The week of student orientations and open houses continues with Matanzas High and Imagine on today’s slate, arguing against a pantie law, Marco Rubio’s slow-going.
All Else
Princess Place Preserve Slated for Extreme-Sport-Type Endurance Race, and 6,000 Racers
The Spartan extreme-sport race in March will cover 8-10 miles and feature nearly 30 landscape-altering obstacles, with 6,000 racers and 2,000 spectators expected. The county is subsidizing the race.
Entrapments of Color Blindness: Harper Lee’s “Go Set a Watchman,” Chapter 10
There’s a bit of vomit to start off Chapter 10 of Harper Lee’s “Go Set a Watchman,” much of it from our contributing writers, who have a hard time understanding how it takes Scout 25 years to discover what her father is about.
Wednesday Briefing: County Seeks $150,000 for Preserve Cottages, a New Joan B. King Park, Women’s Libido Pill
County government is seeking–from itself, in effect, by way of its tourism board–a $150,000 “grant” from bed sales tax revenue to help build cottages at Princes Place Preserve.
For Fire Chief Don Petito, a Family Matter Escalates Into Confrontations and Complaints
Don Petito was seeking to help his father move out of a house when a deputy forbade either to enter the house, causing the fire chief to become “very animated,” in his own words.
Tuesday Briefing: Your Kids’ Vaccines at Health Department, Free Speech’s New Frontier, Big Band
You can still get all your child’s vaccinations through Friday at the Flagler County Health Clinic, a Supreme Court free speech ruling’s havoc on cities, Berlin in 1936, in color.
Clashing Again, Florida House and Senate Are on Collision Course Over Redistricting
The House and Senate seemed unconcerned about whether they could reconcile their differences before the scheduled conclusion of the special session on Friday. They all but ruled out forming a joint House-Senate conference committee to hammer out a compromise.
County Government Will Take Over Flagler Tourism Office From Chamber in Latest Expansion
The tourism office’s four employees have been under contract through the Flagler chamber of commerce. By next fall, they’ll be county employees, but their budget will still be underwritten by the 4 percent surtax on short-term rentals.
Boat-Dock Permits Revoked, Flagler Re-Ignites Urgency to Finish Manatee Protection Plan
Federal officials have revoked all boat-dock permits for non-residential homes in Flagler because a manatee protection plan and an additional speed zone are not in place.
Getting Past Cheap Praise: Superintendent Challenges Teachers to Adopt More Perceptive Mindsets
Speaking to 1,000 faculty members in a packed Flagler Auditorium this morning, Superintendent Jacob Oliva outlined the coming year’s objective the way savvy tech companies roll out new products.
Monday Briefing: Welcome Back Teachers, $76,000 To Revamp County’s Economic Development Website, Gore Vidal Echoes
Flagler County is getting set to spend $76,000 on its economic development website, Superintendent Jacob Oliva welcomes faculty and staff back to school, dual enrollment at Bethune-Cookman, and Gore Vidal from the grave.
“Defunding” Planned Parenthood: Beyond GOP Posturing, It Wouldn’t Be Easy To Do
Jeb Bush claims he defunded Planned Parenthood while governor in Florida. Other GOP presidential candidates make similar claims or promises. They’re being dishonest.
Falling Out of a Pick-Up, Palm Coast Man Is Critical After Being Run Over on Seminole Woods Boulevard
Conner Patrick Anderson, 22, Ronald Lewis Stedman, 20, were taking the victim home after a night of drinking when they decided to put him in the bed of their truck because he was acting belligerent.
The Population Bomb Reloads: How Humans Cause Mass Extinctions
The world’s expanding human population is in competition with the populations of most other animals. Our population bomb has already claimed its first casualties. They will not be the last, argue Paul and Anne Ehrlich.
Flagler Beach Manager Want Ad Draws Just One Internal Applicant, With Little Experience
The lack of heftier applications suggests that the city commission may be forced to go to Plan B, which means opening the application process to a statewide and nationwide search, as was the case five years ago.
Weekend Briefing: Tantalizing New Show at Salvo Art Project, Medical Pot Nears Florida Ballot, Guns and Cop-Killings
Salvo Art Project’s new show Saturday features the enigmatic installations of Laura Mongiovi, the medical marijuana amendment is approaching the 2016 ballot.
House Committee Approves District Joining Flagler, Volusia, Drips of Lake and St. Johns
The shift may be reflective of the weakness of the region’s legislative delegation: neither Sen. Travis Hutson nor Paul Renner, rookies both, has pull in his respective house, neither has bargaining chips to deal with.
School Bus Depot Building Behind FPC Briefly Evacuated After Worker Reaction from Mysterious 55-Gallon Drums
The large hangar at the school bus depot behind Flagler Palm Coast High School was briefly evacuated shortly after noon today when an employee there was indisposed after catching a whiff from an undetermined liquid in one of nine barrels behind the hangar.
Another Wave of Break-Ins and Car Thefts in Palm Coast Targets Mostly Unlocked Vehicles
Some of the break-ins could not be properly investigated because the vehicle owners had disturbed the vehicles before the arrival of police. None of the break-ins yielded any arrests.
Thursday Briefing: Holland Park Renovation at 26%, A Vigil for Corey Tanner, GM Foods, ISIS Rape Culture
US Marshals gunned down Corey Tanner a year ago, allegedly mistaking a bottle of cologne for a gun. How ISIS claims raping girls and women is a religious reward.
Citing High Costs and an Arrest, Council Says No to a Fence Around Ralph Carter Park
An arrest in spring and the $70,000 to $160,000 cost of a fence dissuaded council members from giving in to Richardson Drive residents demanding a fence around Ralph Carter Park.
Palm Coast’s $2 Million Training Facility: Old Buildings Turned Over to Firefighters Before Demolition
Properties on Bulldog Drive the city acquired for $2 million are the scenes of firefighter training for the Palm Coast Fire Department this week before the buildings are demolished and the properties placed on the market for commercial developers.
Wednesday Briefing: Student Schedules at Indian Trails Middle, David Alfin, Benefactor, Obama on Voting Rights Act
Big day for students at Indian Trails Middle School, Realtor David Alfin becomes a Chamber of Commerce benefactor, Barack Obama responds to revelations of the undoing of the Voting Rights Act.
Report on Active-Shooter Exercise at FPC Points to Serious Flaws in Command, Communications and Cooperation
The unvarnished after-action report paints a troubling picture of sheriff’s and fire rescue operations that worked poorly as a coordinated, cooperative and unified response, though they worked well in their individual parts.
Raise the Gas Tax Already
The federal gas tax has been stuck at 18.4 cents a gallon since 1993, lowest among advanced countries. Yet Congress just adopted a three-month stopgap measure, kicking the gas can down the road for the 35th time since 2009.
To Battle Nit-Pickers, Palm Coast Will Make Anonymous Code Enforcement Complaints More Difficult
In an attempt to fight back against harassing and nit-picky neighbors, the Palm Coast City Council will require names and email addresses from people filing code violation complaints electronically.
Tuesday Briefing: Flagler Firefighters Head West, Palm Coast Talks Code Enforcement, Ann Beattie Returns
Flagler firefighters are sent to help battle wildfires in California, the Palm Coast council gets a better understanding of how code enforcement enforces.
In Defense of Megyn Kelly
Megyn Kelly deserves conservatives’ admiration, not their disdain, for leveling the sort of tough questions at Donald Trump and other candidates that should be asked of any presidential hopefuls, argues Nancy Smith.
GOP Opens Special Session With Complaints That Fair Districts Infringe on Free Speech
Senators scolded the Florida Supreme Court for trampling on their First Amendment rights as lawmakers began a special session Monday aimed at redrawing congressional districts the court said were gerrymandered to help the Republican Party.
Sunburned Child at Flagler Camp Exposes a Florida Paradox: Paddling Is OK. Applying Sunscreen Is Not.
The Palm Coast mother of a 5-year-old child who got sunburned while in care of Flagler camp counselors was surprised to find the strict limitations on school employees touching children.
Monday Briefing: Sheriff’s K-9 Euthanized, Bunnell’s Budget, Amendment 1’s Fallout, Redistricting Session
The special session on redistricting congressional boundaries begins today, a K-9 is euthanized at the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, a Flagler panel discusses land acquisitions under Amendment 1.
2nd Only to Texas With Military Retirees, Florida Facing Stiff Competition For Them
Military retirees are some of the best-educated, best-trained and youngest retirees around. Florida has nearly 200,000 of them. States are using their tax codes to lure them.
Scout’s Dishonors: Harper Lee’s “Go Set a Watchman,” Chapter 9
In Chapter 9 of “Go Set a Watchman,” Harper Lee gives us a short biography of Scout’s past between various deaths and blood flows, without as yet revisiting her recent discovery about a bigoted father.
Jailhouse Porn
Fort Apache: Flagler
There’s nothing to be proud of in the pornography of incarceration: Flagler had no reason to triple the size of its jail other than to amplify an indefensible architecture of disproportionate punishment.
Ex-Supervisor Kimberle Weeks Billed Taxpayers $12,500 For 3 Lawyers and Misled Media
The bills include $5,000 to defend herself in a state investigation that resulted, after she resigned, in 12 felony counts against her. She charged the bills to taxpayers.
Matanzas Woods Parkway Re-Opening on Monday, 2 Weeks Before School Resumes
Though more lane closures are projected, none will be allowed on Matanzas Woods Parkway between 7 and 8:30 a.m. or between 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. on days when school is in session.
Weekend Briefing: Cleaning Up Matanzas Woods Golf, Art League’s Plein Air, Trump’s GOP Show-Stealing
Trump steals the show at the GOP debate, the Matanzas Woods golf course owner is ordered to clean up, First Friday in Flagler Beach, the emotional journey of a plastic bag.
Flagler Beach Will Seek In-House City Manager Before Putting Out Broader Call
As it replaces Bruce Campbell, who’s leaving in september, the city will give preference to an internal applicant, then possibly advertise more broadly later this month if internal applicants don’t make the cut.
Thursday Briefing: City Hall 80% Done, Flagler Beach vs. Sea Ray, Hiroshima War Crime at 70, Iggy Pop Does Poe
Flagler Beach takes on Sea Ray this afternoon and thinks about its next city manager, Republicans take the stage, Japan marks the 70th anniversary of the nuking of Hiroshima, Jon Stewart signs off.
Sea Ray Issues Open Letter to Flagler Beach Ahead of Thursday’s Special Meeting
The Flagler Beach City Commission meets in special session Thursday to consider taking its opposition to a Sea Ray plan for a parking lot to the state. Sea Ray offers its side.
Flagler’s Congressional District Would Lose Putnam and Most of St. Johns But Pick Up Volusia
The change suggests that the district would tilt left somewhat, compared to its current makeup, which could favor Democrats. A special session of the Legislature will decide the final boundaries in accordance with a Supreme Court Order.
Driver at Origin of 2 Wrecks That Killed 6 People is Fined $1,000 and Loses License
Roy White, 39, was found to have caused the wreck on I-95 in Palm Coast in June 2014 that killed two people, and that caused a back-up that led to a second wreck in which four people died.
Case Dismissed: No Penalty Against Brian Szmitko, Responsible for Death of Elisa Homen in Whiteview Wreck
Because of a technicality on the careless driving citation, Szmitko walked off free of any penalty or so much as points on his license for the crash, let alone a license suspension.
Wednesday Briefing: A Kitten Is Saved From Walmart, Dennis McDonald Pays Palm Coast, Elizabeth Warren on Planned Parenthood
Elizabeth Warren unravels the GOP’s latest of endless attacks on women, a kitten is heard and saved from between two containers at Walmart.
Atticus Finch, Grand Wizard of the KKK: Harper Lee’s “Go Set a Watchman,” Chapter 8
In Chapter 8 of “Go Set a Watchman,” Scout discovers that her father Atticus is the leader of a KKK-like organization, and her boyfriend is just as much as a white supremacist.
Lawmakers Reload to Allow Students to Carry Concealed Weapons on Florida Campuses
The proposal drew heavy debate during the 2015 legislative session, with gun-rights advocates supporting the idea and many university-system leaders opposing it.
Tuesday Briefing: 2,000 Macbooks for Middle Schoolers, Billing Overgrown Lots, Amy Schumer Takes on NRA
The school board tonight may approve $2 million in spending for 2,000 Macbooks and 900 iPads to extend the one-Mac for every student to middle school.
Why the Florida Solar Initiative Is Losing
The problem isn’t with the popularity of solar power, but the poor choice of words written by the people who have the best-ever name for their group: Floridians for Solar Choice.
Rethinking Restrictions on Food Stamps and Welfare Benefits for Drug Felons
The bans on welfare and food stamps assistance apply only to drug felons, in accordance with a 1996 federal law, unless states choose to waive them.
Commissioner Revels Saves 13 Jobs, Rejecting Privatization at Expense of Lowest-Paid Employees
The county administration had proposed to privatize cleaning services for $500,000, allegedly saving $174,000 a year, but employees hired by the private company would have lost all benefits, and many would have lost their jobs outright.
