Tuesday Briefing: Yo-Yo Ma At the Border, Talent Show Auditions, Food Truck Tuesday, Notre Dame

Today: Sunny. Highs in the upper 70s. Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph. Tonight: Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 50s. East winds 5 to 10 mph.
Today’s document from the National Archives and the Astronomy Picture of the Day.
Today’s tides: at the beaches, at the Intracoastal Waterway.
Drought Index: 181
Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day: katzenjammer.
The Live Community Calendar
Today’s jail bookings.

Today’s Briefing: Quick Links

First Light
In Flagler and Palm Coast
Flagler Jail Bookings and Last 24 Hours of Incident Reports
Flagler Beach A1A Construction Updates
US 1-Old Dixie Highway Roundabout Construction Updates
Announcements
In State Government
In Coming Days in Flagler, Palm Coast and Beyond
Fact-Checking the Knaves
Palm Coast Construction and Development
Cultural Coda

“President Lyndon Johnson said long afterward about Vietnam, “I knew from the start that I was bound to be crucified either way I moved. If I left the woman I really loved—the Great Society—in order to get involved with that bitch of a war on the other side of the world, then I would lose everything at home. . . . But if I left that war and let the Communists take over South Vietnam, then I would be seen as a coward and my nation would be seen as an appeaser and we would both find it impossible to accomplish anything for anybody anywhere on the entire globe.”

–From Max Hastings’s “Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy” (2018).

Previously:

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 Sheriff’s daily incident reports and jail bookings are posted here.

The online auction to raise money for the G.W. Carver Foundation, the funding mechanism for Carver Gym in Bunnell, is live until April 24. Click here to participate.

The Palm Coast City Council meets at 9 a.m. at City Hall in Town Center. An uneventful meeting consisting of the ratification of several items previously discussed at workshop without contention.

The Flagler County Economic Opportunity Advisory Council meets at 9 a.m. in board chambers at the Government Services Building, Bunnell. Bob Snyder, Director of the Flagler County Health Department, presents.

The The Flagler County School Board meets in workshop at 1 p.m. in training room 3 on the third floor of the Government Services Building, Bunnell, and at 6 p.m. in a meeting in board chambers at the GSB.

Auditions for “Spotlight on Flagler,” the annual youth talent show, 5 p.m. at the Flagler Youth Center.

Flagler Palm Coast High School Chorus Spring Concert, 7 p.m. at the Flagler Auditorium.

Food Truck Tuesday, 5-8 p.m. at Central Park in Town Center, 975 Central Ave., Palm Coast. Purchase and enjoy delicious cuisine available from food trucks situated along Park Street next to Central Park. Free entertainment is also provided. Proceeds from each Food Truck Tuesday benefit a local organization whose work supports children and families. More info: www.palmcoast.gov.com/foodtruck or call 386-986-2323.

Stetson Guitar on the Rocks, Featuring solo performances by Stephen Robinson’s guitar students. Tinsley Room, Presser Hall, 421 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand. 7:30 p.m., free admission.

The Daytona State College Foundation’s Wisdom in Senior Education (WISE) program: Daytona Beach Campus, Hosseini Center, Café 101, 1200 W International Speedway Blvd, Daytona Beach: The Storied History of Chocolate in Daytona Beach. Angell & Phelps has been the standard of quality chocolate in Daytona Beach since 1925. This 93-year-old, family-run company makes the widest selection of delicious, fresh and high-quality handmade chocolates to please all taste. Made on the premises from the finest chocolate beans imported from Africa, take a visual tour of their factory and hear about their fascinating history. The Foundation created the WISE program to provide continuing education and cultural enrichment activities to senior members of the community. WISE is open to anyone age 50 or older, for $30 for an individual or $50 per couple per year. Find a complete list of spring presenters at DaytonaState.edu/wise. For more information, contact Suzette Cameron (386) 506-4506, or [email protected].

Blood Donations: The Big Red Bus will be at the following locations this week (schedule your donation by going to the website and entering a Palm Coast zip code, then locating one of the venues below):

Tuesday: AdventtHealth Palm Coast, 60 Memorial Medical Parkway, Palm Coast, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Wednesday: Walmart, 174 Cypress Point Parkway, Palm Coast, 12 to 4 p.m.

Jail Bookings and Last 24 Hours' Incidents in Flagler, Palm Coast, Flagler Beach, Bunnell


Jail Bookings, June 19-22 Sheriff's night shift incident reports, June 21 Sheriff's day shift incident reports, June 21 Flagler Beach's night shift incident reports, June 21 Flagler Beach's day shift incident reports, June 21 Bunnell police's night shift incident reports, June 21 Bunnell police's day shift incident reports, June 21
Previous and archived reports

Sources: Flagler County Sheriff's Office, Flagler Beach Police Department, Bunnell Police Department. This is Flagler County's only comprehensive, one-stop compilation of all local law enforcement's daily day and night shift commanders' reports.

Flagler Beach Is Open For Business: A1A Construction Update:

FlaglerLive is providing weekly updates to year-long construction on and near State Road A1A in Flagler Beach as the Florida Department of Transportation rebuilds a 1.5-mile segment from South 9th Street to South 22nd Street, and builds a sea wall at the north end of town. These updates are provided through DOT or local officials. If you have any relevant information or images, you’re welcome to email them to the editor here.

Last Updated: April 1

Segment 2 (South 22nd Street to South 9th Street):

The contractor continues installing a new water main along the west side of S.R. A1A. The contractor is moving north through the project clearing the area and removing existing sidewalk in preparation for the pipe installation. In the coming week, the contractor also will begin taking up the existing roadway to begin installation of the French drains.

Pedestrians are asked to stay within the temporary pedestrian walkways for safety. Residents and visitors also are reminded that all of the dune walkovers are closed, and removing any signage or barricades to access a walkover is unsafe and unlawful.

Segment 3 (North 18th Street to Osprey Drive) Project Update:

The contractor has completed more than 200 of the approximately 1,800 piles that need to be drilled to create the secant wall.

Construction activities will continue during daylight hours Monday through Saturday. The contractor is requesting that spectators stay off the shoulders and out of the work zone for safety. Drivers need to obey the 25-mph speed limit and remember that parking is not allowed on the shoulder.

Recently, DOT received a few questions from residents that DOT wants to answer:

1. Why do some properties have the black silt fencing and others do not?

The silt fencing is an erosion control requirement to prevent dirt and debris from leaving our work area and being deposited into waterways or onto private property. In some areas, the property to the west of our work area slopes up away from the work area, so erosion control is not required.

2. Will the contractor repair areas on my side of the sidewalk that have been disturbed?

Residents and property owners can get a general idea of where the department’s right of way ends by looking at the placement of the power poles, as well as stakes that have been placed along the project. In some areas, the back edge of the new sidewalk will be slightly farther to the west. For the most part, the back of the new sidewalk will be very close to, or right at, the right of way line.

This project calls for all of the work to be performed within the Florida Department of Transportation right of way. If, however, the work disturbs or damages private property outside of the right of way, the contractor is responsible to make repairs once the work is finished.

Please note that all restoration of conditions within the department’s right of way, including landscaping, hardscaping and driveways, is dictated by the construction plans and existing permits.

3. When will the sidewalk be replaced?

The contractor has begun installing the new sidewalk to the south of 19th Street. As the new water main is installed, there are several types of testing that need to be performed on the new line, and the work needs to be accepted by the City of Flagler Beach before the new sidewalk can be placed. The water main installation is expected to continue for the next several months.

Caution! Flagler Beach police and and Sherriff’s deputies are actively monitoring speed and writing tickets. “I got a warning on north section of A1A before construction actually began so I keep to the 25 limit, but still getting tailgated by cars wanting to go faster,” a reader tells us.

See Also:

The proposed roundabout at the intersection of Old Dixie Highway and U.S. 1 is intended to drastically reduce the number of severe crashes at one of the county's most dangerous intersections. Two other such roundabouts are proposed for other dangerous intersections in Flagler. Click on the image for larger view. (DOT) — The proposed roundabout at the intersection of Old Dixie Highway and U.S. 1 is intended to drastically reduce the number of severe crashes at one of the county’s most dangerous intersections. Two other such roundabouts are proposed for other dangerous intersections in Flagler. Click on the image for larger view.
(DOT)

U.S. 1 and Old Dixie Highway Roundabout Construction Updates:

FlaglerLive is providing weekly updates to the planned 15-month, $4.1 million construction of a roundabout at U.S. 1 and Old Dixie Highway. The project started in late January and is scheduled for completion by spring 2020.

The Florida Department of Transportation will be closing Old Dixie Highway and C.R. 325 at U.S. 1 on Monday night, March 4, from about 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. The closure is needed to allow the contractor to make improvements to the crossover at the temporary intersection. U.S. 1 will remain open in both directions.

More details here.

See Also:

I-95 Construction, Repaving: Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 9 p.m., single lane closures on NB I-95 from north of Palm Coast Parkway to the St. Johns County line. Monday – Friday, 9 p.m. – 7 a.m., double lane closures on NB I-95 from north of Palm Coast Parkway to the St. Johns County line.

See this week’s full Interstate Construction Report for Flagler, Volusia and St. Johns here.

Announcements/Press Releases:

None.

In Florida and in State Government:

Note: Some proceedings below can be followed live on the Florida Channel. Most legislative proceedings can be followed through the Senate or House websites.

STATE TECHNOLOGY CHANGES WEIGHED: The Senate Agriculture, Environment and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee will take up a bill (SB 1570), sponsored by Sen. Ed Hooper, R-Clearwater, that would eliminate the Agency for State Technology. Under the plan, backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, the agency’s duties would be shifted to the Florida Department of Management Services. (Tuesday, 9 a.m., 110 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)

COUNTY COURTS AT ISSUE: The Senate Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations Subcommittee will consider a proposal (SB 328), sponsored by Chairman Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, that would lead to county courts handling more civil lawsuits. Currently, county courts handle civil cases that seek up to $15,000, with circuit courts handling cases involving larger amounts. The bill would increase the threshold for county-court cases to $30,000 as of July 1 and $50,000 as of July 1, 2021. (Tuesday, 9 a.m., 37 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)

COMPUTER SCIENCE BOOSTED: The Senate Education Appropriations Subcommittee will take up a bill (SB 1366), filed by Sen. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, that would allow high-school students to substitute one computer-science credit for a science credit needed to graduate. (Tuesday, 9 a.m., 412 Knott Building, the Capitol.)

TAX CUTS ON TABLE: The House Appropriations Committee will consider a tax-cut package (HB 7123), sponsored by Ways & Means Chairman Bryan Avila, R-Miami Springs. The $102.4 million package includes reducing a tax rate on commercial leases and holding back-to-school and disaster-preparedness tax “holidays.” (Tuesday, 10 a.m., 212 Knott Building, the Capitol.)

LOCAL REFERENDUMS AT ISSUE: The Senate Finance and Tax Committee will consider a proposal (SB 1040), filed by Sen. Tom Lee, R-Thonotosassa, that would place restrictions on local sales-tax referendums. The bill, in part, would require that such referendums be held at the time of general elections, rather than during other elections that might have lower turnout. (Tuesday, 1 p.m., 401 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)

FPL TAX ISSUES ON TABLE: The state Public Service Commission will hold a hearing on the impacts of a 2017 federal tax overhaul on Florida Power & Light. The tax overhaul, in part, included lowering the corporate-income tax rate, providing large savings for companies such as FPL. (Tuesday, 1 p.m., Betty Easley Conference Center, 4075 Esplanade Way, Tallahassee.)

—-Compiled by the News Service of Florida and FlaglerLive

In Coming Days in Palm Coast, Flagler and the Occasional Beyond:

To include your event in this section, please fill out this form.

[ai1ec view="agenda"]

To include your event in this section, please email the details, including date, time, a brief description of the event, contact information, and, if you wish, an image, please use this form.

A Twitter List by PierreTristam

Keep Up with Donald Trump’s attacks on the press through the ACLU’s running tab here.

Keep Up with mass shootings in a running database here.

Palm Coast Construction and Development Progress Reports

Here’s a summary of the latest city developments as of March 29, 2019, with a link to the full week in review here.

Click to access week-in-review-march-29-2019-developments.pdf

Cultural Coda

Yo-Yo Ma at the Mexican Border