Bunnell Day of Prayer, Cycle de Mayo, Coastal Cloud, Mentors

Today: Windy…sunny. Highs around 80. West winds 20 to 25 mph with gusts to 35 mph. Tonight: Clear. Lows in the lower 50s. West winds 10 to 15 mph. Details here.
Today’s fire danger is moderate. Flagler County’s Drought Index is at 331.
Today’s tides: at the beaches, at the Intracoastal Waterway.
Today’s document from the National Archives.
The OED’s Word of the Day: descendentalism, 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
Summer Camps for Children
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.

This is teacher appreciation week. It is also “Cycle de Mayo” Ride Your Bike to Work Day: Please show extra care, share the road.

In Court: Circuit Judge Matthew Foxman holds drug court starting at 10 a.m. in Courtroom 401.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) holds an Open House for the public from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Hammock Community Center, 79 Malacompra Road, Palm Coast (beachside). FEMA is updating its flood insurance rate maps for the first time since 2006. The Open House will introduce the public to the proposed map changes. The proposed maps will be on display, and residents will have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with FEMA representatives to ask questions and get more information about impacts to them specifically.

The Flagler Chamber of Commerce’s Common Ground Breakfast features Dr. Mark Martindale, University of Florida biology professor and director for the Whitney Laboratory of Marine Bioscience. He will talk about “the Benefits of Having a Marine Laboratory and Higher Education in Your Backyard.” Hilton Garden Inn, 7:45 to 9:30 a.m. Cost for Chamber members is $20 with advance registration or $30 the day of the event. Guests may attend for $30 with advance registration or $40 the day of the event. Reservations are due May 2 by 5 p.m. To register, email Jaclyn here.

Bunnell holds its annual Day of Prayer celebration. Members of the local pastoral community will be joining together in this ecumenical event at the Edward Johnson Park, 401 East Court Street (behind the Flagler Playhouse). Following the presentation of colors by a local honor guard, there will be live inspirational music and prayers given by guest pastors from the local community. The Master of Ceremonies will be Bishop Phillip King and the Keynote Speaker will be Pastor Kevin Laurent from First Baptist Church of Palm Coast. Clerics of all faiths have been invited. For more information, contact City Commissioner John Rogers, who chairs the program, at 931-1410 or Dan Davis, city manager, at 437-7500 Ext. 2303. The event is usually modestly attended, except in election years, when political candidates somehow find God (and voters) and make a point of parading their piety.

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.

The school district’s African American Mentor Program‘s Young Men of Distinction end-of-year banquet takes place at First Baptist Church in Palm Coast, 6:30 p.m.

Local News Recap:

Updated jail bookings and day and night shift incident summary reports are available here.

Three Candidates for Elections Supervisor Offer More Strengths Than Differences: It was no slugfest. The three candidates took no swipes at each other and not only kept their answers on the questions, but showed remarkable focus in their answers, displaying none of the political tendencies of candidates to stray onto their own talking points and evade questions: they came off over a 60-minute span more like brainiacs at a seminar rather than as politicians at a candidate forum.

Flagler Auditorium Sees $500,000 Grant As 1st Step to $5 Million Capital Makeover: The Florida Division of Cultural Affairs just awarded the Flagler Auditorium a $500,000 matching grant that may be the first of five such grants over the next four years–if the district is willing to match them dollar for dollar. The total would result in a $5 million capital revamp of the auditorium and the performing arts building to which it is attached, benefiting the concert hall and Flagler Palm Coast High School’s students.

Quarter-Size Hail Strafes Flagler in Morning Storm: The National Weather Service reports that a moist air mass ahead of a cold front combined with cooler temperatures to trigger a thunderstorm over Flagler County that produced widespread pea-size to quarter-size hail this morning.

A Lockdown in Putnam Ripples to Anger in Palm Coast and a Man’s Arrest in Shooting: Gregory Joseph Marr was angry. There’d been a shooting at his wife’s health care facility Tuesday. He couldn’t reach her for a while. But his anger, by day’s end, had landed him at the Flagler County jail after he fired a gun several times into the canal at his Chelsea Court home in Palm Coast and appeared to threaten a neighbor.

Lightning strikes Flagler County man’s truck, destroys computers: Gary Farber said he literally saw his life flash before his eyes as storms ripped through Flagler County, News 13 reports.

Coastal Cloud Buys Hammock Beach Discovery Center: “After renting space there since the company’s founding three years ago, Coastal Cloud has purchased the 25,834 square foot Hammock Beach Discovery Center at One Hammock Beach Pkwy in Palm Coast,” Toby Tobin, who heads PR for Coastal Cloud, reports at GoTobin. “Three years of success have validated Tim and Sara Hale’s decision to base their cloud consulting company here.”

Flagler School District Seeks to Be 1st in Florida To Use Concussion-Alert Football Helmets In an effort to enhance protection of student athletes at Flagler Palm Coast High School and Matanzas High School, the district today presented a plan to the school board that would replace current football helmets with a new technology that arms helmets with sensors and enables coaches and trainers to know in real time who is getting hit in the head and with what severity. That sort of data, coaches hope, will help add a layer of protection for students by more quickly and empirically alerting trainers when an athletes must be checked out and tested for a concussion.

In Florida and in State Government:

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

Death penalty and the Supreme Court: The Florida Supreme Court will hear arguments in three cases, including a case that forced an overhaul of the state’s death-penalty sentencing system. The case involves Timothy Lee Hurst, who was sentenced to death for the 1998 killing of a fast-food worker in Pensacola. Hurst was the plaintiff in a legal challenge that led to the U.S. Supreme Court finding in January that Florida’s death-penalty sentencing system was unconstitutional because it gave too much power to judges, instead of juries. State lawmakers and Gov. Rick Scott quickly approved changes to the system to try to resolve the constitutional issues. The Florida Supreme Court will weigh Hurst’s contention that he now should receive a life sentence, rather than the death penalty. Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office argues that Hurst should continue to face execution. (9 a.m.)

The Florida Supreme Court is expected to release its weekly opinions at 11 a.m.

The Drug Policy Advisory Council, which works on issues related to substance abuse, will meet. (9 a.m., Florida Department of Health, 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Tallahassee.)

The Florida Public Service Commission meets at 9:30 a.m., Betty Easley Conference Center, 4075 Esplanade Way, Tallahassee.

–Compiled by the News Service of Florida and FlaglerLive

In Coming Days in Palm Coast and Flagler:

Click on the links for more details:

♦ May 6-8: “Sex, Drugs, Rock n Roll,” the Eric Bogosian play, is staged at City Repertory Theatre in Palm Coast, 160 Cypress Point Parkway in Palm Coast. Praised as both a writer and a performer, Bogosian originally wrote SDR&R as one of his half-dozen acclaimed one-man shows, and performed the show successfully off-Broadway in 1990. The New York Times called it his “funniest and scariest” work yet. As you might expect from City’s Producer-Director John Sbordone, who rarely does what you expect, the City production splits the show among 5 performers: Jonathan Haglund, Ron Long, Jim Fellows, Evelyn Lynn, and Sbordone himself. This company of artists become an angry lawyer, an in-recovery rock star, a high-powered businessman, and more, each character in some way related to one or more of the title vices. Performed at City Repertory on Friday and Saturday, May 6 and 7 at 7:30 p.m. and at 2 p.m. on Sunday May 8. This is the last show of the season for CRT. Tickets are $20. Book easily here.
♦ May 6: Pastor Charles Silano of Open Door Ministries and Grace Tabernacle Ministries, and a former convict, is the keynote speaker at the 25th graduation ceremony of Flagler County Drug Court at 3 p.m. in Courtroom 101 at the county courthouse.
♦ May 7: Arbor Day in Palm Coast’s Central Park. The Arbor Day 5K Root Run/Walk, begins at 8 a.m. Register here. At the main event, themed “Feed a Mouth, Get a Tree, Grow a Community,” attendees can exchange canned food or pet food items for a free three-gallon native hardwood tree (one tree per household, while quantities last). The Native Butterfly Release will be at 11 a.m. at center stage. Other fun activities are planned for all ages. A free paper-shredding service, so bring your old documents for professional shredding! Plan to take advantage of this hands-free, uncomplicated process as totes will be wheeled to your car to help unload your paper and bring it to a chute that dumps all of it into a shredder. Free admission and parking. Contact Palm Coast Urban Forester Carol Mini at 386/986-3722 for more information.
♦ May 10: Pegine Echevarria, a motivational speaker, headlines the Flagler Chamber of Commerce’s “Fearless and Focused Women in Business” lunch at the Hilton Garden Inn, 55 Town Center Parkway in Palm Coast. Echevarria, according to a chamber release, “is CEO of Team Pegine, a think tank, training and consulting, event management firm that specializes in leadership, team building, inclusion engagement and situational training.” The chamber took over the lunch series that was previously hosted by Palm Coast’s Business Assistance Center. Registration 11:30 to 11:45 a.m., $35 for chamber members with advance registration and payment, $40 the day of the event. Guests: $40 with advance registration and payment, $45 the day of the event. Reservations are due by May 5 by 5 p.m. Please call to reserve your seat or with questions, 386/437.0106.
♦ May 11: The Public Safety Coordinating Council meets at 8:45 a.m. at the Emergency Operations Center in Bunnell. The meeting will feature a discussion on the decriminalization of pot, with potential guests including the mayors, police chiefs and city managers from around the county.
♦ May 11: Palm Coast City Manager Jim Landon is the guest speaker at the free Lunch N’ Lecture at the Palm Coast Community Center, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The presentation, “Preparing for the Future, Improving our Past,” will include plenty of time for questions, so take the time to pre-register by calling the Parks and Recreation Department at 386-986-2323. Attendance includes a free lunch, if you reserve in advance. (space is limited).
♦ June 4: Flagler County’s Democratic Executive Committee holds a potluck picnic at Hershel King Park at 1000 Grady Prather Jr. Cove in Palm Coast starting at noon, with honorary guest James Canfield, first mayor of Palm Coast. Plenty of children’s activities, a dunk tank, ice cream truck, and a chance to meet Democratic candidates. Free admission includes hot dogs, baked beans and coleslaw.
♦ 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.

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.

The Day’s Best Reads:

If Indiana's religious freedom battle outraged you, watch North Carolina. https://t.co/K3soMp8MWO

— Vox (@voxdotcom) May 5, 2016

Conservative chasm: Some pundits vow to fight Trump till the bitter end https://t.co/HSJUhpSmVU via @HowardKurtz @MediaBuzzFNC

— Fox News (@FoxNews) May 5, 2016

Tampa just lost a daily newspaper. Is this the continuation of an old trend or the start of a new one? https://t.co/fN4GDNn8BS

— Nieman Lab (@NiemanLab) May 5, 2016

"In the Studio" at @PetitPalais_ pulls back the curtain and peeks at artists' ateliers https://t.co/1ItlSHW03a pic.twitter.com/DvSCZaJWEJ

— The Economist (@TheEconomist) May 5, 2016

Why Facebook makes you think everyone agrees with you about elections https://t.co/HzujOlhv3n

— The Independent (@Independent) May 5, 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 27:

Click to access progress-report-april21-27-2016.pdf

Summer Camps:

Florida Agricultural Museum Summer Camps: Become a junior farmer at the Florida Agricultural Museum this summer! Junior farmers will learn about farm life, forestry, and Florida history. Participate in arts & crafts, farm animal care, Florida fauna/flora education, fun and games. Sessions are all 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., $175 per session and are as follows:
1st) June 7-9
2nd) June 14-16
3rd) June 21-23
4th) June 28-30
5th) July 5-7
6th) July 12-14

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.