Monday Briefing: John Oliver Gives It to ISIS, A Cell Tower on Colbert, Open Government

Today: high around 80, low in mid-60s. Details here.
Today’s fire danger is moderate. Flagler County’s Drought Index is at 298.
Today’s tides: at the beaches, at the Intracoastal Waterway.
Today’s document from the National Archives.
The OED’s Word of the Day: Gigantopithecus, 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 County Planning and Land Development Board holds a special meeting at 1 p.m. to address the application by RG Towers to locate a 160-foot monopole off Colbert Lane, kust south of Waterside Parkway, in Palm Coast. (The county-owned land is within the city limits of the City of Palm Coast through its 2009 annexation; however, the utilization of the subject parcel is governed by an Interlocal Agreement between the County and the City.) The matter is on the county commission’s agenda for approval later that afternoon.

The Flagler County Commission meets at 5 p.m. This is Frank Meekert’s last meeting as chairman. The commission picks a new chairman and vice chairman this evening, for a one-year term, but not until most of the evening’s business is conducted. Commissioners will consider approving a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (COPCN) for American Ambulance Service to provide ambulance transportation between Florida Hospital Flagler and other regional hospitals, relieving Flagler County Fire Rescue from the responsibility. The issue is significant in light of Palm Coast’s attempts to get a COPCN of its own, which the county keeps denying, as the county considers its ambulance service effective and sufficient for the whole county. Commissioners will also consider approving the location of a 160-foot monopole cell or communications tower on Colbert Lane.

The trial of Tremayne Jones, accused of burglary, criminal mischief and grand theft in 2014, begins with jury selection this morning at the Flagler County Courthouse.

Local News Recap:

Sheriff Reveals Breadth of Computer Failure and Safety Lapses, and Sharply Blames County: The crippling computer failure that froze many of the Flagler County Sheriff’s field, dispatch, jail ad detective operations starting on Oct. 29, and may have wiped out masses of data stretching over 20 months, was only the latest in a series of computer failures and problems since the county and the sheriff’s office agreed to merge the system under the county’s direction in January 2014, according to a four-page letter Sheriff Jim Manfre sent County Administrator Craig Coffey Thursday.

Flagler Beach Hires Larry Newsom as City Manager, From a County 70 Times Larger: With swiftness and unanimity contrasting sharply with its previous hiring round six years ago, the Flagler Beach City Commission Friday evening voted 5-0 to negotiate a contract with Larry Newsom, 52, who spent the last 14 years rising from an $8-an-hour surveyor to a $116,000 assistant county administrator in Escambia County, where he also served long stints as interim administrator.

Flagler Historical Society can no longer use county buses: “We were actually notified by the Florida Department of Transportation that we could not do it,” Heidi Petito, the county’s general services manager, told the News-Journal. “In a nutshell, they view those trips as what they consider charters and we’re not a charter service.” Mary Ann Clark, the society’s president, said there will be one tour instead of two each month, for $20 instead of $15, and only if at least 23 people sign up. (Paywall-protected)

Palm Coast Taxi Driver Arrested on Trafficking and Other Charges After Drugs Are Found in Cab: Mabry had told a Flagler County Sheriff’s informant that he had been a drug trafficker in New York, and had researched Palm Coast for a year before deciding to launch his “enterprise” in town.

In State Government:

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

The Veterans Florida Board of Directors will hold a workshop in Jacksonville. Lawmakers created the program last year to help encourage veterans and military families to move to the state and to promote veterans’ hiring and education. (8 a.m., University of North Florida, Student Union, 1 University of North Florida Dr., Jacksonville.)

A service will be held for former Florida First Lady Rhea Chiles, who died last weekend at age 84. She was the widow of the late Gov. and U.S. Sen. Lawton Chiles. (11 a.m., Faith Presbyterian Church, 2200 North Meridian Road, Tallahassee.)

Open Government under attack: The First Amendment Foundation and other members of the Florida Sunshine Coalition will hold a summit to discuss what they see as attacks and challenges to the state’s system of open government. They also will develop a plan for moving forward. (11 a.m., Orlando Sentinel, 633 North Orange Ave., Orlando.)

–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. 17: The NAACP meeting will be held a week earlier this month, on Nov. 17, 6 p.m., at the African American Cultural Society, 4422 U.S. 1 North, Palm Coast. The meeting is held earlier to accommodate the Thanksgiving holiday. For further details, contact the NAACP at 386-446-7822.
• Nov. 17: Food Truck Tuesday in Central Park, Palm Coast, 5 to 8 p.m.
• Nov. 24: Join Palm Coast United Methodist Church for a Thanksgiving meal and service with the Honorable Hubert L. Grimes. Free to all.
  

• Nov. 26: Thanksgiving Feet to Feast, 15K, 5K run and walk, at Indian Trails Middle School, 7:45 a.m.
  

• Nov. 30: 5th Annual Tree-Lighting Ceremony in Palm Coast’s Town Center, 6 p.m.

 

PR Releases:

Click on the link for more details.

Join Palm Coast United Methodist Church for meal, service with the Honorable Hubert L. Grimes
Flagler County Adult Care partners with TRAIL
Rotary Club of Flagler Beach Seeks Volunteers to Pack 10,000 meals again for Stop Hunger Now

Join Palm Coast United Methodist Church for a meal and service with the Honorable Hubert L. Grimes: There is no better way to ease into Thanksgiving then to share a meal and special service with Palm Coast United Methodist Church, followed by a special service with the Honorable Hubert L. Grimes, retired Seventh Judicial Circuit Judge. “Our church doors are open to everyone,” said Rev. Dr. Kevin M. James, Sr., senior pastor. “We welcome all, so please feel free to attend with your family, friends and neighbors.” A full Thanksgiving dinner will be served from 5 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, November 24 for members of the church and the community at large. The cost of the dinner is $5 per person, or $20 for families of four or more. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 386-445-1600, ask for Lee Thornton or Leanne Mannino. The special service begins at 6 p.m. Grimes, who broke racial barriers as the first African American County Judge of Volusia County in 1988 and the first Circuit Judge in the Seventh Judicial Circuit in 1999, will deliver the message. He has handled thousands upon thousands of cases during his 25-year career. During the last 14 years, Grimes has specialized in family law matters. He is well known for common-sense solutions he brought to the day-to-day problems he faced in his courtroom. Judge Grimes has written a book, “How to Keep Your Child from Going to Jail” to help parents overcome negative parent-child relationships and to steer children towards successful lives as contributing members of society. The service will include music and Holy Communion. There will be a free-will offering that will support the Children’s and Youth ministries. Reservations are not required to attend the special service. For more information, call 386-445-1600.

Flagler County Adult Care partners with TRAIL: It would be tough to say who benefits the most – those who regularly take advantage of Flagler County’s Adult Day Care services, or the two young men who receiving vocational training through a transition program. Damon Smith and Justin VanSoest participate in TRAIL, the short acronym for the long-titled “Transitioning youth with disabilities into Real vocational opportunities through Action planning and Individualized Learning.” TRAIL is an outcome-oriented program whose focus is to assist 18- to 22-year-old students with disabilities find meaningful jobs that are appropriate for their individual abilities. “I like interacting with the clients,” VanSoest said during his second day on the job. “I like helping others. I am able to see what needs to be done and fit right in.” Those “needs” include helping with lunch preparations and clean up, calling BINGO and visiting with the 20 regular Adult Day Care participants. “This frees up the time of the nurses so they can attend to the health and personal care needs of the clients,” said Dr. Kimberli Halliday, transition coordination at Flagler County Public Schools. Smith and VanSoest will work shifts on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday through the end of December. “We are happy to have Damon and Justin working with us,” said Adult Day Care program manager Janet Jensen, R.N. Both VanSoest and Smith are very nurturing and well-suited to their work. “I like helping people,” Smith said. “I like to be busy. I like carrying on a conversation (with the clients).” Halliday will “fade support” as VanSoest and Smith continue their work at Adult Day Care. “This is a really good place to be,” VanSoest said. “I’m learning to be independent and get out on my own.”

In the Press, In the News:

Just How ‘Islamic’ Is the Islamic State? https://t.co/2MMPens54F

— The Nation (@thenation) November 16, 2015

We'll never stop ISIS without an honest accounting of our own history in the Middle East https://t.co/J84DeSHjvW

— Salon (@Salon) November 15, 2015

UN says all sides in Libya may be committing war crimes https://t.co/w8kUesmvrT

— The Daily Star Lebanon (@DailyStarLeb) November 16, 2015

How non-profit hospitals overcharge the (under and) uninsured https://t.co/HDr94ipCtI pic.twitter.com/q3TYFv8lj0

— ProPublica (@propublica) November 16, 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 Nov. 5:

Palm Coast Parkway Six-Laning is 97 percent done: (Not updated this week.)

Holland Park, 37 percent done: Perimeter sidewalk continues to be formed and poured. The new 8″ water main was installed across Florida Park Drive and the water tap was made. Electrical trenching and conduit installation continues. 8″ water main and 2 hydrants being re-installed per plan. New irrigation system installation continues.

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, 32 percent done: The City Fiber Optic cable was removed to allow the demucking to continue north on Forest Grove. The Fiber Optic cable will be replaced when the new force main is installed. Installation of stormwater pipe continues.

Colechester Bridge, 90 percent done: Bridge Deck has been paved and striped and has been reopened. Pedestrian railings are installed, demolition of slope pavement continues. Directional bore of water main almost complete.

North Old Kings Road Extension to Matanzas Woods Parkway, 19 percent done: Asphalt was installed on the new section of roadway adjacent to the old roadway at the intersection of Old Kings Road and Forest Grove.

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:

• Palm Coast Parkway Project Website

• Florida Department of Transportation Road Project List

Cultural Coda: