Senior Trump aides had been warned the Jan. 6 events could turn chaotic, with tens of thousands of people potentially overwhelming ill-prepared law enforcement officials. Rather than trying to halt the march, Trump and his allies accommodated its leaders, according to text messages and interviews with Republican operatives and officials.
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How Flagler County’s Drunken-Sailor, All-Republican Commissioners Tried to Con You Into a Higher Tax
The Flagler County Commission’s attempt unilaterally to impose an increase in the sales tax is the latest example of a lazy, bumbling commission addicted to spending, deceptive in its methods and indifferent to the long-term public interest.
Palm Coast Councilman Ed Danko Investigated By City Over Harassment of Employees and Interference With Duties
Palm Coast City Council member Ed Danko, elected last November, has been the subject of an internal inquiry triggered by allegations he harassed and bullied employees and was rude to them, records show. The investigation, which remains open, concluded in a draft report that Danko had “inappropriately attempted to influence staff’s administrative duties.” Interference would be a violation of the city charter. Danko disputes the finding.
County Administrator May Have to Pay Sheriff’s Lunch Back as Operations Center Is Again Delayed, Almost a Year
The opening of the 51,000-square-foot facility is now seen no earlier than the end of 2022, instead of next November. By then, the sheriff will have been exiled from the former Sheriff’s Operations Center on State Road 100 for almost four and a half years–longer than a full term in office.
Veni Vidi Vinci: Flagler Beach Detective Is Named Officer of the Year by Florida Police Chiefs Association
Flagler Beach Police detective Rosanna Vinci, on the job at the city for seven years, is the Florida Police Chiefs Association winner of the Lee McGehee Award for small Law Enforcement agencies statewide. The Flagler Beach City Commission will recognize Vinci at its meeting this evening, at 5:30 p.m., the association will do so next week.
Florida Prisons Want to Ban Most ‘Routine’ Mail, Replacing It with Communal Email. Families Are Outraged.
Florida prison officials’ plan to replace prisoners’ “routine” mail with digitized versions viewed on tablet computers or communal kiosks has sparked an outcry among inmates’ families and advocates, who argue that preserving bonds with loved ones while prisoners are locked up dramatically increases later chances of success on the outside.
Flagler 3rd Graders’ Reading Scores Fall 9 Points Amid Pandemic Disruptions, But Remote Students Held Their Own
Just 59 percent of third graders in Flagler County scored a satisfactory level 3 or better on the Florida Standards Assessment in reading last schoolyear, a nine-point drop from the last time the tests were administered, but statewide students learning remote did slightly better than those learning at school.
No Acquittal This Time for For L’Darius Smith as Jury Convicts Him of Aggravated Assault in Race-Tinged Confrontation
Two brothers, 63 and 59, had allegedly called L’Darius Smith the N word in a confrontation that began with one of the men complimenting him for his Batman jacket. He picked up a baseball bat–and a conviction for aggravated assault that may now send him to prison. Four years ago he was acquitted of charges of molesting his sisters when they were young children. He still faces a burglary charge.
Florida Universities Are Now Required to Conduct Annual Surveys Measuring ‘Intellectual Diversity’
Under the auspices of intellectual freedom, Florida’s universities, colleges and and community colleges will be required to do an annual survey to ensure diverse views on campuses, including conservative opinions. At issue is that some lawmakers believe that colleges and universities are liberal bastions where conservative voices have been suppressed on campuses.
Terry McManus, Who Runs Flagler Beach’s City-Owned Golf Course, Is Guilty of Felony DUI and Faces Up to 5 Years
McManus, who was immediately taken into custody at the Flagler County jail, faces another trial on a felony insurance fraud charge later this year, and is battling a civil suit in a breach of contract case involving the golf club’s management company.