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.
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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.
Car Strikes 4-Year-Old on Florida Park Drive; “Thankfully We Don’t Have to Deal With a Tragedy”
The 4-year-old boy was darting across Florida Park Drive from one house to another, in front of Francis Collins, a 69-year-old resident of Frederick Lane, who was going slower than the speed limit. Collins’s Honda struck the boy, but resulting in no life-threatening injuries.
A Lifeguard’s Soul,
Outsourced to the Bottom line
Thomas Lopez was fired by Jeff Ellis and Associates, the private company to whom Hallandale Beach outsourced its lifeguard services, when Lopez tried to save a drowning man beyond his jurisdiction. It’s an example of privatization’s immoral priorities.
When Oceans Heal:
In Praise of the Jimmy Miller Foundation
The Jimmy Miller Foundation is a non-profit organization helping people challenged by physical and mental illness, including through the Wounder Warrior Project.
Walmart at 50: Gutting the Middle Class 1 Small Business and Manufacturing Job at a Time
Walmart’s 50th anniversary caps a 150year stretch when the number of independent retailers fell by over 60,000, and when, between 2001 and 2007, some 40,000 U.S. factories closed, eliminating millions of jobs.
Carson Merrill and Paul Miller, Flagler’s Two Shootists, Heading to Court Wednesday
William Carson Merrill shot his wife Stefanie with an AK-47 at their Covington Lane home on Feb. 21. Paul Miller shot his neighbor Dana Mulhall as the pair argued about Miller’s barking dogs on South Flagler Avenue on March 14.
Conservatives Press Attack as Florida’s Liberal Justices Are Cleared of Campaign Wrongdoing
An investigation into the filing of qualifying papers for Florida Supreme Court Justices Fred Lewis, Barbara Pariente and Peggy Quince has been closed, but the controversy about the trio’s place on this fall’s ballot is likely to continue.
FHP’s Crackdown and the Prohibitionist Politics of Drunk Driving: A Dissent
Taking aim at today’s deployment of 40 FHP troopers on I-95, Darrell Smith calls the targeting of people who drink–as opposed to drunk drivers–a brown-shirted example of a police state mentality too readily embraced by the public.
U.S. Economy Adds Just 80,000 Jobs In June as Unemployment Stagnates at 8.2%
The national economy added percent for the third most 80,000 jobs in June, keeping the unemployment rate stuck at 8.2 percent for the third month in a row.
Divided Palm Coast Council Buries
Home-Based Baking Start-Ups For Good
For a Palm Coast City Council that has been preaching the virtues of entrepreneurship and small business, the 3-2 vote reasserted council members’ priority for residential neighborhoods and freedom from the risks of new business.
Palm Coast Woman Hospitalized Following 2-SUV Wreck on US1, By Hess Station
Mary Rosalind Barber, a 52-year-old resident of Palm Coast, was driving north on U.S. 1 near the Hess station Thursday afternoon when a Georgia driver with four passengers cut into her right of way, slamming Barber’s SUV to its side.
FHP Deploying 40 Troopers and 2 Planes on I-95 in Flagler and 3 Other Counties Friday
The Florida Highway Patrol’s Operation Checkered Flag will take place Friday, July 6, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., targeting aggressive, drunk and speeding drivers. FHP is asking civilian drivers to report such drivers throughout the day, which coincides with races at the Daytona Speedway.
Memories of July 4 From Lake Sebasticook to Flagler Beach
July 4 festivities have turned into a 24-hour rolling event in Flagler County, beginning with fireworks at Town Center on Tuesday evening and finishing with fireworks at the Flagler Beach Pier tonight. What takes place in between is a parade of memories.
In Flagler Beach, a Clash of Authority Entangles The Manager, Fire Chief and Commissioners
The controversy over all-expenses-paid trip Fire Chief Martin Roberts and others took to investigate fire trucks is bringing to light a more serious conflict over City Manager Bruce Campbell’s authority, and the city commission’s habit of meddling directly with city department heads, over Campbell’s.
New Charter School Hastily Signs Lease for Tenant-Challenged Building at County Airport
Global Outreach Academy has been on the hunt for a building for months. The three-year deal at the Flagler County Airport fills a building on which the county has been paying $111,000 a year while having a terrible time keeping occupied since it built it for Embry-Riddle Aeronautic University in 2004.
Florida Law Barring Doctors From Asking Patients About Guns at Home Ruled Invalid
The law restricts doctors’ ability to provide truthful, non-misleading information to a patient, U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke ruled. The “docs-vs-glocks” law was backed by the NRA and signed by Gov. Rick Scott in 2011.
Flagler Beach Fire Department Embroiled in Controversy Over Unauthorized Trips
Flagler Beach City Manager Bruce Campbell knew nothing about an all-expenses-paid trip his fire chief and two other fire department employees took to South Dakota in early June to look at a pumper truck, though the city commission has not approved the purchase of a replacement.
In a Snub to Cities, a Split County Commission Agrees to 15-Year Sales Tax for Jail Expansion
A 3-2 split of Flagler County commissioners agreed to place a continuation of a half-cent sales tax on the November ballot, but substantially increase the county’s share of the revenue at the expense of cities–a move Palm Coast and Flagler Beach oppose, and may jeopardize the levy’s success when voters have their say on Nov. 6.
Gov. Scott’s Health Law in Florida: No Medicaid Expansion, No Insurance Exchange
Gov. Rick Scott will opt Florida out of the insurance “exchanges” the new health law designs to help residents find health coverage, and he will opt out of expanding medicaid, even though the federal government pays all the costs for expansion the first 2 years, and 90 percent thereafter.
County Extends Administrator Coffey’s Contract To 2016 Without Discussion or Public Evaluation
This year’s elections could result in turn-over of three of the five Flagler county commission seats. Coffey is looking to extend his contract to 2016, though his contract isn’t set to expire until December 2013. He makes $141,000 a year before allowances.
Student-Led School Prayers Are Now Legal, But Fear of Litigation Could Trump God
The new Florida school prayer law lets local school districts approve policies allowing students to deliver prayers at school events, but districts aren’t likely to approve such measures for fear of costly litigation.
I’ll Have What She’s Having
In Praise of Nora Ephron
Long before she was putting words into the mouth of Tom Hanks in “Sleepless in Seattle” and fake orgasms into the mouth of Meg Ryan in “When Harry Met Sally,” Ephron was mastering the craft of learning from and telling truths about people from all walks of life as a $98-a-week cub reporter for the New York Post.
At the Flagler Beach Pier, A Window Into a Private Romance for the Ages
From his window onto the boardwalk at the Flagler Beach pier, the author has been witnessing the intimate ritual of an ancient couple’s love for years, and understands exactly why they come to their their oceanfront table.
Discover Your Treasures: Washington Oaks Gardens State Park
Washington Oaks Gardens State Park is the dean of Flagler County parks: a 476-acre spread on both sides of State Road A1A, rich in history and intimate paths for solitary walks or preludes to more than a kiss. A renewed look, with an image gallery, at a particular Flagler treasure.
Chamber of Commerce and Other Florida Business Groups Howl Over at Health Care Law
Florida business groups had led the charge against the federal Affordable Care Act, calling it a mandate that will fall on the shoulders of businesses still struggling to recover and facing more competition from the Internet, nearby states and foreign suppliers.
Flagler’s Teachers Union President on FCAT, The GOP, and High-Stakes Misconceptions
Katie Hansen, president of Flagler County’s teachers union, forcefully argues against FCAT’s culture of high-stakes testing and false but pervasive notions that unions protect bad teachers and contribute only to Democrats.
Man Accused of Biting His 8-Month-Old, Another of Hit-and-Run on 88 Year Old
Kevin R. Evans, 25, allegedly bit his 8-month-old boy’s arm during an argument with his girlfriend. Robert Tucker kept driving after rear-ending an 88-year-old’s car on palm Coast Parkway, then hid from a cop behind a banana spread at Winn-Dixie.
Get to Work, Governor Scott, and Implement Health Care Reform Now
Now that the most conservative Supreme Court in the history of our nation has ruled that the Affordable Care Act is constitutional, perhaps it is time to redirect a little of that negative energy used to obstruct reform toward implementing the law and solving Florida’s health care crisis, writes former Florida House Democratic Leader Dan Gelber.
In a Victory for Rick Scott, Federal Judge Clears Path to a Limited Voter Roll Purge
It is the first significant ruling in the legal battle over Gov. Scott’s effort to remove allegedly ineligible voters from the rolls. At least two other lawsuits have been filed against Florida.
For Drink and Pills: Palm Coast Man Steals From Grandmother, Another Swipes City Truck
Raymond Plumley, a homeless man in Palm Coast, stole a city truck while crews were nearby, while Christopher Emplit was arrested for defrauding his 80-year-old grandmother. Plumley is a drunk, Empley is said to be hooked on prescription pills. Help for either is a challenge cops are powerless to address.
Flagler’s Sheriff and Judge Candidates Rub Elbows Raw at Long NAACP Forum
The revealing moments were less in what the candidates said than in how they said it, or in how they waited to say something. The crowd of 200 was relaxed and riveted. Many of the candidates were stiff, fidgety and tense.
Florida’s Hispanics Like Obama Over Romney By Big Margin, Dimming Rubio’s VP Appeal
Hispanic voters in Florida, traditionally Republican, prefer Obama over Romney by a 56-32 margin, buttressing the president’s advantage among Independents.
Red-Light Camera Ticket Revenue:
Palm Coast, 14%, Private Company, 86%
American Traffic Solutions, which runs Palm Coast’s red-light traffic cameras, will make up to $4,250 per camera per month, while Palm Coast makes just $700. Still, the Palm Coast City Council is ready to sign a seven-year deal.
Armed Burglar, High on Coke and Fleeing “Croatians,” Is Arrested on Peppercorn Lane
Peter Bauer, a 61-year-old Palm Coast resident, had done lines of cocaine and feared he was in danger when he appeared on a neighbor’s porch brandishing a .380 handgun. Cops say he may be mentally ill, though Bauer was jailed.
Replacing Meeker: Palm Coast Council Will Appoint Successor Rather than Hold Election
Frank Meeker’s decision to serve until November as he runs for the county commission means the Palm Coast City Council cannot hold an election to fill out the two years of his term, but will instead appoint a replacement in November.
Florida Professors Still Can’t Travel to Cuba On State’s Dime; Low IQ Execution Cleared
Three Florida cases are the many the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear, which means a ban on Florida university faculty’s travel to Cuba stands, as does Florida’s authority to execute a Daytona Beach murderer with an IQ of 70.
Tropical Storm Debbie Dumps 3 to 4 Inches on Flagler, With More to Come
Tropical Storm Debbie, slowly churning across the Florida Peninsula since the weekend, isn’t done yet, with areas of Northern Florida expected to get 10 to 15 inches of rain, and some perhaps getting as much as 25 inches.
U.S. Supreme Court Invalidates Most of the Key Provisions of Arizona’s Harsh Immigration Law
The United States Supreme Court has reversed key provisions of the controversial Arizona immigrant law, invalidating Arizona’s–or any state’s–law that would have given state or local police the power to make warrantless arrests of individuals suspected of being undocumented, or “illegal.”
Haley Watson Is Miss Flagler County 2012
The annual Miss Flagler County Scholarship Pageant is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. this Sunday afternoon and at the Flagler Auditorium, with Miss Junior at 5 and Miss Flagler County at 7 p.m.
When American Health Care Heads for Texas
If the Affordable Care Act is overturned, the rest of the country should take a good look at the situation in Texas, because this is what happens when you keep Medicaid enrollment as low as possible and don’t undertake insurance reforms.
Oceans on Acid: How a Greenhouse Gas May Be Taxing the Seas
The surge in worldwide emissions of carbon dioxide–a greenhouse gas–may be overtaxing oceans, which can absorb only so much of it before altering their acidification, and affecting marine life.
Should Ronald Thompson Be Serving 20 Years for Firing a Gun to Protect an Elderly Neighbor?
Ronald Thompson, a 65-year-old disabled veteran, is serving 20 years for firing two shots in the ground to protect an elderly neighbor from her grandson and three of his friends. The mandatory sentence spotlights a recurring dilemma with Florida’s sentencing laws.
Lord of the Flies On a School Bus: The Bullying of Karen Klein
Karen Klein is the 68-year-old school bus monitor from Greece, N.Y., cruelly bullied by seventh graders and recorded on a YouTube video that went viral. The middle schoolers are acting out the persecuting spirit that christens their daily lives.
Stepping Up Obama Snubs, Scott Says He Won’t Implement Health Care Law in Florida
As the Supreme Court prepares to hand down its decision on Obama’s health care reform law, Gov. Rick Scott said on a conference call hosted by right-wing think tanks that Florida wouldn’t rush to implement the law.
Romney, in Orlando, Plays Catch-up On Immigration By Promising More Green Cards
Speaking to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials in Orlando, Romney spent most of his time talking about making it easier for legal immigrants to come to America.