This is the book wrote by me, Ronald Dion DeSantis, aged 44-½. I wanted to call it “My Struggle,” but Casey said that wasn’t a good idea. So, we gave it the title “The Courage to be Free.”
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
Any Private or Home Schooled Student Would Be Eligible for $8,000 in Massive Expansion of ‘Vouchers’ at Public Expense
The Republican-controlled House passed a measure that would make every Florida student –in private school, religious schools or home-schooled–eligible for $8,000 in taxpayer-backed school vouchers, as Democrats and other critics slammed the expansion as a “coupon for millionaires.”
Belle Terre Swim Club’s Finances Are Not as Dire as Projected, Club Advocate Says
Doug Courtney, a member of the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club’s advisory committee, questions the school district’s claims that closing the club to public use would be a financial benefit.
Matanzas Aide Attacked by 17 Year Old Had Reported His Threats As Far Back as August
Joan Naydich, the 58-year-old Matanzas High School paraprofessional attacked by one of her students on Feb. 21 had alerted the classroom teacher as far back as late August of the student’s aggression and belligerence, according to a petition for an injunction she filed at the end of February.
Scapino Walks This Way Into City Repertory Theatre’s Farce, Ameliorating Molière
In “Scapino!,” the servant Scapino schemes to manipulate his authoritarian master Geronte and a rival patriarch away from disrupting the romances of their offspring. It’s a “a free-for-all farce,” in the words of City Repertory Theatre Director John Sbordone.
Starting Palm Coast Council Meetings with ‘Invocation’ Would Be Unnecessarily Divisive
At a time when communities are divided enough by party, ideology, color and sometimes geography, the Palm Coast City Council’s proposal to start its meetings with a prayer, or invocation would add yet more divisiveness, when the council should be celebrating residents’ shared humanity and basic decency.
A Series of Frantic Hearings at Bunnell Courthouse Are Preceding State’s Killing of Louis Gaskin
Nearly half a dozen hearings are taking place at the Flagler County courthouse between this week and next in the case of Louis Gaskin, who is scheduled to be executed by the state on April 12. The hearings are last-minutes attempt either to delay or to annul the execution, but the likelihood of success is beyond the realm of hail Marys.
20-Year-Old Palm Coast Man Charged With Robbery of a Door Dash Delivery Man
Jakeem Washington-Howell, a 20-year-old resident of Breeze Hill lane in Palm Coast, faces a second-degree felony robbery charge that carries a maximum of 15 years in prison on conviction following an alleged robbery of a Door Dash delivery man Tuesday night.
Sally Hunt Courted Ex-FPC Principal Dusty Sims for Superintendent Outside School Board’s and Public’s Purview
Flagler County School Board member Sally Hunt has been courting Dusty Sims, the former Flagler Palm Coast High School principal, as a replacement for Superintendent Cathy Mittelstadt, without the school board’s approval or knowledge, and before Mittlelstadt’s fate is decided. Hunt’s maneuvering contradicts pretenses of neutrality at school board meetings.
Janet Valentine, a Juror and Future Superintendent, Regrets Voting for Gaskin’s Death. Prosecutor Does Not.
Janet Valentine, who would become Flagler school superintendent 20 years later, was one of the jurors who recommended the death of Louis Gaskin in 1990, a vote she now regrets. Gaskin is to be put to death in April. John Tanner, the State Attorney at the time, has no regrets for seeking the death penalty.
In Riveting Discussion on Prayers at Meetings, Palm Coast Council Defers to ‘Neutral’ Caution
The Palm Coast council discussed a proposed prayer policy today in what turned into an unusually absorbing and equally civil hourlong seminar on the First Amendment, the limits of expressions of belief in government settings, and the unintended and potentially offensive consequences of an open-invocation policy.
Ky Ekinci, Champion of Small Businesses and Office Divvy Co-Owner, Dies at 53
Kayhan Ekinci, the co-owner of Office Divvy and former co-owner of the Humidor, who was known to most as Ky, died on Sunday afternoon after he collapsed while jogging near Water Tower Road in the Cypress Edge area of Palm Coast. He was 53.
Louis Gaskin, Convicted for 2 Murders in R-Section in 1990, to Be 1st-Ever Execution of Flagler Resident
Louis Gaskin, a murderer known as the “Ninja Killer,” is set to be killed by lethal injection on April 12 for the 1989 murders of Robert Sturmfels, 56, and Georgette Sturmfels, 55, on Ripley Place in Palm Coast.
Would-Be Book-Banner Appeals Nowhere Girls Decision Even Before 14-0 Vote to Keep It
A 14-member district committee voted unanimously this evening to recommend keeping Amy Reed’s “The Nowhere Girls,” a book deconstructing high school rape culture, on the shelves at Flagler Palm Coast High School and Matanzas High School. The woman challenging the book filed an appeal to the school board even before the superintendent has weighed on.
Citing ‘Reason Above Prejudice,’ Superintendent Upholds Recommendation to Keep Sold on School Shelves
Citing “principle above personal opinion and reason above prejudice,” Flagler School Superintendent Cathy Mittlestadt upheld the recommendation of a district appeals committee to keep Patricia McCormick’s “Sold,” on human trafficking, on library shelves at high and middle schools.
Flagler District Wants Earlier High School Start Time Just as State and Research Go the Other Way
A disconnect is developing between the Flagler County School Board and a proposed state law to push middle and high school start times later. The Flagler board favors a later start time for middle schools. But it’s pushing an earlier start time for high schools.
Road Rage Stabbing on I-95 Leads to Arrest of Felon Out on Bond for Another Stabbing
Michael Marsh Jr., who faces a felony charge stemming from the stabbing of a truck driver on I-95, is a felon many times over in the past dozen years and a former state prison inmate who was out on bond at the time of the road rage incident–on an aggravated battery charge involving a stabbing.
How Cupcake Café’s TikTok of Mr Keith’s Surgical Cake Order Went Viral in Whirls of Good Wishes
TikTok clips by Theresa Tazewell, owner of Cupcake Cafe in Palm Coast, went viral as she documented customer Keith’s wish to pay for his wife’s birthday cake in advance for fear that he might die during surgery. He survived, and was lavished with millions of good wishes from a round the globe through Tazewell’s TikToks.
Michael Rickman Performs Beethoven’s 2nd Piano Concerto in Daytona Solisti’s Final Concert
The Daytona Solisti Chamber Orchestra’s annual Beethovenfest concert on March 26 will celebrate Ludwig van Beethoven with the first full-length orchestral piece the composer ever wrote: Piano Concerto No. 2, featuring pianist Dr. Michael Rickman, an internationally acclaimed pianist.
Severe Thunderstorm Potential Sunday Night Into Monday
A Low-pressure system and accompanying cold front will generate strong to severe thunderstorms Sunday afternoon into Monday in Northeast Florida and Southwest Georgia. The squall line is expected over Flagler County between 11 p.m. this evening and 8 a.m. Monday. after 7 p.m.
A Motorcyclist Is Killed, Another Is Critically Injured in Separate Crashes in Flagler
As Bike Week was entering its closing weekend, a motorcyclist was killed and another was critically injured Friday in separate crashes in Flagler County, the first in Palm Coast, the second in Bunnell.
Challenged in Flagler Schools: Amy Reed’s The Nowhere Girls, a Review and Recommendation
Amy Reed’s “The Nowhere Girls,” a 2017 novel on high school rape culture and three girls’ attempt to counter it, is a #MeToo manifesto for young adults. It’s up for banning from Flagler schools. This review is a guide.
Two Suspects Fleeing From Cops on US1 Left 2 Dogs in Burning Vehicle. One Died.
The man and the woman fleeing from cops in a stolen pick-up truck Thursday on U.S. 1 abandoned the truck on fire and ran into the woods before being chased down and arrested. But they’d left their two dogs in the burning truck. One died, the other dog disappeared.
The Winner of a Historic Landslide and Prodigal Everyman Get Busy on Diverse Flagler Beach Commission
The Flagler Beach City Commission reconstituted with Scott Spradley and Rick Belhumeur Thursday. As a group, and with Jane Mealy still its reigning dean, the commission combines experience and youth, business, law, academia, real estate, labor and Belhumeur’s Everyman.
School Board’s Sally Hunt Claims That She Resigned, Then, Bizarrely, Retracts the Claim
Sally Hunt claimed this evening in her own words that she had resigned her Flagler County School Board seat, four months after her election. It was not necessarily true. Hunt has appeared increasingly conflicted by the glare she’s been attracting recently, glare only likely to intensify after the conduct she exhibited this evening.
Stolen Pick-Up Truck Burns on U.S. 1 Near Hargrove Grade as Occupants Flee Intense Chase
The report of a stolen pick-up truck Volusia County and heading into Flagler led to a chase in the county, where the occupants abandoned the truck, on fire, near Hargrove Grade on U.S. 1, triggering a foot pursuit that continues as of now. The incident has drawn a very large police response and some traffic controls on U.S. 1.
Teens-In-Flight Makes Plane-Piloting Dream Come True for Terminally Ill 16 Year Old
Austin Booth has been afflicted with numerous illnesses since birth and was given only eight or nine years to live. He’s now 16, and last week he took off from Flagler County airport at the controls of a Teens-in-Flight Cessna, making a lifetime’s dream come true.
School Board Will Decide Superintendent’s Fate in April as Back-Channel Jockeying Intensifies
The Flagler County School Board agreed to vote on whether to extend or not renew Superintendent Cathy Mittlestadt’s contract on April 18, but each member will have filed evaluations and discussed them by April 4, when the superintendent’s fate should be clearer.
Palm Coast’s Curley Tail Design Celebrates 25 Years in Business
Since 1998 Curleytail Design’s Kim Fizgeraldand has created branding, logo design, business cards, brochures, direct mail campaigns and more for thousands of local businesses. The company is pleased to be celebrating 25 years in business this month.
Scott Spradley Wins Big in Flagler Beach, Belhumeur Is ‘Re-Commissioned,’ Defeating Incumbent Phillips
Attorney Scott Spradley won election to the Flagler Beach City Commission by a large margin Tuesday, an unsurprising result from an electorate looking for the analytical cool-headed approach Spradley represents, after a turbulent year in the city and the recent firing of a city manager.
Yet Another Book Survives Ban as 2 Flagler High School Panels Vote to Keep Novel of McCarthy Era
A joint high school committee’s decision today to retain Malida Lo’s “Last Night at the Telegraph Club” was the sixth book in a row in about as many weeks that survived a challenge either on MHS or joint MHS-FPC school-level committees, or at the district-level appeals committee.
Battle Over Vacation Rentals Resumes as Flagler Resists Lesser Regulation for 9th Year
For nine years, vacation-rental regulations in Flagler County have survived unscathed even as the short-term rental industry continues to grow in popularity and clout. Each year, local officials fear that era of local control may be over, as lawmakers attempt to pass de-regulation bills. This year is no different.
22-Year-Old Man Dies in Motorcycle Crash on John Anderson Highway
A 22-year-old Coshocton, Ohio man lost his life in a single motorcycle crash between 2 and 3 this morning (March 7) on John Anderson Highway, north of Bridle Ridge Court/Trotters Lane.
District Appeals Committee Votes Unanimously to Keep Sold on High School and Middle School Shelves
An 11-member district-wide appeals committee this evening voted to uphold two school-based committees’ decisions to keep “Sold,” the fictional story of a 13-year-old girl trafficked into sexual slavery, on the library shelves at high and middle schools.
Former Matanzas High Student, 16, Charged as Adult in Alleged Sex Assault of Girl During Class
When Marshall Thomas, 16, was arrested on charges of stealing guns and making written threats to kill in January, authorities did not disclose that he had months earlier been arrested on a sexual assault charge involving a 15-year-old student at Matanzas High School. Thomas has now been charged as an adult on all five charges from both incidents and faces up to 45 years in prison.
Challenged in Flagler Schools: McCormick’s Sold, a Review and a Recommendation
Patricia McCormick’s “Sold,” about the experiences of a 13-year-old girl sold into sexual slavery, is among the 22 books that a trio of “moms for liberty” have sought to ban from high school library shelves. A school committee voted to keep the book. The banners appealed the decision to a district committee, which meets on March 6. The following review is presented as a guide.
Judge Orders Mental Evaluation for Matanzas Student Who Assaulted Aide
A judge has ordered a mental evaluation of 17-year-old Brendan Depa, the Matanzas High School student accused of attacking his paraprofessional. Court documents related to the order for the first time confirm that Depa has been treated for mental illness and is on various medication for psychological issues.
Florida Welcomes You. With A Growing List of Exceptions.
Florida doesn’t want you if you’re a lib. That goes double if you’re from California. But if you take pleasure in lib-owning, professor-kicking, book-burning, trans-torturing, forced birth and sanitized history, Florida welcomes you.
Florida Bill Would Require Bloggers to ‘Register’ With State and Turn Over Financial Accounts
The bill, which has no chance of becoming law, would require bloggers who write about Gov. Ron DeSantis and other elected state officials to register with the government and provide monthly financial income reports. The National Review today called the bill’s GOP author a “moron.”
Matanzas Assault Case: A Miscarriage of Justice Hardens Before Our Eyes
The public reaction to 17-year-old Brendan Depa’s assault of Joan Naydich at Matanzas High School is mostly compassionate and balanced. The more strident reaction among elected officials–the State Attorney, school board members–is not not. Elected officials are not only exploiting the situation. They’re exploiting Depa. They want blood.
Parents Paying Steep Extended Day Fees Are Subsidizing the Belle Terre Swim Club
The Flagler County School Board is facing a deficit this year of $180,000 at the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club. The board continues to agonize over ways to keep the facility or redefine its uses without continuing the deficits, which are being subsidized out of the district’s extended day program–a costly program to working parents.
Chamber Players of Palm Coast in Concert with FYO at Methodist Church Sunday
The Chamber Players of Palm Coast, under the direction of Paige Dashner Long, will present a chamber music concert at Palm Coast United Methodist Church Sunday They’ll performing works by Tartini, Geminiani, Sammartini and Vivaldi, all masters of the Italian Baroque, along with two works by American composers, performed with members of the Flagler Youth Orchestra.
Daytona State and Bethune Cookman Sign Agreement Supporting Criminal Justice Students
The agreement, which is effective immediately, provides support for Daytona State students who have earned an Associate of Arts degree or an Associate of Science degree in Criminal Justice who intend to transfer to Bethune-Cookman University to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice.
In Flagler Beach, 5 Commission Candidates Play Forum Softball Ahead of March 7 Election
There were no surprises at the only forum for Flagler Beach City Commission Candidates. The questions–at least the nine that were asked–were generally un-challenging, unspecific and at times corny. The candidates are Rick Belhumeur, Bob Cunningham, Doug Bruno O’Connor, Deborah Phillips and Scott Spradley.
Bunnell Lands a Nearly-All Flagler Team to Build Its City Hall and Police Station
Bunnell will have a nearly all-Flagler County team designing and building its future city hall on Commerce Boulevard, what’s being referred to as an 18,000 square foot Administration/Police Department Complex. It is slated to open in early 2024.
Against Policy, Flagler’s Book-Challenge Appeal Panels Dim Faculty and District Vote to Minority Status
A Flagler County school district-level committee will meet for the first time on Monday to take up the appeal of a decision not to ban the novel “Sold” from school library shelves. The make-up of the committee is not in line with school board policy, giving parents and community members a lopsided presence at the expense of district staff and faculty.
Palm Coast Man Who Claimed he Was Robbed Is Arrested for Shooting His Dog
Robert Williams claimed someone had broken into his house on Westhampton Drive in Palm Coast and shot his dog. Sheriff’s deputies charged him with animal cruelty and firing a gun in a residence.
Palm Coast’s William McClean Faces Felony Drunk Boating Charge in Death of Thomas d’Aquila Last July
William S. McClean, a 56-year-old resident of Crain Court in Palm Coast, was charged with operating a boat under the influence of alcohol, a second degree felony, in the boating death of Thomas d’Aquila last July on the Intracoastal Waterway.
Matanzas Student Who Attacked Aide Was Arrested 3 Times for Battery Before; Other Cases Examined
Brendan Depa, the 17-year-old special education Matanzas High School student whose assault of a paraprofessional at Matanzas High School school last week has drawn international attention, was arrested three times on battery charges when he was 13. His case recalls that other violent incidents that did not draw anywhere near the harshness he faces.
Challenged in Flagler Schools: Malinda Lo’s Last Night at the Telegraph Club, a Review and a Recommendation
Malinda Lo’s “Last Night at the Telegraph Club” is among the 22 books that a trio of “moms for liberty” have sought to ban from high school library shelves. A joint committee of Flagler Palm Coast and Matanzas high school faculty members and parent representatives meets on March 7 to decide whether to retain it or ban the book. The following review is presented as a guide.
