The mass wedding ceremony, a new tradition, drew 21 couples last year, five of them renewing their vows, with live music, cheer and Clerk of Court Tom Bexley presiding.
Health & Society
Transgender Ban in Military Is About Bigotry and Distraction, Not Readiness or Cost
Trump is using the ban purely to provoke the left, throw red meat to his base, and distract us all from the real issues in our nation, like the government shutdown.
MLK’s Dream Of Economic Justice Deferred By Increasing Inequalities
King foreshadowed that if we maintain our exploitative economic and political systems, then we’d get not only racial apartheid, but economic apartheid as well.
The Sheltering Tree, Flagler’s Cold-Weather Shelter, Holds Fundraiser March 10
The “Have a Heart for the Homeless” dinner and dance will raise money for the shelter assisting new, near, or chronically homeless, and the all-volunteer effort needs your help.
DeSantis Poised To Liberalize State’s Approach to Medical Marijuana, Ending ‘Foot-Dragging’
DeSantis said his medical-marijuana announcement will deal not only with “the litigation” but also with “legislation that I think is needed to implement the people’s will.”
FPC’s Shaunti Stafford, 17, Takes Her Life, Flagler’s Third Teen Suicide in 18 Months
Shauntiana Autrice Stafford, a 17-year-old student at Flagler Palm Coast High School, took her life Monday evening at her home at Madison Green Apartments.
New Florida Doctors Won’t Have To Disclose Their Own Drug or Mental Health Histories
State regulations will eliminate a question about past treatment of mental health and substance abuse for doctors applying for licenses, replacing it with a question about current conditions.
In Contrast With Scott, DeSantis Expected To Make Easier Access to Medical Pot a Priority
A new administration headed by DeSantis, who takes over as governor Tuesday, seemingly presents a friendlier stance toward medical pot than the administration of outgoing Gov. Rick Scott.
It’s Now AdventHealth Palm Coast: Florida Hospital Flagler Changes Name, and Signs
Florida Hospital Flagler officially became AdventHealth Palm Coast this morning, with some 15 signs changed over to reflect the company’s re-branding across nearly 50 hospitals in nine states.
Federal Judge Strikes Down Entire Affordable Care Act, Putting Law In Peril–Again
Judge Reed C. O’Connor struck down the law, siding with Republican state attorneys general to say the tax bill passed by Congress last December effectively rendered the entire health law unconstitutional.
Florida Supreme Court Clears Cops to Use Stand Your Ground Defense in Shootings
Stand your ground applies to “persons,” and “a law enforcement officer is a ‘person’ whether on duty or off, and irrespective of whether the officer is making an arrest,” the court ruled unanimously.
Survivor of Half-Failed Double-Suicide May Not Get To Blame Depression in “Assisted Murder” Defense
Bruce Haughton says he planned to kill himself and his ex-girlfriend Katherine Goddard in her R-Section home. She died. He survived. The prosecution sees it only as assisted murder, discounting his mental state.
‘Culture Change’ Needed In Schools as Parkland Massacre Commission Finalizes Its Work
The panel will ask the Legislature to impose sanctions if school districts failed to put into effect some of the school-safety measures, including measures already required by law, such as active-shooter drills.
Opposing Scott Court Cases, DeSantis
Signals Friendlier Approach to Medical Pot
DeSantis, a Republican who will take office on Jan. 8, is unwilling to continue some of the court battles now being waged by outgoing Gov. Rick Scott’s administration.
Buddy Taylor Middle Student Arrested With Loaded Gun in Math Class; .45 Was Stolen From Unlocked Car on Point Pleasant
A 14-year-old student was arrested for bringing a loaded gun to Buddy Taylor Middle School today. The gun had been reported stolen out of an unlocked car in Palm Coast in April.
Flagler-Palm Coast’s Crime Rate Falls Sharply in First 6 Months of 2018, Arrests Up 35%
The drop in crime in Flagler and Palm Coast was reflected across almost every category and the addition of 23 new deputies led to a steep rise in arrests in the first six months of 2018.
Darryl Fultz, 51, Harvey Perly, 83:
Two Suicides in 3 Days in Palm Coast
Darryl L. Fultz, 51, of 69 Eric Drive, took his life using a gun on Dec. 2, Harvey Perly, 83, did so on Dec. 4 in his front yard at 55 Christopher Court South in Palm Coast.
Stephen Bickel, Tireless Physician for the Poor, is FHF Foundation’s Humanitarian of the Year
Flagler Physician Stephen Bickel is a moving force behind Flagler Cares, the Flagler Free Clinic and numerous other local initiatives focused on the under-insured and such needs as diabetes and HIV prevention.
The Story Behind A 28-Year-Old Flagler Veteran’s Suicide: Strife, Depression, And a Father’s Questions
Abdul Ganiyu Ayanwale, a 28-year-old Army National Guard veteran, killed himself by gunshot at his Bunnell apartment on Nov. 16 after a series of personal and legal difficulties.
Calling Loss of Life a ‘Catastrophe,’ Judge Backs Revoking Nursing Home’s License
The deaths and evacuation of the Broward nursing home drew national attention in the days after Hurricane Irma, which made landfall Sept. 10, 2017 .
In Health Insurance Wastelands, Rosier Options Crop Up For 2019
Across all 50 states, premiums for the average “benchmark” silver plan, which the government uses to set subsidies, are dropping nearly 1 percent.
Florida Hospital Flagler Will Open Stand-Alone ER Near Matanzas High School and I-95
The future AdventHealth’s 12-bed stand-alone ER represents a $25 million investment in north palm Coast and the addition of some 40 jobs near Matanzas High School as that part of town grows.
ASPCA in Flagler Shows Lurid World of Animal Cruelty and Its Kin to Domestic Violence and Other Crimes
The ASPCA, the Flagler Humane Society and other local agencies hosted a two-day training conference in Bunnell for cops and animal control officers from around the state to improve animal-abuse prosecutions.
Bunnell Takes Page From St. Augustine to Adopt Harshest Anti-Panhandling Rules in Flagler
Bunnell’s new ordinance prohibits panhandling within 20 feet of any business or commercial property, alongside drivers or diners, but limits penalties to fines.
Voters in 3 Red States Approve Obamacare’s Medicaid Expansion, Bringing Total to 36
Florida under Gov. Rick Scott repeatedly blocked Medicaid expansion, which provides benefits to all adults earning up to 38 percent above the federal poverty line, an annual income of $16,753 or less.
Being Trans in America Was Already Scary. Now It’s Terrifying.
On any given afternoon, the author is regularly and publicly catcalled, mocked, laughed at, and treated as an object of social disgust. Donald Trump is about to deny her right to exist.
Save Our Home: We Have 12 Years
There’s an urgent message of hope amid the latest climate report’s dire warning: We’ve got a little bit of time to save the only home planet we’ve got. And it’s going to take all of us to do it.
Flagler Representative On Federal Juvenile Justice Panel Describes Efforts Decimated By Trump
Cheryl Massaro, director of the Flagler County Youth Center, describes how the Trump administration disbanded and stopped the work of the Federal Advisory Committee for Juvenile Justice she was appointed to two years ago.
Stepped-Up Sheriff’s Patrols, New Sex-Offender App, Candy Buy Back: Halloween Game Plans
Flagler sheriff’s personnel will be conducting heavy patrols and providing crossing assistance at critical points for Halloween, the FDLE has a new safety app, and Flagler Dental is doing candy buy-back for 10 days afterward.
Judge Clears Way For Local Governments to Challenge State Ban on Stricter Gun Restrictions
Some 30 local Florida governments are challenging a state law that forbids cities and counties from passing stricter gun regulations than the state allows.
Ex-Dr. Fruehan Claims Statute of Limitations Elapsed in Charge of Inappropriate Touching, But Dates May Not Be On His Side
Florence Fruehan, the former Palm Coast physician accused of inappropriately touching a woman during a consultation at his office, will argue in court that the misdemeanor battery charge against him should be dismissed because the statutes of limitations has passed.
Is The .08 Threshold for DUI Too Lax?
Traffic safety advocates and a federal highway safety agency support the change to .05 and have been recommending it for years.
How Fentanyl, in 56% of Florida’s Overdose Deaths, Changes the Opioid Equation
With lethal amounts of fentanyl showing up in heroin and other drug supplies throughout the country, active drug users are at a greater risk of dying than ever before.
A Better Way To Fight Homelessness: Decriminalize It
Law enforcement is often used as a first response to address homelessness. Many communities criminalize it instead of connecting the homeless with essential services, assuming they’re available.
Help Fill a Relief Truck Parked at Palm Coast Parkway Winn-Dixie for Hard-Hit Residents of Panhandle
The volunteer relief truck, provided by Flagler Broadcasting’s Beach 92.7 FM and WNZF, is at the Winn Dixie on Palm Coast Parkway from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday and Tuesday.
After Estimated 80,000 Americans Died of Flu Last Winter, Flagler Health Department
Alerts To Early Flu Shots
The grim numbers reinforce the importance of a flu shot each year, the Florida Department of Health in Flagler stresses, recommending a flu vaccine before Halloween and the start of flu season in November.
‘Unimaginable’ Hurricane Devastation in Florida’s Panhandle as Long Recovery Begins
The Florida National Guard has deployed 3,500 members for search-and-rescue and humanitarian aid, with assistance from National Guard units from as far away as New York and Kansas.
Two More Apparent Overdose Deaths in 8 Days, in Palm Coast and in Mondex
The Sheriff’s Office is investigating the deaths of 31-year-old William D. Scott of Palm Coast and 49-year-old Maxie Nieves of the Mondex.
Judge Halts Florida’s Medical Pot Licensing Process Over Its Flawed Restrictions
The judge previously ruled that Florida health rules over medical pot were unconstitutional, and set a Wednesday deadline for the deficiencies with the law to be resolved. It passed.
Mark Klos of Flagler Beach Found Dead of Apparent Suicide in His Jail Cell Days After Arrest Over Death Threats
Mark Klos, 72, of Flagler Beach, had been arrested Thursday (Sept. 27) after allegedly writing brutal and graphic death threats against a building contractor.
An 18-Month-Old Is in ICU After Narcotic Overdose as Family Makes Up Stories to Cops
The 18-month-old child’s mother reported he reached into her purse and took two Subutex pills, the powerful narcotic prescribed to people fighting addiction.
The Cruelty of the GOP’s Kavanaugh Charade
A few of us posted about sexual assault in general or about our own past assaults on our Facebook pages. Then the private messages began. The details are painful to talk about.
Memories of Heartbreak, Triumph and Farewells at Flagler’s 32nd Drug Court Graduation
Circuit Judge Dennis Craig returned to preside over Flagler’s drug court graduation for the last time and saw goodbye to 11-year coordinator and tough cop Mike Greenier.
Between Frittatas, Colonoscopies and Rebranding at Florida Hospital Flagler
Wally deAquino, Dean Abtahi and Issam Nasr, physicians at Florida Hospital Flagler, headlined a Common Ground breakfast this morning at Palm Coast’s Hilton.
Open Court Proceedings Require NRA-Backed Gun Litigants To Be Named, Florida Argues
Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office is asking a federal appeals court to reject arguments that two 19-year-olds should be able to remain anonymous in a challenge to a new state gun law.
Ricky Wheeler Found Alive and Unhurt
Ricky Wheeler, the 17-year-old boy who disappeared Friday, was found alive and unhurt in an area near the Town Center Publix at around 6:30 p.m.
Fruehan Is No-Show as Mosquito Control District Raises Tax Rate 10% Above Rollback (Don’t Panic)
Florence Fruehan, the physician facing criminal charges and a member of the Flagler Mosquito Control District, was a no-show at today’s budget hearing of the district, as his mother was ailing.
Why Women Don’t Report Sexual Assault
That urge to discredit accusers of sexual assault like Christine Blasey Ford is exactly why it takes so long for some to come forward in the first place.
Sheriff Files Criminal Charges Against Dr. Florence Fruehan, Alleging Pattern of Inappropriate Touching
At least five women have now come forward with allegations of inappropriate touching by Florence Fruehan, the Palm Coast physician who agreed to surrender his license last month.
Three Suicides Averted in 2 Days As 911 Dispatchers and Deputies Defuse Chilling Situations
Over the weekend, authorities converged on three suicide attempts–by gun in Flagler Beach, by hanging and by cop off a county road in western Flagler, and by knife in Palm Coast’s K-Section.