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1st Row: Meghan Mwaura, Nicholas Novack, Sarah Flannery, Coco Li, who’s also a member of the Flagler Youth Orchestra.
2nd Row: Anthony Paci, Robert Hubbard.
Today’s weather: hot, humid, dull, high of 91, low of 72. Details here.
Today’s fire danger is Low. Flagler County’s Drought Index is atĀ 447
The weather in Rosario, Argentina: Thunderstorms, high of 84, low of 68. Details.
The OED’s Word of the Day: moodle, v..
The Live Community Calendar
Today’s jail bookings.
Today’s Briefing: Quick Links
- In Flagler and Palm Coast
- In Court
- In State Government
- Beyond
- PR Releases
- In the Press
- Local Road and Interstate Construction
- In Coming Days in Flagler and Palm Coast
- Blood Donations Needed
- Cultural Coda
- FPS Flocking
Note: all government meetings noticed below are free and open to the public unless otherwise indicated.
The Flagler County Economic Advisory Board, just back from a day-long strategic planning session, meets today at 9 a.m. in the board chambers of the Government Services Building. Florida Hospital Flagler CEO Ken Mattison and School Superintendent Jacob Oliva are scheduled to speak. Director Helga van Eckert will provide a report on the strategic session. There is no background material attached to the agenda.
Belle Terre Elementary Science Expo: The public is invited to visit k-6 classrooms from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., where students will be demonstrating their science, technology, engineering and math skills. Youāll see a variety of solar powered projects, Osmos, Drones, Rube Goldberg machines designed from common household products, kindergarteners programming bee bots, and much, much, more. At 6 p.m., there will be a ribbon cutting ceremony for the schoolās latest iPad lab called FLOAT.
Buddy Taylor Middle School National Junior Honor Society Induction Ceremony, RESCHEDULED! It was scheduled for tonight at 6 p.m., but because of its conflict with the Buddy Taylor band concert tonight at he Auditorium, the induction ceremony was rescheduled to next Tuesday, May 26, in the school cafeteria at 6 p.m.
Old Kings Elementary presents “Annie,” the musical, at the school cafeteria, 6 p.m.
Buddy Taylor Middle School Band Concert, at the Flagler Auditorium, 7 p.m.
Multi-agency Explosive Ordnance Disposal exercise held at Camp Blanding: Ravenās Challenge – a multi-agency Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) exercise featuring military and civilian agencies – is being held at Camp Blanding Joint Training Center (CBJTC) near Starke, and hosted in part by the Florida Army National Guardās 221st EOD, through May 22.
Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida is recognizing the community’s heroic officers at their 17th Annual Community Banquet Honoring Law Enforcement. This year the banquet recognizes 20 law enforcement officers in the 7th Judicial Circuit who have been nominated by their supervisors for outstanding service. The 17th Annual Community Banquet Honoring Local Law Enforcement will be held at the Daytona Beach Ocean Center beginning at 6 p.m.
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Circuit Judge Michael Orfinger is in injunction hearings starting at 9 a.m., in Courtroom 101, followed by foreclosure hearings in Courtroom 402. He is in non-jury trials starting at 1:30 p.m. in Courtroom 402. County Court Judge Melissa Moore-Stens is in mediation hearings most of the day in Courtroom 404.
The Florida Supreme Court releases opinions at 11 a.m.
Note: Most proceedings below can be followed live on the Florida Channel.
The University of Central Florida Board of Trustees will hold three committee meetings and then gather as the full board. (Committee meetings start at 9 a.m., board meeting at 1 p.m., University of Central Florida, Fairwinds Alumni Center, Orlando.)
The St. Johns River Water Management District Governing Board is expected to consider the selection of Ann Shortelle as the district’s new executive director. (10 a.m., district headquarters, 4049 Reid St., Palatka.)
U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican running for president, is expected to speak to the Palm Beach County Tea Party. (6:30 p.m., FAU Lifelong Learning Society, Jupiter Campus, 5353 Parkside Dr., Jupiter.)
The Republican Party of Sarasota County will honor businessman and potential presidential candidate Donald Trump during a “statesman of the year” event. (Thursday, 7 p.m., Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 North Tamiami Trail, Sarasota.)
–Compiled by the News Service of Florida
Beji Caid Essebsi, Tunisia’s 88-year-old leader and that country’s first democratically elected president, is in Washington for a meeting with President Obama.
Flags In: Today at Arlington National Cemetery the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, also known as the Old Guard, will place flags in front of 228,000 headstones, and do so in four hours, a tradition going back 60 years. Details here.
Giving Day raises more than $45,000 for student financial aid at Flagler College: More than 100 Flagler College alumni, and over 130 donors in total, gave approximately $35,000 Tuesday during the collegeās āGiving Dayā campaign ā bringing the total raised, with a $10,000 match from a generous donor, to $45,112. āFlagler alumni have proved that theyāre a force to be reckoned with,ā said Margo Brown, director of alumni relations and annual giving. The donations started early, when Brown announced during the collegeās Alumni Weekend (held May 14 to 17) that all gifts would be applied to Giving Day. Nearly 90 percent of the total amount raised came from alumni, the rest from alumni parents or non-alumni. Thirteen out of 19 alumni board members donated gifts. āBy late morning Tuesday, we found out we were already at $7,500 of our $10,000 goal,ā Brown said. āIt was really exciting, and the phone kept ringing.ā The money raised will contribute to the Flagler Fund, which provides scholarships and financial aid for Flagler students with the greatest need. Providing quality education while keeping Flagler affordable is one of the institutionās top priorities. More than 1,100 students receive Flagler financial aid each year; 90 percent of students rely on some form of aid. āDonating was an extraordinary way for alumni to show that they were happy they went to Flagler and that they want to provide other students with the same experience by helping to pay for it,ā Brown said. Brown, who is also a Flagler alumna, added that she hopes Giving Day will become an annual event, held after Alumni Weekend. āPeople come here and get excited about the changes they see at Flagler,ā Brown said. āThey give because they want to support it.ā Flagler College has approximately 15,000 alumni ā 2,500 of whom reside in St. Johns County.
ISIS Strengthens Its Grip on Ancient Syrian City of Palmyra: “Islamic State militants on Thursday solidified their rout of Syrian government forces in the historic desert city of Palmyra, moving to the outskirts to seize its airport and the notorious Tadmur Prison, according to residents and statements from the group. It was the first time that the ISIS militants seized an entire city from Syrian government forces; it won control of its first major city, Raqqa, from Syrian insurgents and the Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front after the two became rivals. The rout on Wednesday in Palmyra, whose spectacular ancient ruins are a symbol of the countryās heritage embraced by supporters and opponents of President Bashar al-Assad alike, came just five days after the militants seized the much larger city of Ramadi in Iraq. The Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, declared on Thursday that it was in control of the town after soldiers āran awayā and āleft behind hundreds of dead and injured,ā according to a statement released through ISIS social media channels. Antigovernment activists who also oppose the Islamic State circulated grisly images of dead and decapitated bodies of young men lying on what looked like a street in the center of Palmyra, saying they were members of the Shueitat tribe, hundreds of whom were massacred last year for resisting the group.” From the Times.
Nebraska lawmakers vote to abolish death penalty: “Nebraska lawmakers gave final approval on Wednesday to a bill abolishing the death penalty that would make it the first conservative state to do so since 1973 if the measure becomes law. The vote margin in the unicameral Legislature was more than enough to override a promised veto from Gov. Pete Ricketts, a supporter of capital punishment. Ricketts, a Republican, said the vote represented a ādark dayā for public safety. […] The Nebraska vote marks a shift in the national debate because it was bolstered by conservatives who oppose the death penalty for religious reasons, cast it as a waste of taxpayer money and question whether government can be trusted to manage it. Law-and-order conservatives in the United States have traditionally stood among the strongest supporters of the ultimate punishment. Nebraska hasnāt executed a prisoner since 1997, when the electric chair was used. The state has never imposed the punishment under the lethal injection process now required by state law. Some lawmakers have argued that constant legal challenges will prevent the state from executing anyone in the future. […] Ricketts has promised to veto the bill, requiring an override vote likely to take place next week. At least 30 votes are needed to pass the bill over his objections. The governor announced last week that the state recently spent $54,400 to buy new lethal injection drugs from a company in West Bengal, India. Nebraska lost its ability to carry out the punishment in December 2013, when its supply of one key drug expired.” From the Washington Post.
Would you let your employer track your location 24/7? “Refusing to allow her employer to track her movements when off the clock allegedly got Myrna Arias, an employee at a California money transferring firm, fired after she uninstalled a GPS enabled tracking app her employer required her to keep on at all times. One concern over such monitoring is that it may led to what the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) calls āLifestyle Discriminationā by an employer. […] Ms. Arias didnāt want her employer to have that kind of access to her personal life. After being fired, she is now suing her former employer, Intermex, for allegedly violating her privacy, wrongful termination and other allegations. Intermex, based in Miami, Florida, did not return phone calls for comment. The complaint, filed with a California court, states that Ms. Arias was required by her employer to keep her phone on at all times and was dismissed weeks after being “scolded” for uninstalling the Xora app workforce tracking application on her phone. In the complaint, her superiors at Intermex claimed that the phone was to be kept on 24/7 in order to field calls from clients and not specifically for tracking purposes. According to the Xora (soon to be known as ClickSoftware) website, the app is meant to assist employers with mobile employees who may require data, guidance or to file time cards, mileage, job assignments and other paperwork directly from their smartphones.” From the Christian Science Monitor.
Digital Journalism: How Good Is It? That digital technology is disrupting the business of journalism is beyond dispute. Whatās striking is how little attention has been paid to the impact that technology has had on the actual practice of journalism. The distinctive properties of the Internetāspeed, immediacy, interactivity, boundless capacity, global reachāprovide tremendous new opportunities for the gathering and presentation of news and information. Yet amid all the coverage of start-ups and IPOs, investments and acquisitions, little attempt has been made to evaluate the quality of Web-based journalism, despite its ever-growing influence. […] The Huffington Post is undergoing an identity crisis. One of its initial core innovationsāusing content from elsewhereāhas become so dominant as to nearly choke the site. […] e same seems true of the first generation of digital news sites in general. After an initial burst of daring and creativity, they have entered a middle-aged lethargy. Take Talking Points Memo. When it began, in 2000, as a blog by Josh Marshall, it offered an outsiderās take on inside Washington, with much profitable burrowing into documents and records. In 2002, Marshall called attention to Trent Lottās racist-tinged comments about Strom Thurmond, thus helping to precipitate Lottās resignation as Senate majority leader. As TPMās readership grew, Marshall attracted advertisers, which allowed him to hire staff. Tips from readers offered information about what was going on around the country and, drawing on them, Marshall in 2007 broke the story about the Bush administrationās partisan- inspired firing of US attorneys. Eight years later, TPM offers roughly the same mix of blogging, aggregation (reworking content from elsewhere), news, and opinion that it did back then. […] Then thereās the smart-opinion-with-some-reporting-mixed-in set, led by Slate, Salon, and The Daily Beast. Here you can find edge, cheek, confession, and contrarianism, all served up in crisp, thousand-word packages. […] And so it goes for the first generation of digital sites as a whole. They helped lead journalism out of the kingdom of traditional print and broadcasting into the liberating land of the Internet, only to become stranded. Meanwhile, a new generation of high-profile ventures has emerged. Have they made it to the promised land of true digital innovation? To find out, I set off on the second leg of my tour, beginning with a visit to the most-talked-about site of them all, BuzzFeed.” From the New York Review of Books.
Road and Interstate Construction:
Palm Coast: Palm Coast Parkway between Cypress Point Parkway and Florida Park Drive. IMPACTS: Lane shifts and closures will occur and this may cause traffic congestion on this already busy roadway. Most construction work will occur between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. though weather and unforeseen issues may adjust the schedules. This project will be complete by December 2015.”
Matanzas Parkway Bridge at I-95 Matanazas Parkway at the I-95 bridge will close on June 5 at 7 p.m. for the I-95 interchange project and will remain closed until Aug. 9. Detour will be via Old Kings Road. Details here.
Lane Closures on I-95 at Palm Coast Parkway: Starting on Monday, May 11, and through Friday, May 15, between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m., motorists should expect two lane closures on the northbound and southbound sides of I-95 at Exit 289, Palm Coast Parkway. Only the outside lanes in each direction will remain open. It is part of the Palm Coast Parkway widening project.
Flagler County: County Road 305Ā is now detour-free.Ā
Volusia: I-4 Widening from SR 44 to east of I-95, Monday and Friday, 7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Eastbound/Westbound shoulder closing. Sunday through Thursday, Eastbound and Westbound lane closures as needed from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Thursday, 9:00 p.m. – 5:30 a.m. EB road closure between Canal St./SR 44 and I-95 with detour at US 92 exit ramp.Motorists should be aware of traffic shifts near Canal St./SR 44.
Traffic will be detoured at State Road (SR) 44/Canal Street, for reconstruction work May 12-14: The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is providing project support to Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) to replace the current crossing surface. Motorists will encounter detours beginning at 6 a.m. Tuesday, May 12, and ending at 6 a.m. Thursday, May 14. The SR 44/Canal Street detours are: Eastbound SR 44/Canal Street: North on North Myrtle Avenue, East on Washington Street, South on US 1/North Dixie Parkway. Westbound SR 44/Canal Street: North on US 1/North Dixie Parkway, West on Washington Street, South on North Myrtle Avenue, West on SR 44/Canal Street. For the most up-to-date information on road and lane closures, go to www.cflroads.com and click on āLane Closures.ā
- Palm Coast Parkway Project Website
- Florida Department of Transportation Road Project List
- County Road 304 Project Map and Description
American Cancer Society Hosts Birthday Open House May 22: The society is hosting a 102nd Birthday Open House at its office on Clyde Morris Blvd in Daytona Beach to kick off their 2015 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk. āThis is the perfect opportunity for people to come by, learn about our upcoming Making Strides event, have fun, and even sign up their team,ā said Nick Piechowski, Community Manager, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. āMaking Strides walkers turn awareness into action every year by helping raise more than $60 million for the American Cancer Society to save more lives from breast cancer.ā The event will be held on May 22 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1737 N Clyde Morris Blvd, Suite 140 in Daytona Beach, and guests are welcome to stop by any time. Attendees are encouraged to ājoinā their Facebook event and share the link with friends. The American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk is the largest network of breast cancer awareness events in the nation, uniting more than 300 communities to finish the fight. Today, the organization is leading the way in transforming breast cancer from deadly to treatable and from treatable to preventable by investing in cutting-edge breast cancer research to better understand, prevent, find, and treat the disease. One in every two women newly diagnosed with breast cancer turns to ACS for help and support. The organization is helping ensure access to mammograms for women who need them. Funds raised through Making Strides events help the Society invest in groundbreaking breast cancer research, provide comprehensive support to the one in two women newly diagnosed with breast cancer who turn to the Society for help.
Frieda Zamba Swimming Poolās new look: Makeover Celebration on May 23: The Frieda Zamba Swimming Pool has a new look ā and the City of Palm Coast wants to show it off at a fun-filled Makeover Celebration from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 23. The Makeover Celebration will feature a DJ, fun water activities for all ages, and a dunk tank. Refreshments will be available. Admission to the pool will be half-price ā $2 for adults and $1.50 for youth/seniors. Attendees will see the new logo for Frieda Zamba Pool, with a stylized font for āFrieda Zambaā and a wave of different colors of blue. The pool has all new signage and also has been painted a fresh, coastal-inspired light blue and white, with much of the painting being done by volunteers from Palm Coastās Epic Church. The new look was completed during the poolās off-season. Frieda Zamba Pool is named for local surfing legend Frieda Zamba, a four-time world surfing champion from Flagler Beach. The City pool is located at 339 Parkview Drive, adjacent to Belle Terre Park and the Buddy Taylor/Wadsworth School campus. Starting May 23, the pool will be open seven days a week! Hours are: 10:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 6 p.m. weekends. Daily admission is $4 adults; $3 for seniors and youth; and free for children under 2 (half price after 5:30 p.m.). Season memberships are also available.
Palm Coast’s Memorial Day, May 25: On Monday, May 25, the City of Palm Coast will have a public Memorial Day Ceremony to remember the men and women who have died while serving in the U.S. military. The Ceremony will begin at 8 a.m. at Heroes Memorial Park, 2860 Palm Coast Pkwy. NW, Palm Coast (1/2 mile west of the Flagler County Library). The names of two men ā U.S. Army Specialist Raheen Tyson Heighter and U.S. Army Sgt. Lukas T. Stanford ā have been added to the Fallen Hero Memorial this spring, and the memorial will be unveiled at the ceremony. Their families and friends will be in attendance to participate in the ceremony. Specialist Heighter was a 22-year-old infantryman when he was killed north of Baghdad, Iraq, on July 24, 2003, when his convoy came under fire. He grew up on Long Island and joined the Army in June 2001. He served with the 101st Airborne, Second Battalion, 320th Field Artillery. Following Specialist Heighterās death, his mother Cathy Heighter spearheaded the successful movement to increase death benefits for members of the Armed Forces. She also established the nonprofit organization Remembering Vets. Mrs. Heighter moved to Palm Coast in 2005. Sgt. Lukas died in the line of duty Oct. 4, 2008, in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. He grew up in Connecticut and attended the University of Tampa before he settled in Orlando. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2004. In January 2006, his unit deployed to Tal Afar, Iraq, and eight months later moved south to Ramadi until the end of the deployment in February 2007. Upon his return from Iraq, Sgt. Stanford re-enlisted and was serving as a member of 911th Engineering Company (Technical Rescue), formerly the Military District of Washington. He was the only son of U.S Army Veteran Tim Stanford, who moved to Palm Coast in 2010. Guest speakers at the ceremony will be Commandant Jack Marshall of Marine Corps League Detachment 876, Commander Ronald Stark of Palm Coast Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8696, and Palm Coast Mayor Jon Netts. The presentation of colors will be done by Ancient City Pipes & Drums and the Palm Coast Fire Department Honor Guard, and Ancient City Pipes & Drums will perform Amazing Grace. Palm Coast resident Mary Giraulo will sing The Star-Spangled Banner. A Memorial Wreath presentation will be done by local veterans organizations. Marine Corps League Detachment 876 will conduct a three-volley salute, and Taps will be played by VFW Post 8696. The Community Chorus of Palm Coast will offer a musical tribute. In addition to the mayor, who will emcee the Ceremony, members of the City Council will attend the ceremony. Everyone in the community is encouraged to honor our armed forces by coming out for the Memorial Day Ceremony. In case of rain, the program will be moved to Palm Coast Fire Station 21, 9 Corporate Drive. For more information, contact Communications & Marketing Manager Cindi Lane at 386-986-3708.
Flagler County’s Memorial Day, May 25: Flagler Countyās Memorial Day Ceremony at 10 a.m. Monday, May 25 will feature Col. Jack Howell, USMC retired, as the guest speaker. Howell is an aviator who graduated from the Top Gun school, the Naval War College and the Marine Corps Command and Staff College. He taught Marine Corps Junior ROTC programs in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Florida. He teaches both graduate and undergraduate courses in criminal justice with a specialty of terrorism. Additionally, he is the president and CEO of Teens-in-Flight, which provides flight training and aviation maintenance scholarships to those teens who have lost a parent or sibling in the Global War on Terrorism, or is the teen or sibling of a parent who is disabled after being wounded in action. The ceremony will be at 10 a.m. in front of the Government Services Building at 1769 East Moody Blvd., Bunnell. Besides placing a wreath at the Veterans Monument in front of the Government Services Building, Golden Sands, the local chapter of the Girl Scouts of America, will place a Daisy Wreath at the monument. A Flagler Palm Coast High School student will sing the national anthem and Circuit Court Judge Raul Zambrano will play taps. The Memorial Day event is sponsored by the Flagler County Commission and the Flagler County Veterans Advisory Council. Veterans groups to participate include: American Legion Post 115, Amvets Post 113, DAV Chapter 86, Italian American War Veterans Post 7, Jewish War Veterans Post 300, Marine Corps League 876, Military Officers Association of America, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Flagler County Veterans Service Office, VFW Post 8696, and the Knights of Columbus 2264 Color Corps.
Flagler County holds west side meeting about CR 302 repaving: Flagler County engineering staff is hosting a meeting Tuesday, May 26 for residents interested in information up the upcoming project to repave County Road 302 in June. The meeting will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in Daytona North at the Hidden Trails Park located at 6108 Mahogany Blvd. Repaving will begin on June 7 and the roadway will be closed to all but local traffic. Others will be required to detour around County Road 302 using State Road 100. The roadway will be closed for 90 days.
Palm Coast Arts Foundation Concert and Fund-Raiser, May 29, 7 p.m. at the Grand Club at Pine Lakes Golf Club: Vocalist Amy Alysia is a performer who works tirelessly to claim her place as one of the premier vocalists in central Florida. Always known for her soulful, heartfelt ballads, impressive vocal range & unique approach to a song leaves her audience wanting more. Amy entertains her audience with Smooth & Jazz Standards, R&B & Soul and isnāt afraid to diversify her song selections. Tickets are $15 for arts foundation members, $20 for non-members. To buy, call 386/263-2991 or visit the foundation’s website here.
Flocking For Future Problem Solvers Fundraiser
Flocking is a fundraiser organized by Flagler County School Board member Andy Dance for the Future Problem Solving Program of Flagler County, which has been one of the school districtās greatest successes in the last few years. Some 30 Flagler students are headed to Ames, Iowa, June 10-14 for the international competition, but they need your help raising the money to get there. Flock a house: you get to pay $20 or $40 to have one of your friends’ houses flocked with pink flamingos. See the story here, fill out the form below, or or call Andy Dance at 386/627-5600.
Flocking a Friend: Order Your Flocking for the Flagler Future Problem Solvers
Blood donations are urgently needed. Patients in our local hospitals are in need of blood transfusions, and the need for blood does not take a holiday. Thatās why OneBlood is asking people to donate immediately.
Big Red Bus schedule in Flagler-Palm Coast:
Monday May 18th 11:00AM ā 4:00PM City of Palm Coast, 160 Cypress Point Parkway, Palm Coast
Wednesday May 20th 12:00PM ā 5:00PM US Post Office, 2 Pine Cone Drive, Palm Coast
Friday May 22nd 1:00PM ā 6:00PM Epic Theatre, 1185 Central Ave, Palm Coast
Sunday May 24th McDonalds Restaurant, 5190 East Highway 100, Palm Coast
Monday May 25th Bealls Outlet, 9 Old Kings road, Palm Coast
Friday May 29th Zaxbyās, 180 Cypress Edge Drive, Palm Coast
Saturday May 30th Walmart Supercenter, 174 Cypress Point Parkway, Palm Coast
Sunday May 31st Loweās, 315 Cypress Edge Drive, Palm Coast
Cultural Coda:
Glenn Gould plays Bach’s full C-minor Partita:
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