Puppy Killer Gets 5 Years, "You Can't Take It With You" at FPC

Kevin McClenithan, whose arrest record spans a half dozen counties in Florida, was found guilty of animal cruelty and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. See below.

Today: high in mid-80s, low around 70. Details here.
Today’s fire danger is moderate. Flagler County’s Drought Index is at 361.
Today’s tides: at the beaches, at the Intracoastal Waterway.
Today’s document from the National Archives.
The OED’s Word of the Day: powder keg, n..
The Live Community Calendar
Today’s jail bookings.

Today’s Briefing: Quick Links

In Flagler and Palm Coast
Local News Recap
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 Beach City Commission holds a special meeting at 6 p.m. to review a proposed contract with Flagler Golf Management for the City owned 34 acres at the south end of town to be transformed back as a golf course.

Lunch & Learn: Planning For Business Success, a free presentation (bring your own lunch) at the Palm Coast Hilton garden Inn sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, at noon.

Drama at Flagler Palm Coast High School: “You Can’t Take It With You,” the 1937 Pulitzer-prize winning play by George Kaufman and Moss hart, is staged by the FPC Thespians at the Flagler Auditorium Nov. 5, 6 at 7 p.m. and on Nov. 7 at 2 and 7 p.m. Tickets are $12 for adults, $8 for students.

road closure florida park drive — Click on the image for larger view.

Road Closure on Florida Park Drive Tonight: A segment of Florida Park Drive, between the two intersections with Farraday Lane, will close to traffic Thursday at 8 p.m., through Friday at 6 a.m., for the installation of a water line. A single lane will be open on Florida Park Drive south of the construction for local residential and business access. All residential traffic to and from Fawn Lane will be able to utilize the Farraday Lane access that they would normally use. All traffic to and from Farrington Lane and Veranda Lane will not be affected. If traffic wishes to proceed north from these two residential streets, they will utilize the same Farraday Lane detour as the rest of the traffic. (Click on the image of the map to the right for a larger view of the detour.) The project is part of the Holland Park improvements. For more information, please contact Palm Coast Customer Service at 386-986-2360.

bikini atoll auditions — The Bikini Atoll in the Pacific. Auditions, however, are at the Playhouse, a bit further east. (Wikimedia Commons)

Auditions: Flagler Playhouse has scheduled auditions on Nov. 8 at 6 p.m. at the Playhouse for “The Bikinis,” Created and Written by Ray Roderick and James Hindman. Back together after 20 years! A fictional girls group from the sixties get together to relive their heyday and raise some money for the Sandy Shores Mobile Home Beach Resort. Bikinis is a nonstop celebration of song, filled with hits. Roles for 4 women (Don’t worry, you won’t be wearing bikinis.) All types, ethnicities and sizes are encouraged to audition.

Local News Recap:

For 4th Time in 7 Weeks, a Student is Struck by Vehicle in Palm Coast; Safety Panel Meets: The wreck is the latest in a series of incidents that have heightened concerns about students’ safety on city roads, led to the creation of a committee of school and city officials to explore ways to improve students’ safety, triggered a Facebook page called Safer Streets in Palm Coast that has drawn attention and comments from local officials, among them school board member Andy Dance and Palm Coast City Council member Steven Nobile, and provoked discussions to that end at the Palm Coast City Council and the Flagler County School Board.

Puppy-killer sentenced: Kevin McClenithan, the 46-year-old felon and Bunnell resident who’d killed a puppy in May, shooting the dog even though it had been confined, will serve five years in prison following a sentence by Circuit Judge J. David Walsh Wednesday, the News-Journal reported. The severity of the sentence had as much to do with the fact that McClenithan was in possession of a firearm, a second-degree felony, as it did the cruelty to animals charge. He will also serve two years’ probation after his release. In 2012, he’d committed an armed burglary and had been convicted for it. After the puppy-killing incident was also found guilty on a subsequent count of battery against his ex-girlfriend, and sentenced to a month at the county jail, but got credit for a month since he’d already served it. Other charges against him were dropped in the plea agreement. Brandon James Moon, a 21-year-old man arrested on a charge of raping an underage girl, pleaded no contest, the Observer reports.

palm coast city hall ribbon-cutting — The ribbon, waiting to be cut. (© FlaglerLive)

Palm Coast City Hall Journey Ends With Inauguration of a New Day on Lake Avenue: There were about four times as many people as the 100-odd chairs that’d been set out for the occasion, and about six or seven times the number of people who’d showed up earlier in the day to see Gov. Rick Scott cut the ribbon at the Sheriff’s new Operations Center in Bunnell.

Campus Gun Bill Advances in House While Opponents Pitch More Police Funding: The Higher Education & Workforce Subcommittee voted 10-3, with Tallahassee Democrat Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda joining nine Republicans, to advance the bill (HB 4001), which would allow the state’s 1.45 million concealed-weapon permit holders to carry guns while on state campuses.

In State Government:

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

High school sports: The House Education Committee holds a workshop on legislation related to the Florida High School Athletic Association. (8 a.m.)

Property taxes: The House Finance & Tax Committee are expected to consider issues related to property taxes, including a proposed committee bill (PCB FTC 16-01) on “ad valorem” taxation. (2 p.m.)

redistricting olivera plan flagler — Rep. Olivera’s plan affects South Florida, leaving the proposed redistricting of Travis Hutson’district, which includes Florida, similar to the plan the Senate passed this week.

Possible floor sessions: The Senate could hold a floor session related to a Senate redistricting plan at 2 p.m., the House has set aside time for a floor session if it is needed on redistricting issues at 4:30 p.m

Taxes on flower sales: The Florida Supreme Court will hear arguments in four cases, including a dispute about whether Florida should be able to collect sales taxes on flowers ordered online and delivered in other states. The Department of Revenue is asking the Supreme Court to overturn an appeals court ruling last year that said it is unconstitutional for the state to try to collect sales taxes from a Palm Beach County company for flowers that go to people outside Florida. (9 a.m.)

The Florida Supreme Court is scheduled to release its weekly opinions. (11 a.m.)

UCF Downtown Campus: The state university system’s Board of Governors will meet after holding committee meetings Wednesday and earlier Thursday. The board is expected to hear a presentation from Jesse Panuccio, executive director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, and elect a chairman and vice-chair. Also, it is expected to take up issues such as a proposed downtown Orlando campus for the University of Central Florida. (Full Board of Governors meets at 1:15 p.m. or upon adjournment of earlier meetings, Florida International University, Modesto Maidique Campus, Graham University Center, 11200 S.W. Eighth St., Miami.)

–Compiled by the News Service of Florida and FlaglerLive

In Coming Days in Palm Coast and Flagler:

Click on the links for more details:

Nov. 6, 7 and 8: “God of Carnage,” the Yasmine Reza dark comedy, directed by John Sbordone at Palm Coast’s City Repertory Theatre. In this play, which won three Tony awards in 2009, two married couples meet to do the right thing about a playground fight between their pre-teen boys: The parents will discuss the matter civilly, only to degenerate into fighting savages themselves. Staged at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sunday. CRT is in City Marketplace, 160 Cypress Point Parkway, Suite 207B, Palm Coast. Tickets are $20 adults, $15 students. Not recommended for children younger than 17. Call 386/585-9415 or get your tickets easily online here.

Staring Nov. 6, Flagler Playhouse presents Greetings!, by Tom Dudzick, A beautiful comedy about a young man who brings home his Jewish atheist fiancé to meet his very Catholic parents on Christmas Eve. With the inevitable family explosion comes an out-of-left –field miracle that propels the family into a wild exploration of love, religion, personal truth and the nature of earthly reality. November 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21 and 22, Flagler Playhouse, 301 E. Moody Blvd. (located 2 blocks east of US 1 on State Road 100). Reserve tickets online or call the Box Office: 386-586-0773.
Nov. 6: San Diego Artist Kari Powell is November’s Featured Artist at Ocean Art Gallery in Flagler Beach for the month of November, starting with a Nov. 6 reception from 6 to 9 p.m.
Nov. 8: AJ Fernandez, Felled by Schizophrenia, Is Celebrated With a Skateboard Competition at Wadsworth Park: The competition is open to skateboarders of all ages. All proceeds, including the $20 entry fee, will benefit the Johns Hopkins Schizophrenia Center in Baltimore. Participants can see competition rules and pre-register for the event online here, or register beginning at 9 a.m. on the day of the event. The judged competition will begin at 11 a.m.
Nov. 9: Library holds ‘White Table Ceremony’ to honor service men and women who are Prisoners of War or Missing in Action.
Nov. 12: Free ‘storm spotters’ class at 6 p.m. at the Emergency Operations Center located behind the Government Services Building, 1769 E. Moody Blvd., Bunnell.
Nov. 13: The Flagler County Legislative Delegation will hear public testimony on general issues, legislation, local bills and appropriations. Anyone wishing information on procedures to file a local bill or to be placed on the November 13, 2015 agenda must contact Danielle Curbow with Senator Travis Hutson’s office at 386-446-7610, prior to November 9, 2015. The session takes place at Board Chambers, Government Services Building, from 4 to 6 p.m.

PR Releases:

Click on the link for more details.

Flagler Humane Society will receive six homeless dogs and six cats from South Carolina.
Florida Hospital Flagler Receives Nearly $11,000 Donation to Help Fight Cancer
Wadsworth Elementary’s John Fanelli is Flagler County Principal of the Year
Indian Trails Middle School’s Marcus Sanfilippo is Flagler County’s Assistant Principal of the Year
San Diego Artist Kari Powell is November’s Featured Artist at Ocean Art Gallery

In the Press, In the News:

What once appeared to be the killing of a police officer turned out to be "staged suicide": https://t.co/QUxgLircpI pic.twitter.com/7vO5Wsx5rM

— CNN International (@cnni) November 5, 2015

It's time for TV and film to end the abortion stigma: https://t.co/r69FZlr48L pic.twitter.com/NUj3CaQR8U

— Media Matters (@mmfa) November 5, 2015

11-year-old boy dies saving his sister's life after car accident https://t.co/IYwYw9SRhe

— The Independent (@Independent) November 5, 2015

Videogame makers’ ludicrous excuses for sexualising female characters shame the industry https://t.co/lUPbLhVc4b pic.twitter.com/KXP8Q0bkZP

— The New Statesman (@NewStatesman) November 5, 2015

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 Oct. 30:

Palm Coast Parkway Six-Laning is 97 percent done: Final lift of paving has begun. Median work is completed. Landscaping irrigation is ongoing. Performed a substantial inspection on the Utility portion with as-built and created
punch list for Contractor.

Holland Park, 36 percent done: Dewatering of retention pond ceased when excavation and forming of pond completed. Six concrete stormwater mitered end sections poured. 20 cubic yards of concrete sidewalks poured. Installation of water main continued. Removal of unsuitable material from the jobsite. Electrical trenching and conduit installation continues.

Palm Coast City Hall at Town Center, 99 percent done: Building’s grand opening is on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

County’s I-95 Interchange Matanzas Woods Reclaim Water, 76 percent done: Retention ponds are being excavated and fill continues for
the ramps.

Palm Harbor Parkway Roadway Extension, 28 percent done: Clearing and underground stormwater work continues. Reconstruction of Old Kings Rd and Matanzas Road to have occur this past weekend.

North Old Kings Road Extension to Matanzas Woods Parkway, 17 percent done: Fill dirt has been brought in and road was raised to grade.

Island Walk Shopping Center Phase 1, 93 percent done: Water mains behind the Island Doctor and Bealls have been chlorinated for 2nd day bacteriological samples.

Old Kings Road Force Main 50 percent done:: Contractor is working on Force main at the entrance north of spray field.

Road and Interstate Construction: The intersection of Old Kings Road and Matanzas Woods Parkway will be closed for reconstruction beginning at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, and continuing through the weekend until 3 a.m. Monday morning, Nov. 2. The intersection will be closed to traffic during that entire time. Variable message signs will be used to alert the traveling public of the closure. For more information, contact Palm Coast Customer Service at 386-986-2360.