A new feature highlighting cats and dogs for adoption, the Palm Coast Council again discusses issues surrounding Florida Park Drive, an update on dune repairs.
Florida & Beyond, and All Opinions
Trump Expected to Loom Over Nelson-Scott Senate Battle as Governor Announces Run
The Senate contest between Bill nelson and Rick Scott is termed a “proxy battle” about Donald Trump and a referendum by Floridians on Trump’s presidency.
Addiction Drug Vivitrol’s Side Effect: More Overdoses?
Researchers suggest people getting Vivitrol shots may be more susceptible to a fatal overdose if they halt the regimen early and resume using opiates.
Monday Briefing: Grand Champ Ava Hutten, 9, Bill Baxley at 79, New Sex Offender Registry, Dune Walkovers
Ava Hatten is Grand Champion in Swine Show for hog Rudy, 267 lb., Bunnell City Commissioner Bill Baxley is 79, Sheriff Rick Staly is a 911 dispatcher for two hours.
Daytona State College Summer Sessions Begin May 15, Enrollment Open
Daytona State College registration is closing in on summer classes that start May 15 and June 28. Fall semester sign-up also has begun with classes starting Aug. 27; now’s the time to secure classes and top choice for schedules.
Florida GOP Says It Can Fend Off Blue Wake and Keep “Trump Agenda Alive”
But Florida Republicans, gathering for a convention in Tampa, say they’ll need to increase turnout to retain congressional and legislative majorities and to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson.
30-Acre Brushfire Shuts Down I-95 in Volusia Again; Florida Forest Service Marks Wildfire Awareness Week
FHP shut down I-95 from mile marker 257 to 261 in both directions as a 30-acre fire jumped the interstate, forcing firefighters to battle the blaze from both sides.
12 Amendments Nearing Ballot, Including Bans on Offshore Drilling and Workplace Vaping, and Home Rule Overrides
The list includes 12 ballot proposals that incorporate 24 potential changes to the Florida Constitution. All of the proposals were initially endorsed by the commission.
Weekend Briefing: Rock ‘n Ribfest Fair, FPC Dance, First Friday, Walk For the Blind, Plein Air at Ocean Art
The Rock ‘n Ribfest spices up the Flagler County Fair, FPC’s dancers bring their “Stories in Motion” to the Flagler Auditorium stage, First Fridays in Flagler Beach, a new show at Ocean Art Gallery.
Thursday Briefing: Chipotle Opens, Jon Netts Returns, County Fair Continues, Kim Weeks Jury Deliberates
Chipotle restaurant opens next to Panera on Palm Coast’s State Road 100, ex-Mayor Jon Netts reemerges at a campaign forum, the county fair is in its first full day and the Kim Weeks trial should end with a verdict.
Wednesday Briefing: Off To The Fair, Netts v. Shipley at Palm Coast Council Forum, Weeks Trial Day 3
The Flagler County Fair and Youth Show kick off tonight and through the weekend, ex-Mayor Jon Netts reemerges as a candidate for Palm Coast Council, Stetson’s woodwind ensemble in concert.
10 Florida Cities Challenge State Law Barring Local Governments From Passing Gun Ordinances
Elected officials from 10 Florida cities are challenging an NRA-backed state law that imposes strict penalties on local lawmakers for enacting gun ordinances.
Tuesday Briefing: FPC’s Janine Jao, Weeks Trial, Birds of Flagler, Schools’ “Social Sentinel”
The school district is looking into using the services of a “Social Sentinel” surveillance system to monitor social media, the Palm Coast Council votes to add proposed charter amendments to the November ballot, Birds of Flagler at the Hammock Community Association, Sportfishing Club.
‘Aggressive’ New Advance Directive Would Let Dementia Patients Refuse Food
Do not resuscitate (DNR) orders are common. Do not feed orders, not so much, but New York may be opening the way to giving patients with dementia that option.
Monday Briefing: Kimberle Weeks Trial, Coffey Contract, $15 Million For Emergency Communications, Right Whales Are Not Birthing
The Kimberle Weeks trial, three years in the making, starts with jury selection, the County Commission approves a nearly $15 million upgrade of emergency communications.
Trump’s Census Whitewash
The Trump administration’s decision to include a question on the census about citizenship is intended to under-count immigrants and skew numbers to favor whiter voting districts.
The Dangerous John Bolton: Skewing Intelligence, Silencing Input That Doesn’t Fit His Biases
Former colleagues say John Bolton, whose job is to marshal information and present it to the president fairly, resists input that doesn’t fit his biases and retaliates against people he disagrees with.
Weekend Briefing: Cracker Day at Fairgrounds, Flagler Reads Together Finale, Voter Registration, Humane Society Dinner
It’s the 63rd annual Cracker Day Saturday at the Flagler County Fairgrounds, Flagler Humane Society hosts a fund-raising dinner, Flagler Reads Together comes to an end with a final event.
Thursday Briefing: State of Flagler Beach (Free!), Jail ‘N Bail for Cancer Research, Lords of 52nd Street
Larry Newsom presents the State of Flagler Beach at the Beach Front Grille, and since it’s not Palm Coast, it’s free, Lords of 52nd Street at the Auditorium, the Sheriff “arrests” people for cancer research.
Traffic Alert: Fire Moving Toward I-95 Shuts Down Interstate in Portion of Volusia
The Florida Highway Patrol is cautioning that it’s shutting down I-95 in both directions between State Road 44 and Dunlawton because of a wildfire.
Wednesday Briefing: Compassionate Friends, Renner at FCAR, DSC Job Fair, Golden Eagle Dinner
For real this time: Paul Renner is at the Flagler County Association of Realtors, William G. Schwarz, who faces life in prison over two DUI manslaughter charges, is in court, Daytona State has a jobs fair.
Superintendents Say Money May Not Cover All School Resource Officers Despite $100 Million
Superintendents are asking the state Board of Education for support in shifting money allocated to school marshals to the school resource officer program instead.
Tuesday Briefing: Judges’ Forum, Public Money For Private Schools, NAACP Meeting, Hukill
Judges Melissa Moore-Stens and R. Lee Smith appear at a forum as part of their reelection campaign, it’s Entrepreneur Night at Island Grille and at the NAACP’s meeting, Sen. Dorothy Hukill is recognized.
Gov. Scott Fuels Speculation About Senate Run By Tapping Brad Piepenbrink Again
The chief of staff announcement was made within minutes of social-media postings from the governor saying he will make a “big announcement” in two weeks.
Monday Briefing: State of Bunnell’s Police, Renner Speaks to Realtors, Afro-American Entrepreneurs, Cameron
The Bunnell City Commission hears a presentation on its police department, it’s African-American entrepreneur night at AACS, Renner gives Realtors a legislative update, the Magnificat.
Nurses Are Calling #TimesUp on Domestic Abuse, And on Those Who Doubt Victims
Emergency room encounters reveal the work that remains to be done to curb intimate partner violence. Too often, helpers abandon victims if they return to their abuser after attempting to leave.
Florida Voters Denied Choice on Gun Restrictions as Constitution Commission Holsters Proposal
Floridians won’t have an opportunity to decide whether the state should ban semi-automatic weapons or have gun-related restrictions after the Constitution Revision Commission rejected attempts to debate the proposals.
Weekend Briefing: “Blood Knot” at CRT, Home Show, Block Party, Lifeguard Certification, Lewis Black
A block party to benefit Christmas Come True, the play “Blood Knot” at CRT, the role of women in World War II, comedian Lewis Black and the home show in Daytona.
Proposal of 8-Year Term Limits For School Board Members May Head for November Ballot
School board members would be limited to eight years in office under a proposal that moved forward Wednesday in the state Constitution Revision Commission.
Thursday Briefing: Matanzas Showcase, Miss Florida at Belle Terre, Lance Blanchette, Sea Turtle Hospital
Matanzas High holds its showcase for next fall’s incoming 9th graders, Miss Florida is at Belle Terre Elementary, Lance Blanchette is introduced as the Flagler Beach Police Department’s 2nd in command.
Flagler Reads Together:
“The Alice Network”‘s Little Problem
Flagler Reads Together this year chose Kate Quinn’s “The Alice Network,” a novel about women spies during World War I wrapped in a sort of buddy road story.
Wednesday Briefing: Lifesaving Inmates, Holden House Open, Bach’s Birthday, Adult Open Gym Volleyball
Four inmates who kept another inmate from killing himself get a lifesaving award from the sheriff, historic Holden House holds an open house in Bunnell, first day of spring means it’s Bach’s birthday.
Nursing Home Industry Successfully Quashes Residents’ Bill of Rights
Florida Constitution Revision Commission member Brecht Heuchan withdrew a proposal that would have guaranteed rights to nursing-home residents and allowed them to sue facilities if those rights were violated.
Tuesday Briefing: C.J. Nelson Trial, School Fitness, Colbert Ln. Development, Bach at Stetson
The school board buys fitness equipment, Palm Coast talks big development along Colbert Lane, cooling night ahead, Bach’s birthday celebrated at Stetson, Whitney Lab tours, adult basketball at Indian Trails.
Scott Signs Bill Targeting Opioid Addiction, Imposing Limits on Prescriptions
The bill is designed, at least in part, to prevent patients from getting addicted to prescription painkillers and then turning to street drugs such as heroin and fentanyl.
Monday Briefing: Severe Weather Potential, C.J. Nelson Trial, Emergency Communications, Provencher Town Hall
A heavy trial week includes that of C.J. Nelson, severe weather could be plaguing the area today and tomorrow, the county commission settles on a contractor to build the next emergency communications network.
Are Drug Addicts Less Valuable Than Students? Florida Says Yes, Wrongly.
Politically there may be a big difference between students’ safety and drug addicts. Ethically, there is none, and financially, addicts are being lethally short-changed.
Weekend Briefing: Freedom’s Journal, The Nerd, Graham Swamp Endurance, Mozart and Friends, Youth Clinic
The Flagler Playhouse’s last weekend for “The Nerd,” a mountain-biking endurance event at Graham Swamp, NCAA youth sports clinic at Indian Trails Sports Complex, Recycled Percussion at the Auditorium.
Broad-Ranging Gun Control Proposal Could End Up on November Ballot as an Amendment
A proposed constitutional amendment would a minimum age of 21 on all firearm purchases, a 3-day waiting period and a comprehensive background check.
Thursday Briefing: Farm Swap and Music Jam, Enchanted Music of Ireland, Jake Tapper, Buxtehude
Andy Cooney brings his enchanted music to the Flagler Auditorium, and his Enchanted Music of Ireland, the Agricultural Museum’s Farm Swap, Jake Tapper on journalism.
White Supremacist Teacher Dayanna Volitich Mustn’t Be Returned to the Classroom
Try to imagine you’re a non-white student in Volitich’s social studies class. What do you do with this new information about your teacher’s “white superiority”?
Wednesday Briefing: Night in 30s, Building Robots, Cancellations Aplenty, Olde Florida Title
Spring break takes its toll as various meetings are cancelled, one of the county’s oldest businesses marks a grand opening in Flagler Beach, a freezing night ahead, a Dietrich Buxtehude fugue.
Post-Hurricane Initiatives Fall Short of Measures to Prevent Fuel Crises In Next Storms
A strategic fuel-reserve task force and using rail-tank cars to bring fuel into evacuation areas to avoid a repeat of runs on gas stations were among initiatives that failed at this year’s legislative session.
Tuesday Briefing: Marion Hammer’s NRA, Palm Coast “Progress Report,” Free Army Field Band Concert
Marion Hammer’s NRA power in Florida, the Palm Coast Council hears from its administration on the city’s “progress” so far this year, a free concert at the Flagler Auditorium.
From Guns To Opioids To Education, A Legislative Session That Got A Few Things Done
The session became dominated in February by the aftermath of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Broward County.
Monday Briefing: Unemployment Report, Spring Break, Travel Policy, FPC Snow, Mencken on Poetry
Looks like a lot of Flagler County is taking the week off, not just schools, as spring break takes precedence over most duties all the way up to criminal court.
Nobody Knows How Many Kids Get
Caught With Guns in School. Here’s Why.
Lax reporting by schools, lax oversight by state and federal authorities make it nearly impossible to say just how many students get caught taking firearms into public schools each year.
Bunnell Police Find Weapon Used in School Incident, a BB Gun, and Locate 2nd Boy
The gun allegedly brandished during a school-related incident was a BB gun, and the second boy located in relation with the incident may not be facing charges.
NRA Files Challenge Moments After Gov. Scott Signs School-Safety and Gun-Control Bill
The new law raises the permissible age to buy rifles from 18 to 21 and imposes a three-day waiting period for the purchase of rifles and other long guns, among other provisions.
Florida Increases Per-Student Funding By $101, Much Of It For Security and Mental Health
The annual school funding formula would include a new category for mental-health funding with $69 million and increase the school-coop pot by $97 million, to $162 million.