Patrons at the Funky pelican and on the Flagler Beach pier were evacuated nearing 6:30 this evening when authorities learned of a man threatening to blow up the pier and shoot people. The situation is ongoing.
Featured
Yes, Current Rules Give Transgender Women Athletes an Unfair Advantage. But Bans Aren’t the Answer.
There is something unfair about Lia Thomas, the University of Pennsylvania star swimmer and transgender woman, winning races and breaking records, and there is something rational in calls by some of her competitors–and by some transgender athletes themselves–for a rule change that addresses both fairness and inclusion.
From Head Football Coach at Flagler Palm Coast High School to Prolific Novelist: Caesar Campana’s Afterwords
Caesar Campana was Flagler Palm Coast High School’s head football coach and an English teacher. Since his retirement, he’s published four novels, all exploring rather dark themes, a book of stories and poems and a memoir, with his wife, Monica Campana, who retired as a librarian at Indian Trails Middle School, as his editor. We caught up with the Campanas in the Hammock.
Plan for 100-Room Hotel in Flagler Beach Is Revealed, Drawing City’s Approval and Concerns Over Parking and Beach Use
The Flagler Beach City Commission unanimously approved construction plans for the Compass Hotel, as it will be called, downtown, in place of the farmer’s market, but commissioners raised concerns about the hotel’s use of its portion of the beach and about parking.
DeSantis Signs Bill Intensifying Scrutiny of School Library Books and Imposing 12-Year Limit on School Board Terms
Calling it a move toward “curriculum transparency,” Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed a bill that will intensify scrutiny of school library books and instructional materials and impose 12-year term limits on school board members.
Superintendent Sharply Fends Off 2 School Board Members 2nd Guessing Handling of ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Walkouts
School Board members Janet McDonald and Jill Woolbright were upset the district allowed the March 3 “don’t say gay” walkouts at the two high schools, but Superintendent Cathy Mittlestadt drew a sharp line in the sand, reminding them that how administrators and staff handle issues at schools is not in the school board members’ purview. Mittlestadt and two other board members defended the administration’s handling of the walkouts.
Flagler Schools’ Library Policy Balancing Open Access With Parental-Choice Restrictions Becomes Model Across Florida
The policy, developed by Flagler schools’ Lashakia Moore, has drawn approbative attention from the Legislature, from the governor’s office and from other school districts. Other districts are now modeling their own policies after Flagler’s as they try to pre-empt book-banning controversies and comply with new state edicts giving parents more say in restricting access–without jeopardizing the mission of open libraries, open stacks and open minds.
State Environmental Agency Recycles Same Old Rule Harming Florida’s Springs
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection was ordered in 2016 to fix a rule that’s enabled natural springs to be harmed by the same nutrient pollution that’s been fueling algae blooms in the estuaries, and by all the people and businesses sucking water out of the aquifer to irrigate lawns and golf courses. The new rule is a near-replica of the old one.
A Day of Potentially Severe Weather Could Add Up to 1.5 Inches of Rain on Saturated Grounds
The National Weather Service in Jacksonville is cautioning residents of a day of potentially severe weather, including heavy rain and strong wind gusts, through the middle of the afternoon. Palm Coast could get more than an inch of rain, adding to already saturated grounds.
County Commission Declares ‘Dangerous’ 2 Dogs Who’d Been Terrorizing Hammock Neighborhood Since 2017
The Flagler County Commission Monday unanimously voted to approve an order declaring a pair of German shepherds in the Hammock “dangerous,” and requiring the dogs’ owner to abide by rules severely restricting the dogs’ freedom. The dogs had been terrorizing the neighborhood, injuring other dogs and their owners since 2017.