Flagler County Sheriff Don Fleming was quick to tout the 6.2 percent crime rate decline in the first six months of 2012 as vindication of his policies, while his opponent, Jim Manfre, a former sheriff, pointed out that crime was lower during his tenure.
All Else
Van Carrying 75 Car Batteries Overturns on 95 Near SR100, Spilling Acid and Causing Delays
A van transporting some 75 vehicle batteries and traveling north on I-95, just north of State Road 100 in Palm Coast, lost control from a tire blow-out and overturned into the southbound lanes, spilling batteries, acid and candy. The driver was evacuated to Halifax with traumatic injuries.
Palm Coast Water and Sewer Rates Set to Rise Up to 22% Over the Next Three Years
The Palm Coast City Council prides itself on keeping property taxes low, but its array of fees continue to increase steeply, as will utility rates if the council approves a debt refinancing plan that would let the city borrow another $15 million for utility improvements, even though growth in the city has slowed to a drip.
Blaze at Woodstone Lane House With Troubled History Termed “Absolutely” Suspicious
A fire that broke out late Tuesday night at 20 Woodstone Lane in Palm Coast is the latest in a series of incidents that have involved homeowners Harold and Karen Pizzetta since September.
Obama Clings to Smallest Lead in Florida, But His Ohio Margin May Make Florida Irrelevant
The latest Quinnipiac/New York Times/CBS News poll–one of the more reliable polls tracking the swing-state electorate–shows President Obama again in the lead in Florida. A larger lead in Ohio may make Florida irrelevant to Obama’s path to 270 electoral votes.
Election Antidote: A Schubert Sonata
Between smarmy candidates who speak like hobbits on furlough from Neverland and the increasing juvenilia of the presidential campaign, there’s not enough oxycodone on earth to dull the torture. But there’s Schubert.
In Startling Confrontations, DeLorenzo Takes On Palm Coast’s Jim Landon–and Impact Fees
Palm Coast City Council member Jason DeLorenzo on Tuesday questioned the veracity of City Manager Jim Landon’s numbers and his “backroom” style while making the case for a two-year moratorium for impact fees on new construction in the city in a rare, direct and sustained public challenge to the assuming city manager.
Pilates in the Park Raises Awareness and Money Locally
With more than 100 people in attendance, the third annual Pilates in the Park raised awareness and funds to help with screening mammograms, diagnostic studies and education.
Rotary Club of Flagler County Donates 1,000 Dictionaries to 3rd Graders
The Rotary Club of Flagler County is donating 1,032 dictionaries to third grade students of Flagler County Public Schools. The presentation will take place on Tuesday, October 30 shortly after the noon meeting begins, at The Grand Club at Pine Lakes Golf Course, 400 Pine Lakes Parkway N, in Palm Coast.
Big Storm Requires Big Government: Five Reads Tuesday
Mitt Romney wants to send FEMA’s responsibilities to the states. Hurricane Sandy proves him wrong. Joseph Stiglitz on inequality, Bahrain, an American ally, bans all protests, coal mining’s bigger costs, the FBI’s cell-phone stingrays, and Flagler jail bookings.
Another Feather in Bird’s Cap as Fire Flight Rescues 2 Mud Muckers Lost Overnight
Wayne Oley, 30, and Brigett Madorma, 24, lost their ATV in the wilds of Mud Muckers’s 19,000 acres Sunday night, and were lost after that, until Fire Flight spotted them Monday morning, shivering from a cold night but otherwise fine.
Crossing Out Amendment 8: Public Money Does Not Belong in Religious Schools
Religious groups have no rights to public money when it comes to funding private schools, precisely because religious indoctrination is part and parcel of the mission of those schools, and taxpayers should not have to pay for that, argues Cary McMullen.
William Merrill, Who Shot and Killed His Wife With an AK-47, Is Sentenced to 25 Years
William Carson Merrill, who shot his wife with an AK-47 in their Palm Coast home in February as she gave their daughter a bath and he played with the assault rifle, faced a maximum of 30 years for manslaughter–almost what Judge Raul Zambrano handed down in a full courtroom Monday afternoon.
Free Morgan: A Killer Whale’s Punishing Captivity Gets Its Day in Court
In June 2010, Morgan, an orca, or killer whale, was captured from the North Atlantic and rehabilitated, but instead of being returned to the wild, was sent to an amusement park. A judge may decide its fate on Nov. 1.
Flagler’s First Day of Early Voting Brings Out 2,172, But Turnout May Be Lower Than in 2008
The voting line snaked around at the Flagler County Public Library for most of the first day of early voting, but with one fewer voting location, four fewer days and diminished enthusiasm, it’ll take a greater surge of voting to top the 2008 tallies.
Ghost Election: Obama, Romney and The Future of the U.S. Supreme Court
The next president could very well appoint one or two new justices. And who steps down among the justices first could also depend on who’s elected. Here’s a guide to the election and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Atack vs Moore-Stens: An Attorney’s Evaluation Of the County Judge Race, and a Response
In the Flagler County Court Judge election, Paul Guntharp, a Palm Coast attorney, evaluates the candidacies of Craig Atack and Melissa Moore-Stens, and Atack replies.
Your Guide to the 11 Proposed Constitutional Amendments on the Nov. 6 Ballot
Complete guide and analysis of the 11 proposed Florida constitutional amendments on the Nov. 6 ballot, with links to summaries, pros and cons.
Flagler County Library’s 2012 Teen Photography Contest Winners Announced
The winners, in a contest made possible by the Friends of the Library, are Anila Lahiri, Melanie Kantasee, Mary Thompson and Madison Gibbs. Their original works will be on display at the Flagler County Public Library until the end of November.
Global Warming Silence from Romney and Obama: Five Reads Thursday
Global warming is the nonexistent issue in the Romney-Obama campaign, I-4 as the road to the White House, a Biden tell-all, justifying obscenely expensive meals, Voyager’s continuing outer-space miracle.
Hutson and DeSantis Are No-Shows as Holland and Beaven Stress Flagler’s Voice
Travis Hutson and Ron DeSantis did not attend Flagler’s broadest political forum of the season–it was broadcast live on WNZF–Wednesday, giving opponents Milissa Holland and Heather Beaven free rein to speak of the voice they’d give Flagler County if elected. County judge candidates Melissa Moore Stens and Craig Atack, and Senate candidates John Thrasher and Kathleen Trued, were also at the forum.
Florida Chamber, Countering GOP Allies, Opposing Ban on Cuba-Syria Contracting
The Florida Chamber of Commerce is asking a federal appeals court to continue blocking a new law that would prevent state and local governments from contracting with firms that have business links to Cuba or Syria. A a Miami federal judge ruled in June that the law likely violates the U.S. Constitution.
Abby Romaine: The Live Interview
Flagler County Commission, District 2
Abby Romaine is an Independent candidate for the Flagler County Commission in the Nov. 6 election, facing Frank Meeker in the District 2 race. All registered Flagler County voters get to cast a ballot in this race.
Frank Meeker: the Live Interview
Flagler County Commission, District 2
Frank Meeker, a Republican, is a candidate for the Flagler County Commission in the Nov. 6 election, facing Independent Abby Romaine in the District 2 race. All registered Flagler County voters get to cast a ballot in this race.
Hurricane Sandy: Flagler May Get Lashed By Winds and Rip Currents But Little More
Hurricane Sandy became the 10th hurricane of the season Wednesday as it approached Jamaica and Cuba, but Flagler will only feel side effects from its tropical-storm winds, at most 25 to 35 mph, this weekend.
Flagler Votes: Candidate Forum Tonight at Knights of Columbus
Candidates in seven local races have been invited and will be heard over the two evenings at the Knights of Columbus hall on Old Kings Road, answering questions prepared by the Chamber of Commerce, the Flagler County Association of Realtors and the Flagler Home Builders Association.
Smacked by Local Tax Collectors, State Retreats on License Plate Revamp, for Now
Florida highway safety officials are putting on hold for at least a short time a plan to redesign state license plates, and to privatize their distribution, following objections from tax collectors.
Herb Whitaker: The Live Interview
Flagler County Commission, District 5
Realtor Herb Whitaker, a Republican, is a candidate for the Flagler County Commission in the Nov. 6 election, facing Democrat and five-term incumbent George Hanns in the District 5 race. All registered Flagler County voters get to cast a ballot in this race.
George Hanns: The Live Interview
Flagler County Commission, District 5
Five-term incumbent Democrat George Hanns is a candidate for the Flagler County Commission in the Nov. 6 election, facing Republican Herb Whitaker in the District 5 race. All registered Flagler County voters get to cast a ballot in this race.
Ronald Reagan Assembly Attack on Frank Meeker, Over Hatch Act, Declared Groundless
The federal Hatch Act prohibits candidates for office from holding jobs that are federally funded. County Commission Candidate Frank meeker’s job at the St. Johns River Water Management District does not violate the act, as local Republican opponents claimed in August.
Amendment 3: A Fight Between Capping Taxes and Funding Government Responsibly
Amendment 3 before Florida voters on the November ballot would tighten the state’s rarely-used revenue cap, potentially giving it more teeth – something supporters say will restrain reckless spending but opponents say would gut vital services.
Yes Virginia, Government Does Create Jobs: Five Reads Tuesday
Government’s powerful and necessary job-creation engine, Romney tries to bail himself out of telling Detroit to drop dead, the joys of assisted suicide, Hef explains Playboy to William F. Buckley, young people’s reading and library habits, young adult slackers, and Flagler Jail bookings.
How Companies Track Your Politics And Assemble Profiles Through the Internet
If you’re a registered voter and surf the web, one of the sites you visit has almost certainly placed a tiny piece of data on your computer flagging your political preferences. That piece of data, called a cookie, marks you as a Democrat or Republican, when you last voted, and what contributions you’ve made. It also can include factors like your estimated income, what you do for a living, and what you’ve bought at the local mall.
Watch the Presidential Debates in Full
In case you cannot get to a television–or in case you’re at work, or on a dull date, with your iPhone in your lap–we’re embedding Google’s YouTube feed of tonight’s presidential debate between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.
3 Cop Agencies and Flagler’s Fire Flight Chase And Nab 2 Wanted for Palm Coast Burglaries
Two burglars caught on a surveillance video released last week appear to have been caught following a cop chase that began on Palm Coast Parkway just after noon and ended at County Road 206 and U.S. 1 in st. Johns County, with several police agencies and Flagler County Fire Flight converging on the suspects.
Smart Meters and the Paranoia of Fake Fears
With smart meters as with numerous other issues, some of our most basic scientific or technological advances are being held hostage to perversions of evidence no more legitimate than superstition and sham controversies.
Bike-vs-Car Wreck on A1A in Flagler Beach Is 2nd Trauma Airlift in 24 Hours
In another wreck involving a car cutting off the right-of-way of a motorcyclist, a motorcyclist ran into a Ford sedan on South A1A at the Ocean View condominiums after noon on Sunday, closing the highway for an hour. The rider was evacuated by air to Halifax hospital.
Snap, Crackle and Reef:
Oyster Restoration in Northeast Florida
Oysters play an critical role in filtering pollution and maintaining the coastal marine system, but their disappearance along the barrier island north of St. Augustine has created a kind of domino effect of environmental destruction. One local project involving restaurants seeks to restore oyster reefs.
The Psychology of Ignorance and How the Tea Party Is Helping Democrats: Five Reads Friday
The tea party is helping Democrats hold on to the U.S. Senate, Jon Stewart with Bill O’Reilly and Chris Wallace, an undercover cop in a Clay County charter elementary school, bombing Beirut, and the Flagler County jail bookings.
State Ethics Commission Finds Sheriff Fleming in Violation Over Hammock Gift Membership
The Florida Commission on Ethics today found probable cause that Flagler County Sheriff Don Fleming violated the state code of ethics when he accepted a free, gift membership to the Hammock Beach Resort since 2005, a finding that may seriously damage Fleming’s chances of re-election in less than three weeks.
Gov. Scott Joins Florida Cattlemen Asking For Suspension of Ethanol Content in Gas
Gov. Rick Scott joined several other governors from both parties this week in asking the federal government to suspend the requirement for putting a certain amount of ethanol into America’s gas tanks, saying it’s causing a shortage of cattle feed for Florida ranchers.
The Orlando Sentinel Endorses Romney
Right-wingers’ elation at the Romney endorsement aside, to call the Orlando Sentinel liberal of course is to seriously misread the house organ of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, central Florida edition.
Another Major Blow to Palm Coast Data as Newsweek, a Major Account, Ends Print
Newsweek, with 1.5 million subscribers, is one of Palm Coast Data’s largest accounts. The company landed it less than two years ago, helping it stanch the loss of other titles. Newsweek will end its print publication in December, a move that will again hurt Palm Coast Data’s bottom line.
The Ron DeSantis-Heather Beaven Debate: Little Substance, Many Lies and Inventions
Republican Ron DeSantis and Democrat Heather Beaven, congressional candidates for District 6, which includes all of Flagler, squared off in an hour debate at DeLand High School Wednesday, revealing more flair for snark, falsehoods, mis-chracterizations and generalities than substantive ideas or solutions.
Amendment 6: Narrowing Down Florida’s Abortion and Privacy Rights
Sandwiched within a long list of issues on a crowded ballot, Amendment 6 is emerging as a multi-million dollar fight touching abortion, parental rights and privacy protections now guaranteed in the Florida Constitution.
For Flagler Beach Manager Bruce Campbell, An Evaluation Only a Few Stars Shy of Glowing
Bruce Campbell, who was at the center of an 18-month controversy that finally ended in October 2011 with his permanent appointment as manager, came through his first full job evaluation as “outstanding,” assuring him of solid job security even from his two strongest critics on the commission.
Obama Wins Romney’s Binders Full of Women: Five Reads Wednesday
Obama wins the second one but not overwhelmingly, the lame rules of corporate debates, Romney’s binders of women, the Cuban missile crisis’s eyeball-to-eyeball myth, half your facts are wrong, a polarized electorate, Flagler jail bookings.
I-4 Corridor, Rife with Legislative Battles, Is Florida’s Electoral Ground Zero Again
The I-4 corridor is almost a mythical place in presidential politics, with Republicans and Democrats seeing it as a ticket to the White House. But down the ballot, the vast stretch of Central Florida also is the biggest battleground this year in state House and Senate races.
Environmentalist Lawyer Clay Henderson Is Stetson’s George and Mary Hood Award Recipient
Clay Henderson, the New Smyrna Beach lawyer and environmentalist who’s leaving his mark on Florida’s geography, is the 2012 recipient of Stetson University’s George and Mary Hood Award, one of the university’s most prestigious honors.
Military Dollars Vote Obama, Early Voting Wins in Ohio: Five Reads Tuesday
Obama is outraising Romney by almost 2-to-1 from military donors, the U.S. Supreme Court rejects a GOP attempt to limit early voting in Ohio, a video on why debates matter, torture at the Chicago police, humans at their fittest ever, plus Flagler jail bookings.