Today: Breezy…sunny. Highs in the mid 70s. Northeast winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts to 30 mph. Tonight: Clear. Lows in the upper 50s. Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph. Details here.
Today’s fire danger is moderate. Flagler County’s Drought Index is at 230.
Today’s tides: at the beaches, at the Intracoastal Waterway.
Today’s document from the National Archives.
The OED’s Word of the Day: adlubescence, n..
The Live Community Calendar
Today’s jail bookings.
Today’s Briefing: Quick Links
- In Flagler and Palm Coast
- Local News Recap
- Flagler Jail Bookings and Sheriff’s Crime Reports
- In State Government
- In Coming Days in Flagler and Palm Coast
- The Day’s Best Reads
- Fact-Checking the Knaves
- Palm Coast Construction and Development Progress Reports
- Local Road and Interstate Construction
- 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 5 p.m. in board chambers at the Government Services Building in Bunnell. Commissioners are expected to approve an agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation to complete the widening and resurfacing of County Road 13 and the resurfacing of Knox Jones Avenue, Lincoln Avenue, and Railroad Street, for $3.4 million. The commission will also be approving another series of public-dollar subsidies, totaling just over $20,000, out of the Tourist Development Council’s “discretionary fund,” for three private sports organizations holding events in the county. The discretionary funds has few controls. County government is also updating its travel policy, now that the tourism office is part of county government. Commissioners are expected to approve refinancing two bond series, from 2009 and 2010, for $12 million. The full agenda and background materials are here.
The Bunnell Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meets at 5:30 p.m. at Bunnell City Hall to discuss the city’s facility-rental policy.
Flagler Business Women meet at 5 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn, Palm Coast. Melissa Chipps will discuss her business, ‘Wing Woman 4 Hire’ Dinner $20. Contact: Carrie Clark, 386-449-9038 or Agnes Lightfoot at 386-986-6535
Survey Request: The River to Sea Transportation Planning Organization (TPO), which includes Palm Coast, is seeking input from residents of Palm Coast as it plans transportation improvements for the Metropolitan Planning Area (MPA) that includes Volusia County and portions of Flagler County. The TPO has launched a “Tell the TPO” campaign to survey people who live or work in Volusia and/or Flagler counties, as well as visitors. The 11-question survey can be accessed here. All responses received by May 31, 2016, will be placed in a drawing for a chance to win a free iPad Mini.
Moody Boat Launch to close April 6 through May 20 for improvements. Click for details.
Updated jail bookings and day and night shift incident summary reports are available here.
Ethics Commission Unanimously Approves $6,200 Fine Against Sheriff Manfre, and Public Censure: The Florida Commission on Ethics this morning voted unanimously to accept an administrative law judge’s recommendation that Flagler County Sheriff Jim Manfre be fined $6,200 and publicly reprimanded and censured over two ethical violations dating back to the early part of his tenure in 2013. Those are non-criminal penalties.
Deputy Responsible for False Arrest of Dakota Ward Is Suspended For 3 Days as Investigation Concludes: James Gore, a Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy who two weeks ago was disciplined in an unrelated matter, was suspended for three days without pay and charged with “unsatisfactory or incompetent performance” as a result of his investigation that led to the false arrest of an 18-year-old Bunnell resident late last month.
Flagler’s Unemployment Ticks Down to New Post-Recession Low of 5.3% as Employment Surges: The county’s labor force also grew robustly in March, to 44,330, an increase of 346 over the previous month and of 883, or 2 percent, over the year. A growing workforce means that, in addition to the natural growth of the labor force, workers are encouraged to rejoin the workplace after remaining sidelined, or workers are moving into Flagler County, encouraged by job prospects in the region.
Flagler Beach Montessori kids can keep their garden; city may require maintenance: “A garden created by children at the Flagler Beach Montessori school won’t be removed by the city, but officials may set standards for the grooming of its leafy greens,” The Observer’s Jonathan Simmons reports.
Father Accused of Smacking and Suffocating 9-Year-Old Son For Talking Back During Chores: The father, Joshua Stevens, 31, a resident of Prospect Lane in Palm Coast, is at the Flagler County jail on $10,000 bond, facing a felony child abuse charge and allegations that he brutalized the boy and allegedly tried to asphyxiate him on Tuesday (April 12) for talking back.
You’re Dying. But Most Doctors Don’t Know How to Tell You. Such discussions are becoming more important as baby boomers reach their golden years. By 2030, an estimated 72 million Americans will be 65 or over, nearly one-fifth of the U.S. population.
In Florida and in State Government:
Note: Most proceedings below can be followed live on the Florida Channel.
Kicking individuals off Medicaid: The Agency for Health Care Administration is scheduled to hold a hearing about a rule related to “good cause disenrollment” from statewide Medicaid managed-care plans. (2 p.m., Agency for Health Care Administration, 2727 Mahan Dr., Tallahassee.)
Holocaust memorial: Gov. Rick Scott will hold a ceremonial bill-signing event for a measure (SB 716) that will lead to the creation of a Holocaust Memorial in the state Capitol Complex. 3 p.m., Jewish Federation of Broward County, 5850 South Pine Island Road, Davie.)
–Compiled by the News Service of Florida and FlaglerLive
In Coming Days in Palm Coast and Flagler:
Click on the links for more details:
♦ April 19: Palm Coast Fire Department offers free Car Seat Check : From 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. Tuesday, April 19, at Fire Station 25, 1250 Belle Terre Parkway, Palm Coast. The checks will be done in the Fire Department’s drive-through bays to assure everyone is out of the sun. Firefighters from the Palm Coast Fire Department who have been trained as car seat technicians will check to make sure car seats are installed properly and will also show parents/guardians how to properly install their car seat according to manufacturer and vehicle specifications. Additional information on keeping children safe will also be provided. People who attend the event are asked to bring their car seat manual and the vehicles owner’s manual with them, if possible. For more information, call the Palm Coast Fire Department at 386-986-2300.
♦ April 20: Flagler Department of Juvenile Justice Council meeting, 9 a.m. at the Government Service Building room 3.
♦ April 25: It’s the next edition of “Doughnuts with Doughney,” that is, coffey and doughnuts with Flagler Beach Police Captain Matthew Doughney, from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at the Flagler Beach 7-ELEVEN convenience store, 408 South Oceanshore Boulevard. Questions, please contact Captain Doughney at (386) 517-2024.
♦ April 26: Sentencing of Waldemar Rivera at 1:30 p.m. in Courtroom 401, Flagler County Courthouse, before Judge Matthew Foxman. Rivera was found guilty on March 23 after a two-day trial of raping his then-13-year-old step-daughter two years ago. He faces up to 30 years in prison. He had declined a plea that would have netted him 10 years, and declined a judge’s advice, after the first day of trial, to consider taking a plea.
♦ April 26: ElderSource is holding a public hearing at 10 a.m. at the Flagler County Public Library. The goal is to provide a listening session for anyone interested to share opinions about aging needs that impact you personally as well as your neighbors. Elder Source is a private, not for profit agency designated by the state as the Area Agency on Aging and Aging & Disability Resource Center for Northeast Florida. See the event flier here.
♦ April 30: Fort Matanzas National Monument hosts a special free day event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Reenactors dressed as Spanish colonial women will describe the life of a typical woman in Saint Augustine during the Spanish colonial era. Reenactors will also be demonstrating how foods from three different cultures combined and created some of the best dishes available in 1740’s colonial Spanish Florida. Produce from three very different cultures – Native American, African, and Spanish – will be on display, with conversations about how each of these influenced the Spanish kitchen. The authenticity of the reenactment will be limited of course: there will be no reenacted massacres, exterminations or enslavement of Native Americans, nor will the Catholic Church’s role in the obliteration of native cultures be part of the celebration. Children welcome. For additional information, call 904-41-0116 or visit www.nps.gov/foma.
♦ May 5: The Palm Coast utility and public works union meets with Palm Coast’s management team in another bargaining session over a contract. The meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. in the community wing at City Hall. It is open to the public.
♦ June 7: A 1:30 p.m. hearing is scheduled in the case of Anna Pehota, accused of second-degree murder in the shooting death of her husband on Sept. 23, 2015, in the Hammock. Her trial was scheduled for April 18, but her attorney, Ray Warren, was granted a delay so he could explore Pehota’s memory issues, which could play a deciding role in the handling of her case. The results of that inquiry are to be the subject of this hearing.
The new meta-study confirming a 97% scientific consensus on human-caused global warming https://t.co/15OZ9Azv4k pic.twitter.com/6fJkY7BHS9
— Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (@BulletinAtomic) April 16, 2016
More than 40 percent of retired NFL players showed signs of traumatic brain injury https://t.co/UcBFshdPBu pic.twitter.com/HtAkhTAmaw
— Scientific American (@sciam) April 17, 2016
Cleveland will buy thousands of sets of crowd control equipment for Republican convention https://t.co/mUVp2uEvZf pic.twitter.com/wpJ51QvuXB
— Vox (@voxdotcom) April 17, 2016
Another World: A play about three women whose children have all left Belgium, to join ISILhttps://t.co/IJqEBuhS1Z pic.twitter.com/OKOB5af1Z4
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) April 17, 2016
#Scotus to hear arguments Monday on Obama exec actions on immigration. Our backgrounder https://t.co/x18BpRhSv2… pic.twitter.com/s5qQgASDST
— Pew Research Center (@pewresearch) April 17, 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 April 13:
Click to access palm-coast-development-april-15-2016.pdf
Road and Interstate Construction:
Moody Boat Launch to close April 6 through May 20 for improvements: Flagler County’s Moody Boat Launch will be closed April 6 through May 20 for improvements. “The scheduled upgrade will enhance the launch’s usability in a number of ways,” said Heidi Petito, Director of General Services. “The new system provides for ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance, minimizes docking difficulties caused by fluctuating tides, and new lighting will promote boater safety and security.” The closure includes the Moody Boat Launch– located at 825 Moody Lane in Flagler Beach– the parking area, restroom, and dockage on the Matanzas River. It does not affect Betty Steflik Preserve and boardwalk. The scope of work includes dredging 1,650 yards of silt from the launch basin, thus improving navigability. The adjacent wooden docks will be replaced with an aluminum floating dock and gangway system. Additionally, the existing restroom will be replaced with an ADA compliant facility. Moody Boat Launch provides public access to the Intracoastal on the east shore, just south of SR100. The closest alternative boat launches are located at Herschel King Park on the west side of the river at 1000 Grady Prather Jr. Cove, Palm Coast, and Bing’s Landing on the east shore at 5862 N. Oceanshore Blvd. in Palm Coast.
Forest Grove Drive connection to Palm Harbor Parkway to be closed starting Dec. 18: Effective Friday, Dec. 18, the City of Palm Coast will be closing the Forest Grove Drive connection to Palm Harbor Parkway. This road closure is required as part of construction operations for the Palm Harbor Parkway extension, which is currently under construction. Palm Harbor is being realigned and extended to connect directly with Matanzas Woods Parkway where it intersects with Old Kings Road. Message boards will be placed to advise motorists and other travelers of the upcoming change, and a public meeting has already been held for residents living in that area. Both the Palm Harbor extension and a separate extension of Old Kings Road are being built in preparation for the new Interstate 95 interchange to open next June at Matanzas Woods Parkway. As part of the projects, traffic patterns around Matanzas High School will be changing. One goal is to turn Forest Grove Drive back into a residential street as it was originally intended to be. The upcoming road closure of the Forest Grove Drive connection to Palm Harbor Parkway is part of that project. Forest Grove will be turned into a cul de sac on that end. Once the separate Old Kings Road extension is completed, in June 2016, the Forest Grove Drive access to the high school will be closed because it will no longer be needed. Instead, motorists and other travelers will get to Matanzas High School via the new signalized intersection at Matanzas Woods, Palm Harbor and Old Kings. For more information, please contact Palm Coast Communications Manager Cindi Lane at 386-986-3708 or [email protected].
Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic (1976)
Previous Codas:
- Jan Dismas Zelenka (1679-1745): Missa Votiva in E minor, Václav Luks, cond.
- Zez Confrey’s Kitten on the Keys
- Adam Jackson, Age 11, Performs Theodor Leschetizky Toccata Op.46 No.5
- Anne Sophie-Mutter Performs Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor, Op.64, Kurt Masur, cond.
- Granados: Poetic Waltzes
- Reicha: Woodwind Quintet in Eb major op.88 no.2
- Mozart Concerto No 7 F major K 242 for 3 Pianos, Performed by Solti, Schiff and Barenboim
- Sergey Taneyev: Piano Concerto in E flat major, Mikhail Voskresensky piano
- Beethoven’s Symphony No 1 in C major, Op 21, Christian Thielemann, Cond.
- Tartini’s Trumpet Concerto in D, Markus Wursch, Trumpet
- Handel: Then Entrance of the Queen of Sheba (From Solomon)
- An Excerpt from The End of Joyce’s Ulysses
- Pavel Kolesnikov Performs the Magnificent Scarlatti Sonata in B Minor, L. 447, and the D Major, L. 465
- Alvin Ailey Dance: Wade in the Water from Revelations
- Leonard Bernstein Conducts the Boston Symphony Orchestra: Mozart’s Symphony Nr. 40 in G Minor, K550
- Sheng Cai Performs Triana by Albeniz
- Haydn’s String Quartet in C Major, Op. 76 No. 3, “Emperor,” Performed by the St. Lawrence String Quartet
- Dvorak’s 9th Symphony, “New World,” Performed by the Berlin Philharmonic, Conducted by Sergiu Celibidache (1991)
- The Great Jacques Brel Sings “Amsterdam,” Live, With Subtitles
- Emmanuel Pahud Performs Mozart Flute Concerto No 1 in G Major, K 313
- Wynton Marsalis Performs Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto
- Evgeny Kissin Performs Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2, from Paris
- Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No.6, Performed by Martha Argerich (1966)
just me says
The gearing up for the GOP convention by cops is mostly in protective gear to protect themselves against the Bernie/Hillary types.
NortonSmitty says
Maybe the Cleveland Police could save some money by just buying used Star Wars Storm Trooper uniforms since they finished the movie.