Palm Coast's Garbage Contract, Golf Club Woes, Unhappy Evangelicals

palm coast garbage — Palm Coast talks garbage again. (Daniel X. O’Neil)

Today: Partly cloudy with a chance of showers and slight chance of thunderstorms during the morning, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. Highs in the lower 90s. Southwest winds near 5 mph shifting to the south in the afternoon. Chance of rain 50 percent. Tonight: Partly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms during the evening, then slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after midnight. Lows in the mid 70s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent. Details here.
Today’s fire danger is moderate. Flagler County’s Drought Index is at 225.
Today’s tides: at the beaches, at the Intracoastal Waterway.
Today’s document from the National Archives.
The OED’s Word of the Day: supernaculum, adv., n., and int..
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

“Every man carries the entire form of human condition.”

–Montaigne, the Essays, Book 3, Chapter II, “Of Repentance.”

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 for a busy workshop at 9 a.m. at City Hall in Town Center. The council will hear a presentation on the city’s garbage contract with Waste Pro, which has not been going well of late–the company has been understaffed, according to a city official, falling behind scheduled pick-ups. The contract is already up for re-bid. The council will also hear the administration’s latest proposal for the troubled, eternally money losing golf and tennis clubs.

The Flagler County Centennial Committee meets at 1:30 p.m. in the 3rd floor Financial Services Conference Room at the Government Services Building in Bunnell.

Entrepreneur Night and Salvo Gallery Exhibit the Art of Start-Up Resilience: The last Entrepreneur Night, before the event takes a summer break, is tonight at Salvo Art Project in Bunnell, 5:30 to 7 p.m. The event is free. RSVP here.

Local News Recap:

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

No More Hairpin Curve as Old Kings Road Extension Around Matanzas High Opens, Last of Big Projects: In the last of a series of recent major local road projects, county and Palm Coast officials this morning formally opened the 0.7-mile extension of Old Kings Road from Forest Grove to Matanzas Woods Parkway. The extension eliminates what had been one of the sharpest curves on a major road in the city–that 90-degree turn onto Forest Grove–and reroutes traffic away from Matanzas High School.

Separate Incidents Land 2 in Jail on Assault Charges for Targeting Cops and Landscaper: Amber Fugit, a 22-year-old resident of Lindberg Place who’s been arrested four times on minor charges in the past five years, was arrested again on the most serious charges yet, including three felony counts of battery on a law enforcement officer, domestic violence assault and disorderly intoxication.

Flagler Beach Fireworks on July 4 Cap 4-Day Celebration; Palm Coast Fireworks on July 3: Independence Day fireworks in Flagler Beach this year–2016– will be held on Monday, July 4, at 9:15 p.m., off the Flagler Beach Pier. Flagler Beach’s Holiday Parade will begin at 10 a.m., rain or shine. The parade is sponsored by the Flagler Beach Rotary. A parade entry form is available here. The deadline is July 1. The theme this year is “Land of the Free.” Palm Coast fireworks are scheduled for Sunday, July 3, at Central Park in Town Center, at 9 p.m.

jay gardner suzanne johnston — The last time Suzanne Johnston faced an opponent was in her very first race in 2004. Jay Gardner, for his part, has never faced an opponent in four consecutive elections. They were re-elected again today. (© FlaglerLive)

Qualifying Ends: Tax Collector Johnston and Property Appraiser Gardner Are Re-Elected; Supervisor’s Race Will Be a Universal Primary: As noon marked the end of qualifying, two major local elections were also decided: Tax Collector Suzanne Johnston and Property Appraiser Jay Gardner were again automatically re-elected, without opposition.

https://twitter.com/cherokeesher2/status/747475526126698501

In Florida and in State Government:

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

The state Child Abuse Death Review Committee, which looks for ways to reduce preventable child-abuse deaths, is scheduled to meet. (9 a.m., Homewood Suites, 2987 Apalachee Parkway, Tallahassee.)

FPL public hearings: The state Public Service Commission will continue a series of public hearings about a proposal by Florida Power & Light to raise base electric rates. The utility has proposed nearly $1.34 billion in increases over three years. (9:30 a.m., Broward County Governmental Center, 115 South Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale. Also, 5 p.m., South Regional/Broward College Library, 7300 Pines Blvd., Pembroke Pines.)

–Compiled by the News Service of Florida and FlaglerLive

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

♦ 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 14: The Flagler County Democrats host a candidate forum featuring all mayoral and Palm Coast City Council candidates , from 6 to 8 p.m. at the African-American Cultural Society, 4422 North U.S. 1 in Palm Coast. The event is free and open to all. For additional information, call 386/283-4883.
♦ 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.
♦ July 30: Solar Plunge to benefit the Flagler Beach National Flight Academy Scholarship. Registration will be $10 per person and includes a t-shirt and goody bag. Late registration will be from 7:30- 8:30 a.m. in Veterans Park followed by The Plunge at 8:45 a.m. After the Plunge enjoy music in the park and light refreshments.

The Day’s Best Reads:

Come visit our crisis-ravaged country, British Airways suggests https://t.co/gax1rPmsHJ pic.twitter.com/OgvqitP4ZD

— Slate (@Slate) June 27, 2016

Why Evangelicals say US is no longer Christian https://t.co/RRefMXZual @lucyjcomms

— The Christian Science Monitor (@csmonitor) June 27, 2016

What determines whether someone feels sympathy or scorn for the victim of a crime? https://t.co/H8XLMNx7O8 pic.twitter.com/slcRi8Jukd

— New York Times Opinion (@nytopinion) June 27, 2016

Democrats' call for special session on guns likely going nowhere https://t.co/ywtiWLwIwY

— Tampa Bay Times (@TB_Times) June 27, 2016

Messi leaves internationals after Chile retain Copa https://t.co/AUt3Fm8ea6

— The Daily Star Lebanon (@DailyStarLeb) June 27, 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: