The 5th District Court of Appeal today sided with the state in two death penalty cases, saying that blocking the executions “impermissibly invades” the discretion of the state to seek the sentence.
Florida & Beyond, and All Opinions
Weekend Briefing: Lungfish at City Repertory, Grandma Gatewood Documentary, Up with Down Bike Ride
Last weekend for “Wrong Turn at Lungfish,” the comedy-drama at City Repertory Theatre in Palm Coast, an Emma Gatewood documentary at the public library is the latest Flagler Reads Together event.
Senator, Governor, President, Nothing: For Marco Rubio, a Fuzzy Florida Future
For essentially the first time since he won a city commission seat in 1998, Rubio will soon be without a government office and without a campaign. What office Rubio seeks next, if any, isn’t clear.
Thursday Briefing: Leprechaun Hunt at Gamble Rogers, 8,000 Acres of Hutson Land for Sale, Ulysses
The Hutson family puts up 8,000 acres–four parcels–for sale in southern St. Johns, St Patrick’s Day is all about leprechauns, Guiness and James Joyce.
The Closing of the Academic Mind
Any denial of academic freedom is a blow struck against the meaning of a university. The irony today is that some of the most worrying attacks on academic freedom have been coming from inside university.
Gov. Rick Scott, Likening Himself to “Businessman Outsider,” Endorses Donald Trump
The endorsement was as much a plea for party unity as another signal from Trump that he is open to Trump’s invitation as his vice president nominee.
Wednesday Briefing: New Assisted Living on Cypress Point, Florida Fossils, Elections Recaps
Palm Coast’s planning board considers a new assisted living facility near City Market Place, election-day hangovers, lunch-n-learn series lecture focuses on… fossils.
Tuesday Briefing: It’s Election Day, Historic Flagler Takes the Bus Again, Food Trucks in Park, Voting for Einstein
It’s not just Trump, Sanders and the rest of them today, but Bunnell, too, has an election. It’s Food Truck Tuesday in Palm Coast’s Central Park, plus memories of Albert Einstein.
Where Florida’s Veto-Ready Pork Went: County Fairs, Gun Ranges, Oyster Farms, Space Tourism
Throughout the record spending plan are hundreds of local and agency projects that some lawmakers argued will help the economy or Florida residents. Now, Gov. Rick Scott will use his veto pen to decide which projects survive in the budget that takes effect July 1.
How the Florida Legislature Turned Police Radios Into $7 Million in Rotten Sausages
In a case with echoes in Flagler, experience pokes a hole in the Florida House speaker’s argument that first responders on the state system “need” radios, even though they didn’t ask for them.
Monday Briefing: Waldemar Rivera Trial on Rape Charge, Lab Meat, Chitwood’s Run for Sheriff
The trial of Valdemar Rivera on a rape charge begins before Judge Foxman this morning, Daytona Police Chief Mike Chitwood announces run for Volusia sheriff, meat made in a lab is explored.
I’m For Bernie
Flawed as she is, Hillary Clinton will win the Democratic nomination and crush any Republican opponent. That doesn’t make her the best candidate. The more reason for Bernie Sanders’s candidacy, regardless of outcome.
3-Day School “Tax Holiday” Part of $129 Million Tax-Cut Package Nearing Approval
The package is far short of the $1 billion in tax cuts that Gov. Rick Scott requested. The trimmed-down package is the result, at least in part, of lawmakers responding to state economists reducing revenue forecasts for the next couple of years.
Weekend Briefing: Job Fair, Aerosmith, Lungfish at CRT, Unnecessary Farce at Playhouse, Experiencing the Appalachian Trail
A weekend rich in theater with “Wrong Turn at Lungfish” at CRT and “Unnecessary Farce,” at the Playhouse, an Aerosmith tribute band at the Auditorium, and another Flagler Reads Together event.
Worse Than Trump: Gov. Scott Refuses to Disavow Claim that “Islam Hates Us”
In an appearance on Joe Scarborough’s MSNBC show Thursday, Gov. Rick Scott refused to denounce Donald Trump’s claim the day before that “Islam hates us.” The smear on Florida is the latest of many lows in a lurid election season.
Thursday Briefing: 7 Hours of Live Bombing at Pinecastle, National Guard Homecoming, STEM at Rymfire
A unit of the National Guard’s 265th Air Defense Brigade now permanently stationed at the Flagler County Airport comes home from Afghanistan after a year deployment, more early voting, more bombing at Pinecastle range by the Navy.
“Little Marco” Borne Out in Latest Florida Poll as Trump Trounces Rubio With 2-1 Advantage
Donald Trump is ahead of Rubio in Florida by a 45-22 margin, with Ted Cruz at 18 percent and Ohio’s John Kasich at 8 percent. The Quinnipiac University poll is considered the most accurate in Florida.
Wednesday Briefing: Rubio as GOP’s John Edwards, Early Voting Day 5, Graham Swamp Walk
Why Marco Rubio is the Republicans’ John Edwards, a walk through Graham Swamp is today’s Flagler Reads Together event, the Public Safety Coordinating Council meets.
Donald Trump’s Pledge of Allegiance to 1933 Germany
Asking supporters to raise their right arms and pledge allegiance to himself embodies Trump’s megalomania perfectly, argues Chris Goodfellow, but time may run out before voters realize their mistake.
Florida Lawmakers Unveil $82.3 Billion Budget That Abandons Scott’s Top Priorities
Because Scott’s tax-cut proposal was sharply reduced and a $250 million package of business incentives was dropped entirely, the governor is expected to lean heavily on his line-item veto pen.
Tuesday Briefing: A Raise for Jim Landon, Safer Bus Stops, Early Voting Continues
The Palm Coast City Council will discuss a raise for city manager Jim Landon, still the highest paid city or county executive in local government, along with a few other matters.
Utilities’ Proposed “Smart Solar” Amendment Draws Smarter Questions From Justices
A utility-backed measure intended to put existing solar-energy regulations into the state Constitution drew indications of skepticism and support Monday from Florida Supreme Court justices.
Monday Briefing: Bunnell Candidate Forum, Early Primary Voting, Louis CK and Beck On Heil Trump
Early voting for the presidential primary continues in Flagler at three polling sites, the three Bunnell City Commission candidates vying for two seats in their March election are in their only forum this evening, and Louis CK and Glenn Beck each call Trump Hitler.
With $714 Million For School Construction, Lawmakers Close in on $80 Billion Deal
Lawmakers have to agree on the roughly $80 billion overall spending plan by Tuesday for the legislative session to end on Friday, as scheduled.
Republicans On Crack
The crack-up is upon us. The locks have popped. The insane asylums have emptied. The loons are casting ballots. And Mitt Romney’s string quartet is arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
Sandra Lee Ricard, 56, Killed in Putnam County Motorcycle Crash; Husband Lawrence Critical
Sandra Lee Ricard, a 56-year-old resident of Tampa, was killed Friday afternoon in a two-vehicle wreck on State Road 20 in Putnam County that left her husband Lawrence Albert Ricard, 64, in critical condition. The couple were riding a motorcycle.
Troubled Florida Department of Corrections Asks for 734 More Positions for Security. Lawmakers Say No.
The department has been reeling from a series of reports about issues such as contraband smuggling and abuse of inmates. The new jobs were part of an effort by the department to have corrections officers work eight-hour shifts instead of 12-hour shifts.
Florida House Overwhelmingly Approves Use of Full-Strength Pot for Terminally Ill, 99-16
The measure approved Thursday, in part, would likely lead to more licenses for nurseries that would be able to grow, process and distribute the full-strength and non-euphoric types of pot.
U.S. Economy Adds Robust 242,000 Jobs, Leaving Unemployment Rate at 4.9%
After a relatively weaker December, when only 172,000 jobs were created, the job market resumed the late 1990s-like pace it has maintained for most of the past two years.
Weekend Briefing: Early Voting Begins Saturday, Flagler Reads Together Kick-Off, Volusia Decriminalizes Pot Bits
Flagler Reads Together kicks off today with Ben Montgomery, author of the chosen book, at the public library, early voting in the presidential primary begins Saturday.
Gov. Scott Sought $1 Billion in Tax Cuts. Senate Cuts It Down to $129 Million.
The new tax-cut package will combine with about $290 million earmarked to hold down local property taxes that would otherwise go into the state’s school-funding formula.
Thursday Briefing: Palm Coast Fire Chief Beadle Is Elks’s Citizen of the Year, Romney Panic, Dr. Seuss Night at Rymfire
The Elks name Palm Coast Fire Chief Mike Beadle their Citizen of the Year, Mitt Romney on the end of the world as Republicans know it, Dr. Seuss takes Rymfire, Samatha Bee explains the war on women.
Supreme Court Halts Double Murderer James Asay’s Execution, 2nd Stay in 4 Weeks
Hours after hearing arguments in the case, the Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday indefinitely postponed the execution of Mark James Asay, a convicted double murderer scheduled to die on March 17.
Wednesday Briefing: Avoid Old Kings Road in F Section, Centra Care’s Grand Opening, Cop Shootings in LA
Old Kings Road’s southbound lane just south of Forest Grove Drive will close most of Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, another groundbreaking for a Florida Hospital Flagler facility.
Fiercely Opposed by Environmentalists, Bill To Ease Fracking in Florida Dies In the Senate
The bill was backed by the Florida Petroleum Council, Associated Industries of Florida and the Florida Chamber of Commerce. It is opposed by environmental groups and dozens of local governments that have approved fracking bans.
2015 Flagler Jail Bookings and Sheriff’s Crime and Incident Reports (Archived)
Archived 2015 Flagler County jail bookings, day and night shift commanders’ crime and incident reports investigated by Sheriff’s deputies and archive.
In Major Shift, Florida Senate Panel Approves Use of “Full-Strength” Pot for Terminally Ill
The bill, in part, would likely lead to more licenses for nurseries that would be able to grow, process and distribute the full-strength and non-euphoric types of pot.
Tuesday Briefing: School Board Haggles Over Talking Rules, Little League Pitches to Palm Coast Council
The Flagler County School Board will hold a refresher on its own parliamentary rules following the controversial end to a previous meeting’s discussion. Palm Coast Little League appear before the city council, also in a follow-up to a controversy late last year.
“Spotlight,” the Oscars’ Best-Picture Upset Winner, Gets Investigative Journalism Right
Unlike many films about reporters, “Spotlight,” about the Catholic Church’s cover-up of sex abuse by priests, accurately depicts the frustrations and joys of breaking a big story, from the drudgery of spreadsheets to the electric thrill of revelatory interviews.
Monday Briefing: The Flagler Youth Orchestra’s Strings Around the World Concert, Reporting Poverty
The 350 musicians of the Flagler Youth Orchestra take the stage at the Flagler Auditorium tonight at 7 p.m. for their 32nd concert, a new book about evictions is a shocking revelation about poverty in America.
Florida Court Clears Way for 24-Hour Waiting Period Before an Abortion
Florida joins 27 other states with waiting periods. Opponents say the law would impose hardships on women seeking abortions because it would force them to miss work, lose wages and pay for additional child care and travel.
Weekend Briefing: Community Cats Conference, Bands Showdown, “Unnecessary Farce” at Playhouse
An unusual conference of cat volunteers and caretakers at the Humane Society, 45 concert bands at the Flagler Auditorium, a new play at the Flagler Playhouse.
With 3 Weeks to Go Before Florida Primary, Trump Is Thumping Rubio By 16 Points, on Rubio’s Turf
The New York real-estate mogul holds a commanding 44-28 percent lead over Rubio among likely GOP primary voters, the Quinnipiac University poll found. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas came in third with 12 percent.
Thursday Briefing: Chick-Fil-A Wants a Beautification Award, The Chamber’s Take on Florida Politics, Foxman’s Drug Court
Chick-Fil-A thinks it should get an award for handsome landscaping on Palm Coast Parkway (though city regulations also deserve credit), and a Florida Chamber of Commerce adviser talks politics at the Hilton Garden Inn at noon.
Put Away Your Glocks, Backyardigans:
Gov. Scott Signs Bill Banning Urban Gun Play
Scott’s signature Wednesday comes nearly five years after the governor signed into law a measure that voided all local firearms restrictions.
Too Many Questions Beg The Answer: End the Death Penalty in Florida
Rick Scott shouldn’t plan on signing any more death warrants soon, if ever, argues Martin Dyckman, even as the Florida House “cured” what the U.S. Supreme Court specifically found wrong with Florida’s death penalty.
Wednesday Briefing: No Salary Hike for Council, Walesa in Miami, the Devil in Ted Cruz
A rather dull day in Flagler when the most notable event is the county’s economic development council self-critiquing its website. In Miami, however, Lech Walesa will be talking at Florida International University.
But Can He Win?
Helping to rally Florida Republican leaders behind Rubio is the fear that real-estate tycoon Donald Trump could win the nomination. But it’s a long way to the 1,236 delegates needed for nomination.
The Agony of Hillary Clinton
This impressive, remarkably intelligent woman just doesn’t have the feel for politics that is demanded at the highest levels. For one thing, she’s simply not a very good politician.
Tuesday Briefing: Entrepreneur Night at New Europa, More Bottle Club Fizz, Hotel California
Entrepreneur Night kicks off at 5:30 p.m. at the New Europa at European Village, the Palm Coast council again agonizes over bottle clubs and its beleaguered golf and tennis operations.