The Florida Department of Education proposed a rule barring undocumented immigrants from the state’s 28 colleges and giving schools discretion to reject students based on past misconduct. The move follows various legislative attempts to limit non-resident enrollment and mirrors recent laws targeting students, dissenters and migrants.
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Daily Cartoon and Briefing
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, April 17, 2026
Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local
School Board Cools On YMCA Pool Partnership While Considering Building Its Own, Despite Fiascoes
The Flagler County School Board is not enthusiastic about a potential partnership with Palm Coast for a shared YMCA pool, instead showing interest in the district building its own Olympic-size facility despite past management and financial failures at its own Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club. This discussion coincided with an unsolicited $1.9 million offer from Ryan Companies for surplus district land that could provide revenue for a district stake at the YMCA.
Neighbors Mobilize Against Development of 39 Houses on Previously Protected Matanzas Golf Course Tract
Palm Coast L-section residents are largely opposed to a plans to develop 39 houses on the so-called Tract 3 of the former Matanzas golf course, a tract the Palm Coast City Council had protected from development in 2021, when it approved the broader, 268-home project. Residents argue the Land Development Code protects their views. The developer is not adding new homes, but shifting them from another tract, which would be give to the city for a public park.
Flagler Beach Accepts $20,000 Gift from Susan Smith for 5 AEDs in Late Husband’s Memory
The Flagler Beach Fire Department and city government marked a $20,000 donation to the city’s Volunteer Fire Association to install five Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces throughout the city. Susan Smith presented the gift at City Hall to honors the memory of her husband, Mark Hietpas, who died in a rip current in the British Virgin Islands two years ago.
More Flagler, Palm Coast & Other Local
Jury Finds Henriqson Guilty On All 11 Child Sex Abuse Counts; Judge Sentences Him to 9 Life Terms
A Flagler County jury convicted 48-year-old Krystopher Henriqson on 11 counts of raping and molesting his former stepdaughter over three years, when she was betwen 9 and 12. DNA evidence and recorded phone confessions secured the verdict at the end of a three-day trial. Henriqson faces life in prison.
Flagler Tourism Council Approves $357,000 Grant to Light Up 3 Fields at Indian Trails Sports Complex
The Flagler County Tourist Development Council approved a $357,000 grant for Palm Coast to install lights on three soccer fields at the Indian Trails Sports Complex. The funds became available after Flagler Beach abandoned its Beachwalk expansion project. The new lights will support regional tournaments and local leagues.
Palm Coast Council Surprised by Discovery of Unannounced CRA Funding for New YMCA Project
The Palm Coast City Council’s Theresa Pontieri was surprised Tuesday after learning the Town Center redevelopment zone is contributing $1.4 million toward the new YMCA. Initial presentations suggested funding came from park impact fees.
Victim, 13, Testifies Against Ex-Stepfather as Chilling Recorded Confession and DNA Evidence Pile Up
The now 13-year-old alleged victim testified today against her stepfather, Kristopher Hendriqson, in his second day of trial on capital rape charges stemming from allegations that he’d been raping and molesting her since she was 9. The prosecution presented recorded phone calls containing Henriqson’s confessions and forensic DNA evidence matching his profile that he’d left on the girl’s chest. Henriqson abandoned his self-representation after a poor start on Monday.
Palm Coast City Council Rejects Privatization Of Palm Harbor Golf Course as Near-Term Revenue Improves
The Palm Coast City Council rejected privatizing the Palm Harbor Golf Course following reports of a a surplus through management changes, higher fees and flexible passes. The city may consider returning the facility to an enterprise fund model. Despite current financial success, looming capital costs remain.
Sheriff Says He’ll Request 13 New Deputies as he Touts Helicopter, Drones, ICE Partnership and Crime Drop
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly reported a 54 percent crime decrease since 2017 during his annual Addressing Crime Together presentation last week. He intends to request 13 new deputies. His report detailed a new Bell 505 helicopter acquisition and expanded drone first-responder programs and defended the agency’s collaboration with federal ICE agents while highlighting successful inmate rehabilitation programs at the jail.
Trial Begins With Major Disruptions as Self-Representing Henriqson Delivers Improper Opening Statement
Kristopher Henriqson’s trial on child rape and molestation charges started with along delay as Henriqson, representing himself, attempted to deliver an improper 12-page opening statement. Judge Dawn Nichols ordered the prosecution to highlight acceptable portions after repeated jury recesses, reducing the statement to less than a minute.
Reimagining Itself, Flagler Beach Approves New Transportation Fees To Start Funding $38 Million ‘Mobility’ Plan
Flagler Beach commissioners unanimously approved new mobility fees on new construction to fund a $38 million transportation plan. The initiative shifts the city away from car-centered infrastructure toward a multi-modal environment accommodating pedestrians and cyclists. The fee schedule targets residential and commercial developments.
Flagler County Unemployment Jumps to 6 Percent, Highest Rate in Five Years
Flagler County unemployment reached 6 percent in January, the highest rate since October 2020 as labor markets in St. Johns and Volusia counties also showed strains in January. Florida lost 20,000 jobs over the year.
Saturday in Byblos:
Charlie Sheen’s Addictive Book of Hedonism
Charlie Sheen survives his own history of addiction to deliver a surprising memoir in “The Book of Sheen,” a three-voice fugue of stardom, debauchery, and Casanova-like reflections. He skips the Hollywood trap of mawkish regret as his narrative energy and wit recount a life spent mostly in a drug-induced haze.
Clerk of Court Tom Bexley Makes It Official: Heidi Petito Starts New Senior Adviser Role Monday
Flagler County Clerk Tom Bexley officially hired former County Administrator Heidi Petito as a senior adviser starting Monday. Petito left her 23-year career within the county organization today following intense friction with three commissioners, accepting a 48 percent salary reduction to exit what she repeatedly described as a toxic environment. Her new responsibilities include executive counseling and intergovernmental relations. Bexley praised her fiscal stewardship and deep institutional knowledge.
The Live Calendar: Today in Flagler
April 2026
Apr 17 2026
Free For All Fridays With Host David Ayres on WNZF
WNZF
Apr 17 2026
Flagler County Cultural Council (FC3) Meeting
Flagler County Tourism Office
Apr 17 2026
Friday Blue Forum
Flagler County Democratic Party HQ
Apr 17 2026
“Godspell,” at the Limelight Theatre
Limelight Theatre
Apr 17 2026
“The Sound of Music,” at Athens Theatre
Athens Theatre
Apr 18 2026
Flagler Beach Farmers Market
In Front of Flagler Beach City Hall
Apr 18 2026
Coffee With Flagler Beach Commission Chair Scott Spradley
Law Office of Scott Spradley
Apr 18 2026
Democratic Women’s Club
Palm Coast Community Center
Apr 18 2026
Grace Community Food Pantry on Education Way
Flagler School District Bus Depot
Apr 18 2026
Flagler Schools Jon Fair for Teachers
Government Services Building
Apr 18 2026
Chess Meet-Up At the Flagler Beach Public Library
Flagler Beach Library
Apr 18 2026
“Godspell,” at the Limelight Theatre
Limelight Theatre
No event found!
The Conversation
Cheap One-Way Attack Drones Are Upending Major Powers’ Military Supremacy
One-way attack drones represent a new era of precise mass by combining inexpensive manufacturing with sophisticated guidance systems. The weapons allow mid-tier powers like Iran to strike targets accurately at a fraction of cruise missile costs. Modern militaries must now invest in drone technology and defensive netting to survive this rapidly evolving technological landscape.
Florida and Beyond
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, April 16, 2026
Clay Jones on Trump’s surrender, the Marineland Town Commission meets, Story Time with Miss Kim at Flagler Beach Public Library, why the average Flagler County fourth grader writes better English than the president.
At Least One in Three 1 in 3 Households Struggle to Pay Energy Bills
Americans’ concerns about being able to afford electricity and home heating fuel are elevated since the beginning of the Iran war. But newly released nationwide data shows that even before the war began, these concerns were widespread, long-standing and getting worse faster than the data can reflect.
DeSantis Suggests Redistricting Special Session May Be Delayed
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis insisted Tuesday that a special session on congressional redistricting will take place, although maybe not beginning Monday as originally scheduled. The idea that the Legislature might delay or possibly opt not go through with congressional redistricting has picked up steam over the past week.
More Florida and Beyond
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, April 15, 2026
The Flagler County Tourist Development Council meets, the Palm Coast Planning and Land Development Board meets, Henriqson trial day 3, Eternal Darkness in Lebanon and the faces and lives obliterated by Israel’s war crimes.
From Jules Verne to Artemis II
NASA’s Artemis II mission marks a return to lunar exploration 50 years after the Apollo era. The moonshot mirrors Jules Verne’s 1865 novel by highlighting the political and economic complexities of spacefaring. Verne correctly anticipated nationalist competition and environmental consequences. Today’s mission reflects similar tensions between global unity and a race for power.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, April 14, 2026
The Palm Coast City Council meets in workshop, the school board meets, Tuesday Book Talk at the Flagler Beach Public Library, Trump thinks he’s God, the pope thinks he’s a bully, Florida to Russia.
Fuel Crisis Over? Not Even Close.
A temporary ceasefire in the Iran war offers slight relief for global oil markets but damaged infrastructure in neighboring nations ensures supply remains tight for months. Long-term security requires reducing reliance on imports through electrification and high prices for diesel and jet fuel will persist despite diplomatic progress.
Snubbing AP Course, Florida Will Create Its Own U.S. History Class for College Credit
Florida is creating its own alternative to Advanced Placement courses. The state still does not allow AP African American Studies to be taught in public schools. In response to critics who decried the move, DeSantis and DOE officials have pointed to other African-American history requirements throughout the state curriculum.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, April 13, 2026
The Kristopher Henriqson trail begins with jury selection, the Bunnell City Commission meets, when Ronald Reagan could order Israel to a ceasefire, and memories of April 13, 1975.
4 Ways the Iran War Weakened the United States
The war in Iran significantly diminished United States global standing across four distinct strategic areas. Moscow and Beijing profited from American military distraction by increasing regional influence and securing economic advantages. Trump’s unilateral actions alienated traditional NATO allies and abandoned stated national security priorities. China now assumes the role of global mediator. This conflict signals a potential end to the U.S.-led liberal international order.
Back to DeFuture! Ron DeSantis Is the Only Authentic Choice in 2028
Be cool, Ron: Fox will sober up, come to its senses, and realize only you can save this nation from the Red Chinese, the whiny Ukrainians, vaccines, the powerful Palestinian lobby, crazed sociology majors, climate change radicals, feminists, soft-on-illegal-immigrants sheriffs, and anything else threatening Americans’ precious bodily fluids.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, April 12, 2026
Get theatrical: “My Fair Lady,” at Daytona Playhouse, “Godspell,” Limelight Theatre, “The Sound of Music” at Athens Theatre, and when “normal people don’t know that everything is possible.”
Florida Universities’ Collaboration with ICE Is Making Students Less Safe
At least 15 Florida public universities have signed agreements to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, authorizing campus police to perform certain federal immigration functions including questioning and arresting suspected undocumented students. Faculty members report an intensifying climate of anxiety and uncertainty across campuses and a damaged sense of belonging for international students while undermining the role of universities.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, April 11, 2026
The 18th annual Turtle Fest is all day today at Veterans Park in Flagler Beach, Second Saturday Plant Sale at Washington Oaks, Gamble Jam, “My Fair Lady,” at Daytona Playhouse, a few words from Brune Bettelheim on disbelief of and disassociation from horrors we experience.
Hey, Randy Fine: Muslims Like Me Don’t Threaten Our Way of Life. Your Bigotry Does.
You would think members of Congress, who swear an oath to support and defend the Constitution, would know that the right to freely practice religion is inalienable. Yet many, among them Randy Fine, who represents Flagler and other Florida counties, continue to attack the faith of millions of Muslim Americans, including their own constituents.
The Ceasefire May Have Made Iran Stronger
Iran negotiated from a 10-point plan focusing on sanctions relief and control over the Strait of Hormuz. Despite sustained military strikes, the regime demonstrated institutional resilience and economic leverage, highlighting the limits of military dominance. Tehran successfully converted intense pressure into durable political and financial gains.
Commentary
Israel’s Decades-Old Playbook to Annex South Lebanon
Israeli politicians are increasingly calling for the permanent occupation and annexation of southern Lebanon up to the Litani River. These demands mirror early Zionist territorial goals from the early 20th century. As current Israeli forces face significant fatigue from multiple conflicts, these expansionist policies risk igniting further sectarian violence and domestic opposition within Israel.
When a President Is Unfit for Office: Constitutional Choices
Bipartisan calls for President Donald Trump’s removal from office increased on April 7, 2026, after he issued threats to destroy “a whole civilization” if Iran refuses to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Concerns over Trump’s fitness for office have grown in recent weeks as his commentary has become more erratic. The Constitution’s 25th Amendment provides a way for high-level officials to remove a president from office.
Pete Hegseth’s Christian Crusade Revival
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth belongs to the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, a network rooted in Christian Reconstructionism, which advocates for biblical law and patriarchal theocracy and draws heavily on crusader mythology and Christian nationalism. Hegseth often employs militant religious rhetoric to justify current military conflicts.
Sponsored Content
OpenAI Stock Forecast: Evaluating the Long-Term Prospects in AI
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Online Chess with Kids: Focus, Patience and Smart Play
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