The 60ish driver was riding his truck illegally on the Bunnell’s Pax Trax Motocross course. Two men–Jeff Armstrong, a former fireman, and Jake Flumerfelt–rescued him as water filled his truck and he sat there, awake but not moving.
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Palm Coast Maps Out Gentler, Kinder Impact Fees on Developers, But Questions Arise
The one-time impact fees developers pay when they build something would be lower for residential construction. Builders would get discounts for paying up front, or get to pay them on an installment plan.
Dust Up Those Squeals, Venus: Frankie Avalon At the Flagler Auditorium Tonight
Frankie Avalon, now 70, is making the Flagler Auditorium one of just 12 stops on his 2011 tour. He’ll be singing the hits that made him famous in pre-Beatles days, along with songs from his 30 movies that kept him famous.
Bunnell Commissioners Crain-Brady and Rogers Are Sworn In, Flynt Exits After 8 Years
Unlike last year, when the mayor and two commissioners were re-elected after facing no opposition, Jenny Crain-Brady and John Rogers were the survivors of a five-way race last month.
76-Year-Old Man On a Scooter Killed in Crash With Waste Pro Truck South of Bunnell
The man was traveling north on U.S. 1 in Korona, just south of the Old Dixie Highway intersection, when a maintenance pick-up truck pulled out of the service station and struck him.
Flagler Beach Against DOT’s Seawall: County Joins City’s Opposition, With Conditions
Flagler County doesn’t want a seawall in Flagler Beach either, but the county doesn’t want to lose $6 million in highway funding–earmarked for SR A1A’s protection–that it hopes to shift either toward a study or toward an alternative to the seawall.
30 Days to Go, $3.8 Billion to Find: Lawmakers Set to Flatline Health Care Programs
Hospitals, Medicaid, the poor, the very sick and the Department of Health would all face severe cutbacks as the Legislature enters its session’s second half, with abortion, pill mills and medical malpractice issues yet unresolved.
Barack Obama and Rick Scott In Florida Voters’ Eyes: From Lousy to Dismal
The latest poll has Obama’s approval at just 44 percent, and Scott’s at 35 percent, with Scott’s disapproval rating doubling in two months, and 60 percent of Floridians saying Florida is on the wrong path. The poll reveals widespread dissatisfaction.
Tour de Goodwill: 460 Cyclists Set Off in Flagler Beach Rotary’s 8th Annual Ride
The Flagler Beach Rotary’s Cycle Flagler drew the largest number of cyclists and raised upward of $14,000 for the Rotary’s Christmas and scholarship funds. Riders cycled from 24 to 100 miles.
FPC Posts Video of Teacher’s Public Apology Over Gay Student Bullying
Shop teacher Floyd Binkley’s apology for telling an offensive gay joke appears in the last fifth of the nearly six-minute video as part of a public service announcement about bullying and harassment. The video skirts the details of the matter.
Public Money for Private Schools: Voucher Programs Set to Expand Across Florida
Several bills with enough support in the Florida Legislature would expand student eligibility for voucher programs, including making it easier for corporations to write off taxes in exchange for providing voucher money.
Bogus Government Shutdown, Real Anti-Government Senility
The nation could use a government shut down, but a real one–including “essential services”–to give those who think they can do without government a taste of what they claim to want.
At Public Forum on Sex Education, Passionate Opinions and Reprimands, But No Consensus
Some 40 people spoke out of the 100 who showed up at the school district’s forum on what direction sex education should take. The disappointing turnout underscored the board’s point–that parents are uninvolved, making the district’s role more vital.
Far Apart, School Unions and Flagler District Negotiators Still Looking for a Common Page
After two sessions on Wednesday, negotiators only agreed to meet again in mid-April to discuss clearer, fresher budget numbers before negotiating proposed cuts of $3.5 million that would affect most employees and students in the district.
Campaign Crumbs: Flagler Commissioner Nate McLaughlin Facing “Probable” Ethics Violation
The ethics complaint relates to an incomplete financial disclosure form McLaughlin filed during his campaign for the county commission last August. The complaint was filed by then0-incumbent Bob Abbott’s campaign manager, Ed Caroe.
School Employees Facing Steep Increases in Health Insurance Costs, Further Eroding Pay
Premiums are rising by up to 37 percent for many of the 1,337 school district employees who seek health coverage, particularly for those with family coverage. Employees also face another pay cut next year if retirement contributions are expected of them.
42-Foot Sailboat Nearly Sinks Between Marineland and St. Augustine, 4 Are Rescued
The four people and a dog on the boat were on their way to a four- to six-month cruise to the Caribbean. A St. Augustine boat police patrolman responded to the distress call and rescued the sailors Wednesday.
Fire At Eagles Nest Storage in Flagler Beach Claims or Damages 8 Units
The fire broke out between 5:30 and 5:45 p.m. in a storage unit where tenants had been working on an older Volkswagen all day. Something ignited and they were unable to control the flames.
For a Few Cents Less: Legislature Moving to Slow Required Minimum Wage Increases
Voters approved a constitutional amendment linking the minimum wage to inflation. Florida lawmakers would also reduce the rate of growth based on a different way of calculating inflation.
Conklin Calls on Flagler School Board to Sue Scott and Legislature Over Education Funding
Flagler County School Board member Colleen Conklin says the state has abdicated its constitutional responsibility to properly fund education, and wants the board to sue the state. The board will discuss the matter on April 19.
In Their Words: What Flagler’s Students and Adults Think of Sex, Abstinence and Condoms
More than 2,600 student surveys on sex education and behavior and 34 pages of students’ comments–and fewer by adults–were tallied ahead of Thursday’s public forum on sex education.
But Should They Be Paid? Flagler School Board Members Defend Their Salaries
A Florida Senate proposal would replace school board members’ salaries with a $100 per-meeting stipend. Retirement and health benefits would be eliminated, too. Savings would exceed $10 million a year.
They Bring Good Schemes to Life:
How GE Pays Little Or No Corporate Taxes
GE’s tax department is a company in itself: some 1,000 people working to minimize GE’s corporate tax liabilities, with huge success. In 2010, GE paid no taxes on $14.2 billion in profits. GE claimed a tax benefit of $3.2 billion.
Tornado Watch for Flagler and St. Johns Counties Lifted; Rain Into Afternoon
The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for Flagler and St. Johns counties, among seven northeast Florida counties, in effect until 10 a.m. Tuesday.
Schools May Be Required to Digitize Half Their Textbook Budgets Within 2 Years
Schools are resisting the House proposal because two years isn’t enough time to enact it, and it leave behind students without Internet access. The Senate proposal is less stringent.
Flagler Commissioners Endorse SunRail As Gov. Scott Prepares to Derail Commuter Line
SunRail would have connected DeBary and Tampa as a commuter rail line, which the Legislature approved in December 2009. Gov. Rick Scott is likely to kill the project by summer, ending Central Florida’s brief flirtation with alternative transportation.
49th Day Shay-Gu Ceremony for Jigme Norbu, Dalai Lama’s Nephew Killed in the Hammock
Jigme Norbu was killed on Valentine’s Day at the start of his walk for Florida. A ceremony at the crash site Sunday marked the 49th, and last, day of mourning, which releases the soul–and those left behind.
Gainesville’s Rogue Pastor And the Limits of Free Speech: A Dissent
First Amendment rights have their limits, argues Thomas Brown: Gainesville’s Pastor Jones should have been stopped from burning the Koran, which can be viewed as an act of terrorism expressly and imminently inciting violence.
Lobbying for Corruption: U.S. Chamber of Commerce Attacking Anti-Bribery Law
Even as anger over governmental corruption has exploded into protests across the Middle East, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has been working to weaken the law that bans companies from bribing foreign officials.
SUV Rear-Ends Motorcycle in Beverly Beach; 4-Car Wreck at Toll Bridge
The wreck took place shortly after 12:30 p.m. on SR A1A at Osprey Drive, shutting down traffic in both directions for about 40 minutes. Victims had non-life-threatening injuries.
Gainesville’s Terry Jones Did Not Murder 11 UN Workers and Afghans. Muslims Did.
There is no comparison between Terry Jones of Gainesville’s Dove World Outreach burning the Koran and Muslim fanatics murdering 11 people in retaliation. Jones is a fanatic. He’s no murderer. And he deserves First Amendment protection.
The Art League’s Nomadic Spring Festival Finally Finds a Home at City Market Place
Formerly known as Art in the Park, the Flagler County Art League’s Spring festival inaugurates its new home at City Market Place this weekend with some 50 vendors, 10 galleries and hundreds of artists and their works.
Merit Pay’s Trap: When Lawmakers Are Clueless About Teachers’ Classroom Realities
Jo Ann C. Nahirny, a teacher at Matanzas High School, describes the gulf between merit pay assumptions about teachers and everyday classroom realities that are beyond teachers’ control. Lawmakers appear clueless.
Flagler’s Quality of Health Ranks It 17th in the State; Smoking and Obesity a Problems
Department of Health Administrator Patrick Johnson cautions that Flagler’s health rankings should not be overdramatized–for good or ill–but that they still point to trends that should clarify where the county’s health priorities should be.
Florida Legislators’ Creepy Uterus Obsession
Florida lawmakers want to force women seeking an abortion in the second trimester to watch an ultrasound of their fetus first. It’s a back-alley assault on women’s privacy and abortion rights.
March Unemployment Falls to 8.8% as Improving Economy Adds 216,000 Jobs
March unemployment: Almost 1 million net new jobs have been created since October 2010, most of them powered by the private sector, as the economy continues to improve.
Volusia Schools Joining Flagler in Protecting LGBT Sexual Identity Against Bullying
The policy change in Volusia was prompted by the case of an 8-year-old Deltona girl being raised as a boy. It follows on the heels of a similar move in Flagler County to protect gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender (GLBT) students.
Flagler Palm Coast YMCA Closing After 9 Years At Florida Hospital; Stand-Alone Y a Goal
The Palm Coast-Flagler Family YMCA was losing $50,000 a year for the past three years despite a membership of 900. The location was constraining. Local organizers hope to launch plans for a stand-alone Y in the future.
Happy Anniversary: News-Journal Owner Wants News Crew Selling Subscriptions & Ads
At the 1-year mark of his ownership, News-Journal publisher Michael Redding is offering $25 to staffers who secure a 3-month subscription, $40 to those who get 6-month deal, and $50 to those who land $100 in advertising. Newsroom staffers are “insulted.”
2,000 Flagler Customers Without Power Late Wednesday Evening; FPL Calls for Patience
Up to 11,000 customers had been without power at one point in Flagler County following a storm that whipped winds of up to 70 miles per hour. Volusia, Brevard and Seminole were also severely hit.
Parental Report Cards: Florida Lawmaker Wants Teachers Grading Your Parenting Skills
Kelli Stargel, Republican of Lakeland, thinks parents should be graded on their child’s preparedness as one way to address parental involvement and student underachievement. The proposal leaves economic and social issues mute.
Timely Boost: Feed Flagler Nets 2 Pantries $7,680, Enough to Buy 40 Tons of Food
The money is what’s left, after expenses, of Feed Flagler’s fund-raising that provided 2,000 free meals at 10 locations the day before Thanksgiving. It’s timely help as pantries begin to run dry.
July 4th Twice Over Again As Flagler Beach And Palm Coast Will Each Launch Fireworks
The Tourist Development Council would grant each city $15,000. Flagler Beach will have the July 4 display this time, while Palm Coast will launch on July 3rd, at Town Center. Last year, they did it in reverse.
For Palm Coast, Community Centers Are “Pie in the Sky” But City Hall Hovers Closer
The city council says there’s no money for ambitious, long-range plans for community centers it discussed on Tuesday, although at previous meetings it never disputed the availability of $10 million for a new city hall.
15-Year-Old Faces Charges Over a .40-Caliber Gun at Indian Trails Middle School Campus
The gun never made it into the school building, nor was it found during school hours. But Travis Williams was already serving a 10-day suspension from school when he allegedly walked with the gun on school property.
Gov. Scott Vows to End “Oxycontin Express,” Yet Legislature Weakens Pill Mill Regulations
Gov. Rick Scott gave no details on his assault on the “Oxycontin Express,” and a Senate committee approved eliminating a ban on doctors dispensing more than a three-day supply of drugs to patients who pay with cash or credit cards.
From Teacher Merit Pay to Charter School Expansion: Legislature Marches On
Like the swiftly-approved teacher merit pay reforms, the push to expand charter schools, including expanding preferential admittance, has the strong backing of Gov. Rick Scott, and continues to revamp education.
Yes, Stetson Kennedy Is Still Alive: Labor and Civil Rights Legend at Stetson Wednesday
Stetson Kennedy, who unmasked the Ku Klux Klan after infiltrating it and remains a prominent voice for unions, labor and civil rights, gives a free lecture at Stetson University. He is 94.
Palm Coast’s Shaklyia Chess, 16-Year-Old FPC Student, Killed in Wreck South of Bunnell
Shaklyia Chess was a 16-year-old junior at Flagler Palm Coast High School. She was driving south late Saturday night on US1 when she lost control of her car.
Single-Engine Yak 52 Crashes at Wings Over Flagler; One Pilot Is Dead; Tribute on Sunday
The Yak 52 went down at 4:27 p.m. while in the middle of a maneuver with another plane. The pilot was killed.