Flagler Beach farmers’ market, Grace Community Food Pantry, The leper colony of Carville, La., Joan Didion plays it as it lays.
All Else
An American Tragedy: The Roe Regression
In right-to-life theology, the woman’s right is non-existent. She’s a vessel. Pro-life? It might help us to look beneath our legal and social burquas once in a while. It’s not pretty, and it sure as hell isn’t nearly as moral or pro-life as you think.
Summer High: 5 Books on the Joys and Challenges of LGBTQ Teen and Young Adult Life
In recognition of LGBT Pride Month, Jonathan Alexander – an English professor with a scholarly interest in the interplay between sexuality and literature, and the children’s and young adult fiction section editor for the Los Angeles Review of Books, presents his “must-reads” for this summer.
ELO Meets FYO as Band’s Strange Magic Electrifies Flagler Auditorium With Flagler Youth Orchestra Saturday
The tribute band Ticket to the Moon, which formed in 2019 and took its name from an ELO song title, performs in a Saturday concert at Flagler Auditorium, bringing the band’s music to life with the aid of four teens — a string quartet from the Flagler Youth Orchestra.
Flagler Beach Misses Deadline on $739,000 Tourism Grant. It had 18 Months to Apply. And an Extension.
The Flagler Beach City Commission learned Thursday evening that the city missed out on up to $739,000 in grant funds from the Flagler County Tourist Development Council–a grant that had been available since January 2021. The city was afforded an extension. It missed that deadline too.
Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade; Florida Ban on Abortions After 15 Weeks Starts July 1
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that established abortion as a constitutional right. In Florida, abortions after 15 weeks of gestation will be illegal starting on July 1.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, June 24, 2022
Florida on Fire, at the public library, the Summer BreakSpot, Free Meals for Kids and Teens, Monday through Friday, Ruth Westheimer is still kicking, Joan Didion on morality.
Biden Thinks a Federal Gas Tax ‘Holiday’ Will Help. Not Likely.
Several states have temporarily waived their state gasoline taxes to reduce the burden on consumers. Does it help? Not substantially, other than to let politicians who feel a need to show voters they are doing something appear as if they are.
Take the ‘Internet Speed Test’ Survey
Flagler County officials are encouraging residents to take an anonymous one-minute speed test and survey to help identify opportunities for expansion of broadband services in Florida. The survey can be completed on any device and from any location.
Stray F Word and 14 Seconds of TikTok End Flagler Teacher Abbey Cooke’s Storied 13-Year Career
The 3-1 vote to fire Abbey Cooke, for a dozen year a highly rated teacher and 2017 Teacher of the Year at Belle Terre Elementary, sent a chilling message to those who would challenge the board, or those who land on any board member’s hostile radar: the slightest misstep can and will be used against them.
Again Ticketed for Speeding, Flagler Commission Chairman Joe Mullins Again Begs for Favor
The ticket is not remarkable. What’s more notable about Joe Mullins is his pattern of seeking to get out of penalties, and of reaching out to public officials to do so or invoking their names either to get out of a ticket or in attempts to get out of being adjudicated and getting points on his license, with a promise that he’d never do it again. Then he does it again.
U.S. Supreme Court Strikes Down Limits on Concealed Carry Laws, Expands Gun Rights
The court ruled that New York’s concealed carry law violates the 14th Amendment of the Constitution — a major decision that expands the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. The opinion came at the same time Congress is considering new gun control legislation following two deadly mass shootings.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, June 23, 2022
Pride Night at Daytona Tortugas, Schoolhouse Rock Live, a City Repertory Theatre production, The Palm Coast Beautification Committee hears a history of Palm Coast, Anna Akhmatova, Bob Fosse’s birthday.
Understanding the Heat Dome: Why America Is Baking
A heat dome occurs when a persistent region of high pressure traps heat over an area. The heat dome can stretch over several states and linger for days to weeks, leaving the people, crops and animals below to suffer through stagnant, hot air that can feel like an oven.
Ex-Governor Candidate Andrew Gillum Arrested on Wire Fraud, Lying and Conspiracy Charges
A 21-count indictment, delivered by a grand jury this year and unsealed Wednesday, accused Gillum and a longtime adviser, Sharon Lettman-Hicks, of illegally soliciting and obtaining money from various entities “through false and fraudulent promises and representations that the funds would be used for a legitimate purpose.”
DSC Gets $10,000 Bank of America Grant for 1,200 At-Risk Students’ Meals
Daytona State College will use a $10,000 grant from Bank of America to provide more than 1,200 meals to low-income and under-represented students who might not otherwise have access to healthy food during the school day.
Florida Park Drive Will Be Closed to Thru Traffic for at Least 4 Months for Major Utility Work
Starting Monday, June 27, Florida Park Drive will be closed to thru traffic for at least four months to accommodate a major utility reconstruction project. Local access will still be possible. But accessing either Holland Park or most of the neighborhoods along Florida Park Drive from Palm Coast Parkway will not be possible without a wide detour.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, June 22, 2022
Schoolhouse Rock Live, a City Repertory Theatre production, presents two shows at the Flagler Auditorium, when Joe Louis knocked out James Braddock, sellout culture.
Endorsements Aren’t As Influential as You Think
So far, 94 percent of Trump’s favored candidates have won their Republican primaries. But most of the candidates Trump has chosen to endorse were already on track to win their respective races.
Volusia/Flagler YMCA HYDRO4 Swim Team Places 18th in U.S.
The Volusia Flagler Family YMCA’s HYDRO4 Swim Team has been recognized as a 2022 American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA) Top 100 Age Group Team. The team placed 18th in the USA.
A Green Lion Deal Dims as Positions Harden in Acrimony, Accusations and a Deadline
Green Lion owner Tony Marlow called Palm Coast City officials “crooks” as a council segment on a proposed lease resulted in a take-it-or-leave it offer from the city, and a 10-day deadline, or else the city will terminate the lease and seek a new vendor for the space.
School District’s Half-Penny Sales Surtax Renewal, for Tech and Safety, Will Be on the November Ballot
The Flagler County Commission Monday evening approved on a 4-0 vote placing a referendum on the Nov. 8 ballot to renew for the third time the school district’s half-penny sales surtax. The vote was not a surprise, though it reflects a shift from Commissioner Joe Mullins, who earlier this month was signaling opposition to the tax.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, June 21, 2022
The Palm Coast City Council considers cell towers, the School Board discusses communications and the half-penny sales tax renewal, Mary McCarthy, Mike Wallace Interviews Reinhold Niebuhr.
Wiccan Celebrations and the Permanence of Change
Summer solstice, a time when the northern hemisphere will experience the maximum hours of sunlight, takes place on June 21 – and will be celebrated by followers of Wicca, a form of contemporary Paganism, with a holiday known as Litha.
Lease Negotiations Between Green Lion Café and Palm Coast Crumble Again on Eve of Council Decision
A year into the negotiations, relations between the Palm Coast city administration and the Green Lion Cafe at the city-owned Palm Harbor Golf Club have again broken down over several additional changes on the even of a scheduled City Council vote on a proposed five-year agreement with the popular restaurant.
Pay Attention, Class: CRT’s ‘Schoolhouse Rock!’ Is In Session at Flagler Auditorium
“Schoolhouse Rock Live!” will be presented by City Repertory Theatre at 7 p.m. Wednesday June 22 and Thursday June 23 at Flagler Auditorium in Palm Coast. Proceeds will benefit both City Rep and the nonprofit auditorium. The play tells the story of the teacher Jan, who is nervous as her first day of school teaching is approaching. But her nerves are calmed when she turns on “Schoolhouse Rock!” and the characters come to life to help her prepare her lessons.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, June 20, 2022
The Flagler County Commission meets at 5 p.m. and will discuss the school board’s plan to renew its half-penny sales surtax, Miami under water, Vincent Canby on “Jaws.”
100 Million People in America Are Saddled With Health Care Debt
In the past five years, more than half of U.S. adults report they’ve gone into debt because of medical or dental bills. A quarter of adults with health care debt owe more than $5,000. And about 1 in 5 with any amount of debt said they don’t expect to ever pay it off.
Privacy Isn’t In the Constitution. But It’s Everywhere in Constitutional Law.
For half a century, the Supreme Court has recognized privacy as an outgrowth of protections for individual liberty. This implied right is the source of many of the nation’s most cherished, contentious and commonly used rights – including the right to have an abortion.
Flagler County Hosts Weeklong Florida Emergency Preparedness Association Academy
Twenty-five emergency management professionals from 13 counties, the Salvation Army, and the Florida Division of Emergency Management made Flagler County their temporary home as they immersed themselves in the Florida Emergency Preparedness Association (FEPA) Intermediate Academy – hosted by the county.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, June 19, 2022
A kids’ jamboree at Holland Park in Palm Coast, today is Juneteenth. Jonathan Schell reflects on the fate of the earth. Grace Community Food Pantry.
Anti-Trans Legislation and Lawsuits Are Pushing back Against Chosen Pronouns
It’s a disquieting trend: The right of trans students to be free from discrimination is tenuous at best and under constant legal attack. The Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian legal group, is behind much of the anti-trans legislation in the U.S.
Juneteenth Is Not a Legal Holiday in Florida or in Most States
Long celebrated in the Black community as Freedom Day, Independence Day or Emancipation Day, Juneteenth is a time for get-togethers, picnics, concerts and reflection. Establishing federal and state legal Juneteenth holidays guarantees attention to painful United States history that is still unknown to many Americans, an annual assessment of racism in society, and celebrations of Black culture, history and achievement.
Flagler Clerk of Court’s Office Is Recognized for Best Practices
he Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller Tom Bexley accepted the award at last week’s Florida Clerk’s summer conference. Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers (FCCC) recognized 55 members for participating in its second annual Best Practices Excellence Program.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, June 18, 2022
Juneteenth Celebration at the African American Cultural Society, bombing in the Ocala National Forest, big heat, Dick Cavett on Norman Mailer, Joan Didion on writers selling people out.
How Mike Pence’s Unremarkable Actions on Jan. 6 Saved the Nation
New revelations from the congressional committee investigating the events on and leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol show the crucial role then-Vice President Mike Pence played in thwarting the insurrection – and reveal the principles behind his actions.
DeSantis Signs Law Lowering Specialty License Plates from 150 to 135
The license-plate bill (SB 364) will cut the maximum number of specialty plates at any one time from 150 to 135, while also making some changes related to the pre-sales of plates.
Covid Outbreaks Hit 4 Flagler Nursing Homes as Infections Rise and DeSantis Derides ‘Jabs’ for Children
As covid infections from the Omicron-21 variant continue to rise in Flagler County, with significant outbreaks at four nursing homes, Gov. Ron DeSantis and his administration were issuing conflicting statements about ordering vaccines for children under 5. DeSantis and his administration aggressively derided the option on Thursday, then backtracked somewhat on Friday.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, June 17, 2022
The North East Florida Jazz Association hosts Jazz, Blues and BBQ at the Community Center, the Charleston church massacre anniversary, Joan Baez and Alexander Herzen.
Blaspheming Human Rights: The Hypocrisy at the Core of Authoritarian Muslim Nations
While Many Muslim nations howl at perceived blasphemy about Prophet Muhammad, authoritarianism in the Muslim world has tragic consequences for Muslim minorities in India and elsewhere. Muslim governments’ short-term, emotional reactions to some defamation cases do not help improve the conditions of Muslim minorities, who actually need a more consistent and principled support.
Terrell Sampson Is 4th Arrested as Details of Rash Impulse Emerge in Smith and Hall Murders
Terrell Sampson is the last of the four men charged in the murders of 16-year-olds Noah Smith and Keymarion Hall earlier this year. The sum total of the investigations as detailed in arrest reports paints a picture of young men involved less in anything like organized gang behavior so much as idiotic, impulsive, juvenile acts of tit-for-tat belligerence and thoughtless retaliation, damning the consequences.
Flagler School Board Will Consider Arming Teachers and Staffers in Addition to Sheriff’s Deputies
After declining to arm teachers in the wake of the Parkland massacre in 2018, the Flagler school district’s position may be shifting. The School Board last week agreed to hold a workshop to discuss whether the district should join the “guardian” program–not as a replacement of the sheriff’s deputies, but in addition to it.
More States and Districts are Arming Teachers, But Research Is Lacking on Strategy’s Effectiveness
There is data on where and how armed personnel are used in school districts across the nation. There is less data on how effective that armed presence has been. That’s not a result of partisanship but simply a matter of fact: little systematic and peer-reviewed research has been carried out on the subject, and what little there is tends to lack the sort of rigor that can be the basis for sound conclusions one way or the other.
FDLE Is Launching Florida Purple Alert Program for Missing Adults With Mental Disabilities
The Purple Alert will be used to assist in the location of missing adults suffering from mental, cognitive, intellectual or developmental disabilities.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, June 16, 2022
Judge Perkins’s Drug Court, Joan Didion’s Notebook, Boy George’s karma, the Ocala forests’s bombings.
FPC’s Jack Petocz, Suspended in March, Is President Biden’s Guest at White House Signing of LGBTQ Order
Flagler Palm Coast High School senior Jack Petocz was among President Biden’s guests today at a White House Pride event and signing of an executive order extending protections to LGBTQ+ people. Petocz caught the White House’s attention after leading a walkout at FPOC to protest a new law discriminating against LGBTQ people. He was suspended for three days after the walkout.
There Is No One ‘Religious View’ on Abortion
One in four Americans who have had abortions are Catholic, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which advocates for reproductive health. It’s a clear reminder of the complex relationship between any religious tradition’s teachings and how people actually live out their beliefs.
Inspiration of Hope Hosts Gospel Extravaganza at Palm Coast Community Center June 25
Inspiration of Hope Community Resources, Inc. is hosting a Gospel Extravaganza at 3 p.m., on Saturday, June 25, 2022, at the Palm Coast Community Center.
Another Cell Tower Plan Near Palm Harbor Golf Has Palm Coast Council Fearful of Public Reaction
The Palm Coast City Council is set to approve leases for two new cell towers–one off Royal Palms Parkway in Town center, one off Club House Drive, near the Palm Harbor Golf Course. But the Club House Drive tower is controversial, as was a similar proposal for a tower within the golf club in late 2020. Public opposition defeated that proposal. The council is worried about a replay.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, June 15, 2022
Travis Smith, Robert Batie and Brennan Hill are in court, the Palm Coast Planning Board takes on Grand Reserve East, Brad Swanson at Tiger Bay, Edvard Grieg’s birthday, Mayor Lindsay’s luck.