Majorities of Americans decided in favor of every marijuana-related proposition placed before them — a clean sweep — and they did so by record margins, whether to cultivate pot, use it recreationally or use it medicinally.
All Else
Covid Hospitalizations Up 25% in 2 Weeks Statewide, Flagler Cases Above 100 for 3rd Week In a Row
As Gov. Ron DeSantis adopts a dangerous policy of letting the coronavirus run its course to build herd immunity, case loads are steadily rising in Florida and remain high in Flagler, suggesting that the surge experienced across the country will likely cascade over Florida with colder weather and more indoor activities.
Trump Won Florida After Running a False Ad Tying Biden to Venezuelan Socialists
The video was part of a broader Trump campaign strategy in heavily Latino South Florida that sought to tie Biden to Socialist leaders like Maduro and the late Cuban President Fidel Castro. Trump won Florida by about 375,000 votes, the largest margin in a presidential election there since 1988. He carried about 55% of the Cuban American vote.
Tropical Storm Warning in Parts of Flagler as Eta Skirts By Today; Schools Open, Courthouse Closed
Flagler County was preparing to weather a late-season tropical storm as ex-Hurricane Eta was made landfall in the Cedar Key area Thursday morning then started its rapid churn toward Flagler and Northeast Florida.
In Latest Lawsuit Twist, Captain’s BBQ Wants County Attorney Hadeed and County Manager Cameron Deposed
On the eve of a hearing in circuit court that may decide the fate of Captains BBQ’s breach-of-contract lawsuit against Flagler County government Thursday, Captain’s lawyer is asking the court to compel County Attorney Al Hadeed and County Administrator to submit to depositions in a setting where they’d have little control on the questions asked or the ultimate direction of the deposition. The county is objecting.
New St. Augustine Costco Would Be Located 36 Miles North of Palm Coast
The proposed Costco would go up east of International Golf Parkway, at 655 World Commerce Parkway, just off of I-95. Once built, the store would be within 36 miles of Palm Coast Parkway, considerably closer than the two Jacksonville locations on Gate Parkway and Parramore Road.
Palm Coast Faces a Town Center Reckoning: Too Many Apartments, No Commercial Development, and Looming Cash Crunch
The Palm Coast City Council is awakening to several converging realities about Town Center, the once and future promise of the city’s vitality: incentives for apartment construction have worked, incentives for commercial development have not–not yet–and turnover on the council and the administration means few recall the purpose of Town Center to start with. The mayor is looking for a reset.
Affordable Care Act is Back at the Supreme Court, With 2 Million Floridians’ Health Coverage at Risk
The Supreme Court today at 10 a.m. hears oral arguments in a case that, for the third time in eight years, could result in the justices striking down the Affordable Care Act. It would affect 1.9 million Floridians, by far the largest number of enrollees in any state.
County Defense Against Captain’s BBQ Lawsuit: The Commission Illegally Approved Lease Amendment, So It’s Void
Flagler County government is actually arguing that since it approved the controversial lease amendment with Captain’s BBQ without seeking bids first, it was an illegal move, so the agreement is null and void. And with that approach, the county is now seeking to have Captain’s lawsuit against it thrown out. That hearing is set for Thursday.
Cindy Dalecki and Robbin Wilson Headline Professional Women’s Group Business for Breakfast Nov. 11
Guest speakers for the event include Cindy Dalecki, owner of Marketing 2 Go, and Robbin Wilson, owner of bbMAX Marketing & Consulting.
Missing Almost 3 Weeks, Xandar Garrett, 13, Turns Up in Pinellas County After Running Away
Xandar Garrett, the 13-year-old boy who disappeared from his home on Oct. 22 after telling his step-mother he was going to walk the dog, was found safe in Pinellas County, where he’d run away.
How American Candidates and Presidents Concede: a Century of Decency and Continuity
From Herbert Hoover to Hillary Clinton, concessions by presidential candidates are among the high watermarks of American democratic discourse and reverence for institutional continuity. Candidates and incumbents have been delivering them without fail, their gestures a window into their character at their most vulnerable times.
Who’s Afraid of a $15 Minimum Wage?
Forget assumptions. Forget fear-mongering PR releases chambered in baseless claims that a $15 minimum wage will cost jobs. When the most extensive analysis on the subject shows 20 times more people will live better than lose jobs, it’s case closed.
How Escalating Covid Cases Forced Conservative Montana to Change Its Masking Strategy
When appealing to people’s better nature and sense of community didn’t work, Montana officials began a steady escalation: adding in guilt, then public shaming, and now attempts to punish. Still, there’s little evidence that minds are being changed, and a new Republican governor-elect, Greg Gianforte, will take over in January after campaigning more on “personal responsibility” than on state-issued mandates.
State of Emergency for 8 South Florida Counties as Tropical Storm Eta Looms
The governor’s order said the action was being taken “in an abundance of caution,” while the National Hurricane Center said in an advisory that “Eta could be near hurricane strength as it approaches Florida.”
Biden Wins
Joe Biden was elected the 46th president of the United States, with Kamala Harris the first-ever woman–the first Black, the first Indian-American–vice-president.
Cara Cronk Is Named Principal at Buddy Taylor Middle, Jessica DeFord Is New Principal at Belle Terre Elementary
Neither moves on the part of Superintendent Cathy Mittelstadt are a surprise, though they reinforce what the appointments do signal: that the superintendent, herself in the district less than half a year, is comfortable and trusting of an administrative staff that two previous superintendents cultivated for leadership positions. The district’s bench, in other words, is not thin.
Flagler and Florida Democrats Face a Reckoning After Dismal Showing at Every Level
Trump’s Florida victory aside, Republicans upset two incumbent South Florida congresswomen, flipped five state House seats and could pick up a seat in the state Senate, making a mockery of Democrats’ hopes to cut into the GOP’s legislative dominance.
Economy Adds 638,000 Jobs, Lowering Unemployment Rate to 6.9%; Half Covid Losses Recovered
The U.S. unemployment rate fell a full percentage point in October, to 6.9 percent, as the economy continued its steady if fitful recovery from coronavirus-related job losses, adding 638,000 jobs in October. The gains would have been higher had it not been for the loss of 147,000 temporary Census jobs.
If Trump Tries to Sue His Way to Election Victory, Here’s What Happens
It’s easy enough for the Trump campaign to file a lawsuit claiming improprieties, but a lot harder to provide evidence of wrongdoing or a convincing legal argument. Here’s what you need to know as the election lawsuits start to mount.
Daytona State Ranked No. 2 Among Most Affordable Colleges in Florida
Best Value Schools has listed Daytona State College in another prominent position in its collection of comprehensive educational rankings, with DSC ranked No. 2 on the list of Florida’s most affordable colleges. The College has not raised tuition in 10 years and even lowered it in 2015.
Flagler Health Department’s Covid Testing and Flu Shot Sites for November 7 through 14
Here’s the most current information on covid-19 and flu-shot locations and times across Flagler County, as provided by the Flagler County Health Department.
Court Upholds Miami-Dade’s Covid Curfew
An executive order issued by Gov. Ron DeSantis to help reopen the state’s economy amid the covid-19 pandemic does not block Miami-Dade County from imposing a curfew, an appeals court ruled Wednesday.
Flagler Jail’s ‘Homeward Bound’ Program Will Help Inmates Learn Skills for Employment
The first course offering will train inmates to design, develop and apply custom designed vinyl graphics onto vehicles. The course will focus first on applying the vinyl graphics to officially mark all FCSO patrol fleet vehicles.
Nearly New Thrift Store’s Third Annual “All Things Christmas” Sale Nov. 17-21
The Nearly New Thrift Store will be holding its third annual “All Things Christmas” sale from Tuesday, November 17, 2020 through Saturday, November 21, 2020, at Santa Maria del Mar Church Parish Hall, 915 North Central Avenue, Flagler Beach, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Masks and social distancing protocols will be enforced.
Stetson Student Bryson Pritchard of Ormond Beach a Finalist in 2020 Collegiate Inventors Competition
The Dyad Syringe is a two-compartment syringe where the rear is pre-filled with saline and the front is empty, which allows health-care professionals to administer a specific dosage of medication to a patient before attaching the syringe to a Luer lock on an intravenous line (IV).
Flagler Falls 1% Short But Florida Voters Approve $15 Minimum Wage Phased in By End of 2026
The hike in the minimum wage will be phased in through Sept. 30, 2026, but it will represent a significant move in a state heavily dependent on tourism and the service industry for jobs. It was put on the ballot with the financial help of well-known Orando trial attorney John Morgan.
4 Lone Rangers Arrested in Latest Solo Sex Patrol Operation at Graham Swamp
Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies and detectives arrested four men at Graham Swamp Tuesday afternoon in a sting operation after renewed reports that men were using the park to meet up for sex or pleasure themselves. It was the fifth such sting operation in nine years.
Holland and Klufas Hold On, Staly Wins Re-Election, Don O’Brien and Andy Dance Win County Commission, Ed Danko, Victor Barbosa Win Council Seats
With all early voting results counted, Sheriff Rick Staly had an insurmountable lead to win re-election to his second term, as did County Commissioner Donald O’Brien. Andy Dance, the school board member, also had an insurmountable lead to win the County Commission seat Charlie Ericksen opted not to contest.
Electionland: The State of Election Day in Palm Coast and Flagler County
At the current rate, and with mail ballots still being dropped off, Flagler could end the day with 75,000 ballots cast out of 92,000 eligible voters, for a turnout of 81 percent–close to the records of the 2000 and 2004 elections.
Electionland: The State of Election Day Across the Country
In a historic election shaped by a pandemic, mail-in voting and misinformation, election officials are scrambling to adapt. Here’s what reporters are seeing across the country.
How Covid Death Counts Become the Stuff of Conspiracy Theories
Trump’s recent assertions have fueled conspiracy theories on Facebook and elsewhere that doctors and hospitals are fudging numbers to get paid more. They’ve also triggered anger from the medical community.
Flagler Reaches 40 Covid-Related Deaths, Hospitalizations Up, Florida’s Daily Average Back Above 4,000
Covid hospitalizations were back up to 7 over the weekend at AdventHealth Palm Coast after bottoming out at 2, and Flagler’s coronavirus case load totaled 227 in the last two weeks, signaling more hospitalizations ahead.
As Flagler’s Covid Numbers Keep Going the Wrong Way, Even a Judge Says It Doesn’t Look Good for a Murder Trial
Nathaniel Shimmel, 25, faces a 1st-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of his mother in 2017. He’s willing to plea to 30 to 50 years. The state wants 35 to life. The trial, the oldest on Flagler’s docket, keeps getting delayed despite that mere five-year gap in the negotiations.
Celebrities Spent Millions So Florida Felons Could Vote. Will It Make a Difference?
Nearly 13,000 Florida felons could now be eligible to vote after a Michael Bloomberg-backed push to pay their court fines and fees. But many still don’t know they can legally cast a ballot.
To My Trump Neighbors
Can Biden and Trump neighbors drink with each other? Come Nov. 3, there’s room for a toast–not to either candidate necessarily, but to the election, to democracy, and to what endures. Presidents don’t. Neighbors do.
Disney Will Lay Off More Than 11,000 Union Workers as Covid Keeps Visitors Away
The layoffs are part of the Walt Disney Company’s plans to lay off 28,000 employees in the U.S., due to prolonged closures at parks in California and limited attendance in Florida. Disney employs about 77,000 people in Florida.
ACLU Condemns Flagler County Administrator Jerry Cameron Over ‘Disdain Toward Voters’
Cynthia Fisher, President of the Volusia/Flagler Chapter of the ACLU of Florida, called Flagler County Administrator Jerry Cameron’s refusal to suspend a construction project around the Government Services Building for the two weeks of early voting a voter-suppression tactic, and his attitude toward voters “condescending.”
The Polls Aren’t Wrong. But Trump Can Still Win More Easily Than in 2016.
Biden’s lead in none of the key battleground states is outside the margin of error and national polling is only reflecting the concentration of Biden votes in already-blue states, and the migration of some Trump votes in still-red states. The polls have it right, but Trump’s road to re-election is actually less daunting than presumed.
Florida Supreme Court Will No Longer Review Death Sentences, Ending 50-Year Fail-Safe Step
The majority ruling was one of a series of opinions this year in which the Supreme Court, newly packed with right-wing judges, has reversed course on death-penalty and criminal legal precedents, opening the way to swifter and death sentences with fewer obstacles.
A Sexual Predator Released From Prison After 20 Years and Another on Probation Move to Palm Coast
Fabian Roger Padro, 58, moved to 23 Woodfield Drive in Palm Coast after 20 years in prison for kidnapping and raping a woman. Lori A. Szmuc, 52, moved to 4 Pinnell Lane after serving 4 years for raping a 13-year-old boy.
37-Year-Old Motorcyclist Is Killed, Rider Seriously Injured in US1 Crash South of Old Kings Road
A 37-year-old St. Augustine resident was killed and a his 49-year-old wife was seriously injured in a motorcycle crash on U.S. 1 south of Old Kings Road Thursday evening.
Election Supervisors Are Told Felons Must be Allowed to Cast Regular Ballots, Not Provisional
Attorney Ron Labasky sent an email to supervisors after lawyers for voting-rights advocates raised an alert about possible problems encountered by felons trying to cast ballots during the early voting period, which ends Sunday.
53,000 Flagler Voters Cast Ballots Without Incidents. A Handful of Local Republican Pols Have Behaved Less Well.
If voters have been model citizens so far, and they have, a very small handful of candidates or party operatives, particularly in the Republican Party, have been a little less so: their actions have required the interventions of poll deputies, of Supervisor of Elections Kaiti Lenhart and of sheriff’s deputies.
Ballots Cast in Flagler Near 90% of 2016 Total, But Turnout Record Still Distant Absent Massive Election Day Surge
As in Florida and the rest of the nation, Flagler County is seeing a surge of early voting and voting by mail in one of the most unusual–and unpredictable–election in memory. But Flagler would have to experience an even more unusually heavy turnout in the remaining days of the election, especially on Election Day, if the turnout records of the 2000s are to be broken.
GOP Infighting and Ugly Turns in Palm Coast Mayoral Race Draw Sen. Hutson’s and Supervisor’s Interventions
The conflict reflects a deep split within Flagler County Republicans, some aligned with incumbent Mayor Milissa Holland, some with challenger Alan Lowe. Both are Republicans in a supposedly non-partisan race that has turned into the single-most partisan race in Flagler aside from the top of the ticket.
An Easy Way to Waste Less Water: Cut Back Those Sprinklers as You Fall Back on Nov. 1
Starting Sunday, Nov. 1, homeowners and businesses across the 18 counties of the St. Johns River Water Management District should reset their automatic sprinkler systems to water no more than once a week. When “falling back” — turning your clocks back an hour — it’s also time to change your irrigation system timer to water your lawn only on your designated watering day.
The Race Deadlocked in Florida, Democrats Focus on Turning Out Black Voters
The efforts to boost turnout among Black voters — especially young Black men — come as recent polls show Biden and Trump deadlocked in Florida, a state with 29 electoral votes considered critical for a White House victory.
Herding People to Slaughter: The Dangerous Fringe Theory Behind the Push Toward Herd Immunity
Contrary to the so-called Great Barrington declaration’s claims, a herd immunity strategy, according to the memo, will surely cause a huge number of preventable deaths, run the risk of triggering recurrent epidemics, and potentially “overwhelm the ability of healthcare systems to provide acute and routine care.”
Octogenarian Incumbents Fight for Survival on Flagler Mosquito Control Board Following Troubled Term
For the first time since 2008, all three seats on the mosquito control board, which controls a $2.2 million budget and levies taxes on Flagler homeowners, are being contested simultaneously, a direct reflection of the board’s troubled few years–a financial crisis, and the booting off of Robert Fruehan following his felony conviction. Two incumbents, Barbara Sgroi and Jules Kwiatkowski, are fighting for survival on the board.