Amendment 5 would subject all Supreme Court nominations to confirmation by the Florida Senate and lower the bar for the Legislature to overturn court rules and would give lawmakers access to the records of judicial investigations.
All Else
Al Williams, Volusia County School Board Chairman, Dies at 70
Volusia County School Board Chairman Al Williams, who’d just been re-elected to the board in August, died this morning (Oct. 1) at Halifax hospital in Daytona Beach after he fell ill last month as his health was deteriorating.
Cramming for Zingers at the Debates: Five Reads Monday
The most conservative U.S. Supreme Court since the 1930s reconvenes with gay marriage and affirmative action ahead, how Obama and Romney cram for debates, America’s contempt for teachers, and the future of The Times.
As Flagler Governments Consider Impact Fee Cut, Evidence of Economic Benefit Is Slim
Builders and developers want the Flagler school board and Flagler County to cut impact fees–the one-time tax on construction–saying it’ll help the economy grow. But plenty of evidence says it won’t, while Flagler residents still reel from low values and empty houses that more new houses won’t help.
Impact Fees: What They Are, Who Pays Them, How Much They Pay
Whether you call them impact fees, taxes or hidden taxes, they’re a Florida and Flagler County reality. An explanation and definition of impact fees with a local rate schedule by city and county.
The Palm Coast City Council’s Disturbing Synthetic Marijuana High
On synthetic pot, the Palm Coast City Council and other local governments are being had, as governments trample due process to enforce a legal shortcut against a ghost epidemic–the latest hysteria in the derelict war on drugs.
From Tape-Downs to Lockdowns: A Day in the So-Called Life of a Cancer Patient
Three radiation treatments in and with 39 to go, Jo Ann Nahirny describes life at the curfew-happy Hope Lodge for cancer patients, her manhandling on the radiation table, and her husband’s angelic patience.
Where Obama Fear and Loathing Comes From
Charles Kesler’s new book on Barack Obama loathing is a window into the closing of the conservative mind, which Mark Lilla’s review opens a notch to let in a breath of wit–unusual for unusually dour liberals.
Beata Kinecka, 39, of Palm Coast, Is Killed, 6 Are Injured in a 4-SUV Wreck on Belle Terre
Beata Kinecka, 39, of Palm Coast, was killed, and six other local residents in three separate cars, including a 16-month-old baby, were injured in a wreck that involved both northbound and southbound lanes of Belle Terre Parkway just north of the White View Parkway intersection late Friday evening.
Florida Conservation Groups Mobilize for National Public Lands Day Saturday
A coalition of Northeast Florida’s leading conservation organizations are using this occasion to raise awareness about the importance of publicly-owned conservation lands and to encourage the community to explore, volunteer and advocate for the protection of these vital natural resources.