The Observer runs the disturbing account of a former Miss Amrica describing the profiling of her son in Grand Landings, Rubio surges to second place in new Hampshire.
All Else
The Palm Coast Fraternal Order of Police Furthers a Lie in a Protest at Epic Theaters
The FOP’s protest was triggered by false claims that filmmaker Quentin Tarantino had called cops “murderers.” The lie didn’t stop FOP organizers from going ahead with their plans or standing by their protest even when shown Tarantino’s actual words.
Belle Terre Swim Club 161 Members Short of Goal as Drop-Dead Decision Time Nears
Though making progress, the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club now has 239 annual members, still short of the 400 it must have by the first week of February, when the school board will decide the club’s fate for good.
Wednesday Briefing: Volusia’s Sheriff Johnson Retires, Cops Protest Tarantino at Palm Coast’s Epic, Science’s Gettysburg
The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #171 of Palm Coast, still misquoting Quentin Tarantino, plans a protest of the filmmaker at Epic Theaters, Volusia County’s four-term sheriff announces his retirement.
Billboard Aims to Stoke New Leads Into Suspicious Vanishing in May of George Contos
Foul play is now suspected in the disappearance of Bunnell’s George Contos, 59, in May, as a billboard was unveiled by the sheriff’s office and Crime Stoppers to aid in tracking down his whereabouts.
Flagler School Enrollment Flat For 8th Straight Year Even as Population Continues to Grow
Most of those moving into Flagler and Palm Coast are retired or non-working, while not enough working-age families with children are moving in to replace those moving out.
Tuesday Briefing: A Billboard to Find a Missing Man, Limiting School Testing, Shakespeare’s Death Methods
Crime Stoppers and the sheriff’s office today unveil a billboard on A1A to further the search for George Contos, who disappeared in May. The school board meets tonight, and a chart shows every manner of death in every Shakespeare play.
How to Defeat Islamist Extremists in 2016
We should think of the Middle East and Islam as being in a process of transition, with the West helping it along: the Middle East toward rule-based and religiously tolerant societies, and Islam toward its rightful place as a faith of progress and humanity, argues Tony Blair.
Judges Continue to Deny Dependency Pleas From Undocumented Teens in Florida
A determination of dependency, based on issues such as abandonment by parents or abuse, would help the teens apply for a special immigration status and seek permanent residency.
Monday Briefing: Flagler’s Centennial Preparations, Recycling Christmas, Saudi-Iranian Follies
Time to recycle those Christmas trees and decorations, Flagler County’s centennial committee meets for the first time to chat up 2017, and it’s back to politics as usual.
Palm Coast’s Annual Christmas Tree and Electronics Recycling Event Is Jan. 9
Recycle your Christmas tree and receive a free three-gallon evergreen tree in exchange at the City’s 9th annual Christmas Tree Recycling Event. The event will be 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Palm Coast Fuel Depot, 22 Utility Drive.
Palm Coast Will Host Color Vibe 5K Walk/Run Jan. 30
The City of Palm Coast’s Town Center Park will host the Color Vibe 5K – the first-ever “colorful” walk-run in Palm Coast. The Palm Coast Color Vibe 5K will be held Saturday, Jan. 30, at Central Park in Town Center, 975 Central Ave.
2016: A Year of Political Games in the Making
After a strange and at times exhausting 2015, Florida’s government and political establishment is bracing for what could be another intriguing year with another election is on tap in the biggest swing state in the nation.
Race Between 2 Boys “Testing Abilities” of Their BMWs Up Belle Terre Ends in Crash and Injury
Steven Zapata, 17, and Brian D. Rodrigues, 18, both of Palm Coast, were racing their BMWs up Belle Terre Parkway when Zapata lost control and ended up smashing an FPL light pole and a fence before dropping into a ditch.
Florida Prisons, Already Censoring a News Publication, Now Seek to Censor Legal Brief
The Florida Department of Corrections is seeking to block state and national media organizations from filing a brief in a legal battle about whether a publication should be barred from Florida’s prisons.
A Beloved 85-Year-Old House on East Moody Is Leveled in Heap of Surprise and Consternation
The demolition of the stately house at 401 East Moody Blvd. in Bunnell Monday shocked many, but time had run out after more than two years of warnings by the owner that he wanted the property cleared.
Push for Policing Reforms Expected in 2016 Legislative Sessions, But Not in Florida
Passing more laws in 2016 will depend on politics — and the level of public outcry — in each state. The federal government has no jurisdiction over local policing, leaving state lawmakers are ultimately responsible for reforms.
Ex-Culture Writer for News-Journal, Now With FlaglerLive, Arrested on Christmas Eve
A reporter and columnist covering arts and culture for the Daytona Beach News-Journal until his move to FlaglerLive this fall, was arrested on charges of domestic battery and false imprisonment.
For Millennials, Government Is a Gap of Generations and Representation
Millennials, those born after 1980 who entered adulthood at the turn of the century, hold just 5 percent of state legislative seats, while comprising 31 percent of the U.S. voting-age population.
The Real Enemy: Saudi Arabia’s Wahhabism, Mother to al-Qaeda, ISIS and the Taliban
If you want to know who inspired the Taliban, al-Qaeda and ISIS, look further than America’s “friend” and ally, Saudi Arabia, which has been financing the spread of Wahhabism’s lethal adulteration of Islam for years.
Florida’s Year of the Bizarre, The Messy and the Ungoverned
In Florida politics, the year was educational, entertaining and bizarre. It was a year unlike any other in recent memory — and many in Tallahassee hope it stays unlike any other for quite some time.
At Five Star Pizza, A Confrontation With A Dissatisfied Customer Ends With a Gun
When Palm Coast resident Tammie Bouie wouldn’t leave Five Star Pizza, owner-manager Denis Gotlib pulled out a Glock, telling deputies he had a right to stand his ground.
The Last Briefing of the Year: The NBA’s Anti-Gun Dunk, Bunnell Signs Davis, and the Hottest Year on Record
As if you didn’t know it already: 2015 will be by far the hottest year on record for the planet, not just because of Donald Trump, the NBA launches a gun-control campaign.
Florida Population, Growing Faster Than California, Tops 20 Million
The Sunshine State, adding more than 1,000 people a day, is nearly up a half-million people on New York, which it surpassed a year ago to become the third most-populous state.
Mom’s an ER Nurse But Baby Wouldn’t Let Her Get There as Deputies Assist in Home Birth
Brittany Bowser, 25, gave birth to her son Jaxson in their Z-Section Palm Coast home 8 minutes after calling 911, with sheriff’s deputies assisting. Mom and son are fine, and eventually made it to Florida Hospital Flagler.
Miller Clayton, 7, Honored By County, City and State for Life-Saving Bravery in House Fire
Miller Clayton took his little brother to safety out of their burning home on Kentucky Avenue in November. The awards were from the county and city firefighters unions and State CFO Jeff Atwater’s offce.
Tuesday Briefing: Michael Goodyear’s Thank You from French Government, Christina Goodin’s Senior Project
Veteran Michael Goodyear received the Legion of Honor from the French government. He was awarded the honor by Sal Rutigliano during the meeting of the Flagler County Commission Monday evening.
Bill Lewis, Ex-Palm Coast Council Member And Arts Advocate, Is Dead at 84
Bill Lewis made his mark Council as an advocate for a well-tended city, and as one of only three black council members to serve in the city’s 15-year history.
Congress Has Created An Average of 50 New Crimes Per Year for the Past Decade
In just the five years Congress created 439 new criminal offenses for a of 4,889 federal crimes. That’s in addition to the growing number of state and local crimes for which Americans can be prosecuted.
Monday Briefing: A Dedication at Princess Place, Miller Clayton’s Heroism, Dangerous Dog Reversal
Miller Clayton, the boy who saved his brother and himself from a fire last month, will be honored by several firefighters associations, a dangerous dog designation may be reversed.
Floridians for Solar Choice Ballot Initiative Unlikely to Meet Deadline to Qualify
The proposal, favored by liberals but opposed by the utility industry, would allow businesses to generate up to two megawatts of electricity and sell it to neighboring properties.
Cesar Rojas Is Killed in Hit-and-Run on SR100; Driver and Passenger Have a History
Both men in the vehicle that struck Rojas have a record of driving on suspended licenses. One of them, Christopher Layer, later called in the collision to 911, but only to report that a man had been struck–not that the driver had struck him. He subsequently called again to say he’d turn himself in.
Traffic Stop for Tinted Windows Leads to Arrest Over Assault Weapon and Pot Stash
Steve Romet, 32, was driving on I-95 north when a traffic stop resulted in his arrest on the use of a weapon while committing a felony, a first degree felony.
Artless Censors: The Flagler’s School Board’s Misplaced Allegiance to “Staff”
The Flagler school board shirked its responsibility when it chose to be a cheerleader for a principal instead of offering guidance and oversight after a student’s art work was censored at FPC.
Denied Belle Terre Swim Club, Innovative Soccer Academy Turns to Permanent Palm Coast Roots
The 57 students enrolled at Palm Coast’s Professional Sports Pathways are part of a growing trend of hybrid specialty school-skill training programs that also serve as magnets for families looking for specific educational opportunities.
Supreme Court Removes Brawling Brevard Judge For Creating “National Embarrassment”
Calling Judge John C. Murphy’s behavior “appalling” the court ordered him removed from the bench after his altercation with a public defender last year was caught on videotape and went viral.
Unemployment Stays Flat in Flagler, at 5.9%, and in Florida, at 5.1%, as Workforce Stalls
All numbers dipped a little in Flagler County’s economic graphs in November in what amounts to a tepid unemployment report locally and in Florida. But most numbers are still heading in the right direction.
Weekend Briefing: Starlight 5K in Town Center, Handel’s Messiah, Dancing Around Flagler, Christmas With a Deputy
Christmas With a Deputy is tonight at Target, Handel’s Messiah in two weekend performances at First Church of Palm Coast, the Starlight 5K is Saturday evening in Town Center, and more.
County Tourism Board Approves Speculative $40,000 Public Subsidy for Private Conference
The $40,000 in county tax dollars will help pay for rooms and food at a writers’ conference at Hammock Beach Resort, in hopes for good press in return. There is little evidence of such returns.
Ethics Commission Orders School Board’s Colleen Conklin to Pay $1,500 Fine Over Mail Flub
The issue started as a $25-a-day fine over a late financial disclosure form that was itself never in question, that School Board Chairman Colleen Conklin never made sure had reached the commission.
Florida Supreme Court Unanimously Signs Off On Medical Pot Amendment For 2016 Ballot
People United for Medical Marijuana, which is led and heavily financed by Orlando lawyer John Morgan, still needs to submit 683,149 valid petition signatures to the state by a Feb. 1 deadline.
Sgt. Michael van Buren is Named Flagler County Deputy of the Year for 2nd Time
Sgt. van Buren was cited for saving a 4-year-old child from a locked car in July heat and controlling and averting a suicide-by cop with an armed woman in Palm Coast in September.
Thursday Briefing: Flagler Beach Contracts With New Manager Newsome, McLaughlin Takes Over Economic Opportunity
The Flagler Beach City Commission may approve a contract with Larry Newsome, its new city manager, this evening. Commissioner Nate McLaughlin takes over chairmanship of the county’s economic opportunity council.
Christmas With a Deputy Returns for 8th Year as 100-Child Convoy Targets Shopping Spree
Since Sgt. Larry Jones (ret.) thought up the idea at his kitchen table in 2008, the number of poorer children getting to Christmas-shop with $150 with a cop has grown from 14 to 100.
A Problem for Enterprise Florida and Gov. Rick Scott: Bill Johnson
Just what the governor doesn’t need: a reason for lawmakers to blow raspberries at his budget request for Enterprise Florida Inc. (EFI). As it happens, they might have their reason. His name is Bill Johnson.
“My Concern Is The Christian Kids”: A Pastor Raises Objections to Yoga in Flagler Schools
A local pastor complained to the school board that yoga and meditation in a wellness program at three Flagler County schools is a violation of the separation of church and state. The pastor largely misunderstands the $30,000 program, a grant through State Farm Insurance.
Next School Year’s Calendar Will Start on Aug. 10 and Restore Full Thanksgiving Week Off
Flagler schools’ 2016-17 calendar will start at its earliest date in recent memory, a full month before Labor Day, and end the day before Memorial Day.
Wednesday Briefing: A $40,000 Tax Subsidy for a Writers’ Conference, Jeff vs. Luka, Bach’s Brandenburgs
The county’s Tourist Development Council is asked to consider a $40,000 tax subsidy for the four-day Florida Outdoors Association conference at the Hammock Beach Resort next September, four times the amount awarded last year.
France Says Non, Merci, to Madame Trump
In the xenophobic, racist’s right-wingers’ very anger – in their spokespeople and in the words they used – lurked a threat to the republic, to democracy, and to the nation’s fundamental values.
Little League Discovers Palm Coast Rules: Money-Making Tournaments Come First
Palm Coast Little League organizers say the way the city is booting them off Indian Trails Sports Complex fields for a for-profit tournament is a violation of a contractual agreement that defines how the city may go about doing so. City Manager Jim Landon disagrees.