For the last several days, Hurricane Lee, the most powerful storm of the season yet and a potential record-breaker, has been as if making a beeline for Florida, from the middle Atlantic. But models and Flagler County’s emergency management director say the hurricane in five days will make an abrupt turn north well before it comes near the Florida Peninsula. Still, the dangerous storm is expected to cause more erosion on an already weakened Flagler County shore, with hurricane season just beginning to peak.
All Else
Palm Coast Fire Department Wins $23,000 EMS Grant
The Palm Coast Fire Department proudly announces its success in securing the 2022-2023 Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Matching Grant, administered by the Florida Department of Health, with a grant value of $23,183.00. This grant, part of the EMS Trust Fund, underscores the department’s ongoing commitment to elevating emergency medical services in the community.
A Uncomfortable Supreme Court Hears Abortion-Ban Case, with Privacy Protections on the Ropes
Five of the seven justices are appointees of the anti-abortion Gov. Ron DeSantis. A sixth, Charles Canady, is married to the legislator who co-sponsored the six-week ban on abortion. He did not recuse himself. If the court upholds a 15-week abortion ban, it would also mean that a six-week ban–more recently passed by the Legislature–would take effect 30 days after the ruling.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, September 8, 2023
The Blue 24 Forum, LGBTQ+ Night at Flagler Beach’s Coquina Coast Brewing Company, Jane Addams’s birthday, Christopher Hitchens v. Dinesh D’Souza.
America’s Long Road to Meeting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
A strong economy isn’t possible without a society peaceful enough to support investment and well-functioning markets, or without water and air clean enough to support life and productivity. This understanding – that economic, social and environmental well-being are intertwined – is the premise of sustainable development.
Bunnell Elementary Principal Evensen Resigns, Saying She ‘Certainly’ Does Not Deserve What’s Happening to Her
Donelle Evensen this morning announced her resignation as Bunnell Elementary principal five weeks after being named to the position, and not quite three weeks after being placed on leave following her approval of an assembly where faculty segregated Black students. At no point in either letters does Evensen take responsibility or offer any regret for the tenor of the assembly or the misjudgments that led to it.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, September 7, 2023
Brendan Depa has a pre-trial hearing before Judge Perkins, drug court meets, a few thoughts on Plato’s “Gorgias” and Samuel Hynes’s experience with death, Christopher Hitchens and Rabbi Shmuley Boteach Debate on God.
The Long History of Politicians Silencing Elected Black Officials
Some Republican lawmakers in Georgia are targeting Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, a Black Democrat representing a majority Black district, for removal from office. These efforts come in the midst of Willis’ investigation and prosecution of former President Donald Trump and 18 others for their alleged conspiracy to overturn results of the state’s 2020 presidential election.
Jay Scherr is New President, Amelia Fulmer 1st Vice President of Flagler Tiger Bay Club
Jay Scherr will serve as President of the organization, with Amelia Fulmer serving as First Vice President, Dr. Joe Saviak and Marc Dwyer as Second Vice Presidents. Gary Walsh will continue as the organization’s Secretary and Chair of the Governance Committee with Cheri Orr as Recording Secretary and Flagler Tiger Bay Club Program Manager. Jim Uveges will continue in his position as Treasurer.
Flagler School Board’s Sally Hunt Hijacks New Superintendent’s Triumph with a Hit List of Resentments
The highlight at Tuesday evening’s meeting of the Flagler County School Board should have been the triumphal appointment of LaShakia Moore as superintendent, a rare unifying moment for an often divided school board. It was briefly all that, until School Board member Sally Hunt hijacked the occasion with what amounted to a hit list for coming meetings: School Board attorney Kristy Gavin. School Board Chair Cheryl Massaro. The school board’s own conduct. “Bullies.” “The media.”
With K-12 Health Standards Mum on Abortion, Younger Floridians Seek More Influence Ahead of Court Case
The Florida Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on Sept. 8 on the abortion issues and could reverse the course the court set more than 30 years ago. Some young Floridians are turning to the future of reproductive freedom in Florida, as through Floridians Protecting Freedom, the group that launched a pro-abortion initiative to add a constitutional referendum on reproductive freedom to the November 2024 ballot.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, September 6, 2023
Separation Chat, Open Discussion, Weekly Chess Club for Teens, Ages 9-18, at the Flagler County Public Library, the Flagler County Republican Club meets, mapping where journalists disappear.
Does Year-Round School Work? It’s Hazy.
“Year-round” school usually doesn’t mean students going to school throughout the year – or for more days than other students. Often it just means switching up the calendar so that there’s not such a long summer break. Two experts discuss benefits and drawbacks.
LaShakia Moore Appointed Superintendent in Historic Vote, But Occasion Is Marred by Grievances
The Flagler County School Board this evening voted unanimously to appoint LaShakia Moore superintendent, eliminating the “interim” part of the title she had held since July 1 and making her the first Black superintendent in the county’s history. But it wasn’t entirely a joyful occasion.
Witnesses Say C.J. Nelson Jr. Had ‘Handled’ Jammed Gun Before Shooting of 18-Month-Old Girl
C.J. Nelson Jr., the 21-year-old resident of 2 Ranwood Lane arrested the night of the fatal shooting of an 18-month-old girl at that house Sunday, was said by “more than one” witness in the house that he had been handling the gun that fired the fatal shot, and that he had described the gun as “jammed” before the shooting, according to his arrest report.
In Commanding Control of Her Interview and the Board, LaShakia Moore Appears Poised to Be Voted Superintendent
LaShakia Moore this morning was fully in control of a Flagler County School Board that has often been unmoored and adrift for much of the past year as she parried questions and asserted how she would handle her first hundred days as superintendent, if the board were to appoint her into that role this evening. There seems to be little doubt that this evening’s vote will be anticlimactic, and that come 5:15 p.m., Moore will be voted the new, permanent superintendent.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, September 5, 2023
It’s back to work with–amazingly–three open meetings of the Flagler County School Board, a meeting of the Palm Coast City Council, Beth Macy on “Dopesick,” a few more words on the American worker.
Quran Burning and the Line Between Free Expression and Incitement of Hatred
While freedom of expression is a fundamental human right in liberal democracies, the right to express one’s opinion can become complex when expressing one’s views clashes with the religious and cultural beliefs of others and when this rhetoric veers into hate speech.
18-Month-Old Girl Killed by Gunshot in Palm Coast’s R-Section; Person of Interest Arrested on Unrelated Charge
An 18-month-old girl was killed by a single gunshot wound to the head from an automatic pistol at 2 Ranwood Lane in Palm Coast shortly before midnight Sunday. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office and two other agencies are investigating. The victim had not handled the gun.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, September 4, 2023
A remembrance of Labor Day’s origins, history and misuses, a look back at the Florida labor department’s understanding of workers’ rights, Robert Reich on Labor Day.
Workers Want Talk About Diversity and Inclusion
Companies’ commitments toward diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives have stalled or reversed at the same time as a growing conservative backlash is threatening to further undermine such initiatives. But research shows that diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives improve creativity, innovation, productivity and organizational performance.
Judge Rules Unconstitutional DeSantis Plan That Eliminated Black Representation
Circuit Judge J. Lee Marsh ruled that a congressional redistricting plan pushed through the Legislature by Gov. Ron DeSantis violated the Florida Constitution and needs to be redrawn. The judge sided with voting-rights groups in a lawsuit focused on a North Florida district that in the past elected Black Democrat Al Lawson but was dramatically revamped during the 2022 redistricting process. White Republicans won all North Florida congressional districts in the November elections.
Channeling George Wallace, DeSantis Uses Education to Keep Blacks Down
Despite those idiotic “Build the Wall” campaign ads, he didn’t seem to be a Trump-style racist when he took office in 2019. There was hope he’d acknowledge our sad history and move us toward a more equitable society. But he didn’t. And he isn’t. Maybe the Napoleonically ambitious DeSantis decided white nationalism was his ticket to the Republican presidential nomination. His racism is less overt than Trump’s or George Wallace’s but almost as damaging.
‘Horrified’ SURJ Flagler Issues Statement on Bunnell Elementary’s Segregated Assembly
SURJ Flagler is horrified about the devaluation of the African American students, and how they were subjected to a “less than” self-image. Not to be forgotten is the impact of this segregation on the non-black students, where yet another false seed of academic and social superiority has been planted.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, September 3, 2023
Sunday Chess Club at Chabad of Palm Coast, the Farmer’s Market, Schubert’s Piano Sonata in A Major, John Pekkanen on the whole drug industry campaign for mood drugs in the 1960s.
Crash Dummies: Why Isn’t the V-22 Osprey Grounded Already?
The Osprey is a relatively new type of aircraft, with a patchy track record for safety. But the advantages it offers for the military – and perhaps for civilians – mean we will only be seeing more of it in the future.
Stop Blaming Line Workers for Poor Service. It’s CEOs’ Fault.
Ever get mad at a delivery driver for bringing your pizza late? Stop, and consider: It’s late because an overpaid boss is probably making two employees do the job of 10 as chronic but unnecessary and often intentional understaffing plagues many of America’s largest retailers and fast food corporations.
Federal Judge Refuses to Block Florida Law Targeting Adult Transgender Care, But Individuals May Sue
A federal judge on Friday refused to block a new Florida law making it more difficult for transgender adults to access hormone therapy and surgeries. But U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle said he could issue a narrowly tailored injunction to ensure care for individual plaintiffs if they provide detailed medical records.
Disney Narrows Lawsuit Against Florida, Focusing on Retaliation by DeSantis Administration
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts moved Friday to narrow a federal lawsuit that alleges state officials unconstitutionally retaliated against the company because of its opposition to a 2022 law that restricted instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in schools.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, September 2, 2023
The Flagler Beach All Stars hold their monthly beach clean-up, the Saturday Flagler Beach Farmers Market, Sunshine and Sandals Social at Cornerstone, Henry James’s “A Light Man.”
Sisco Deen, Giant Archivist and Historian of Flagler County from One of Its Original Families, Dies at 83
Claude Sisco Deen, Flagler County’s premier archivist and a leading historian of local families and culture, died Thursday evening in Palm Coast a little after sunset. He had been the research maven behind Flagler County’s centennial in 2017, was that year’s Flagler County Veteran of the Year, and built unparalleled databases of local family histories and historical documents.
Molly Tuttle, Abortion and Country Music
Jason Aldean’s song “Try That In A Small Town” extols small towns as bastions of conservative values standing up against a litany of violent big-city bogeymen. The song, and the backlash against it, threatens to strengthen popular conceptions about the inherent conservatism of country music. Yet the most striking of the new “abortion songs” and women’s autonomy comes from acoustic guitar wizard Molly Tuttle, a bluegrass musician and rising star in the American roots music scene.
Sally Hunt Wanted to Censure School Board Chair For Going Off Script in Talk Over Segregated Assembly
Flagler County School Board Chair Cheryl Massaro said fellow Board member Sally Hunt considered calling for a vote of censure against her because Massaro did not stick to a script provided her before last week’s press conference denouncing Bunnell Elementary’s segregated assembly days earlier.
Florida Seeks Wider Federal Disaster Declaration Than to Seven Counties Ahead of Biden Visit
DeSantis and state Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie said Friday they plan to ask the White House to include more counties in the disaster declaration signed Thursday by President Joe Biden. The declaration, in part, makes federal money available to help people in Citrus, Dixie, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Suwannee and Taylor counties.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, September 1, 2023
First Friday in Flagler Beach, Remembering U.S. District Court Judge James C. Turk, Catherine Edmondston discovers that there’s nothing ever new under the sun, missing David Letterman.
Why Is the DeSantis Campaign Stalling? Americans Don’t Like Imperial Governors.
Why is Ron DeSantis’s campaign stalling? Current and former governors would say: Because he has become an imperial governor-– one who believes he is all-powerful and that all his decisions will be just applauded and never questioned or opposed.
Emergency Management’s Jonathan Lord and Nealon Joseph Deploy to Madison County
Flagler County Emergency Management had scarcely returned the Emergency Operations Center to its normal activation level on Wednesday (August 30) when Director Jonathan Lord and Emergency Management Planner Nealon Joseph headed out to Madison County to assist with their recovery efforts.
For Charlie Ericksen, a Poignant Farewell from Colleagues and Friends in a Chamber He’d (Mostly) Loved
Flagler County government’s Holly Albanese organized a Celebration of Life of former County Commissioner Charlie Ericksen, who died on July 31. The celebration was held in the commission’s chamber last Tuesday, where some three dozen colleagues and friends and two of Ericksen’s sons attended, some of whom speaking with poignancy and candor.
Sheriff’s Michael Breckwoldt Demoted to Corporal Following Investigation of Drinking Incident at Finn’s Bar
Michael Breckwoldt, the 20-year veteran of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office who was in charge of the agency’s narcotics unit until last May, was demoted from sergeant to corporal and placed on last-chance probation for a year and a half as a result of an incident at Finn’s Beachside Pub in Flagler Beach, where Breckwoldt’s drinking led to “offensive behavior,” in violation of agency policy, and where he behaved in an unbecoming way toward patrons.
Flagler Sheriff Sends 10-Member Emergency Response Team to Help in Hurricane Idalia Recovery
Ten members of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Response Team are deploying to Florida’s Big Bend region to assist in the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Idalia after being activated by the Florida Division of Emergency Management and the Florida Sheriff’s Association Task Force.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, August 31, 2023
Flagler County Comprehensive Plan update at Hammock Community Center, “digging out” from Idalia, the Charleston earthquake of 1886 and Edward Gibbon’s reflections on natural disasters.
Term Limits for Politicians Are Common. Why Not Age Limits?
Can politicians be too old to serve in office? Should society make retiring at a certain age mandatory for elected officials who run the country – like presidents and senators? Whatever view one takes on the ethics of age limits for politicians, voting remains the primary way to put one’s views into practice.
Rural Counties Begin Recovery from Hurricane Idalia: ‘As Bad as It Is, It Still Ain’t as Bad as It Could Have Been’
Category 3 Hurricane Idalia made landfall in Taylor County’s Keaton Beach area, and county Sheriff Wayne Padgett said other hard-hit areas included downtown Perry and Steinhatchee, “a little fishing village on the coast down there,” which he said had the most storm surge. “As bad as it is, it still ain’t as bad as it could have been,” Padgett said.
Great News: Brian and Hailey McMillan Buy the Palm Coast and Ormond Beach Observer
Hailey and Brian McMillan are the new co-owners of the Palm Coast and Ormond Beach Observer, an acquisition roundly applauded by the paper’s staff, community leaders and competitors. Matt and John Walsh founded the Observer in late 2009 and hired McMillan as their first editor. He’d led the paper until his reluctant departure 2022.
Hurricane Idalia Makes Landfall as Cat-3 Hurricane; Local Impacts on Flagler Limited, Evacuations Rescinded
After Hurricane Idalia became an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm, it made landfall as a Cat-3 in Florida’s Big Bend this morning. Effects on Flagler and Palm Coast are expected to be limited to rain and wind gusts as the storm’s track has shifted north.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, August 30, 2023
Absent scheduling changes due to the storm, Michael Bowling, the former Mondex man serving 20 years in prison for molesting a girl at his stepdaughter’s sleepover, is in court arguing for a lesser sentence.
Shouldn’t You Be Napping at Work?
Short naps can boost mental functioning and memory, as well as improve alertness, attention and reaction time. Short naps are also linked to increased productivity and creativity. Because napping seems to improve creative thinking, some companies have attempted to harness this by introducing napping rooms into the workplace.
Gabriella Alo Pleads Out in Brutal, Dual Flagler Beach Attack, Leaving Herself Open to Steep Prison Sentence
Gabriella Alo, the 19-year-old woman accused, with her brother, of beating a teen and running over a woman’s foot at Wickline Park last January, pleaded to numerous charges that add up to a potential 67 years in prison, though she will likely face considerably less than that when she’s sentenced on Dec. 1. How much less is the question: she tendered an open plea to Circuit Judge Terence Perkins, who is neither softie nor sadist.
Hurricane Idalia’s Track Again Shifts North, Further Reducing Feared Flagler Impacts
Hurricane Idalia’s track shifted north again, further away from Flagler County, in the National Hurricane Center’s Tuesday evening report. That further reduces but by no means eliminates tropical storm force impacts in Flagler County, especially inland.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, August 29, 2023
The Palm Coast City Council goes over its final budget for next year, A celebration of the life of the late Charlie Ericksen, keeping score on Donald Trump’s indictments and civil lawsuits.