Stet News⚽️ Dave Kerner, the former Palm Beach County commissioner, is the lone voice on the Palm Beach State College board of trustees to question the school’s pursuit of a $60 million soccer stadium at its Lake Worth campus. Despite Kerner’s criticism, the college is moving forward with lease negotiations for the 8,000-seat United Soccer League stadium that Palm Beach Sports Management wants to build with private money and open by next July. (Lake Worth Beach Independent $$$)
⚖️ A public-private partnership between Wellington Sports Academy, led by former NFL player Jon Bostic, and the village of Wellington has blown up into a lawsuit over financial payments and the use of village sports fields. (The Palm Beach Post $$$)
🔎 Ryan Specialty Holdings, an insurance company led by billionaire megadonor Pat Ryan, wrote much of a new state law that could force condo owners across Florida to pay higher prices for property insurance. Though no one from the company publicly testified in favor of the bill, records show that Ryan Specialty’s lobbyists supplied lawmakers with talking points to repeat during committee hearings, answers to anticipated questions from opponents and a list of “buzz words” to emphasize. (Seeking Rents)
🚢 Port of Palm Beach commissioners meet at 3 pm Thursday to select a fifth commissioner. They received 12 applicants in February and, after reopening applications last month, received six more, before backing two finalists each. The finalists are former Commissioner Jean Enright, whose resignation in October created the opening; Taniel Koushakjian, who has served on the port’s audit committee and is running against Deandre Poole for the Group 5 seat; and Brian Lamb, a retired firefighter and union local president running against Blair Ciklin for the Group 4 seat.
The commissioners’ selections:
- Blair Ciklin: Enright and Lamb
- Wayne Richards: Koushakjian and Erik Range
- Varisa Dass: Koushakjian and Lamb
- Deandre Poole: Enright and Kelly Fleury
📺 Anticipating large crowds, Palm Beach County staff is offering full participation in Wednesday’s Project Tango zoning hearing, as well as today’s consideration of a private school in Jupiter Farms, via video links to residents willing to watch from the county’s Vista Center hearing room, 2300 N. Jog Road. (Today’s agenda, Wednesday agenda)
🧲 Vanderbilt University Chancellor Daniel Diermeier, who is driving the Nashville school’s expansion to West Palm Beach, shares his experiences growing up in a divided Berlin and his thoughts on President Donald Trump and the U.S. commitment to scientific research. (Freakonomics Radio: Why Does Vanderbilt Keep Winning, hourlong podcast)
🗳️ Monday is the deadline to register to vote or change party affiliation for the Aug. 18 primary election. Florida is a closed primary state, meaning a voter’s political party affiliation determines which partisan races will appear on their ballot.
🏩 Travel and Leisure readers’ 15 favorite resorts in Florida. (Travel and Leisure)
🎧 “Top of Mind Florida,” the podcast by Michael Williams and Brian Crowley, focuses on the property tax amendment vote in November. Republican state Rep. Toby Overdorf, whose district includes parts of Martin and St. Lucie counties, defends the proposed amendment, emphasizing the need for tax relief. (Listen now; watch after 4 pm today.
