The Legislature cut $300 million from the state’s higher education budget this year, but found a $350,000 gift to help renovate a historic property at Flagler College, whose chancellor is retiring Republican legislator Bill proctor, who also represents Flagler County.
All Else
FCAT 2.0: Computer Snags in Flagler Schools Compound Students’ and Teachers’ Anxieties
FCAT testing began this week, and with a dozen tests administered by computer only, to save money, teachers in several Flagler schools are reporting students being arbitrarily logged off, losing work and time and worsening already stressful conditions.
Ron DeSantis’s Out-Of-State Donors Net Him Money Lead in Local Congressional Race
Of the $508,400 raised by three GOP candidates for the congressional district that includes Flagler County, just 0.4 percent of that came from Flagler, an indication of how marginal Flagler may be in this congressional race.
A Quarter of Gov. Scott’s Vetoes Slash Health Spending, Research and Education
A sampling of vetoes included money for such things as meningitis immunizations for children, the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Broward County, a fetal-alcohol clinic in Sarasota and a mobile-health unit in rural Gadsden County.
Publix Crash Video and 911 Calls Reveal Harrowing Impact and Brave Aftermath
As a surveillance video clearly shows the crash and its aftermath, within 58 seconds of impact, a large group of people had been organized around the car, deep inside the store, to lift it and free an 83-year-old man pinned underneath.
Comment Sections Are Evil
Website comments have been compared to the writing on (public) bathroom walls or worse. Moderating them is a dirty job. Eliminating them altogether as some squeamish newspapers have, is dirtier still.
Scott, in St. Johns, Signs $70 Billion Budget, Vetoing Only One-Fifth Last Year’s Amount
The vetoes were a sharp decrease from the $615 million in spending Scott killed last year, though he struck dozens of transportation and cultural programs and asked state universities to limit tuition increases to 5 percent.
Citing Health Concerns and Competition, Palm Coast Kills Home-Based Bakeries
Palm Coast Mayor Jon Netts proved to be the swing vote against an initiative that would have allowed small bakeries to operate out of homes. The rejection adds to the city’s pattern of conflicted reactions to start-ups–supporting them with one hand while scuttling them with the other.
FCAT Season From a Teacher’s Perspective: An Absurd and Demeaning Fraud
Florida’s FCAT autocrats have gamed the system into an exam only the dumbest can fail while hijacking teachers’ and students’ time for nine weeks of regimentation and secrecy worthy of classified military secrets, argues teacher Joann Nahirny in her latest dispatch from the trenches.
Flagler Playhouse Goes Shtetl With Trilling Production of “Fiddler on the Roof”
“Fiddler on the Roof,” a timeless classic rendered quite effectively by Stephen Pigman’s third production at the Flagler Playhouse, is the theater company’s final play of the 2012 season. A review.
Car Plows Through Publix Entrance at Belle Terre; 10 Injured, But Heroic Acts, Too
A car plowed at least 20 feet through the main entrance of Publix at the Belle Terre and Palm Coast Parkway at 1:30 this afternoon causing eight injuries and one trauma alert. Authorities are at the scene evaluating the injured. Will have more details at they become available.
Protecting the Oceans: Your Role
Individuals can have a big role in protecting oceans no matter here they live. The key in ocean protection is to get started today, right now, argues Frank Gromling, who provides a list of suggestions.
In Defense of Ozzie Guillen: Cuban-Americans Have Held US Policy Hostage Long Enough
The Florida Marlins’ duplicitous suspension of Ozzie Guillen aside, the real scandal is the degree to which South Florida’s Castro-era Cuban community continues to hold American foreign policy hostage to seven decades of juvenile antagonism.
Panera Bread’s Covelli Secret: From Ohio to Palm Coast, By Way of a Social Conscience
Panera Bread’s odyssey from seed to giant, and its remarkable expansion during the country’s toughest years is a rarely told story of fortune and resilience, with that rare additive for American businesses: a social conscience.
Flagler Mulls Joining Lawsuit Against
Florida Over Reduction in Medicaid Payments
Flagler County commissioners will decide Monday whether to join a Florida Association of Counties lawsuit challenging the state’s decision to try to tap counties for tens of millions of dollars in disputed Medicaid money.
Bond Is Set at $300,000 for Paul Miller, Who Shot His Flagler Beach Neighbor Over a Dog
Paul Miller has been in jail without bond on a second degree murder charge for gunning down neighbor Dana Mulhall on March 14, when Mulhall complained about Miller’s barking dogs.
Cypress Point Fire Enters Mop-Up Phase as Emergency Passes, But Smoke Will Persist
The fire between Mother Seton Catholic church and Cypress Point Parkway started at 4 .m. and burned close to 10 acres. Division of Forestry crews were burning more ground this morning on purpose, to prevent flare-ups. A section of Cypress Point Parkway was closed.
Anti-Abortion Religious Groups Launch Campaign to Abolish Privacy Rights for Teens
The “Yes on 6” anti-abortion campaign by religious groups pushes for passage of proposed constitutional amendment 6 on this fall’s ballot, and would forbid Medicaid dollars paying for poorer people’s abortions.
George Zimmerman Charged With Second Degree Murder in Killing of Trayvon Martin
Angela Corey, the special prosecutor appointed to investigate the killing of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, charged George Zimmerman with second degree murder. Zimmerman, who had briefly vanished, is in police custody.
Flagler Fire Chief Declares Burn Ban as Drought Intensifies and Neighboring Blazes Multiply
Recalling memories of last year’s feverish fire season, Flagler County Fire Chief Don Petito just signed an order imposing a burn ban, while the county’s fire rescue department takes in 50 new radios that will vastly improve their communications abilities with other emergency responders.
What Is the Drought Index? Understanding the 0-800 Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI)
The Keetch-Byram drought index (KBDI) measures the amount of precipitation necessary to return the soil to full saturation. It is a closed system ranging from 0 to 800 units and represents a moisture regime from 0 to 8 inches of water through the soil layer.
After Joint Meeting, Palm Coast and the County Remain Far Apart Over Sales Tax Renewal
Palm Coast and the county disagree over how to split $4 million in annual revenue from the a half-cent sales surtax. The county wants more than it’s been getting. A joint meeting Tuesday produced good will but no breakthrough.
Panera Bread Rises Crisply in Palm Coast, With Promise of Second Location Within a Year
Panera Bread in Palm Coast, long awaited, opened to a special reception for a few hundred people on Tuesday at the State Road 100 location, with a grand public opening on Wednesday. The company is planning a second location on Palm Coast Parkway by early 2013.
Palm Coast Data Revenue Now Half Its 2008 Level, When It Signed Job-Creation Deals
Palm Coast Data’s revenue was down to $15.6 million in the last quarter, less than half the $32.2 million it recorded in the quarter preceding its agreement to consolidate in Palm Coast. The company won’t say how many jobs are on its Palm Coast payroll.
Stare Decisis Their Ass: The GOP’s Activist Judges
Scorn for “activist judges” has been a staple of the Republican playbook ever since it was Earl Warren’s Supreme Court. Now that it’s John Roberts’s court–or should we say Antonin Scalia’s?–and a Democratic president is calling them out, the rhetorical roles have reversed overnight.
Bunnell’s Police Chief Candidates Narrowed To 2; Lt. Randy Burke Doesn’t Make the Cut
Lt. Randy Burke, at the Bunnell Police Department for two decades, was among the 19 candidates who made the first cut, from 31 applicants, but wasn’t chosen among the first six finalists, or the last three. City Manager Martinez will make a decision this week.
Flagler County Government Faces Potential $3.3 Million Gap as Stresses and Needs Endure
The Flagler County Commission got its first budget overview of the year Monday, ahead of six months of discussions, debates and battles over budget priorities in the midst of an election year with its own unpredictable variables.
Bogus Claim of Armed Kidnapping Leads Flagler Deputies and Air One on Costly Search
Robert Geroux, a 19-year-old Pennsylvanian, was arrested on charges of lying to law enforcement and making a false crime report after a road trip with a man from Pennsylvania went awry in Palm Coast Saturday evening.
Caylee’s Law Now In Effect, Making Lying About a Missing Child a Felony
Prompted by the death of Orlando two-year-old Caylee Anthony in 2008, Gov. Rick Scott on Friday signed a measure to bolster penalties for lying to police when a child goes missing.
The 4th Amendment, Stripped and Degraded
The Supreme Court’s decision allowing the strip-searching of anyone booked into jail–no matter how small the charge, no matter the presumption of innocence of the accused–is merely the latest in a long series of constitutional violations, enshrined by conservative justices.
Protecting the Oceans to Protect Life
The oceans are not an inexhaustible source of good things, argues Frank Gromling. It is past time for every earth-dweller to make a pivotal change in direction to allow the oceans to recover to their former health and productivity.
Bob Graham, the First Lady and Umbarger: Honoring Florida’s Book Award Winners
Caren Umbarger, artistic director of the Flagler Youth Orchestra, was among the authors honored by First Lady Ann Scott at a Governor’s mansion luncheon recognizing the winners of the Florida Book Awards. Umbarger recounts the experience.
In Flagler County, a Reflection of Democrats’ Lost Promise as GOP Regains Registration Lead
Democrats’ voter-registration advantage vanished in Flagler County after a three-and-a-half-years, reflecting surging Republican activity and diminished Democratic excitement, but also the consequences of onerous voter-registration laws that disproportionately affect Democrats.
Sidney Odell Jenkins: A Celebration of Life, April 7
A Celebration of Life for Sidney Odell Jenkins, who passed away unexpectedly March 31, will be held Saturday, April 7, at 4 p.m. at the Pellicer Community Center near Bunnell. All are invited.
Biker Airlifted in Critical Condition After Car Cuts Him Off at US1 and Matanzas
Robert O’Conner of Palm Coast was traveling north on US1 when an 88-year-old driver misjudged the distance between his Dodge and the Harley, and crossed US1 at Matanzas. The biker smashed into the Dodge.
US Jobs Up Just 120,000, Disappointing Expectations; Unemployment Down to 8.2%
While the U.S. unemployment rate fell to 8.2 percent in March, job creation was disappointing, at 120,000, about half the expected numbers, lending further credence to evidence of a fitful, not robust, recovery.
GOP Candidates and Media to Kids: Drop Dead
While presidential candidates almost always include their offspring in their campaign publicity, candidates and media discussed children’s issues less than two percent of the time over 20 debates – just 17 debate questions of more than 1,000.
“Exceptional Bravery and Courage”: How Teens Saved 2 Lives in Harrowing Palm Coast Wreck
Cody Decker and Luke Vaughn, both 17 and vacationing in Palm Coast from DeWitt, Mich., recounted in a moving ceremony hosted by Sheriff Fleming today how they saved Carlos Adams and Tracy Lopez out of their burning Jaguar Tuesday morning.
Post-Traumas, Flagler Humane Society Tries Make-Over
The Flagler Humane Society, after the firing of its executive director and the loss of what would have been a half-million-dollar bequest, is projecting a new outlook and seeking out partnerships–and residents’ votes that could potentially yield $125,000.
Fear Factor: Concealed Weapons Approaching 1 Million in Florida as NRA Gains Ground
The number of concealed weapons permits has risen dramatically in recent years as new laws making it easier to obtain them have been placed on the books by lawmakers, spurred on by the National Rifle Association, one of the most effective lobbying forces in the capital city.
Bev Slough, St. Johns School Board Chair, Joins GOP Congressional Race in District 6
Bev Slough, St. Johns School Board Chair and former president of the Florida School Boards Association, is the 7th GOP candidate for a congressional district that includes all of Flagler County.
In Palm Coast’s New Garbage Contract, Some Savings and Big, Green, Long-Term Benefits
The $7 million, 5-year contract Palm Coast ratified with Waste Pro this week requires the company to build a natural gas fueling station and make it available to city vehicles by June 1, 2013, opening the way for considerable potential savings and cleaner fuel consumption for some of the city’s 258 vehicles.
Palm Coast Astronomy Club’s Star Party at Ponte Verda’s Environmental Education Center
On Saturday, April 28 from 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm, The GTM Research Reserve and the Palm Coast Astronomy Club are co-hosting an evening of astronomy education and viewing of the night sky at the Reserve’s Environmental Education Center.
Too Much of a God Thing
A new survey finds signs of public uneasiness with the mixing of religion and politics. The number of people who say there has been too much religious talk by political leaders stands at an all-time high since the Pew Research Center began asking the question more than a decade ago.
Flagler NAACP’s 2012 Olympics of the Mind April 14 at the Auditorium
Come out and support Flagler County’s talented young scientists, poets, filmmakers, painters, musicians, writers and lots more, and see Flagler’s high school students reaching for the gold in the 2012 NAACP Olympics of the Mind on April 14.
Gap of Dollars and Concerns Splits Flagler County and Palm Coast Over Sales Tax Renewal
The two local governments are far apart over how to split revenue from a sales tax surcharge voters would have to approve this November, causing Palm Coast to think of dumping the sales tax–and the county to panic–as the two head for a joint meeting next week.
GOP’s Congressional Candidates Vie to Out-Right Each Other In Their Flagler Coming Out
The six Republican candidates for Flagler County’s newly drawn congressional district, in a joint appearance in Palm Coast Monday, could not distinguish themselves on issues, but did so in experience and style as they were hosted by the local chapter of the Ronald Reagan Republican Assemblies.
Your Password, Please: When a Job Interview Includes Demands for Facebook Pages
In a society where privacy is constantly eroding, recent efforts by some employers to pry into Facebook pages to investigate job applicants should be resisted as an unwarranted intrusion on personal freedom and dignity.
“My Dog Wouldn’t Drink the Water”: Bunnell Residents May Not See Change for 21 Months
Bunnell’s commissioners have known since 2004 that the city’s water could be toxic but have only recently developed plans for a new system; that plan isn’t paid for, and won’t be functional for one to two years, if that. Residents are unhappy.
Hopes of Returning Passenger Line to Florida East Coast Railway Awaiting Amtrak Decision
Pushing to get an east-coast rail line that would cross Flagler County back on track, proponents say their venture would complement plans for privately operated high-speed passenger service between Miami and Orlando.