But the fate of the NRA-supported gun measure, vehemently opposed by university officials, still hangs in the Senate, where passage is less certain.
All Else
Nutrition Supplement Firm Will Expand Into Ex-Palm Coast Data Building, With 50 Jobs
Designs for Health, a nutritional supplement and vitamins company, will get a $25,000 county subsidy to expand from Hargrove Grade to Commerce Boulevard in exchange for 50 jobs and a $3 million investment in the old Palm Coast Data building complex.
Thursday Briefing: Civil Liberties v. Security, Ambulance Wars, Jindal Drops Out, and Henryk Wieniawski
How to balance civil liberties in an age of insecurities, Palm Coast and Flagler County are at loggerheads over ambulance services again, Bobby Jindal is the latest GOP candidate to drop out of the presidential race.
Syrian Refugees, ISIS, the Attacks to Come and What To Do: A Grim Q&A
Tom O’Hara’s sobering answers to basic questions on the next ISIS attack, the refusal to take in Syrian refugees, what ISIS wants and whether an invasion of Syria and Iraq can work.
Palm Coast Moves to Restrict Bottle Clubs, Speakeasies that Skirt Booze Regulations
There are no bottle clubs in Palm Coast or Flagler County. Palm Coast wants to keep it that way after businesses complained of a place possibly opening at City Market Place.
No Longer State of the Art, Flagler Auditorium Seeks School Board Support for Improvements
A joint meeting between the school board and the auditorium board revealed a wish-list of costly needs that would require the district to shift dollars and priorities toward the auditorium. First, school board members want more clarity on those needs.
Wednesday Briefing: Curbing Bottle Clubs, a Manager’s Job Description in Bunnell, ISIS Debates
Palm Coast’s planning board takes on bottle clubs, where patrons gather with their own liquor to socialize, Bunnell takes on its manager search, and a slew of other government meetings are scheduled before Thanksgiving.
School Board Member’s Home Among 4 Targeted for Burglaries in Central Palm Coast
Flagler County School Board member Janet McDonald’s house was among the four residences targeted in the B, C and Palm Harbor sections of Palm Coast on Nov. 6.
We Are At War
No one wants to repeat the errors of the US under President George W. Bush; but to use those errors as an alibi to avoid confronting the world as it is would merely be an error of a different sort.
Tuesday Briefing: FPC Band in Concert, Flagler Auditorium in Review, Florida Lawmakers Ride Refugee Crisis
The FPC band just returned from scoring superior for the 13th straight year. The school board and Auditorium board hold a joint workshop. Florida lawmakers seize on the Syrian refugee crisis to talk illegal immigration.
Monday Briefing: John Oliver Gives It to ISIS, A Cell Tower on Colbert, Open Government
The county commission considers a cell tower on Colbert Lane, no more county-provided bus trips for the Historical Society, John Oliver takes on ISIS in terms befitting ‘premium-cable profanity.’
As Paris Bleeds
The Paris attacks strike at the mother democracy and culture, but they’re the continuing consequence of 15 years reckless militarism in the Middle East. More of the same will solve nothing.
“Greetings” at Flagler Playhouse: A Miracle of Fortune Cookie Wisdom
“Greetings,” the Christmas-themed 1990 comedy by Tom Dudzick staged by the Flagler Playhouse through Nov. 22, doesn’t quite rise to the charms or “It’s a Wonderful Life” but only a Grinch would say it’s not a pleasant Yuletide diversion.
Sheriff Reveals Breadth of Computer Failure and Safety Lapses, and Sharply Blames County
Sheriff Manfre, in a terse letter to County Administrator Craig Coffey, says the failure was one of several, it jeopardized officer safety and may have wiped out 20 months of critical data, and he asks for answers.
Palm Coast Taxi Driver Arrested on Trafficking and Other Charges After Drugs Are Found in Cab
James Mabry, a 53-year-old resident of Palm Coast’s W-Section who drove an Alliance Taxi, was arrested in his Taxi on Nov. 5 as he weaved across the Palm Coast Parkway bridge over I-95, and found in possession of several prescription drugs, controlled substances and marijuana, which were stored in the cab, according to his arrest report.
Weekend Briefing: Legislative Delegation Meeting, Marineland’s 75th, Sevyn, Greetings and Roof-Raising
Flagler-Palm Coast officials will appear before the county’s legislative delegation–Travis Hutson and Paul Renner–to make their pitch of priorities, Marineland is celebrating all weekend.
Steven Nobile, Professed Conservative, Wants a 324% Pay Increase for Palm Coast Council
Steven Nobile’s proposal dovetails fellow-council member Heidi Shipley’s request for health benefits and some higher pay, but they may face opposition from two members facing elections next year.
The United States Has Been Dithering on Climate Change Since LBJ. Enough.
despite 50 years of growing scientific consensus, the warming of the earth continues unabated. Well-funded lobby groups have sowed doubt among the public and successfully downplayed the urgency of the threat.
Florida Wildlife Officials Call Bear Hunt a “Success,” Opponents Call It a Slaughter
Some 304 bears were killed in two days and few hunters cited for violations, but critics called it a slaughter, saying most of the bears were killed on private land, where state regulations could be more easily skirted.
On Marineland’s 75th Anniversary, Celebration of More Than Dolphins or a Storied Past
Marineland’s 75th anniversary celebrates past, present and future, highlighting the town’s continued ecological and cultural importance beyond dolphin adventures, which nevertheless play a large role in the town’s identity.
Thursday Briefing: Flagler Beach Rezones, Dick Cheney at Sunshine Summit, Homecoming at Stetson,
Flagler Beach takes on rezoning 3 acres it doesn’t want to rezone, Dick Cheney opens the GOP’s Sunshine Summit at Disney’s Contemporary, Stetson celebrates homecoming.
Another Dire Forecast for Florida Oranges And Grapefruit as Citrus Greening Raids On
The industry has been trying to fend off a decrease in agricultural land because of development while also confronting massive losses from the spread of citrus greening.
A Judge and “Citizen Soldier” Honors Veterans as Children Discover 265th Air Defense Artillery
The Veterans Day ceremony in Bunnell featured Judge J. David Walsh, an airman in Vietnam, and the newly arrived hardware and men of the 265th Air Defense Artillery brigade, now at the Flagler County Airport.
Wednesday Briefing: Veterans Day Ceremonies, “Flashdance” at the Auditorium, Shrinking Deficit
Veterans Day ceremonies are scheduled in Palm Coast, at the Government Services Building and in veterans Park in Flagler Beach. “Flashdance,” the musical, is at the Flagler Auditorium.
Legislature on Defensive After Congressional Redistricting Fight Reaches Supreme Court
A key Florida Supreme Court justice sounded skeptical Tuesday about the Legislature’s proposal for a contested South Florida district in a battle over the map for the state’s congressional delegation.
Palm Coast Will Study Raising Town Center’s Crawl-Paced Speed Limits On Some Streets
Palm Coast drivers have been complaining of Town Center’s low speed limits for years. It took council members eight days of actually having to drive those streets to ask for a more “rational” change.
Palm Coast Mayor and Flagler Sheriff Will Marshal Holiday Boat Parade
The 13th annual Palm Coast Yacht Club Holiday Boat Parade is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 5 at 6 p.m. with the traditional festival of lights on the water to mark the beginning of the winter holidays (assuming you didn’t start your celebration immediately after Labor Day).
At Sevyn, Bunnell’s Newest Night Club, A Playlist of Art, Music, Billiards and BBQ
At Sevyn, the new nightclub at the Palm Coast-Bunnell line on State Road 100, live jazz, live blues, open mic nights, Latin music dancing and R&B all mix night after night with art, pool tables and chef Dan Testa’s delights.
Tuesday Briefing: Discover the Vince Carter Sanctuary, Goodbye Killer Whale Shows (Finally)
The Stewart-Marchman-Act Foundation hosts an open house at Vince Carter Sanctuary, SeaWorld will end its Shamu theatrics in San Diego, but it’s not clear whether it will follow suit in Orlando and San Antonio.
Court Uphold 45-Year Sentence for Inmate Convicted of Rape and Robbery When 15
Continuing to grapple with decades-long sentences for juveniles who commit serious crimes, a divided state appeals court refused Monday to order a new sentence for Thomas Kelsey, now 28, but asked the Supreme Court to take up the question.
County’s Closest Likeness to Homeless Shelter Scales Back Services and Access to Grounds
For eight years First United Methodist Church in Bunnell had been an unofficial day shelter for the homeless. The church’s new leadership is changing that as finances and a different philosophy is compelling a more restrictive approach.
Even Liberals Should Concede:
Obamacare Is Not Working
Between the rapacity of insurers, GOP assaults and its own flaws, the Affordable Care Act is failing its promise to curb costs and make insurance coverage affordable. Republicans have no alternative. But a better one already exists.
Monday Briefing: The News-Journal’s Special Report on Officer-Involved Shootings, Bunnell Reorganizes, Rotary v. Hunger
The News-Journal’s “Shots Fired” investigates the murky world of officer-involved shootings in Florida, where 249 people have been shot in two years. The Rotary needs volunteers against hunger. Bunnell government reorganizes after its manager’s resignation.
Stewart Marchman-Act Foundation Launches Bouquets of Hope Campaign for Thanksgiving
The Stewart Marchman-Act Foundation is launching the Bouquets of Hope & Classic Chocolates fundraiser to support mental health awareness in our community.
Why Your Fitbit May Be Pointless
If you’re rooting for smartphones to solve all our health problems, you’re not going to like what the researchers found. The smartphone app didn’t help young adults lose any more weight than if they hadn’t been using the app at all.
In Flagler Beach, City Manager’s Choice is Down to “Old Shoe” and “Shiny New Pair”
Flagler Beach commissioners have zeroed in on Joe Gerrity and Larry Newsom as their next city manager, but haven’t mustered the super-majority they need to offer the job to either.
William Dillow, Serving 45 Years for Raping 2 Pre-Teen Flagler Beach Girls, Is Murdered
William Dillow, 29, was sentenced in April to 45 years and was serving at the Jefferson Correctional Institution near Tallahassee when he was killed by a fellow-inmate. He’d been arrested in February 2014.
Weekend Briefing: AJ Fernandez Skate Competition, Siberian Dancers, Carnage, Greetings and Poker Run
A busy weekend in Flagler with plays at City Rep, FPC and the Playhouse, the AJ Fernandez benefit skate competition at Wadsworth Park, Palm Coast Rotary’s Poker Run, the Auditorium’s Disco Gala, and a lot more.
17-Year-Old Girl Faces Felony Assault Charge For Pointing Toy Rifle at Belle Terre Drivers
Matanzas High School student Noelle Tirado told cops she knew she and her friends would be pulled over. The toy rifle’s orange tip had been blacked out.
To Raise the Roof for Palm Coast Arts Foundation, A Bimbo Is “Born Yesterday”
Annie Gaybis as the sweet but ditzy Billie Dawn is at the heart of Garson Kanin’s 1946 Broadway play, “Born Yesterday,” staged for one night only as a fund-raiser for the Palm Coast Arts Foundation’s Raise the Roof Campaign, on Nov. 13 in Marineland.
From Woody’s to Bull Creek to Island Grille, and Now Pit Stop Pizza for West Side
In Pit Stop Pizza Woody’s Joe Rizzo and Chris Zwirn have partnered with Trevor Tucker to give Flagler’s west side its first pizza delivery business, making it the fourth restaurant Rizzo and partners are running in the county, employing between 70 and 100.
Small Businesses to Obamacare’s SHOP Option: Not Interested
Nationally, about 85,000 people have coverage through the online marketplace known as the Small Business Health Options Program, less than a tenth of original projections.
Thursday Briefing: Puppy Killer Gets 5 Years, “You Can’t Take It With You” at FPC, Flagler Beach Tees Up Again
Kevin McClenithan, the 46-year-old felon and Bunnell resident, is sentenced to 5 years for killing a puppy, FPC Thespians stage a 1937 Pulitzer-prize winning play, Flagler Beach negotiates for a new golf club.
Hunting Bear at Whole Foods Misfires
The chairman of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s comparison of hunting bear to shopping at Whole Foods prompts Tom O’Hara to investigate. He strikes out on bear meat.
For 4th Time in 7 Weeks, a Student is Struck by Vehicle in Palm Coast; Safety Panel Meets
Buddy Taylor Middle School student Maxim Bystrov, 13, was on his bicycle when an elderly driver violated his right of way at Belle Terre and Pritchard Tuesday, injuring the boy. Wednesday, the new traffic safety committee met.
Palm Coast City Hall Journey Ends With Inauguration of a New Day on Lake Avenue
Ex-Mayor Jim Canfield and current Mayor Jon Netts bookended the story of Palm Coast’s 15-year journey to a City Hall of its own in a grand opening ceremony that drew throngs of residents and plenty of cheers.
Wednesday Briefing: Flagler Beach Interviews, Road Closure on Florida Park Drive, Jeb’s Tanking Numbers
Flagler Beach takes on the third of five candidates for city manager, an overnight road closure is planned for Florida Park Drive, Jeb is going the way of Obamacare.
Shocking Commissioners, Bunnell Manager Larry Williams Resigns, Saying His Job is Done
Two years after he was hired , Larry Williams announced his resignation effective in 60 days, saying he’d accomplished all he wanted to and that he’d lost the adrenaline rush even though the city and the commission are working smoothly.
In Muted Appearance at Sheriff’s Opening, Gov. Scott Speaks of Unappreciated Police
Scott, his energy more Carsonesque than usual was as if upstaged by the pride and eagerness of local officials reveling in the new operations center and framing the occasion in touching personal stories.
“Catastrophic Failure” in Sheriff’s Computer System Jeopardizing Records and Stalling Data
Friday afternoon the server that runs the sheriff’s office’s computer assisted dispatching and stores massive amounts of data ran out of space and crashed. It is not expected to be back in full operation any time soon.