Gov. Ron DeSantis waded further into gender politics Tuesday, issuing a proclamation that said swimmer Emma Weyant from Sarasota is the nation’s best “female” in the 500-meter freestyle after she finished second last week to Lia Thomas, a transgender athlete at the NCAA championship.
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10 Years After Adopting Strict Dress Code, Flagler School Board Faces Proposal That Would All But Abandon It
A Flagler County school district committee is proposing to vastly scale back the rigidity of the dress code, or what’s left of it, 10 years after the School Board adopted a strict uniform policy–only for the policy to be relentlessly eroded over time.
John Fanelli, Dynamic School Administrator, Is Palm Coast Council’s Choice to Fill Seat Vacated by Barbosa
The Palm Coast City Council this morning appointed John Fanelli, a dynamic school district administrator a council member compared to former Superintendent Jacob Oliva, to fill for the next seven months the District 2 council seat abruptly vacated by Victor Barbosa less than a month ago.
County Finally Ratifies School Board’s Higher Impact Fees After Months of Obstruction on Builders’ Behalf
The Flagler County Commission late Monday night voted 5-0 to approve the first increase in school impact fees in 17 years, ending a seven-month confrontation between the commission and the school board as the commission refused to approve the board’s initial request for an increase and further pushed for exact concessions favoring home builders the school board was not willing to make. The new fees start in September.
In Place of Old Dixie Motel Relic, Developers Promise a Jazzed Up ‘Henry Hotel,’ With a Year’s Construction
Representatives of the new owners of the long-derelict motel on Old Dixie Highway unveiled plans for a 96-room upscale hotel called “The Henry Hotel” that would be built in a year’s time, but some questions remain about the project’s timeline.
In Blow to School District, County Would Allow Unlimited Development Whether Or Not There Are Enough Schools
The Flagler County Commission is considering ending a long-standing smart-growth rule: There would no longer have to be sufficient school capacity for new development to go forward. The plan was unveiled only today, drawing sharp criticism from School Board member Colleen Conklin.
Federal Judge Orders Information on Florida’s Newest Bill Regulating Voting
A federal judge considering a constitutional challenge to a 2021 state elections law ordered attorneys Monday to quickly file briefs about the potential effects of a bill that the Legislature passed this month to make further changes in the elections system.
Covid’s ‘Silver Lining’: Research Breakthroughs for Chronic Disease, Cancer, and the Common Flu
Building on the success of mRNA vaccines for covid, scientists hope to create mRNA-based vaccines against influenza, Zika, rabies, HIV, and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, which hospitalizes 3 million children under age 5 each year worldwide. Researchers see promise in mRNA to treat cancer, cystic fibrosis, and rare, inherited metabolic disorders, although potential therapies are still many years away.
Sunshine Sunday: Keeping Open Government From Eclipse in Florida
Today, there are 1,138 exemptions to Florida’s open government laws, almost 200 more than 20 years ago, and growing. The public cannot simply rely on the good-natured commitment of those in government to safeguard transparency. Sunshine Week is the collective national effort to keep government doors to the public open, and its roots began in Florida.
A Fringe Legal Theory Could Reshape State Election Laws
The U.S. Supreme Court this month left open the possibility that it could endorse a fringe conservative legal theory–the “independent state legislature doctrine”–that would give state legislatures unchecked powers over election rules before the 2024 presidential election.