Pot Citations, Superintendent's Evaluation, Sotomayor on Police Powers

A committee of Flagler’s Public Safety Coordinating Council takes up a proposal to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of pot again today. But it’s not looking good for the initiative favored by Sheriff Jim Manfre. (Giandomenico Jardella)

Weekend: Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 80s. East winds 10 to 15 mph. Tonight: Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 60s. South winds 10 to 15 mph. Details here.
Today’s fire danger is moderate. Flagler County’s Drought Index is at 88.
Today’s tides: at the beaches, at the Intracoastal Waterway.
Today’s document from the National Archives.
The OED’s Word of the Day: heroology, n..
The Live Community Calendar
Today’s jail bookings.

Today’s Briefing: Quick Links

First Light
In Flagler and Palm Coast
Local News Recap
Flagler Jail Bookings and Sheriff’s Crime Reports
In State Government
In Coming Days in Flagler, Palm Coast and Beyond
The Day’s Best Reads
Fact-Checking the Knaves
Palm Coast Construction and Development Progress Reports
Local Road and Interstate Construction
Cultural Coda

“The nature documentaries are as absurdly action-packed as the soap operas, where a life’s worth of divorce, adultery, and sudden death are crammed into a week’s worth of watching— trying to understand “nature” from watching Wild Kingdom is as tough as trying to understand ‘life’ from watching Dynasty.”

–Bill McKibben, from “The Age of Missing Information” (1992).

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 Palm Coast City Council meets at 9 a.m. at City Hall in Town Center. The latest budget presentation–one in a series ahead of the council’s adoption of next year’s budget–provides an overview of the city’s revenue sources and property taxes. The council is expected to approve the first phase of a signalization-optimization system.

The Public Safety Coordinating Council‘s subcommittee working on a proposal to decriminalize pot in certain circumstances meets at 1 p.m. at the Emergency Operations Center behind the government services building in Bunnell.

The Flagler County School Board meets at 5 p.m. in workshop and at 6 p.m. for a regular meeting in board chambers at the Government Services Building in Bunnell. The workshop includes a discussion of Superintendent Jacob Oliva’s evaluation, available here. The 6 p.m. meeting includes a review of the district’s code of conduct.

Bunnell’s Planning and Zoning Board meets at 7 p.m. at Bunnell City Hall, 201 West Moody Boulevard.

Food Truck Tuesday in Palm Coast’s Central Park at Town Center, 5 to 8 p.m. This month’s beneficiary is the Flagler County Education Foundation.

Local News Recap:

Updated jail bookings and day and night shift incident summary reports are available here.

Dennis McDonald, Who’s Twice Sued Palm Coast, Now Wants To Be Its Mayor: Dennis McDonald, a towering bane of county and city governments for his relentless criticism of both, a two-time litigant against Palm Coast and a three-time candidate for local office, has just made it four: earlier today McDonald filed to run for Palm Coast mayor, the seat Jon Netts is vacating because of term limits.

Florida Congressional Candidate Evers Riles LGBT Activists With Assault Weapon Raffle: Barely a week after the worst mass shooting in the nation’s history, state Sen. Greg Evers — running in a hotly contested Republican primary for a Panhandle congressional seat — drew criticism for planning to give away a semiautomatic rifle similar to a gun used in the attack that killed 49 people and injured dozens of others at a gay nightclub in Orlando.

She Tells Him She Wants To Break-Up. He Allegedly Threatens Her With a Rifle.: Daniel Buck Douglas, 38, a resident of 6514 Tangerine Avenue in Bunnell, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon early this morning (June 20) after his girlfriend accused him of pointing a rifle at her during an argument.

Cindy Dalecki is Flagler Beach Rotary’s New President, Tim O’Donnell Gets Year’s Top Honor: Dalecki owns Marketing 2 Go, the new-media company she started six years ago on her own and has since turned into an operation employing half a dozen.

A Flagler Beach Vigil for Massacre Victims, Flickering Grief of LGBT Community: Two Palm Coast residents who once found refuge and freedom at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando organized a candlelight vigil and fundraiser in Flagler Beach Friday for the victims of last week’s massacre at the club, which resulted in the murder of 49 and injuries to 53. Pulse was among the more popular and accessible nightclub for gay, lesbian and transgender people in central and north-central Florida, and for Palm Coast and Flagler County residents—who have nothing like such a club in the county—a favored nightlife destination.

In Florida and in State Government:

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

Docs vs. Glocks: The full 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear arguments about a controversial 2011 Florida law that seeks to restrict doctors from asking questions and recording information about patients’ gun ownership. The law, which has become known as the “docs v. glocks” law, is backed by groups such as the National Rifle Association but has drawn legal opposition from some physicians and medical groups. (8:30 a.m., Elbert P. Tuttle United States Court of Appeals Building, 56 Forsyth St. N.W., Atlanta.)

Immigrant emergency care: The 1st District Court of Appeal will hear arguments in a long-running dispute between the state Agency for Health Care Administration and more than two dozen hospitals about Medicaid payments for providing emergency care to undocumented immigrants. Hospitals are required to treat patients who show up for emergency care, but the legal dispute has focused on the extent of care for undocumented immigrants that should be covered through the Medicaid program. An administrative law judge last year rejected arguments by the hospitals that AHCA had overstepped its authority in approving rules that address the duration of payments. (9 a.m., 1st District Court of Appeal, 2000 Drayton Dr., Tallahassee.)

The Florida Board of Education holds a workshop to discuss workforce-related issues. (1 p.m., Palm Beach State College, Palm Beach Gardens Campus, 3160 PGA Blvd., SC 127, Palm Beach Gardens.)

–Compiled by the News Service of Florida and FlaglerLive

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

♦ June 22: The Coastal Florida Benevolent Police Association hosts a candidate forum featuring all nine candidates for Flagler County sheriff, at the Portuguese-American Club, 1200 Palm Harbor Pkwy in Palm Coast. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., the forum begins at 7 p.m. All welcome.
♦ June 23: Brexit: Britain holds a referendum on whether to remain in or leave the European Union. It is the country’s most important vote in at least half a century. The Times explains “Brexit” this way: “A portmanteau of the words “Britain” and “exit,” it is the nickname for a British exit of the European Union after the June 23 referendum asking voters: ‘Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?'” Read a briefing on Brexit here, and The Economist’s recommendation against exit here.
♦ July 3: Independence Day fireworks at 9 p.m. in Palm Coast’s Town Center, with pre-fireworks activities by the Flagler Education Foundation beginning at 5 p.m.
♦ July 4: Palm Coast marks Independence Day with a ceremony at heroes Park on Palm Coast Parkway at 8 a.m.
♦ July 4: Flagler Beach marks Independence Day with its traditional parade at 10 a.m., whose theme this year is “Land of the Free” (though it may more accurately be termed Land of Candidates: expect the parade to be significantly more populous, as the year’s many innumerable political races is expected to bring out schools of candidates.) The parade entry form is accessible here. Flagler Beach will host its traditional day-long celebration of Independence Day, leading up to fireworks by the pier at 9 p.m.
♦ July 5: A pre-trial is scheduled at 1:30 p.m. before Circuit Judge Matthew Foxman in Courtroom 401 at the Flagler County Courthouse in the case of Joseph Bova II, the man accused of first-degree murder in the killing of Zuheily Roman Rosado in an execution-style shooting at the Mobil Mart on State Road 100 in Palm Coast in February 2013. Pre-trail hearings have been frequently continued, however. Bova has been held without bond at the Flagler County jail since May 11, 2015, when he returned from a state psychiatric hospital.
♦ July 7: Flagler County Sheriff Jim Manfre and the County Commission hold a ribbon-cutting at the expanded county jail at 10 a.m., 1002 Justice Lane, Bunnell. There will be limited tours.
♦ July 7: U.S. Senate candidate Carlos Beruff, a Republican running for Marco Rubion’s seat, is be the guest speaker at the Flagler County Young Republicans Club meeting, which is open to the public. 7 p.m., Hilton Garden Inn, Palm Coast. Beruff, 58, is a Manatee County developer and major contributor to more than 100 political candidates since 2002, including a few Democrats, according to the Miami Herald.
♦ July 8-9: Book Blowout: The Friends of the Library of Flagler County are holding a discounted book sale. The public is invited to attend and take advantage of these bargains. The sale is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. All books are 25 cents each – these two days only. No limit. Books will be continually replenished. Sale will be held at the Friends Book Shop, Flagler County Public Library, 2500 Palm Coast Pkwy NW. For questions, call 386/446-6763.
♦ July 16: North Florida Open Chess Championship, $1,000 total purse. Ramada Inn I-95 & 9150 Baymeadows Road, Jacksonville. Three Sections: Open, U1550 and U900. Prizes: $1000 (60% guaranteed) b/o 35 (paid entries). Cash prizes for best players U2000, U1800 & U1200. 5SS (5 rounds of games) 1st Round G/45;d5 all other rounds are G/55min + d5sec. $45 Walk-up Registration $35 Online price. Players in grades K-12 $25. Register here. Details here.

The tournament director for this event will be our own Steve Lampkin.
♦ July 18: The trial of Anna Pehota, 77, who faces a second-degree murder charge over the alleged killing of her husband in the Hammock in September 2015, is scheduled to begin with jury selection.
♦ July 25: The Plantation Bay Utility Customers Community meets at 6 p.m. at Club de Bonmont, 300 Plantation Bay Drive, Ormond Beach.
♦ July 20: The Flagler League of Cities, a gathering of the county’s mayors, meets at noon at Flagler Beach City Hall.

The Day’s Best Reads:

In a "powerful & groundbreaking dissent" #SupremeCourt Justice Sonia Sotomayor slams racial profiling: https://t.co/xz2nh1UBeN via @Slate

— American Constitution Society (@acslaw) June 20, 2016

The company whose rifle killed 49 people in Orlando is suspected of illegally shipping arms to conflict zones: https://t.co/v7QOlBVc6u

— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) June 20, 2016

The pro-Brexit campaign is undermining the Great British tradition of common sense. https://t.co/JYIymF1i9p pic.twitter.com/HeF6OzvN89

— Foreign Policy (@ForeignPolicy) June 20, 2016

Israeli cabinet approves additional $18.6 mn in funding for West Bank settlements https://t.co/BJ0XtKYkU3 pic.twitter.com/PyKrIJcMP3

— Ma'an News Agency (@MaanNewsAgency) June 20, 2016

What happens to the news business when people no longer hear news monitored by journalists https://t.co/ig29dipgJF pic.twitter.com/jbiOYi1qLE

— CJR (@CJR) June 20, 2016

Fact-Checking the Knaves:

Palm Coast Construction and Development Progress Reports

The following is an update of ongoing permitting, construction and development projects in Palm Coast, through June 15 (the city administration’s full week in review is here):

Click to access week-in-review-june-16-20161.pdf

Road and Interstate Construction: