A cool day with highs in the 60s, Joseph Carroll pleads out a murder charge, the mosquito control board meets, those bland new apartment blocks and William Maxwell’s memory of a brownstone on Murray Hill.
All Else
Are Special Counsels Handling Trump and Biden Documents Inquiries Independent? Not Really.
While special counsels are intended to be independent, in practice they are aren’t entirely. Ensuring impartiality in the Department of Justice can be difficult, as the attorney general is appointed by – and answerable to – a partisan president.
$3.67 Million Dune Reconstruction Begins Wednesday From Malacompra Park North
Flagler County’s contractor for $3.67 million Hurricane Dorian dunes restoration project from south MalaCompra Park to north Washington Oaks Gardens State Park mobilized on Monday and construction will begin on Wednesday.
‘D.O.A.’ and Its Local Cast Come Alive as Top Winners at Resurrected Flagler Film Festival
The Flagler Film Festival returned to Palm Coast after a five-year hiatus, with 44 independent, mostly short and mostly small-budget films, with the top honor going to “D.O.A.,” directed by Kurt St. Thomas, with Flagler County’s own Annie Gaybis and John Byner.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, January 23, 2023
Book censorship’s ravages in Florida schools, the Bunnell City Commission and the county’s Land Acquisition Committee meet.
Philip Roth: the Best Post-War American Writer, Period
Although the style and content of Roth’s fiction is extraordinarily diverse, there is always audible a distinctive voice: irreverent yet earnest, questioning yet authoritative, subtle and nuanced yet powerful and passionate.
Kamala Harris in Tallahassee Mocks DeSantis’s Version of ‘Freedom’ Over Abortion and Women’s Rights
During a roughly 20-minute address in Tallahassee marking what would have been the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Harris mocked DeSantis’ self-described “freedom” agenda as anathema to the struggles of generations of Americans to expand upon the basic rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, January 22, 2023
The Flagler Film Festival wraps up, Honky Tonk Angel at CRT, Valerie Snead-Roy & Jim Rice concert at the Methodist church, Rent at the Playhouse, art for life’s sake, a Bach fugue.
How Edgar Allan Poe Became The Darling of the Maligned and Misunderstood
The degenerate characters whose perspectives Poe invites readers to inhabit don’t exactly align with a cultural moment characterized by the #MeToo movement, safe spaces and trigger warnings.
Covid Vaccines and Sudden Death: Separating Fact from Fiction
Vaccine rumors continue to swirl, and distrust in vaccines remains. The latest onslaught comes from blogs and social media around heart problems and sudden deaths following COVID-19 vaccination, particularly among young adults. Here are the facts.
Four Arrested in Drug Raid At Rivera Lane House in Palm Coast
On Thursday, January 19, 2023, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) Special Investigations Unit (SIU) and SWAT Team executed a narcotics-related search warrant at 10 Rivera Lane in Palm Coast. This search warrant stemmed from a previous undercover operation conducted by SIU.
Flagler County Nets $17 Million in State Aid for Dune Reconstruction, with Far More Needed
The money is a “drop in the bucket,” compared to the county’s needs, according to a county official: it is a fraction of what would be needed, considering the county’s devastated shoreline. But it will still enable the county to repair several miles of dunes with temporary renourishment, giving those repaired dunes perhaps two to four years against continuing erosion.
Paul Renner Proposes Making All Private and Home School Students Eligible for Public Dollars
Calling it a move toward “universal choice,” House Speaker Paul Renner announced an education savings account proposal that would make every student in Florida eligible for school vouchers — a move that Democrats blasted as a Republican attack on public education.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, January 21, 2023
The Flagler Film Festival returns, Golf Cart Inspection Saturday in Flagler Beach, ‘Unbossed and Unbowed,’ at AACS, “Rent” at Flagler Playhouse, ‘Honky Tonk Angels’ at City Repertory Theatre, the Concorde’s first and last flights.
South Carolina’s Barbaric One-Up: Execution by Firing Squad
South Carolina decided in 2021 to allow its inmates on death row the option of execution by firing squad. With that move, South Carolina has elected to deploy a form of capital punishment not used in the state since the Civil War.
Flagler Beach Rejects Realtor’s Odd Bid to Run City Information Website Only He Would Own
Increasingly troubled by a perceived if amorphous failure of communication between the city and residents, the Flagler Beach City Commission considered then rejected the possibility of contracting with a local Realtor to run a city-related website, then opted to develop a new Facebook page and launch a new app on Monday.
Mysterious Boom Reported Thursday Night Across Flagler Attributed to a Possible Meteorite
Palm Coast and Flagler County residents were abuzz with reports of a mysterious boom heard across parts of the county at 11:15 p.m. Thursday night. There were also unconfirmed reports of a fireball spotted in St. Johns County around the same time.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, January 20, 2023
‘Unbossed and Unbowed,’ a One-Woman Show About Shirley Chisholm at AACS, ‘Honky Tonk Angels’ at City Repertory Theatre, The Bronx Wanderers, at Flagler Auditorium, “Rent” at Flagler Playhouse, Mario Vargas Llosa on books.
‘You’re Killing My Husband,’ Flagler Beach City Manager Whitson’s Wife Tells Commission
Becky Whitson, Flagler Beach City Manager William Whitson’s wife, publicly accused the city commission of tormenting and killing her husband. She spoke late this evening during a workshop on the city administration’s communications with the public, and on meeting the commission’s priorities.
The Dispirited End of Jacinda Arden
Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s liberal prime minister who just announced her resignation, faced a constant barrage of online and in-person abuse – from anti-vaxxers, misogynists and sundry others who simply don’t like her.
‘Unbossed’ Spirit of Shirley Chisholm, Former Palm Coast Resident, Takes the Stage at AACS
“Unbought & Unbowed” is a one-woman show starring New York actor Ingrid Griffith in the role of Shirley Chisholm, who made history as the first woman to run for president from a major party, and who lived some of her last years in Palm Coast. The play is staged at the African American Cultural Society Saturday and Sunday.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, January 19, 2023
A patchy, foggy morning, Drug court, Albert W. Ketèlbey’s “In a Persian Market,” threatened species on the rise, Don DeLillo on being a tourist.
Ron DeSantis, ‘Injustice Denier’
DeSantis has explicitly denied that systemic racism exists – characterizing the notion as “a bunch of horse manure.” That makes him an “injustice denier.” Akin to climate change, there is no legitimate academic debate about the reality of systemic racism.
Cramped and Neglected Flagler Health Department Tells County Commission: ‘We Need Your Help’
The Flagler County Health Department is pleading with county commissioners for more money to improve an ageing facility and expand services that touch the lives of a third of the county’s population. The department hopes to open a facility in Palm Coast. While commissioners are not indifferent, finding a source of money will be a challenge.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, January 18, 2023
The Palm Coast Planning and Land Development Board considers yet another self-storage facility, Jack Lemmon at length, George Wallace.
Israel’s Ben-Gvir Is Celebrating a Convicted Terrorist and Justifying Violence Against Palestinians
Israel’s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, hailed the late Rabbi Meir Kahane, a convicted terrorist, and is trying to make his anti-Palestinian movement seem less extremist and more appealing to Jews and the international community. A rewrite of American history could help him do it.
Flagler School District Will Ask Its Employees: Do You Want to Be Armed on Campus?
The Flagler County school district will survey its 1,600 employees to gauge whether there’s interest among them to be armed in the district’s nine campuses. The survey will not ask whether employees support or oppose such a program–only whether the individual taking the survey is himself or herself interested in being armed on campus, and providing security in case of an emergency.
National Security Agency Redesignates DSC’s Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense
The National Security Agency (NSA) has redesignated Daytona State College as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense through 2028.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, January 17, 2023
The Flagler County School Board talks Narcan, social studies and arming civilians, the Flagler County Commission talks ambulance costs, the Palm Coast City Council takes on the proposed and controversial Harborside development, Muhammad Ali on drawing a crowd, Patrick Modiano on the moral function of books.
The Divisive Distortions of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Words
The consequences of the misuse of Martin Luther King Jr.’s words are playing out everywhere from the halls of Congress to corporate diversity training sessions to local school board meetings.
2022 Ends Home Sales Down Across The Daytona Beach Area
In another year of economic uncertainty marred by an ongoing pandemic, inflation, and 2 major hurricanes, prices continued to climb as home sales fell across the Daytona Beach area in 2022.
Florida Press Club Names FlaglerLive State’s Best Independent News Site, Among 3 Awards
FlaglerLive won the Florida Press Club’s top award as Florida’s best online independent news site in all divisions. FlaglerLive also won first place in education reporting, and FlaglerLive Editor Pierre Tristam won second place in commentary.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, January 16, 2023
County Judge Joan Anthony is the keynote speaker at a celebration of the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., declawing cats, Ta-Nehisi Coates, James Baldwin.
How Basquiat Denounced Violence Against Blacks
At the time of the Black Lives Matter movement, Jean-Michel Basquiat’s work is more relevant than ever. It highlights racial inequalities and the lack of representation of racialized people in the media, but also the violence suffered by African Americans.
Construction Begins on $2.5 Million Lehigh Trailhead in Palm Coast
Construction on the Lehigh Trailhead Project off of Belle Terre Parkway will start on January 23. The $2.5 million project enhances the popular path by providing disability-access paved parking with more than 60 parking spaces, a restroom, and a water fountain. The project also includes community gardens, a dog park, lighting, and pavilions.
DeSantis’ Attack on New College Is Latest Poisoning of Public Education
The governor has just appointed six new ultra-conservative trustees to the board of New College of Florida in Sarasota. They want to trash its tradition of intellectual freedom and transform it into an institution DeSantis’ base would love, a Bob Jones-style religious school funded with taxpayer money.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, January 15, 2023
The Sounds of Soul at Flagler Auditorium, ‘Honky Tonk Angels’ at City Repertory Theatre, Flagler County’s Cold-Weather Shelter opens tonight, the fragility of democracies.
Canada’s Answer to Affordable Home Crisis: Ban Foreign Homebuyers
As of Jan. 1, 2023, foreign buyers are banned from buying homes in Canada for two years under the Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act. The ban is part of the federal government’s effort to ease Canadians’ struggle to afford homes.
Trump Is No Longer the Villain at the Border. Now It’s Biden.
Title 42 mixed with new White House immigration policy creates potentially illegal asylum restrictions. It’s time to treat this president, Joe Biden, as the same level of threat that Trump was to the rights of migrants.
Child Vaccination Rates, Already Down Because of Pandemic, Fall Again
Instead of recovering after schools reopened in 2021, historically low rates of child vaccination worsened, according to new data from the CDC. Experts fear that the skepticism of science and distrust of government that flared up during the pandemic are contributing to the decrease.
Artist Berdella ‘Birdie’ Gibbs’s One-Person Show and Talk at Pineapple Gallery
Artist Berdella Gibbs’s photography exhibit runs from Feb. 3 to 5 at Pineapple Gallery, 208 S. Central Avenue, across the street from the Flagler Beach Museum. The gallery will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Gibbs will present an artist’s talk on the 4th at 5:30 p.m., as part of a free reception, open to all.
Dozier School for Boys Memorial Is Dedicated
Former students and state and local officials took part in a ceremony Friday to dedicate a memorial and honor victims who were abused and, in some cases, died at the former Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Jackson County.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, January 14, 2023
‘Honky Tonk Angels’ at City Repertory Theatre, The Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine in Daytona Beach, Flagler County’s Cold-Weather Shelter Opens, Silver Lake Park Clean-Up, in your elements.
Sitting All Day Is Terrible for Your Health. Here’s a Remedy.
A five-minute light walk every half-hour was the only strategy that reduced blood sugar levels substantially compared with sitting all day. In particular, five-minute walks every half-hour reduced the blood sugar spike after eating by almost 60%.
Divided Flagler Beach Commission Will Require Inspections of Street Golf Carts Every 2 Years
A divided Flagler Beach City Commission agreed Thursday evening to change the frequency of required inspections of golf carts used as street vehicles from every year to every two years. Some commissioners and the mayor wanted only one inspection, and none after that. The city has a few hundred residents using golf carts as street vehicles.
Storied Ukrainian Orchestra Picks Flagler Auditorium as Rehearsal Venue Ahead of 37-City Tour, to FYO Thrills
The Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine and its conductor, Theodore Kuchar, a frequent visitor to Palm Coast, chose the Flagler Auditorium to rehearse Thursday ahead of a 37-concert, 20-state tour that begins this evening, and opened their doors to Flagler Youth Orchestra students for the unique experience of watching a professional orchestra at work.
Army Corps Must Redesign Entire Flagler Beach Dunes Project, ‘Substantially’ Delaying It Again
Because of years of delays and further erosion, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must redesign the entire project to rebuild 2.6 miles of dunes on the critically eroded shoreline south of the Flagler Beach pier, now that the current design is out of date. That will further delay for at least a year or more a project 20 years in the works. Meanwhile, the coast continues to erode, threatening or damaging A1A.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, January 13, 2023
The year in review on WNZF, “Honky Tonk Angels” at City Repertory Theatre, Stormy Daniels and the second anniversary of Trump’s impeachment, Anthony Burgess on Americans.
The Inflation Report’s Mixed Bag
The overall cost of goods and services decelerated to an annual pace of 6.5% in December, the slowest in over a year and down from 7.1% in November. But there’s bad news too, especially if you are an egg-munching renter fond of frequent regular haircuts. In quite a few categories, the cost of living rose at an even faster pace.
Jacob Perry, Who Shot Up His Grandfather’s House, Invokes Scriptures and Being ‘Chosen’
Jacob Perry, 24, faces five felony charges following his admitted shooting at his grandfather’s car and house on Tuesday in Palm Coast. He cited a chapter from Isaiah in the Old Testament, telling deputies they could understand a lot about him from it. That may raising questions about his competency.