The Palm Coast City Council talks utility, stormwater and other special funds, the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, On Barney Frank, this endemic stage of Covid.
All Else
Home-Buying Is Beginning to Stall: Blame Fed’s Inflation Fight
The average rate on a 30-year mortgage hit 5.81% in June, the highest level since 2008 and up from less than 3% throughout most of 2021. The rate currently stands at 5.54%. On a $200,000 mortgage, a 5.54% rate translates into over $400 in extra interest costs every month compared with 3%.
Flagler Judge Melissa Distler Named President-Elect of Florida Conference of County Court Judges
Flagler County Court Judge D. Melissa Distler, in her 10th year on the bench, was elected President-Elect of the Florida Conference of County Court Judges last week at the judges’ summer education conference in Bonita Springs. Distler will be sworn in in July 2024, presiding over the conferences 335 county judges from 67 counties.
Joe Mullins, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Joe Mullins is a Republican candidate for Flagler County Commission, District 4 primary on Aug. 23. He faces Leann Pennington. Mullins has declined participation in the Live Interview.
Janet G. Jennings, Obituary
Janet G. Jennings, 75 of Palm Coast, passed away Thursday, July 21, 2022 at AdventHealth Daytona Beach.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, July 25, 2022
The Bunnell City Commission meets takes stock of a $275,000 for a surveillance-camera system trained at South Bunnell, the County Commission meets to talk about goals, Bob Dylan at the Newport Folk Festival.
How a 1989 Poster Framed Front Lines in Battles Over Abortion Rights
For abortion rights advocates, Barbara Kruger’s iconic feminist image “Untitled (Your body is a battleground)” remains as relevant today as when it was first released in 1989.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, July 24, 2022
Cats and Dogs Alert: The Flagler Humane Society is at capacity and needs you help finding homes for cats and dogs, The Wacky Wonderful Oz, Toward the End of Time.
Why Donald Trump Can’t Be Prosecuted for ‘Dereliction of Duty’
The Jan. 6 House committee might find that Trump’s failure to ensure that rioters would not storm the Capitol and stay there for hours amounted to a dereliction of duty in an informal or colloquial sense. But this is not an actual crime that could be applied to a president.
Monkeypox Declared International Public Health Emergency; Florida’s 260 Cases Rank 3rd in U.S.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Saturday that the monkeypox outbreak that’s expanded globally is now a public health emergency of international concern. The Florida Department of Health shows monkeypox cases of 260 in 16 counties as of Saturday, none in Flagler.
Renner Embraces Anti-‘Woke’ Rhetoric and DeSantis Sees Red at GOP’s Sunshine Summit
Renner, who highlighted continued work to expand school choice, also said more attention is needed to address corporate pushes toward what are known as environmental, social and governance principles, which often include favoring investment in green energy over fossil fuels.
Junior Chamber and Waste Pro Cleanup S.R. 100 and Bulldog Drive
Waste Pro and the Junior Chamber of Commerce partnered today on a community cleanup near Flagler-Palm Coast High School (FPC) and SR-100.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, July 23, 2022
The Saturday Flagler Beach Farmers Market, “The Wacky Wonderful Oz” at the Daytona Playhouse, presiding party’s mid-term losses, a heat wave shuts down Congress, in 1912.
Law-Abiding or Not, You Are Being Watched
The U.S. has the largest number of surveillance cameras per person in the world. Cameras are omnipresent on city streets and in hotels, restaurants, malls and offices. This flow of data puts fuzzy notions of privacy in peril.
Two Boys, 15 at Time of Brutal Armed Home Invasion in Palm Coast, Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison
They were 15 years old–15, when Korie Jones and Darius Watts left their separate homes to join Carlos Dupree and a fourth man on a criminal scheme: to terrorize, brutalize and rob a Palm Coast family at gunpoint. They looked and acted every bit their age if not younger as they sat for their sentencing in court this afternoon at the Flagler County courthouse.
Palm Coast Pitches Breakthrough That Could End County Clash with District Over School Construction
The working group of local government staffers struggling to craft a formula requiring developers and builders to pay their fair share had a breakthrough at its last meeting, devising a new formula that could resolve a conflict and prevent the county from reaching the point where a lot of further development could be stopped, because of the absence of a formal agreement.
Christy Chong, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Christy Chong is one of seven candidates in three races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 23 primary election, opposing incumbent Trevor Tucker. all Flagler voters, regardless of party affiliation and address, may cast a ballot in these races.
Trevor Tucker, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Trevor Tucker is one of seven candidates in three races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 23 primary election. He is opposed by Christy Chong. All Flagler voters, regardless of party affiliation and address, may cast a ballot in these races.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, July 22, 2022
Kori Jones and Darius Watts, 17, are sentenced as adults for violent crimes they committed when they were 15, Alexander Calder in Grand Rapids, Werner Herzog on reading.
Why You Should Read Syrian Novelist Shahla Ujayli’s ‘Summer With the Enemy’
The ongoing devastation of the war that began in 2011 has brought Syria to the world’s attention. Shahla Ujayli’s sweeping historical novel “Summer with the Enemy” is a way to experience its deep and rich culture, history and literature beyond the headlines.
Palm Coast United Methodist Church Takes Another Step Toward New Matanzas Woods Campus
Some 50 congregants of Palm Coast United Methodist Church gathered Wednesday for the groundbreaking of their new 25,500 square foot, $7.1 million campus at the southeast corner of Matanzas Woods Parkway and Belle Terre Parkway.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, July 21, 2022
The WNZF political forum featuring county commission candidates, at the Community Center, The U.S. House Jan. 6 committee focuses on Trump’s 187 minutes of complicit silence, Marshall McLuhan.
How Record-Setting Heat Waves Could Punish Economies Already Reeling from Inflation
Hundreds of millions of people struggled to keep cool amid a sweltering summer heat wave as cities across the U.S. and mainland Europe experienced record-high temperatures. Here are four ways extreme heat hurts the economy.
Joe Mullins Falsely Claims 2 Associations of Retired Cops Support Him, Drawing Sharp Disavowals
Reeling from publicity about his disrespect of Florida Highway Patrol troopers, Joe Mullins falsely claimed on Facebook this week that he had the “support” of local organizations of retired police officers, drawing disavowals from the presidents of both organizations and being forced to reword the post, which he still got wrong.
Palm Coast Lands $739,000 Grant for Regional Recreation Center Through Tourism Council
Flagler County’s Tourist Development council this morning approved a $739,000 grant for Palm Coast government’s ongoing expansion of the city’s tennis center off Belle Terre Parkway into a Southern Regional Recreation Center, with a new and park-like trailhead, a community center, and a dozen pickleball courts. The grant will defray the cost of the pickleball courts.
Costco in St. Augustine Opens on Aug. 3 Near Buc-ee’s, Halving Distance for Palm Coast Shoppers
The new Costco is about a 34-mile distance from the intersection of I-95 and Palm Coast Parkway. Until now, Flagler County shoppers’ Costco options were either at a warehouse at the south end of Jacksonville, about 65 miles away, or in Altamonte Springs, 70 miles away.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Wednesday, July 20, 2022
A working group meets to discuss the inter-local agreement on school concurrency, the Flagler county Tourist Development Council meets to decide the fate of a $739,000 grant Palm Coast is in line for.
Youth Sport and Safety During the Hottest Years on Record
At least 50 high school football players in the U.S. have died from heat stroke after falling ill on the field in the past 25 years. And high school athletes in other sports are not immune from the risks. The numbers are especially shocking when you consider that heat-related illnesses and deaths are entirely preventable.
Human Remains Found at Toscana Development Off Old Kings Road in Palm Coast
Flagler County Sheriff’s detectives and partner agencies are investigating the discovery of human remains at a construction site expanding the Toscana subdivision off Old Kings Road in Palm Coast, Sheriff Rick Staly said this afternoon.
Curtain Calls for Flagler Youth Orchestra as School Board Frets Either Encores or Coda
The Flagler County School Board this evening votes on whether to renew the Flagler Youth Orchestra for its 18th year. Renewal was not in question in previous years, as it has been this year. A former superintendent, parents, community members at large, current and former FYO student participants sent numerous letters and emails to school board members.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Tuesday, July 19, 2022
The Palm Coast City Council is expected to set the maximum, but tentative, property tax rate, the school board holds a pair of busy meetings, Food Truck Tuesdays, Pianist Alxeander Kantorow plays Saint Saens, Robinson Crusoe reflects.
Children Bombarded by Violent News: How to Help Them Cope
With gun violence, war and other tragedies in the news, children are often exposed to scary images and information. How can adults help children feel safe when imagery about tragedies abounds throughout the media?
15 Years in Prison for Ian Davis as Child Victim of His Abuse Indicts Those Who Disbelieved or Blamed Her
Just before Ian Davis of Palm Coast was sentenced to 15 years in prison for molesting his 14-year-old niece, she described, in a remarkable impact statement, how her own grandmother disbelieved her and her own pastor turned the blame on her.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, July 18, 2022
A possible plea in the case of Jerami Talkington, Flagler County’s local mitigation strategy meeting, Nelson Mandela’s birthday and Nobel lecture.
Red Wave, Youth Wave: November’s Variables
People ages 18 to 29 have historically been less likely to vote than older adults. But in recent years, they have been spurred to organize and vote by major national controversies, like school shootings and police violence against Black people. The Supreme Court’s decision enabling states to ban abortion may be another spur.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, July 17, 2022
It is National Ice Cream Day, so head to Sally’s Ice Cream in Flagler Beach. The colossal uselessness of the B-1 bomber, Thoreau sailing from Fair Haven.
Is Disney a Religion?
People have been up in arms over a ruined Disney park proposal and a couple who opted to have Minnie and Mickey at their wedding instead of food. But just because many people treat Disney as sacred, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a religion.
As Joe Mullins Draws National Embarrassment Over Troopergate, Pennington Trounces Him in Straw Poll
It’s been the worst week of Joe Mullins’s nearly-four year tenure on the Flagler County Commission, less than six weeks from the Aug. 23 primary, with a Republican Party straw poll showing him far behind challenger Leann Pennington and major national media reporting on his abuse of authority with Florida Highway Patrol troopers.
Dr. Daniel T. Brauneck, 3rd Generation Dentists, Joins Flagler Dental
Flagler Dental Associates is pleased to welcome Dr. Daniel T. Brauneck, DMD to its practice. Dr. Brauneck is a third generation dentist who was born and raised in Palatka.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Saturday, July 16, 2022
Free Virtual Legal Name and Gender Marker Change Clinic, Flagler Beach Farmers Market, Amazon’s birthday, the Trinity atomic bomb test.
How Swelling Grocery Bills Are Crushing the Poorest
While all Americans have seen their grocery bills swell, many may not fully appreciate the enormous burden that rising food costs pose for low-income households. The reason is simple: Poor families spend a much larger share of their income on food than the median household.
Flagler Beach Commission Again Clashes, Reducing Mayor to Tears and Lawyering Up Over Roles
Flagler Beach commissioners today in a budget workshop again clashed sharply over Mayor Suzie Johnston’s, and commissioners’, respective roles, several of them charging that Johnston is overstepping her authority. The clash ended what only the night before had been a pledge on the panel to “reset” and seek a more collegial approach.
On the Brink of War, Flagler Beach City Commission Agrees to ‘Reset,’ with Rescue from Ex-Mayor
The Flagler Beach City Commission, faced with a two-front war–with conflict over City Manager William Whitson’s future and growing conflict between the commission itself–pledged Thursday to “reset” after getting a peace-keeping assist from former Mayor Linda Provencher. It had been at the edge of a cliff.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Friday, July 15, 2022
The sentencing of Dan Priotti on his third DUI conviction in 10 years, affordable housing in Flagler, Trump’s Pandora’s box, Jacques Derrida’s impenetrable deconstruction.
James Webb Space Telescope: An Astronomer Explains the Stunning First Images
The buzz among professional astronomers like me has been electric since members of the Webb team shared tantalizing test images. And the real images are even better than anyone could have hoped for.
No ‘Lynching’ for Embattled Flagler Beach Manager Whitson, But a 90-Day Probation Period
Just 14 months into his tenure as Flagler Beach City Manager, William Whitson is on a 90-day probation period that could result in his firing if he doesn’t show the sort of reset in communications and management style a majority of commissioners want to see.
Drug Sweep on Flagler’s West Side Nets 13 Arrests as Sheriff Underscores Fentanyl’s Toll
The youngest offender was 18, the oldest 66, and most had trails of arrests behind them already–64 felony and 95 misdemeanor convictions between them, Sheriff Rick Staly said, including one, Twain Slater, who’s been arrested more than a dozen times since becoming an adult (he’s 31), for a combined 23 felony and misdemeanor convictions.
Confirmed: Jersey Mike’s Subs Opening Restaurant at Palm Coast’s Island Walk, Near Brass Tap
Jersey Mike’s Subs, the famed franchise that opened its first restaurant in Point Pleasant, N.J., in 1956, and was the fastest-growing sandwich chain in 2022, will open its first Palm Coast restaurant in the Island Walk shopping center in late November.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Thursday, July 14, 2022
A working group meets to discuss the ILA on school concurrency, the Flagler Beach City Commission meets to discuss City Manager William Whitson’s future, speaking of insurrections.
‘We Need to Quit Mincing Words… What It Was Going to Be Was an Armed Revolution’
During its seventh hearing on July 12, 2022, the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol connected the dots between white nationalists and key allies of former President Donald Trump and their concerted efforts to overturn the 2020 election by interrupting the counting of Electoral College votes and inserting fake electors.