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Tonight: Partly cloudy with slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening, then mostly cloudy with slight chance of showers after midnight. Todays Briefing: Quick LinksIn Flagler and Palm Coast:Note: all government meetings noticed below are free and open to the public unless otherwise indicated. Hall of Terror, 7-10 p.m. at Fire Station 21, 9 Corporate Drive, Palm Coast. Hall of Terror takes those who dare through a haunted house and show at Palm Coast Fire Station 21. The Free Quit Smoking Now program meets from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at AdventHealth Palm Coast (in conference room C: enter main entrance, conference room to the right).

Today:Chance of showers and slight chance of thunderstorms in the morning, then showers likely and slight chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Hotel California, A Salute to the Eagles at Flagler Auditorium, 7:30 p.m. Flagler Auditorium, 5500 East Hwy 100, Palm Coast, call 386-437-7547. Stetson University Concert Band, 7:30 p.m., Elizabeth Hall, Room 100 (Lee Chapel), 421 North Woodland Boulevard, DeLand. The Stetson University Concert Band, established in the fall of 2018, continues the Stetson Bands tradition of performance excellence Please join us for an evening of music. $10 adults, $5 youth and free for Stetson University students with an ID and ages 12 and under.

The Flagler County Commission considers spending $1.2 million for two fire engines, Lise de la Salle plays Bach.

Why is this year’s wildfire season in the Southwest so early and intense? Now, the Southwest is seeing more fires start much earlier in the year. As temperatures rise, the snow melts more rapidly, more water evaporates into the atmosphere and the grasses and other fuels dry out earlier in the season. They’re pretty typical winds for spring, but fuels are now really dry and ready to burn. Last summer, in 2021, the Southwest had an exceptional monsoon season that left green hillsides and lots of vegetation.

Philip Martin is sentenced, the Sheriff and Crime Stoppers announce a large reward in the Noah Smith investigation, "Waiting for Godot."

An Oklahoma City couple had planned to get hitched in Vegas except their connecting flight out of Dallas got canceled.

Stiff winds remain a challenge but beefed up fire crews are making significant progress on a large prairie fire burning near the Nebraska-Kansas line.

Firefighters are bracing for the return of ferocious winds in the Southwest after a brief reprieve allowed them to attack flames from the air for the first time in days.

DALLAS — (AP) — Airlines have banned several thousand passengers since the pandemic started for refusing to wear masks. Alaska Airlines said this week that banned passengers won't be welcomed back. Southwest said a judge's ruling that struck down the federal mandate won't change its decision to bar an undisclosed number of passengers. Reaction has been mixed to the end of the mask mandate. On Monday, many passengers cheered when told in mid-flight that they could remove their masks.

Immigration authorities stopped migrants 221,303 times along the Southwest border in March, a 33% increase from a month earlier.

U.S. immigration officials detained more than 5,000 migrants from Ukraine at the nation’s land, sea and air borders in March, with a significant increase in those seeking refuge at the U.S-Mexico boundary.

Scott Russell Granden Scott Russell Granden was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for an incident that took place on a Southwest flight in 2021. (WSB-TV)ATLANTA — A Missouri man who groped a nurse on a flight from St. Louis to Atlanta in 2021 has been sentenced to 21 months in federal prison. >> Read more trending newsScott Russell Granden, 36, was sentenced Wednesday in federal court. On the March 25, 2021 Southwest flight, Granden was in the middle seat and proceeded to grope the victim’s thigh, groin and buttocks. https://t.co/HmkZHIa3MZ — WSB-TV (@wsbtv) April 6, 2022©2022 Cox Media Group

The Senate voted 53 to 47 to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, making her the first Black female justice in U.S. history.

Lucas Hnath’s A Doll’s House, Part 2, Randy Jaye, a writer and historian, discusses his book "Perseverance" at the Democratic Club.

Thousands of flights delayed, canceled More than 10,000 flights were either canceled or delayed Saturday and Sunday due to inclement weather in Florida and technical issues for at least one carrier. (bunhill/Getty Images)More than 10,000 flights were either canceled or delayed Saturday and Sunday, due to inclement weather in Florida and technical issues with at least one carrier. JetBlue, Southwest, Alaska Airlines, Frontier, Spirit and American Airlines were most affected, The Associated Press reported, with JetBlue and Spirit canceling one-third of Sunday’s scheduled flights. Southwest canceled 520 Saturday flights, or 14% of its operation; and 398 Sunday flights, citing weather and intermittent technology issues. By Sunday afternoon, nearly 9,000 flights scheduled on Saturday and Sunday had been delayed.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Nearly 80 flights were canceled on Monday morning at Orlando International Airport after a weekend of chaos. JetBlue and Spirit canceled one-third of their scheduled flights on Sunday because of weather issues. Bad storms on Saturday mixed with technical problems and “air space congestion” led to more than 3,500 canceled flights nationwide. Orlando and other Florida airports led the way because of weekend storms. Southwest told Channel 9 that many of its flights were canceled because of a technical problem, so it is allowing passengers to reschedule for free.

Problems with weather, air traffic conditions and airspace congestion started snowballing Saturday, leading to thousands of canceled flights over the weekend during the spring travel peak.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Travelers at Orlando International Airport faced massive delays and flight cancellations Saturday. READ: Orlando International Airport sees a surge of spring break travelersThe airport alerted passengers that it was experiencing delays and cancellations due to the severe storms that move through most of the afternoon, but some said the wait times seemed out of control. Photos: Travelers face surge of flight delays, cancellations at Orlando International AirportExpand Autoplay Image 1 of 14 Travelers face surge of flight delays, cancellations at Orlando International AirportSouthwest said it experienced technical issues in the morning that were resolved by 7 a.m., but things have gotten worse due to the weather delays building throughout the day. It’s unclear how long it will take for flights to get back to normal at Orlando International Airport. READ: Pet Alliance is kicking off April with the purr-fect way to help our feline friendsChannel 9 has a crew at Orlando International Airport and will have continuing coverage on Eyewitness News.

Some providers may have to cut back on COVID-19 testing and vaccination clinics for vulnerable groups as federal funding dries up

The union for Southwest’s 16,000 flight attendants issued a letter to federal officials and the White House.

Flagler Beach commissioners at their meetings will consider approving the site plan for the hotel planned in place of the Farmers' Market.

In the letter, the heads of Jet Blue, Southwest, Delta, American Airlines and others said the requirement is “no longer aligned with the realities of the current epidemiological environment.”

Palm Coast's Reilly Opelka goes up against Nadal, Black Press Day marked with a paper on Freedom's Journal by Allison Elledge.

Several flights were delayed or cancelled at Orlando International Airport on Sunday, leaving many passengers frustrated.

Jane Mealy and James Sherman take the oath on the Flagler Beach City Commission, Ocean Palms Golf Club, "Osborne's Revenge."

The Northeast Florida Regional Council's Affordable Housing Workshop for Flagler County, Schubert's 13th sonata.

A Louisiana man was taken off a Southwest flight at Orlando International Airport Thursday after he reportedly became irate over being forced to wear a mask, according to an arrest affidavit.

Roads and fields flood in the Yorkshire region in Northern England as Storm Franklin, the third storm to hit the UK in a week, causes severe disruptions and prompts hundreds of evacuations.

Dying languages, Bach's "Here, in My Father's place" from a cantata, reason's salvation from extremism.

Over the course of the last century, records show a trend to wetter annual conditions in last four consecutive “normal periods.”

Jason Reynolds on anxiety and book-banning, beach management in Flagler, the biggest book ban advocates, Notes from Underground.

Alcohol on flights FILE PHOTO: Alcohol will once again be served on Southwest flights. (DAVID A BIRKBECK/Getty Images)Passengers on Southwest flights who want to imbibe mid-flight will soon be able to do so once again. Southwest stopped alcohol service on flights in March 2020 and was the first to do so, according to the newspaper. Alcohol will only be available on flights of 176 miles or more, CNN reported. The move leaves American Airlines as the only large U.S. air carrier to not resume alcohol service in the main cabin, USA Today reported.

At the Jacksonville Symphony: The Chris Thomas Band: The Rat Pack. Daniel Wiley, JSYO Music Director & Assistant Conductor, the Chris Thomas Band featuring Chris Thomas and Cortnie Frazier, with Olivia Donalson, Guest Artists. “When Chris Thomas takes the stage he doesn’t just sing, he aims to embody the swagger and style of Dean Martin, Sammy Davis and Frank Sinatra” says The Florida Times-Union. The Live Calendar is a compendium of local and regional political, civic and cultural events. To include your event in the Live Calendar, please fill out this form.

ORLANDO, Fla. — If you have a flight scheduled on Thursday, you should keep checking its status. More than 100 flights were canceled due to a huge winter storm stretching from Texas to Maine. As of 5 a.m., 109 flights were canceled at Orlando International Airport. Channel 9 is monitoring the flight board at Orlando International Airport. READ: Body of trapped worker recovered at Lake County construction siteWe’ll keep you updated with the latest flight cancellations on Channel 9.

The matinee and last showing of City Repertory Theatre stages “Wait Until Dark.” Ernie Pyle looks up people hungry for divorce in Reno.

Flight-Disruptions FILE - Alaska Airlines planes are parked at gates with Mount Rainier in the background at sunrise, March 1, 2021, at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Seattle. The move by Alaska is similar to a decision last week by JetBlue Airways to cut about 1,300 flights through mid-January. Southwest continued to be the hardest hit among U.S. airlines, canceling about 650 flights, or 21% of its schedule for Thursday by early evening. Alaska had scrubbed about 125, or 17% of its flights. Besides cutting flights, airlines including United, Southwest and Spirit have offered bonus pay to find employees willing to work extra days.

Airlines are responding to high sickout numbers during the pandemic by trimming their schedules.

Flight Cancellations Katelyn Darrow gets some work done on her laptop as she waits to board her flight at the Philadelphia International Airport Friday, Dec. 31, 2021, in Philadelphia. Airlines are blaming wintry weather and high numbers of sickouts due to the rising number of COVID-19 infections around the country. January usually means fewer people flying, and that will be even more true in 2022 because many business travelers haven't returned to the skies. The global spread of omicron meant that widespread flight cancellations weren't limited to the U.S. Airlines in Europe and Australia reported similar problems with crew shortages. After more than 3,200 U.S. flight cancellations on Monday, the number for Tuesday was down to 1,400 at midday — better, although still very high.

A forecast of better weather means that the worst may finally be over for tens of thousands of air travelers who were grounded by flight cancellations that skyrocketed over the New Year’s Day weekend.

Many colleges hope that an extra week or two will get them past the peak of the nationwide spike driven by the highly contagious omicron variant. —-LAS VEGAS — The annual CES gadget convention will be three days instead of four amid a jump in COVID-19 cases and the withdrawal of some of its best-known tech presenters. The omicron variant of the coronavirus has spiked in Florida and across the nation over the past few weeks. Greg Abbott said the Texas Division for Emergency Management and the Texas Department of State Health Services made the request. With the nation slammed by a surge of infections largely driven by the omicron variant, the government banned public New Year’s Eve celebrations.

With Lake Mead continuing to decline, California, Arizona and Nevada announce an agreement to further cut their use of Colorado River water.

The company's CEO is expected to tell lawmakers Wednesday that the company plans to hire 18,000 workers next year.

The company's CEO is expected to tell lawmakers Wednesday that the company plans to hire 18,000 workers next year.

Snow squalls can pose an extreme risk to drivers, which is why the National Weather Service recently started issuing snow squall warnings. Wondering why they're so dangerous? We've got you covered.

Dallas police say a woman has been arrested after punching a Southwest Airlines employee in the head during boarding for a flight out of a Dallas airport.

The climate crisis has affected every corner of the country, including many of the places we once fantasized about moving to for a better quality of life

Here's the latest on the Southwest Airlines saga.

More than 2,500 flights were canceled but officials have adamantly denied reports that pilots staged a sickout over a looming coronavirus vaccine mandate.

When Southwest Airlines canceled more than 2,000 flights over the weekend, unsupported claims blaming vaccine mandates began taking off.

After a weekend filled with more than 1,000 cancelled flights, Southwest Airlines encountered less turbulence at the start of this week.

The 22-year-old was reported missing — and later found dead​ — after her fiancé returned home from a cross-country road trip without her.

The delays and cancelations began shortly after the pilot's union tried to block Southwest's new COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

The delays and cancelations began shortly after the pilot's union tried to block Southwest's new COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

"Captain Kirk" will have to wait a little longer before he can be beamed up to space.

Mass migration in Del Rio has placed local Democrats in the awkward position of calling out the Biden administration while accepting the help of

There’s a right and a wrong way to live in the desert, says Outside’s ethics guru

Associated Press — (AP) — Some members of Congress want to ensure that protections are put in place to address ongoing trauma as more information comes to light about the troubled history of Indigenous boarding schools in the United States. “The first step we need to take is caring for our boarding school survivors,” said Deborah Parker, a citizen of the Tulalip Tribes and director of policy and advocacy at the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition. The lawmakers in their letter described the boarding school era as a “stain in America's history.” They wrote that revisiting that history undoubtedly will be traumatic for survivors and their communities. “We are confident that IHS is equipped to consider ways to prevent inflicting or worsening existing intergenerational trauma,” the letter reads. According to the boarding school healing coalition, hundreds of thousands of Native American children passed through boarding schools in the U.S. between 1869 and the 1960s.

RSV cases are climbing across the South, in the Southwest and Midwest and Kentucky, where doctors are warning parents to watch for red flags.

Water thieves, many of them illegal marijuana growers, are tapping into fire hydrants and drilling unauthorized water wells, threatening the water supply for residents.

FORT WORTH, Texas — (AP) — The fuel needle is moving closer to “empty” at some U.S. airports. American Airlines says it’s running into fuel shortages at some smaller and mid-size airports, and in some cases the airline will add refueling stops or fly fuel into locations where the supply is tight. Southwest said the fuel situation hasn’t affected its flights, but it has added more fuel on some planes to limit the amount needed at airports with shortages. Trade group Airlines for America said it is talking to federal authorities and pipeline operators about the situation, which it said mostly affects smaller airports in the West. The jet fuel supply is begin taxed by a strong recovery in travel, which means more planes in the air.

The transports stocks have hit a roadblock as several companies such as CSX and Southwest prepare to release earnings. Two traders share what they're watching.

The annexation would be expensive for everyone.

Airlines and credit-card companies are likely to devalue their rewards points in the next few months, experts say. Here's how to maximize the points you have.

She wrote that she is concerned by reports that have highlighted the role of worker shortages in a surge of delayed and canceled flights. Since March 2020, when the pandemic began to crush air travel, Congress has approved $54 billion to keep airline workers employed. Delta said it will hire between up to 5,000 workers this year to reduce long hold times for customers who call the airline and to deal with workers shortages at contractors such as food caterers and airplane cleaners. It blamed recent delays on summer thunderstorms and technology “challenges” last month that led to an unusually high number of delays and flight cancelations. The number of people flying in the U.S. bottomed out at less than 100,000 a day in April 2020.

A key senator wants to know whether labor shortages are causing delayed and canceled flights at major U.S. airlines.

A software bug at a major network provider briefly knocked offline dozens of financial institutions, airlines and other companies across the globe during peak Asian business hours.

The airline industry’s recovery from the pandemic passed a milestone as more than 2 million people streamed through U.S. airport security checkpoints on Friday for the first time since early March 2020.

A Southwest Airlines flight attendant lost two teeth when she was attacked by a passenger this weekend, and the president of her union calls it part of a disturbing increase in unruly passengers.

Rainstorms grew more erratic and droughts much longer across most of the U.S. West over the past half-century as climate change warmed the planet.

A former Southwest Airlines pilot is being accused of indecent exposure during a flight last year from Philadelphia to Orlando.

The pueblos of Jemez and Laguna are the latest to raise concerns over inadequate protections for local water sources in the desert Southwest. Jemez Pueblo covers mountainous and desert regions in northern New Mexico. The rule change, which took effect in June, narrowed the types of waterways that qualify for federal protection under the half-century-old Clean Water Act. New Mexico was among the states that went to court last May seeking to prevent the rule from taking effect. Jemez Pueblo depends on federal authority under the act to protect waters outside its jurisdiction.

FILE - In this Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020 file photo, a worker uses a flashlight to inspect an engine on a Boeing 737 Max 8 built for Southwest Airlines at Renton Municipal Airport in Renton, Wash. On Monday, mach 29, 2021, Southwest said it's expanding its all-Boeing fleet with an order for 100 737 MAX airplanes. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)NEW YORK – Southwest Airlines said Monday it is expanding its all-Boeing fleet with an order for 100 Max jets instead of buying planes from Europe's Airbus. Southwest ordered the 150-seat 737 Max 7 and expects the first 30 to show up next year. AdCombined with past orders, Chicago-based Boeing is in line to build more than 600 Max 7 and Max 8 jets for Southwest through 2031. American and United had already resumed Max flights, and Alaska Airlines began using the plane too.

And nearly all of the continental United States is looking at warmer than normal spring, except for tiny parts of the Pacific Northwest and southeast Alaska, which makes drought worse. “It’s definitely something we’re watching and very concerned about.”NOAA expects the spring drought to hit 74 million people. AdMore than 44% of the nation is in moderate or worse drought, and nearly 18% is in extreme or exceptional drought — all of it west of the Mississippi River. AdWinter and spring wheat crops also have been hit hard by the western drought with 78% of the spring wheat production area in drought conditions, Rippey said. That leaves more of the energy to heat up the air, and the heat makes the drought worse by boosting evaporation.

Delta, United and Alaska airlines said Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021 they will bar passengers flying to Washington from putting guns in checked bags. The moves follow the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump and politically tinged confrontations on some flights. American Airlines is bringing back a ban on serving alcohol on flights to and from the Washington area — flights go dry starting Saturday through next Thursday. Price also said that it is “a good idea” to prohibit passengers from putting guns in checked bags if they are flying to Washington. Federal law allows passengers to put guns in checked baggage if they are unloaded and in a locked, hard-sided case, although airlines have the discretion to ban guns.

(AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)DALLAS – Southwest Airlines warned nearly 7,000 workers on Thursday that they could lose their jobs unless labor unions accept concessions to help the airline cope with a sharp drop in travel caused by the pandemic. The warnings went to 6,828 employees including more than 2,500 ground workers and 1,500 flight attendants represented by the Transport Workers Union and 1,221 pilots, who have their own union. Rivals American Airlines and United Airlines furloughed 32,000 workers between them in October. Jon Weaks, president of the pilots’ union, called the furlough notices “a sad milestone” in Southwest history. Southwest received $3.2 billion in federal aid this spring as its share of the $25 billion allotted by Congress to help airlines cover their labor costs through September.

All rights reserved)ORLANDO, Fla. – JetBlue is the latest U.S. airline to announce it will stop blocking seats on flights. The company says it will reduce the number of middle seats it leaves empty starting Dec. 1. [TRENDING: COVID-19 closes early voting location | Can you get COVID-19 twice? Airlines have been blocking seats due to the coronavirus pandemic. Southwest announced last week it will start selling middle seats after Dec. 1.

Southwest Airlines took a major financial hit in 2020 and now the company is making a big change in an effort to mitigate further losses. Southwest will start selling every seat on flights starting Dec. 1. Southwest passenger Linda Morsilli is not a fan of the move. “I loved the idea that they had a middle seat vacant,” she said. “Somebody my age, who is very vulnerable, we can’t fly if they have it so crowded.

All rights reserved)Southwest Airlines is cutting back on cabin cleaning procedures that were instituted because of the coronavirus pandemic. Scaling it back will mean changes including no longer sanitizing seat belts between flights. The company says cleanings will now focus on a few items like tray tables and lavatories. According to a memo sent to flight attendants, the move will reduce the time planes spend on the ground between flights. Southwest says it will limit plane capacity through the end of October to allow for middle seats to remain empty.

The JD Power survey of 10,000 business and leisure travelers was conducted from April 2019 to March 2020. Southwest had the highest satisfaction levels in a number of categories including baggage handling, boarding, check-in, costs and crew. The survey covered both short-haul and long-haul flights and Southwest was on top in both categories. Ironically, before the pandemic, JD Power noted that overall customer satisfaction scores were the highest they had ever recorded. A survey conducted in mid-April shows that now what air travelers value most are regular updates on safety and sanitization measures.

A tempting offer for those itching to travel again, Southwest Airlines is offering one-way fares starting at $49. Feel free to book Southwest flights only if you’re OK flying with some travelers not wearing masks on your flight. An internal memo by Southwest Airlines tells flight crews not to stop passengers from boarding if they refuse to wear a mask. The airline tells flight attendants to inform customers of the policy and ask them to comply, but not enforce it. Southwest's official policy says customers will be asked to wear the masks when social distancing is not possible.

AUSTIN, Texas – A Southwest Airlines jetliner hit and killed a person upon landing Thursday night at Austin’s main airport, CBS News reported. The Federal Aviation Administration said the pilot of Flight 1392 reported seeing a person on the runway shortly after the Boeing 737 touched down at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport statement on tonight's pedestrian fatality. pic.twitter.com/7xjwZq5sCy — Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (@AUStinAirport) May 8, 2020Southwest released a statement about the incident:Southwest flight #1392 arrived safely this evening at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) after being cleared to land on runway 17R. The Southwest aircraft maneuvered to avoid an individual who became visible on runway 17R shortly after touchdown.

These are the precautions airlines are taking to prevent the spread of the coronavirusPublished: April 28, 2020, 1:04 pmHere's what airlines are doing to protect passengers and employees during the coronavirus pandemic.

ORLANDO, Fla. – A passenger aboard a Southwest flight traveling from Orlando had flu-like symptoms, prompting an airport to issue a statement about the incident. The Rhode Island Airport Corporation said a sick passenger on Southwest Airlines Flight 153 arrived at T.F. Green Airport from Orlando on Tuesday. “A customer was reportedly experiencing flu-like symptoms, so our crews requested support for the individual from local EMTs. As always, safety is our uncompromising priority, and we follow all CDC reporting guidelines.”It’s not known if the passenger was tested for coronavirus.

ORLANDO, Fla. – After a very wet Friday, expect another round of rain and storms for Saturday. With high pressure continuing to drag winds in from the Southwest, Central Florida will see another round of storms favoring the eastern half of the state starting up around lunch and remaining unsettled through sundown. Highs across the area will remain near normal in the upper 80s to low 90s before the storms roll in. The rest of the outlook remains seasonal with temperatures in the low 90s and rain chances sitting between 50-60 percent.