Today: high in low 80s, low in mid-60s. Details here.
Today’s fire danger is moderate. Flagler County’s Drought Index is at 317.
Today’s tides: at the beaches, at the Intracoastal Waterway.
Today’s document from the National Archives.
The OED’s Word of the Day: pula, n. (and int.).
The Live Community Calendar
Today’s jail bookings.
Today’s Briefing: Quick Links
- In Flagler and Palm Coast
- Local News Recap
- In State Government
- In Coming Days in Flagler and Palm Coast
- PR Releases
- In the Press, In the News
- Fact-Checking the Knaves
- Palm Coast Construction and Development Progress Reports
- Local Road and Interstate Construction
- Cultural Coda
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 Flagler County Economic Opportunity Council meets at 9 a.m. in board chambers at the Government Services Building.
The Flagler County School District’s Parent Advisory Committee meets at 6 p.m. at the Government Services Building, third floor, room 3B.
Indian Trails Middle School Advisory Council meets at 5:30 p.m. at the school’s media center.
Palm Coast Moves to Restrict Bottle Clubs, Speakeasies that Skirt Booze Regulations: There are no bottle clubs in Palm Coast or Flagler County. But Palm Coast government is moving to strictly regulate that type of business—and possibly, like Flagler Beach or Daytona Beach, to ban it—in response to local businesses’ fears that bottle clubs may soon open locally.
Splits Limited to Details as Bunnell Sets Next Manager’s Pay Range and Qualifications: The votes were not unanimous, but the commission agreed, by a 3-2 vote, to offer the position at a salary range of $65,000 to $80,000, with dissenters looking for a lower range. They agreed, by a 4-1 vote, to first open the application window to internal applicants. If none apply by next Wednesday (Nov. 26) they would then advertise the position more broadly. And they agreed by consensus to stick with the current job description—in the main, with minor changes.
Palm Coast and Flagler County at odds on proposed EMS services legislation: “Legislation proposed by Sen. Travis Hutson may change the rules, making it harder for counties within the state to deny cities the paperwork that would let cities run their own EMS services,” the Observer reports. The county opposes the legislation. Palm Coast is pushing for it. Rep. Paul Renner introduced the bill in the House.
No Longer State of the Art, Flagler Auditorium Seeks School Board Support for Improvements: In the first joint meeting between the school board and the auditorium’s board in about a decade, auditorium officials told the school board that they’re looking for money and help from the district to invest in a 24-year-old facility that needs attention. “I can’t really say we’re a state of the art facility anymore,” Auditorium Director Lisa McDevitt told the school board, but she’d like to be able to say it again.
Note: Most proceedings below can be followed live on the Florida Channel.
Economic development: The House Economic Affairs Committee will hear a presentation from the state Department of Economic Opportunity about Gov. Rick Scott’s economic-development proposal for 2016. In part, Scott has proposed a $250 million fund for economic incentives. (9 a.m.)
Guns on campus: The House Judiciary Committee will consider a proposal (HB 4001), sponsored by Rep. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, and Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda, D-Tallahassee, that would allow people with concealed-weapons licenses to carry guns on college and university campuses. (9 a.m.)
Water policy: The Senate Appropriations Committee will take up a water-policy bill (SB 552), sponsored by Sen. Charlie Dean, R-Inverness. The bill, in part, seeks to establish water flow levels for springs and define the Central Florida Water Initiative. It also includes further management action plans for Lake Okeechobee, the Caloosahatchee Estuary and the St. Lucie River and Estuary. (1 p.m.)
Tax credits: The House Finance & Tax Committee will discuss tax credits for research and development and tourism-related taxes. (1 p.m.)
Key health bills debated: The House Select Committee on Affordable Healthcare Access will consider three high-profile bills. A proposal (HB 437), filed by Rep. Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor, would eliminate what is known as the “certificate of need” regulatory process for building or expanding hospitals. A bill (HB 37), filed by Rep. Fred Costello, R-Ormond Beach, would help clear the way for “direct primary care” agreements. Such agreements involve patients paying monthly fees to doctors for primary-care services, removing the role of insurers. The third bill (HB 85), filed by Rep. Heather Fitzenhagen, R-Fort Myers, would allow patients to stay at ambulatory surgical centers for up to 24 hours and allow the operation of longer-term “recovery care” centers. Under current state law, patients are required to be discharged from ambulatory-surgical centers on the same day they undergo procedures. (4 p.m.)
Manatee protection: The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will take up a series of wildlife-related issues, including a proposal to change a manatee-protection zone in Indian Rocks Beach in Pinellas County. (8:30 a.m., Majestic Beach Resort, 10901 Front Beach Road, Panama City Beach.)
The Florida Supreme Court is scheduled to release its weekly opinions. (Thursday, 11 a.m.)
–Compiled by the News Service of Florida and FlaglerLive
In Coming Days in Palm Coast and Flagler:
Click on the links for more details:
- Nov. 20: Astronomy Open House hosted by the Embry-Riddle Amateur Astronomy Club and the Embry-Riddle Observatory:: The new College of Arts & Sciences building is home to the newest additions to the university’s Physical Sciences department, the 1-meter (40 inches) Ritchey-Chrétien reflecting telescope – the largest university-based research telescope in Florida – and six rooftop-observing stations for smaller telescopes. An out of this world presentation Friday, Nov. 20 begins at 7 p.m. in the Willie Miller Instructional Center, Lemerand Auditorium, featuring “An Astronomer’s Trash is an Aeronomer’s Treasure: The Nighttime Glow of Our Dynamic Atmosphere,” by Dr. Jonathan Snively. The observatory will open at 8 p.m. in the College of Arts & Sciences building. For more information, call (386) 226-6010. This event is free and open to the public.
- Nov. 24: Join Palm Coast United Methodist Church for a Thanksgiving meal and service with the Honorable Hubert L. Grimes. Free to all.
- Nov. 26: Thanksgiving Feet to Feast, 15K, 5K run and walk, at Indian Trails Middle School, 7:45 a.m.
- Nov. 30: 5th Annual Tree-Lighting Ceremony in Palm Coast’s Town Center, 6 p.m.
- Dec. 1: ERAU’s Honors Series welcomes Dr. Bruce Jakosky, presenting Water, Climate, and the Potential for Life on Mars.
- Dec. 4 and 5: Blowout book sale at the Flagler County Public Library in Palm Coast, all books in the Friends book shop will be priced at 25 cents. The sale will be held during normal business hours: Friday, 9 to 6 and Saturday 9 to 5. Shop for yourself or, stock up for your holiday gift giving. 2500 Palm Coast Pkwy NW. Call 446-6705 with any questions.
Click on the link for more details.
Virtual Homes Realty teams up with Toys for Tots to brighten the holidays for children in Palm Coast:
Florida Forest Service Set to Begin Prescribed Burning
Astronomy Open House at Embry-Riddle
The Honors Series welcomes Dr. Bruce Jakosky, presenting Water, Climate, and the Potential for Life on Mars
Join Palm Coast United Methodist Church for meal, service with the Honorable Hubert L. Grimes
Rotary Club of Flagler Beach Seeks Volunteers to Pack 10,000 meals again for Stop Hunger Now
Virtual Homes Realty teams up with Toys for Tots to brighten the holidays for children in Palm Coast: Virtual Homes Realty, is proud to once again, for the 4th year in a row, collect new, unwrapped toys for the annual countrywide toy drive of Toys for Tots. If you currently rent with their company, each toy allows a tenant a chance to win money towards one month of rent! Each toy is a new chance to win! If you are not a tenant, that’s okay, the gift of giving is plentiful. They will be collecting these toys at the company’s office of Virtual Homes Realty, 1 Farraday Lane, Palm Coast, FL 32137 between now and December 21.
Florida Forest Service Set to Begin Prescribed Burning: The Bunnell District will begin prescribed burning in the coming weeks in predetermined areas of St. Johns, Flagler and Volusia County’s. If you have questions or would like more information on prescribed burning, please contact Julie Maddux with the Florida Forest Service at [email protected]. Anthony Petellat, Bunnell District Manager, wants to reiterate to the community is that weather plays a significant role in prescribed burning. “Prescribed fire is only conducted when weather parameters are suitable. If a prescribed burn is planned and weather conditions become unstable, then we will not burn.” Petellat stated. In 2015, 49,000 wildfires burned more than 9 million acres of Federal, State and private lands nationwide. Florida communities can mitigate or reduce wildfire risk in several ways such as prescribed burning, becoming a Firewise Community and/or adopting a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). These wildfire mitigation measures can help reduce the potential for injury or loss of life and can help protect homes, businesses or public infrastructure from the devastating effects of wildfire. Prescribed fire is a safe way to apply a natural process, ensure ecosystem health and reduce wildfire risk. We use prescribed fire to reduce buildup of flammable plants and debris and, in turn, provide increased protection to people, their homes and natural resources. Other uses include disease control in young pines, wildlife habitat improvement, range management, preservation of endangered plant and animal species and the maintenance of fire-dependent ecosystems. Florida set a record for prescribed fire last year burning 246,000 acres of Florida state forests. 12,620 acres of prescribed fire has been completed in the Bunnell District alone over the last two years. As we transition into a cooler time of the year, the Bunnell District has identified areas to be burned during prescribed fire season. Good fires, like prescribed fire, play an essential role in shaping ecosystems by serving as an agent of renewal and change. Prescribed fire reintroduces the favorable effects of fire into an ecosystem and reduces the hazards of catastrophic wildfire caused by excessive buildup of flammable plants and debris.
Join the debate: How should societies balance civil liberties and national security? https://t.co/JBBVL4SRN1 pic.twitter.com/h01QjJpIEt
— New York Times World (@nytimesworld) November 19, 2015
McCain to GOP: "Refugees are not the problem" https://t.co/n9KDeHVQKz pic.twitter.com/hoUfh0q89L
— The Hill (@thehill) November 19, 2015
Why a massive Greenland glacier is melting from below https://t.co/N8SjPuG3cU pic.twitter.com/vgHYRz0U9O
— The Christian Science Monitor (@csmonitor) November 19, 2015
When should presidential candidates drop out? https://t.co/s8DaF4cQY8 via @NYTOpinion pic.twitter.com/6xFUG9Wegz
— The New York Times (@nytimes) November 19, 2015
Why men don’t like funny women https://t.co/jpzFObeke0 pic.twitter.com/FISosmkCXv
— The Atlantic (@TheAtlantic) November 19, 2015
Palm Coast Construction and Development Progress Reports
The following is an update of ongoing construction and development projects in Palm Coast, through Nov. 5:
Palm Coast Parkway Six-Laning is 97 percent done: (Not updated this week.)
Holland Park, 37 percent done: Perimeter sidewalk continues to be formed and poured. The new 8″ water main was installed across Florida Park Drive and the water tap was made. Electrical trenching and conduit installation continues. 8″ water main and 2 hydrants being re-installed per plan. New irrigation system installation continues.
County’s I-95 Interchange Matanzas Woods Reclaim Water, 76 percent done: Retention ponds are being excavated and fill continues for the ramps.
Palm Harbor Parkway Roadway Extension, 32 percent done: The City Fiber Optic cable was removed to allow the demucking to continue north on Forest Grove. The Fiber Optic cable will be replaced when the new force main is installed. Installation of stormwater pipe continues.
Colechester Bridge, 90 percent done: Bridge Deck has been paved and striped and has been reopened. Pedestrian railings are installed, demolition of slope pavement continues. Directional bore of water main almost complete.
North Old Kings Road Extension to Matanzas Woods Parkway, 19 percent done: Asphalt was installed on the new section of roadway adjacent to the old roadway at the intersection of Old Kings Road and Forest Grove.
Island Walk Shopping Center Phase 1, 93 percent done: Water mains behind the Island Doctor and Bealls have been chlorinated for 2nd day bacteriological samples.
Old Kings Road Force Main 50 percent done:: Contractor is working on Force main at the entrance north of spray field.
Road and Interstate Construction:
Henryk Wieniawski, Polonaise de Concert in D major No. 1, Op. 4, Performed by the Bukowski School of Music Symphony Orchestra, Wrocław (Poland), 2013
David S says
Flagler Co and the City of PC have been at war between each other since the begining . This argument over ambulance service goes on in many cities and towns through out the US every month,look at DC ,Volusia ,and many others is it a waste of our money who knows by law in most juristictions it is required that an engine is to respond along with an rescue unit to all medical calls this will not change if the city pulls this off any comments?
Barry Hartmann says
We know that about 95% of all calls to the Palm Coast fire department are medical calls. This means that a county ambulance with 2 paramedics and a fire engine with 3 firemedics respond. Most of these calls can be handled by the ambulance. A few simple questions asked by dispatch can eliminate sending a $5000,000 plus fire truck. Is the call a need for a lift assist, minor cuts and burns, transport only need, delayed calls for problems that occurred days ago, and so on. Years ago PCFD purchased two medic trucks, small utility body style trucks to handle some of these calls due extensive wear and tear on the fire apparatus. Today one of those has been converted to a repair truck the other sits idle most if the time. The idea that the city can make money doing EMS is proven to be false all around the country. The taxpayers will pick up the additional costs. In closing there are some studies and large cites both looking at not losing time at the scene for paramedics to evaluate , treat and transport instead load, transport and treat while inroute thereby getting the patient to the hospital quicker. Any other thoughts?
Just me says
IF the city is looking to save the people of PC $$$$ and that’s a big if. How about looking into transferring the city fire dept to the County?? Within that it should save money as we would not be paying for duplicate services BUT I think we all know its not about saving you or I any $$$$.