Andrew Coffey, 20, died from alcohol poisoning during an off-campus fraternity initiation on Nov. 3. Fraternity members were arrested.
Florida & Beyond, and All Opinions
Wednesday Briefing: Compassionate Friends, Economic and Tourism Councils, Wild Birds, Sheriff’s Awards
Tom Hellman of SCORE and Ky Ekinci of Office Divvy speak to the economic council, Wild Birds Unlimited, a nature retail shops, holds its grand opening, the Sheriff’s Office holds its quarterly awards.
Measure to Restore Voting Rights to 1.5 Million Florida Felons Goes on November Ballot
Voting rights of felons who have served their sentences, completed parole or probation and paid restitution would be automatically restored. Murderers and sex offenders would be excluded.
Address Florida’s Deadly Rail Crossings Now, During 2018 Session
Between 2011 and 2017, there were a total of 105 deaths on more than 350 miles of Florida East Coast Railway tracks, which also run through Bunnell. A rail safety bill needs legislative support.
Doctors Join Chorus Against Limits on Painkiller Prescriptions, But Lawmakers Push On
The proposal to set legal limits on prescribing for pain medication continued moving forward when it was unanimously approved by the House Appropriations Committee.
Tuesday Briefing: Daylight Savings Exemption, Lambert Ave. Drainage, Domestic Violence
A Florida legislator wants to end the state’s compliance with Daylight Savings Time, Lambert Avenue residents in Flagler Beach get a drainage open house, the Navy conducts inert bombing runs in the Ocala forest.
America, Oprah is Not Your Savior
This country has a history of looking to black women to save Americans from themselves — while not recognizing or respecting their efforts.
Monday Briefing: Maria Howell Trial, Lakeside By the Sea Development, Literacy Week
The County Commission takes up a controversial proposed development near Lakeside By the Sea, jury selection is expected in the trial of Maria Howell, now 20, accused of molesting a teen, and in that of George Wood, accused of escape, Literacy Week begins.
Commission Weighs Repeal of Ban on
Public Funding For Religious Groups
Former Florida Supreme Court Justice Raoul Cantero urged a Constitution Revision Commission panel to repeal a constitutional ban on state support for religious groups.
Cops’ Stop and Frisk Is Cut Back. Crime Doesn’t Spike. It Tumbles.
Police have radically cut back their controversial use of stop-and-frisk policies in New York. To the surprise of some, crime didn’t spike, but tumbled yet again.
Buddy Taylor Middle’s Keelin Cowart-Goldberg Is Flagler’s 2018 Spelling Champion
Buddy Taylor Middle School 8th grader Keelin Cowart-Goldberg won this year’s county spelling bee and advances to state finals, with Buddy Taylor’s Alisha Jageswar as runner-up.
Weekend Briefing: Bobby Gore Sentencing, Home Show, Songs For a New World, Smokey Joe
Bobby Earl Gore, who pleaded guilty to shooting his son to death, is sentenced, City Rep and Flagler Playhouse stage shows, the Home Show all weekend at FPC, birdwatching, Marineland Marina ribbon-cutting.
New York Company Buys Central Florida Pot Grower, Signaling Explosive Growth
The New York company also owns marijuana operations in Massachusetts, Vermont, Colorado and New Mexico and has a pending acquisition in New York.
Thursday Briefing: Beach Clean-Up Day, Roundabout Public Hearing, Spelling Bee, Beginnings
A big beach clean-up in Flagler Beach this morning, a much-anticipated public hearing on a roundabout at U.S. 1 and Old Dixie, the school district’s spelling bee, a book festival in Daytona.
Ballot Measure Would Give Voters, Not Legislature, Final Say On Gambling’s Legality
The proposed constitutional amendment pits the state’s gambling industry against anti-gambling advocates in what is expected to be a high-dollar campaign before the fall election.
Wednesday Briefing: Pink Army Check, Inspired Mic, TDC Cancelled (Again)
It’s the Flagler district’s spelling bee finals, the Inspired Mic is all improvisations at Europa at European Village, the Tourist Development Council can’t seem to get a meeting going, and Philip Roth speaks.
FPL Will Not Charge Customers For Irma Repairs After All, Citing Tax Savings
FPL says savings from the federal tax overhaul will allow it to avoid billing customers for the $1.3 billion cost of restoring electricity after Hurricane Irma.
Tuesday Briefing: Mental Health Awareness, Moonrise Brewing, A Russian Rotarian, Dreamers
Flagler County Rotary welcomes guest and Russian Rotarian Ildus Yanishev, who’s on a worldwide good will bike tour, Flagler Cares talks mental health to the school board and Palm Coast Council.
To Stay on Medicaid, You May Have To Start Working: Trump’s Decision Sparks Fury
Trump’s decision to allow states to test a work requirement for adult Medicaid enrollees sparked criticism from doctors, advocates for the poor, and minority and disability rights groups.
Reporting on Public Figures’ Extra-Curricular Sex
Married or not, public figures’ affairs are nobody’s business as long as the acts are legal, consensual, off the clock and virally contained. But there are exceptions.
Jacksonville Sheriff Criticizes “Walking While Black” Reporting. Editors Respond.
Reporting has shown that disproportionate numbers of the tickets in Jacksonville and elsewhere have gone to blacks, prompting a critical response from Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams–and a corrective retort from editors.
Florida House Readies to Pass “Sanctuary City” Ban as Election Year Winds Up
House Speaker Richard Corcoran, who is mulling a run for governor, is pushing the sanctuary-city ban that would impose stiff penalties on local governments that don;t enforce immigration laws.
Gov. Scott Calls Trump’s Reference to “Shithole” Countries “Absolutely Wrong”
Trump reportedly questioned why the United States should accept immigrants from “shithole countries” like Haiti, El Salvador and countries in Africa, and singled out Haiti in particular.
Weekend Briefing: CrimeStoppers’ Run, Flagler Film Festival, Erasing “Songs For a New World”
The Flagler Film Festival shows some 50 films at the Hilton garden Inn, City Repertory Theater stages “Songs For a New World,” CrimeStoppers have their annual fund-raising run in Ormond.
Limiting Pain Pills Prescriptions To 7 Days? Florida Surgeons Say No.
Lawmakers’ proposal would have patients get additional prescriptions for pain medications from their doctors. Phoning-in refills would not work.
Thursday Briefing: Teacher of the Year, Skywarn Class, Flagler Beach Golf, Why 65-Year-Olds Aren’t Old,
The school district picks its teacher and employee of the year, the Flagler Beach City Commission talks settlement with its golf course managers, state pre-emption of home rule.
Anitere Flores-Oscar Braynon Affair and Other Scandals Cloud Session’s Start
A sex scandal involving the chamber’s highest-ranking Democrat and a powerful Republican, both married, and sexual harassment allegations that forced an influential Republican senator out overshadowed the session’s opening.
Wednesday Briefing: Phillip Haire Pre-Trial, Opioids in Flagler, Rejected License Plates, Vivaldi’s Winter
Phillip Haire Jr., who faces multiple attempted murder charges, appears in court today in a pre-trial hearing, police, court and county officials discuss opioids.
Proposal To Toughen Penalties For Texting While Driving Gains on 1st Day
With support from the House speaker, a proposal to make texting while driving a “primary” offense in Florida received unanimous support Tuesday from a House panel as the 2018 legislative session opened.
Gov. Rick Scott’s State of the State: Full Text
Gov. Rick Scott’s State of the State address, his last, as prepared for delivery today at the Florida Capitol, before a joint session of the House and Senate.
Tuesday Briefing: Dorothy Singer In Court, Manager Search, Wireless Palm Coast, Session 2018
Strap on those seat belts: the Florida Legislature gets started with Gov. Scotts State of the State, Dorothy Singer, accused of murdering her husband, is in court, Palm Coast council discusses wireless.
From Opioids to Taxes to Vacation Rentals: 11 Issues To Watch In Legislative Session Starting Tuesday
The House and Senate will negotiate a state budget and consider hundreds of bills including on health care, taxes, the environment, short-term rentals and hurricanes, among others. Here’s a preview.
21 Years From Concept to Take-Off: Flagler Airport Opens $17 Million Runway
The new runway at the Flagler Airport will accommodate more fuel-heavy jets, thus adding to the airport’s fuel sales. Next up is the building of a new terminal.
Monday Briefing: Coastal Protection, $1.2 Million for Dump Trucks, Flagler Beach Parking, Disney Princes As Sex Offenders
A ribbon-cutting for Flagler Airport’s new runway, the future of parking in Flagler Beacch, contracting with dump trucks to start dumping dunes sand, why certain prices are sex offenders.
Trump Administration’s Shift on Marijuana Could Imperil Banking Arrangements
By rolling back an Obama-era arrangement that shielded legal marijuana users and businesses from prosecution, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions may compel many banks and credit unions to stop working with marijuana businesses.
Weekend Briefing: Christmas Tree Recycling, Audubon Walk, GOP Annual Meeting, “One Night in Memphis”
The annual Christmas tree recycling event takes place Saturday, “One Night in Memphis” at the Auditorium, a couple of 5K’s, assuming the weather doesn’t cancel them, and Knausgaard on wheelies.
FPL Puts Plan To Bill Customers $1.3 Billion For Irma Repairs On Hold, Citing New Tax Law
The company has not moved forward with the plan, primarily because it is studying implications of a federal tax overhaul approved last month by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump.
Thursday Briefing: Bundle Up, Sleeping Beauty at the Auditorium, Copwatch, Audubon’s Post-Christmas
“Copwatch” is shown free at the AACS in Palm Coast, Sleeping beauty, the ballet, reappears at the Flagler Auditorium, Audubon Society tells you what to do with all that gear you got at Christmas.
Collateral Damage of Florida’s Opioid Crisis: Children
Contending with tales of children discovered in the backseats of cars with their parents passed out from drug overdoses in the front, or toddlers left alone in fetid apartments for days while drug-addled mothers or fathers scour the streets for a fix.
Wednesday Briefing: Winter Storm’s Cold Rains and Night Freeze, Code Enforcement, Debussy
Cold but not freezing rain is expected in the morning, giving way to the coldest night of the year, with lows in the 20s, a new law office opens, schools closed all week.
New Laws Kick In on Prescription Refills, Rideshare Regulations, Child Time-Sharing, Minimum Wage Up to $8.25/hr
A half-dozen new laws kick in today, easing regulations over ridesharing systems like Uber and a more consumer-friendly way to enable prescription refills, while Florida’s minimum wage gets its annual inflation adjustment.
Facebook’s Uneven Enforcement of Hate Speech Rules Allows Vile Posts to Stay Up
Asked about its handling of 49 posts that might be deemed offensive, Facebook, acknowledged that its content reviewers had made the wrong call on 22 of them.
Among Slew of Legislative Rules, A Proposal To Limit Local Authority on Environment
From fracking to tree-trimming to using close to $900 million from a voter-approved conservation fund, Florida lawmakers are lining up their wishes ahead of the 2018 session.
Not To Worry, Estate Planners: Help For Struggling Millionaires Is On The Way
The estate tax was just slashed to exempt millionaire families up to $22 million, a doubling of the previous exemption, which had covered 99.8 percent of taxpayers.
O Canada: Can a Single-Payer Health-Insurance System Work in the United States?
American support for government-run, single-payer health care, once a fringe opinion, is picking up momentum, with doctors and patients increasingly supportive,
Latvala and Company: At Least 18 Lawmakers Gone or Punished Over Harassment in Capitols
The movement that has empowered women across the country to levy sexual assault and harassment allegations against powerful men continues to snowball.
How to Pay For Hurricane Irma’s Damages: Lawmakers (and Taxpayers) Face Billions in Costs
Irma’s tally: Agriculture: $2.5 billion hit on crops and facilities; insurance: $6.55 billion in property damage claims; utilities: $1 billion to cover the costs of getting power restored.
As Seas Rise Over South Florida: When’s the Last Time I’ll Go Home for Christmas?
By the author’s count, she’ll get 13 more holidays before the sea threatens to swallow her family’s home in South Florida, where the risk of a storm surge within four feet of high tide lines has doubled.
Trump Pushing DeSantis For Governor, But Opponent Calls It “Kiss Of Death” After Moore Flop
U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, a Palm Coast Republican who continues to mull a bid for governor, drew Twitter praise Friday from President Donald Trump, who flew to Palm Beach for the Christmas holiday.
Christmas Briefing, Last of the Year: Holiday Events, Holiday Trash Pick-Up, Holiday Hours, Bach’s Christmas Oratorio
A relatively quiet week ahead with its share of holiday events and scaled back schedules for everyone, including the Briefing, plus a full performance of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio under Gardiner.