Flagler Beach Mayor Suzie Johnston, with fellow-commissioners’ support, severed her support for the Family Life Center, the shelter for abused people, after the center’s director appeared on Joe Mullins’s partisan infomercial on WNZF, what Johnston described as crossing a line. Mullins recently had slurred Flagler Beach commissioners as “cowards” and has been in an open feud with Commission Chairman Eric Cooley.
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Joe Mullins’s Defamatory Attack on Eric Cooley
Ostensibly proposing a discussion about sexual predators and domestic violence abusers, Joe Mullins in a Facebook posting about his radio infomercial features a screenshot of Bill Cosby over one article, and the image of Flagler Beach City Commissioner Eric Cooley over another, implying an equivalence.
Flagler County Government Will Host Weekly Feel-Good Show on Local Radio
Flagler County commissioners haven’t discussed it publicly yet–or agreed to it–but the county administration is preparing to host a weekly radio show, or infomercial, on WNZF, the Flagler Broadcasting station, starting likely in February. The sponsored half-hour show would focus on feel-good stories, profiles of county employees, and highlights of county doings.
On WNZF, Flagler County Commissioner Joe Mullins Calls for Beheading Liberals
A few minutes into his latest weekly infomercial on WNZF radio Saturday morning, Joe Mullins, the Flagler County commissioner, called for the beheading of liberals while decrying responses to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Alan Lowe Ad Repeats Incendiary Claims About Milissa Holland Proven False Months Ago, Drawing Cease and Desist Letter
Palm Coast mayoral candidate Alan Lowe on Friday twice aired a 100-second campaign commercial attacking incumbent Mayor Milissa Holland for lying, only to himself repeat a set of lies about her that were proven false months ago, which may amount to lying with reckless disregard for the truth–a legally actionable offense even when attacking a public figure.
WNZF Sues County Commission Candidate Tommy LeGault Over Unpaid Bills; He Owes FPC’s Cheerleaders Money They Raised Months Ago
Tommy LeGault, running for a Flagler County Commission seat as a small-business advocate, owes WNZF nearly $5,000 for infomercials he aired, owes FPC’s cheerleaders $1,000, and twice faced eviction in the last three years.
Questions of Ethics and Reimbursements After County Officials Appear on Commissioner Joe Mullins’s Radio Show
Flagler County Commissioner Joe Mullins offered to have county officials host and appear once a month on the weekly radio show he pays for, but the offer raised a series of protocol, policy and ethical implications.
Ronald Charles Gitschier Jr., Navy Veteran and Radio Master, 1962-2018
Ronald Charles Gitschier Jr., 56, was a 23-year Navy veteran, Flagler Broadcasting’s chief engineer for 10 years, husband, father and grandfather.
The Death of WNZF’s Ron Charles, Friend and Colleague, at 56
Ron ‘Charles’ Gitschier, 56, built Flagler County’s first radio station WNZF as its chief engineer for the past 10 years, was its news director and a man of rare integrity and humility.
Help Fill a Relief Truck Parked at Palm Coast Parkway Winn-Dixie for Hard-Hit Residents of Panhandle
The volunteer relief truck, provided by Flagler Broadcasting’s Beach 92.7 FM and WNZF, is at the Winn Dixie on Palm Coast Parkway from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday and Tuesday.
Palm Coast Council Approves Mayor’s Weekly Radio Infomercial After All, and More
The Palm Coast City Council voted 4-1 Tuesday to go ahead with a weekly radio infomercial, for $10,000, hosted by Mayor Milissa Holland, as well as staff-produced podcasts.
Jim Landon’s Fake News
Palm Coast Manager Jim Landon’s plans for a “scripted” weekly radio infomercial hosted by Mayor Milissa Holland demeans the mayor, the council and her listeners. If Holland is to do a show, it should be on her unscripted terms.
Palm Coast Will Pay $10,000 to Air Mayor’s Weekly Radio Show; Council Was Not Informed
Mayor Milissa Holland and City Manager Jim Landon worked out the $10,000 proposal with WNZF Radio without discussions involving the rest of the council. Some council members are not pleased.
At Flagler Airport, Veterans Day Framed by Traveling Vietnam Memorial and Freedom Fest
The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall, a 3/5-scale replica of Maya Lin’s original Vietnam Memorial in Washington, stretched almost 300 feet along the tarmac at the airport as Veterans Day ceremonies kicked off Freedom Fest, a weekend-long event.
Divided Over Car Sale at FPC that “Violated” Pact and Precedent, School Board Mulls Next Step
Two school board members charge that an agreement signed with the district on the use of FPC was violated when a car “show” turned into a major car sale, but the board is unclear over what to do next.
School Board Members Blister “Subleasing” of FPC Campus to Out-of-Town Car Dealer, Exposing Problems
This weekend, without the school board’s knowledge, the entire parking lot of Flagler Palm Coast High School will be turned over to Ritchey Auto of Daytona Beach in a giant car and boat sale that has angered local car dealers and school board members, exposing flaws in the district’s use-of-facilities policy.
Sheriff Manfre Calls Ethics Case Against Him “Terrorism,” Vows to Fight To Supreme Court
Calling the protracted ethics case against him “terrorism,” “nonsense” and politically motivated “slime” by two former colleagues, Flagler County Sheriff Jim Manfre this morning delivered his most detailed—and impassioned—defense of himself since the case against him began in 2014.
Elections Supervisor Weeks Suspends Canvassing Business for Radio Gig, Stunning Fellow Board Members
Supervisor of Elections Kimberle Week suspended a Canvassing Board meeting Friday to do a radio interview, without telling fellow-board members, who had other commitments, that that was the reason.
Wings Over Flagler Leader and Bunnell Director Arrested on Drunk Driving Charges Over the Weekend
Bill Mills, a lead organizer, with WNZF, of Wings Over Flagler since the event’s inception four years ago and its rejuvenation this past weekend, was arrested just before midnight on Friday night on the Flagler Beach Bridge. Mick Cuthbertson, Bunnell’s community development director, was arrested early Sunday morning after going against traffic on U.S. 1 and crashing into a car.
Ribs Over Flagler: Palm Coast and WNZF End Event Partnership as County Offers New Home
Palm Coast and WNZF have ended the partnership that produced the annual Rock ‘n Ribfest every spring and the Seafood Festival every fall in Town Center. The Ribfest will be reborn as part of a fly-in at the county airport called Rockin’ the Runways in late April. In an unrelated move, the Flagler County Chamber of Commerce is ending its annual Taste of Flagler and replacing it with Restaurant Week.
Ahead of Bunnell’s March 4 Election, Three Commission Candidates Battle With
More Blanks Than Bullets
Few of the candidates’ answers at the only candidate forum before the election grappled with actual issues, ideas or solutions, hewing instead to generally positive statements about wanting to do their best or speaking in generalities that would not distinguish them either from each other or from any well-meaning resident of the city they seek to represent.
A Heartfelt Thank You To Brian McMillan and Flagler County
Palm Coast Observer Editor Brian McMillan surprised FlaglerLive Editor Pierre Tristam with a moving, supportive column this week, illustrating the contrast between the two competitors, and the true meaning of community.
Eighteen Months In, Palm Coast Observer Retrenches Back to Once a Week
After scoring a series of successes in the Daytona Beach News-Journal’s backyard and launching an ambitious effort to go head-to-head with the twice-weekly News-Tribune a little over a year and a half ago, the Palm Coast Observer is doing what most newspapers have had to do to survive: it’s cutting back.
Demonstrating and Reporting Outrage Over Zimmerman’s Acquittal Isn’t Overkill. Shooting Trayvon Was.
Marches and other responses to the George Zimmerman trail are focusing needed attention on a culture at times too comfortable with the the paradox of imagining itself past the sort of racially motivated mindsets that made the killing of Trayvon Martin possible, argues Steve Robinson.
‘The Struggle Continues’: Civil Rights Generation Shows Palm Coast How It’s Done in 100-Voice March
Some 100 people, most old enough to have lived through the civil rights era, walked for almost 4 miles on Palm Coast Parkway Saturday morning, singing and showing their solidarity with Trayvon Martin’s family and their opposition to Florida’s stand your ground law. Several had taken part in marches dating back to the 1963 March on Washington.
Trayvon Martin Solidarity March in Palm Coast Saturday as Protests Elsewhere Continue
The Saturday morning march in Trayvon Martin’s memory is being organized by Valerie Ottley, a retired Palm Coast resident of 22 years who is herself a neighborhood watch coordinator. The march will start at 8:30 a.m. at Kohl’s on Belle Terre Parkway and follow a course down Palm Coast Parkway to U.S.1 and back.
From Poughkeepsie to WNZF: The Evolution Of a Campaigner for Flagler County
In her debut column for FlaglerLive, Milissa Holland traces the journey that brought her from New York to Palm Coast and her father’s influence, in life and death, on a career still defined–as it will be in writings and on her radio talk show–by her passion for Flagler County.
Milissa Holland Live: Former Commissioner Launches WNZF Show and FlaglerLive Column
Milissa Holland Live begins airing Fridays at 10 a.m. on WNZF on Jan. 9, and Holland’s FlaglerLive column begins running on Jan. 2 (every Wednesday) as the ex-commissioner aims to foster serious and sustained conversations on the most important state and local issues of the day.
WNZF’s David Ayres, Voice of Flagler County, Is Named One of Nation’s Top Radio Managers
David Ayres, named one of Radio Ink’s 50 top radio managers in America, steered away from his parents’ tool and die shop to take on a career in radio and TV. He’s is ending one of his more successful years after overseeing the expansion of Flagler County Broadcasting to a fourth radio station.
Palm Coast City Council’s Bill Lewis: Two Minutes, Six Errors, Countless Sneers
When Palm Coast City Councilman Bill Lewis took to the floor of a council meeting to correct a fact in a FlaglerLive column, which had already been corrected, he committed more than six errors of his own, including about his own personal history. Lewis’s errors bear correcting as publicly as he committed them.
Palm Coast Responds With Open Hearts as Hurricane Sandy Relief Trucks Fill Up Fast
Susan and Alan Wheeler wanted Palm Coast and Flagler residents to help fill a 20-foot box truck with emergency goods and drive it to Keansburg, N.J. By Friday, they’d filled up two trucks and were likely going to need a third, as Palm Coast Mayor Jon Netts challenged the city and the county to fill it up, too, by evening, while Wheeler said overflows might go to Feed Flagler.
The Palm Coast City Council’s Disturbing Synthetic Marijuana High
On synthetic pot, the Palm Coast City Council and other local governments are being had, as governments trample due process to enforce a legal shortcut against a ghost epidemic–the latest hysteria in the derelict war on drugs.
In Country: With Kix 98.7, WNZF Launches Flagler’s Fourth Radio Station in Four Years
Kix 98.7 FM, a traditional country station officially launching Aug. 1, joins WNZF’s all-news station. Beach-FM and Easy Oldies as Flagler County Broadcasting’s empire continues to grow. General Manager David Ayres says that may be it for now.
News-Journal Re-Opening Flagler Bureau, in St. Joe’s Center, as Newspaper War Intensifies
The News-Journal’s 2,400-square-foot office in the St. Joe’s Business Park is less than a quarter the size of its old bureau on SR100, closed three years ago, and a concession that it can no longer address its Flagler competition–including a weekly newspaper and three radio stations–long distance.
Miranda Vows: Commissioner Milissa Holland and Undersheriff O’Brien Will Marry April 21
WNZF’s David Ayers exerted the confession about the upcoming wedding from David O’Brien, the undersheriff, who had done his best to keep the news of his wedding to Milissa Holland an open secret.
Palm Coast Observer Taking On News-Tribune As It Aims for Twice A Week By April
The Palm Coast Observer’s move would be a frontal assault on the Daytona Beach News-Journal’s diminishing hold on the Flagler market, where the paper has also been contending with competition from three new radio stations and online media.
TDC Approves $30,000 for Dual July 4th Fireworks Under Unifying Americana Theme
With Palm Coast fireworks on July 3rd and Flagler Beach fireworks on the 4th, the tourist council is hoping Flagler County will be a destination for racing fans worn out by July 1 and 2 races in Daytona Beach.
Palm Coast’s Rock n Ribfest Returns: Racing Pigs, Raging Bands, Roaring Fireworks
Mickey Thomas and Starship are headlining after a half dozen local bands in the daylong event at Palm Coast’s Central Park on April 9, beginning at noon. Tickets are $15 in advance, $25 at the door.
Gumbo Humanitarian: Sauce Boss
Crusade for the Poor Blues Up Flagler
Sauce Boss Bill Wharton: a blues-singing, gumbo-cooking humanitarian for the needy feeds the homeless Friday and performs at the Florida Agricultural Museum Saturday in a fundraiser for the museum and the needy. A profile.
Feed Flagler III: Sauce Boss, Linda Cole, Gumbo and Blues at Ag Museum Saturday
Sauce Boss Bill Wharton has been playing and cooking for fellowship and the poor since 1990. He’ll be playing and feeding masses for Feed Flagler Saturday Feb. 12 at the Florida Agriculture Museum’s Hot N’ Spicy Food and Music Festival.
Reality Check: Censoring Al-Jazeera
It’s no surprise when the thuggish Hosni Mubarak censors al-Jazeera. But American satellite and cable providers have been censoring al-Jazeera English since it went live in 2006, to the detriment of broader perspectives.
WNZF’s David Ayres Hanging Up on “Open Lines” to Make Room for Rush and Beck Live
After hosting “Open Lines” for two years, and with Rush Limbaugh coming on, WNZF General manager David Ayres is shuffling the station’s lineup. He’ll host a weekly Saturday show.
My 10 Predictions for 2011
A recap of how I did last year and a look ahead: Obama creeps up, Jon Netts loses, the Supremes overturn health care reform, the fake recovery goes on, Arabs and Israelis go at it again, David Grossman wins big, and a few more.
Lazier Voters: Flagler’s 52% Turnout Was Worst In At Least 16 Years of Mid-Terms
Just 52 percent of Flagler County’s registered voters went to the polls, the lowest voter turnout in at least 16 years of mid-term elections, and likely the lowest turnout since at least the 1974 election, when voter apathy was acute.
Pierre on WNZF’s Open Lines with David Ayers This Morning
Chatting it up about local politics, local media, the primary election, the good referendum on the ballot and the very bad one, and more.
Raging Skies Redux: The Fireworks in Palm Coast’s Town Center
Palm Coast’s July 4th celebration starts in Town Center at 7 p.m. and culminates with a fireworks show at 9 p.m.
Flagler Beach’s Independence Day Fireworks No Longer a Solo Act
Flagler Beach’s traditional Independence Day fireworks display will be held on July 3rd, and will be followed by another celebration in Palm Coast’s Town Center on July 4.
My Ten Predictions for 2010
“All prophesies are wrong, therefore this one will be wrong,” Orwell said. So here are mine for the coming year of our blogs, 2010.