The Flagler County School Board finally decides the future of the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club, Palm Coast Council members choose how to pay themselves more.
Florida & Beyond, and All Opinions
In “Fair Sentencing” Push, an Attempt to Reconsider Florida’s Get-Tough-On-Crime Laws
Fair Sentencing seeks to change laws of the 1990s, such as 10-20-Life, mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses and habitual-offender laws, as other states have done.
Monday Briefing: An EMT Academy for FPC, A Malpractice Suit Heads for Trial, Out-of-State Health Insurance
Flagler Palm Coast High School may soon get to ready for a career as Emergency Medical Technicians: it’s one of several items on the Flagler County Commission’s long workshop agenda Monday morning. Florida lawmakers consider out-of-state insurers.
Florida’s “Pastor Protection Act” Seen as Defense of Clergy or Latest Bias Against LGBT
The proposal, which was approved this week by a Senate committee, would prevent clergy members from being forced to perform marriage ceremonies contrary to their beliefs.
The Future Is Here: Florida Wants Welfare For the Rich While Punishing the Poor
Four years ago Chris Timmons, now a columnist and fellow at a Florida think tank, lost his job and needed food stamps. “It did not make me feel like a moocher,” he writes. Yet Florida makes welfare recipients feel just that.
Open-Carry Allowance and Ban on Backyard Shooting Among Gun Bills Heading for a Vote
Openly carried guns would have to be in a holster, case or bag, recreational shooting in certain residential areas would be banned, and the burden of proof in stand your ground cases would shift to defendants.
Weekend Briefing: Color Vibe 5K, Lady Dawgs District Champions, Gender-Neutral Bathrooms
Two shows at the Flagler Auditorium, the Color Vibe 5K race in Palm Coast’s Town Center, FPC’s Lady Bulldogs win the District 1-8A championship again.
Diplomatic Bores in the Age of Blowhards
Ted Cruz, Donald Trump and Marco Rubio have strange and dangerous plans to stand tall against enemies, especially when they reach for their Ronald Reagan. Their version of history is mostly fiction.
Florida Lawmakers Urged to Require Unanimous Verdicts in Death Penalty Cases
Florida is the only state in the nation where a simple jury majority is enough for a death penalty recommendation, one of several problems at odds with a new U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Florida’s capital punishment system.
Did Goebbels Win? Nazis Are Gone (Mostly), But Deadly Propaganda Is Thriving
It’s not just ISIS: the increasingly sophisticated use of hate speech directed against minorities and migrants has been a worrisome trend in Europe and the United States. Bombs and bullets alone cannot defeat political poison.
Thursday Briefing: Pier Parties, No to Seismic Testing, A Stand Your Ground Shift, Birding Palm Coast
The Flagler Beach Commission speaks up against oil prospecting’s seismic testing, Nate McLaughlin at Hidden Trails, more birding in Palm Coast, the Legislature talks Stand Your Ground.
Senate Looks to Boost Education Funding Beyond Scott Request, But Tax Burden Looms
The Senate is proposing spending $7,249 a student, against Scott’s $7,220, but the increase relies on rising local property taxes, which are part of the state funding formula.
Wednesday Briefing: Tennis Tourney Qualifiers, Holocaust Memorial for Capitol, a “Martyr” in Oregon
Qualifiers for Palm Coast’s one professional tennis tournament of the year begin today, but without Reilly Opelka, the Wimbledon juniors champion and Palm Coast resident.
Tuesday Briefing: Palm Coast Council Talks Salaries, Entrepreneur Night at Sevyn, Hammock Resort Delays
The Palm Coast City Council will get a presentation on potentially bumping up its salary and benefits package, this month’s Office Divvy-sponsored Entrepreneur Night is at the new Sevyn club in Bunnell.
Failed Condo Project in Ft. Lauderdale Lands Donald Trump in Florida Appeals Court
Investors have battled in court for years to get back hundreds of thousands of dollars in deposits from Donald Trump and associates. The 4th District Court of Appeal will hear arguments Tuesday in two lawsuits related to what was pitched as a swanky, Trump-branded hotel/condominium.
Monday Briefing: Flagler Beach Floods, Trump’s Fascist Backers, FPC v. Matanzas, Bravo Amici
FPC and Matanzas meet in a hoops showdown at FPC, the fascism of Donald Trump supporters, Flagler Beach talks flood plains, a warming trend after a frosty weekend, plenty of singing at the Flagler Auditorium.
Term Limits for Supreme Court and Appellate Judges? Measure Moving Closer to Ballot
Under the proposal, members of the Supreme Court and district courts of appeal would be limited to two full six-year terms. Judges currently have to retire in the election cycle after they turn 70 years old.
Sanders Revives Talk of Single-Payer System, Contrasting Differences With Clinton
Sanders’ main rival for the nomination, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, has criticized the plan for raising taxes on the middle class and said it is politically unattainable.
Authorities Looking for Escaped Convict Gary Bullock and Palm Coast Girlfriend
Aiding in Bullock’s escape, Natasha Quigley stole money, blank checks and a gun from her parents’ home in Palm Coast before the pair absconded with a 3-year-old boy.
4 Suspects Sought in Break-Ins and Theft of 19 Vehicles at Holiday Inn and Hampton Inn
Five vehicles parked at the Holiday Inn Express in Palm Coast’s Flagler Plaza Drive and 13 vehicles parked at the nearby Hampton Inn, just off I-95, were burglarized overnight Wednesday, and one stolen from the Holiday Inn parking lot was later recovered in Orlando.
Lawyers for Condemned Florida Man Call for Halt To Execution in Light of “Tectonic Shift”
Lawyers for Cary Michael Lambrix, who has been on Death Row for more than three decades, have asked the Florida Supreme Court to halt his execution in light of a U.S. Supreme Court decision declaring Florida’s court process unconstitutional in such cases.
Weekend Briefing: Home Show at FPC, Right Whales With Gromling, Bottle Club Ban Proposed
The annual home and lifestyle show takes over the campus of Flagler Palm Coast High School this weekend, Frank Gromling, the right whale guy, talks at Gamble Rogers, the Palm Coast Planning Board favors banning bottle clubs.
City School Districts? Lawmaker Mulling Proposed Constitutional Amendment
The measure (HJR 539) would mark a dramatic change in how school districts are organized in Florida. The Constitution requires all districts to be made up of whole counties, though a handful of public schools are stand-alone.
Thursday Briefing: District Spelling Bee, Warmest Year on Record, Healthcare for Military Families
2015 was by far the warmest year on record, following on 2014, which also set a record, with human-caused warming to blame. The district spelling bee is at Wadsworth Elementary this evening.
Trump Surges to “Crushing” Lead in Florida While Clinton Begins to Strengthen Again
The latest FAU poll has Trump surging to a 47.6 percent lead, with Ted Cruz, more than 30 points behind and Rubio and Bush hobbling in at 11.1 and 9.1 percent. Ben Carson has all but vanished at just over 3 percent.
Wednesday Briefing: Holland’s Rear-View Mirror Campaign, Ballroom With a Twist, Matanzas Wrestles FPC
Milissa Holland flanks herself in history as she launches her campaign for Palm Coast mayor, it’s all about ballroom dancing at the Flagler Auditorium, FPC and Matanzas wrestle, and ISIS is in recession.
Florida Lawmakers Drilling the Way for Fracking Even as Need Is Questioned
The assault on Florida’s environment continues as a Senate committee last week approved a bill that would make it easier for companies to use fracking technology to drill for oil and gas in the state.
High Schools May Get Greater Autonomy From Florida Athletic Association Requirements
The proposals would allow schools to join the FHSAA on a per-sport basis and limit how much can be charged for some association-sponsored competitions. Currently, a school that joins the FHSAA in any sport has to be a member in every sport.
Tuesday Briefing: Pink Army Tally, More Sunshine Exemptions Considered, Gas Below $1.70
Gas prices continue to crash, but in Palm Coast not nearly as fast as elsewhere, the Legislature prepares to shut down public access to surveillance videos of public buildings.
Starting With $8.50 Increase Next Year, FPL Seeks Monthly Rate Increase of $14 By 2020
The proposal would help cover the nearly $16 billion that the power company has been investing since 2014 to improve its electricity service.
Florida House May Back Scott’s $1 Billion Tax Cut, With Minor Differences
The House intends to offer a $1 billion tax-cut package that includes Gov. Rick Scott’s call to reduce a tax on commercial leases and holding a back-to-school sales tax “holiday.”
Weekend Briefing: “Working” at City Rep, Rachel Thompson at Salvo, Water Circus in Town Center, Film Festival at Hilton
An extremely busy weekend in Palm Coast includes a new plat at City Rep Theatre, a water circus in Town Center, the third annual Flagler Film Festival at the Hilton Garden Inn, and plenty more.
Taking the Pulse of Crazy: The Election Season on Eve of Iowa and New Hampshire
The electorate is angrier and more fearful than in recent presidential contests, and both Trump and Cruz are capitalizing on it, but as the field narrows, Trump’s appeal may not be as lasting.
Nurseries Will Start Growing Pot Despite Legal Challenges Threatening Their Licenses
Five dispensing organizations selected by state officials promised lawmakers Wednesday they would meet a deadline next month to get medical-marijuana production off the ground, despite legal challenges that could threaten their licenses.
Thursday Briefing: Tourist Council Rediscovers Ethics, Newsom Begins in Flagler Beach, Relay For Life
Flagler County’s Tourist Development Council will take re-votes on a series of decisions to eliminate what had been conflicts of interest in previous votes. Larry Newsom starts as city manager in Flagler Beach.
Florida House Wants to Prohibit Immigrants’ “Sanctuary” Communities
Despite emotional pleas from immigrant advocates, state House members Wednesday moved forward with measures aimed at cracking down on cities and counties that provide “sanctuary” for undocumented immigrants and increasing penalties for people who defy deportation orders.
Wednesday Briefing: Trump in Florida, Mayor Netts at Neighborhood Watch, Obama’s Union
Donald Trump campaigns in Pensacola this evening, Mayor Jon Netts speaks at an Indian Trails neighborhood watch meeting at the public library, the legislature has too many meetings to mention.
Familiar Priorities In Scott State of the State: Tax Cuts and Spending on Business Incentives
The governor has essentially staked his legislative session on the success of two initiatives: A $1 billion tax cut and devoting $250 million to a new “Florida Enterprise Fund” to help lure employers to the Sunshine State.
U.S. Supreme Court Declares Florida’s Death Penalty Scheme Unconstitutional
The United States Supreme Court, in an emphatic ruling Tuesday, declared Florida’s death penalty sentencing scheme to be a violation of the Sixth Amendment.
Tuesday Briefing: Palm Coast Golf Course Examined, Schools’ Teacher and Employee of the Year Crowned, State of the State
The Palm Coast City Council hears an update on its KemperSports-run golf and tennis course, which have been losing money for five years, the school district’s teacher and employee of the year are crowned this evening at the Auditorium.
In a Civilized State Without Stand Your Ground, Jordan Davis Would Still Be Alive
The covenant of civilized living demands that we work to defuse conflicts, not escalate them. It demands that we look at each other face to face, and not through the divisive lens of stereotype.
In Setback, Sun Sets on Solar Initiative for 2016 Ballot; Organizers Will Look to 2018
“Floridians for Solar Choice,” which wants to expand who can provide solar energy, fell behind in qualifying for the November 2016 ballot and remains in the midst of a contract dispute with a petition-gathering firm.
Monday Briefing: Honoring Judge Walsh, Family Life Center Golf Tournament, Lake Disston Land
The county commission honors Circuit Judge J. David Walsh, who retires next month. The Land Acquisition Committee again discusses possibly acquiring a parcel of land off Lake Disston.
Two Sweeping Supreme Court Cases Set to Redefine Abortion and Contraceptive Rights
As devastating to abortion rights as 2015 proved to be in state legislatures, 2016 is shaping up to be even more turbulent — perhaps the most momentous year for reproductive issues in a generation.
Economy Adds 292,000 Jobs in December for a 1990s-Like Total of 2.65 Million Over the Year
The seven years of Obama’s presidency have netted 8.3 million jobs, after accounting for the millions of jobs lost in the housing crash, but warning signs abound.
Weekend Briefing: The Public Library’s 16th Anniversary, Menopause at the Auditorium, JetBlue’s and Frontier’s New Routes
The Flagler County Public Library celebrates its 16th anniversary Friday afternoon, JetBlue begins New York-Daytona Beach route, Frontier adds flights to St. Augustine, Jam at Gamble Rogers.
Oscar Ray Bolin Jr., To Be Killed Tonight, Is 23rd Execution on Gov. Scott’s Watch
Bolin was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of Teri Lynn Matthews, whose body was discovered on Dec. 5, 1986, near the side of a road in rural Pasco County.
Scott’s Proposed Billion-Dollar Tax Cut and $250 Million For Job Subsidies Sets Up a Fight
An election-year budget that includes huge tax cuts, record funding for public schools and a new initiative to bring jobs to Florida might be good politics for lawmakers. The question is whether they can afford it.
Thursday Briefing: Grand Landings’ Problem With Blacks, Romeo and Juliet at Flagler Auditorium, Rubio’s Surge
The Observer runs the disturbing account of a former Miss Amrica describing the profiling of her son in Grand Landings, Rubio surges to second place in new Hampshire.
Just Short of Endorsing, Gov. Scott Says Trump “Is Capturing Frustration of Many Americans”
Scott’s pro-Trump position contrasts with that of many state Republican leaders, who have lined up in the presidential campaign behind former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush or U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida.