Beer and wine helped develop civilization and shaped culture and landscapes over millennia. Today, craft breweries, which are by definition small and independent and thus focus their production on innovative, small-scale methods rather than industrialized, mass-produced ones, are still playing that role.
All Else
Hang 8 Dog Surfing Brings Out Throng of a Thousand in Flagler Beach’s Zaniest Contest Yet
The second annual Hang 8 Dog Surfing contest in Flagler Beach this morning drew spectators in the low thousands, double or triple last year’s turnout, as big and small dogs surfed in rough waves then donned costumes for the red-carpet competition. Fifty dogs were registered in total.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, May 20, 2023
The second annual Hang 8 Dog Surfing Competition in Flagler Beach, Courtney VandeBunte at the Community Center, Jews of Florida, Miller Lite’s salute to women, Trump against America.
International Booker Prize 2023: The 6 Shortlisted Books
From a long list of 12, six novels have been shortlisted for the 2023 International Booker Prize. Here are six brief reviews of the finalists ahead of the announcement of the winner on May 23.
FPL’s Monthly Bills Could Fall by $4 by July
Florida Power & Light customers could see a slight reduction in their bills starting in July, under a request to reduce charges due to a decrease in natural gas costs.
A Tattoo Studio Is Approved Off Old Kings Road in Palm Coast, But Outdated Stigmas Endure
The fact that Supreme Custom Tattoo on Old Kings Road required a special exception and planning board approval reflects enduring stigmas and stereotypes that still attach to tattoo and body piercing studios, though in studios’ cases, the city is far more accommodating than landlords, who often arbitrarily discriminate against them.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, May 19, 2023
Remembering Malcolm X on his 98th birthday, unemployment figures are released, a federal judge hears the request for an injunction against state bans on doctors providing trans care.
Record Global Warming Year By 2028, and 1st Above Crucial 1.5-Celsius Limit
One year in the next five will almost certainly be the hottest on record and there’s a two-in-three chance a single year will cross the crucial 1.5℃ global warming threshold, an alarming new report by the World Meteorological Organization predicts.
State Board of Education Will Consider Book-Ban List
The state Board of Education is slated next week to consider a new rule that would lead to Florida’s education commissioner publishing an annual list of library books and instructional materials that people have objected to, carrying out part of a controversial 2022 law.
Palm Coast’s Population at 98,411 in Latest Census Estimate, 18th-Fastest Growing in U.S.
Palm Coast grew 10.3 percent between 2020 and 2022, to 98,411 people, according to the Census Bureau’s latest estimate, released today. The city is on pace to cross well past the 100,000 threshold this year, and based on the last two years’ trend, likely did so in February or March.
LaShakia Moore Is Flagler Schools’ Interim Superintendent. Why Would She Want Permanent Post?
The question LaShakia Moore isn’t yet answering is whether she will apply for the permanent position, which the board hopes to fill by Jan. 1. She enjoys district and community support and respect. Yet the more valid question, given this school board’s volatility, may be: why would Moore want to be the permanent superintendent?
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, May 18, 2023
The Census Bureau releases Vintage 2022 population estimates today, drug court convenes, Bertrand Russell, at 151, wonders why God hasn’t made a better world.
Woodie Guthrie and the National Debt
Woodie Guthrie had a lot to say about Congress in general and how it handled the national debt in particular. In his early version of “This Land Is Your Land,” he ended it with his narrator surveying a line of hungry people lined up “by the relief office” and then asked, “Was this land made for you and me?”
U.S. Army Col. Peggy Hengeveld Is Featured Speaker at Memorial Day Ceremony
Join Flagler County at its Memorial Day Ceremony at 10 a.m. Monday, May 29, featuring special guest speaker Peggy Hengeveld, Colonel, U.S. Army (retired).
In Trial of Man Accused of Raping 7 Year Old, Judge Will Allow Evidence ‘Devastating to Defend’
Monserrate Teron, a 59-year-old nurse and Army veteran, goes on trial Monday on charges of raping a 7-year-old girl. Today, a judge let stand an order allowing the prosecution to question two adult sisters who will testify that Teron abused them in the 1980s similarly to the way he abused the younger girl more recently, complicating the defense.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, May 17, 2023
A judge hears motions in the case against Monserrate Teron, the Palm Coast planning board meets, Bridge and Games at Flagler Woman’s Club, Kissinger at 100.
Covid’s Total Cost to US Economy: $14 Trillion by Year’s End
The economic toll of the Covid-19 pandemic in the U.S. will reach US$14 trillion by the end of 2023, a team of economists, public policy researchers and other experts have estimated.
Trump Suckered CNN Into His Sewer
CNN, anxious to get maximum ratings mileage from its MAGA informercial, attached a sewer pipe to his mouth and pumped his demagogic diarrhea directly into our homes, argues Dick Polman.
AdventHealth Offering Physicals for Flagler County Students May 23-24
The annual Flagler County Schools Sports Physicals event will be on May 23 and 24 from 5 – 9 p.m. at Flagler-Palm Coast High School located at 5500 East Highway 100 in Palm Coast.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, May 16, 2023
The Palm Coast City Council and the school board have long meetings, hitchhiking, from Neil King’s American Ramble, Semyon Barmotin.
You Shed Identifiable DNA Everywhere, Raising Ethical Questions About Privacy
There are myriad ethical implications relating to the inadvertent or deliberate collection and analysis of human genetic bycatch. Identifiable information can be extracted from eDNA, and accessing this level of detail about individuals or populations comes with responsibilities relating to consent and confidentiality.
240-Unit Apartment Complex Planned Next to BJ’s Wholesale Club on State Road 100 in Palm Coast
The Flagler County Commission Monday evening unanimously approved rezoning 28 acres just east of what will be the BJ’s Wholesale Club shopping center, clearing the way for an eight-building, 240-apartment complex called Republic Palm Coast there.
Vidya Herbs Launches Its Manufacturing Plant in Bunnell, Promising 100 Jobs and Bounty of Extracts
Vidya Herbs, founded in India 24 years ago, launched its first American-based manufacturing operation in Bunnell today, where it projects 100 or more employees over the next four years as the plant manufactures a saw palmetto extract and other products.
When Prison Is Preferable to Probation: Holly Norris’s Case and How Probationers Must ‘Walk on Water’
The case of Holly Norris, 44, illustrates how long probation terms can unreasonably trip up defendants even for minor violations, preventing them from reintegrating society. That’s why defense attorneys at times ask for prison instead. Norris was sentenced to a two-year prison term and 10 years on probation in the negligent death of her uncle in 2013.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, May 15, 2023
The Flagler County Commission has a busy meeting, Vidya Herbs USA and Metronet launch their local operations in separate events, Loreen of Sweden’s win, Turkey’s election, suburban homes.
Luddites Then and Now
It’s not clear whether Ned Ludd was a real person, or simply a figment of folklore invented during a period of upheaval. But his name became synonymous with rejecting disruptive new technologies – an association that lasts to this day.
The Student Protesters Were Arrested. The Man Who Got Violent in the Parking Lot Wasn’t.
College students arrested. A parking lot altercation. A retired teacher waking up to a broken window. Events at a school district in Conway, Arkansas, illustrate the alarming trend of unrest at school board meetings across the country.
Jeannette Simmons on Mental Health Month
The City recently collaborated with Jeannette Simmons, a Licensed Mental Health counselor and Chief Innovation Officer of local non-profit organization Flagler Cares, to highlight some of the most important mental health issues in our area.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, May 14, 2023
It’s Mother’s Day, Maya Angelou’s love or her mother, Toni Morrison on motherhood, Shine Mindfulness Group, Palm Coast Farmers’ Market at European Village.
Deconstructing Tupac’s ‘Dear Mama’ and Hip-Hop’s Relationship with Motherhood
Of the long list of lyrical tributes to mothers that rap artists have recorded over the past 50 years, perhaps none has had as an enduring impact as Tupac Shakur’s “Dear Mama.”
Sky’s The Limit Touch-a-Truck Event Set for May 27 in Palm Coast
The third annual ‘Sky’s the Limit’ Touch-a-Truck event will be on May 27 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. along Park Street in Central Park featuring more than 75 vehicles from multiple agencies.
Ban the AR-15, ‘America’s Rifle’
A bipartisan bill was introduced in Texas to raise the minimum age to buy assault weapons. It shouldn’t have taken nearly this long for gun-loving Texas to take an action that is supported by a majority of Americans. The slaughter at a suburban shopping mall was the tipping point.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, May 13, 2023
The American Association of University Women scholarship awards and installation banquet, Palm Coast Spring Makers Market, discussing artificial intelligence with ChatGPT, and HAL.
Comstock Laws Make a Comeback
Anti-abortion groups are looking for new ways to wage their battle against abortion rights, eyeing the potential implications of a 150-year-old law, the Comstock Act, that could effectively lead to a nationwide abortion ban.
An Artist’s Tribute: Diana Gilson’s ‘Intuitive Sensibility for Color, Shape and Line’
“We shared a common interest in art history and many of the same influences,” writes JJ Graham of Diana Gilson, who died in April. “The time that I spent with her and the studio artists at Hollingsworth will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the most enriching and rewarding periods of my life as a painter.”
Sheriff’s SWAT Team Members Place in Top 10 at National Sniper Competition
This is the second year in a row FCSO’s SWAT Snipers have placed in the top 10 during the annual national sniper competition. This year’s competition and training was held in St. Petersburg/Clearwater
In Flagler Beach, Jane Mealy Warns Eric Cooley of ‘Consequences’ Over Conduct. He Doubles Down.
Flagler Beach City Commissioner Jane Mealy warned Commission Chairman Eric Cooley of unspecified “consequences” if he were to ever treat her the way he did at a special meeting last week. Cooley conceded that he had been “spitting fire,” doubled down, dismissing Mealy’s criticism as “armchair quarterbacking” and accusing her of not behaving like an adult.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, May 12, 2023
LGBTQ+ Night at Flagler Beach’s Coquina Coast Brewing Company, the Blue 22 Forum, Yogi Berra sayings on his birthday, the green light Gatsby sees on the distant dock.
Behind Record Low History Scores for 8th Graders
While one top U.S. education official described the scores as “alarming,” the decline actually began nearly a decade ago. From the perspective of education reform and policy, the latest history and civics test scores were a predictable outcome.
FPC Removes 2 Books Under Challenge Without Review, Abruptly Cancelling 2 Committee Meetings
Flagler County’s three book-banners are getting their way the easier way: the books they’re challenging are now getting removed without committee review, even though such a process is set out in district policy. Twice in the last three weeks, Flagler Palm Coast High School abruptly cancelled scheduled challenge-review committee meetings at the last minute, “weeding” the books instead.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, May 11, 2023
The Flagler Beach City Commission meets, and will consider paying $83,000 for another year of insurance on the condemned pier, the Palm Coast Democratic Club meets, Neil King’s American Ramble.
Sexual Abuser: The Verdict Against Trump
The Trump attorneys’ line of questioning reinforced common myths about sexual assault that have been perpetuated in other high-profile sexual assault cases, such as those of comedian Bill Cosby and Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein.
Wadsworth Principal Paul Peacock Ordered on Leave Over Employee Complaints as District Hires Investigator
Wadsworth Elementary School Principal Paul Peacock has been placed on administrative leave with pay and barred from all district campuses or from contact with any employees pending the resolution of an independent investigation stemming from several employee complaints about Peacock, internal documents show and school officials say.
Court Disputes Behind It, Community Cats of Palm Coast Set for Grand Re-Opening at City Marketplace
Community Cats of Palm Coast, which operates the City Marketplace adoption shelter at 160 Cypress Point Parkway, Suite B-110, and a thrift store there at Suite C-101 (upstairs and downstairs), has been in business for 10 years, helping rescue, trap and deal with feline problems in the area.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, May 10, 2023
The Atlantic Chapter of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State’s Separation Chat at Pine Lakes Golf Club, Elana K. Arnold on the misuses of girls.
How Your Dog’s Behaviors Can Impact Your Quality of Life
Dog ownership has several benefits for people’s psychological and physical health. However, relationships with dogs are complex and can involve some conflicts. Undesired dog behaviors such as aggression and barking are the leading reason people give up their dogs.
Haircuts and 10,000 Pounds of Food: Flagler Spring Fling Outreach Delivers to 90 Families
Flagler County Health and Human Services Department delivered up social services agencies and associated vendors at its May ‘Flagler Spring Fling Outreach’ that, in turn, provided haircuts, meaningful information, and 10,000 pounds of food.
At Charter School, DeSantis Signs Bills Against Teacher Unions and For School Board Term Limits
The bill (SB 256) bars public sector unions, including those for teachers but not for police or firefighters that tend to support the governor, from deducting dues from members’ paychecks, requiring employees to write checks instead. Furthermore, unions’ membership would have to constitute 60% of a bargaining unit, an increase from the old threshold of 50%.
On Flagler’s Ban List: Elana K. Arnold’s What Girls Are Made Of, a Review and a Recommendation
“What Girls Are Made Of,” Elana K. Arnold’s deconstruction of a 16-year-old girl’s being and nothingness, is one of 22 titles three Flagler County residents want banned from high school libraries. A Flagler Palm Coast High School committee takes up the challenge on Thursday.
Hang 8 Dog Surfing Contest Returns to Flagler Beach in All Its Ridiculous and Timely Exuberance
This time the Hang 8 Surfing Contest’s organizers are better prepared than they were last year, when they expected 50 people, maybe 100 at most, and got overrun with about 500. Hang 8 since its first edition last year has caught waves of attention, and gives Flagler Beach a break from seriousness, polarization and mountains of challenges.