FlaglerLive ended October with close to 550,000 readers for the month, a new record and further indication that as print struggles to maintain its mass-market appeal, the media landscape is changing too rapidly to accommodate old models.
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500,000!
As Florida Bans Use of Biometric IDs in Schools, Other States Scale Back on Big Brother
Laws cracking down on student-tracking technology reflect a growing sense of unease among parents over how biometrics are being used, what student data is being collected and stored and what security protects the information.
Crist and Scott Aren’t Both Awful: Scott Wins That Contest By a Mile
Tired of what he calls false moral equivalencies, Adam Weinstein argues that pundits and cynics are wrong to flaunt the conventional wisdom about this governor’s race, and that Scott has been flat-out god-awful for Florida.
Daytona Speedway Seeking $3 Million A Year in Tax Gifts, Jaguars Close Behind
The Jacksonville Jaguars are following closely behind the Daytona Speedway in requests of up to $90 million in sales tax dollars over 30 years, tax revenue that would be subtracted from public needs.
Vaulting from Hollingsworth to Salvo Art: JJ Graham Opens Gallery of Revelations in Bunnell
With the opening of the Salvo Art Project gallery Saturday evening on the grounds of Nature Scapes in Bunnell–the reincarnation of Hollingsworth Gallery in Palm Coast–JJ Graham is creating an artists’ colony devoted to expressionist art in a space at once immense and intimate.
Sheriff’s Office, In Echo of 2001 Violation, Keeps Secret the Hospitalization of Murder Suspect at FHF
For two days, a murder suspect was under arrest in Flagler County but not at the jail. The Sheriff’s Office would not disclose his whereabouts–a dungeon-like disappearance that no law allows or protects.
Cyclist Seriously Hurt on Belle Terre, Then 3 Cars Crash in Opposite Direction at Ponce de Leon
Belle Terre Parkway from Rymfire Drive north was shut down after 5:45 this morning after a car struck a cyclist about 75 yards north of the intersection with Ponce de Leon Drive. An unrelated three-car wreck then took place across the road.
Supreme Court Removes Leon County Judge For Running Religious Business Out of Her Chambers
Leon County Judge Judith Hawkins was running a business called Gaza Road Ministries, used a judicial assistant and sold her own books to attorneys who appeared before her.
Miscounts Stretch Marathon Canvassing Board Meeting to 16 Hours, Ending After Midnight
Aside from Supervisor Kimberle Weeks hiring a stenographer without the Canvassing Board’s authorization, the meeting Thursday was dominated by attempts to reconcile a four-ballot difference.
“Epic Moment in Palm Coast’s History” as New City Hall Breaks Ground at Town Center
Mayor Jon Netts celebrated the occasion in words that richly threaded Palm Coast’s nomadic years to Wednesday’s moment, turning symbolism into masonry as he spoke of the building representing unity, diversity and energy.
Charlie Crist Takes 3-Point Lead in Latest Quinnipiac Poll, With Boost from Independents
The numbers suggest that independents, who decide most close elections in Florida, are migrating to Crist and may have been alienated by Scott’s negative ad blitz.
I Had a Stroke at 29
Two weeks after her then-fiancé proposed to her, Kari Cobham had a stroke. The former News-Journal reporter and current executive producer of social media for Orlando’s WFTV writes of her experience for the first time, on World Stroke Day.
Flagler Detention Deputy of the Year Twice Reprimanded for Sexual Improprieties With Inmates in Last 2 Years
Deputy Randy Stephen Vickers was disciplined in May for having a relationship with a repeat offender and inmate and two years ago for asking an inmate, jokingly, if she’d like to be sexually assaulted.
From Heroes to Suspects and Back Again: All Charges Dropped For European Village Saviors
The three young Palm Coast residents who stopped an Uzi-yielding assailant at European Village in March spent the next six months fighting bogus charges that they’d provoked a fight at Finn’s bar in Flagler Beach. All charges have been dropped.
Palm Coast Broods as Ruling Declares Key Step in Red-Light Camera Ticketing Illegal
You may be better off not paying your red-light camera ticket in light of a court decision declaring issuance of those tickets illegal. Palm Coast is studying the ruling as its cameras continue to flash.
As Bunnell Cancels Christmas and Potato Festival, Private Group Aims to Save Both
Bunnell cancelled all special events to close a $1 million deficit, and the Flagler Chamber is unable to run the annual Potato Festival, but Mari Molina of Flagler Cats says she is organizing a group of private concerns and volunteers to take over the festival and re-name it the Bunnell Agricultural Festival.
Jared Parkey, Flagler Firefighter Shot in Road Rage Incident, Sentenced to 2 Years’ Probation
Jared Parkey was twice shot on U.S. 1 by ex-Flagler Beach cop Nathaniel Juratovac last year. Juratovac is serving a 4-year prison sentence. Parkey had faced a felony charge and prison time before his plea.
Ex-Felon Accused of Bludgeoning Wife to Death in St. Pete Arrested in Palm Coast
A blue Chevy Cavalier that police agencies across the state had been placed on alert for was found in the parking lot of the bowling alley on Old Kings Road in Palm Coast before dawn. The car owner had fled following a murder in St. Petersburg this morning.
Florida Tries Again to End Decade-Old Lawsuit Calling State’s Children’s Health Care Inadequate
The state Agency for Health Care Administration is making a renewed attempt to scuttle a nearly decade-old lawsuit alleging the state’s Medicaid program has not provided adequate care for low-income children.
“I Know I Should Have Died on US 1”: Jack Howell Survives Another Bike Crash
Teens-in-Flight chief Jack Howell, the retired Marine Colonel, was riding at 60 mph in the annual Frank Celico fund-raising ride Saturday when a tire on his motorcycle blew, sending him scraping against the highway.
Please Don’t Take a Seat: Flagler Schools Start Adapting to Stand-Up Desks in Fitness Push
A new trend is emerging at Flagler schools. It’s now all about “active learning,” a teaching style aimed at promoting better health and academic performance. At Belle Terre Elementary, that means adjustable standing desks.
Ebola Isn’t a Problem in the U.S.
Hysteria and Xenophobia Are.
There is not going to be an Ebola epidemic in the United States. There isn’t one now. But there is a an epidemic of hysteria and cowardice that’s costing more lives in Africa, and that could threaten the West if segregationists have their way.
As 32 States Now Recognize Gay Marriage, Pam Bondi Files Latest Delaying Tactic
Same-sex couples should continue to be prevented from getting married in Florida until a legal battle plays out about the constitutionality of the state’s gay-marriage ban, Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a federal-court filing.
24-Year-Old Woman Shot in Road Rage Incident on I-95, Suspects in Mercedes Flee
The incident took place at 3:17 p.m. near mile marker 290, about a mile north of the intersection with Palm Coast Parkway, in the southbound lanes. The woman’s injury are not life-threatening.
Guilty of 2nd-Degree Murder in Killing of 72-Year-Old Landlord, Erick Niemi Faces Up to Life in Prison
Erick Niemi, 43, of Palm Coast, killed Leonard Lynn, his 72-year-old landlord in the R-Section, by savagely beating and strangling him in May 2013, because Niemi felt he was being mistreated.
Elections Supervisor Weeks Suspends Canvassing Business for Radio Gig, Stunning Fellow Board Members
Supervisor of Elections Kimberle Week suspended a Canvassing Board meeting Friday to do a radio interview, without telling fellow-board members, who had other commitments, that that was the reason.
FlaglerLive Was Hacked by a Turkish Nut Case With an Allah Complex, But We’re Back
FlaglerLive was the target of a malicious attack Thursday from an Islamist based in Southwest Turkey. The attack was overridden in late afternoon but exposed the sort of vulnerabilities that much larger news organizations have been discovering recently.
Raising Issues of Accuracy, Canvassing Board Rejects Elections Supervisor Weeks’s Minutes in Latest Strains
It was a striking vote of no-confidence in the veracity of Weeks’s version of events that Canvassing Board Chair Melissa Moore-Stens made even more striking by including disclaimers on each set of minutes, stressing that they are not the official minutes of the board, but Weeks’s own.
Welcome Home, Bunnell: City Celebrates Its New Digs After Five Years’ Squatting
The four-building, $600,000 Bunnell City Hall complex has more space than the city knows what to do with, but acquired at a tenth the price it might have had to pay had it moved into the old county courthouse.
Crist and Scott Deadlocked at 42% in Latest Quinnipiac Poll as Early Voting Begins
Among those who have already voted, the poll found Crist leading by 5 points–42 to 38, with Wyllie getting just 3 percent. Scott’s trump card is his ready millions of dollars, Crist’s is the younger voters hoping to pass the medical marijuana legalization amendment.
Brittany Maynard and the Right to Die: An Open Letter from a State That Denies It
Laureen Kornel, a Flagler Beach resident, was left helpless, watching her mother’s agonizing death from cancer because the right to die on terms other than those dictated by doctors was not an option. She writes Brittany Maynard in hopes of spurring the movement in Florida and other states that deny that right.
Charlie Crist:
People’s Governor or Master Chameleon?
Charlie Crist profile: In an interview, the former governor said he is confident he can defeat Scott “by going to people in person and having the chance to reacquaint them with my heart and what I care about, which is them.”
Gov. Rick Scott: The Known Unknown Running on Four Years of Contradictions
Four years after his election, Floridians still have a mixed, at times almost-contradictory view of their governor, now running for a second term. The tea-party darling who won an election promising to slash spending but now boasts of the largest education budget in state history.
2 Women Killed, 2 Seriously Hurt in 3-Vehicle Crash Termed “Horrific” on SR100 and CR305
The third wreck involving fatalities in six days was triggered by a vehicle rear-ending another, and causing it to crash head-on into an oncoming car.
Denise Calderwood, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Independent Denise Calderwood is challenging Republican incumbent Nate McLaughlin in the District 4 race for Flagler County Commission in the Nov. 4 election. All registered Flagler County and and municipal residents may cast ballot in the race.
Howard Holley, Flagler County Commission Candidates: The Live Interview
Howard Holley is an Independent candidate for the Flagler County Commission in the Nov. 4 election, challenging incumbent Republican Frank Meeker. All registered voters may cast a ballot in this race.
Nearly Sure Thing Months Ago, Medical Pot Initiative Appears Headed For Defeat Behind Snuff Money
The latest Tampa Bay Times poll has the measure winning only 48 percent of the vote, 12 points short of the needed 60 percent, as Sheldon Las Vegas gambling magnate Sheldon Adelson increased his contributions against the measure to $3.5 million.
Diane Upton of Palm Coast Is Killed, Kalyn Upton and Child Seriously Hurt in 2-Vehicle Wreck on SR100 Near Target
Rebecca Lawless, 24, of Palm Coast, ran a red light and slammed into Diane Upton’s car at Landing Boulevard and SR100 in Palm Coast, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Man Dies in Early-Morning Fire
On Westmayer Place in Flagler Beach
The double-wide trailer on Westmayer Place, a dirt road off of A1A at the north end of town, was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived at the scene. It was the first death in a house fire in Flagler County since an elderly woman died at her home in Palm Coast almost two years ago.
Olvis Harville, Biker Critically Injured in 1 of 2 Biketoberfest Wrecks on US 1 Wednesday, Dies
Olvis Harville, 65, was riding with a friend on U.S. 1 at CR304 when he crashed into his friend and was ejected. He died two days later.
From Favorite to Fanghazi: The Two Worst Days of Gov. Rick Scott’s Re-Election Campaign
If Scott does end up being the third Republican governor in 20 years to not serve a second term, two days this week can be pinpointed as the worst of his campaign, argues Peter Schorsch.
Pit Bull Mix Attacks 76-Year-Old Woman in Her F-Section Backyard and Tries to Drag Her Away
A 76-year-old resident of Forrest Hill Drive in Palm Coast was hospitalized after a neighbor’s large pit bull mix attacked and attempted to drag her back to its own yard Thursday afternoon.
In Chamber’s Straw Poll, Shipley and Nobile Win Palm Coast, Incumbents Win all County and State Offices and Pot Loses
There were few surprises in a straw poll of 124 participants conducted by the Flagler Chamber of Commerce at a political forum and at Creekside Festival in the last few days, but the sample is too small to be indicative of more than hints.
Despite Big Economic Impact, Flagler Beach Mostly Snubs Groundbreaking to Double Gamble Rogers Park’s Camping Sites
There were more top state and county officials than Flagler Beach officials at today’s groudbreaking at Gamble Rogers State Park, an echo of the city’s failed attempt to change the name of the recreation area back to Flagler Beach last month.
Scott and Crist Make Blowing Air a Metaphor of Their Campaign in 2nd Tempestuous Debate
An electric fan at Crist’s feet hijacked the first portion of the second debate as Scott first refused to come out, as both camps later attempted to spin the embarrassment to their advantage. The debate itself was mildly substantial.
The Other University Presidency: UF Selects Kent Fuchs, Cornell Provost and Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Kent Fuchs’s resume includes six years at Purdue University, where he was head of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and little more than a decade at the University of Illinois, where he was a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Coordinated Science Laboratory.
Thrasher’s FSU Contract: $430,000 a Year for Five Years. Special Election Cost: $1 Million.
The Flagler County Commission is not relishing a special election, as it means contending with a supplemental budget request from Supervisor of Elections Kimberle Weeks, whose relationship with the commission–among other local government agencies–is at an all-time low.
A Community Bids Former Deputy Joe Delarosby Farewell, Mixing Anger With Remembrance
Services for Joseph Delarosby, the sheriff’s deputy edged into retirement 7 weeks before he killed himself on Oct. 7, included a stunning public rebuke of Sheriff Manfre by Delarosby’s father.
Pop Warner Football Smackdown: Games Over, Fights Erupt at FPC—Between “Adults”
Tensions escalated into fights and brawls that sent three people to the hospital after a Pop Warner football game between Flagler and Daytona Beach Saturday at FPC, even though the game involved children ages 5 to 7, and was not scored.
Investigated for Stalking, Man Is Accused of Raping 15-Year-Old Palm Coast Girl in Her Home
James Russell Brink, 25, is being held at the Flagler County jail on $100,000 bond and is accused of traveling from Virginia to have sex with a 15-year-old Palm Coast girl he’d previously been accused of stalking in New York.