Following the challenges of four titles by Flagler School Board member Jill Woolbright and a review by a book-challenge committee, the superintendent decided to return three of the four titles to their shelves but withhold a fourth pending new protocols that could still provide access.
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local News
Intoxicated Man Arrested for Child Neglect at Flagler Beach Bar After Refusing Numerous and Insistent Offers of a Ride
A 34-year-old man was repeatedly given the opportunity by a cop–Flagler Beach Police officer Evan Scherr–to be driven home by a rideshare service, a taxi or a friend, warned that if he were to drive himself home he’d be endangering himself, his young daughter and others, and was arrested. The State Attorney’s Office dropped the charge.
Boxed in Between Flagler School Board and Builders, County Corrects the Record on Impact Fees
The Flagler County administration issued a tightly argued and at times caustic memo that draws a line between facts and polemics and between legal and speculative arguments in the ongoing debate over school impact fees,. While it corrects the school district in no uncertain terms on several points of law–or math–it also comes close to ridiculing the Flagler Home Builders Association’s arguments as simplistic. It also appears to forge a way out of the impasse for the County Commission.
Violating Facilities and College Board Agreements, School Board’s McDonald Peddles More Masking Falsehoods at SAT Testing Site
Flagler County School Board member Janet McDonald stood guard at a Matanzas High School SAT testing site Saturday, where she had no jurisdiction and was not authorized to be, countering College Board requirements that students must wear masks while testing. The College Board is investigating.
Liberals Must See Past the No-Exit Calvinism of Critical Race Theory
Reactionaries have effectively fabricated a crisis over critical race theory. But on its own terms, CRT can be problematic. It rests on a deterministic view of human beings that should make anyone who believes in individual freedom uncomfortable. Liberals have yet to grasp that reactionary anger has a point, though CRT can still show the way out.
Flagler Beach’s Christmas Parade Lights Up in Fiery End Amid Holiday Throngs. No One Hurt.
A 1930s Jaguar replica caught fire at Flagler Beach’s Holiday Parade, ending the festivities three quarters of the way through. No one was hurt as firefighters, some of them who’d been part of the parade, jumped into the fray and quickly controlled the scene.
With Bells, Santa and Starry Nights, First Friday Returns in Flagler Beach After Nearly 2-Year Absence
First Friday returned in Flagler Beach Friday evening for the first time since the Covid pandemic sent the monthly festival on hiatus in the spring of 2020. Friday’s return event coincided with the second-year edition of the launch of Starry Nights, the city’s newest addition to its Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Ramadan and Christmas celebrations as the Flagler Beach pier, many other city landmarks, businesses and homes light up in unison.
Matanzas High School Student Who Assaulted Teacher Is Found Incompetent to Stand Trial
An 18-year-old student in a Matanzas High School class class for behaviorally challenged students, facing a felony charge after assaulting a teacher, was found incompetent to stand trial–and not qualified to be sent to a state psychiatric hospital while awaiting a return to competency.
Boat Parade Honors Memory of Jon Netts, Former Mayor and Intrepid Boater
The 2021 Palm Coast Holiday Boat Parade scheduled for Dec. 18 is dedicated to the memory of Jon Netts, former Palm Coast mayor, intrepid boater and cheerleader of all things Christmas.
Erin Vickers, Serving Life in Prison in Ghastly Case, Loses Latest Attempt to Lower Punishment
Erin Vickers is serving life in prison on numerous counts involving the rapes, video recordings and transmissions of the acts, which involved her then-1-year-old daughter. She argued today that her lawyer was deficient. She lost.
Committee Reviewing Books 2 Board Members Want Banned Completes Its Work as District Sounds Out Librarians
The findings of a committee judging the appropriateness of four books for school libraries are expected imminently, as new book challenges have been filed and the Flagler district’s eight librarians were interviewed by district staff about their practices.
Facing Death Penalty, Michael McIntyre Pleads to Manslaughter, Will Serve 20 Years in Overdose Death of Chelsea Price, 33
Michael G. McIntyre this afternoon pleaded no contest to killing 33-year-old Chelsea Lenore Price. on Aug. 11, 2020, and will serve 20 years in prison after Circuit Judge Terence Perkins sentenced him on that and other charges.
City Repertory Theatre’s ‘Blithe Spirit’ to Honor the Late Anne Kraft, Veteran CRT Performer
When City Repertory Theatre presents a staged reading Dec. 2-5 of Sir Noel Coward’s “Blithe Spirit,” which the English playwright called “a light comedy about death,” the poignancy of the production will be plain to see: CRT is paying tribute to Anne Kraft, who’d performed with most of the company’s actors over the years.
American Library Association Condemns Broad Censorship of Books on Race and LGBTQ in Schools and Libraries
Some individuals and officials say the voices of the marginalized have no place on library shelves. Including in Flagler, they have launched campaigns demanding the censorship of books and resources that mirror the lives of those who are gay, queer, or transgender, or that tell the stories of persons who are Black, Indigenous or persons of color.
Judge Denies Halving Bond for Angelo Antolino, Repeat Offender Who Killed Indiana Kerns, 59, in U.S. 1 Crash
Circuit Judge Terence Perkins on Monday denied Angelo Antolino’s request that his $75,000 bond be reduced by $45,000 in a vehicular homicide and DUI manslaughter case resulting from the April 1, 2020 crash on U.S. 1 that killed that Indiana Kerns, 59, and left William Kerns in critical condition. The judge reduced it by $5,000.
Sen. Travis Hutson’s Business-Protectionist Bill Has Counties and Cities Worried About Reign of Lawsuits
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 7-4 to back the proposal (SB 620), which would allow businesses to sue if local ordinances cause at least 15 percent losses of revenue or profits. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Travis Hutson, the St. Augustine Republican who represents Flagler, would apply to businesses that have been operating for at least three years.
Cyclist Killed in Hit and Run on Palm Coast Parkway; Traffic Cameras Help Focus Search
A 56-year-old cyclist and Palm Coast resident was struck and killed by a vehicle on Palm Coast Parkway and Leanni Way, near the Flagler County Public Library, shortly after midnight this morning. The vehicle kept going.
Palm Coast Was Set to Recommend New Garbage Hauler. Waste Pro Protested. City Will Re-Start Entire Bid Process.
Palm Coast government issued a “Notice of Intent” to award the city’s next five-year garbage contract to Texas-based FCC Environmental, ending Palm Coast’s 15-year relationship with Waste Pro. Waste Pro filed a bid protest. The city will now re-start the process and hope to have a hauler in place by the time Waste Pro’s contract expires on May 31–whether Waste Pro or another company.
Afraid of Homelessness and Risk of Violating Probation, A Woman Asks Judge to Send Her to Prison. Judge Agrees.
The case of Tonya Bennett is a succession of disturbing catch-22’s that expose the threadbare condition of the social safety net in Flagler County, the uncompromising severity of the judicial system’s probationary system, and the way the local jail and state prison end up being the default asylums for people suffering from mental health illness, and having nowhere else to go for treatment.
Federal Judge Blocks Biden’s Vaccine Mandate for Millions of Health Workers in 10 States
Under the rules with a Jan. 4 deadline, many private sector employees will be required to get vaccinated or undergo weekly tests, while some 17 million health care providers at facilities participating in the federal Medicare and Medicaid health insurance programs must be vaccinated — with no option to choose weekly testing instead.
Switching Districts, Palm Coast Council’s Victor Barbosa Will Take On Joe Mullins in GOP Primary for Commission
They are among the most controversial elected Republicans in a county not lacking for them: Palm Coast City Council member Victor Barbosa and County Commissioner Joe Mullins. Now Barbosa, in a surprise, will challenge Mullins in the Republican primary for District 4 on the County Commission. Barbosa had originally filed to run against County Commissioner Greg Hansen in District 2.
FPC Teacher Forced Out: He’d Paid Student $5,569, Had Relationship With Her, and Lied on Job Application
Timothy Whitfield, a 44-year-old resident of Palm Coast hired as a history teacher at Flagler Palm Coast High School last year, was effectively fired two months ago following sheriff’s and district investigations that uncovered grave ethical improprieties but no criminal findings. Whitfield had maintained a relationship with a female student, paid her nearly $6,000 through 127 cash-app transactions, and lied on his job application.
High-Speed Chase of Man Wanted for Assaulting Cop Spills Into Flagler from I-95 to SR100 to A1A
Several major Flagler County roads were the scene of a high-speed pursuit that started in Volusia County, where a man was wanted on a charge of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officers, whom the man allegedly tried to run over. The pursuit when it spilled into Flagler spread over I-95, Old Dixie Highway, State Road 100, State Road A1A and back to Old Dixie Highway.
Why Florida’s and Other States’ Anti-Vaccine Efforts Are Mostly for Show
Many of the new anti-vaccine mandate laws, including Florida’s, are either symbolic or vulnerable to federal preemption, or in some cases both. Some have provisions that align with federal regulations, such as sections that say people can reject vaccinations for religious reasons.
Flagler School Libraries Face Chilling Dangers Beyond Book Bans
Book-banning doesn’t really exist: ban a book, and it gains more notoriety than ever. The danger ahead in Flagler schools is Board members Jill Woolbright’s and Janet McDonald’s attempt to keep certain books from even reaching library shelves before they’re bought, thus eliminating the glare of controversy. That kind of self-censorship is far more damaging to diversity on Flagler’s library shelves.
Criminalizing a Black Jogger: 3 Georgia Men Found Guilty of Murdering Ahmaud Arbery
Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, was killed on Feb. 23, 2020, after being pursued through the predominantly white suburban neighborhood of Satilla Shores, near Brunswick in Georgia. For many, the manner of his death raised questions over the role race played in the killing, evoking a U.S. in which gangs of white men killed Black men and boys with impunity.
Keon Sands, 27, Veteran of Afghanistan, Is Killed in Motorcycle Collision With Semi on I-95. Semi Kept Going.
Keon Clyde Sands, 27, was killed moments after 11 p.m. Tuesday night as he was riding his motorcycle north on I-95, in a collision with a semi truck near mile marker 296, just south of Old Kings Road.
Between Jorge Salinas and Generous Federal Subsidies, Broadband May Finally Connect West Flagler By End of 2023
A slew of federal subsidies, including Covid-relief funds and an auction with broadband providers, is making possible what Flagler County commissioners have only talked about for several years. The commission approved negotiating a no-bid contract with Charter Communications, itself the beneficiary of over $1 billion in federal subsidies, to extend broadband to underserved areas in West Flagler by the end of 20223 or early 2024.
Grand Chanukah Celebration at European Village Monday
Chabad of Palm Coast will ignite a 6-foot Menorah at European Village, an event to be followed by a community-wide celebration on Nov 29, the second night of the eight-day holiday of Chanukah. The ceremony, organized by Chabad Jewish Center Rabbi Levi Ezagui, will feature Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin and Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly.
Future July 4 Celebrations Take Shape Between Certainty of Fireworks and Uncertainty of Flagler Beach’s Geography
The July 4 committee the Flagler Beach City Commission appointed last August to figure out whether there is a future for the Independence Day fireworks that light up much of the city’s historical identity is close to finishing its work, with a final report now in preparation.
On Book Bans, ‘Equity’ and the School District’s Duty to Honor Student Diversity: The Students’ Perspective
Karissa Jackson and Kaylee Briggs are among the more outspoken student board members who have served on the Flagler County School Board. They both addressed the ongoing attempt by Board members Jill Woolbright and Janet McDonald to remove or review books from school libraries.
Sheriff’s Detectives Investigating Death of Michael Ursini, 42, After He Was Reported Jumping in Water on Fire
Michael Josef Ursini, 42, a resident of the B-Section and the owner of Ursini Signature Painting, a company he founded two years ago with his fiancee, died following an unexplained incident in which paint caught on fire and he was seen jumping in a canal near the Tidelands house where he was painting with a co-worker Saturday.
Violent Felon With Long Prison History Accused of Attacking Teen Unprovoked in a Seminole Woods Driveway
Sean Patrick McNamara, who has spent almost 27 of his 53 years in state prison, moved to Palm Coast in 2020 and has since faced four charges in three incidents, the last two being felony child abuse and making threats to kill following a confrontation with a minor child in the boy’s driveway in Seminole Woods in Palm Coast.
Closing Inquiry, Sheriff Rebuffs Charge of ‘Crime’ in Book Controversy; Woolbright Wants ‘All Young Adult Books Checked’
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office found no grounds for a criminal inquiry into School Board member Jill Woolbright’s charge that making “All Boys Aren’t Blue” available to students was a “crime.” The sheriff was sharply critical of having been brought into a position of making judgments he said are the responsibility of the board and its processes. The inquiry also dismissed claims that Woolbright faced any immediate threat, as had been claimed.
Flagler Unemployment Flat at 4.4% But County Builds on Record Employment and Workforce Approaching 50,000
Flagler County’s unemployment rate stayed flat at 4.4 percent in October, with the county’s workforce growing by a few hundred people, the number of people employed growing by some 245 people and the number of unemployed growing by two dozen.
Buddy Taylor’s Cara Cronk and Indian Trails’ Amy Neuenfeldt Are Flagler Schools’ Top Administrators of the Year
Cara Cronk, principal at Buddy Taylor Middle School is the Flagler Schools Principal of the Year. She’s held her current position since last year. Amy Neuenfeldt is the Flagler Schools Assistant Principal of the Year. She has been an assistant principal at Indian Trails Middle School since 2017.
School Board’s Cheryl Massaro Reverses Against Dropping ‘Equity’ in District Goals’ Language
Cheryl Massaro had previously joined three other board members on Nov. 2 in directing Superintendent Cathy Mittelstadt to drop the word “equity” from the district’s upcoming Strategic Plan. Tuesday, she said she wanted the matter brought back up for discussion, and that she was no longer in favor of dropping the word.
Trevor Tucker Is Re-Elected Flagler School Board Chair in Nomination Reflecting Guile Behind Deep Divisions
Trevor Tucker was unanimously re-elected chairman of the Flagler County School Board board, with Colleen Conklin re-elected vice-chair. The unanimity of the Tucker vote hides deep divisions on the board that were reflected both in the Conklin vote and the nomination of Tucker.
Why All Boys Aren’t Blue Belongs in High School Libraries: A Response to Brian McMillan
Palm Coast Observer Editor Brian McMillan would restrict the book at the center of a controversy from high school libraries, even though he doesn’t find it pornographic. His argument and his prescription are untenable, because they rest on an analogy that has no application to George Johnson’s “All Boys Aren’t Blue.” A school district committee is currently reviewing the book’s status.
Ex-Sheriff Jim Manfre Gets Most Votes in Short-Listing of 6 Candidates for Palm Coast City Manager
In a stunner, former two-time Sheriff Jim Manfre was the top vote-getter in the short-listing of possible candidates for Palm Coast City Manager as the council this evening picked six candidates to back-ground check and possibly interview in January.
Help Make Flagler County Known for Progress, Tolerance and Growth Instead of Ignorance and Hate
Offering the perspective of a parent, Palm Coast resident Courtney Hildreth calls on the Flagler School Board to re-focus on academic and intellectual freedom, ensuring access to age-appropriate literature, filling classroom vacancies, and preserving principles of equity and acceptance.
Student Protesters Face Hail of Vile Obscenities, Taunts and Threats From Group Claiming to Speak For Children
Students and parents protesting against a potential book ban in school libraries were confronted with a loose band of counter-protesters at the Government Services Building Tuesday evening, some of them in camouflage and body armor, taunting with obscenities, homophobic slurs and threats even as they claimed to object to “obscene” books. Sheriff’s deputies kept the taunts from escalating beyond the verbal.
Potential Book Ban in Schools Galvanizes 2 Sides in Day of Highs and Lows as Sheriff Recoils at Criminal Complaint
the Flagler County School Board today contended with the fallout of a criminal complaint and call for a book ban filed by Board member Jill Woolbright, and did so for 10 hours, from a lengthy and at times ugly workshop to a student-led demonstration marred by harassment and insults by detractors to an evening meeting that stretched past 11 p.m.
For Another $1.2 Million, County Will Build Planned Addition to Sheriff’s Operations Center Now
The $23-million, 51,000 square-foot Sheriff’s Operations Center about to rise within sight of the Government Services Building in Bunnell will grow by another 6,000 square feet with the addition of a warehouse.
Covid Isn’t Over, But in Flagler It’s Receded from Menace to Nuisance, at Least For Now
Covid isn’t gone. It may never end. But for now, it’s more nuisance than menace in Flagler. Weekly case loads fell in 10 of the last 11 weeks and for the past four weeks have been averaging around 50 per week–not as low as the spring of 2020, but still the lowest numbers by far since the arrival of the Delta variant, the supersize equivalent of the coronavirus.
Dave Sullivan and Don O’Brien Elect Joe Mullins, a Bigot, Chairman of the Commission and Face of Flagler County
Flagler County Commissioners Don O’Brien and Dave Sullivan voted for Joe Mullins, who voted for himself, making Mullins, a bigot with a propensity for lies, slanders, insults, anti-Semitism and unprecedented divisiveness for a commissioner, chairman of the county commission for the next year.
“No Response From 5111”: End of Watch for Sgt. Dominic Guida as Family and Community Mourn Young Cop’s Loss
Viewing and services for Sgt. Dominic Guida of the Bunnell Police Department, who died on Nov. 9 in the line of duty, brought throngs of law enforcement officers and first responders to First Baptist Church in Bunnell at noon today as part of a two-hour service that ended with Guida’s End of Watch Call. He was 43.
The County Commission’s Choice Tonight: Filth or Statesmanship
The Flagler County Commission this evening is set to elect a new chairman, with Joe Mullins in line for the job, unless fellow-commissioners think better than to choose a bigot to represent them and the county. The School Board elects a chair Tuesday evening, with its own dilemmas.
Cheryl Massaro Rebukes Fellow School Board Member Woolbright Over ‘Rogue’ Attacks on Books and Superintendent
In a statement issued Sunday night, School Board member Cheryl Massaro said fellow-Board member Jill Woolbright “crossed the line when she filed a criminal complaint against the Flagler Schools’ Superintendent and Attorney” over Woolbright’s attempt to ban books. Massaro sharply rebuked the attempted censorship of books and said Woolbright doesn’t speak for the board.
The Live Interview: Author George M. Johnson Speaks to Those Who Want Book Banned From Flagler Schools
George M. Johnson, author of “All Boys Aren’t Blue, one of the books School Board member Jill Woolbright calls a “crime” to have in schools and wants banned, speaks to FlaglerLive about frequent experiences with “the purity brigade,” differences between porn and sex, the orchestration behind current book bans and what Johnson would tell the district committee reviewing the book.