Pizza, A Confrontation With A Dissatisfied Customer Ends With a Gun
When Palm Coast resident Tammie Bouie wouldn’t leave Five Star Pizza, owner-manager Denis Gotlib pulled out a Glock, telling deputies he had a right to stand his ground.
Florida Population, Growing Faster Than California, Tops 20 Million
The Sunshine State, adding more than 1,000 people a day, is nearly up a half-million people on New York, which it surpassed a year ago to become the third most-populous state.
Mom’s an ER Nurse But Baby Wouldn’t Let Her Get There as Deputies Assist in Home Birth
Brittany Bowser, 25, gave birth to her son Jaxson in their Z-Section Palm Coast home 8 minutes after calling 911, with sheriff’s deputies assisting. Mom and son are fine, and eventually made it to Florida Hospital Flagler.
Miller Clayton, 7, Honored By County, City and State for Life-Saving Bravery in House Fire
Miller Clayton took his little brother to safety out of their burning home on Kentucky Avenue in November. The awards were from the county and city firefighters unions and State CFO Jeff Atwater’s offce.
County Rejects Removing “Dangerous Dog” Designation of Lab That Bit 8 Year Old
The proposed settlement would have avoided a felony charge on the dog owners should the dog bite again. But the child’s mother called the settlement a “joke” and commissioners showed no interest in changing their mind.
Bill Lewis, Ex-Palm Coast Council Member And Arts Advocate, Is Dead at 84
Bill Lewis made his mark Council as an advocate for a well-tended city, and as one of only three black council members to serve in the city’s 15-year history.
Flagler Beach and Manager Newsome Agree To Open-Ended Contract at $88,000 a Year
City commissioners had only minor quibbles, such as the elimination of a $200-a-month car allowance and evaluation matters, before they adopted the contract with the long-time Escambia County government administrator.
Floridians for Solar Choice Ballot Initiative Unlikely to Meet Deadline to Qualify
The proposal, favored by liberals but opposed by the utility industry, would allow businesses to generate up to two megawatts of electricity and sell it to neighboring properties.
Cesar Rojas Is Killed in Hit-and-Run on SR100; Driver and Passenger Have a History
Both men in the vehicle that struck Rojas have a record of driving on suspended licenses. One of them, Christopher Layer, later called in the collision to 911, but only to report that a man had been struck–not that the driver had struck him. He subsequently called again to say he’d turn himself in.
Traffic Stop for Tinted Windows Leads to Arrest Over Assault Weapon and Pot Stash
Steve Romet, 32, was driving on I-95 north when a traffic stop resulted in his arrest on the use of a weapon while committing a felony, a first degree felony.
Artless Censors: The Flagler’s School Board’s Misplaced Allegiance to “Staff”
The Flagler school board shirked its responsibility when it chose to be a cheerleader for a principal instead of offering guidance and oversight after a student’s art work was censored at FPC.
Denied Belle Terre Swim Club, Innovative Soccer Academy Turns to Permanent Palm Coast Roots
The 57 students enrolled at Palm Coast’s Professional Sports Pathways are part of a growing trend of hybrid specialty school-skill training programs that also serve as magnets for families looking for specific educational opportunities.
Supreme Court Removes Brawling Brevard Judge For Creating “National Embarrassment”
Calling Judge John C. Murphy’s behavior “appalling” the court ordered him removed from the bench after his altercation with a public defender last year was caught on videotape and went viral.
Unemployment Stays Flat in Flagler, at 5.9%, and in Florida, at 5.1%, as Workforce Stalls
All numbers dipped a little in Flagler County’s economic graphs in November in what amounts to a tepid unemployment report locally and in Florida. But most numbers are still heading in the right direction.
County Tourism Board Approves Speculative $40,000 Public Subsidy for Private Conference
The $40,000 in county tax dollars will help pay for rooms and food at a writers’ conference at Hammock Beach Resort, in hopes for good press in return. There is little evidence of such returns.
Florida Supreme Court Unanimously Signs Off On Medical Pot Amendment For 2016 Ballot
People United for Medical Marijuana, which is led and heavily financed by Orlando lawyer John Morgan, still needs to submit 683,149 valid petition signatures to the state by a Feb. 1 deadline.
Sgt. Michael van Buren is Named Flagler County Deputy of the Year for 2nd Time
Sgt. van Buren was cited for saving a 4-year-old child from a locked car in July heat and controlling and averting a suicide-by cop with an armed woman in Palm Coast in September.
Christmas With a Deputy Returns for 8th Year as 100-Child Convoy Targets Shopping Spree
Since Sgt. Larry Jones (ret.) thought up the idea at his kitchen table in 2008, the number of poorer children getting to Christmas-shop with $150 with a cop has grown from 14 to 100.
“My Concern Is The Christian Kids”: A Pastor Raises Objections to Yoga in Flagler Schools
A local pastor complained to the school board that yoga and meditation in a wellness program at three Flagler County schools is a violation of the separation of church and state. The pastor largely misunderstands the $30,000 program, a grant through State Farm Insurance.
Next School Year’s Calendar Will Start on Aug. 10 and Restore Full Thanksgiving Week Off
Flagler schools’ 2016-17 calendar will start at its earliest date in recent memory, a full month before Labor Day, and end the day before Memorial Day.
Little League Discovers Palm Coast Rules: Money-Making Tournaments Come First
Palm Coast Little League organizers say the way the city is booting them off Indian Trails Sports Complex fields for a for-profit tournament is a violation of a contractual agreement that defines how the city may go about doing so. City Manager Jim Landon disagrees.
Flagler’s Sensitive Land Acquisition Panel Cool to 116-Acre Pitch Along Lake Disston
John A. Kern is proposing to sell the 116 acres along Lake Disston for $2.8 million (14 times the assessed value), but without an additional 20 acres the the Flagler county committee wants in the deal if it’s to keep pursuing the proposal.
Pinellas Sheriff’s Caution on Open-Carry Bill Triggers Duel of Furious Accusations
Sheriff Bob Gualtieri says a Sarasota Herald-Tribune blogger “absolutely mischaracterizes” his concerns about open-carry, as the blogger and Florida Carry, the pro-gun lobby group, claim the sheriff would threaten to shoot concealed carriers.
From Brownfield to Community Vegetable Garden, a Coalition Seeds Fresher Health
A $34,000 brownfields grant and the collaboration of numerous schools, agencies and businesses transformed an old propane farm in South Bunnell into a community vegetable garden that will help feed hundreds.
4-Year-Old Critical After Being Slammed to The Ground; Palm Coast Man, 22, Arrested
Christopher Craig Williams, of Palm Coast’s E-Section, was angry with the child and allegedly, picked him up above his head by his arms and slammed him to the carpeted concrete floor, causing severe head injuries, bleeding and seizures.
Special Treatment for Firefighters With Cancer? Florida Among Few States That Say No
Florida lawmakers have introduced bills that would make Florida the 34th state to offer special protection to firefighters, but the measure faces obstacles in large part because of local governments’ opposition.
Look Closer: Student Art Upstages Grown-Ups in Pair of Flagler County Art League Shows
Startling juxtapositions abound in “Look Close” and the “High School Student Art Exhibit,” two shows that open Saturday December 12 at the Flagler County Art League in Palm Coast.
Sheriff Dispels Rumors of ISIS Targeting Palm Coast as FDLE Re-Launches See-Say Campaign
The “If you See Something, Say Something” campaign–prompted by renewed but discredited rumors of Palm Coast being in ISIS’ crosshairs–is not, however, license for harassment, bias or vigilantism.
“I’m Against It,” Sheriff Manfre Says of Open-Carry as Bill Picks Up Momentum
Opponents of open-carry, including a number of Florida sheriffs, Flagler County’s Jim Manfre among them, warn that people who openly display guns could get hurt as a result, either by criminals or law enforcement.
No War On Women? I Disagree
The debate reflects an ancient, unyielding, and ultimately impossible desire on the part of men to control a power that our creator entrusted to women: propagating the species, writes Julie Delegal.
Santa Claus Meets His Match: “A Mark Twain Christmas” at City Repertory Theatre
Like the other one-man Twain shows Robert Gill has created, “A Mark Twain Christmas” is composed of about 75 percent of the author’s monologues and writings recited verbatim, and about 25 percent is Gill‘s creation.
To Elude Cops, Woman Jumps Into Intracoastal With Crack, Pills and $2,000 Cash in Tow
Nichole Headley, 25, a Palm Coast probationer, swam across the Intracoastal to evade cops but was caught after an alleged burglary, and was found with the cash and drugs on her.
It’s Finally Safe to Drink the Water in Bunnell as City Marks Opening of $4.8 Million Plant
Bunnell city government on Wednesday commemorated the opening of a water plant that ends a difficult and expensive journey for the city, from deficits and dirty water to clean water.
Municipal Elections for 3 Flagler Cities To Be Held on Presidential Primary Day, March 15
The municipal elections for Bunnell, Flagler Beach and Beverly Beach will be held in conjunction with the county-wide Presidential Preference Primary election scheduled for March 15 to save money and encourage more turnout.
Public School Testing Could Move Away From Statewide Exams as Lawmakers Study Fix
Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, is working on legislation that would allow schools to use tests other than the statewide standardized exams, which are used in some graduation and promotion decisions, teacher evaluations and school grades.
Six People Hospitalized, Including 6-Year-Old Girl, After 3-Car Wreck on SR100 and Colbert
Seven people were injured, among them a 6-year-old girl, and six of them taken to Florida Hospital Flagler following a three-car wreck at the intersection of State Road 100 and Colbert Lane in Flagler Beach just before 7 p.m. this evening.
Belle Terre Swim Club Gets a $25,000 Annual County Lifeline and Nears Membership Goal
County government’s annual contribution will make it more difficult for the school board to close the troubled Swim and Racquet Club, as will an advisory group’s campaign that has netted some 250 new memberships, or just 150 short of the goal the board set for January.
Shooting Beer Cans or Threatening Neighbors at Second Chance Rescue? A Man Is Arrested
David R. Gilmore was arrested on aggravated assault charges after Second Chance Rescue’s Debbie Root accused him of pointing his shotgun at a 16-year-old girl on her property.
Sheriff’s Lost Computer Files Are Recovered, But County Faces a $1.1 Million IT Fix
Some $600,000 was budgeted ahead of the October crash. But $500,000 was not. The county commission will have to find that money. And that’s just for this year as the county and sheriff catch up on neglected information infrastructure.
One Arrested, Another Surrenders in Mondex Shooting Involving Assault Weapons
Dakotah W. Clarke, 19, was arrested, Spencer Sarmento, 23, who reportedly fired 10 to 15 rounds at a Mitsubishi, is still being sought. Both face aggravated assault charges, and possibly additional charges. Both have previous jail records.
“We Might Be One Terrorist Act Away From a Trump Presidency”
A spectacular murder spree by Islamists could spook Americans enough to vote for the greatest fear-monger. Anything is possible, but Ian Buruma doesn’t believe American voters would be that stupid.
County’s Coffey Calls Some of Palm Coast’s EMS Claims “Garbage” In Broad Rebuke
Responding to Palm Coast’s claim two weeks ago that EMS service can be more efficient and responsive, County Administrator Craig Coffey today rejected the city’s analysis, saying it would end up costing taxpayers a lot more.
County Approves $25,000 Public Subsidy for Spartan Race on Private Land Next Year
The county commission with little discussion unanimously approved the taxpayer subsidy for the once-controversial race, which will take place at the Cracker Ranch in November 2016.
Judge Tosses Part of Amendment 1 Challenge, But Environmentalists Claim Success
A Leon County judge Thursday removed a major part of a lawsuit that contests how lawmakers decided to spend money that voters approved last year for land buying and preservation. However, an attorney for four environmental groups challenging the state’s spending called the ruling a victory. “We’re in this case,” said David Guest, managing attorney […]
In Light of Paris and San Bernandino, Smaller Cities Re-Evaluate Their Soft-Target Potential
People who don’t live in big cities typically viewed as likely terrorist targets may not think about terrorism affecting their communities or about devoting the resources to countering the possibility they could be hit. But they ought to.