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.
All Else
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.
“I’m Putting My Faith In You,” Judge Tells Predator Granted Less Severe Probation Term
Dorian Coppedge, 37, a Palm Coast resident designated a sex predator just last week, had been rendered homeless by a two-year sex-offender probation term, which Judge Matthew Foxman today agreed to alter to simple probation, thus possibly making Coppedge’s living arrangements less restrictive.
Wednesday Briefing: Tourism Office Seeks Bigger Digs, Pot Nurseries, Paul Ryan’s Tax Flight, The Bikini at 70
The county’s tourism office is moving to the airport for bigger space but at considerably higher rent than it’s paying now, Jim Ulsamer to be reappointed to the library board, Paul Ryan’s tax cuts, Liszt’s Rhapsody.
Chain Restaurants Hurt the Economy, Pollute, And Pay Poverty Wages. Eat Local Instead.
It’s time for big chains to strengthen local economies by keeping food purchases local and ending worker exploitation. But they don’t. Meanwhile, writes Anna Meyer, look for locally owned restaurants that source local and support raising the minimum wage for all workers.
Mercedes-Benz To Expand in Jacksonville
Mercedes-Benz USA, a division of Daimler AG, will move an engineering division from New Jersey to Florida, adding about 50 jobs to the company’s Jacksonville facility, Gov. Rick Scott’s office announced Tuesday.
Trial in Gas Station Murder Likely in Late Summer But Suspect, On Meds, Still Unpredictable
Joseph Bova, the impenetrable 28-year-old suspect in the execution-style murder of a Palm Coast’s Zuheili Roman Rosado at a gas station in 2013, appeared in court today for the first time in almost a year, stable but still hinting at the unpredictable.
Purple Masquerade: Prince Tribute at Daytona Bandshell Friday
Purple Masquerade is a Prince Tribute Band. They put on a high energy concert performing Prince’s greatest hit songs. With elaborate costumes and an awesome stage presence, this band consists of James Kincherlow as Prince, Jc Teasley on the Bass Guitar, Todd Austin on Guitar, Aaron Oatmeal on Drums, Chanteau Teasley on Keys and Mike Johnson on Keys.
Tuesday Briefing: Heat Index Up to 107, Palm Coast Heroes, Brazil’s Olympic Catastrophe, Assault Weapons
Take cover, it’s going to be another scorcher, the Palm Coast Council recognizes a pair of life-saving heroes, the original design and development of assault weapons, Rio is heading for bust.
Data, Drones, Apps: Rush to Protect Privacy Raises Concerns Of Stifling Rights and Innovation
As technology redefines the limits of privacy, some of the restrictions, such as those on drones and body cameras may infringe on free speech protections, and some may be smothering innovation.
The Stupidity of Race:
What My DNA Test Reveals
Arab AND Jew? Greek? Italian? A DNA test unravels the ethnic origins of FlaglerLive Editor Pierre Tristam–and underscores the absurdity of making assumptions about anyone’s race, color or so-called origins.
Palm Coast Offender Branded a Sexual Predator 5 Years After Prison, With No New Sex Crime
The sheriff’s office announced Thursday that Dorian Buzz Coppedge, 37, a “sexual predator,” is now living in Flagler, yet he’s lived here five years. Only his designation changed, even though he committed no new sex crime.
Siding With Planned Parenthood, Federal Judge Blocks Florida’s New, Restrictive Abortion Law
The law would have barred abortion providers from receiving public funds for other services and required a dramatic increase in inspections of abortion records by health officials.
Father-Daughter Injured in Motorcycle Collision With U-Turning Car on Seminole Woods Blvd.
A man and his daughter riding a motorcycle north on Seminole Woods Boulevard were hospitalized early Friday afternoon after they collided with a car that was performing a U-turn on Seminole Woods Boulevard, and that had apparently not seen the motorcycle heading its way.
Attorney Joerg Jaeger, Who’d Been Defending Ex-Supervisor Kimberle Weeks, Dies at 68
Joerg Jaeger, the long-time Orlando criminal defense attorney who was representing former Flagler County Supervisor of Elections Kimberle Weeks in her criminal case, died on June 28.
Weekend Briefing: 4-Day Independence Bash in Flagler Beach, Heroes Park, Fireworks in Palm Coast and at Pier
Independence Day weekend all over the place, fireworks Sunday in Palm Coast, Monday in Flagler Beach, students as public intellectuals, majority minority babies, Donald Trump’s danger to the first amendment, Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man.
Flagler County Jail Triple Its Old Size Set To Open July 7 in Camera-Ready “Ceremony”
The opening, which a county release dubs a “ceremony,” will also feature the trappings of a campaign event: It is scheduled less than eight weeks from the primary, giving incumbents a chance freely to bask in the shadow of a major, completed construction project.
Teri Craddock As Intracoastal’s Business Relationship Manager, Grand Haven Adds Two Agents
Craddock will be responsible for developing and attending to business and personal banking relationships. Aloha Von Jasinski and Eddie Marcal are both long-time Flagler County real estate agents.
159 New Laws Kick In Friday on Domestic Violence, Bullying, Same-Sex Marriage, Abortion, Hunting
New laws include a minimum 30-day jail sentence in domestic violence crimes involving intentional injury, tax cuts, school choice, more benefits for veterans, a new Holocaust memorial, and many more.
New Report Doubles Estimate of Transgender People in U.S.; Florida’s Proportion Ranks 6th
The estimate places Florida’s proportion of transgender people at almost 0.7 percent, for a total of 100,000 people, with the national proportion at 0.6 percent, for a total of 1.4 million.
Thursday Briefing: Drug Court, You Have the Right to Remain Private, Universal Basic Income, President Harding’s Erotica
Flagler County is limbering up for a long Independence Day weekend, so no major events or meetings today, giving you a chance to catch up on President Harding’s erotica, how the rest of the world views Trump, and police-state policing in Delray Beach.
Joe Negron’s Plan for Florida As Senate President in Next 2 Years: More Elite Universities
Negron named the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Virginia and the University of Michigan, among others, as examples he wants Florida’s universities to be like.
Victory for Sunshine Law Rather Than Weeks as Judge Tosses 3 of 12 Charges Against Ex-Elections Supervisor
A judge ruled that three of the 12 felony counts against Kimberle Weeks related to a recording that had already been disclosed at a public meeting. Sharing the recording therefore could not illegal after that, even if the recording itself was.
Wednesday Briefing: Happy 60th, Interstates, Supremes Sans Scalia, Anaïs Nin’s Diary, Civil Rights
Local happenings and events are taking a pre-Independence day breather, leaving you free to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Interstate highway system or listen to Anais Nin read from her diary or contemplate how far and how not so far civil rights have gone in the United States.
Florida Democrats Borrow a Page From D.C. Colleagues Hoping to Force Gun Control Vote
However, it may be nearly impossible over the next week to gather enough Republican lawmakers willing to make the trek to humid Tallahassee in an election year to discuss a proposed prohibition on gun sales to people on federal terrorism watch lists.
Greg Lynn Jewelers Struck Again, But Detectives Track Suspect To His R-Section Home
Greg Lynn Jewelers in Palm Coast’s Flagler Plaza was burglarized for the second time since last July but suspect Craig A. Chavez, 51, was arrested and produced several of the jewelry items allegedly stolen from the store.
Trying to Stem Hemorrhage of Green, Palm Coast Studies Patchy Golf Club Take-Over
Losses at the city-owned Palm Harbor Golf Club are getting worse. The city is considering a “hybrid” take-over of golf and tennis that would still contract put most services but give the city more control.
Tuesday Briefing: Palm Coast’s Garbage Contract, Golf Club Woes, Unhappy Evangelicals
Palm Coast’s contract with Waste Pro for garbage disposal is nearing its term in 2017, the city’s troubled golf club’s future is discussed, Evangelicals think the country is no longer Christian.
Abortion Rights Mark Big Court Victory, But Effect on Florida Restrictions Unclear
Florida supporters of recent laws requiring more stringent standards for abortion providers say the high court ruling should have no impact. Pending court challenges suggest otherwise.
Community Plants 1,000 trees at St. Johns Water District’s Lake Apopka North Shore
Once home to several farms in the 1940s, the nearly 20,00 acres along Lake Apopka’s northern shore were acquired by the water district in a push to restore water quality and fish and wildlife habitat within the lake.
No More Hairpin Curve as Old Kings Road Extension Around Matanzas High Opens, Last of Big Projects
The extension’s opening marks the last of a series of major road projects intended to improve traffic flow around Palm Coast, and in this case in particular around Matanzas High School.
Monday Briefing: Old Kings Road Extension Opening, Bunnell’s Special Events, Bimbo Campaigning, Zola on Reactionaries
The Old Kings Road extension around Matanzas High School opens in a ceremony at 10 a.m., desperate Florida politicians are resorting to bimbo tactics to get elected, Bunnell revises its special-events ordinance.
Entrepreneur Night and Salvo Gallery Exhibit the Art of Start-Up Resilience
Office Divvy Co-Founder Ky Ekinci speaks of his affinities for and philosophical similarities with Salvo Art Project Co-Founder JJ Graham, where the next Entrepreneur Night will take place Tuesday evening.