Even under the parts of the pier that remain, piles have disappeared, bracing has been severely damaged, and hardware even on parts of the pier closer to the shore–parts not made of stainless steel–has failed. The entire structure is severely damaged to the point that further collapses of sections of the pier during mildly heavy seas would not be surprising.
All Else
Cody’s Corner Is Again the Scene of a Fatal Crash as 44-Year-Old Woman is Killed in T-Bone
Cody’s Corner, the intersection of State Road 11 and County Road 304 in southwest Flagler County, was again the scene of a fatal crash Sunday afternoon as a 44-year-old woman lost her life in a t-bone collision.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, October 24, 2022
The Bunnell City Commission tries for the third time to dispose of its Charter Review discussion, many trials in felony court but none high-profile, the disunited States, Annie Edson Taylor goes over in a barrel.
That’s Disgusting. So Why Are You Delighted By It?
Halloween is a time to embrace all that is disgusting, from bloody slasher films to haunted houses full of fake guts and gore. But the attraction to stuff that grosses us out goes beyond this annual holiday.
Top Republicans Are Embracing Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Violent Rhetoric
The lure of violence is not an inherently Republican thing or a Democratic thing; it is a human thing. But at this moment in American history, members of only one party are featuring assault weapons prominently in their campaign ads and even family Christmas cards. Only one party is tolerating and even promoting the likes of Greene, with none daring to condemn her message.
My Newspaper Died
Our papers are getting worse at a time we desperately need them to get better. Why? Because they are no longer mediums of journalism, civic purpose, or local identity. Rather, they’ve been reduced to little more than profit siphons, steadily piping local money to a handful of distant, high-finance syndicates.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, October 23, 2022
St Elizabeth Ann Seton Community Fall Festival, DragQueen Halloween, William Shakespeare’s “Measure for Measure,” Theatre UCF’s “Working,” remembering Johnny Carson.
A Severe Polarization of School Boards on the Whole Continent
Groups that oppose the teaching of critical race theory and 2SLGBTQ+ supports in schools often position themselves as truly or more accurately in favor of social justice by co-opting social justice language, alleging critical race theory discriminates against white people. School boards have been at the centre of these attacks.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, October 22, 2022
The first Palm Coast Arts Festival in Town center, St Elizabeth Ann Seton Community Fall Festival, Teens-In-Flight Inc. hosts the grand opening of its new digs, the Cuban Missile Crisis, John Reed shakes the world.
How Pit Bulls Went from Our Best Friends to Public Enemies and Back
Pit bulls are not inherently dangerous. Like other dogs, they can become dangerous in certain situations, and at the hands of certain owners. But there is no defensible rationale, other than canine profiling, for condemning not only all pit bulls, but any dog with a single pit bull gene, as some laws do.
Trump-Appointed Judge Refuses to Block Florida Law Muzzling Gender ‘Instruction’ In Schools
Skirting merits of the law by citing lack of standing, U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger refused to block school districts from carrying out a new state law that restricts instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation in classrooms. She rejected arguments by parents, students and a non-profit organization.
Cell Tower Company Applies for Exception to Build 150-ft. Monopole off Club House Drive, Setting Up Clash
A cell tower construction company has filed an application for a special permission to build a 150-foot tower off Club House Drive in Palm Coast, a proposal some neighboring residents have opposed, but that city officials see as critical for improvements of cell reception and public safety communications.
Fernando Melendez Palm Coast City Council Candidate: The Live Interview
Fernando Melendez is a candidate for Palm Coast City Council, District 4, facing Cathy Heighter. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
Cathy Heighter, Palm Coast City Council Candidate: The Live Interview
Cathy Heighter is a candidate for Palm Coast City Council in the District 4 race. She faces Fernando Melendez. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
Culinary Course Offered To Inmates at Flagler County Jail Through FTC
The Homeward Bound Initiative (HBI) launched last year in partnership with Flagler Technical College (FTC) now offers a certificate in Culinary/Food Service Management to go along with its current certificate programs in Pre- HVAC (Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning) and Vinyl Graphics Applications.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, October 21, 2022
A Stetson University Symphonic Band and Concert Band Concert, “For Whom the Bell Tolls” at 82, Bach, Beethoven and Brahms at the Jacksonville Symphony, and lots of theater, including William Shakespeare’s “Measure for Measure,” but you’ll have to travel a little out of town.
Leann Pennington, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Leann Pennington is a Republican candidate for Flagler County Commission, District 4, facing Independent Jane Gentile-Youd in the Nov. 8 general election. Pennington defeated first-term incumbent Commissioner Joe Mullins in the Aug. 23 primary with 69 percent of the vote.
Florida Man Genesis: Why So Many People Move to Sunshine State and Into Harm’s Way
Over 22 million people currently live in Florida. That’s about 37% more than the 16 million who resided in the state in 2000.Today’s new and part-time Floridians are drawn by the same factors that have lured settlers and snowbirds for a century: warm weather and waterfront views, along with lower taxes and fewer regulations than in other parts of the country.
(REDIRECTED) Leann Pennington, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Leann Pennington is a Republican candidate for Flagler County Commission, District 4, facing Independent Jane Gentile-Youd in the Nov. 8 general election. Pennington defeated first-term incumbent Commissioner Joe Mullins in the Aug. 23 primary with 69 percent of the vote.
Jane Gentile-Youd, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Jane Gentile-Youd is an independent, or no-party affiliation, candidate for Flagler County Commission, District 4, in the general election on Nov. 8. She faces Leann Pennington. All registered Flagler County voters may cast a ballot in the race, regardless of party affiliation or residency location.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, October 20, 2022
Drug Court, Barack Obama on the midterms and other late-empire issues, the History of the Fairchild Family, Theatre UCF’s “Working.”
Meet Shehan Karunatilaka, Sri Lankan Novelist and Winner of the Booker Prize
Sri Lankan novelist Shehan Karunatilaka has won the 2022 Booker Prize for his second novel, The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida. The Booker prize is the among most important international literary prize for writers of English after the Nobel. It is awarded each year for the best novel written in English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland.
At Flagler Tiger Bay, Bluish State Attorney Aronberg Talks Trump Prosecutions, Death Penalty and Election Predictions
Part stand-up, part roast, part prognosticator, and always the analyst, Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg, a Democrat, dove right in as he faced a decidedly Republican crowd in his appearance at Flagler Tiger Bay today, talking about Donald Trump and Hunter Biden prosecutions, predictions for the coming election, and his view on the death penalty and the Nicholas Cruz verdict.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, October 19, 2022
Democrat Dave Aronberg, the State Attorney for the 15th Circuit, at Tiger Bay, The Palm Coast Planning and Land Development Board meeting, Alaska Day without snow crabs. Can’t happen here? It already has.
How Abuse Is Baked Into American Sports
A pilot study of several hundred athletes (of all genders) at both large and small schools has revealed troubling examples of abusive coaching behavior. Data and research strongly suggest that abusive behavior is widespread and baked into the very essence of organized sports.
Flagler School Board May Approve Stocking Narcan-Like Agents in Schools to Prevent Overdose Deaths
Taking advantage of a new law, the Flagler County School Board will develop a plan enabling school personnel, starting with nurses, to carry and administer Narcan, the effective naloxone agent in reversing the risks of a fatal drug overdose. A physician will develop the protocols to be used. The Flagler County Drug Foundation is making Narcan available to the district for free for at least two years.
Flagler Commission Approves 56-Home Subdivision on Barrier Island Despite Deep Drainage Concerns
The Flagler County Commission late Monday evening approved Scenic Cove, a 56-home subdivision on the barrier island, some 1,000 feet south of Marineland’s town limits. There was sharp opposition to Scenic Cove’s drainage and environmental plan, but after a 70-minute hearing, the commission approved the project, with pointed conditions, 5-0.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, October 18, 2022
The Palm Coast City Council makes appointments to its planning board, The Flagler Woman’s Club hosts Candidates’ Night, Community Cats of Palm Coast hosts Cat-Oberfest, the pleas of College Mariste de Champville.
Fog Reveal: Some Police Forces Use App to Track People Without a Warrant
Government agencies and private security companies in the U.S. have found a cost-effective way to engage in warrantless surveillance of individuals, groups and places: a pay-for-access web tool called Fog Reveal.
Stetson’s Water Institute Awarded Grant For Pilot Project to Reduce Flooding Against Rising Seas
Stetson University’s Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience got a $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to help reduce flooding and improve water quality in the face of rising seas in a pilot project on the Space Coast.
Harborside Tower in Dispute: Palm Coast and Developer Still Far Apart Over Allowable Number of Apartments
Palm Coast’s city planners would allow 122 to 159 fewer apartments and town houses than what the developer wants in a proposed developers of an 80-foot condo tower and town houses at Harborside, with other differences also remaining. The matter returns to the Palm Coast planning board Wednesday, after it was tabled amid controversy and public opposition last month.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, September 17, 2022
The County Commission takes up another development at the south end of Old Kings Road, a trip to the center of the universe, the non-ideological Ron DeSantis in Flagler Beach.
Way Down in the Hole: The Inhumanity of Solitary Confinement
The United States leads the world in its use of solitary confinement, locking away in isolation more of its population than any other country. The authors interviewed 100 people confined or employed in solitary confinement units to better understand what it is like from both sides of the bars. The interviews form the basis of “Way Down in the Hole,” a book published on Oct. 14, 2022.
In DeSantis Talks of Damage to Flagler’s Shore During Visit, 2 Words Spell Relief: Paul Renner
During a 60-minute stop in Flagler County this morning Gov. Ron DeSantis and Emergency management Director Kevin Guthrie took in the extent of damage to the pier and Flagler’s nearly-erased dunes, and the governor repeatedly spoke of Rep. Paul Renner, the incoming Speaker of the House, as an opportunity for Flagler to score big in funding help.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, October 16, 2022
Murder at the Howard Johnson’s, Sun-A Park and Esther Park at the piano, celebrating William O/ Douglas in a reactionary age.
Development on Florida’s Barrier Islands Made Ian Evacuation Virtually Impossible
Builders trying to exploit a hot housing market for big profits ran roughshod over common-sense regulations intended to protect the public. Meanwhile, our elected officials went along with whatever the developers wanted. Hurricane Ian did the rest.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, October 15, 2022
Pink: A Salute to Women, at Flagler Auditorium, Island Festival in Palm Coast’s Central Park, Stetson Choral Festival, Bridge Day, Knopf rejects Jorge Luis Borges.
Chief 21: Kyle Berryhill Takes Command of Palm Coast Fire Department In Poignant Ceremony
It was continuity and change today as Kyle Berryhill took over as Palm Coast Fire Chief before 200 people at the city’s community center, after Jerry Forte’s five-year tenure. Continuity, because both men are cut of the same cloth–unassuming, humble, impossibly emotional at times, but also unequivocally commanding. And change, because Berryhill, at 42, represents a generational change for a rapidly evolving department.
Flagler Beach Commission Wants Higher Increases in Water, Sewer, and Garbage Rates Than Proposed
The Flagler Beach City Commission Thursday evening voted to delay a series of increases to water, sewer, garbage and stormwater until Oct. 27–not because they were uncomfortable with the increases, but because they felt the increases may not be enough. So the rates to be proposed in two weeks will likely be higher than those before them on Thursday.
8.7% Cost of Living Raise in Social Security Checks Is Biggest Since 1981: 6 Questions Answered
How are Social Security benefits adjusted for inflation? Are the benefits taxable? What other government programs typically get a COLA? Does the tax system also adjust for inflation? Why does the government adjust benefits for inflation?
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, October 14, 2022
Rise Up, the second annual Conference on Domestic Violence, Swearing in of Palm Coast Fire Chief Kyle Berry Hill, Stetson University Symphony Orchestra in concert, The Battle of Hastings, Eisenhower, and the punishing of children’s mental health problems.
Anthony Bourdain and the Farce of the ‘Unauthorized’ Biography
The farce is the positioning of this battle as one conducted between “unauthorized biography” on the one hand and “authorized” biography on the other – the publisher, for hinting at scandalous content by casting the work as “unauthorized,” and the aggrieved, to think they have any power to “authorize” whether the biography gets published in the first place.
Florida Politicians Decry Jury Verdict Against Death Penalty for Parkland Murderer
Many Florida politicians think life in prison for Nikolas Cruz isn’t “justice” for the 17 students and school staff he killed on Valentine’s Day in 2018. Under Florida law, the jury’s duty was to weigh factors aggravating in favor of death against mitigating factors.
Palm Coast Ups Cultural Arts Grants to Record $50,000, But Increase Is Less Than It Appears
This year’s budgeted amount of $50,000 for arts grants is the highest since the city began the program in 2002, and it is already the highest amount awarded. But in inflation-adjusted dollars, the city is budgeting less than it has in five previous years, and in per-resident spending on the arts, it is still spending less than it did in the first eight years of the program.
How Courts Take His Drug and Gun Charges More Seriously Than Repeat Violence Against Women
Joseph Westervelt, 28, has repeatedly faced felony charges for attacking pregnant women. He’s yet to be convicted on more than a misdemeanor. He was arrested again on Wednesday on identical charges that got him arrested only last May. Those charges were dropped or reduced.
U.S. Department of Education Awards Daytona State $1.4 Million for Upward Bound Program
Daytona State College has received $1.4 million to launch an Upward Bound program with Mainland High School that will help underserved and first-generation 9th through 12th graders transition from high school to college.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, October 13, 2022
The Flagler Beach City Commission meets, Alexander Heffner at Flagler College, Evenings at Whitney Lecture Series, “Turning News Into Art,” Murder at the Howard Johnson’s, Lenny Bruce in full, Sacha Baron Cohen on saving democracy from conspiracies.
What the Jan. 6 Committee Could Learn from the Failure of Truth Commissions
Truth commissions are independent or government groups that investigate political crimes and human rights violations. They have provided a common way of transitioning out of political crises around the world, by hearing testimony of people involved in political violence and producing a comprehensive report with recommendations to the government.
Hyped by Joe Mullins in July, Sale of Ex-Sheriff’s Building for Drug-Treatment Facility Collapses
The in-patient drug-treatment facility that Commissioner Joe Mullins–to considerable skepticism at the time–said was soon to be housed in the former Sheriff’s Operations Center in Bunnell will not become reality as the sale of the building fell through.
Flagler Beach Smoking Ban on Beaches Set to Take Effect This Weekend, Cigars and Vaping Exempt
The Flagler Beach City Commission Thursday is set to approve banning smoking almost any tobacco product on beaches, in parks and on the city’s boardwalk, with the exception of unfiltered cigars. Enforcement will be an issue: there are no intentions to police the ban, which does not extend to the beaches under county jurisdiction. The ordinance is silent on vaping and marijuana products.