The Flagler County Commission is not relishing a special election, as it means contending with a supplemental budget request from Supervisor of Elections Kimberle Weeks, whose relationship with the commission–among other local government agencies–is at an all-time low.
All Else
A Community Bids Former Deputy Joe Delarosby Farewell, Mixing Anger With Remembrance
Services for Joseph Delarosby, the sheriff’s deputy edged into retirement 7 weeks before he killed himself on Oct. 7, included a stunning public rebuke of Sheriff Manfre by Delarosby’s father.
Pot Amendment: For Debilitating Diseases or an Open Door to Full Marijuana Legalization?
A briefing on Amendment 2, the proposed constitutional amendment to legalize medical marijuana: supporters say it’ll help the sick, opponents claim it’s flawed and will result in “a joint in every backpack.”
Palm Coast Seeking Citizen Volunteers for River to Sea Advisory Committees
Palm Coast recently became a member of the River to Sea Transportation Planning Organization (TPO), and is now accepting applications from its citizens to serve on two TPO advisory committees.
Indian Trails 7th Grader Shelby Anton, Winner of Statewide Essay Contest, Is Palm Coast Mayor for a Day
Indian Trails 7th grader Shelby Anton took first place in Florida, out of some 1,500 entrants, in a Florida League of Cities contest that had her spend a day as a mayor, including chairing a city council meeting on Oct. 7.
From Polish and Italian to Arabic and Creole: The Changing Sound of the American Street
One-fifth of Americans now speak a language other than English at home. Fastest-growing are Arabic and Creole, though Spanish and Chinese are still the number 1 and 2 languages after English.
“Barefoot in the Park” Inaugurates Flagler Playhouse’s New Season, and Renovated Digs
Neil Simon’s “Barefoot in the Park” opens a new season for a Flagler Playhouse that benefited from a $150,000 state grant and used it to improve its stage’s wing space, provide better rest rooms and storage space.
Flagler County Education Foundation’s 4th Josh Crews Writing Project Fundraiser Oct. 25
This year’s theme for the event is “The Great Gatsby,” by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The event will be held at Nature Scapes in Bunnell. Tickets for the event are $100 per person and include food, drinks and entertainment.
Creekside Festival Celebrates 10th Year Saturday and Sunday at Princess Place Preserve
Drawing upwards of 15,000 guests each year, the Chamber of Commerce-managed two-day festival offers exhibits and activities to appeal to all tastes. This year’s event is set for Saturday, Oct. 11 and Sunday, Oct. 12.
Why Malala Yousafzai Should Have
Won The Nobel Peace Prize
Malala Yousafzai is the 17-year-old Pakistani girl and activist for girls’ education who in 2012 was shot in the head by a shaking, demented terrorist whose allegiance to the Taliban tells us all we need to know about the lethality of religious fundamentalism. Any kind of fundamentalism, really.
I’m 67 Years Old. I Smoke Pot. And It’s Time to Make It Legal, Period.
If anyone thinks that passing Amendment 2 is not a step toward legalizing recreational marijuana, then you’re been ingesting too much of the wrong kind of drugs, argues Thomas O’Hara, who is voting for Amendment 2 because it’s a step toward full marijuana legalization.
“A Fitting Conclusion”: Family Speaks of Pilot Ray Miller’s Life of Adventure Before Crash
Raymond Miller, the 77-year-old Palm Coast resident who crashed his plane in Pellicer Creek last week, had retired from the CIA but had never ended a life of globe-trotting adventure in which his age was a mere number. His family said his last flight was a fitting way to end a life.
Advocates Call for DCF to Give Up Child Safety Oversight to Local Cops After Mass Murders
Roy Miller, spokesman for the Children’s Lobby, said last month’s mass murder-suicide involving six children in Gilchrist County amounted to the last straw in the department’s response to a series of child deaths stretching back many years.
Past Day 5 of Crashed-Plane Recovery Efforts, a Barge Will Attempt Wreckage Excavation From 9 Feet of Muck
Several attempts to recover Ray Miller;’s crashed plane have failed because of challenging conditions and the plane’s location, but a barge is on its way to conduct a salvaging operation starting this evening as officials hope to have plane and body recovered by Thursday.
Pro Sports Plus on Palm Coast Parkway Closing After 17 Years
After 30 years in the sporting goods industry, Bo Ankrom has decided to close the doors of his sporting goods store, Pro Sports Plus that has been in Palm Coast since 1997.
Inmate Dies in a Florida Prison Less Than a Day After Family Questioned Safety; Federal Probe Sought
Latandra Ellington, 36, died Wednesday at Lowell Correctional Institution in Ocala, less than 24 hours after her family called prison officials to express concerns about her safety.
Joseph Delarosby, Recently Retired Flagler Sheriff’s Deputy, Takes His Life at Palm Coast’s Heroes Park
Joseph Delarosby, who’d served nearly 20 years as a Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy and bailiff, committed suicide this morning at Heroes Park in Palm Coast. He had retired from the force only recently.
Florida Hospital Flagler To See Medicare Payments Reduced 0.37% Per Patient, one of 148 Penalized in State
The penalty is intended to jolt hospitals to pay attention to what happens to their patients after they leave and reduce the rate of readmission of Medicare patients.
Florida’s Gay-Marriage Ban Teetering as U.S. Supreme Court Clears Way to Equality in 11 More States
With the U.S. Supreme Court clearing the way for same-sex marriages in 11 other states, gay-rights supporters said Monday they will ask a federal judge to follow suit in Florida.
Richard Mathews, Accused of Mercy Killing in Mother’s Death, Sentenced to Two Years
Mary Shaw Mathews, 88, was found to have died by strangulation and over-medication on Feb. 21 at her Palm Coast home. Her son Richard told detectives that she had asked him to end her life as she had been suffering and declining fast. Today’s outcome reflected a judicial system grappling with the gray area between mercy killing, which is not allowed by law, and a form of induced death.
Pink Army’s Cancer-Whipping Flags Rise Over Flagler as Awareness Campaign Broadens
At a flag-raising ceremony this morning, elected officials and Florida Hospital Flagler CEO Ken Mattison spoke of cancer’s toll and improvements in life expectancy thanks to awareness and early detection.
Recovery of Crashed Plane Again Suspended as Tides Interfere; Raymond Miller, Presumed Dead, Still Not Positively Identified
Raymond A. Miller, 77, of Palm Coast, took off from Flagler County Airport in a Northeasterly direction Friday morning and never returned. Authorities are seeking the public’s help in any sighting as the search continues.
Canceled Health Insurance: Round 2 Approaching, And It’ll Cost You More
Thousands of consumers who were granted a reprieve to keep insurance plans that don’t meet the federal health law’s standards are now learning those plans will be discontinued at year’s end, and they’ll have to choose a new policy, which may cost more.
One More Time: What Opponents of Amendment 2 on Medical Pot Get Wrong
Opponents of Amendment 2, the proposal to legalize medical marijuana in Florida, have been spreading false information, exaggerations and scare-mongering. Ben Pollara, the campaign manager for United for Care, which is pushing the amendment, counters those arguments.
Weekly Roundup: Redistricting Fight Continues, Utility Customers Bilked Again, DCF’s Woes
With Gov. Rick Scott, the entire Cabinet and many of the state’s 160 lawmakers out on the stump campaigning for re-election, the news about government in Florida has largely moved elsewhere.
County Road 305 Culvert Replacements Will Not Be Completed Until 2015
One culvert has been delayed by heavy rains and won’t be finished until October, two more won’t be done until January 2015, the county administration said.
Palm Coast City Manager Jim Landon Credentialed by Management Association
Jim Landon is one of more than 1,300 local government management professionals currently credentialed through the ICMA Voluntary Credentialing Program.
When a Mother’s Right to See Her Child’s Teacher Is Not an Absolute, Even With Medical Concerns
A parent at Old Kings Elementary was denied immediate access to her child’s teacher to deal with a medical matter Wednesday, and was subsequently given wrong information about access. The district says it was not quite an emergency, and that with some patience and a better understanding of the rules the matter would have been resolved.
FDLE Serves Search Warrant as Supervisor of Elections Weeks Is Now Formally Under Investigation
Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents this morning served a search warrant at Flagler County Supervisor of Elections Kimberle Weeks’s office. Agents were there several hours today.
In Sgt. Frank Celico’s Memory: 3rd Annual Ride to Remember Scheduled for Oct. 25
The Ride to Remember gathers bikers for a long ride through the county to commemorate Celico’s memory and raise funds for the foundation, which provides bike helmets and bikes to Flagler children.
Colossal Waste: U.S. Aid to Afghanistan Now Exceeds Marshall Plan, With Little Return
Adjusted for inflation, U.S. appropriations for the reconstruction of Afghanistan exceed the funds committed to the Marshall Plan, the U.S. aid program that delivered billions of dollars between 1948 and 1952 to help 16 European countries recover in the aftermath of World War II.
Unemployment Falls to 5.9% as Economy Adds 248,000 Jobs, Brightening Outlook
After nine months in the 6 percent range, the national unemployment rate in September fell to 5.9 percent, reaching a level last seen in July 2008, when it was rising fast.
A Cat in Flagler Beach Cashes in One of Nine Lives In Freakish Hitch With Garage Door
Flagler Beach Police Sgt. David Arcieri noticed most of the cat screaming as it hung between a garage door and a house frame Wednesday afternoon. Arcieri initiated the rescue. The cat is back to its normal self, lording it over the block.
Everybody Needs a Little Raciness: City Rep Theatre Launches 4th Season With Joyful, Raunchy “Avenue Q”
Nominated for six Tony awards and winner of three, “Avenue Q,” for the first time in Palm Coast, is a hilarious send-up of Seasame Street by way of hard-edged themes–racism, porn, suckiness–featuring puppets and songs. It’s all laughs.
Lockheed’s F-35 Stealth Fighter: A $1.5 Trillion Waste of Tax Dollars
With a projected eye-popping price tag of up to $344.8 million each, the F-35 is almost 8 years behind schedule, billions over budget and not yet combat-ready. And it’s bleeding the Treasury.
Michael Dunn Is Guilty of First-Degree Murder in Shooting of Jordan Davis as Jury Rejects Self-Defense Claim
Michael Dunn murdered 17-year-old Jordan Davis at a gas station in Jacksonville the day after Thanksgiving 2012, in a case that again put the focus on Florida’s Stand Your Ground law and racial implications.
Flooding Damage to 36 Homeowners Totals $380,000 as Calm Returns to Region
After two days of torrential rain in places and a maximum-recorded reading of 16 inches in central Palm Coast, two days of calm have restored normalcy to the city’s sewer system, lifting restrictions on water usage and ending cases of isolated flooding.
Flagler Beach Attorney Scott Spradley Marks 25th Year With Pier-Timbred Gift to City Commission
Flagler Beach attorney Scott Spradley will present a 6 foot by 3 foot photograph on canvass of the pier, which he took, to the City Commission on Oct. 9 as a gift marking his 25 years as a member of the Florida Bar.
FPL’s $13-a-Month Surcharge on Customers Who Refuse Smart Meters Draws Challenges
The dispute involves only a fraction of FPL’s customers, but it is part of a broader controversy in which critics say they worry the new meter technology could pose threats to their privacy or health.
More Land For Pops as City Embraces Partnership With Palm Coast Arts Foundation
The city has agreed to lease the foundation–which is set to raise its first physical structure–even more land than it had before in Town Center and increasing the arts group’s space by about a third, and doubling the length of the $1-year-lease to 10 years.
“Sexsomnia” Case: Man Convicted of Molesting 7-Year-Old Girl Is Sentenced to 30 Years
Caleb Ruh, a 29-year-old Flagler County man accused two years ago of molesting a 7-year-old girl in his care, claimed he was asleep at the time. He faces life in prison when sentenmced on Sept. 29.
34 Homes Report Damage in Latest Flooding Totals as Rain Resumes; Graham Swamp Overflows
After 36 hours of calm, the National Weather Service has issued a flood advisory, in effect until 1:30 p.m., and a flood watch through this evening for Palm Coast, Bunnell, Flagler Beach and the rest of Flagler County, with rain aggravating flood-prone conditions from the weekend.
Family Life Center Appoints Jodi Lodolce and Laura Perkins to Board; Seeking 2 More Members
The two new members join an 11-member board. The Family Life Center is seeking two additional board members. Those interested should contact Trish Giaccone at 386/437-7747.
15 Inches of Rain In Heart of Palm Coast; B-Section Pounded; Wastewater Systems Strained
15 inches of rainfall had been reported at Palm Coast Parkway and Belle Terre Parkway by 9:35 this morning, with the third flood warning issued in 18 hours, valid through 1:15 p.m.
Palm Coast Flooding Closes a Few Streets in B and W Sections; Damage Minimal So Far; Flood Warning Extended
Damage has been minimal and no injuries related to flooding have been reported, though lightning struck a house and triggered a house fire–the location has not been specified–and a person was struck by lightning.
“You Are the Shining Stars,” Flagler’s Drug Court Graduates Are Told at Inspirational Ceremony
Five graduates joined today the 101 who have graduated from Flagler County Drug Court at a ceremony before Judge J. David Walsh, where emotions, celebrations and relief gripped much of the full house.
Meet Tim Morgan, the Man Behind John Morgan’s Push for Medical Marijuana
Tim Morgan, John Morgan’s younger brother, suffered a severe spinal cord injury as a lifeguard while trying to save someone, and suffered excruciating pain. Marijuana helped him. His brother has devoted himself to legalizing pot for others with medical needs.
Relax: There May Be Some Rain, But No Sandbag-Begging Flooding Likely in Flagler
Despite television images of flooded roads and some flooded homes in parts of coastal Volusia County, Flagler’s emergency management director says residents should not be alarmed by what they see there or expect it replicated here.
New York Times’ Jennifer Preston, Social Media Specialist, To Speak at Flagler College Oct. 7
Jennifer Preston served as The Times’ social media editor from 2009 to 2011. She is now a reporter for the Times, covering the intersection of social media, politics, government, business and real life.
Tax Collector Suzanne Johnston Gets State Safety Award For Using Drunk Buster Impairment Goggles
The statewide award is presented each year by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles for an outstanding program in Florida promoting highway safety.