Thursday Briefing: Mosquito Control Audit, DSC Board, Cool Days, Schools' Winter Concerts, Nutcracker

Dance Alive performs the Nutcracker at the Flagler Auditorium tonight. See details below. (Sara Cooper)

Today: Cooler. Cloudy with a 40 percent chance of rain. Highs in the mid 60s. North winds 10 to 15 mph. Tonight: Cloudy with a 50 percent chance of rain. Lows in the mid 50s. North winds 10 to 15 mph. Details here.
Today’s document from the National Archives and the Astronomy Picture of the Day.
Today’s tides: at the beaches, at the Intracoastal Waterway.
Drought Index83
The OED’s Word of the Day: biggen, v..
The Live Community Calendar
Today’s jail bookings.

Today’s Briefing: Quick Links

First Light
In Flagler and Palm Coast
Flagler Jail Bookings and Sheriff’s Crime Reports
Announcements
In State Government
In Coming Days in Flagler, Palm Coast and Beyond
The Day’s Best Reads
Editor’s Tweets
Fact-Checking the Knaves
Palm Coast Construction and Development
Local Road and Interstate Construction
Cultural Coda

“When statistics were collected a few years later, only 400,000 homesteading families had managed to persevere on the plains, of more than a million who tried. The Homestead Acts had been a relative success in the East. West of the hundredth meridian, however, they were for the most part a failure, even a catastrophic failure. Much of the blame rested on flaws in the acts themselves, and on the imperfections of human nature, but a lot of it was the fault of the weather. How could you settle a region where you nearly froze to death one year and expired from heat and the lack of water during the next eight or nine?”

–Marc Reisner, from “Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water” (1986) [Click on the image or the link to buy the book.]

Previously:

In Flagler and Palm Coast:

Note: all government meetings noticed below are free and open to the public unless otherwise indicated. Many can be heard or seen live through each agency’s website.

The Sheriff’s daily incident reports and jail bookings are posted here.

In Court: Drug Court is held at 9 a.m. before Circuit Judge Dennis Craig in Courtroom 401 at the Flagler County courthouse.

East Flagler Mosquito Control: The Joint Legislative Auditing Committee will take up a series of issues, including a request from Sen. Travis Hutson, R-St. Augustine, and Rep. Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, for an audit of the East Flagler Mosquito Control District, which found itself facing a $1.2 million deficit over an undetected accounting error earlier this year. (3:45 p.m., 306 House Office Building, the Capitol.)

The Daytona State College Board of Trustees is scheduled to meet at 4 p.m., Daytona State College, Building 100, 1200 West International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach.

The Flagler Beach City Commission meets at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, with a report from the Economic Development Task Force by its chairman, Joseph Pozzuoli, and discussions on matters including the possible purchase of a waterfront parcel near Pal Parker Preserve Park, approval of an agreement with the Supervisor of Elections to run the 2017 municipal election, and a discussion on feral cats. The commission will also be holding a special meeting, sitting as the Community Redevelopment Agency board, at 4:45 p.m. to discuss legislative issues related to CRAs.

The Belle Terre Elementary School PTO meets in the school’s media center at 7:30 a.m.

Indian Trails Middle School’s Advisory Council meeting is at 5:30 p.m. in the school’s media center.

Winter Concerts: Bunnell Elementary’s Winter Concert is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. in the school’s New Cafe, Rymfire’s Winter Concert is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. in the school’s cafeteria, and Wadsworth Elementary’s Holiday Concert is at the same time in that school’s cafeteria.

The Nutcracker is performed at the Flagler Auditorium at 7 p.m. A sparkling production with beautiful costumes and sets, this is truly an all-time family favorite. Dance Alive will be joined by local dance students making this a very special holiday performance. Adult $29.95, Youth $19.95.

Critic’s Choice Dinner Club, 5:30 p.m. This monthly club visits a new restaurant, chosen by the group, to spend time with friends enjoying a casual dinner while rating food and service. New members welcome. This month’s location is Bayne’s Barbeque, 301 Moody Blvd, Flagler Beach. Food and transportation are the participant’s responsibility. Pre-register by 5 p.m. Sept. 5: www.palmcoastgov.com/register. More info: 386-986-2323.

Thursday to Sunday: The Jacksonville Symphony’s Holiday Pops Concert featuring the talents of the Symphony, Symphony Chorus, guest singers, dancers, and the area’s only guaranteed snow fall. At Robert E. Jacoby Symphony Hall 300 Water St Jacksonville. Tickets and concert times here.

Blood Donations: The Big Red Bus will be at the following locations this week:

Friday: Lowe’s, 315 Cypress Edge Drive, Palm Coast, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday: Epic Theaters, 1185 Central Avenue, Palm Coast, from noon to 6 p.m.

Ongoing: the 12th Annual Fantasy Lights Festival at Central Park in Palm Coast’s Town Center, hosted by the Rotary Club of Flagler County: 6:30-9 p.m. each night. Fantasy Lights is a free, self-guided walking tour around Central Park with 40 large animated light displays, festive live and broadcast holiday music, holiday snacks and beverages. A favorite for the kids is Santa’s Village with a collection of elf houses festively painted and nestled among the lights, warm fire to roast marshmallows or create s’mores, and encircling the village is Santa’s Merry Train Ride.

Announcements:

None.

In Florida and in State Government:

Note: Some proceedings below can be followed live on the Florida Channel. Most legislative proceedings can be followed through the Senate or House websites.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE BUDGET CONSIDERED: The Senate Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations Subcommittee will receive a presentation about Gov. Rick Scott’s proposed 2018-2019 budget. (Thursday, 9 a.m., 37 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)

SPRINGS, ST. JOHNS PROJECTS EYED: The Senate Environment and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee will take up a bill (SB 204), filed by Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, that would lead to the state spending at least $75 million a year on springs projects and $50 million annually on projects related to the restoration of the St. Johns River and its tributaries or the Keystone Heights lake region. (Thursday, 9 a.m., 301 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)

EDUCATION BUDGET ON TABLE: The Senate Pre-K-12 Education Appropriations Subcommittee will receive a presentation about Gov. Rick Scott’s proposed 2018-2019 budget. (Thursday, 9 a.m., 412 Knott Building, the Capitol.)

SENATORS LOOK AT FANTASY SPORTS: The Senate Regulated Industries Committee will take up a bill (SB 374), filed by Sen. Dana Young, R-Tampa, that would make clear that fantasy sports contests are not subject to Florida gambling laws.Ã‚ (Thursday, 12:30 p.m., 110 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)

GAMBLING, MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISCUSSED: The Joint Administrative Procedures Committee will receive presentations about a gambling deal with the Seminole Tribe of Florida and implementation of a 2016 constitutional amendment that broadly legalized medical marijuana. (Thursday, 3:45 p.m., 301 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)

SUPREME COURT RELEASES OPINIONS: The Florida Supreme Court is expected to release its weekly opinions. (Thursday, 11 a.m.)

CITIZENS INSURANCE CLAIMS AT ISSUE: The Claims Committee of the Citizens Property Insurance Corp. Board of Directors will hold a conference call and will receive an update about Hurricane Irma. (Thursday, 1 p.m. Call-in number: 1-888-361-7525. Code: 5219676193#)

JUDGE HEARS ARGUMENTS ON SPECIAL ELECTIONS: Leon County Circuit Judge Charles Dodson will hold a hearing on a request by Florida Democratic Party leaders for a temporary injunction to speed up special elections in two legislative districts. Democratic Party attorneys filed a motion for a temporary injunction as part of a lawsuit filed Nov. 6. The injunction request says special elections in Senate District 31 and House District 114 should be held in time for newly elected members to serve during all or part the 2018 legislative session, which starts Jan. 9. Lake Worth Democrat Jeff Clemens resigned from the Senate District 31 seat in late October after disclosures about an extramarital affair with a lobbyist, while Coral Gables Democrat Daisy Baez resigned from the House District 114 seat in early November after agreeing to plead guilty to a perjury charge in an investigation about her residency. In the Palm Beach County Senate district, Gov. Rick Scott has scheduled a special primary election Jan. 30 and a special general election April 10. In the Miami-Dade County House district, he has scheduled a special primary election Feb. 20 and a special general election May 1. (Thursday, 4 p.m., Leon County Courthouse, 301 South Monroe St., Tallahassee.)

WEST SPEAKS IN PALM BEACH COUNTY: Former Republican Congressman Allen West is slated to speak to the Judeo-Christian Republican Club. (Thursday, 6 p.m., South County Civic Center, 16700 Jog Road, Delray Beach.)

—-Compiled by the News Service of Florida and FlaglerLive

In Coming Days in Palm Coast, Flagler and the Occasional Beyond:

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The Day’s Best Reads:

Here are five things to know about the context around the redrawn monuments and what to expect going forward. https://t.co/uCYEti6HYe

— Smithsonian Magazine (@SmithsonianMag) December 7, 2017

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— WESH 2 News (@WESH) December 7, 2017

New report: A program that provides supportive housing to people experiencing #homelessness in Los Angeles County caused a significant drop in their use of public services, resulting in an overall savings to local government. https://t.co/d8wTy9ojTA

— RAND (@RANDCorporation) December 7, 2017

Should environmentalists team up with Islamophobes in the fight against toxic waste? https://t.co/gtvXuWnJfm pic.twitter.com/qjEg2McBmz

— The New Republic (@newrepublic) December 7, 2017

Ursula K. Le Guin: Who Cares About the Great American Novel? | @lithub https://t.co/51Wd46lJ2o

— Publishers Weekly (@PublishersWkly) December 7, 2017

If public schools want students to be successful in the economy, why don't they teach kids how to organize unions? https://t.co/qeEtF10kMo

— The American Prospect (@TheProspect) December 7, 2017

Editor’s Tweets

Editor’s Tweets by @PierreTristam

A Twitter List by PierreTristam

Palm Coast Construction and Development Progress Reports

Updates of ongoing permitting, construction and development projects in Palm Coast usually run here, along with a link to the city’s Week in Review. But the Week in Review, under the guise of being modernized, has become flashier and power-point like while becoming less substantive and dumbed down. We may or may not link to it in future. Here’s a summary of the latest developments as of Oct. 6

Click to access Oct-6-2017.pdf

Road and Interstate Construction: