Tuesday Briefing: Nathaniel Shimmel Pre-Trial, O’Brien Town Hall, Vacation Rentals, Mary Kelly Performs

Looking into Flagler’s future: Flagler County Commissioner Don O’Brien hosts a town hall meeting this evening at 6 at the Flagler County Public Library. See details below. (© FlaglerLive)

Today: Patchy fog in the morning. Cloudy with a 40 percent chance of showers. Highs in the mid 70s inland…in the lower 70s coast. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph. Tonight: Cloudy with a 20 percent chance of showers. Lows in the upper 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 Index59
The OED’s Word of the Day: key-cold, adj. and n..
The Live Community Calendar
Today’s jail bookings.

Today’s Briefing: Quick Links

• First Light
• In Flagler and Palm Coast
• Flagler Jail Bookings and Last 24 Hours of Incident 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

“We don’t want a president who bends over backward to give the benefit of the doubt to neo-Nazis, wife beaters, pedophiles and sexual predators — or who is a sexual predator himself. We don’t want a president who thinks #me is more important than #metoo.”

–Maureen Dowd, from her New York Times column on Feb. 11.

Previously:

Spinoza’s science | Hartley’s real change | Chesterton on public opinion | Music saves lives | Knausgaard’s Autumn | Dworkin’s intercourse | Religion’s subversiveness | Malcolm X | Dead bodies | 17th Century Nature | Imperfect mother | One’s stupidity | Third World | Tramps’ necessity | Stock market folly | Sunrise on America | Migrants through time | Mother tongues | Roth on age | Baudrillard’s reality | Madame de Sévigné’s fever | Public opinion | Wealth and art | Pascal’s world | Wheelies | Knausgaard on writing | Bach’s grace | Suffragette fury | Donna Tartt | Regrettable intercourse | Glory’s obscenity | Atheism v. Bach | Describing music | Dostoevsky’s truth

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: Paul Dykes, who earlier this month was sentenced to two life in prison terms for child rape and related crimes, appears again in court this morning for the prosecution and the defense to discuss the possibility of a plea deal on charges still pending, and on which Dykes had previously been scheduled to go to trial. At 8:45 a.m. before Circuit Judge Dennis Craig in Courtroom 401 at the Flagler County courthouse.

Nathan Shimmel.

The Flagler County Affordable Housing Committee meets at 8:30 a.m. in the Financial Services Conference Room, 1769 E. Moody Blvd., Bldg. 2, Third Floor, Bunnell.

The Palm Coast City Council meets at 9 a.m. in workshop at City Hall at Town Center. The council will hear a presentation on the latest survey the city conducts with citizens to gauge resident satisfaction or dissatisfaction with city services. The council will discuss approval of the contract to begin construction of the next phase of renovation at Holland Park, which would include among other things a splash park, pickleball courts, three racquetball courts, an exercise fitness area, picnic pavilions and a maintenance building. The current discussion is for approval of $131,000 in two contracts for design work. The full agenda and background here.

Vacation rentals: The House Government Accountability Committee will consider a proposal (HB 773), filed by Rep. Mike La Rosa, R-St. Cloud, that would limit the ability of local governments, including Flagler County, to regulate vacation rental properties. A deregulation bill in the Senate has already cleared two committee.
This is the first hearing for the House bill, which also faces three committee stops. At 3 p.m. Watch here.

The Flagler County Planning and Development Board meets at 6 p.m. in Board Chambers at the Government Services Building, 1769 E. Moody Blvd., Bldg. 2, first floor, Bunnell. The board will hear a request for a special exception for a medical and dental office building at 5182 N. Oceanshore Boulevard in the Hammock.

Flagler County Commissioner Don O’Brien holds a town meeting at 6 p.m. at the Flagler County Public Library, 2500 Palm Coast Pkwy NW, Palm Coast.

Library Black History Month Live Performance by Mary Kelly at 2 p.m. in the Dough Cisney Room. Kelly offers a live performance of “Midnight Train: Harriet Tubman on the Underground Railroad.” Everyone is welcome to attend this special event sponsored by the Florida Specific Cultural Project Touring Grant. The library is at 2500 Palm Coast Pkwy NW, Palm Coast.

(christopher sebela)

School advisory council meetings: The Belle Terre Elementary Advisory Council meets at 4 p.m. in the principal’s conference room at the school, The Matanzas High council meets at 6 p.m. in the school’s Learning Commons.

An F/A-18C Super Hornet like the ones used in bombing runs on a range in the Ocala National Forest. Click on the image for larger view. (Shawn J. Stewart/US Navy)

Live and inert bombing: Navy training schedules indicate that live and inert bombing will take place at the Pinecastle Range Complex located in the Ocala National Forest, which may rattle windows in Palm Coast and Flagler County. The schedule is as follows:

• Tuesday: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. – Live/Inert
• Wednesday: 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. – Inert
• Wednesday: 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. – Inert
• Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. – Inert
• Friday: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. – Live/Inert
• Saturday: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. – Live/Inert
• Sunday: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. – Live/Inert

During bombing periods wildlife may be temporarily displaced. Use extra caution when driving through the Ocala National forest and surrounding areas. Secure any items around your residence that could attract wildlife. Always be mindful of larger animals including black bears and practice bearwise measures. The telephone number for noise complaints is 1-800-874-5059, Fleet Area Control and Surveillance Facility, Jacksonville, Fla.

Note: today is the Flagler Class 25 Application Deadline at the Flagler County Chamber of Commerce. $385 for members, $535 for non-members. Call the Chamber at 386-437-0106.

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

• Tuesday: Daytona State College’s Palm Coast Campus, 3000 Palm Coast Parkway Southeast, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Thursday: Hammock Beach Resort, 200 Ocean Crest Drive, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Thursday: Metro Diner, Island Walk, 250 Palm Coast Parkway, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Thursday: Walmart, 174 Cypress Point Parkway, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Friday: Publix at 800 Belle Terre Parkway, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Saturday: Publix at 4950 Belle Terre Parkway, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Sunday: Publix at Palm Harbor, 250 Palm Coast Parkway, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Jail Bookings and Last 24 Hours' Incidents in Flagler, Palm Coast, Flagler Beach, Bunnell

Jail Bookings, July 8-9 Sheriff's night shift incident reports, July 8 Sheriff's day shift incident reports, July 8 Flagler Beach's night shift incident reports, July 8 Flagler Beach's day shift incident reports, July 8 Bunnell police's night shift incident reports, July 8 Bunnell police's day shift incident reports, July 8
Previous and archived reports

Announcements:

A Message From Flagler Beach Government on Dune Walkovers: Effective now, the following Beach Access Stairways or Dune Crossover locations are open for public usage in Flagler Beach:

Please utilize the above Beach Access/Dune Crossovers only. Do not walk on or across the Sea Dunes to prevent further erosion of the Dune system. City Ordinance 6-9 prohibits the destruction, harm, molestation, cutting, harvesting, removal or eradication or cause of destruction of any plant life on the Dune areas within the City, east of Highway A1A. Please do not attempt to utilize closed Beach Access/Dune Crossover locations. Closed locations have clearly visible yellow “Caution” tape and wooden boards blocking access. These locations have been deemed unstable and have hereby been closed for public safety. Please utilize caution when accessing the Beach at the above locations, as there may be a varied distance between the last step of the Beach Access Points and the sand. The City will be working to re-open as many Dunes Access Points, both North and South of SR100, before March 1, 2018.

The Florida Agriculture Museum’s Latest Newsletter is out. Download it here or see below:

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.

JEWISH HERITAGE HONORED: Rep. Emily Slosberg, D-Boca Raton, and Sen. Daphne Campbell, D-Miami, are scheduled to host a Jewish heritage breakfast as part of Jewish American Heritage Week. Honorees during the breakfast are expected to include Rep. Rick Stark, D-Weston. (Tuesday, 8 a.m., 116 Knott Building, the Capitol.)

PAYDAY LOANS CONSIDERED: The House Government Operations & Technology Appropriations Subcommittee will consider a proposal (HB 857), filed by Rep. James Grant, R-Tampa, and Minority Leader Janet Cruz, D-Tampa, that would revamp regulations for payday lenders. The proposal would allow a new type of “installment” loan that could be up to $1,000 and be repaid over 60 to 90 days. (Tuesday, 9:30 a.m., Morris Hall, House Office Building, the Capitol.)

RECORDS EXEMPTION SOUGHT: The Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee will consider a proposal (SB 532), filed by Sen. Tom Lee, R-Thonotosassa, that would prevent the release of information about 16-year-olds and 17-year-olds who preregister to vote. (Tuesday, 10 a.m., 401 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)

GENETIC INFORMATION TARGETED: The Senate Health Policy Committee will take up a bill (SB 1106), filed by Sen. Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, that would bar life insurers and long-term care insurers from using people’s genetic information in deciding whether to cancel, limit or deny policies. (Tuesday, 10 a.m., 412 Knott Building, the Capitol.)

ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS AT ISSUE: The House Justice Appropriations Subcommittee will take up a bill (HB 1249), filed by Rep. James Grant, R-Tampa, that would make a series of changes related to access to electronic communications. Among other things, it would effectively criminalize reading text messages or emails on another person’s cell phone without getting permission. (Tuesday, 12:30 p.m., 306 House Office Building, the Capitol.)

ANIMAL CRUELTY ADDRESSED: The Senate Judiciary Committee will take up a bill (SB 952), filed by Chairman Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, that would allow judges to prevent people who have been convicted of animal cruelty from owning or possessing animals. (Tuesday, 2 p.m., 110 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)

FIREWORKS BAN COULD BE DEFUSED: The House Commerce Committee will take up a bill (HB 6037), filed by Rep. James Grant, R-Tampa, and Rep. Lawrence McClure, R-Dover, that would end a decades-old prohibition on fireworks sales. Many people have gotten around the ban by using loopholes that allow the purchase of fireworks for such things as frightening birds for agriculture-related purposes. (Tuesday, 3 p.m., 212 Knott Building, the Capitol.)

SPECIAL ELECTION IN HD 72: A special election will be held in Sarasota County’s House District 72. Republican James Buchanan, Democrat Margaret Good and Libertarian Alison Foxall are running to replace former Rep. Alex Miller, a Sarasota Republican who resigned last year.

NEW CRIME APPROACH SOUGHT: The group Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice will hold a procession to the Capitol, followed by a healing vigil and prayer circle, as it calls for a new approach to public safety. (Tuesday, procession starts at 10:30 a.m., Trinity United Methodist Church, 120 West Park Ave., Tallahassee. Healing vigil and prayer circle, noon, fourth floor, the Capitol.)

‘STEM DAY’ MARKED: A news conference will be held as part of the “2018 STEM Day at the Florida Capitol.” Representatives of the Orlando Science Center, the Tallahassee Museum and Motorola Solutions Foundation are expected to take part in the news conference. (Tuesday, 11 a.m., Capitol courtyard.)

GILLUM, CORCORAN DEBATE: Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum and House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes, will take part in a televised debate about “sanctuary” cities. (Tuesday, 8 p.m., Florida Internet and Television studio, 246 East Sixth Ave., Tallahassee.)

—-Compiled by the News Service of Florida and FlaglerLive

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

To • include your event in this section, please fill out this form. ♦ July 19: Urban Surf 4 Kids Surf Camp, 9 to 1 p.m. at South 6th Street on the Beach in Flagler Beach. ♦ July 19: The Flagler Beach Charter Review Commission meets at 9 a.m. at City Hall, 105 S 2nd St. ♦ July 19: Dive-in Movies, 8 p.m. at Palm Coast Aquatics Center, 339 Parkview Drive. Just bring your swimsuit and enjoy the show! Dive-in movie nights at the Palm Coast Aquatics Center provides a unique outdoor movie viewing experience for the entire family. Be sure to grab your favorite snack, sit back and enjoy the show! Food and snacks will be available for purchase. This month features “Incredibles 2” (PG). More info: 386-986-4741 and www.palmcoastgov.com/movies. ♦ July 20: Flagler Pier Fishing Tournament, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., Flagler Beach Fishing Pier. For any questions, please contact the Pier bait shop at 386-517-2436. ♦ July 20: Youth Fishing Derby, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. at Waterfront Park, 150 Waterfront Park Road, Palm Coast. Come out to Waterfront Park for a day of family fun, food, and catch-and-release fishing. Youth will be eligible for various prizes based on different categories such as longest fish, heaviest fish, most fish, smallest fish and others. Youth must be accompanied by an adult. Any adult actively assisting a youth must have a fishing license. For ages 15 and under. Free and registration is encouraged but not required at www.parksandrec.fun/events. More info: 386-986-2323. ♦ July 20: Meet with your local Fire Rescue personnel, while you tour your community’s Fire Station and equipment, at Flagler County Fire Station 92 at the county airport, 130 Airport Rd., Palm Coast, from 9 a.m. to noon. Additionally, personnel from Florida Forest Service and Flagler County Emergency Management will be available to explain and assist residents in signing up for the ALERTFlagler emergency notifications, and Special Needs Sheltering programs. For more information please contact Chief Fire Marshall (386) 313-4258 ♦ July 20-21: Jr. Lifeguard Camp, 8 a.m-12p.m. at Palm Coast Aquatics Center, 339 Parkview Drive. The Junior Lifeguard Camp offers step-by-step lifeguarding skill development. Learn water safety, lifeguard rescues, and First Aid CPR/AED in a weekend camp. Class attendees will receive a CPR mask, Red Cross whistle and T-shirt. For ages 11-15 years. $70/session. Registration required at www.parksandrec.fun/camps. More info: 386-986-2323. ♦ July 20-21: "Sleeping Beauty," at the Daytona Playhouse, Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m., Adults $13, Seniors 55 and up, $18, Youths 18 and under $7. Address: 100 Jessamine Blvd., Daytona Beach, or see directions here. Buy tickets online here. Box office: 386-255-2431. ♦ July 22: The Flagler County Stamp and Coin Club meets at 4:30 p.m. at the VFW Post 8696 47 N. Old Kings Road. From 4:30 - 6 p.m. the time is used for buying, selling and trading stamps and coins. The club meeting starts at 6 p.m. and ends at 7:30. There is a live auction of stamps and coins at the end of the meeting. The club is open for members, the general public, and all who are interested in stamp and coin collecting and investing. Free stamps and coin evaluations at all our meetings. The club is the only non-profit Stamp and Coin Club in Flagler County. For more information please visit the club's web site. ♦ July 22: Nar-Anon offers hope and help for families and friends of addicts. Every Monday, 6 p.m., St. Mark by the Sea Lutheran Church, 303 Palm Coast Pkwy NE, Palm Coast, Fellowship Hall Entrance. See the website, www.nar-anon.org, or call (800) 477-6291. ♦ July 23: Flagler County is hosting a ceremonial signing of its beach renourishment agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers at 2 p.m. in the Commission Chambers of the Government Services Building. Commission Chair Donald O’Brien and Jacksonville District Commander Colonel Andrew Kelly will make a few opening comments about the 2.6 mile 10-foot dune and beach profile extension in Flagler Beach. They, along with County Attorney Al Hadeed, will sign four copies of the final agreement. The 50-year, $100 million project is largely unfunded but will depend on Flagler County to secure half the money. The federal government would assume the other half. It applies to only 2.6 miles of beach in Flagler Beach. See: "Flagler About To Sign 50-Year, $100 Million Deal to Rebuild 2.6 Miles of Dunes in Flagler Beach. It Has Only a Fraction of the Money." ♦ July 23: The Flagler County Opioid Task Force meets at 6 p.m. at the Flagler County Public Library, 2500 Palm Coast Parkway. The task force will meet the fourth Tuesday of every month at the library through November. ♦ July 24: A meeting of Facing Grief Together, formerly known as Compassionate Friends, is scheduled at the Vitas Office at 4 North Old Kings Road (across from Kentucky Fried Chicken) in Palm Coast. The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. Facing Grief Together, a nonprofit self-help bereavement support organization for families that have experienced the death of a child. The meeting is open to all parents, grandparents, and siblings over age 18 who has suffered the loss of a child of any age. For more information, call John Brady at 610-428-3139. To learn more about Facing Grief Together, visit their national website at www.compassionatefriends.org. ♦ July 25: Carolyn Gosselin, Vice President of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, is the featured speaker at the Flagler Chamber's Common Ground breakfast, 8 a.m. at the Palm Coast Hilton Garden Inn, 50 Town Court. Registration is required by July 19. Members can preregister for $25, Guests and future members can attend for $35. No walk-ups. ♦ July 27: Tour de Palm Coast: Ride along the scenic route of St. Joe Walkway on this free tour. The tour will begin leaving promptly at 8 a.m. from the Palm Coast Community Center. Riders are encouraged to bring water, and all riders must wear a helmet. ♦ July 27: First Aid and CPR/AED, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at Fire Station 25, 1250 Belle Terre Pkwy., Palm Coast. This class is a seven-hour course (one hour for lunch) designed to meet OSHA regulations and teach administering CPR to children and adults, using an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), using a mask or barrier device, assisting with bleeding, broken bones. $50/person with registration required by 9 a.m. June 27. Register at www.parksandrec.fun/adults. More info: 386-986-2300 and cprcertification@palmcoastgov.com. ♦ July 27: The Flagler County Chamber of Commerce and the Palm Coast Area Council invites you to a small business development workshop. With Thaddeus Hammond, Economic Development Director of the SBA North Florida District, a leading expert in developing small businesses as guest speaker. 5 to 7 p.m., The Windsor of Palm Coast, 50 Town Ct, Palm Coast. Chamber Member: $15 per person, Guest and Future Chamber Member: $25 per person. Contact Melinda Rivera at 386-437-0106 or send her an email at melinda@flaglerchamber.org. ♦ July 29-Aug. 2: Monday-Friday, July 29-Aug. 2, 8 a.m-5 p.m. at Palm Coast Aquatics Center, 339 Parkview Drive. Love art? Come enjoy a week where you can let your creative side take flight. Campers will spend their days creating, drawing, sketching, painting and more! Of course, we’ll go to the pool and play some games, too. Lunch is provided at no extra charge by the Flagler County School District. For grades 6-8 (grade just completed). $80/entire week. Registration required at www.parksandrec.fun/camps. More info: 386-986-2323. ♦ July 29: Nar-Anon offers hope and help for families and friends of addicts. Every Monday, 6 p.m., St. Mark by the Sea Lutheran Church, 303 Palm Coast Pkwy NE, Palm Coast, Fellowship Hall Entrance. See the website, www.nar-anon.org, or call (800) 477-6291. ♦ July 31: An evidentiary hearing twice postponed is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. in the case of James McDevitt, who is serving a 40-year prison sentence in the 2015 rape of a woman in Flagler Beach, has been postponed to July 31. McDevitt pleaded guilty to the rape charge, but is now claiming ineffective counsel by two successive lawyers and is seeking to have the conviction and sentence vacated. The hearing is before Circuit Judge Terence Perkins in Courtroom 401 at the Flagler County courthouse. Perkins has reserved one hour for the hearing. The hearing had originally been scheduled for early April. McDevitt's lawyer asked for it to be rescheduled because of an emergency family issue (regarding the lawyer's family). It was again postponed to May 17. McDevitt has been at the Flagler County jail since April 4, awaiting the proceeding. He is normally incarcerated at Taylor prison in Perry, in Florida's Big Bend area. See details here. For events beyond this date, see the fuller Coming Days here.

The Day’s Best Reads:

Editor’s Tweets

Keep Up with Donald Trump’s attacks on the press through the ACLU’s running tab here.

Keep Up with mass shootings in a running database here.

Palm Coast Construction and Development Progress Reports

Here’s a summary of the latest city developments as of Feb. 8, 2018, with a link to the full week in review here.

Road and Interstate Construction:

• Florida Department of Transportation Road Project List

Cultural Coda

Abdel Rahman el Bacha Plays Two Nocturnes by Chopin

Previous Codas:

• Edith Mathis’s Creations
• Sheku Kanneh-Mason: No Woman No Cry, Cello Version
• Viotti’s Violin Concerto No 23 in G Major, Performed by Jennifer Jeon
• Bruckner’s Symphony Nr. 7 at the Lucerne Frestival
• Beethoven’s 5th Symphony in the style of Chopin: Syd R Duke
• Nikolai Kapustin performing Prelude, op. 53, no. 11
• Ray Chen, Sarabande from Bach’s Partita No. 2 in D minor
• It’s A Small World: Ken Kubota and Friends
• Maria Callas: The Mike Wallace Interview
• Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach – Oboe Concerto in B flat major, Wq 164
• The Cranberries: Linger
• Martha Argerich Performs Liszt’s Piano Concerto No 1 in E flat major
• Vivaldi’s Winter in a Wintry Performance By Milan Řehák
• Bach: Musical Offering BWV 1079, Concert des Nations Jordi Savall
• Bach: Sonata for Gamba and Harpsichord in G minor, BWV 1029
• Claude Debussy, La fille aux cheveux de lin, from Préludes
• Bach’s Complete Christmas Oratorio BWV 248, Gardiner, Monteverdi Choir & Bach Soloists
• Angels in Heaven: Chris Rodrigues and the Spoon Lady
• Hindemith: Der Schwanendreher
• Brendel Performs Schubert’s A Major Sonata No. 22, D. 959
• The New York Philharmonic in a 2016 Performance of Dvorak’s New World Symphony
• Alexander Gavrylyuk Plays Bach İtalian Concerto
• Daniel Lozakovich, at 12 Years Old, Performs a Beethoven Violin and Piano Sonata
• Jacquet de la Guerre: Sonata in D minor for Violin and Continuo performed by House of Time
• Evgeni Koroliov Performs Claude Debussy Préludes
• Turkey’s Fazil Say Plays Mozart’s Alla Turca, Then His Own
• Guitarist John Williams at the BBC: The 2016 Documentary
• Sviatoslav Richter Plays Schubert’s Great Piano Sonata No 13 in A major, D 664
• Philip Glass’s Violin Concerto Performed on Sax by Amy Dixon
• Maria João Pires Performs Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 17 in G Major, K 453
• When Mickey Mouse Jammed Out Carmen and Other Favorites
• Heinrich von Herzogenberg’s Trio for Piano, Oboe and Horn, Op. 61
• The Sublime Valses Poéticos by Enrique Granados, Performed By Albert Flotats
• Complete Performance of Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique: Leonard Bernstein, Orchestre National de France