So far, the Republican National Convention has seen a raucous fight over the party’s rules and accusations of plagiarism against presidential candidate Donald Trump’s wife. And that was from the first day.
All Else
Palm Coast Votes 3-2 Against $5,000 Hike For Jim Landon in Stinging Rebuke
Two council members said Palm Coast Manager Jim Landon had been overpaid, with his $169,000 salary now where it should be. The vote ends a long, in many ways improper and opaque process.
Bill McGuire, Palm Coast City Council’s Grandmaster, Resigns Effective Aug. 15
McGuire’s resignation was expected, and the council is hinting that it may be uninterested in filling his post for the remaining few weeks of his term before the election, even if the charter says the council “shall” fill it.
Jerry O’Gara, Flagler County Sheriff Candidate: The Live Interview
Jerry O’Gara is one of six Republican candidates for Flagler County Sheriff in the Aug. 30 primary. Two Democrats are contesting the primary in what has been the most heavily and expensively contested race for a local office this year.
Tuesday Briefing: A Raise for Jim Landon, Value Adjustment, Food Truck Tuesday, The Trouble With Merit
Palm Coast City Manager Jim Landon is up for a raise, Food Truck Tuesday in central Park benefits summer programs, meritocracy isn’t what it’s cracked up to be.
Woman With History of Fabrication Claims Home Invasion-Armed Robbery in W-Section
Brittany Cartier, 21, a caretaker for an elderly homeowner on Watermill Place, claimed she and the homeowner were robbed at gunpoint of $5,000 in cash by two men late Monday. Cartier had fabricated a kidnapping three years ago.
In Jury Selection for Anna Pehota Trial, Pronounced Sympathies for the Killer
Anna Pehota, 76, facing a second-degree murder charge for shooting her husband in the Hammock last September, is benefiting from inherent sympathy going into her trial, which began with jury selection Monday and starts in earnest Wednesday.
FLVS Names iFlagler Virtual School Best Small District Franchise in Florida
iFlagler was established 6 years ago and since then has grown in popularity. Just a few years ago there were 300 half-credit enrollments. For the 2015-16 school year, there were 4,000 half-credit enrollments.
Pyrrhic Vanishing: Democrats Unite, But What Happened To Medicare For All?
Most health policy analysts — including those who are sympathetic to the idea — say moving from the current U.S. public-private hybrid health system to one fully funded by the government in one step is basically impossible. And that’s making a huge assumption that it could get through Congress.
John Lamb, Flagler County Sheriff Candidate: The Live Interview
John Lamb is one of six Republican candidates for Flagler County Sheriff in the Aug. 30 primary. Two Democrats are contesting the primary in what has been the most heavily and expensively contested race for a local office this year.
Fire Flight Called to Assist in Search for Fleeing Burglar in Palm Coast’s P-Section
Fire Flight was circling the P Section after 9:30 a.m., helping in the search for a suspect who fled the scene of a burglary on Ponderosa Lane, according to a sheriff’s spokesman.
Monday Briefing: Anna Pehota Trial, Canvassing Board Pick, Backing the Blue, D.C. Denied, Heat Waves
Anna Pehota, who killed her husband last fall, goes on trial, the county commission must yet again make a canvassing board appointment, a fund-raising event for fallen cops’ families at European Village.
In Bunnell, 100 Black Marchers Chant for “All Lives,” For Unity, But Also For Looking Inward
The Black Lives Matter-themed march Sunday evening around Bunnell was itself a display of the harmony it called for, though it clearly didn not get participation from the county’s whiter surroundings.
For Peace and Solidarity, Tonight’s Black Lives March in Bunnell Should Be Postponed
Postponing tonight’s march would show in deeds what Black Lives Matter supporters say in words: that they, too, respect police and that they want to build bridges. It does not diminish their message. It nobly amplifies it.
“We Don’t Need Vigilantes”: P-Section Man Shoots at Teen Pokémon Go Hunters
Two P-Section residents, 16 and 19, were shot at early Saturday morning by a homeowner on Primrose Lane as they played Pokemon Go and the homeowner mistook them for trouble-makers after hearing a loud noise outside his home.
Black Lives Matter. Period.
Cops are owed all the appreciation and respect their profession commands. Blacks are owed their right to life. The two are not mutually exclusive, but certain differences matter, especially when they falsely paint cops as the victims and blacks as the aggressors.
At European Village and in Bunnell, Separate Events For Fallen Cops and Black Lives as Reactions Multiply
The march in Bunnell and the fund-raiser for the families of fallen police officers at European Village are the latest in a spate of local initiatives that have sought to respond to shootings, by or of police, in various ways.
Fershtay? Appeals Court Rules Florida May Not Halt Offering Kosher and Halal Meals to Prisoners
Florida prison officials argued they had a right to stop offering kosher meals if they got too expensive. The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals said no in a unanimous decision.
Don Fleming, Flagler County Sheriff Candidate: The Live Interview
Donald Fleming is one of six Republican candidates for Flagler County Sheriff in the Aug. 30 primary. Two Democrats, including incumbent Jim Manfre, are contesting the primary in what has been the most heavily and expensively contested race for a local office this year.
Weekend Briefing: Marilyn Levetron at Salvo, North Florida Chess, White Delusions, Baldwin v. Buckley
Sculptor Marilyn Levetron is the featured artist at Salvo’s latest opening Saturday, Green Grass Band’s lead singer at European Village, a killer heat wave on its way, Kristof on white delusions about race in America.
Flagler Judge Gives Pot Plan a Lift, But Council And Whiff of Politics Again Delay Adoption
The proposal would reduce the penalty for first-time possession of pot to a $250 fine rather than a criminal charge, but it’ll be at least another month before the proposal gets out of a council, if then, and heads for approval (or rejection) by local governments.
Citing “Public Policy Interests,” Florida Refusing to Disclose Information on Drugs Used in Lethal Injections
Lawyers representing seven Arizona Death Row inmates want information about the drugs used in Florida’s lethal-injection procedure, but corrections officials are asking a judge to keep the documents secret.
Jim Manfre, Flagler County Sheriff Candidate: The Live Interview
Jim Manfre is one of two Democratic candidates for Flagler County Sheriff in the Aug. 30 primary. Six Republicans are contesting the primary in what has been the most heavily and expensively contested race for a local office this year.
Thursday Briefing: Palm Coast Council and Mayor Candidates Forum, Elks Vigil for Dallas Cops, Hottest Year on Record
All candidates for Palm Coast Council, including mayor, meet in a forum this evening, the Elks hold a vigil for fallen cops in Dallas, the Flagler Beach City Commission thinks legislative priorities, the hottest year on record for the ninth consecutive year.
At Flagler NAACP Town Hall, Matters of Black Lives, “The Talk,” and the Gap Between Community and Policing
A town hall organized by Flagler’s NAACP branch, with several top officials from the sheriff’s office, took stock of the recent police killings of black men and the killing of five white police officers in Dallas by a black veteran sniper.
Challenge to Florida’s DUI Breath Test May Be Moot After U.S. Supreme Court Ruling
A majority of the U.S. Supreme Court said a law similar to Florida’s, in Minnesota, allowing breath tests for DUI, does not violate the U.S. Constitution’s Fourth Amendment, which bars unreasonable searches and seizures.
Abra Seay, Flagler County Supervisor of Elections Candidate: The Live Interview
Abra Seay is one of three candidates for Flagler County Elections Supervisor in the Aug. 30 primary, which in this race amounts to the general election: All voters, regardless of party affiliation, may cast a ballot in this race, which will decide the winner.
Home Invasion Assailant Killed by Tenant on Frank Place in Palm Coast, 2nd Suspect Surrenders
Victor J. Betty, 28, was killed in an attempted home invasion on Frank Place in Palm Coast early this morning, and Carl Devore of Palm Coast turned himself in later today as the wanted second suspect in the incident.
Wednesday Briefing: Pot Citation Verdict, Cultural Art Grants Workshop, Rubio v. Zika, “Terrorist”
The Public Safety Council delivers its verdict on de-criminalizing pot, Palm Coast’s non-profit cultural organizations can learn how to apply for city grants worth up to $3,000, “terrorist” as a biased word, alarm bells over the bond market.
In Debt, Flagler Chamber of Commerce Seeking to Sell Building But Stay Put as Tenant
As debts have caught up with the organization, members of the Flagler Chamber of Commerce and Affiliates this afternoon learned that the chamber is seeking to sell the 10,000 square foot building it has owned, occupied and leased to other tenants since 2006.
Sharply Split Court Revamps and Complicates Challenges to Solitary and Restrictive Confinement
Giving more “deference” to the Florida Department of Corrections, a sharply divided appeals court Tuesday approved revamping the legal process for inmates who challenge disciplinary decisions that take them out of the general prison population.
37th Palm Coast Citizens Academy Graduates 17 Participants
Seventeen Palm Coast residents graduated earlier this month from the Palm Coast Citizens Academy, a comprehensive program designed to educate interested residents about the operation and workings of their city government.
Bogus Fund-Raising Requests for Matanzas Sports Teams
The Flagler school district has been made aware of people going door-to-door in the Palm Coast area, asking for money to help the Matanzas High School girls basketball and softball teams. That’s not a sanctioned fund-raiser.
Kimble Medley, Flagler County Supervisor of Elections Candidate: The Live Interview
Kimble Medley is one of three candidates for Flagler County Elections Supervisor in the Aug. 30 primary, in which all voters, regardless of party affiliation, may cast a ballot. The primary will decide the winner with no further vote in November.
Tuesday Briefing: NAACP Town Hall on Violence, Palm Coast’s Property Tax, School Budget, Syd Schanberg
The sheriff is expected to attend an NAACP town hall on ending violence, the Palm Coast City Council sets its maximum tax rate for next year, the school board gets a presentation on its financial numbers.
Obama Renews Call for Public Option in Health Law to Compete With Private Insurers
Before the public option was dropped in 2010 many liberals hoped — and conservatives feared — that having the government provide insurance alongside private companies would be a step toward a full government-run system.
Proposal to De-Criminalize Pot Possession Again Teetering as Flagler Council Nears Verdict
The Flagler Public Safety Coordinating Council decides Wednesday whether to recommend the de-criminalization proposal, but the reactions from palm Coast, Bunnell and Flagler Beach have been discouraging.
Latest Florida Newspaper Layoffs Claim Lloyd Dunkelberger of Tallahassee and Recount Fame
Following the latest round of reporter layoffs, they will be replaced, if at all, by younger, cheaper bodies who have not necessarily been taught the difference between putting bylines on news releases and honest reporting, writes Florence Snyder.
Kaiti Lenhart, Flagler County Supervisor Of Elections Candidate: The Live Interview
Kaiti Lenhart is the incumbent candidate for Flagler County Elections Supervisor in the Aug. 30 primary, which in this race amounts to the general election: All voters, regardless of party affiliation, may cast a ballot in this race, which will decide the winner.
Monday Briefing: A New Storwmwater Fee in Bunnell, Cremaine Booker’s Adagio, After Dallas, O’Hara’s Early Youth
Bunnell is considering a $4-a-month stormwater fee that would generate upwards of $70,000 a year for the city, cop killings and killings of cops continue to evoke arrays of reactions, John O’Hara remembers his youth.
Chris Sousa, 21, Matanzas Graduate and Driven Entrepreneur, Struck and Killed by Car in Ormond Beach
Chris Sousa, a Palm Coast resident of Island Estates and a 2013 graduate of Matanzas High School, was killed early this morning as he walked when a vehicle struck him in Ormond Beach.
Corrine Brown, Representing Northeast Florida in Congress for 23 Years, Indicted Over Sham Charity
Longtime Democratic Congresswoman Corrine Brown was indicted Friday on charges that she and a top aide used a sham education charity to pay for personal expenses and luxurious events, allegations that pose the most serious challenge yet to her 23-year congressional career.
The Mostly Bogus Case Against Kimberle Weeks
Ex-Elections Supervisor Kimberle Weeks was the most combative, distasteful, deceptive and ethically suspect elected official in the county, but she did not break the law with most of the “secret” recordings she made, contrary to the laundry list of felony counts against her.
Flagler Schools Take a Beating as All But One See Grades Drop; District Maintains B
For the first time in the 15-year history of school and district grades, Flagler County schools did not earn a single A in 2016. Officials are cautioning parents and students not to put too much stock in the results, which reflect a new but also tougher way to grade schools.
Economy Returns to Form With 287,000 New Jobs in June, Erasing Previous Month’s Retreat
The national economy in June added 287,000 jobs, its best performance in eight months and a sharp reversal from May’s slumber, when just 11,000 jobs were created–the worst monthly performance since the end of the Great Recession seven years ago.
Weekend Briefing: “Goosebumps” in the Park, Book Blowout at the Library, Violence of Bro Talk, Art and Poetry Show
Movie in Palm Coast’s Central park Friday, a two-day book blowout sale, all books 25 cents, at the publiclibrart, art and poetry show is back at the Flagler County Art League, Obama on cops killing blacks, Aristotle on happiness.
Tables Turn on Dennis McDonald as Ethics Commission Investigates Assets Disclosures
Flagler County Commissioner Frank Meeker, saying he’s had enough, filed complaints against both Dennis McDonald and his wife, Janet, a school board member, alleging that they have not properly disclosed property and other assets they own.
At Flagler’s New Jail, Science of Self-Contained Cell Blocks To Make Captivity Safer for Inmates and Guards
It’s in the internal designs, the innumerable details and attention to logic, efficiency and security for inmates, guards and visitors that the jail–which opened today– impresses, and that its $17.3 million cost shows its value.
Thursday Briefing: Jail “Ribbon-Cutting,” Carlos Beruff, Blair’s Bushism, Alton Sterling’s Death, FPL Nukes
County commissioners and Sheriff Manfre mark the opening of the much-expanded county jail this morning, U.S. Senate candidate Carlos Beruff is at the Hilton Garden Inn this evening, another controversial police shooting, a thought from Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.
Tyler Dutton Charged With DUI Manslaughter in Death of Jordan Rineer, 25, on US1 in October
Tyler Dutton, the subject of several arrests in Flagler County over the past few years, was charged with DUI manslaughter in the death of 25-year-old Jordan Marie Rineer early the morning of Oct. 27 on U.S. 1, just south of Old Dixie Highway in Flagler County.