Local News Now

DAYTONA BEACH --- Passenger traffic at Daytona Beach International Airport increased 14 percent in June compared with June 2010. During the month 44,687 passengers flew in or out of the airport in comparison with 39,296 passengers in June 2010.

For the 12 months ending June 30, passenger traffic at Daytona Beach International Airport is up 15 percent -- from 454,260 passengers last year to 523,749 passengers this year.

NSBNews.net photos by Henry Frederick / Embattled Police Chief Diane Young stands in the back of the meeting room while the city commission vote to shut down the police department in favor of coverage by the Volusia County Sheriff's Office.

NEWS ALERT: Oak Hill commissioners voted 3-2 to immediately shut down the police department after an intense one-hour discussion about embattled Police Chief Diane Young and the issue of marijuana plants found on Mayor Mary Lee Cook's property and whether the chief had something to do with it.

City Clerk Administrator Laura Goodearly was fired. As of 7:15 p.m. Oak Hill was officially under the direction of the Volusia County Sheriff's Office.

NSBNEWS.net file photo / Oak Hill City Attorney is shown here in one of his final in-person appearances in March at a City Commission hearing. 

OAK HILL -- Pennywise and pound foolish: That has been the situation with Oak Hill's unique arrangement with City Attorney Scott Simpson since early spring where he's been accessible through Skype on the computer or by phone or often lately, not available at all.

But Simpson will be there in the flesh for tonight's special meeting regarding alleged corruption in the police department.

Hukill's House

PORT ORANGE -- The debt crisis that we’ve all been hearing so much about is a serious matter. This situation didn't just happen overnight; it is the result of years and years of political inaction by our elected leaders. 

By Stan Escudero of Daytona Beach Shores

This Tuesday, Aug. 2, the supposed drop dead date for raising the debt ceiling, is really getting close now. If you listen to the news anchors on television, you probably think that the United States will automatically default on its debt on that date. This is not true.

The United States would default next week only if it declared that it is unable to pay its debts and then failed to pay the interest on the debt due on August 2nd – approximately $29 billion. That will not happen.

By August 2nd the government will have about six times as much in tax revenues as it owes in debt interest and the very first thing it will do is pay that interest whether the debt ceiling is raised or not.

The problem we will have if the debt ceiling is not raised by August 2 or soon thereafter is that the government will not have enough money to pay all of its bills. If the ceiling is not raised, we cannot borrow and, if we cannot borrow, the amount of money available to the government decreases by 42% of the budget (or what the budget would be if we had one).

DAYTONA BEACH SHORES -- A 33-year-old female beach visitor from Witchita, Kansas, was hospitalized in stable condition this afternoon after being struck earlier in the day Sunday by a vehicle while sunbathing on the beach in the 3300 block of Daytona Beach Shores. The driver of the vehicle was Tommy Moderie, 21, a part-time Volusia County lifeguard.

Moderie was driving in the northbound driving lane of the beach when he was alerted by a beachgoer of broken glass at the water’s edge.

"In response, Moderie made a right turn and struck the female who was laying on her stomach on the beach east of the driving lane," Volusia County spokesman Dave Byron said in an e-mail NSBNews.net and other media outlets.

Erin Joynt, she was struck with the right front wheel of the county-issued truck, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The victim was transported to Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach by EVAC ambulance following the accident which occurred at 10:04 a.m. Her husband was with her at the time of the accident.

Moderie, a seasonal employee, has "worked for the county off and on for about five years and has a spotless record," Byron added in his media e-mail.

The House took an historic vote Friday to cut federal spending immediately, reduce the rate of growth of government by nearly a trillion dollars over the next ten years, and guarantee a vote on a balanced budget amendment.

Blog: MISS INFORMED 

After moving Daytona State College Senior Vice President Bob Williams from Economic Development to the College television station, Dr. Frank Lombardo reluctantly accepted Williams' resignation on Thursday.

Courtesy photo / Robert Olen Butler

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Pulitzer Prize winning author Robert Olen Butler will discuss his literary works and read from his new novel, “A Small Hotel,” at the New Smyrna Beach Regional Library at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 10.