The Florida Highway Patrol shouldn’t have fired trooper Charles Swindle, who followed “the agency’s unwritten policy of professional courtesy” toward state legislators, a hearing officer ruled Monday. But that doesn’t mean the ex-trooper was right when issuing less expensive tickets last November to the lawmakers.
Florida & Beyond, and All Opinions
Florida Appeal Court Approves Weekly Check-Ins for Homeless Sex Offenders
In a case that may have ramifications beyond the Florida Panhandle, where it originated, a state appeals court Monday approved a Bay County Sheriff’s Office policy that requires homeless registered sex offenders to report by 10 a.m. each Monday about where, through a detailed log, they expect to spend the next seven nights.
Watch Live: George Zimmerman Trial
Live gavel-to-gavel coverage of the George Zimmerman on a charge of second-degree murder of Trayvon Martin. We have the NBC and WFTV news feeds.
NRA Bragging Rights: Arrogant, Mercenary, Irresponsible
The NRA used to be a gun-safety group. Now it tells us we need to be armed in order to fight our own government, writes Steve Robinson, obscuring the responsibilities of gun ownership while legitimizing fringe fanatics. Paul Miller’s murder of Dana Mulhall in Flagler Beach is our own Exhibit A of this dangerous trend.
Pressure Building on Scott to Sign–Or Veto–Bill Forbidding Local Sick-Leave Standards
Florida’s business lobby supports a bill that would forbid local governments from letting voters decide whether to require more generous sick-leave policies from employers than state or federal law requires.
Why I’m Voting For the School Tax Referendum, Warts and All
The school district made several errors as it badly sold the school tax referendum. But it’s not about punishing the board. It’s is about warding off mediocrity in a district that managed, against odds, to maintain quality through recession and state and federal cutbacks. That quality is in jeopardy without a Yes to the referendum.
Gun Zealots Attack Scott For Replacing Sheriff Arrested in Concealed Weapon Misconduct
The governor is face criticism from Second Amendment advocates for his suspension of Liberty County Sheriff Nicholas Lee Finch, who allegedly destroyed documents tied to the arrest of a man charged with carrying a concealed firearm.
U.S. Economy Adds 175,000 Jobs But Unemployment Rate Rises Again, to 7.6%
The May unemployment rate of 7.6 percent is a decimal increase from April, and only a small decline from the 8.2 percent rate from a year ago as the U.S. economy continues to dawdle along, and in the face of further drags.
Tropical Storm Andrea: Flagler Under Storm Warning as Gov. Scott Takes Shots at Obama
Tropical Storm Andrea is here to stay for a few hours. Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who seldom misses an opportunity to attack the Obama administration, on Thursday named–and blamed–President Obama as the reason why a potential response to storm emergencies needing National Guard personnel would be delayed.
Media Descend on Florida for Zimmerman Trial Amid Duels of Fact and Prejudice
With 200 news organizations expected in Sanford for the second-degree murder trial of George Zimmerman, which starts Monday with jury selection, Florida is in an unwelcome spotlight again in the racially charged case, with likely far-reaching consequences.
A Pastor Reflects on Two Church Community Friends: Leonard Lynn and His Murderer
Rev. Beth Gardner, the pastor at Bunnell’s First United Methodist Church, heard the news of Leonard Lynn’s murder 10 minutes before services Sunday. He had been a member of her church community–as was his murderer, Erick Niemi.
FHP Director Julie Jones Is Shocked, Shocked to Hear of Troopers Issuing Fake Tickets
Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Executive Director Julie Jones said she expects the agency will look into allegations of bogus tickets, described last week by a handful of former and current troopers during an administrative hearing on the firing of former FHP Trooper Charles Swindle.
Flagler Middle & High School Principals Plead With Voters: Give Us Back Those 45 Minutes
Flagler County’s four secondary-school principals say restoring 45 minutes to the school day, or the equivalent of a month’s worth education, is indispensable if the district’s students are to excel consistently.
Florida Government’s DCF Looks to Religious Organizations to Recruit Foster Parents
Looking for foster parents, DCF Director of Faith Based Development Erik Braun told child welfare professionals at a conference that Florida has 12 million residents affiliated with a Catholic or Protestant church, 1 million Jews and 400,000 to 600,000 Muslims.
George Zimmerman’s Murder Trial of Trayvon Martin: About Race, Pure and Simple
The George Zimmerman trial starting June 10 isn’t about self-defense or vigilantism or gun rights. It’s about race, pure and simple, argues Steve Robinson. For proof, we need look no further than at the strategy being pursued by Zimmerman’s defense.
Hasty Citizens Property Insurance Deal Draws Howls as Scott Signs Bills by the Bushel
The announcement of the bill-signing came as a Citizens committee discussed efforts to try to steer policies into the private insurance market — and a controversial deal approved last week that could funnel up to $52 million to St. Petersburg-based Heritage Property and Casualty Insurance, which would take out as many as 60,000 policies from Citizens.
FHP Troopers Speak of Unwritten Directive to Ticket Lawmakers Less Harshly Than Other Drivers
A sheriff who appeared at a hearing for a trooper fired over for being lenient toward a lawmaker said it’s a “common practice” that legislators have been given leniency on state highways, the same as law enforcement officers regularly waive rules for other law enforcement officers as a “professional courtesy.”
Federal Appeals Court Strikes Down Scott’s Drug-Testing of State Workers as Too Broad
The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals declared an executive order by Riock Scott to drug-test 85,000 state employees and all job applicants as mostly unconstitutional, but left room for a lower court decision to be rewritten to allow for certain employees in certain categories to be drug tested–essentially restoring Florida’s drug-testing standard to what it was before the governor’s executive order.
Elmer Carroll To Be Killed at 6 p.m. as Stay Is Denied; Exonerated Men Will Deliver Petition to Scott
The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday denied the last appeal by Elmer Leon Carroll to stay his execution, On Thursday, Herman Lindsey and Seth Penalver – the 23rd and 24th men exonerated from Florida’s Death Row – will deliver a letter to Gov. Rick Scott, asking him to veto the Timely Justice Act, which will fast-track executions.
The Military’s Sexual Assault Crisis: Our Women in Uniform Deserve Better
There were 3,374 reported cases of sexual assault in the military in 2012, and 26,000 assaults likely went unreported. Those shameful numbers don’t have to speak for themselves, argues Martha Burk, but most of the victims were afraid of being punished by superiors if they reported what happened.
Radiology Associates’ Al Falco Is Named Fellow at National Conference
Al Falco, CEO of Daytona Beach-based Radiology Associates was awarded the highest honor in the field of Radiology business management – Fellow of the Radiology Business Management Association (RBMA), for his significant contributions to the RBMA and his profession.
Wanted: Flagler and Florida Foster Parents
With new legislation reforming Florida foster care, good foster parents will be more in demand than ever. And current foster parents say new ones will have a better experience than the old image of foster care might have led them to expect.
Tax Subsidy May Trigger Free for All as Florida Cities Grab for Spring Training Teams
New rules for spring training funding offer up to $666,660 a year in sales tax revenue for stadium upgrades or construction if a community seeks to retain or entice a single team to move. The funding can jump to $1.33 million if a community can cobble together a two-team package.
Florida’s Surplus Adds Dollars to Services From Mental Health to Rape Crisis Centers
People with disabilities, domestic and sexual violence programs, mental health and substance abuse programs, juvenile justice and children’s services all got bigger budgets for the first time since the recession began.
NFL and MLS Snub Florida After Bill to Subsidize Dolphins and Soccer at Taxpayers’ Expense Fails
The NFL awarded the 2016 Super Bowl to the San Francisco area and the 2017 championship contest to Houston, a little more than two weeks after a bill tied to potential state funding for the Miami Dolphins and an Orlando soccer stadium died in the Florida House.
Two Flagler Projects Among $368 Million in Vetoes as Scott Approves $74.1 Billion Budget
Having powerful House Speaker Will Weatherford on its board did not spare Heather Beaven’s Flagler Beach-based Florida Endowment Foundation from a veto eliminating its $2 million appropriation. Flagler also lost $150,000 for a retraining program.
Sheriff Manfre Declares in Favor of June 7 School Tax Referendum
Citing the benefits of a longer school day and deputies in elementary schools, Flagler County Sheriff Jim Manfre issued a statement Monday afternoon in support of the June 7 tax referendum proposing to increase property taxes to support programs in the school district.
Ken Mattison Named Florida Hospital Flagler CEO, Switching With Ottati in Swift Succession
Ken Mattison, for 16 years the CEO at Adventist Health’s Florida Hospital Waterman, has been named to take over for David Ottati at Florida Hospital Flagler, a $156 million business with 1,017 employees in 2011. Ottati will assume Mattison’s position at Waterman, a $205 million hospital with 1,879 employees.
Closing Flagler’s Alternative School: When The Classmate Next to Your Child Is a Felon
The Flagler County school, district may close Everest alternative school (formerly Pathways) if the June 7 referendum for a modest property tax increase fails. Jo Ann Nahirny, a teacher at Matanzas High School, describes the disruptions of managing a classroom with felons and sex offenders in seats alongside other students.
The IRS’ Nonprofit Dysfunctions: A Problem Deeper Than Conservative Targeting
The IRS division responsible for flagging Tea Party groups has long been an agency afterthought, beset by mismanagement, financial constraints and an unwillingness to spell out just what it expects from social welfare nonprofits, former officials and experts say.
President Barack Aux Scandals
The Benghazi story is a bogus scandal. IRS targeting of conservative groups and the Justice Department’s hacking of reporters’ phones is not. The Obama presidency is getting derailed, and that’s without going down the path of even more serious scandals Washington and the electorate are accepting as business as usual.
Florida Loses Out on Amazon Deal, and Up to 3,000 Jobs, Over Sales Tax Fumes
In a statement issued Thursday, Gov. Rick Scott’s administration implied that if Amazon were to locate in Florida and begin collecting taxes, that would amount to a tax increase on Florida residents who use the popular shopping portal.
Record $288 Million in Taxpayer Cash Flows to Florida’s Cargo and Pleasure Cruise Ports
Florida’s seaports are set to embark on a massive round of 26 waterfront and transit upgrades as Florida seeks to expand its trade with partners in Central America and South America, while working to attract more Asian traffic that has grown via the Suez Canal and the expansion of the Panama Canal approaches completion.
Juvenile Detention Cost-Shifting Arguments in Appeals Court, With Implications for Counties
Counties argue they currently pick up 75 percent of some juvenile detention costs, but should be paying less. The state claims in in court filings that the Legislature actually intended for the counties to cover 89 percent of the costs.Either way, local governments are groaning under the burden.
Flagler’s School Tax Referendum: An Opposing View
Adding to a growing debate over the June 7 Flagler County School Board tax referendum, Brad West argues against the levy, saying the district taxes constituents enough as it is, while the “cup-of-coffee-per-month” argument is a more expensive proposition than the board claims.
Florida College Presidents’ Compensation Ranges From $143,866 to $630,157
The contracts for Florida’s 28 state college presidents range widely, totaling almost $10 million in compensation, and in several cases seem to violate state law, according to a review released Monday by Gov. Rick Scott’s top oversight official.
Fast-Track Kill Bill Aside, Scott Speeds Death Warrants, Slating 3 Executions in 26 Days
Gov. Rick Scott is not waiting to sign a bill that would accelerate the pace of capital-punishment executions in Florida. The death warrants he’s signed since April lead to the fastest-paced series of executions since four inmates were killed in March 1998, when Lawton Chiles was governor.
Jim Saunders Is News Service of Florida’s New Executive Editor, Replacing David Royse
The News Service of Florida announced the promotion of Jim Saunders to executive editor on Monday (May 13), putting him in charge of the daily news report. He is taking over that role from founding executive editor David Royse, who will become associate editor of special projects for the News Service.
Despite Snubbing Obamacare, Florida Gets Thousands of Jobs and Cash from Health Act
Even though Florida officials tried to block the implementation of the Affordable Care Act at every turn over the past three years, the state will gain millions in grants and hundreds of new jobs this year from its implementation.
Mother’s Day Confidential: News of My Mom’s Death Was Slightly Premature
Receiving a condolence note about my mother sent in error by the hospice company caring for her should have been disturbing. It was merely disappointing–for not being true.
Pink Ladies in a Mud Run, On the Other Side of Flagler’s Beaches
Mud runs in Flagler County–such as Saturday’s FL.ROC Mud Run on Cemetery Road in Bunnell–are a mostly unknown sub-specialty of Flagler County special events. Casey Ryan takes you into the mud on her October run, as she prepares for Saturday’s.
Gun Zealots Urging Scott to Veto Firearm-Regulation Bill Even the NRA Supports
The bill closes a legal gap, as state law already bars firearms purchases by people who are involuntarily committed under the Baker Act. This one focuses on people who are found to be an “imminent danger” and face the possibility of being involuntarily committed if they do not admit themselves.
Updating Facebook Status, Charlie Crist Endorses Gay Marriage in Florida
Amid speculation he will run as a Democrat for his old job, former Republican Gov. Charlie Crist on Wednesday said he supports allowing same-sex marriage, joining other politicians who recently have changed stances to support gay marriage, including Florida’s Bill nelson and Ohio Republican Rob Portman.
Nine Surprises You May Not Know Are in Florida’s New Budget
The Florida Legislature’s $74 billion budget contains, as always, innumerable surprises in the fine print, from $240,000 to be spent on orange juice served visitors at highway stops to $500,000 to advertise stay-in-state vacations to Floridians.
As Gov. Scott Looks to Re-Election, Legislative Wins Have Yet to Bump Approval
Gov. Rick Scott got the teacher raise he sought, and a sales-tax exemption for manufacturing equipment in the last legislative session, but his poll numbers haven’t showed improvement as he heads into the 2014 campaign for a second term.
Flagler Youth Orchestra’s 280 Musicians Take The Auditorium in Year-End Concert
The Flagler Youth Orchestra’s “Take a Bow” concert at the Flagler Auditorium Monday at 7 p.m. will feature all 280 musicians in different orchestras in the culmination of a year’s–and for many, several years’–work.
Altered States: Now Lefty Hollywood Is Protesting Gun Control in Gotham
Movie-makers opposing New York’s recently passed gun-control laws are upset that they may have to use props instead of real firearms in films, a a blatant admission from people we call “creative,” , argues Steve Robinson, that without endless, massive gunfire there are no stories to be told, no issues to explore, no human experiences to illuminate.
Red-Light Camera Fines May Go Up to $408 and Be Harder to Fight Under Newest Rules
A new law awaiting Gov. Scott’s signature returns hearings to the control of local governments that have red-light cameras, such as Palm Coast, and allows them to impose an additional fee of $250 on top of $158 tickets, when contested, among other changes.
Flagler Beach’s Opposition to Fire Department Consolidation Costing Taxpayers $200K a Year
Consolidating the Flagler Beach Fire Department with the county’s would save $200,000 and vastly improve fire and rescue services in the city, argues Rick Belhumeur, yet the Flagler Beach City Commission has consistently scuttled debate on the issue while pretending to invite residents to offer cost-saving ideas.
Jacksonville Symphony’s Sunday Concert in Town Center Cancelled
The Palm Coast Arts Foundation’s 7th Picnic and Pops concert with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra will feature the usual favorites, surprises and a celebration to Cinco de Mayo as the big event takes over Palm Coast’s Central Park on May 5.