A woman who’d been taking refuge at the Family Life Center in Bunnell was jailed after an alleged assault on an advocate and a pregnant woman there. Separately, two women were jailed following a fight in which one of them fabricated claims that she’d been stabbed.
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As Large Businesses Look to Dump Employees on Obamacare, Smaller Firms Snub Subsidies
Few employers are embracing a temporary Obamacare subsidy for small businesses while large businesses are hiring brokers to help them shift employees to government-subsidized plans, which the Obama administration says is illegal.
Florida’s Pot Legalization Forces Open 2-Front Offensive: Legislature and 2016 Ballot
After falling just 2 points short of victory in November, medical-marijuana advocates will take their battle to the Florida Legislature, and failing that, will place the initiative on the ballot again in 2016.
Bowing to Utilities, Florida Regulators Cut Energy-Efficiency Goals and Sunset Solar Incentives
A solar rebate program will expire at the end of 2015 and the Public Service Commission accepted a controversial staff recommendation that will lessen overall energy-efficiency goals for power companies.
In Palm Coast, Ferguson Unrest Echoes With Muted Anger and Calls For Responsibility
Speakers at a quickly organized “call to action” by the Flagler NAACP Tuesday evening said the killing in Ferguson was no exception, but that change begins from within communities and with more accountability on all sides.
Southwest Palm Coast Tops Rainfall Totals With 5”, But No Flooding Issues This Time
Palm Coast and Flagler County weathered the latest front of very heavy rain well from Tuesday to Wednesday as up to 5 inches of rain fell in parts of the city and the county, but with no reported flooding or water damage.
Student Ronny Ahmed, Paralyzed From Waist Down in FSU Shooting, Is Determined to Graduate
The student who was critically injured in Thursday’s shooting at Florida State University is paralyzed from the waist down, but still determined to realize his dream of becoming a biomedical engineer, his sister told reporters.
Sheriff Jim Manfre Faces $1,500 Fine in Ethics Violation as Report Details Travel, Gift and Spending Lapses
The Florida Commission on Ethics found probable cause that Sheriff Jim Manfre violated ethics laws on three counts, but in an agreement, Manfre conceded to one violation and got two other charges dismissed.
Palm Coast Suspends Part of Red-Light Camera Enforcement, But $158 Fines Still Being Issued
While still issuing $158 fines for red-light violations, Palm Coast is for now no longer pursuing drivers who refuse to pay, so those drivers will not get the steeper $264 traffic citation. But those citations may be issued pending the outcome of a court case.
Florida Republican and Democratic Legislators Renew Attempt to Protect Against Gay Bias
The bill would add protections for more than 536,000 gays, lesbian and transgender adults living in Florida by expanding the law that forbids discrimination based on religion, race, color, ethnicity, age, gender, handicap or marital status.
After “Doubling Down on Stupid,” Lakeland Is Forced to Pay $160,000 in Public Record Settlement
A Lakeland resident filed the lawsuit against the city’s Police Department because the department insisted on illegally charging a flat $23.50 fee for routine requests instead of charging per page or for time worked.
Let the Hunting Begin:
Florida Lifts Ban on Silencers
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on Friday agreed, with little comment, to issue an order that immediately removes a prohibition on the use of noise-suppressors, or silencers, with rifles and pistols.
Feed Flagler’s 364-Day Blinders: Why Isn’t a Portion of Old Courthouse Considered as Homeless Shelter?
It must be Thanksgiving because as with the first Thanksgiving, the pilgrims seem more interested in clobbering the poor than feeding them.
For Shane Kitchens, Left in 30-Day Coma After Collision on A1A, a Painful Roll Back
Shane Kitchens, the 37-year-old Flagler Beach business owner, was crossing A1A in August when a motorcycle struck him as if he wasn’t there. This is the story of his recovery since.
1-Year-Old Child of Bankrupt Company Buys News-Journal and Halifax Media for $280 Million
New York-based New Media Investment Group bought the Daytona Beach News Journal and Halifax Media’s three dozen newspapers for $280 million in cash today. New Media is a publicly traded company that owns 402 small to mid-size community publications.
Election Supervisor Kimberle Weeks Caps Final Canvassing Session With Hit List Frown Song
Kimberle Weeks once again indicted a slew of local officials on evidence largely fictional while portraying herself as voters’ last great hope as she responded to the county’s latest request for an state intervention.
Howard Holley Will Run for Flagler’s House Seat Against Paul Renner, Sullivan, O’Brien Teetering Out
The special election to fill Travis Hutson’s Florida House seat in District 24, made up mostly of Flagler County, is turning into a combination of musical chairs band feeding frenzy.
Said to Have Been Framed For Tampa Murder, Deaf Convict Felix Garcia Is Denied Release
Felix Garcia’s supporters had hoped he would be released with time served, arguing that he’d been unable to understand the evidence against him during the murder trial and wasn’t given an interpreter.
Even As Lawsuit Gets in the Way, Sheriff and Union Agree that “Substantial” Raises Are Due
Sheriff’s deputies and other employees have been without a serious raise in five years and the sheriff and union are at a negotiating impasse, but both sides are attempting to reach agreement on a small prize: a 1 percent raise the county commission pledged employees this year.
Growing Concern at Supervisor of Elections Offices Across Florida: Aging Equipment
Secretary of State Ken Detzner said he will meet next month with local supervisors of election in Orlando to determine which counties are most in need of new equipment before the 2016 elections. Flagler is likely to be among those.
A Man Is Killed in Wreck at US1 and SR100 Following Traffic Stop by Police
A man who was apparently evading police was killed after striking three vehicles at the intersection of State Road 100 and U.S. 1 in Bunnell this afternoon.
Divided and Diminished, Florida Democrats Choose West Palm’s Pafford to Lead in House
After Democrats lost six seats in elections earlier this month, some members pushed instead for Rep. Dwayne Taylor, D-Daytona Beach. Taylor pulled out of the race earlier Monday, saying he couldn’t work with the leadership of the state party.
Some Skepticism Aside, County Broadens Old Courthouse Panel’s Mission: Find Tenants
The county commission Monday evening voted 4-1 to give the courthouse committee until the end of March to find tenants who can pay their way and end the county’s $6,000-a-month subsidy of the building.
Ex-Felon Re-Arrested for Domestic Assault After Chasing After a Woman in Front of a Cop
Brian Spencer, a 36-year-old ex-felon released less than two years ago from state prison after serving sentence for domestic battery by strangulation, was arrested again as he chased a woman on a Palm Coast street in the middle of the night–in front of a cop.
Tornado Watch Cancelled for Flagler-Palm Coast, Schools Cancel Outdoor Activities, Games and Practices
A broad band of severe weather is bearing down on Flagler County and Palm Coast, where a severe thunderstorm warning has been issued until 3 p.m., and a tornado watch will remain in effect until 6 p.m.
Obamacare 2.0: Open Enrollment Starts With Few Glitches as Floridians Sign Up Over the Weekend
Sharply contrasting with last year’s roll-out, enrollment for the Affordable Care Act, which started Saturday, has gone smoothly, as the federal government expects nearly 10 million insured by the time the window closes in February.
A Mother of 3 Is Shot in the Mondex in Murky Circumstances; Husband Jailed on Child Neglect Charges
The victim, Tiffany Norman, has three young children, none older than 8 or 9. Circumstances of the shooting are murky: her husband or companion, Jonathan Canales, 27, has allegedly told police that Norman shot herself, but that remains unconfirmed.
Don’t Tell Us How You’re Feeling: Facebook and the Mirage of Positive Posting
After a steady onslaught of social media, is it any wonder we sometimes feel numb to the suffering—or joy—of others? Laurie Uttich rethinks the one-sided nature of Facebook declamations.
Judge Throws Out Florida’s Medical Marijuana Rules, Calling Them Vague and “Unbridled”
Administrative Law Judge W. David Watkins sided with Miami-based Costa Farms and others that objected to the Department of Health’s use of a lottery to pick five licensees that will grow, process and distribute strains of non-euphoric marijuana authorized by the Legislature and approved by Gov. Rick Scott earlier this year.
Louis Prinzo, Responsible for Death of Lane Burnsed and Meredith Smith in ’12, Is Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison
Lane Burnsed, 18, and Meredith Smith, 17, were killed on July 26, 2012 in a 3-car wreck on I-95 triggered by Louis Prinzo.
Renovate and Lease Old Courthouse But Don’t Sell or Demolish, Committee Recommends
An advisory committee’s much-awaited findings recommend that county government continue to carry the maintenance costs of the old courthouse until it is able to renovate and rent it to non-profits or office-type concerns.
Preparedness Before Hype: Flagler Emergency Responders Form Team With Ebola in Mind
An “incident management team” was created to respond to any infectious disease emergency in Flagler, with Emergency Management, Florida Hospital Flagler and the the Health Department leading the response, should one ever be necessary.
Demolition Set for Old Palm Harbor Center, As Is Competitive Rebirth of Island Walk
A huge segment of the old Palm Harbor Shopping Center is about to go under the wrecking ball as part of the $41 million redevelopment of the site, which will take over a year, though Publix will remain open there throughout, and move into a much larger store by the end of 2015.
Despite Big Election Losses, LGBT Floridians Hope for Progress on Ending Workplace Discrimination
The Florida Competitive Workforce Act would ban discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation. It was sponsored by one of only two openly gal legislators, who lost. It will now be sponsored by a Republican lawmaker, Rep. Holly Raschein of Key Largo.
Road Rage Bleeds Into Racial Confrontation On Belle Terre Parkway, and 3 Arrests
Samantha Smith, 25, Zachary Parsley, 22, and Tyler Parsley, 23, face assault charges after confronting four young black men, allegedly fighting and threatening to kill them and repeatedly calling them niggers.
Palm Coast Data Wins Back Saturday Evening Post Account But Loses All American Crafts
Winning back the Saturday Evening Post account’s three magazines helps offset yet another loss for Palm Coast Data as All American Crafts, which published 11 niche magazines, stopped all publishing in August and declared bankruptcy, with $7.5 million in debts.
Dave Sullivan Won’t Give Way to Trevor Tucker in Race for House as Hankerson Joins It; Democrats Are No-Shows
Flagler School Board member Trevor Tucker said he was seriously thinking of running for an open Florida House seat in the Jan. 27 primary, but only if REC Chairman Dave Sullivan chose not to run, as Tucker doesn’t want to split the vote., Sullivan says he’s in it to stay.
Flagler Briefly Pauses On 100th Anniversary Year of the War that Led to Veterans Day
The commemoration of Veterans Day this morning in Bunnell featured a Florida Army National Guard commander who traced the conflict-ridden history of the day since its inception at the end of World War I.
The Only Mandate From This Election: Protect Florida’s Environment
Earmarking 33 percent of the documentary stamp tax for buying critical habitat, wetlands and other environmentally sensitive properties, got 1.4 million more voters than Rick Scott.
First Day on the Job for Thrasher at FSU: Facing Confrontational Students
John Thrasher spent the first hour in his new position engaging with a group of about 25 confrontational students that had vocally opposed his recent appointment and now refuse to recognize him as the school’s new president.
Flagler School Board Makes Small Inroad for Some Employees’ Same-Sex Rights, But Other Agencies Dodge the Issue
The Flagler County School Board’s bereavement leave for same-sex couples formally acknowledges such unions, but only for support personnel, while teachers and employees of other government agencies still have no such rights.
For 1 Million Floridians, Health Insurance Again in the Balance as Supreme Court Rethinks Subsidies
Enrollment and subsidies, along with provisions such as the prohibition on excluding people with pre-existing conditions, are now at risk, because once again, the Supreme Court will decide whether the Affordable Care Act lives or dies.
Parents in Mourning Will Install Angel of Hope Statue at Craig Flagler Palms
An Angel of Hope inspired by the famed book by Richard Paul Evans and dedicated to families and friends grieving the loss of a child will go up on land donated by Craig Flagler Palms Funeral Home, Memorial Gardens and Crematory. The funeral home also donated a base for the statue.
P-Section Confrontation: She Drives Her Car Into Him. He Shoots the Car. Both Arrested.
Kurt Benjamin, 27, of 31 Poinsettia Lane, and Twila Woods, 30, of nearby Point Pleasant Lane, were both jailed on aggravated battery with a deadly weapon charges Sunday morning.
Jeb Bush Could Win in 2016, But He’ll Have To Rely on The United States of Amnesia
Jeb Bush left too much fodder for his detractors, argues Stephen Goldstein, to be a viable candidate for very long in 2016–assuming voters can remember the damaging milestones of his governorship.
Backroom Briefing: The Best and Worst of Election 2014
The 2014 campaign had no shortage of drama, gaffes, mistakes and other attention-grabbing moments. It ended Tuesday with confetti for some and losses for others, but here are some of the highlights and lowlights for the always interesting annals of Florida elections.
Elections 2014 R.I.P.
Why Democrats Keep Failing in Florida
For all its fear-based tactics, the Florida GOP focuses on understanding their base voters, and making them feel respected and protected. Democrats in comparison have no clue.
Sheriff Manfre Faces Federal Lawsuit Over Unpaid Wages, Jeopardizing Raise for Troops
Four ex-deputies have sued Sheriff Jim Manfre in federal court over briefings they were forced to attend without being paid, causing the Sheriff to shelve a 1 percent raise previously due the agency’s employees.
UF and FSU Get New Presidents, Flagler Loses Sen. Thrasher, Special Election Next
The Board of Governors unanimously ratified Thrasher’s and Kent Fuchs’s appointments. Thrasher’s resignation is expected to set off a feeding frenzy in a special election for what may turn into a Senate seat and two House seats.
U.S. Unemployment Drops to 5.8% as Economy Adds 214,000 Jobs, Maintaining Average
The nation’s unemployment rate dropped to 5.8 percent in October, a level last seen in July 2008, when the rate was rapidly rising, and the economy added 214,000 jobs, continuing a steady if somewhat slow recovery.