The 30-page ruling Sunday by U.S. District Judge Mark Walker focused on situations in which voters’ signatures submitted with mail-in ballots do not appear to match signatures on file with county supervisors of elections. Under a 2004 law, such mail-in ballots are rejected.
All Else
Jason DeLorenzo, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Jason DeLorenzo is the Democratic candidate for Flagler County Commission, District 1. He is challenging first-term incumbent and Republican Charlie Ericksen Jr. All registered voters in Flagler may cast a ballot in this race.
Farm Share Distributes Food to 300 Families at Flagler Airport as Post-Storm Needs Persist
By 11 this morning some 20 cars were turned away from the Flagler County Airport as a truckload of Farm Share food began running out, underscoring persistent needs in post-hurricane relief in Flagler.
Monday Briefing: Food Donations at Airport, 2 More Days for Voter Registration, Staly-Jones Debate, Rubio-Murphy Debate
A fresh-food giveaway at the county airport by the state’s best food bank, the only sheriff’s candidate debate, between Rick Staly and Larry Jones, next-to-last day for voter registration before the Nov. 8 election, Erich Maria Remarque.
150 Volunteers Swarm to Clean Up Flagler’s Beaches, Some to Reopen by Mid-Week; FPC Students Clear Graham Swamp Trail
In Flagler Beach Mayor Linda Provencher drew a mass of volunteers in less than 24 hours for the Sunday clean-up, and in Palm Coast, FPC track Coach David Halliday led his team along Graham Swamp’s trails, cleaning them up around the same time.
Early Voting: A Dissent
Early voting gives political parties and special interests a chance to manipulate, to lock up blocs of votes in advance of Election Day and to keep opposition parties and candidates from offering another viewpoint, argues Nancy Smith.
Farm Share Food Bank’s Big Truck Will Distribute Free Supplies Monday at Flagler Airport
Farm Share distribution will begin at 9 a.m. and will continue as long as supplies last. It will provide a good opportunity for those who have been unable to get other food assistance.
Florida Supreme Court in Seminal Decision Rules Death Penalty Verdicts Must Be Unanimous
The court’s 5-2 decision, which will immediately affect 40 inmates and many of the 385 others on death row, ends Florida’s status as an outlier state where non-unanimous death penalty recommendations were allowed.
16 Years, 3 Generals and a Water War Later, Army National Guard Center Breaks Ground at Flagler Airport
The new National Guard center will house 30 to 40 people and a revolving corps of 100 to 200 weekend reservists, the equivalent of a significant new company’s economic impact. And this one won’t go under or go back on its promises.
Palm Coast City Rep’s “Mystery of Irma Vep” Is Latest Victim of Hurricane Matthew
Patrons who purchased single-performance tickets will be given refunds. Season ticket-holders will be able to use their “Irma Vep” tickets to attend a performance of A.R. Gurney’s “Love Letters” in February. That show, a fundraiser for CRT, was not included in the 2016-17 subscription package.
Palm Coast’s Reflections Salon to Donate Haircut Proceeds to Hurricane Victim
Reflections Salon, Inc, a local family owned business, will be offering $10 haircuts and donating all proceeds on Sunday, Nov. 6, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., to stage 4 cancer survivor and Hurricane Matthew victim Kevin Kosinski.
20 Florida Authors Offer Tips on Getting Published at Daytona State Writing Conference, Oct. 19
Alive and Writing in Florida: Bloom Where You Are Planted, is scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 19 in the Hosseini Center on the Daytona Beach Campus, 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd. The free conference is being sponsored by Daytona State’s College of Humanities and Communication and Volusia County Libraries.
Weekend Briefing: Art of Jazz, Movie in the Park, Bob Dylan’s Nobel, Solar and Medical Pot, White Christian America
The Palm Coast Arts Foundation celebrates the Art of Jazz, Hotel Transylvania 2 in Palm Coast’s Central Park, the Atlantic on the end of white Christian America, and the recovery continues.
At Painters Hill and Washington Oaks, Crumbling Houses and a Devastated Treasure Beyond the Public Eye
Here’s the first look at destruction not seen before: how Hurricane Matthew left houses on Painters Hill uninhabitable, and demolished and unrecognizably remade Washington Oaks Garden State Park’s beach-side park. With video.
Flagler Pleads With FEMA For Emergency Declaration to Help Homeowners; Politics and Data Help
Flagler’s FEMA declaration applied to government, not to homeowners’ losses. That second declaration is still pending, and it’s not a given as FEMA evaluators continue to scour the county to assess damages.
Thursday Briefing: Brisk Recovery Center, Voter Registration, Pot Arrests Outrun Violent Crime, Rudest Question About Trans
Flagler County’s assistance center drew 400 people Wednesday and will remain open this week at the public library in Palm Coast, pot arrests outnumber arrests for violent crime, the Nobel for literature is announced.
Recovery Round-Up: FEMA Inspects Flagler, Crews Inspect the Pier, Assistance Center Opens, Debris Pick-Up Cautions
A comprehensive update on the latest in Hurricane Matthew recovery operations in Flagler County and its cities, including essential information from FEMA and debris removal requirements.
Swinging Through Florida, Trump Paints Election as Apocalyptic Choice
Speaking to thousands of cheering supporters at Aaron Bessant Park in Panama City Beach, Trump painted Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton as a pawn of a global establishment who would usher in the destruction of the nation.
Federal Judge Orders Voter-Registration Deadline Extended Through Next Tuesday as Flagler Elections Office Sees Brisk Activity
Some 120 people registered in Flagler Tuesday. The full-week extension is a boon to the Democratic Party, which filed suit to counter Gov. Rick Scott’s decision not to extend the registration deadline despite Hurricane Matthew’s evacuations.
Wednesday Briefing: It’s Back to School, Assistance Center Opens, Give Us Mica Back, If Only Women Voted
County government opens an assistance center ahead of an anticipated FEMA center at the public library, U.S. Rep. John Mica’s visit to Flagler Beach reminded the county how much it misses his influence and appropriations, schools resume regular and after-school schedules today, Donald Trump hits Florida.
Life, and Death, Go On: A Suicide in Flagler Beach, a 14 Year Old Stabs a Man, 21, in The Mondex
Alf Peter Olsen, 53, hung himself in his garage in Flagler Beach hours before Hurricane Matthew arrived. Donald Mays III, 21, was stabbed twice and required evacuation by air to Halifax hospital a day after the storm.
Flagler Damages to Homes and Businesses Estimated at $73 Million; 11 Homes Destroyed, 500 Damaged; Utilities Grinding to Normal
The price tag is very likely to exceed $100 million when damage to government infrastructure is eventually included. yet the sum total of the damage is far below what was feared from a direct hit of Hurricane Matthew.
Overruling Scott, Judge Orders Voter Registration Deadline Extended at Least Through Wednesday
U.S. District Judge Mark Walker also set up a Wednesday morning hearing to consider a request by the Florida Democratic Party to keep registration open until Oct. 18 — a week after the initial deadline was set to pass.
Gov. Scott Surveys Flagler Beach’s Cratered A1A as Congressman Cites $35 Million Repair Bill; 8,700 Customers Still Without Power; “The Disaster Is Not Over”
Gov. Rick Scott walked a small segment of State Road A1A Monday morning, the third day he’s been touring areas damaged by Hurricane Matthew, and spoke with local, state and federal officials assessing the repair bills ahead, much of which officials hope will be underwritten by the federal government.
FPL Overpromised: Thousands of Flagler’s Residents Still Without Power; Gov. Scott Due in Flagler Beach in Late Morning
Some 17,000 Flagler customers remained without power Monday morning, and schools were closed. Gov. Rick Scott was to make an appearance in Flagler Beach with various officials.
Post-Hurricane Matthew Re-Openings, Gas Stations and Businesses: A Running List
Here’s a running list of updated business reopenings, gas availability in Palm Coast and Flagler in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew. Updated live.
Hurricane Matthew: The Stories Until Storm Day
Hurricane Matthew from the time it began threatening the Caribbean to its churn toward Florida and the coast of Flagler.
Florida Highway Tolls Lifted, Some Hospitals in Volusia, Brevard and Duval Evacuate
Highway tolls were lifted in counties with evacuation orders as Florida continued Wednesday to prepare for the arrival of the slow-moving, powerful and deadly Hurricane Matthew.
Wednesday Briefing: Agronomy Lab at Buddy Taylor Middle Cancelled, Felon Voting Rights, Eyes on Matthew
The day will be dominated by studying Hurricane Matthew’s path, with a ribbon cutting at an agronomy lab at Buddy Taylor Middle School, code enforcement and beautification meetings in palm Coast, and Orhan Pamuk on Istanbul.
Weeks Era Aftershocks: Ex-Employee Sues Elections Supervisor Lenhart Over Discrimination Claims
Darlene Walker, formerly ex-Elections Supervisor Kim Weeks’s deputy, claims Kaiti Lenhart fired her in 2015 after she returned from a medical leave because of her age and her disability.
Scott and Cabinet Poised for $16 Million Sensitive Land Buy, Largest in 10 Years
The land, known as Horn Spring Woods, contains 10 natural springs, has nearly 10 miles of meandering frontage along the St. Marks River and would help create an environmental corridor linking the St. Marks River Preserve State Park to the north, the Fanlew Preserve and Aucilla Wildlife Management Area to the east, and the Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic State Park to the south.
Tuesday Briefing: Cops’ National Night Out Cancelled, State of Education Address, Trump’s Chiquitas
As Flagler keeps its eyes on nervy Hurricane Matthew, cops hold their annual Night Out event in Flagler Beach, Superintendent Jacob Oliva delivers the State of Education Address in the evening, and Trump contends with the scandal of the day.
Clinton Surges Ahead in Latest Florida Poll as Alternate Candidates Fade
Hillary Clinton took a decisive five-point lead on Donald Trump in Florida the latest Quinnipiac University poll after being tied with him for two months, with voting already under way in the state. She also leads in North Carolina and Pennsylvania, but remains behind in Ohio.
Carnage Embroidered in Pink Hope at Flag-Raising for Breast-Cancer Awareness
Flagler County Fire Rescue had coated an entire firetruck in pink to mark the month-long Pink Army campaign, aimed at raising money and awareness for breast-cancer prevention, detection and research.
Monday Briefing: Donuts With Doughney, Pink Army Flag-Raising, Transgender Soldiers, Biden in Orlando
The breast cancer awareness Pink Army flag is raised at the Government Services Building, commissioners snip a ribbon at the county airport, the News-Journal’s Derek Catron’s first novel, more livable lives for transgender soldiers.
If Trump Ever Had My Vote, He Just Lost It
If Trump secretly conducted business in communist Cuba while Fidel Castro was its president, the Republican presidential nominee should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, not elected to the highest office in the land.
Taxes Will Stay Flat For Most Property Owners in Flagler and Its Cities in 2017
Taxes have increased in Flagler County and in all five cities, but will be largely offset by a tax decrease in school taxes, while values have increased only marginally.
Clown Hoax Warps As One Is Allegedly Spotted in Palm Coast’s W-Section
The clown in Palm Coast was allegedly spotted in a backyard on Woodlyn Lane, holding balloons, and deputies later had to provide escorts to two buses through the neighborhood.
After Reaching Record Pace, Executions in Florida Are on Hold as Ruling Muddies Syringes
Executions are on hold, judges across the state are postponing death penalty cases, and defense lawyers are seeking additional reviews in the aftermath of a U.S. Supreme Court decision in January that struck down Florida’s death-penalty sentencing process.
Weekend Briefing: International Festival, Animal Adop-A-Thon, Lady Bulldogs Fundraiser, Charlie Brown
The fifth International Festival is Saturday in Town Center’s Central Park, the Elks Lodge hosts an animal adop-a-thon, FPC’s lady Bulldog basketball team holds a fund-raising golf tournament, Trump’s Cuba trip.
Project Pandemic Prevention: Flagler’s Campaign Against Zika Bats Strategies Around
Today’s joint meeting of Flagler government representatives and health department officials summarized the latest in the Zika outbreak (with two cases locally) as two FPC students prepare to launch a zika-fighting project involving bat houses.
Cops as Pals: National Night Out at Veterans Park in Flagler Beach Tuesday Evening
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office will be hosting National Night Out at Veterans Park Tuesday in Flagler Beach, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The free drug and crime-prevention awareness event features demonstrations, safety information, games, face painting, food and beverages, and entertainment.
Court Sees No Crime in Sarasota High Student’s Tweeted Threats to “Shoot Up” His School
A 16-year-old high school student who repeatedly threatened on Twitter to shoot up his school in Sarasota did not commit a crime because his threats were not directed at anyone in particular, the second District Court of Appeal ruled Wednesday.
Thursday Briefing: Last of the Tax Hearings, Zika Pow-Wow, FPC v. University High, Banning Malcolm X
The Flagler County Health Department hosts a meeting of local governments on the Zika virus, the county commission holds the last of the season’s tax hearings, how Malcolm X landed on banned-books lists.
Flagler District Rebuts Old Kings VPK Case Alleging Sex Improprieties Between 4 Year Olds
The rebuttals and objections don’t actually deny that an incident took place, that it was of a sexual nature, or that a certain degree of supervision may not have been present at the time. Rather, the response is an exercise in exploiting—or creating–loopholes.
Looking past the Obvious in Trump-Clinton I: Voters May Decide a Different Outcome
We have to reconsider what we thought we saw Monday night and discover how it played where it mattered, in counties such as those in western Pennsylvania, and those clustered along Interstate 4 in Florida. These, more than elite opinion-spinners clustered along our deep-blue coasts, will decide the Nov. 8 outcome, argues Tom Jackson.
Harrison Wilker, 18, of St. Augustine, Killed in Crash on State Road 16
Harrison Wilker, 18, of St. Augustine, was killed early this morning in a single-vehicle crash on State Road 16 near Masters Drive in St. Augustine, the Florida Highway Patrol report.
Tampa Christian School Files Suit Over Ban on Loudspeaker Prayer at Football Game
The nonprofit that operates Cambridge Christian School in Tampa said the Florida High School Athletic Association violated its civil rights by banning the private school and its opponent from joining in prayer over the loudspeaker at the game.
Wednesday Briefing: Beach Belly Bobs, Holland Park History, Trump’s Excellent Temperament, Twitter Automation
Donald Trum’s excellent temperament is reviewed, learn all about Twitter automation, ribbon-cutting at Beach belly Bobs in Flagler Beach, and the Vivaldi-Bach concerti.
Organized Thieves With Taste for Champagne Target 3 Publix Stores in Palm Coast
Three times in a single day last week, thieves working in concert struck at three different Palm Coast Publix stores to steal wines and champagnes. They’ve been getting away with plenty of both, in one case stealing nearly $3,000 worth of bottles.