The Florida Bar publicly reprimanded Don Appignani in 2002 over a conflict of interest charge when he was a labor attorney for INS employees, following his role representing INS employees involved in the Elian Gonzalez affair. Appignani disputes most of the findings to this day.
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A Stabbing at European Village, a Spate of Domestic Violence and Arrests in Palm Coast
An unusually pronounced series of unrelated domestic and neighborhood issues, including a drug-related stabbing at European Village, resulted in the arrest of 5 people in Palm Coast between Friday and Tuesday.
Prison Privatization Still Unconstitutional As Court Rejects Attorney General’s Appeal
In a victory for police unions, an appeals court ruled against Attorney General Pam Bondi in a long-running battle about the Legislature’s attempt last year to privatize prisons across southern Florida.
Palm Coast Takes a Deeper Drag
At Synthetic Marijuana Regulation
Palm Coast Mayor Jon Netts and council member Frank Meeker want Palm Coast and other local governments to jointly tackle the legality of synthetic marijuana even as states are gradually adopting bans on fake-pot sales across the country.
Florida Tourism Lull Predicted, Slowing Local Growth, as Euro Zone Economies Suffer
Economic woes in Europe will trickle across the Atlantic over the next few years as potential international guests stay home or see their native currency buy less once they arrive, a panel of economists estimates.
When Even Sheriff Fleming Is a Bystander to Rumors’ Wreckage
A verbal altercation involving Sheriff Don Fleming’s step-daughter and another woman at European Village began a series of events that caused the firing of the woman and her boyfriend, both waiters at Mazzaluna. Charges that Fleming had retaliated are unsubstantiated.
Aaron Kinney, Accused as Gas Station Robber, Had Reported Woodlands Attack in October
Aaron Kinney, 33, is considered a person of interest in the two other gas station robberies in the county. Sheriff Don Fleming had confirmed his arrest Sunday evening. He’d struck the BP station on Old Dixie Highway and at a Mobile station on State Road 100.
GOP Attempt to Slash Food Stamps Eligibility Would Hurt Flagler and Florida Families
Republican efforts in Congress would end the food stamps program as it is now known, hugely reducing funding and eligibility, and significantly affecting Florida and Flagler families–and local economies. Some 9 percent of Flagler’s population, and 23 percent of children, are on food stamps.
Wife of Long-Time Flagler Beach Cop Bobby MacDonald in Coma After Gunshot to the Head
Kathy MacDonald married Robert “Bobby” MacDonald less than a year ago. Flagler Sheriff Don Fleming said an investigation is continuing into the suspicious shooting, with no conclusive evidence yet on whether she shot herself, or whether her husband is involved.
The Bigotry of Expediency: Michelle Bachmann and Her Local Disciples
Michelle Bachmann’s bigoted smear of Huma Abedin, the Hillary Clinton aide who happens to be a Muslim, about Abedin’s alleged Muslim Brotherhood connections, is a reflection of a pronounced reactionary-Republican rejection of evidence for ideological expediency.
As Florida and Other States Privatize Prison Health Services, Care Standards Suffer
Florida and other states, in an attempt to cut costs, are increasingly outsourcing health care for inmates to for-profit companies, but the trend is raising concerns among unions and prisoners’ rights groups.
Picking Up Trash on A1A: A Harvest Of Sloth You Can Do Something About
Frank Gromling’s Ocean Publishing adopted a 2-mile stretch of A1A to keep clean of trash–cigarette butts, soda and beer cans, food wrappers–people are too slothful not to drop on their way. Gromling tells of the experience of periodically picking up after you.
Jeb Bush or Marco Rubio as Romney’s Vice President: Florida GOP Hopes Fade
Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio were front-runners as Mitt Romney’s vice-presidential picks a few months ago. No longer. Bush doesn’t want it. Rubio is no longer a politically opportune choice as Florida’s Hispanics lean heavily toward Obama.
Help Wanted: Palm Coast’s New Charter School Is Moving In, Hiring and Enrolling
The K-8 Global Outreach Academy at the Flagler County Airport is beginning to fill its 19,000-square-foot digs and hiring up to 30 people, including teachers, in preparation for its mid-August opening.
Unemployment Rises Again in Flagler, To 12.3%, Stalls at 8.6% in Florida
June unemployment numbers were discouraging in Florida as well as in Flagler and Volusia counties–stalling in the state at 8.6 percent, with just 9,000 jobs created last month, while the unemployment rate jumped again in Flagler to 12.3 percent, and to 9.1 percent in Volusia.
John McCain vs. Michelle Bachmann: In Defense of Huma Abedin
Michelle Bachmann and other conservatives suggested in a letter that Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin, of Pakistani descent, is a Muslim Brotherhood infiltrator. John McCain defended Abedin in a July 18 speech.
Mia Bella Academy’s Young Performers Put Palm Coast on National Winners’ Map Again
Mia Bella Dance Academy, for the third consecutive year, swept the National Celebration Talent Competition in Gatlinburg, Tenn., beating out 30 other studios and over 1,000 acts.
3 Liberal Florida Justices Battle Conservative Foundation’s Plan to Depose Them
Justices R. Fred Lewis, Barbara Pariente and Peggy Quince filed a court motion to block the conservative Southeastern Legal Foundation from moving forward with 22 depositions in a merit-retention case. The foundation is targeting the justices for their liberalism.
Flagler School District’s Feared Budget Cut Was Vastly Overstated, But Tax Cut Is Real
A report in the papers this morning that the Flagler school district was facing an additional $3.8 million cut (or 4 percent of its budget) was premature. The state is cutting the local school tax and its revenue, but making up all the difference except $400,000, which the district has already plugged.
3 Flagler Beach Commissioners Attend Closed-Door County Staff Meeting, Clouding Sunshine
Commissioners Jane Mealy, Kim Carney and Mayor Linda Provencher attended the July 12 county staff meeting on beach renourishment with the U.S. Corps of Engineers, which was closed to the public. Dennis McDonald, a candidate for the county commission, raised issues with the potential sunshine violation.
GoToby’s Don Tobin Joins 8 Others Vying to Replace Frank Meeker on Palm Coast Council
Don Tobin, better known as Toby, is the most recognizable name among those declaring interest in a position four Palm Coast City Council members will fill by their appointment come November. Tobin’s focus is real estate, economic development and city-county relations.
Florida Colleges Vow to Be 1st in U.S. to Double Graduation Rates By 2020–With Extra Funding
Florida’s 28 state and community colleges will request a 35 percent increase in state funding to reach those goals and think Gov. Rick Scott will back their play. Graduating from a four-year college costs $23,647.
Storm Burst: Two Wrecks, 10 Victims, Most Children or Teens, Few Injuries
Five teen-agers were in a truck that overturned after hitting an electric pole (which burst into periodic flames) at Old Kings Road and Frontier Drive in Palm Coast; an older woman was at the wheel of an SUV, with four young children, that ended up upright against the trees on I-95 within an hour of the other wreck.
After 4 Straight Years, Flagler County School District Loses Its A Rating, to a B
The drop is reflective of a statewide drop in district and school grades, and it masks an improvement, at least relative to other districts, of Flagler’s ranking, from 29th in the state to 19th. Still, the drop is ill-timed with a district effort to renew a half-cent sales tax school levy.
Who Is Sheldon Adelson and Why Are GOP Contenders Accepting His Money?
Sheldon Adelson donated $25 million to the Newt Gingrich campaign and reportedly donated $10 million to a superpac supporting Mitt Romney, but the foreign source of the billionaire’s gambling fortune is raising questions about its financing of GOP contenders.
County Concedes What Palm Coast Has Been Saying for Months: Sales Tax Plan a No-Go
The Flagler County Commission agreed to drop its current plan for a half-cent sales tax renewal and again seek out a compromise with the cities that may win their backing should the measure appear before voters on the November ballot.
Stop Paying Paper-Pushing Administrators And Union Bosses Better Than Teachers
Can anyone imagine the owner of the Miami Heat announcing that LeBron James has done such an outstanding job leading his team to the NBA championship that he is being “promoted” to a front-office job?
Ray Stevens Assault on John Pollinger Mutates, This Time Invoking 9/11 Decisions
Fresh from losing a suit attempting to boot John Pollinger from the Republican ballot for sheriff on Aug. 14 (the decision is on appeal), the Ray Stevens camp is criticizing a Pollinger decision to keep officers from going to Ground Zero after 9/11, though the record overwhelmingly supports Pollinger’s decision.
Flagler Beach Fire Chief Martin Roberts Faces Firing on Insubordination Charge
Flagler Beach City Manager Bruce Campbell told Martin Roberts he’d be fired pending a pre-disciplinary hearing on July 17. Roberts had served as chief since November 2005. He was at the center of a controversy over unauthorized trips.
In Florida, Mitt Romney Has a New George W. Bush to Contend With: Gov. Rick Scott
With Rick Scott’s poll numbers continuing to struggle and Florida a critical battleground in the November election, Democrats see the governor as a uniquely powerful albatross against Mitt Romney, who cannot win the election without winning Florida.
John Pollinger Responds to His Critics
John Pollinger, a candidate for Flagler County Sheriff, has been criticized over his last months as Middletown, N.J., police chief and his tenure as post commander of the American Legion in Palm Coast. He tells his side.
Drug War Collusion: Top Cops, Lapdog Press, And the Art of Tax-Funded Campaigning
With State Attorney R.J. Larizza, Flagler Sheriff Don Fleming and Putnam Sheriff Jeff Hardy in starring roles (all three are running for re-election next month), Wednesday was the latest shameless example of local and state police using a minor drug sweep for maximum political effect, at taxpayers’ expense.
Bikes, Poetry, Action: Gargiulo Foundation’s Tour de Force in Art at Hollingsworth Gallery
The Gargiulo Art Foundation’s first annual Bicycle Art and Poetry Show at Hollingsworth Gallery capitalizes on Palm Coast’s growing appreciation for its bike paths and its arts community.
Hedging Privacy Concerns, Hospitals Shop for Patients on Facebook and Google
A growing number of hospitals are taking their advertising campaigns to Facebook, Google and other websites as more see the value of highly targeted campaigns that enable them to track results. Social media users may be unnerved by being tracked and followed by information they’ve searched for.
In Country: With Kix 98.7, WNZF Launches Flagler’s Fourth Radio Station in Four Years
Kix 98.7 FM, a traditional country station officially launching Aug. 1, joins WNZF’s all-news station. Beach-FM and Easy Oldies as Flagler County Broadcasting’s empire continues to grow. General Manager David Ayres says that may be it for now.
Richard Schreiner, 1945-2012
Richard Schreiner, Palm Coast’s most provocative artist, died today (July 12) at his home. Schreiner, 67, had been battling a debilitating disease in the last few months. He was the subject of the largest-ever retrospective at Hollingsworth Gallery just last month.
Florida’s High Court Affirms Guilty Until Proven Innocent Standard in Drug Possessions
In not requiring “knowledge” of the illegality of whatever they were carrying, the law puts Florida at odds with at least 48 other states that require prosecutors to convince a jury that defendants knew they were carrying illegal drugs.
Cops Spying on Your Cell Phone: Warrantless, Routine, and With Providers’ Complicity
Privacy activists hold that cops’ tracking of cell phones require a search warrant to be constitutional. But the Supreme Court hasn’t ruled on the issue, and Congress has yet to pass a law addressing it.
Editor’s Note: When Comments Are Swift Boats’ Docking Hooks
I’ve been asked why certain comments in the John Pollinger-Anne-Marie Shaffer case were approved, considering their lavish innuendoes and borderline slanders. The decision bears explaining in light of this year’s distinctly foul election season.
Big Sweep of Small-Time Pill Pushers Nets 78 Arrests in Flagler, Putnam and St. Johns
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office was ground zero for a three-county sweep today–and for a choreographed media event to maximize publicity for the sweep, and three top cops running for re-election–State Attorney R.J. Lariza, Flagler Sheriff Don Fleming and Putnam Sheriff Jeff Hardy.
Ex-School Board Member Richard Marier Accused of Stabbing Pit Bull to Death
Richard Marier, who served on the Flagler County School Board from 1994 to 1998, was charged with cruelty to animals, a felony, and with using a weapon in the commission of a felony.
Florida Hospital Flagler’s Parkway Medical Plaza Will See You Now
The $15 million facility on Cypress Edge Drive opened ceremoniously Tuesday. It has several physicians’ offices, a walk-in clinic, a rehab and a woman’s center. Some of the services were shifted from the main hospital campus.
With Fire Chief’s Job Teetering, Flagler Beach Commission Splits Over Ethics and Dysfunction
In a special meeting prompted by a controversy over unauthorized fire department trips to fire truck manufacturers, the city commission Tuesday agreed to rewrite some of its ethics guidelines, but a proposal to turn commissioners into whistle-blowers is facing resistance.
Pollinger Will Remain on Aug. 14 Ballot as a Republican as Judge Craig Denies Challenge
John Pollinger will remain on the Aug. 14 ballot as a Republican candidate for Flager County Sheriff, Circuit Court Judge Dennis Craig ruled Tuesday afternoon, denying a challenge by Anne-Marie Shaffer, a supporter of candidate Ray Stevens, to bar him from the Republican ballot.
Palm Coast’s Pre-2010 Red-Light Camera Fines in Question Following Latest Court Decision
The 5th District Court of Appeal in Daytona Beach on Friday found Orlando’s red-light traffic cameras illegal before they were standardized by a state law in 2010. Palm Coast’s set up was similar to Orlando’s. But the decision does not affect the current camera set up or the fine structure.
Scott Administration Downplays Northeast Florida Tuberculosis Spike; CDC Doesn’t
An April report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted a surge in cases of the highly contagious disease that appeared to be clustered in a homeless shelter, a jail and an outpatient mental health clinic in downtown Jacksonville.
In a Historic Breakthrough, County Will Cede Old Courthouse to Bunnell for Its New City Hall
No money will change hands, though the transaction isn’t quite free for Bunnell or the county, which retains the larger, annex portion of the building, and several building and maintenance rights (and costs).
12% Property Tax Increase and Reserves Will Close $4.6 Million County Budget Gap
The Flagler County Commission agreed in principle to raise the property tax 12 percent and use a combination of reserves and other one-time dollars to close what, going into the budget season, had been a gaping deficit provoked by new expenses, accounting issues and falling property values.
Charging “Political Assassination,” Pollinger Seeks Court to Reveal Shaffer’s Backers
John Pollinger, a Republican candidate for sheriff, is asking Judge Dennis Craig to compel Anne-Marie Shaffer to answer whether the Republican Club of Flagler County or the Ronald Reagan Republican Assembly of Flagler County–in which Shaffer is an officer–are helping to fund the lawsuit she filed against Pollinger to boot him from the Republican ballot.
Foster Children in Group Homes in Miami and Jacksonville Falling Prey to Sex Trafficking
Authorities said men lured teenage girls into prostitution, plying them with money, gifts and personal attention. The men collected the proceeds and paid the girls 40 percent. In the Jacksonville case, the teen was advertised in Backpage.com. In both cases, the alleged pimps also used teens as recruiters, police say.