Wednesday Briefing: Interviews For County Judge, Parks and Recreation, Facing Grief, Handmaid’s Tale

\Today: Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening, then partly cloudy after midnight. Lows in the mid 70s. South winds 5 mph shifting to the west after midnight. Tonight: Partly cloudy. Chance of showers and thunderstorms in the morning, then showers and thunderstorms likely in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 90s. Northwest winds 5 mph shifting to the northeast in the afternoon. Chance of rain 70 percent.
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: 311
Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day: desuetude.
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
• 2019 Hurricane Preparedness Guide
• Flagler Beach A1A Construction Updates
• Announcements
• In State Government
• In Coming Days in Flagler, Palm Coast and Beyond
• Fact-Checking the Knaves
• Palm Coast Construction and Development
• Cultural Coda

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.

Flagler County Judge Interviews: the Seventh Judicial Circuit’s Judicial Nominating Commission interviews 24 candidates for Flagler County judge, in 15-minute increments, starting at 8:45 in the Jury Assembly Room at the Flagler County Courthouse. Interviews run all day and are open to the public. The commission will forward a shortlist of candidates to Gov. Ron DeSantis, who will make the appointment to the newly created county judge seat. The appointment is expected sometime this year. The table below lists the full roster of candidates, their resumes and their interview time:

The Flagler County Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meets at 10 a.m. in the First Floor Conference Room, Government Services Building, 1769 E. Moody Blvd., Building 2, Bunnell. The board will discuss its bylaws after considering a dozen requests for uses of various county facilities by different groups. The agenda is here.

The Blue Power 2020 Action Forum, 12:30 p.m. at the African American Cultural Society, 4422 N. US HWY 1, Palm Coast (just north of Whiteview Parkway). Come and join other progressive Democrats to discuss local, state and national issues, and propose actions to influence elected leaders. The Forum is open and informal and all opinions and ideas are welcomed. This is your opportunity to meet and lend your voice and knowledge to people who share your values. For more information, contact Mike Cocchiola, [email protected]. The Blue Power forum meets every Wednesday. Republicans, Independents and Whigs welcome.

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.​

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):

• Monday: Palm Coast Ford, 1150 Palm Coast Parkway, 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• Palm Coast City Hall, 160 Lake Avenue, 1 to 4 p.m.
• Tuesday: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 4600 Belle Terre Parkway, Palm Coast, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• Saturday: Walmart, 174 Cypress Point Parkway, Palm Coast, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Sunday: T.J. Maxx, in the Target Shopping center, 5260 State Road 100, Palm Coast, noon to 6 p.m.
• Labor Day: Walmart, 174 Cypress Point Parkway, Palm Coast, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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

Jail Bookings, June 19-22 Sheriff's night shift incident reports, June 21 Sheriff's day shift incident reports, June 21 Flagler Beach's night shift incident reports, June 21 Flagler Beach's day shift incident reports, June 21 Bunnell police's night shift incident reports, June 21 Bunnell police's day shift incident reports, June 21
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.

 

2019 Hurricane Preparedness

Download your 2019 Hurricane Preparedness Guide here, or see below:

Sign-up for our ALERTFlagler emergency notification system at www.FlaglerCounty.org/ALERTFlagler.

Click to access 2019-Hurricane-Preparedness-Guide.pdf

Flagler Beach Is Open For Business: A1A Construction Update:

FlaglerLive is providing weekly updates to year-long construction on and near State Road A1A in Flagler Beach as the Florida Department of Transportation rebuilds a 1.5-mile segment from South 9th Street to South 22nd Street, and builds a sea wall at the north end of town. These updates are provided through DOT or local officials. If you have any relevant information or images, you’re welcome to email them to the editor here.

IMPORTANT: Safety in the Work Zone: Drivers are reminded to obey all posted speed limits, and to be alert to vehicles turning onto northbound S.R. A1A from side streets or businesses. Pedestrians and bicyclists are asked to remain aware as construction activities continue and designated pathways are moved. Please use extra caution walking, bicycling or driving through the area. Remember, safety is everyone’s responsibility.

Last Updated: Aug. 12

Protecting Turtles

Now that turtle nesting season has started in the Flagler Beach area, local Turtle Patrol volunteers are checking the beach within the project limits every day to locate any new nests. In Segment 3, north of North 18th Street, work cannot begin until the beach is checked. If a nest is discovered, the nest will be marked, and work will not be allowed within 10 feet of the nest, as specified in the environmental permits issued for this project.

The Turtle Patrol also is monitoring the beach in the project limits of Segment 1, from South 25th Street to South 22nd Street, where plans call for dune revetment involving additional sand and plants.

Segment 1 South 25th Street to South 22nd Street):

Work is substantially completed on Segment 1 from South 25th Street to South 23rd Street.

Segment 2 (South 22nd Street to South 9th Street):

The contractor expects to finish installation of the French drain within the next three weeks. The contractor is forming and pouring the concrete curbing for the median, and building the new southbound roadway.

Residents can expect to see increased truck traffic as the contractor brings in base materials for the roadway and concrete trucks for the curbing. The curbing is constructed in two phases. The foundation is poured first, followed by the vertical face of the curb. This type of curb will add extra stability for the roadway.

Segment 3 (North 18th Street to Osprey Drive) Project Update:

Wall construction is complete. Remaining work includes placing sand over the wall and planting new vegetation. The contractor also is excavating a small swale along the east side of the roadway.

Announcements/Press Releases:

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.

UNIVERSITY ISSUES ON TABLE: Committees of the state university system’s Board of Governors will hold a series of meetings before a full board meeting Thursday. Among the issues will be a discussion at the Audit and Compliance Committee about an investigation into the improper use of funds by the University of Central Florida for building projects. (Wednesday, meetings start at 8:30 a.m., Florida Gulf Coast University, Cohen Center, 10501 FGCU Blvd. South, Fort Myers.)

BROWARD JUDGE REPRIMANDED: The Florida Supreme Court will publicly reprimand a Broward County circuit judge for violating a ban on partisan political activity during his 2018 election campaign. The Supreme Court in April unanimously ruled that Circuit Judge Ernest Kollra should face a reprimand after an investigation by the state Judicial Qualifications Commission. The investigation involved two incidents, including Kollra telling the South Florida Sun Sentinel editorial board that he was a registered Republican. Also, while speaking to the Hills Democratic Club during the campaign, Kollra said he had been endorsed by another group, the Dolphin Democrats. Judicial candidates, who run in non-partisan races, are barred from discussing issues such as political affiliation. (Wednesday, 9 a.m., Florida Supreme Court, 500 South Duval St., Tallahassee.)

PORTS AT ISSUE: Florida seaport officials will hold the second of three days of meetings in Duval County. (Wednesday, 9 a.m., Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront, 225 East Coastline Dr., Jacksonville.)

COURT CONSIDERS UTILITY MEASURE: The Florida Supreme Court will hear arguments about the proposed ballot wording of a controversial constitutional amendment that would overhaul and deregulate the state’s electric-utility industry. The proposal, backed by a political committee known as Citizens for Energy Choices, calls for creating “competitive” electricity markets in which customers would have the right to choose electricity providers or to produce their own power. Supporters, including companies that want to supply electricity in Florida, point to a similar structure that Texas has used for nearly two decades. But the proposal has drawn opposition from Florida state leaders, business groups and utilities, which argue it should not go before voters in November 2020 because it violates legal standards for citizens’ initiatives, such as tying together multiple subjects in a proposed constitutional amendment. The Supreme Court must sign off on initiatives’ wording before they can go on the ballot. (Wednesday, 9;10 a.m., Florida Supreme Court, 500 South Duval St., Tallahassee.)

JUSTICES WEIGH LIABILITY LIMITS: The Florida Supreme Court will hear arguments in a dispute about how much money a state agency can be required to pay because of allegations of negligence. The case is rooted in allegations against the Florida Department of Children and Families after Palm Beach County resident Patrick Dell in 2010 fatally shot four of his stepchildren and injured one. Dell also killed his wife, Natasha, and fatally shot himself. The fathers of the children filed a lawsuit against the state, alleging negligence by the Department of Children and Families, which had investigated an incident in 2009 in which Patrick Dell was alleged to have threatened his wife with a knife and made threats to the entire family. The Supreme Court will consider the department’s potential liability under the state’s sovereign-immunity laws, which are designed to shield government agencies from large judgments. The sovereign-immunity law that applies to the Dell shootings limited to $200,000 the amount of liability for all claims or judgments “arising out of the same incident or occurrence.” But the legal dispute centers on whether that $200,000 limit should apply as an overall total to the claims against DCF or whether each claim should be capped at $200,000. A Palm Beach County circuit judge ruled that each claim would be eligible for as much as $200,000, but the 4th District Court of Appeal overturned that decision, saying the $200,000 cap “applies to limit recovery for all claims.” (Wednesday, 10:10 a.m., Florida Supreme Court, 500 South Duval St., Tallahassee.)

PARKLAND LIABILITY DISPUTE HEARD: The Florida Supreme Court will hear arguments in a dispute about how much the Broward County School Board could be forced to pay to parents and victims in last year’s mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The issue centers on the state’s sovereign-immunity laws, which limit how much government agencies can be forced to pay in lawsuits, and how the liability limits should apply when multiple people are killed or injured in incidents. The Broward County School Board has argued that the sovereign-immunity law caps at $300,000 its potential liability to the parents and victims in the Feb. 14, 2018, shooting at the Parkland high school. The dispute involves whether that $300,000 limit should be an overall total because the mass shooting was a single incident — or whether each plaintiff filing a claim against the school board should be able to receive $200,000 because the shots were separate occurrences. A Broward County circuit judge in December ruled in favor of the School Board, prompting attorneys for Parkland parents and victims to appeal. The 4th District Court of Appeal in March said the case should go straight to the Supreme Court, a move known as certifying the appeal. (Wednesday, 11 a.m., Florida Supreme Court, 500 South Duval St., Tallahassee.)

MORGAN SPEAKS AT TIGER BAY: Prominent Orlando attorney John Morgan, who led a 2016 ballot drive to legalize medical marijuana and is spearheading a 2020 drive to raise the state’s minimum wage, will speak to the Capital Tiger Bay Club. (Wednesday, 11:30 a.m., Donald L. Tucker Civic Center, 505 West Pensacola St., Tallahassee.)

GAETZ SPEAKS IN VOLUSIA: U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., is slated to speak to the Republican Club of Daytona Beach. (Wednesday, 11:30 a.m., Palmetto Club, 1000 South Beach St., Daytona Beach.)

 

—-Compiled by the News Service of Florida and FlaglerLive

 

Coming Days:
[ai1ec view=”agenda”]

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 Aug. 16, 2019, with a link to the full week in review here.

Click to access 190816-week-review-development.pdf

Cultural Coda

Mompou, from Musica Callada, Jean-François Heisser

And be sure to check out the latest performances at the Netherlands Bach Society.

Previous Codas:

Louis Armstrong, Live in Berlin, 1965

• André Isoir in concert at Nimes, 2001
• Dussek’s Piano Sonata in F minor, Op. 77 “L’invocation”
• Hélène Grimaud, Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5, Paavo Järvi and the Frankfort Symphony
• Hélène Grimaud Plays Busoni’s Transcription of Bach’s Chaconne in D minor BWV 1004
• Baldassare Galuppi’s Sonata Nr. 5 in C major, Vadim Chaimovich
• Corelli: Concerto in D Major Op. 6 No. 4, complete. Voices of Music; original instruments
• Ana Vidovic: “La Catedral,” by Agustín Barrios Mangoré
• J. S. Bach’s Organ Concerto After Johann Ernst, BWV 592
• Spohr String Quartet Op. 82. no. 2 First Movement: Allegro
• Willie Nelson’s 4th of July picnic 1974
• Marin Marais: Le Labyrinthe (the Labyrinth); Cassandra Luckhardt, viola da gamba
• The Evolution of Music
• Christopher Atzinger Performs John Knowles Paine’s Romance, Op. 39
• Alfredo Keil’s Bohémiens, op. 12, n.º 12, Tomohiro Hatta, piano
• Rudolf Serkin Performs Chopin Preludes in Tokyo, 1979
• Sibelius’s Violin Concerto Op. 47, Performed by Hilary Hahn
• Sonia Rubinsky plays Villa-Lobos
• Mozart: String Quartet No.15 K.421, Emerson String Quartet
• Brahms：Cello Sonata No.1, Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax