Today: high in mid 80s, low in mid-70s. Details here.
Today’s fire danger is moderate. Flagler County’s Drought Index is at 400.
The weather in Grinnell, Iowa: high 80, low 58. Details.
Today’s document from the National Archives.
The OED’s Word of the Day: workaround, n..
The Live Community Calendar
Today’s jail bookings.
Today’s Briefing: Quick Links
- In Flagler and Palm Coast
- Local News Recap
- In Court
- In State Government
- Beyond
- PR Releases
- In the Press, In the News
- Palm Coast Construction and Development Progress Reports
- Local Road and Interstate Construction
- In Coming Days in Flagler and Palm Coast
- Comment of the Day (From the Comment Section)
- 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 Commission meets at 9 a.m.: The second and final reading of the ordinance approving zoning changes south of at Sea Ray Boats’s property, enabling Sea Ray to build a parking lot, is scheduled for this morning. The measure is expected to pass easily. Feed Flagler, the Thanksgiving program created as a means of feeding the hungry at Thanksgiving during former commissioner Milissa Holland’s tenure, will be transferred to Grace Tabernacle Ministries after being overseen by the county commission and administration for the past six years. The commission is also expected to approve re-appointing Flagler Beach Mayor Linda Provencher to the Tourist Development Council and Mike Kuypers to the Land Acquisition Committee. The full agenda and background materials are here.
Flagler County’s Dusty Sims is honored: The Florida Department of Education will hold a ceremony to recognize Diane McKee, the 2016 Florida teacher of the year; Angela Murphy-Osborne, the 2015 principal of the year; and Dustin Sims, the 2015 assistant principal of the year. (2 p.m., Turlington Building, 325 West Gaines St., Tallahassee.)
Road Closure Note: The northbound lane of S. Old Kings Road from Town Center Boulevard going north approximately 2.5 miles will have a moving lane closure starting Monday, July 27. The lane closure will be from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and will continue for approximately three weeks. A flagman will direct traffic.
Flagler Chamber Launches School For Business-Minded Political Candidates, But Behind Closed Doors: Although designed exclusively for individuals who may become public officials who will operate in the public eye—and some of the program touches on the job’s assumption of transparency—none of the seminar sessions will be open to the public or the press. The chamber is not revealing who will make up the committee that selects the candidates chosen for the program. Nor is the chamber revealing the list of applicants, though it may reveal those who make the cut.
Internal investigation clears Flagler County deputy Deputy Jonathan Kuleski: The deputy was found in the company of more than a dozen “young adults” who’d gathered to drink and listen to music in April in a clearing in a wooded area of Palm Coast’s W-Section. Kuleski told internal investigators he didn’t know the party was on private property and said he thought it was on property owned by some of his friends, the News-Journal reports. (Story paywall-protected.)
Flagler Live-Blogs Harper Lee’s “Go Set a Watchman,” Chapter 7: Doxology Sings Dixie: Part seven of the ongoing communal reading project, finding Jean Louise in church and her uncle getting very upset with a Northern rendition of the day’s hymns.
Circuit Judges Michael Orfinger and J. David Walsh are not in session today. County Judge Melissa Moore-Stens holds mostly juvenile case hearings in Courtroom 404.
Note: Most proceedings below can be followed live on the Florida Channel.
The Social Services Estimating Conference will look at expenditures in the KidCare subsidized health-insurance program. (9:30 a.m.)
–Compiled by the News Service of Florida and FlaglerLive
The U.S. Senate today considers defunding Planned Parenthood.
President Obama unveils Environmental Protection Agency regulations on coal-fired power plants at 2 p.m.
Palm Coast Heating & Air Conditioning Adds to Team, Hires Brothers: James and Justin Webb are the company’s newest installation technicians. “We hired Justin first, then James,” said owner Douglas A. Jahn. “It’s quite unique that they both have a talent in our industry, it’s definitely the first time I’ve every hired two brothers,” he added. The company worked with CareerSource Volusia Flagler to utilize their hiring grant. “It certainly helps offset the cost of a new hire,” said Jahn. The pair’s father was in the heating and air conditioning business in Las Vegas. James Webb has been in the industry for over 11 years and moved to Flagler County five years ago. His duties include installation of heating and air conditioning units, servicing equipment, working on duct jobs and more. Justin Webb got into the industry as an electrician in the union and has over six years of experience. His duties include installation of heating and air conditioning units, servicing equipment, duct work and more. Palm Coast Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. has been serving the Flagler County area since 1990.
GOP’s anger turns in upon itself: “Given the nation’s historical preference for switching the party in the White House every eight years, the Grand Old Party should be having a grand old time heading into the 2016 races. But a new Pew poll shows the party’s brand falling off a cliff, even among Republicans. The late July poll found only 32 percent of voters holding a “favorable impression” of the GOP and 60 percent taking an “unfavorable view.” An early July Gallup poll also finds the Republican Party struggling for its footing on a steep downward slope, with only a 35 percent approval rating. The biggest surprise is Pew’s finding that the slide in GOP support is primarily the result of Republican voters pulling away from Republican politicians.” From The Hill.
Floridians Continue to Hang-up Traditional Phones: As more evidence of the transformation of the telephone industry, the Florida Public Service Commission released a report Friday that said the number of residential wirelines in the state has dropped by about 6 million during the past decade. Meanwhile, the report said Florida had about 19 million wireless-phone subscribers as of the end of 2013 — nearly one wireless device for every resident of the state. The Public Service Commission sends a report to the Legislature by Aug. 1 each year about the status of competition in the telecommunications industry. This year’s report continues to show the massive shift of people disconnecting traditional wireline phones in their homes and businesses and moving to newer technology. It cited national data that said 45.4 percent of Americans lived in wireless-only homes in 2014, while 42.7 percent lived in homes with wireless and wireline service. “Between 2010 and 2013, Florida’s adoption rate of wireless handsets tracked the national trend,” the report said. “There is no reason to believe the substitution rate will be changing appreciably.” The report also said Florida businesses showed a 17 percent decrease in wireline service last year. News Service of Florida.
You’re killing us, White America: How the Samuel DuBose murder exposes a system designed to destroy Black lives: “White America, you’re killing us. Your law enforcement officers, your criminal justice systems, your jail cells are all weapons of mass destruction. Based on the legacy of 500 years of settler colonialism, land theft, war, slave trading, enslavement, broken treaties, reservations, segregation, the Trail of Tears, the 4,000+ lynchings between 1877 and 1950, and collective violence against Black communities, White America has built an edifice of violence in the psychology and culture of white police officers and correctional officers that continues to dehumanize indigenous and Black lives. If #AllLivesMattered, then White supremacy would be widely acknowledged, and White America would be working to repent for the legacies of violence against Black and indigenous populations. Instead, when state-sanctioned violence is exacted in America, hardly anyone in White America makes serious effort to seriously combat the racism that is part of its cultural and political DNA. Most of the time, the nation ignores it.” From Salon.
Palm Coast Construction and Development Progress Reports:
The following is an update of ongoing construction and development projects in Palm Coast, through July 31:
Palm Coast Parkway Six-Laning is 85 percent done: Widening on the north side of the parkway almost complete. Landscape irrigation work continues. Signage installation is complete. Milling and Resurfacing of Roadway has begun. FPL completed installation of light poles and fixtures along the south side of the roadway.
Holland Park, 25 percent done: Installation of new underground sanitary piping and structures. Continuation of installation of new water main.
Palm Coast City Hall at Town Center, 80 percent done: Installation of drywall on interior walls, mechanical duct work
& VAV damper installation, electrical conduit rough-in and fire sprinkler piping are all 98% complete. Painting of interior and exterior walls continues. Floor tile in bathrooms continues. FP&L set meter. Mechanical system being prepped for startup next week. Exterior trellis and clock installed. 2 of the 4 glass entry door systems have been installed. See ongoing images of construction here.
Colechester Drive Bridge, 30 percent done: Bridge deck is being removed.
County’s I-95 Interchange Matanzas Woods Reclaim Water, 25 percent done: Contractor has installed approximately 1,000 ft. of reclaim water main total installed 5,000 ft. to date.
Palm Harbor Parkway Roadway Extension, 6 percent done: Contractor working on submittals and coordinating utility work with FPL & ATT.
Island Walk Shopping Center Phase 1, 90 percent done: An 8″ insert a valve was installed on the water main behind the north west corner of the old Bealls store to isolated water main and adjust where storm water conflicts with the 8″ water main location.
Shops at Pine Lakes Convenience Store, 90 percent done: The Pump Station panel has been set and is ready for startup testing.
Walmart Addition, project completed.
Old Kings Road Utilities Work, 85 percent done: Pressure testing of new water main has passed.
Old Kings Road Force Main – Master Pump Station, 4 percent done: Contractor clearing crew removing trees from site.
Road and Interstate Construction:
Palm Coast:
Lane closures to begin July 27 on South Old Kings Road in Palm Coast: The northbound lane of S. Old Kings Road from Town Center Boulevard going north approximately 2.5 miles will have a moving lane closure starting Monday, July 27. The lane closure will be from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and will continue for approximately three weeks. A flagman will direct traffic. This lane closure is needed to allow a City contractor to clear the right-of-way along the roadway in preparation for an upcoming wastewater system project.
Lane closure planned for Palm Coast Parkway July 26 through August 7: Beginning Sunday, July 26, motorists and other travelers should expect a lane closure along Palm Coast Parkway between Florida Park Drive to just west of Cypress Point Parkway. The lane closure will occur in two phases. From 7 p.m. Sunday, July 26 through 7 a.m. Friday, July 31 one eastbound lane will be closed, and one eastbound lane will remain open. From 7 p.m. Sunday, August 2 through 7 a.m. Friday, August 7 one westbound lane will be closed and one westbound lane will remain open. Motorists are encouraged to watch for flaggers and work zone signs. The lane closures are required in order for the contractor to perform milling and paving operations. Weather conditions and other unforeseen circumstances could alter work schedules.
Matanzas Woods Parkway closed: Matanzas Woods Parkway is closed until early August for construction of the Interstate 95 interchange. The portion of Matanzas Woods Parkway that spans I-95 will be reconstructed to accommodate four single-lane ramps for on and off access to the interstate. Other improvements include the widening of the interstate to accommodate new acceleration and deceleration lanes, wet detention ponds adjacent to the roadway, sidewalks, lighting, overhead signs and landscaping. Project details are available and regularly updated at http://www.matanzas95interchange.com. The detour map is available here.
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.
Flagler County Road 302 is Closed to all but local traffic as repaving began 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, or until early September.
Palm Coast’s Colechester Lane bridge to be closed July 7 through Sept. 4: A detour will be established taking travelers over the Colorado Drive bridge instead. Signs will be posted directing motorists to the Colorado Drive bridge. The City of Palm Coast strives for safe construction zones. The City asks for the cooperation and patience of residents as this important bridge improvement project is completed. For more information, contact Palm Coast Customer Service at 386-986-2360.
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.
- Palm Coast Parkway Project Website
- Florida Department of Transportation Road Project List
- County Road 304 Project Map and Description
Click on the links for more details:
- Flagler County is now accepting applications for the Fall 2015 Citizens Academy. Classes will be held on Thursday evenings from 5 to 8 p.m. beginning September 10 for nine weeks. For more information, click this link or go to flaglercounty.org/academy.
- Nominate Your Veteran of the Year: Flagler County government is taking nominations from Aug. 1 through Sept. 30 for the veteran of the year. Nominations must be mailed in to the county. Click here for details.
- Back to School Immunization, required by schools, available at the Flagler County Health Department from August 10 through August 21, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on a walk-in basis. For further information, please call: 386-437-7350 ext. 2224.
- All Summer: Free Breakfast and Lunch for All Flagler County Children Through Seamless Summer Freeding
- All Summer: Flagler Sheriff’s Police Athletic League (P.A.L.) Offers Free Summer Activities for Youth .
- All Summer: Swimming lessons and lifeguard classes available at Frieda Zamba Swimming Pool.
- Registration opens for 2015 Palm Coast & the Flagler Beaches Senior Games.
- August 5: The Palm Coast Area council hosts its monthly Palm Coast Meet-up for Palm Coast Chamber of Commerce members at Carrabba’s Italian Grill at noon. A city official or staff member will attend. This is a casual lunch designed for brainstorming and networking. All attendees are responsible for their own lunch tab.
- August 6: Fund-raiser for the Casey-Dixon family who suffered a house fire in May in the LL-section, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Dinner at Sonny’s Bar-B-Q in Palm Coast: portion of the proceeds made that night will be donated to the family.
- August 15-16: Softball tournament fund-raiser for the Casey-Dixon family who suffered a house fire in May in the LL-section. Games will begin at 8 a.m. at the Flagler Fairgrounds Softball Field.
- Saturday, Aug. 15: Daytona Beach’s 3rd Annual Community Unity Festival, from 9 a.m. – 10 p.m. This free event, which will include activities for all ages, will be held at Daisy Stocking Park, 555 Mary McLeod Bethune Blvd. in Daytona Beach.
- Sept. 28: Bunnell’s State of the Art Water Treatment Facility Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting at 100 Utility Drive (directly across the street from the Flagler County Government Services Building), from 4 to 6 p.m.
Comment of the Day (From the Comment Section):
Brad W, in “Flagler Chamber Launches School For Business-Minded Political Candidates, But Behind Closed Doors“: “Having concern over the Chamber trying to “breed” local candidates really shouldn’t be a concern in my opinion. The bottom line to having quality people in our local elected positions comes down to voting smart, but the truth is that in Flagler County our local voting record is horrible. We have a culture of candidates that rely on name recognition and focus a large amount of energy in throwing up numerous signs all over and other simple exposure-advertising. We allow them to gt in their sound bites with 60-second answers to important questions at public forums. We allow it to continue and demand little from candidates to truly important positions and issues that effect daily lives. And it is not enough to say”Well, people just don’t vote.” Yes, people do here . . . at least every 4 years in presidential election years. It’s the in-between times that are horrible. And I place a lot of that blame on an Elections Office that has done nothing to grow voter turnout with a strategic community outreach program. And, yes, they have the time and resources in that office because the past Supervisor had plenty of time and resources to run attack efforts on local elected officials and communities. Although I think Gretchen Smith is great, I think the Chamber has had little effect on local politics because the Chamber itself has a problem effectively connecting with the community. It’s culture needs an overhaul and move from the cliqueish elitist persona that the community has regarding them. Businesses sign up with them but most will tell you they find little benefit. The Chamber needs an overhaul in their leadership at all levels and until that happens they will continue to have little impact on voting.” Reply to Brad W here.
Cultural Coda:
