Tuesday Briefing: School Board Haggles Over Talking Rules, Little League Pitches to Palm Coast Council

native american festival — Cody Boettner in a hoop dance during the Native American Festival at Princess Place last weekend. (Flagler County)

Weekend: Mostly sunny in the morning then becoming partly cloudy with highs in the upper 70s. South winds 5 to 10 mph. Tonight: Partly cloudy with lows in the upper 50s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph. Details here.
Today’s fire danger is moderate. Flagler County’s Drought Index is at 72.
Today’s tides: at the beaches, at the Intracoastal Waterway.
Today’s document from the National Archives.
The OED’s Word of the Day: quis, pron..
The Live Community Calendar
Today’s jail bookings.

Today’s Briefing: Quick Links

In Flagler and Palm Coast
Local News Recap
Flagler Jail Bookings and Sheriff’s Crime Reports
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

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 Flagler County Centennial Committee meets at 1:30 p.m. in the first-floor conference room of the Government Services Building. It’ll review various issues related to preparations for the 2017 celebration.

The Flagler County School Board meets in workshop at 5 p.m. and for a regular meeting at 6 p.m. in board chambers at the Government Services Building. The workshop will include a

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Stanley Questell, left, is at the Flagler County jail on $100,000 bond. Travis White posted bail on $3,500 bond and was released. [/caption]Firearm Flagler: 3 Separate Gun Incidents Land 1 in Hospital With Gunshot Wound and 2 in Jail: Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies were busy this weekend responding to a series of separate incidents involving firearms, two of which landed two men in jail and a third led to the hospitalization of a man with one, possibly two gunshot wounds.

In St. Augustine, Police investgating Molotov cocktail thrown at city commissioner’s home: “Detectives with the St. Augustine Police Department are looking for answers after someone threw what appeared to be a small Molotov cocktail through a window at the home of City Commissioner Nancy Sikes-Kline Friday night,” the record reports. “Officials said the small glass bottle didn’t break after it came through the window around 11:30 p.m. St. Augustine Fire Chief J.C. Costeira said Sunday that by the time firefighters arrived at Sikes-Kline’s Davis Shores home, a small fire had already been put out.”

Voter registration numbers show GOP making gains in Volusia and Flagler: “Bahead of the March 15 presidential primary,” the News-Journal reports, “by far, more voters are choosing neither political party, opting instead for the designation NPA — or no party affiliation. NPA’s account for 58 percent of the new voters in the two counties since the last presidential primary in 2012.” (Story paywall-protected)

See Also:

Flagler Voter Registrations Surge to 90%, Aiding GOP as Democrats Fall to Historic Low

In State Government:

Note: Most proceedings below can be followed live on the Florida Channel.

Health issues and controversial pastor bill go to the House floor: The House will hold a floor session and take up a series of high-profile health issues. Among the issues are a proposal (HB 37) that would help clear the way for what are known as “direct primary care” agreements between doctors and patients; a proposal (HB 85) that would allow patients to stay overnight at ambulatory-surgical centers; a proposal (HB 221) aimed at shielding patients from unexpected charges through a practice known as “balance billing;” a proposal (HB 423) that would expand drug-prescribing powers for advanced registered nurse practitioners and physician assistants; a proposal (HB 1061) that would allow Florida to enter into a “compact” for multi-state nurse licensure; a proposal (HB 1175) aimed at increasing transparency about health-care pricing; and a proposal (HB 7087) that could help expand the use of remotely provided “telehealth” services. Also during the floor session, the House is expected to consider a controversial bill that is an outgrowth of a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling that said same-sex couples have a fundamental right to marry. The bill (HB 43), known as the “Pastor Protection Act,” would seek to prevent clergy members from being forced to perform marriage ceremonies contrary to their beliefs. Critics say the bill is unnecessary because clergy already have First Amendment protections. (10:30 a.m.)

Gambling and tax cuts: The Senate Appropriations Committee will consider a wide range of bills, including a pair of proposals (SB 7072 and SB 7074), filed by Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, that would make major changes in the state’s gambling industry. Lawmakers are considering a proposed gambling deal reached by Gov. Rick Scott and the Seminole Tribe and also are looking at issues such as allowing slot machines at more pari-mutuel facilities. The Appropriations Committee also is slated to take up a House tax-cut bill (HB 7099) and could reconsider a proposal (SB 318) related to the oil- and gas-drilling method known as “fracking.” The committee has voted 10-9 to reject the fracking bill. (10 a.m.)

The Florida Public Service Commission will consider proposals by Duke Energy Florida and Florida Power & Light to reduce customers’ monthly bills this spring. Costs for power-plant fuel are passed through to utility customers, and the Public Service Commission uses projections each year to determine how much will be included in monthly bills. But after the amounts were set for this year, Duke and FPL proposed changes because of low natural-gas prices. If the proposals are approved, Duke residential customers who use 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity a month would see their bills drop from $114.15 to $108.32. Similar FPL customers would see their monthly bills go from $93.38 to $91.73. Also during the meeting, the commission will consider a pilot solar-energy program proposed by Gulf Power. Under the proposal, customers could voluntarily pay $89 or $99 a year for a utility solar project and get a portion of the money back as credits on their electricity bills. (9:30 a.m.), Betty Easley Conference Center, 4075 Esplanade Way, Tallahassee.)

–Compiled by the News Service of Florida and FlaglerLive

In Coming Days in Palm Coast and Flagler:

Click on the links for more details:

March 2: Grand opening of the Florida Hospital Centra Care urgent care facility, a 5,000 sq. ft. operation at 1270 Palm Coast Pkwy NW, with on-site labs and other immediate healthcare services such as X-rays, EKG, stitches, physicals, blood pressure testing, immunizations, and more. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tours and light lunch.

March 4: 15th Annual Flagler Reads Together Kickoff. The chosen book this year is “Grandma Gatewood’s Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail,” by Ben Montgomery. Montgomery will be present at the kickoff at 11 a.m. at the Flagler County Public Library, 2500 Palm Coast Parkway NW in Palm Coast.
March 5: Early Voting begins for the presidential primary election in Florida. Only Democrats and Republicans may cast ballots in their respective parties’ primaries. Independents and minor-party voters may not vote, Florida being a closed-primary state. Early voting runs through March 12 at the Supervisor of Elections’ office in Bunnell (at the Government Services Building), the Flagler County Public Library on Palm Coast Parkway, and at the Palm Coast Community Center. Every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Click here for early voting details.
March 4: Stayin’ Alive, the Bee Gees tribute band, returns to the Flagler Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $29 for adults, $18 for youth.
March 11: Flagler County Job Fair, at the Palm Coast campus of Daytona State College, 3000 Palm Coast Pkwy, SE Bldg 3. The job fair will offer businesses and job seekers opportunities to connect on March 11, 2016 from noon to 6 p.m.
March 15: Presidential Primary Election in Flagler and all of Florida, and Bunnell city election. Early voting
March 30-April 2: Florida Future Problem Solvers State Competition, to be attended by four to five Flagler County schools, at Doubletree Orlando Seaworld, 10100 International Drive, Orlando.
March 5: Christian Women’s Conference: “Unexpected Detours,” Featuring Carol Kent, an inspiring Christian speaker and best-selling author. First Baptist Church of Bunnell, 2301 Commerce Parkway, Bunnell. $25 to attend. Price includes lunch. Contact Marge Ankrom for information, 386-931-2784
April 2: Cheer at the Pier, a fund-raiser for the Flagler Beach Historical Museum, from 3 to 6 p.m. Call Virginia Giaramita for information at 386/299-8892.
April 12: Anjali Anabel Tomerlin, a third grader at Imagine School at Town Center in Palm Coast who’s written and illustrated her first book, will hold a book-signing at the Flagler Beach Public library from 4 to 6 p.m.
April 15: The Florida Ethics Commission will take up an administrative law judge’s recommendation in the ethics case against Flagler County Sheriff Jim Manfre. 9 a.m.

PR Releases:

Click on the link for more details.

Native American Festival Takes Princess Place: Families and friends flocked to Princess Place Preserve on Saturday and Sunday to take in Native American dancing, arts and history, as well as sunshine and nice weather. It was the second annual Native American Festival organized by the Flagler County Parks and Recreation Department and the Deep Forest Native American Experience. The weekend included dancing, weapons demonstrations, wildlife exhibits, encampments, displays and vendors selling authentic Native American art, jewelry and clothing representing more than 50 tribes. “More than 7,000 people came out for this event,” said Frank Barbuti, Flagler County Parks and Recreation manager. “It exceeded our expectations in terms of the turnout. It was a great weekend all the way around.” Veterans were honored during the opening ceremony. Between traditional dances, children were invited into the “pow wow arena” for the candy dance. “This is such a nice event,” Commissioner George Hanns said. “I am glad that we got Jim Sawgrass (Boettner) to bring this event to Princess Place, and that he keeps coming back.” Boettner, Deep Forest Native American Experience, presented information about the primitive skills and culture of the Southeastern Native American tribes. It also covered advanced survival skills and fire making. “It was a beautiful weekend for anything, but it was especially great for all of the tribes that came together to celebrate their heritage,” said Commissioner Nate McLaughlin. “I was pleased to be a part of that.” Cody Boettner – recently named as one of the top 10 hoop dancers in the nation during a competition held at the Heard Museum of American Art and History in Phoenix, Ariz. – wowed crowds as he danced with more than a dozen hoops that he spun into wings and other sculptural shapes. Besides Flagler County and Deep Forest Native American Experience, this year’s sponsors include Waste Pro, Palm Coast Signs, Site One Landscaping Supply, Acme Trophies, Kompan Playground Solutions, Ripple Effect, Class A Printing, WNZF Radio and Palm Coast and the Flagler Beaches.

In the Press, In the News:

Is a call for "revolution" a rebuke of President Obama? https://t.co/drnTF6LjOo pic.twitter.com/uF8GYVtN2t

— New York Times Opinion (@nytopinion) February 29, 2016

Images of Earth from a year in space https://t.co/9oEEEewIbn pic.twitter.com/0ODjSgqrP2

— The Atlantic (@TheAtlantic) February 29, 2016

Oops. 🚌🚗
One of Google's self-driving cars has crashed into a bus in California https://t.co/7BOa7CtjVA

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) February 29, 2016

John Oliver devotes entire show to Trump takedown | WATCH: https://t.co/oMnPqL0s7b pic.twitter.com/yhk6AS86Zg

— The Hill (@thehill) February 29, 2016

These two sisters want to make plastic waste a thing of the past: https://t.co/ExuyT9zk2A

— TED Talks (@TEDTalks) February 29, 2016

Fact-Checking the Knaves:

Palm Coast Construction and Development Progress Reports

The following is an update of ongoing construction and development projects in Palm Coast, through Feb. 17:

Seminole Woods Multi Use Path design, 75 percent done: Survey continues, shot horizontal and vertical features for path design.

Holland Park, 54 percent done: Grading and installation of sidewalks continues. Restroom block cells poured and trusses installed. Installation of street and pathway light poles and fixtures.

County’s I-95 Interchange Matanzas Woods Reclaim Water, 83 percent done: Approximately 1,600 ft. of 16″ HDPE piping was air tested February 11, 2016. On February 12, 2016 the 16″ HDPE reuse main was installed under the southbound ramp.

Palm Harbor Parkway Roadway Extension, 50 percent done: Work continues on the stormwater structure at the intersection of Palm Harbor Parkway and Forest Grove.

Colechester Bridge, 94 percent done: Sea walls have been completed and forming of the western abutment 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. (Not in the Dec. 4 update.)

Old Kings Road Force Main 96 percent done:: February 11, 2016 night work with lane closure and tank trucking for the south end force main tie-in to the 12″ pipe from the South and the 12″ pipe from Town Center. The new
16″ force main and the 8″ old main were connected to the old Pump Station north of Lehigh Canal.

Island Walk Shopping Center Phase 2, 26 percent done: February 15, 2016 a 10″ core was made into the existing manhole for the sewer lateral for the 2 lots facing Palm Coast Parkway. (GoToby has a construction permitting progress report here.)

Road and Interstate Construction:

Forest Grove Drive connection to Palm Harbor Parkway to be closed starting Dec. 18: Effective Friday, Dec. 18, the City of Palm Coast will be closing the Forest Grove Drive connection to Palm Harbor Parkway. This road closure is required as part of construction operations for the Palm Harbor Parkway extension, which is currently under construction. Palm Harbor is being realigned and extended to connect directly with Matanzas Woods Parkway where it intersects with Old Kings Road. Message boards will be placed to advise motorists and other travelers of the upcoming change, and a public meeting has already been held for residents living in that area. Both the Palm Harbor extension and a separate extension of Old Kings Road are being built in preparation for the new Interstate 95 interchange to open next June at Matanzas Woods Parkway. As part of the projects, traffic patterns around Matanzas High School will be changing. One goal is to turn Forest Grove Drive back into a residential street as it was originally intended to be. The upcoming road closure of the Forest Grove Drive connection to Palm Harbor Parkway is part of that project. Forest Grove will be turned into a cul de sac on that end. Once the separate Old Kings Road extension is completed, in June 2016, the Forest Grove Drive access to the high school will be closed because it will no longer be needed. Instead, motorists and other travelers will get to Matanzas High School via the new signalized intersection at Matanzas Woods, Palm Harbor and Old Kings. For more information, please contact Palm Coast Communications Manager Cindi Lane at 386-986-3708 or [email protected].