An area of Bunnell saw the most rain in the last 24 hours, at just over 7 inches, parts of A1A, Palm Coast and the Mondex saw water-covered roads, but no property damage or home flooding. This rain event aside, the drought persists.
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Florida Charter Schools: A Go-Go Industry Awash in Tax Money and Little Oversight
Florida lawmakers have been more concerned about promoting rather than regulating charter schools, so bad charter schools operate with impunity. A Miami Herald investigation uncovers the charter school bandwagon.
Another Road Fatality as Hurt Motorcyclist Flagging Help on CR302 Is Struck and Killed
Gary Skelton, 67, of Bunnell, a motorcyclist, is the seventh road fatality in four weeks in Flagler. This wreck appears to have been the result of a tragic set of circumstances in the pitch darkness of County Road 302 on a rainy night.
As Florida Eyes Resort Casinos As Cash Cows, Economists Warn Against Too High a Bet
Faced with a series of unanswered questions, economists say they cannot not pinpoint how much money the state would rake in if Florida lawmakers approve a plan for three resort casinos.
From Digital Furies to Everyman Frames in Art League’s First Juried Photography Show
The Flagler County Art League’s first juried photography show netted 63 works by 23 photographers in seven categories, with digital photography drawing the most entries and judge Rafael Torres lending a critical eye.
Bleak Houses: Hiring Discrimination and Distress Darkening Holidays for Millions
A report documents the boiling frustration, despair, and economic uncertainty that unemployed and under-employed Americans face this holiday season, which could get worse if Congress doesn’t extend federal unemployment aid by month’s end.
Ghosts of Flagler Playhouse Pasts Enliven Production of “A Christmas Carol”
The Flagler Playhouse production of “A Christmas Carol” is rendered as Charles Dickens intended it: a sort of Christmas-time thanksgiving, a booster shot of themes playing roles as important as his characters—the conquest of greed, the capacity for redemption, the dividends of generosity.
Two Men Caught in Bunnell After Smashing Their Speeding Car and Fleeing Cops
Two men driving east at a recklessly dangerous speed on SR100 this morning smashed their car then triggered a foot and air chase before being caught by Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies.
“More Teaching, Less Yelling”: A New Spring Flag Football League for Palm Coast
Developed by former NFL linebacker Sam Sword in conjunction with Palm Harbor Academy and Palm Coast, the $40-per-studen spring league is intended to be an affordable alternative for children intersested in playing. Palm Coast already has another, well-developed flag football league.
Obama’s Roosevelt Envy–And Ours
Obama’s version of Roosevelt Lite won’t cut it if he can’t back up his rhetoric with a more serious program of defending the middle class against corporate predators and rich-class irresponsibility.
Horse-Powered Trio of Neo-Expressionists Bring Their Brash to Hollingsworth Gallery
Artists Pat Zalisko, Karlene McConnell and Melissa Mason, who share a reformed barn of a studio in New Smyrna Beach, exhibit all new work–energetic, serene and spontaneous–in a month-long exhibit at Palm Coast’s Hollingsworth Gallery, opening Saturday.
A Suicide in Walmart’s Parking Lot; Victim, 28, Was Connected to Tuesday’s Cop Escapee
Mike Saunders, 28, was found dead in his car in the Walmart parking lot Wednesday, of apparent carbon monoxide poisoning. He had been at the wheel of the same car, with Mochael Testa, when Testa was arrested near Marvin’s Gardens the day before–and escaped from a cop car.
Educators Deride Scott’s “Smiley Face” Budget, Hospitals Call It “Tax on the Sick”
Despite Scott’s proposed boost, the state would still spend about $210 million less on education under Scott’s plan than it did five years ago, with overall education funding down about $1.6 billion. Hospital advocates call proposed cuts to Medicaid a “tax on the sick.”
Uniform Fashion Show Punctuates School District’s Last Forum Before Final Policy Vote
The show, during a forum meant to be more even-handed than shilling, was designed to give an audience of about 45 some idea of what the uniforms might look like, if the school board–currently favoring the policy 3-2–finally ratifies the initiative on Jan. 17.
800,000 Floridians, Most of them Children, Could Be Booted Off Medicaid Coverage
More than 660,000 of those currently covered by Medicaid are children, and could be booted off the rolls if their parents have to pay $10 a month in premiums, as the Florida Legislature is proposing.
An Uneasy Flagler School Board Delays District Advertising Initiative as Questions Mount
The school board will devote a workshop to the initiative to decide, among other things, whether an ad consultant would take over and centralize all advertising in the district, including booster clubs and school-based initiatives.
Reversing Trend, Gov. Scott Will Ask for $1 Billion Education Boost Despite Shortfalls
Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday will ask for a near-historic increase in per-student funding despite shortfalls in tax collection. The reversal of the past two year’s trend, if upheld by the Legislature, will relieve education administrators expecting tighter budgets ahead.
Palm Coast’s Strathmore Deli Closes, Citing Overhead; Another Strip Now Stressed
Strathmore Deli, renamed Best Bagels & Deli, was the high-traffic anchor for the Parkway Plaza strip between Plam Coast Parkway and Cypress Point. Its abrupt closure four years after it opened is rippling with consequences.
Don’t Restrict Our Ability to Levy Taxes, Wishful Cities Tell Florida Lawmakers
The Florida League of Cities is urging Florida senators to avoid the temptation to restrict the ability of local officials to levy taxes, and asking for more flexibility on how they spend insurance premium tax revenue and adjust pension benefits.
Florida House Releases Redistricting Lines Tuesday, Mapping Out Flagler’s Political Future
The House of Representatives panel charged with redrawing the state’s political boundaries will unveil a slate of options for the state’s congressional and state House districts Tuesday, setting the stage for discussions that could affect the balance of power in Florida for a decade.
Flagler County Jury Finds Quritus Lowe Guilty of Murdering Retired School Teacher
Myrtle McKinney, a 58-year-old retired schoolteacher, was found bludgeoned to death, gagged and blindfolded on Christmas Day 2007. Quritus Lowe II, one of four people charged in the murder, was convicted of first-degree murder in Flagler Monday, where the trial was moved because of publicity in Palatka. He may face the death penalty.
Domestic Fight Over a Truck in P Section Turns Into a 4-Hour Ordeal of Violence, and a Jailing
Richard Lorusso, 44, of Pine Crest Lane in Palm Coast, is accused of torturing his wife for four hours–beating her, cutting her, spitting on her and keeping her prisoner–before he fled the scene and turned himself in to authorities two hours later.
Doing It Right: How To Avoid Becoming Part of The 44,000 People Hospitals Kill Each Year
A bike accident sent Michael Millenson’s wife to three hospitals. It led him to offer a unique perspective on the health care system and how to reduce hospital errors that kill 44,000 to 98,000 people each year.
Durban Dithers: As Climate Changes With Costly and Ruinous Fallout, Obama Chills
The volume of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere in 2010 leapt a record 6 percent from the year before. Planetary pollution is now worse than what scientists predicted as the worst-case scenario four years ago. That means global warming will be correspondingly worse than previous worst-case scenarios, too.
Christmas Parachutes Into a Parade and Yules Up Sweaty Bed Races in Flagler Beach
The annual bed races, postponed in October, capped a day of festivities that had Santa jumping oput of a plane and landing on Flagler Beach’s sands and a parade that seemed to go on forever, like the photo gallery included here.
Head-On Crash Hurts 3 and Closes Belle Terre South of SR100; Driver Likely Drunk
Karen Dempsey of Palm Coast was injured in a head-on crash on Belle Terre Boulevard south of 100 Friday evening. Kenneth Fuller, the driver of the Corolla in the crash, likely drunk, ran from the scene and was caught by a deputy and a K-9. Richard Deacon, a passenger in the Corolla, was severely injured.
Charges Dropped: European Village Store Owner Was Falsely Accused of Gun Assault
Dan Ferrena, owner of Palm Coast Gold Buyers at European Village, was falsely accused of threatening a customer and his children with a gun. Ferrena now faces a long road to expunge his record.
0.2% Stupor: Protecting 350,000 Millionaires At the Expense of 160 Million Workers
There’s a very simple way to ensure that this country goes the way of old, bankrupt empires, and it doesn’t take flying planes into building or suckering the world’s mightiest military into pointless wars halfway around the globe. All it takes is voting Republican.
Toxic Algae: Environmentalists File Suit Over Florida’s Water Pollution Standards
Prompted by proposed state regulations it says are inadequate, a coalition of environmental groups on Thursday filed an administrative challenge to the new rules set up to determine acceptable pollution levels in Florida waters.
Unemployment Drops Sharply to 8.6%, Lowest Since March 2009, But Labor Pool Shrinks
The economy added 430,000 jobs in the last three months, including 120,000 in October, brightening what until now had been anemic prospects for a sustained recovery–and brightening Obama’s re-election prospects.
Palm Coast Lights Up Its First Communal Christmas Tree to Strings of Jazz and Joy
The redcedar, 18 feet high when planted in January, towered and twinkled the moment Santa lit it to cheers and applause Thursday evening in Town Center what Mayor Jon Netts termed a new holiday tradition for Palm Coast.
Charles Canady and Ricky Polston, Florida Supreme Court’s Scalia-Thomas Duo
The Florida Supreme Court in recent months has split by a 5-2 margin on a series of cases, with Chief Justice Charles Canady and Justice Ricky Polston siding together and offering conservative — and sometimes-stinging — dissents.
Distracted Driver Kills Josefina Reid, 54, As She Jogs; 6th Road Fatality in 20 Days
Driver Antonio Castanheira, 35, was looking back at two children in the backseat of the car he was driving when he struck Josefina Reid as she jogged in broad daylight on Sesame Boulevard in the Seminole Woods section of Palm Coast Wednesday afternoon.
In Boon to Palm Coast, Appeals Court Rules Traffic Spy-Cams Legal Even Without State Law
South Florida’s Third District Court of Appeals, in a divided ruling, declares red-light cameras legal under cities’ home rule powers. A dissent calls the majority ruling at odds with state law. The decision may influence a proposal to revisit traffic cameras at the Legislature in the coming session.
As Flagler Jobs Council Narrows CEO Shortlist, Few Stand-Outs and Some Concerns
Not a single candidate got unanimity from all nine council members. Only one candidate got eight votes but the circumstances of his departure from his last job are very cloudy.
Prayer Becomes Official Policy at Bunnell Meetings; “You Can Wait Outside” If Offended
Bunnell voted to open its government meetings with one or more prayers, an idea proposed by Commissioner Elbert Tucker. The city attorney offered cautionary guidance rather than objections.
Palm Coast Opts to Keep Red-Light Cameras On Despite Legal Cautions and Dearth of Evidence
Despite little money generated from red-light cameras, potential legal challenges and no hard evidence that the cameras improve safety, the Palm Coast City Council decided to stick with its 10 spy-and-snap cameras for now.
School Bus Ruled Out in Alex Taylor’s Fatal Hit-and-Run; Finding Culprit Unlikely
A surveillance video on the grounds of the Flagler County Courthouse helped authorities rule out Flagler school buses and detect a large rig that passed by the scene two minutes before the buses did.
Florida Universities Respond to Rick Scott’s Inquisition With a Massive Document Dump
Public university leaders, through thousands of pages of answers that include backup academic studies and appendixes, have replied to Gov. Rick Scott’s request to outline what the schools are doing to ensure graduates meet the need of Florida employers.
In Praise of Tom Wicker, Antidote to the Age of Reagan
Tom Wicker, the Times columnist for 25 years, wrote as if he’d seen the country’s best days. He probably had even then, having witnessed the eight years of Reagan taking out a second, third and fourth mortgage on the nation’s prosperity while making Americans feel like a million bucks.
The Rich Are Different From You and Me
Donald Kaul responds to questions raised by his recent “class-war-is-over-the-rich-guys-won” column, demystifying wealth, taxes and other dogmas.
Theresa Woodfin, 28, Is Killed in 3-Vehicle Crash on SR100 as Logging Truck Rams Her
Theresa Woodfin, 28, was killed in a fiery three-vehicle crash that shut down SR100 10 miles west of Bunnell Friday afternoon. A fully-loaded logging truck involved in the crash was on its flank, its cargo spread across the highway.
Workers’ Black Fridays: Florida Second in Mass Layoffs in October; Chill Winds Ahead
While mass media’s attention has deflected attention to the annual post-Thanksgiving shopping craze known as black Friday, indicators point to conflicting and worrisome trends ahead for Florida’s and America’s pocketbooks.
Appeals Court Lets Lawsuit Over School Funding Proceed, Florida Supreme Court Next
An 8-7 ruling by the First District Court of Appeals overturned the state’s effort to stop the lawsuit and may lead to a momentous decision by the Florida Supreme Court interpreting the state’s responsibility to adequately pay for education under the Florida Constitution.
Feed Flagler: Community-Wide Celebration Wraps-Up With 3,000 Meals Served
We’re reporting live this afternoon from various Feed Flagler locations as the community-wide Thanksgiving celebration takes place from 3 to 6 p.m.
Feed Flagler Raises $25,000 as Don Fleming Reminds Suzanne Johnston Who’s Sheriff
The $25,000 raised largely on the strength of the sheriff and the tax collector’s efforts is $10,000 more than last year, and means that $14,000 of it will be split between two Flagler County food pantries. The rest pays for today’s 4,000 free Thanksgiving meals across the county.
Sunshine Lessons Clouded By Possibly Dimmer Visibility as Jobs Council Meets for 1st Time
Flagler’s nine-member Economic Development Council conducted the equivalent of a meet-and-greet for itself on Tuesday and promptly reversed a promise that all meetings would be televised live, opting instead for audio broadcasts.
Flagler School District Reaffirms Wireless Ban On Buses Even As It Encourages iPad Fever
A proposal to let students use their smart phones to listen to music or text failed on a 2-2 vote, but the school board left silent the matter of tablets, such as iPads, which can also be used to read a book, do homework or write an essay on the bus–but are now banned as well.
Routine County Appointments Get Testy As Commissioner McLaughlin Challenges Holland
Barbara Revels’s appointment as chairman of the Flagler County Commission was overshadowed by Alan Peterson’s and Nate McLaughlin’s unsuccessful attempts to replace Milissa Holland on two boards. McLaughlin did not take the rejection happily.
Driven By Lower Fuel Costs, FPL Projects Lowering Power Bills By $2 a Month in 2012
FPL, the state’s largest utility, said 2012 fuel costs are now projected to be $460 million less than it had anticipated earlier as natural gas costs keep dropping. That won’t affect surcharges for future nuclear power plant construction.