The new law overhauls swaths of state education, dealing with everything from mandatory recess for elementary school students and standardized testing to charter school funding and teacher bonuses.
All Else
Thursday Briefing: Flashing European Village, Lincolnville Brass Band, North Korean Nightmare Scenario
European Village flashes its name, the Lincolnville Brass Band at St. Augustine’s weekly summer outdoors concerts, North Korea’s missiles, Why instruments don’t all sound alike.
School District Advised to Cut Down on Car Riders and Push Bus Riding Instead, For Safety
Detailed studies for each of the Flagler district’s elementary and middle schools reveal problematic safety issues with too many car riders, too few sidewalks, and disobeyed traffic laws.
Armed Robbery at Space Coast Credit Union on Palm Coast’s Leanni Way; Robber Gets Away
The man who robbed the bank got away, either on foot or in a vehicle, triggering an intense search localized around the Bank and Palm Coast’s B-Section.
Wednesday Briefing: Heat Index 99 to 103, Secretly Recording an Assailant, Trudeau for President, McCarthy’s Road
A Lawyer for Aaron A. Whitley, the 42-year-old Palm Coast man accused of molesting a 12-year-old girl, will argue that her secret recording of his alleged actions was illegal, Cormac McCarthy’s Road.
Your Papers Please: Trump Commission Demands Massive Amounts of Voter Data
A Trump commission has asked all 50 states for copies of their voter records which often include names, addresses and ages. The commission has said it intends to make the information widely available.
At Flagler Beach Pier, A Modest Re-Dedication For a Truncated Treasure
Officials from three governments gathered Saturday morning for a warm-hearted ribbon-cutting at the beleaguered Flagler Beach Pier, with eyes on a future structure.
Flagler Beach Again Offers Free Parking And Shuttles On and Off Island All Day July 4
Flagler Beach made arrangements to provide free parking at the Food Lion on SR100 and free shuttle service in and out of the city from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on July 4, with additional free parking at Santa Maria del Mar Church.
Apparent Double-Suicide Uncovered in Progress in Palm Coast’s R-Section: Woman Dies, Man Survives
Katherine Goddard, 52, was dead when Flagler County Sheriff’s Office units arrived at 29 Red Clover Lane just after 7 p.m. Bruce Haughton, 52, was unconscious but breathing.
Third Road Death in 2 Days on Flagler Roads as Motorcyclist Is Killed On State Road 11
Leslie Esteves Ramos, 32, of Titusville, is in critical condition. The name of the motorcyclist who died has not yet been released. The crash took place at a curve that’s been the scene of a serious crash previously.
Palm Coast Man Killed, 2 Injured in T-Bone Crash at Belle Terre and Near Town Center Publix
The collision at the Belle Terre intersection and Central Avenue near Publix was caused by one of the two drivers going through a red light, a preliminary indicates. It was one of two deaths on Flagler roads in 15 hours.
Gargiulo Art Foundation’s “Work”
Flagler County Art League is featuring the Gargiulo Art Foundation’s “WORK” July 8th – August 8th, 2017
Palm Coast Data Settles Breach of Contract Lawsuit, Will Pay State $1.76 Million
Palm Coast Data had won $3 million in state incentives in 2008, when it also got $500,000 from Palm Coast and Flagler County, on promises of 700 new jobs that never materialized.
Palm Coast’s Paul Renner is to be House Speaker in 2022 in Historic Boost for Flagler
Renner will serve in the powerful post for two years, starting in 2022. Local governments anticipate having more pull with state government appropriations.
Independence Weekend Briefing: Flagler County Rotary’s Leadership, Fireworks, Pier Ribbon Cutting, Renner Up
Tracy Loftus is the Flagler County Rotary’s new president, it’s all about July 4, Rep. Paul Renner may have a very big day, and everyone else a very long weekend.
When a President’s Tweets Ape the Squeals of a Swine
Trump’s tweets, like his latest about Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough, are now like our so-beloved mass shootings. They happen. They’re decried. They’re forgotten. Until the next hurl.
Thursday Briefing: F-Section FPL Path, Professional Women’s Council, Summer Concert Series
F-Section residents hold a public meeting on alternatives to a foot path Palm Coast is building under FPL powerlines, toward Matanzas High, the chamber launches a new women’s group.
Stark Revelations of a Broad Crisis at Domestic Violence Summit, and a Steep Challenge for Task Force
A summit convened by Sheriff Staly produced an unrelenting kaleidoscope of perspectives on one of the most persistent criminal and behavioral problems in Flagler County. It’s now up to a task force to find solutions.
9% Garbage Fee Increase as Palm Coast Begins 5-Year Extension of Waste Pro Contract
After remaining flat for 10 years, garbage-pickup rates for Palm Coast residents this month kicked up 9 percent, to $20.36 a month, or $21 a year as the city renewed its contract with Waste Pro for five years.
Wednesday Briefing: Domestic Violence Summit, Ayala v. Scott, Education Foundation, Beethoven in Havana
A much-anticipated domestic violence summit convened by Sheriff Rick Staly is at the Hilton Garden Inn at 2 p.m., the Flagler Education Foundation installs its officers, Beethoven as you’ve never heard him.
In Palm Coast, A Small Protest Against GOP Health Bill Echoes Myriad Anxieties of Flesh and Blood
It wasn’t a large protest but every person gathered in support of Obamacare had a story to tell that looked past ideology to the human beings behind the numbers, and all those stories were local.
Chilling Details in Saturday’s Attempted Murder as Suspect Speaks of “Lizard People,” Visions and Ecstasy
Levi Ovenshire, the 19-year-old attempted murder suspect in the shooting of Marco Salazar, 19, in Palm Coast’s F Section Saturday, described the shooting but appeared to be hallucinating as he spoke with deputies afterward.
Making Democrats Great Again: It’s Going To Take A While
No wonder Republican leaders think they can get away with almost anything. They do because they can, argues Nancy Smith, and because Democrats’ absent strategy lets them.
Flagler County Engineer Faith Al-Khatib Named President of State Association
Flagler County Engineer Faith Alkhatib has been something of a semi-secret weapon in local government’s arsenal, working behind the scenes to secure money and shape projects.
Non-Partisan Analysis of 22 Million More Uninsured Deals Blow to Senate Health Bill
By 2026, an estimated 49 million people would be uninsured, compared with about 28 million who would lack coverage under current law.
Tuesday Briefing: Heat Index Up to 102, Habitat for Humanity, Health Care Rally, Entrepreneur Night, Martin Eden, Malarkey
Local supporters of the Affordable Care Act hold a rally near Florida Hospital Flagler, Habitat for Humanity hands off a house for a family of eight in Palm Coast’s R-Section. lots of heat, the OED Word of the Day is “malarkey.”
America First and Trump’s Word Wars
While other countries try to work together to solve problems and continue to lead on global progress, we’ll get left behind chanting “America First,” argues Olivia Alperstein.
Raul Zambrano, Redoubtable Alumni of Flagler Bench, Will Be 7th Circuit’s Chief Judge
Feared and respected, and a former felony court judge in Flagler, Circuit Judge Raul Zambrano was elected Chief Judge of the 7th Judicial Circuit, which includes Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns and Volusia counties.
Monday Briefing: Bunnell’s Old Brick Road, Palm Harbor Bids, Command and Control, Trump Snubs Ramadan, Teen Suicide
Palm Coast studies bids for management and concessions operations at Palm Harbor Golf Club, the Bunnell commission considers protecting a historic road, Trump refuses to uphold a Ramadan tradition.
The GOP Senate Bill’s Hollow Promise To Protect Coverage For Preexisting Conditions
Built into the bill are loopholes for states to bypass protections and erode coverage for preexisting conditions, so insurers could cover chronically ill people but not the diseases they suffer from.
19-Year-Old Shot In Palm Coast’s F Section, Suspect Caught After Chase in R-Section
The suspect, Levi Evan Ovenshire, 19, fled in a car after the shooting at 12 Fulton Place, and was apprehended after 21-minute a chase through the R Section.
First Cast, In Full Glory
Flagler Beach photographer and attorney Scott Spradley was by the Pier at dawn this morning to capture images of fishermen’s first cast. He did, superbly, and tells the story of the picture.
It’s Field Day for Ham Radio Operators at Flagler Beach’s Fire Station This Weekend
Ham radio operators join thousands of other amateur radio operators nationally to show their emergency communications skills for 24 hours beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Weekend Briefing: Pier Reopening, Golf Croquet, Ham Radio Field Day, What NASA Wants Aliens To See, GOP Unhealth
The pier reopens in Flagler Beach, the Senate GOP unleashes its demolition of Obamacare, Miami attorney Michael Higer is sworn in as president of The Florida Bar, Voyager’s payload to aliens.
637-Ft. Flagler Beach Pier Re-Opens Saturday, 8 Months After Hurricane Matthew Lobotomy
The Flagler Beach Pier will reopen Saturday as emergency repairs end, to the joys of a city that’s lived without its iconic amenity since Hurricane Matthew sheared 163 feet from its end and made it unstable.
6-Hour Manhunt Ends On Palm Coast Parkway As Felon, Just Out of Prison, Is Caught
The man had just served 96 months in prison, and was heard saying he doesn’t want to go back. The crash with the deputy was not serious, but he later crashed his truck more severely.
In Rare Joint Appearance, Flagler’s 3 Judges Speak Candidly About the Job’s Challenges On and Off Bench
Circuit Court judges Dennis Craig and R. Lee Smith and County Court Melissa Moore-Stens spoke of personal and professional challenges and addressed the Flagler bench’s workload.
Thursday Briefing: Breakfast With Flagler’s 3 Judges, Heat Index 101-105, Live Bombing, Sean Monti Sentencing, Sklar
Flagler County’s three judges appear before a Chamber of Commerce audience, the Flagler Beach Commission again considers a settlement with Howard Sklar’s marina, Sean Monti is sentenced, Varlam Shalamov on supervisors’ power.
Flagler’s Oddly Sunny Hurricane Matthew After-Action Report Draws Criticism From Its Own Emergency Staff
The much-anticipated report was written by the administration, not the emergency management staff, and conveys more of an error-prone, fluffy public relations approach than rigorous and factual analysis.
Rainy Season Douses Fiery Florida and Soaks Flagler, Where Drought Index Is Down to 72
After months of drought conditions that helped fuel nearly 2,500 wildfires across the state (but only a handful in Flagler), Florida has quickly moved deep into its rainy season.
Where It’s Legal, Pot Leads To Fewer Traffic Stops, But Racial Disparities Remain
The drop means fewer interactions between police and drivers, potentially limiting dangerous clashes. But black and Hispanic drivers are still searched at higher rates than white motorists.
Wednesday Briefing: Contractor Review Board, Bohemian Rhapsody, Wildfires, Summer Solstice
A quiet summer solstice day in Flagler as the county’s technical review committee and its contractor review board meet, it’s Greenland Day (before it melts), and Bohemian Rhapsofy as you’ve never heard it.
Court Allows ACLU’s Public Record Fight Over Police Tracking of Cell Phones
The ACLU requested the records from Jackson as part of a broader inquiry in 2014 into the Sarasota Police Department’s use of what are known as “Stingray” tracking devices.
Divided Palm Coast Council Sticks With Controversial FPL Path in F-Section, But Alternatives Still Possible
The 3-2 vote to stick with the FPL path leading to Matanzas High School doesn’t yet kill alternatives, including the possibility of a temporary footpath along Old Kings Road, the city manager pledged.
Tuesday Briefing: Education Funding Fallout, FPL Footpath Rethink, Women in Politics, World Refugee Day
Palm Coast council members may rethink the FPL footpath through the F Section, the Bunnell Planning Board considers transitional housing for women and children, 60 million refugees in 2017.
Thirty Months Later, Holland Park Re-Opens To Cheers, and Echoes of a Brooklyn Basketball
The $4.3 million reconstruction project at the 27-acre park became a $4.7 million project and took exactly twice as long to complete as projected, but its re-dedication drew scores of children who could care less: they just wanted to play.
What Financial Constraints? Flagler Government Prepares to Spend $1.8 Million On Document-Management System
The new system would make many parts of government paperless, but it’s not yet clear how the county will pay for it even as it strains from Hurricane Matthew-related expenses.
Florida Health Officials Move Ahead With Medical Pot Rules Approved in Special Session
The just-passed bill addressed major issues, such as how many companies will receive marijuana licenses and how many retail outlets they can run.
Behind Closed Doors: 5 Things Being Weighed In Secret Health Bill Also Weigh It Down
As 13 GOP senators continue to secretly craft a health care bill, some of the policies under consideration have slipped out, and pressure points of the debate are fairly clear.
Monday Briefing: Teddy Bears Against Violence, Voting Precincts, Medical Pot Moratorium, Down in the River to Pray
The County Commission is expected to extend the medical pot moratorium on new businesses through mid-September, teddy bears donated to fight domestic violence, Vidal-Buckley ’68.