Thursday Briefing: A Lawyer’s Gift to Flagler Beach, Jose Antonio Jimenez Execution, ITMS Band Concert

FlaglerLive | December 13, 2018

In October 2014, Flagler Beach Attorney and photographer Scott Spradley presented the mayor and City Commission with a large print of a photograph of the pier seen from just north of it. The gift marked Spradley’s 25 years as a member of the Florida Bar. It’s been hanging in the commission’s chamber, where all public meetings are held, since. This evening, Spradley is presenting a new print of the pier–not as sunny, but more arresting and symbolic. ‘I am doing it in conjunction with my 30 year anniversary of practicing law, and 10 years living and working in Flagler Beach (I’m my 10th year of sobriety as well),’ Spradley explained in a text. The presentation takes place at the beginning of the meeting, at 5:30 p.m. (© Scott Spradley)

Today: Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of showers. Highs around 70. East winds 5 to 10 mph. Tonight: Warmer. Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of showers in the evening, then chance of showers after midnight. Lows in the lower 60s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent. 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 Index: 119
The OED’s Word of the day: badmash, 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
Fact-Checking the Knaves
Palm Coast Construction and Development
Local Road and Interstate Construction
Cultural Coda

“Poor white Americans were, in other words, killing themselves, and this was not a mere blip in the data. In late 2015, the British economist Angus Deaton won the Nobel Prize for work he had done with fellow economist Anne Case, showing that the mortality gap between wealthy white men and poor ones was widening at a rate of one year each year, and slightly less for women. A couple of months later, “economists at the Brookings Institution found that for men born in 1920, there was a six-year difference in life expectancy between the top 10 percent of earners and the bottom 10 percent. For men born in 1950, that difference more than doubled, to 14 years.”22 Smoking could account for only one-fifth to one-third of the excess deaths. The rest were apparently attributable to alcoholism, opioid addiction, and actual suicide—as opposed to metaphorically killing oneself through unwise lifestyle choices.”

–From Barbara Ehrenreich’s “Natural Causes” (2018).

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.

The Flagler Beach City Commission meets at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall with an opening surprise from Flagler Beach attorney Scott Spradley, the swearing out of Sgt. William Shamp, and a presentation from Walker Consultants regarding a parking study.

Evening at the Whitney Lecture Series: Ruth Francis-Floyd, director of the University of Florida Aquatic Animal Health Program, will be the guest speaker for the final talk in the fall Evenings at Whitney lecture series. Her talk is titled “Ecosystem Challenges in Florida: The Diadema Story (a case study…).” Lectures and parking are free and registration or reservations are not necessary. The event is at 7 p.m. at Center for Marine Studies, Lohman Auditorium, 9505 Ocean Shore Blvd., St. Augustine, Florida. For further details, call (904) 461-4000.

The Indian Trails Middle School Advisory Council meets at 5:30 p.m. at the school.

The Indian Trails Middle School band is in concert at the school’s gym at 6:30 p.m.

Rotary Club Annual Fantasy Lights Festival in Palm Coast’s Town Center’s Central Park, through New Year, every evening until 9 p.m. Free admission, with recommended donation to the Rotary Club, which makes the lights possible.

Blood Donations: The Big Red Bus will be at the following locations this week (schedule your donation by going to the website and entering a Palm Coast zip code, then locating one of the venues below):

Thursday: Starbucks in Target, Target shopping center, 5270, East Highway 100, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Thursday: Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area, 3100 South Oceanshore Boulevard, Flagler Beach, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Friday: Chick Fil A, 1000 Palm Coast Parkway, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Friday: Advance America Palm Coast, 800 Belle Terre Parkway, Palm Coast, 2 to 7 p.m.
Sunday: Starbucks, Island Walk, 250 Palm Coast Parkway, 11 a.m. to 4 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

Sources: Flagler County Sheriff's Office, Flagler Beach Police Department, Bunnell Police Department. This is Flagler County's only comprehensive, one-stop compilation of all local law enforcement's daily day and night shift commanders' reports.

Announcements:

Watch Saturday’s Starlight Parade Through Town Center

On the video, you will see this year’s outstanding entries as they make their way through Town Center, with the wonderful Fantasy Lights in Central Park as the backdrop. The Starlight Parade was hosted by Palm Coast Fire Chief Mike Beadle and his wife, DeeDee, and this year’s Grand Marshal leading the parade was Bill Butler, recently retired City of Palm Coast Landscape Architect, who is responsible for the landscaping that makes Palm Coast so beautiful and is also one of the Rotary Club of Flagler County’s founders of the annual Fantasy Lights.

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.

BUDGET, RULES, ESTIMATING CONFERENCES DISCUSSED: The House will offer an introduction to the state budget, an introduction to House rules and a meeting about estimating conferences. (Wednesday, 10 a.m., budget meeting, Reed Hall, House Office Building, the Capitol. Also, 10 a.m., rules meeting, 306 House Office Building, the Capitol. Also, 10 a.m., estimating conferences, 404 House Office Building, the Capitol.)

SENATORS GET ETHICS TRAINING: The Florida Commission on Ethics and Jeremiah Hawkes, the Senate general counsel, will provide an ethics presentation to senators. (Thursday, 9 a.m., 401 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)

WORKING WITH STAKEHOLDERS, PUBLIC RECORDS AT ISSUE: House members will attend a meeting about working with stakeholders, receive an overview of public records and open meetings and get information about filing appropriations project bills. (Thursday, 10:15 a.m., working with stakeholders, 306 House Office Building, the Capitol. Also, 10:15 a.m., public records overview, Reed Hall, House Office Building, the Capitol. Also, 10:15 a.m., filing appropriations bills, 404 House Office Building, the Capitol.)

SCHOOL SAFETY COMMISSION MEETS: The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission, which was created to make recommendations after the Feb. 14 mass shooting at a Broward County high school, will meet in Tallahassee. It is expected to finalize findings and recommendations, including about issues requiring legislative action. (Thursday, 8:30 a.m., Donald L. Tucker Civic Center, 505 West Pensacola St., Tallahassee.)

FISH AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION MEETS: The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will hold the second day of a meeting and is expected to take up issues such as proposed rule changes for deer hunting. (Thursday, 8:30 a.m., Renaissance World Golf Village, 500 South Legacy Trail, St. Augustine.)

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

PUBLIC SCHOOL ENROLLMENT ANALYZED: The Education Estimating Conference will discuss enrollment in the pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade system. (Thursday, 1:30 p.m., 117 Knott Building, the Capitol.)

EXECUTION SET IN MIAMI-DADE MURDER: Death Row inmate Jose Antonio Jimenez is scheduled to be executed in the 1992 murder of 63-year-old Phyllis Minas during a burglary in Miami-Dade County. Neighbors tried to enter the home through an unlocked front door after hearing Minas’ cries, but Jimenez slammed the door shut, locked it and fled by going onto a bedroom balcony, according to court documents. Scott signed a death warrant in July and initially scheduled the execution of Jimenez in August. But the Florida Supreme Court issued a stay of execution so it could look further at issues in the case. The Florida Supreme Court on Oct. 4 lifted the stay, allowing Scott to reschedule the execution. (Thursday, 6 p.m., Florida State Prison, 23916 N.W. 83rd Ave., Raiford.)

—-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 17: The Flagler County Technical Review Committee meets at 9 a.m. in the First Floor Conference Room of the Government Services Building, Bunnell. The committee hears a land use amendment for The Gardens, the planned development straddling John Anderson Highway that would bring 3,966 homes and apartment units to the area over a generation. The proposal is generating controversy. See the developer's perspective here, and the account of a town meeting on the development here.
♦ July 17: The Tourist Development Council meets at 10 a.m. in board chambers at Government Services Building, Bunnell.
♦ July 17: The Palm Coast Planning and Land Development Board meets at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall in Town Center.
♦ July 17: The Flagler Beach Economic Development Task Force meets at 4 p.m. at City Hall, 105 S 2nd St.
♦ July 18: 2019 Beach Bash on the Pier, 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm at the Flagler Beach Fishing Pier. Join the Flagler County Chamber and the Flagler Beach Area Council for the 6th Annual Beach Bash on the Pier (formerly known as Peers on the Pier)! This awesome summertime event will offer food, fun, door prize drawings, an amazing view, beach vibe music provided by Surf 97.3FM and great company on the historic Flagler Beach pier. Guests will be given passports to visit all vendors on the pier and are encouraged to learn more about the local businesses that set up shop to showcase the services they offer. Guests turn in their completed passports for prize drawings that will occur.
♦ July 18:

The Inspired Mic, Palm Coast’s most daring and unpredictable open mic event, is scheduled for its monthly edition at its new venue at the Hidden Treasures Restaurant, 820 Moody Ln, Flagler Beach. Each month some of the most creative, innovative performances a person could ever hope to experience take place at The Inspired Mic. 14 presenters each month pull out slices of talent and genius to entertain the audience. Each presenter gets 7 minutes to present on a very eclectic blend of their genius. Hidden Treasures Restaurant, 820 Moody Ln, Flagler Beach (under the bridge). Doors open at 6 p.m. and presenters begin at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $12.50 advance, available at theinspiredmicus.com, or $15 at the door. The ticket includes one drink and entry into a drawing with a prize of $25 cash or a $50 gift certificate to The Hidden Treasures.
♦ 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.

To include your event in this section, please email the details, including date, time, a brief description of the event, contact information, and, if you wish, an image, please use this form.

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Palm Coast Construction and Development Progress Reports

Here’s a summary of the latest city developments as of Dec. 7, 2018, with a link to the full week in review here.

Road and Interstate Construction: