The Green New Deal may have a hoaky name but at least it’s a beginning, an attempt to push back against a republic of insects and grass, inviting debate in the face of indefensible Republican inaction.
All Else
FPC’s IB Class of 2019 Soars as 45 Students Collect 176 Acceptances from 60 Colleges and Universities
Stanford, Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill, the University of Virginia, and of course UF and Florida State were among the 60 schools that accepted some of FPC’s IB students in one of the program’s most successful years.
Former Flagler Beach Gallery Owner Arrested on Charge of Drugging and Raping a Woman
Larry Cavallaro, 72, a Beverly Beach property owner and former owner of Castle Designs Gallery in Flagler Beach, was arrested on a charge of raping an incapacitated woman he is alleged to have drugged at his home.
Flagler Palm Coast High School Principal Bob Wallace Resigns After Just 10 Months
For FPC, Wallace’s departure means the school will have its sixth principal in 14 years by the time school resumes in August. The former Volusia County administrator had never quite fit in in Flagler.
Weekend Briefing: Donut With a Deputy, Urban Surf 4 Kids, Willie’s Weed, Portugal Flag
The unique Urban Surf for Kids Surf Camp kicks off in Flagler Beach, deputies mark National Donut Day with the public, First Friday in Flagler Beach, a flag-raising at Palm Coast City Hall.
Is State Law Restricting Local Governments’ Gun-Safety Ordinances Constitutional? Judge Hears Arguments.
Florida since 1987 has barred cities and counties from passing regulations that are stricter than state firearms laws. But in 2011, lawmakers went further by approving a series of penalties that local governments and officials can face if they violate the prohibition.
Allegations of Falsified Records and Bogus Inspections Lead to Resignation of Palm Coast’s Chief Building Inspector
Charlie Mini, Palm Coast’s Chief Building Inspector, resigned after an investigation concluded that he was falsifying records about inspections he did not perform and favored one pool contractor in particular.
Florida TaxWatch Calls For Eliminating $133 million in Budget ‘Turkeys’; Flagler Is Spared
As of Wednesday afternoon, DeSantis had received 123 of the 174 bills approved by the Legislature during this year’s session. He’d signed 80 and vetoed two.
Thursday Briefing: Last Chance for Disaster-Prep Tax Holiday, D-Day’s 75th Anniversary, ‘At Paso Rojo’
The annual disaster-preparation tax “holiday” ends at midnight tonight, the nation and Europe mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion of Normandy, a Paul Bowles excerpt.
Lawmakers Promise Flagler Schools a $242 Per-Student Increase. That’s a Lie. District Faces a $1.5 Million Deficit.
A look behind the state’s allegation of a per-student funding increase for Flagler reveals the line-item fine print of deceptions, slippery definitions and unfunded mandates, resulting in a deficit, not an increase.
Talk of Divorce Preceded Shooting that Resulted in Apparent Man’s Suicide and Woman’s Injury
Maureen Lockwood said she’d told her husband Ralph that she wanted a divorce before he shot her then turned the gun on himself. He died. She survived. The investigation is continuing.
Ex-School Deputy Scot Peterson Arrested On Child Neglect Charge in School Shooting
Peterson, the longtime resource officer at Marjory Stoneman Douglas, refused to investigate when he heard gunshots on campus and retreated while students and faculty members were shot and killed.
Wednesday Briefing: ‘Behind the Walls,’ Beachwalk Development on A1A, Judge’s Reprimand
Flagler Republicans mark D-Day’s 75th anniversary, Broward Judge Dennis Daniel Bailey’s misbehavior at trial, Jaume Plensa’s ‘Behind the Walls,’ the A1A committee discusses a proposed development.
Bunnell Rudely Tells Church’s Cold-Weather Shelter for Homeless to Get Out Of Town
Bunnell’s zoning board voted to disallow the Sheltering Tree, the county’s only cold-weather shelter, from operating out of the United Methodist Church, potentially ending 11 years of service by the non-profit. The Sheltering Tree intends to appeal to the city commission.
Pit Bull Attacks and Injures Woman, 45, Then Bites Sheriff’s Deputy in Palm Coast’s P Section
A 45-year-old resident of Patric Drive in Palm Coast was attacked and seriously injured on her lip and belly by a pit bull, which then attacked and injured Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy Jonathan Schmidt as Schmidt was investigating the incident the following day.
Let Prison Inmates Vote
In the era of mass incarceration, forbidding inmate voting, disenfranchising them after release, and counting them as residents where they’re imprisoned are all components of prison gerrymandering.
$100 Million Will Raise 91-Year-Old Tamiami Trail, Easing Everglades Flow
Environmentalists say the Tamiami Trail, or U.S. 41, has dammed the natural flow of water from Lake Okeechobee through the Everglades to Florida Bay.
Tuesday Briefing: Daytona Tortugas Kids’ Clinic, Homeless Task Force, New Area Code 689
The Daytona Tortugas host a clinic for kids ages 7-13 at Indian Trails Sports Complex, new area code 689 takes effect in Central Florida, the Palm Coast council discusses the city’s new citizens’ portal.
County Will take Back Control of All Plans and Construction for Captain’s at Bing’s in Major Concession to Hammock Group
Captain’s BBQ at Bing’s will not get to build its own, larger building as the County Commission today voted to take over all future plans, whether to repair the existing structure or build a new, smaller one.
Flagler Braces for Hurricane Season as Florida Reels From 3-Year Streak of Landfalls
Flagler County is still paying the millions in bills from Hurricanes Matthew and Irma, and the state is recovering from a direct hit from a Cat 5 last year, costing $26 billion, as the 2019 hurricane season begins.
Monday Briefing: Mid-90s, Decision-Time on Captain’s BBQ, Chris Sepe, Albert Roussel
Flagler County Commissioners are expected to make a decision on the lease and location of Captain’s BBQ at Bing’s Landing, the Sheriff’s Chris Sepe graduates from the Commanders’ Academy.
Police Train to Be ‘Social Workers of Last Resort’ as Mental Health Calls Multiply
Lacking proper mental health resources, families and community members across the country all too often call police to respond to someone having a mental health crisis.
2019 Flagler Jail Bookings, Sheriff’s, Bunnell and Flagler Beach Crime and Incident Reports (Archived)
Archived 2019 Flagler County jail bookings, commanders’ crime and incident reports, Flagler Beach and Bunnell police shift reports and archive.
Inmate at Flagler Jail Manages to Facebook Live, Breaching Security and Angering Sheriff Over County’s IT Protocols
A inmate Facebooked live during a GED class at the jail, the second such breach in two months after sheriff’s officials warned the county, which handles the sheriff’s IT, to address the issue. A county employee has been suspended.
A Trust-Worthy Inspection of Captain’s Building at Bing’s Is Essential Before Any Decision
The Hammock Community Association is urging the County Commission to delay any decision on Captain’s BBQ at Bing’s pending a reliable inspection of the restaurant building. The association is willing to pay up to $4,000 for the inspection.
At FPC and Matanzas Graduations, Curtis Gray’s Memory Echoes in Honors and Emotions
Curtis Gray, the 18-year-old FPC senior gunned down on April 13, was awarded a posthumous honorary degree at what would have been his graduation Thursday evening, accepted by his mother, Carmen.
Weekend Briefing: Heat Aplenty, Lifeguard Class, Giant Book Sale, Sales Tax Holiday
The Friends of the Flagler Public Library hold the biggest book sale of the year, American Red Cross lifeguard certification classes all weekend, the weeklong sales tax holiday for hurricane preparedness.
To Spur Town Center’s ‘Innovation District,’ Palm Coast Eagerly Gives Developers
What They Want
Palm Coast’s Town Center is finally stirring with sustained development after a decade and a half’s slumber, with generous financial breaks and changes in regulations attracting developers.
Trump Against the First Amendment
Julian Assange and Wikileaks are giving Trump a chance to challenge First Amendment freedoms of the press and get a radical ruling from his new buddies on the Supreme Court.
Chamber’s Public Leadership Institute Seeking Applicants for Non-Partisan Training Program
The Flagler Volusia Public Leadership Institute trains participants in business-minded leadership, advocacy and potential runs for local office. Four graduates from two previous classes are in office currently.
Thursday Briefing: FPC and Matanzas Graduations, Salute to Heroes, A1A Committee, Last Day of School
Matanzas High School and Flagler Palm Coast High School hold graduation for their 2019 class at the Ocean Center, a Salute to Heroes in Flagler Beach, the Chamber’s A1A committee meets on A1A construction mitigation.
Laws Restricting Abortion Betray a Judgment: Women’s Sexuality Is Not Equal to Men’s
Men regulating women’s bodies through restrictive abortion laws is the tip of an iceberg in which women’s sexuality is stigmatized, de-legitimized, silenced, controlled, and misunderstood, even by women themselves.
In Bing’s Twist, County and Captain’s BBQ Are Co-Defendants in Negligence Lawsuit
Notable elements in the case are its concurrence with Captain’s other challenges, its alignment of two antagonists on the same side, and the way the case illustrates the county’s responsibilities for the building.
26 Year Old Palm Coast Man Accused of Illegal Sex and Battery of a Pregnant 16 Year Old Girl
The 16 year old told Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy she was seven months pregnant and had recently broken up with Jazzpen Leonard because of the “mental and physical abuse from him,” according to the sheriff’s report.
Wednesday Briefing: Talent Show at Auditorium, Early Dismissal, Invisible Cabinet Meeting, Peacekeepers Day
Schools let out early today and tomorrow ahead of summer break, spotlight on youth talent at the Auditorium, the Florida cabinet meets in Israel but can;t be covered live, it’s International UN Peacekeepers Day.
Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Seeking To Block Florida Cabinet From Meeting in Israel, Out of Sunshine
The lawsuit, filed by the First Amendment Foundation and four major news organizations, accused the governor and Cabinet members of “willfully violating the law.”
Aaron London, Long-Time Voice of Flagler News-Tribune, Among Latest News-Journal Cuts
Aaron London’s by-line appeared 6,000 times since 2001 before he became one of six journalists laid off, leaving just 34 in the News-Journal’s newsroom, and just two reporters covering Flagler County.
Rotary Club of Flagler Beach Seeking Surfer Volunteers to Help at Youth Camp
Rotary Club of Flagler Beach is looking for surfer volunteers to help at-risk and foster youth in the community learn to surf this summer in Flagler Beach.
‘Landscaping’ and Reducing Truck Traffic Are New Goals to Calm Florida Park Drive Ire
Exploring landscaping options and truck-traffic reductions will be the next attempt by Palm Coast government to address complaints from Florida Park Drive residents about noise, pollution and traffic.
A ‘Precedent-Setting’ Suit Puts Opioid Drugmaker Johnson & Johnson On Trial, Starting Today
Johnson & Johnson is accused of overstating the benefits of opioids and understating their risks in marketing campaigns that duped doctors into prescribing the drugs for ailments not approved by regulators.
Tuesday Briefing: Heat Index to 104, Perry Mitrano Retires, Florida Park Drive, Opioid Task Force, Entrepreneur Night
Perry Mitrano, Bunnell’s long-time solid waste director, retires, the Palm Coast Council discusses Florida Park Drive pollution and other issues, Entrepreneur Night is at Bull Creek Fish Camp.
Voices from the Grave:
So Proudly We Fail
In “So Proudly We Fail,” James Agee looked at war films to explain the “unutterable dislocation” between soldiers and civilians, what he described–in 1943–as a destructive “chasm” that veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan describe with equal anger today even as the nation goes through the motions of marking its Veteran and Memorial days.
Supreme Court Reverses Course on Expert Witnesses, Signaling Continued Shift Right
In a move that left little doubt about the new direction of the Florida Supreme Court, justices on Thursday reversed a controversial 2017 decision about the testimony of expert witnesses in lawsuits.
Alexis Somerford, 27, Mother of 4, Dies in Alleged Suicide by Gunshot in Palm Coast’s F-Section
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death in an alleged suicide of Alexis Marie Somerford, 27, Saturday night (May 25) at her home at 85 Farragut Drive in Palm Coast.
At Flagler’s 1st-Ever Suicide Town Hall, Hope and Resolve Confront Grim Void of Mental Health Services
Personal stories of confronting suicide, including that of Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland, combined with an assessment of Flagler’s grim mental health landscape to show the county’s growing awareness and resolve not to remain entirely at the mercy of circumstances.
Prosecution Questions If Accused Murderer Joey Bova Is Insane Or Just Playing The System
Joseph Bova is accused of murdering Mobilmart store clerk Zuheily Rosado in 2013, but has been seesawing between competence and incompetence since, delaying trial. He appears to be sliding back into incompetence for the third time.
Memorial Weekend Briefing: Peter the Great at Blue Gallery, Ceremonies at Heroes Park and GSB, Pool Safety
Peter Cerreta, one of Flagler County’s greatest, most genial and surprising artists, has a new show at Blue Gallery at Marvin’s Garden, Palm Coast, Flagler Beach the county host Memorial Day ceremonies, the city pool has a pool safety day.
End This Hidden Risk to Military Families
The Feres Doctrine shields military medical providers from malpractice suits by troops — and their dependents. Military recruiters never tell the families that it applies to them, too.
400,000 Florida Children Need Mental Health Services. More Than Half Get None.
220,000 children across the state, or about one child in every classroom, get no mental health treatment for lack of providers. Florida has one psychiatrist who treats children and adolescents for every 100,000 children.
Dolphin Discovery Buying Marineland Attraction Would Yield $128,000 In New Flagler Tax Revenue
The pending sale of Marineland Dolphin Adventure by for-profit Dolphin Discovery means the property, assessed at $5 million, would return $128,000 a year to Marineland, Flagler County and school board coffers.