The Palm Coast City Council today rejected a request by county government to support raising the local sales tax from 7 to 7.5 percent. The rejection deals a blow to county government, which is looking to increase the tax to pay for law enforcement and fire operations, but it also replays tensions from 10 years ago when the county’s approach on the sales tax was equally clumsy and unilateral.
Backgrounders
Crime Dropped By Half in Staly’s 1st Term, Giving Flagler 4th-Lowest Rate Among Florida Counties of 100,000 or More
Flagler County’s crime rate in 2020 fell for the 11th straight year, though it’s never fallen as sharply as it has in the last three, when it fell by half since 2017. In 2020, Flagler had the fourth-lowest crime rate in the state for counties of 100,000 or more people, aided in part by the pandemic.
Supreme Court Upholds Religious Liberty Over LGBTQ Rights and Nods to Bigger wins for Conservatives Ahead
Last week’s Supreme Court ruling is narrow, but it means that any unequal treatment of religious groups will be regarded as a violation of the First Amendment, even if it comes at the expense of the dignity of LGBTQ citizens.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, Juneteenth 2021
It’s Juneteenth, but this being Flagler County, and an AACS virtual program aside, you wouldn’t know it. The stages at City Repertory Theatre and the Flagler Playhouse are lit up tonight. And it’s a day of superpowers at Euro 2020.
Woman Claiming She was Drugged and Raped Sues Palm Coast Doctor Gerard Abate; Criminal Investigation Open
A woman is suing Gerard Abate, a 67-year-old Palm Coast physician who runs his own medical consultancy, over claims he drugged, raped and exposed her to a sexually transmitted disease after meeting her on a dating site in 2017. A potential criminal case against Abate is pending, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said.
Florida Supreme Court Justices Again Reject Recreational Pot Amendment Despite Strict Regulatory Language
Justices, in a 5-2 decision, said a proposal by the political committee Sensible Florida included ballot wording that would mislead voters. By the same margin, the court in April rejected a recreational-pot proposal by the committee Make It Legal Florida.
Road Signs May Not Be Enough to Stop Sea Turtles’ Carnage on Flagler’s Beachside
A dead or stranded turtle on the side of the road is common, but prevention is not complicated, whether it’s reducing clutter and pollution on the beach or following up on the Flagler Turtle Patrol’s awareness tips.
Man Who Killed His Father Says His Freedom Doesn’t Mean ‘I’m Going to Jump Off a Bridge and Kill Somebody’
A judge denied lifting all restrictions on Richard Dunn, 60, who killed his father in Palm Coast in 2006 and was found not guilty by reason of insanity. But numerous restrictions have been lifted, and Dunn’s other family members are objecting to further freedoms he may gain, which make them fearful for their safety.
Patient Batters 3 People at AdventHealth’s ER Waiting Room Before One Victim, a Security Guard, Stops Him
Kory Prusaitis, a 25-year-old resident of Winterling Place in Palm Coast, was upset at hospital staff when told that that his mother couldn’t come into the waiting room with him, and went on a brief rampage against three people.
Robert Hill Had Threatened to Smash His Girlfriend’s Face In Before Shooting Her. She Recorded Him.
It was Brenan Hill, 32, who unknowingly led detectives to the gun used in the shooting of his 22-year-old girlfriend in Palm Coast last March, and the victim’s own recordings of him that made him the chief suspect, as a trove of digital footprints unraveled his many lies to detectives.
Richard Dunn Nearing Full Freedom from Restrictions 15 Years After Being Found Insane in Father’s Murder
Richard Dunn, the 60-year-old former Palm Coast resident found not guilty by reason of insanity in the stabbing death of his father Jack Dunn 15 years ago, will again appear in court Wednesday to seek his full freedom, without medical or other supervisory restrictions.
Attempted Murder Charge for Brenan Robert Hill in Shooting of Girlfriend Near Microtel in March
Brenan Robert Hill was charged today with attempted second-degree murder in the shooting of his girlfriend near the Microtel March 26, a shooting Hill had blamed on a robbery and that had briefly seemed like an inexplicable, unnerving act of violence.
Here’s What I Tell Middle and High School Teachers About How to Teach Young Students About Slavery
Nervous. Concerned. Worried. Wary. Unprepared. This is how middle and high school teachers have told me they have felt over the past few years when it comes to teaching the troublesome topic of slavery, writes Raphael Rogers, with advice.
Critical Rage Theory
Critical race theory has been around almost 50 years and went mainstream 25 years ago, but Trumpist Republicans are discovering it only now, passing laws in several states to ban the teaching of critical race theory without understanding the first thing about it, but proving with every ban that it is less theory than fact.
Palm Coast Fire Chief on Joe Mullins: a ‘Wrecking Ball’ who ‘Disgraces the Hard Working Men and Women of Flagler County Fire Rescue’
After County Commissioner Joe Mullins spoke to Palm Coast Fire Chief Jerry Forte about Palm Coast taking over county fire services, Forte ripped into Mullins in a scathing email to the county administrator and his deputy, calling Mullins a “hack” who seeks to incite hostility when he “stay in his own lane.”
For Whispering Meadows Ranch, a Slow But Likely Trot Away from John Anderson, to New Site at County Fairgrounds
If negotiations between Whispering Meadows Ranch’s owners and county government officials continue on the constructive course they’ve followed for the last few weeks, the ranch appears headed out of its 13-year location at a residential property on John Anderson Highway and will be recreated on the grounds of the Flagler County Fairgrounds off of County Road 13.
The Live Daily Quote Archive, 2017-2021
The archives of the Briefing’s Live Daily Quote, covering every imaginable idea, philosophy, religion, politics, from the sublime to the outrageous to the astonishing, with style and substance, selected daily by the editor. This is not your grandpa’s Bartlett.
Never-Before-Seen Records Reveal How the Wealthiest Avoid Income Tax
ProPublica has obtained a vast cache of IRS information showing how billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Warren Buffett pay little in income tax compared to their massive wealth — sometimes, even nothing.
One Man Rapes a 13-Year-Old Girl and Walks Free. Another Raped a 16-Year-Old Girl and Is Serving 12 Years in Prison.
Bo Jeremiah Sirrine, 23, and Tonda Royal, 55, once shared a cell at the Flagler County jail. They also shared a predilection for underage girls and were both charged with raping girls–a 13 year old, in Sirrine’s case, a 16 year old, in Royal’s case. Sirrine walked out of the Flagler jail a free man weeks ago. Royal is serving 12 years in state prison.
From Drag Queens to Sister Bunny Juju, Throngs Exult in Pride, Joy and Freedom at Flagler’s 2nd Annual LGBTQ Festival
Saturday’s Flagler Pride Festival and its crowds, which by 9 p.m. had totaled between 600 and 800 people, put the lie to the county’s presumed homogeneity: Palm Coast, a city started in the late 1960s as an integrated, post-racial subdivision, is still more diverse than perhaps assumed, and if anything growing more so.
Volunteers: The Flagler Health Department’s Secret Weapon in an Epic Covid Fight
From the heady days of frantic covid testing to the headier days of vaccination drives at the Flagler County Fairgrounds, the county airport and elsewhere, a corps of over 100 volunteers have assisted the Flagler Health Department and county emergency services in pulling off an epic feat of safety and coordination. Here are the stories of three of them: Judy Mazzella, Moya Thompson, and Dr. Stephen Playe, as told by Gretchen Smith.
A Flagler Sheriff’s Deputy Is Hospitalized After Two Inmates Violently Assault Him Over a Koran at the Jail
A Flagler County Sheriff’s corrections deputy was hospitalized Friday afternoon after being assaulted and beaten by two inmates at the Flagler County jail, after attempting to search the Koran one of the two inmates was carrying. The inmate wouldn’t let him search it.
Keith Johansen’s Defense Wants to Keep Out Evidence of His Racist and Sadistic Threats Before Shooting Death of Wife Brandi Celenza
The defense for Palm Coast’s Keith Johansen, 36, facing a first-degree murder charge in the shooting death of his wife Brandi Celenza in 2018, wants to keep out of his trial surveillance video that shows him repeatedly threatening, insulting and demeaning Celenza, using racist, misogynistic and homophobic language. Today, the defense lost a bid to keep out hours of Johansen’s interviews with detectives.
Overpopularity Is Nearly Destroying the National Park Experience
America’s national parks face a popularity crisis. From 2010 to 2019, the number of national park visitors spiked from 281 million to 327 million, largely driven by social media, advertising and increasing foreign tourism. This exponential growth is generating pollution and putting wildlife at risk to a degree that threatens the future of the park system.
‘We are it. We’re the Ones That Lived Through This’: Matanzas and FPC Graduates Triumph Again
It was back to graduating in person and tacking stock of a year of absences, losses and sorrows, but also of resilience and triumphs as 1,036 FPC and Matanzas High school students held their graduation ceremonies at the Ocean Center in Daytona Wednesday.
Covid Almost Down, Hurricane Season Up: Flagler Emergency Chief Jonathan Lord Reassures: ‘We’re On the Ball’
In briefing previewing the hurricane season, Jonathan Lord detailed how Flagler County, fresh from winding down its covid emergency, is ramping up preparations for hurricane or tropical storm emergencies and urging against complacency–or too much attention to statistical probabilities, which mean nothing if that one storm hits.
Reilly Opelka, Seeded for 1st Time in Grand Slam, Reaches 3rd Round at French Open
Opelka powered his way into the third round Wednesday in Paris, overcoming a tough Jaume Munar in four sets. Until this year, the former Palm Coast resident had never won a match at Roland Garros.
She Flees a Cop at a Traffic Stop, Crashes Into a Concrete FPL Pole, then Attempts Escape Through Hospital Ceiling
Tyler Anne Price, a 20-year-old resident of John Anderson Highway in Flagler Beach, faces eight charges, three of them felonies, including fleeing and eluding a cop, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and attempted escape.
Proposed Civics Standards for Florida Schools Don’t Mention the Word Slavery
Following the George Floyd murder and the national discussion over “critical race theory” — which encompasses slavery, segregation and institutionalized racism — Florida’s proposed civics standards for school don’t mention the word slavery.
Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise Now Accepts E-ZPass Statewide
A major milestone in national toll interoperability has been achieved with interoperability between two of the largest customer bases in the country. Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise (FTE) is now accepting E-ZPass, bringing interoperability to millions of toll highway customers on the East Coast of the United States and as far west as Illinois.
Benjamin Allen’s Lawyers Drill Holes in His Accusers’ Stories, Sowing Grave Doubts About Who Killed Elijah Rizvan
The prosecution in the trial of Benjamin Allen, 18, who is accused of murdering Elijah Rizvan in Palm Coast’s W-Section in 2019, had a bad day Tuesday as its witnesses proved more helpful to the defense, undermining the claim that Allen was the shooter.
After Holland
The resignation of Milissa Holland and the coming special election for mayor puts Palm Coast at a forking path between the course Holland set and a more radical change in a different direction. The two views seem to be represented by Alan Lowe and David Alfin, the leading contenders for the seat.
Covid-19: Risk after Vaccination, Masks, and CDC Missteps
Many are concerned about starting “normal activities” after vaccination, the possibility of breakthrough infections, and the recent CDC guidance that fully vaccinated persons can go “maskless” in most situations. Here are answers to anxious questions from the Infectious Pharmacist.
Rays of Promise: Boston Whaler Marks Reopening of Boating Plant, Projecting 400 Jobs and Orders Into 2023
Brunswick Corp. and Boston Whaler executives today formally reopened the former Sea Ray plant that shut down three years ago, projecting to ramp up over the next 12 to 24 months back to 400 jobs, and likely more beyond that: boat-buying is brisk and demand for Boston Whaler is back-ordered well into 2023, the executives say, ensuring the stability of the plant for years to come.
Survey Experts Have Yet To Figure Out What Caused the Most Significant Polling Error in 40 Years in Trump-Biden Race
Lingering questions about the misfire in 2020, in which voter support for then-President Donald Trump was understated in final pre-election polls, suggest that troubles in accurately surveying presidential elections could be deeper and more profound than previously recognized.
School Board Wades Into Selling Belle Terre Swim Club, Or Closing It to All But District Students
The Flagler County School Board is considering selling the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club it’s owned since 1997, or closing its membership-driven club functions and restricting its use to students, whose high school teams depend on its 25-yard pool.
County Authorizes Eminent Domain Action Against Second Property Owner in Quest for Dune Easements
Flagler County authorized its attorney to begin eminent domain proceedings against Leonard Surles, the homeowner at 2732 South Ocean Shore Boulevard in Flagler Breach, to secure an easement that would allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to proceed with a long-awaited dunes-rebuilding project.
Attention Coastal Florida: Antarctica Is Headed for 2060 Tipping Point, with Catastrophic Melting Absent Carbon Cuts
If emissions continue at their current pace, by about 2060 the Antarctic ice sheet will have crossed a critical threshold and committed the world to sea level rise that is not reversible on human timescales. Pulling carbon dioxide out of the air at that point won’t stop the ice loss, and by 2100, sea level could be rising more than 10 times faster than today.
At County Memorial for Lives Lost to Covid, a Solidarity of Grief Near and Far, and Thankfulness for Essential Workers
Eulogies personal and universal were among seven invocations that seven clergy members delivered in the county’s–or any local government’s–first memorial devoted to the losses of the 15-month-long covid-19 pandemic this afternoon in front of the Government Services Building in Bunnell.
Israel Is Having Its Own Black Lives Matter Moment as the Palestinian Minority Takes to the Streets
An unprecedented conflict is taking place on the streets of Jerusalem, Haifa, Lod and elsewhere, pitting elements of Israel’s Jewish population against elements of Israel’s Palestinian population who have had enough and have taken to the streets.
Reilly Opelka Battles Hard But Falls to Nadal in Rome Semifinals, 6-4, 6-4
For Opelka, now up to No. 35 in the world rankings, the match was a huge opportunity to measure himself against the 12-time French Open champ and a man likely to break a tie with Roger Federer at 20 Slam titles at the upcoming French championships in two weeks.
Whispering Meadows Ranch’s Fate Hangs on a County Commission Vote Monday After 14 Years of Serene Service
On Monday, the Flagler County Commission will decide whether to allow Whispering Meadows Ranch to continue operating as it has for nearly 14 years, as an equine therapy retreat for disabled children and veterans, or whether it will be shut down. But none of the commissioners have visited the ranch. Here’s a profile of Whispering Meadows.
Palm Coast’s Opelka Is Having Career Week in Rome, and Faces Rafael Nadal Saturday Morning
The former Indian Trails Middle School student is in the midst of a career week at the Italian Open in Rome, reaching the semifinals of a Masters 1000 event (the biggest tournaments outside of the four Grand Slams) for the first time.
Palm Coast Resident Takes Issue With Councilman’s Code Enforcement Vigilantism on Social Media
After Palm Coast City Council member Victor Barbosa posted pictures and a video of a Seminole Woods property Barbosa considered unseemly, the property owner wrote the council to complain of Barbosa’s “abusive, conniving, and hypocritical” tactics.
You May Get Rid of Masks and Social Distancing If You’re Fully Vaccinated, CDC Says in Landmark Shift
Americans fully vaccinated against Covid-19 do not need to wear a mask in most situations, indoors and outdoors, federal health officials said in an updated set of recommendations Thursday that marks a major turning point in the pandemic.
Countering Disinformation, AdventHealth Physicians Say Covid Vaccine ‘Highly’ Recommended for Children 12 and Up
As the Flagler Health Department prepares to order a batch of Pfizer vaccines, now that it’s been approved for children as young as 12, AdventHealth physicians today spoke of the importance of vaccinating children and the rarely spoken-of and unnerving complications from covid complications in infected children.
‘Precipitous’ Drop Down to Just 129 Vaccinations a Day in Flagler Raises Concerns About Hesitancy and Immunity
Average daily covid vaccinations have fallen from 480 in late February to 413 in the first two weeks of April to just 129 a day for the past two weeks from all locations, public or private, in Flagler County, while the proportion of the population that’s had at least one shot is at 46 percent, well short of herd immunity.
Planning Board Refuses to Call 240-Boat Storage Facility in Hammock a “Marina” But Will Seek to Define the Word
The 240-boat storage facility proposed for a 4-acre parcel on the Intracoastal in the Hammock two years ago ran into its latest setback tonight as the county planning board refused to define the facility as a marina, as its developer wants to do–not yet, anyway. The board wants to craft an ordinance that would define the word “marina,” potentially reopening the door to the boat-storage facility.
DeSantis Touts ‘Rights and Liberties’ in Ditching Covid Restrictions; Health Experts Say That’s Dangerous
For doctors, nurses, healthcare workers, and many Florida residents at large, DeSantis’s elimination of covid restrictions across the state as of July 1 is scary or reckless. The pandemic is not over, and health experts continue to advocate for maintaining safety measures to prevent further outbreaks.
You May Qualify for a Monthly $50 Broadband Discount Through New Program Launching Wednesday
Temporary help of up to $50 a month is available to cover some of the costs of broadband for qualifying low-income households through the Federal Communications Commission Emergency Broadband Benefit Program.