State law removes the red-light cameras’ cash-cow incentive and forces cities to abide by uniform state standards.
Featured
Allegations of Racist Slurs and Excessive Force Land Flagler Beach Police Officer in Jail
Robert Milstead is accused of using excessive force on an elderly man and pepper-spraying him and another individual when both were handcuffed.
Flagler Libraries Avoid Service Cuts; Expansion of Community Space and Café Planned
Retirements and cost-savings enable Flagler’s library system to save more than $100,000, keep the same hours in 2010-11 and 18 people employed, and plan for a modest expansion.
Citing School Board Flux, Conklin Opts Out of Taking on Thrasher Or Others Until 2012
Her eyes set on higher office in 2012, School Board member Colleen Conklin said she came close to running against John Thrasher but will let a Duval Democrat take him on.
CNN Confessions: Not Quite Oprah After the Show
What was supposed to be a leisurely interview on Saturday afternoon turned into its own Deepwater Horizon blowout.
2 Women, Both 19, Killed in Single-Truck Flip on US 1’s “Triple-A Curve,” 1 Man Injured
The young people, from Ormond Beach, were returning from the beach and carried evidence of a party. None wore seat-belts.
How the Oil Slick Is Fouling Florida’s Government Budgets–And What To Do About It
The oil spill is Florida’s 9/11. People won’t die. A way of life will. The Florida Legislature should be in crisis mode, not in recess, anticipating what to do next.
Catch FlaglerLive on CNN
I’ll be on CNN Newsroom with Fredricka Whitfield during the 3 p.m. hour discussing the oil spill’s impact on local governments, and particular local school districts.
Crist, Rediscovering His Inner Moderate, Vetoes Anti-Abortion Bill
The veto continues Crist’s rejection of GOP hard lines against teacher unions and in favor of unregulated business.
Taylor’s Journal:
FPC’s Problem Solvers in Their Own
World Cup in Wisconsin
FPC’s history-making Community Problem Solvers teams are in their own world finals competition in Wisconsin, June 9-13. Taylor Tofal’s journal gives us an inside look.
Fury and Fallacies Hook Red Snapper Fishing Ban
The indefinite extension of the ban on commercial or recreational fishing for red snapper off Florida’s coast will hurt boaters. But so would overfishing and crashing fish populations.
Flagler Beach Police Get 3-Year Contract, No Raises
The 10 percent-a-year raises of the police rank and file’s previous contract give way to realities of shrinking government budgets and stingy taxpayers.
Old Courthouse Revival Plans Die with Sheriff’s No-Show
The sheriff pulls out of an arrangement that would have filled the old courthouse with his offices, the Bunnell city administration and a library.
Palm Coast Muscles Closer to $10 Million City Hall Through Financial Ploys
City administrator Jim Landon corralled the council to his vision of a new city hall, with a 2012 move-in date.
3 From FPC, Representing Florida, Heading for DC’s Kennedy Center Stage
Boyd Fulmer, Caitlin Hannan and Jeff McDevitt join 82 other top students in the National Honor Ensembles for the concert at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Black Masonic Cemetery “Re-Dedicated”; Future Maintenance Still in Question
The historic cemetery was restored as part of the Old Kings Road widening project, with hopes of ensuring its future as a historic landmark.
House-Hunting Bunnell Hopes for an End to Old Courthouse Feuds Tonight
Absent a miracle with the old Flagler County Courthouse, the Bunnell city administration may have no home it can call its own for a few more years yet.
Commission Approves Chamber’s Tax Referendum for November Ballot
The Flagler County Commission voted unanimously to include the referendum on the November ballot after raising some questions and making slight amendments to the proposal.
How the Chamber’s Tax Proposal Undermines Schools, Cities and the County
Ignoring leery voters and a building bust, the Flagler chamber’s tax for commercial construction is jeopardizing local governments’ own urgent tax referendums in 2011 and 2012.
Marineland Mobilizes Against BP Oil Spill — and Beyond
Florida has no contingency plan if dolphins, turtles and manatees begin showing up coated in oil. Marineland’s Jim Jacoby wants to fix a blind spot in planning dating back to two Jeb Bush vetoes in 2000 and 2001.
Steeling It Up at the Caribbean Festival (Parking Grinches Aside)
The two-day festival, running through Sunday, is a celebration of the senses in music, food and dance. Bring empty stomachs and open ears.
What’s the State of Ecumenism in Flagler (And What on Earth is Ecumenism Anyway)?
Saturday evening’s music and fellowship program at Santa Maria del Mar brings together six churches and five denominations in a historic display of unity in Flagler County.
Palm Coast Replaces Tired Fire Truck With $374,000 Model
The new fire truck, part of the city fire department’s fleet of 14 vehicles, will burn fuel more cleanly and replaces a model that had logged 169,000 miles since 1995.
Class-Size Limits: How Flagler Schools Are Scrambling to Fit in Costly Strait-Jacket
The Flagler school district will spend upwards of $600,000 (to start) to comply with constitutionally required class-size reductions that have no appreciable effect on quality education.
Taxable Property Values Plummet a Record 20%; Dire Numbers for Local Governments
The drop is the steepest of the last three years. Some $5 billion in taxable values have been wiped out since 2007.
FPC Does ESPN: Sports’ Video Year in Review
Three FPC students distilled a year’s worth of 19 school sports into a 30-minute highlight video. Here it is.
Graduations from God to America
Graduation speeches are part of the American habit of reinvention. They should be provocative and revealing, even if we don’t all agree with the message.
Mentors
Marking successes over struggles, 54 students and 30 mentors were honored at the 3rd annual African American Mentor Program’s banquet Friday.
Ten Things You Should Know About the $70.4 Billion Budget Crist Is About To Sign
Undermining Bright Futures, imposing ultrasounds on pregnant women, studying school funding, favoring bikers, and more curiosities from the state budget.
Old Courthouse Plans Collapse; Holland Charges County Administrator “Railroaded” Her
A meeting on what to do with the old Flagler County Courthouse turned into a bitter clash between Commissioner Milissa Holland and County Administrator Craig Coffey.
3rd Grade FCAT Scores Well Above State Average; 11% Fail; Charter School Lags
The district’s overall score dropped 3 points in reading and improved one point in math. Heritage Academy is a drag.
Who has Dibs on This Old Thing?
(Hint: Sheriff Not Too Interested)
Three years on, the Flagler County Commission is still trying to decide what to do with the old courthouse, with Bunnell and the Sheriff at the top of the list of possibilities.
Florida Legislature’s Spending Misleadingly Labeled as Pork
Most of the spending called “pork” (or “turkeys” by Florida TaxWatch is of immediate and necessary benefit to senior health, care for the poor and transportation.
What You Should Know Before You Buy Your Usher, Rihanna and Bieber Tickets in Daytona
Manuel Bornia, head of Daytona’s International Festival, has a growing trail of exaggerations, self-promotion, and outright inventions to his credit–on other people’s dime.
Palm Coast Council Strains to Live Within Its Means at Goal-Setting
The flush years over, the council is looking to set measurable goals that don’t cost too much money but still provide services residents are looking for.
Revenue Crunch Not Yet Sobering
Palm Coast City Council’s Ambitions
Palm Coast’s flush years are over, yet City Manager Jim Landon and the council are still high on a new city hall and a water desalination plant.
How Flagler County Is Preparing for the BP Oil Slick–If It Hits (And What You Need to Know)
Flagler County’s emergency response to the oil slick hitting Flagler Beaches is similar to hurricane preparation. It’s happening now.
91% of Flagler High School Seniors Clear FCAT Graduation Hurdle; Most Others Fail Re-Takes
Flagler’s seniors down to their last chance to pass the FCAT before graduation did not do as well as last year’s seniors, although the numbers can be deceiving.
Lay-Offs at Palm Coast Data; Parent Co. Posts Loss and Signs $20 Million Line of Credit
Palm Coast Data’s parent company, Amrep Corp., posted a $2.76 million loss for the first nine fiscal months of 2010.
4-Year, $168,600 Contract for Superintendent Janet Valentine
Janet Valentine will replace Bill Delbrugge on July 1, when Delbrugge heads to a new job and life in Cairo, Egypt.
Bohemian Rhapsody: Flagler Firefighters Go Czech to Defend World Title
They were world champions last year. This week, two teams of Flagler medic-firefighters return to Prague to defend their title.
White Elephants Grinding Down Flagler Airport
Commissioners on Monday learned of yet another county airport building for which taxpayers are left holding the bag.
Goomba’s Ex-Hit Man Joe Milano’s Trials Delayed Until June
The trials of Joseph Milano, former Goomba’s Pizzeria owner and former mafia hit man, were delayed until at least mid-June by both the prosecution’s and the defense’s maneuvers in separate cases.
Florida’s Abortion Follies:
When Lawmakers Are Sexual Predators
Florida’s latest anti-abortion legislation shows that sexual predators aren’t just the monsters who assault and rape. They can also be men who control women and girls by subordinating them their moral assumptions, which usually have immoral results.
Flagler Beach Manager Search:
Carpetbaggers Need Not Apply
Art Woosley, a Flagler Beach activist, argues that the next city manager should be a local resident with heart and interests in line with the city’s.
All Potatoes All the Time in Bunnell’s Festival
A mashed-potato eating contest and cookoff highlighted Bunnell’s second annual Potato Festival on Saturday.
Contrary to Fears, Bunnell Bypass Would Not Significantly Affect Traffic, Studies Show
Bunnell’s downtown won’t be lacking in traffic in the future. The real battle is over a mega-developer’s road-improvement funds.
Flagler Beach City Manager Search Launches Over Fault Lines
A fractured city commission decided against head-hunters or consultants in the search for a new city manager. Commissioners will do all the work.
Our Local (Lady) Sully: It Landed on SR 100 in Palm Coast
Leslie and John Nixon of Ormond Beach were on their way to dinner in Georgia when their Cessna 172 blew a cylinder over Flagler County, forcing them to make a hard landing on the westbound lane of State Road 100.
Honoring Flagler’s Finest, and Fallen
Flagler County Sheriff Don Fleming on Thursday led a moving memorial for officers lost in the line of duty.
