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Thousands enjoy Edgewater's spectacular 4th of July fireworks; event has special meaning for one couple

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NSBNEWS.net video by Sera Frederick.

Edgewater's Fourth of July fireworks show was one for the ages with 20 minutes of spectacular and breath-taking views of reds, greens, blues, oranges and yellows lighting up the Sunday night night sky over Riverside Drive that drew upwards of 10,000 people from all over Southeast Volusia and others further noth in the Port Orange area after that city's fireworks were cancelled due to rain.

NSBNEWS.net photos by Henry Frederick.

Teresa Valdes, left, who is running for the 28th Florida state representative district that encompasses Port Orange and Southeast Volusia, hands out campaign pamphlets to Steffani and Greg Lariscy of South Daytona, seen here with their 2-year-old daughter, Hailey, prior to Sunday's fireworks show in Edgewater.

NSBNEWS.net Investigative Reporting

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NSB's Elections

EDGEWATER -- The annual fireworks show off Riverside Drive means a lot more than American patriotism to Steffani and Greg Lariscy of South Daytona. The two met here 18 years ago while volunteering with Edgewater Fire Services, which led to marriage three years later.

NEWS FLASH: Two boaters found dead in their vessel near Dissapearing Island

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NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A husband and wife dead on their Cuddy cabin-style boat earlier today near disappearing Island between Ponce Inlet and New Smyrna Beach have been identified, the U.S. Coast Guard reported.

Howard Lupton, 50, and Sandra Lupton, 48, of Palatka, were found by their son on the boat, authorities said.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission thinks the victims likely died of carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator, said Joy Hill, a spokeswoman for the commission.

U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Christopher Evanson said the discovery was made about 11 a.m. Sunday.

NEWS FLASH: Fireworks still on for tonight in Edgewater

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NSBNEWS.net file video by Sera Frederick. The 2009 July 4th fireworks in Edgewater drew several thousand people.

EDGEWATER -- As of 5 p.m., the fireworks show planned for tonight off Riverside Drive is still on, local officials said. NSBNEWS.net will let you know if anything changes.

NEWS FLASH: Harvick wins crash-marred Coke Zero 400 at Daytona

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NSBNEWS.net photos by Henry Frederick.

Kevin Harvick comes off Turn 4 and down the front stretch on his way to the checkered flag in the Coke Zero 400. Below, "the big one," a reference to the big crash in a restrictor-plate race, collects 19 cars on lap 149, forcing NSCAR to red flag (stop) the race for 19 minutes and 34 seconds.

DAYTONA BEACH -- Kevin Harvick won the Coke Zero 500 in a crash-marred race with nine cautions, including the "big one" on the second-to-last caution.

Casey Kahne finished second, followed by Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Burton rounding out the Top 5.

Planners not only didn't send final paperwork up for state approval, but never even assembled it in the first place

NSBNEWS.net Investigative Reporting

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NSB's Planning Debacle

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The city economic development crisis is far more severe than even NSBNEWS.net reported in breaking the story online Wednesday: Not only were planning documents dating back five years not sent to the state for compliance purposes, the final applications were never even created in the first place.

5-year pact signed: Bert Fish now part of Florida Hospital

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NSBNEWS.net videos by Sera Frederick.

Bert Fish Medical Center officials as expectedconsummated a deal Wednesday to allow Florida Hospital to take over administrative functions. Meanwhile, The New Smyrna Beach City Commission last Tuesday allowed Bert Fish to absolve itself from the Community Redevelopment Agency, which leaves a gaping hole of 26 percent less in revenues the CRA can now count on before it sunsets in 2015. Our first video looks at the debate over hospital funding with the highlights of the City Commission voted in our second video.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A lease agreement signed early Wednesday means Bert Fish Medical Center is now under the management of Florida Hospital. Florida Hospital, under the umbrella of the Adventist Health System, will take over management of the 112-bed hospital off the South Causeway, with an option to buy the hospital outright in five years.

Hotel developer David Swentor on city's planning debacle: 'This is insane'

NSBNEWS.net photo by Henry Frederick.

David Swentor, at right, the developer of the proposed Hampton Inn & Suites on Flagler Avenue, shown here with local attorney Glenn Storch earlier this month, was pleased to finally have the city sign off on the project, or so he thought.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- South Carolina-based developer David Swentor was floored when he learned Tuesday that his proposed $15 million Hampton Inn & Suites for Flagler Avenue could be jeopardized because city staff failed to follow through with zoning and land-use amendments.

"This is insane," Swentor told NSBNEWS.net when reached by phone late Tuesday night.

NSB's Flagler Avenue hotel and I-95 Wal-Mart in peril; Mayor: 'It's as bad as it can get'

NSBNEWS.net file photo.

Mayor Adam Barringer, shown in this photo in the weeks leading up to his successful election in November with economic development as his cornerstone, faces a major crisis with at least two multi-million dollar projects now in jeopardy because of a breakdown in planning management and oversight.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Just hours before Mayor Adam Barringer met with his newly formed economic advisory board Tuesday night, he was facing the biggest crisis of his seven months in office, and perhaps in modern times for this seaside community: Screw-ups in planning oversight at City Hall that have put the proposed Hampton Inn on Flagler Avenue and the Super Walmart near I-95 in peril.

"It's as bad as it can get," Barringer said tersely in a brief interview. "We stand the potential to lose the hotel. We've identified some administrative issues back through this entire process and I'm working with the city manager to resolve them."

Mayor's Economic Development Advisory Board holds inaugural meeting

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NSBNEWS.net photo by Henry Frederick.

Mayor Adam Barringer, second from right is joined, from left to right, by Jill Carlton, Jack Holcomb, and Paul Mayer, at Tuesday's inaugural meeting of the Economic Development Advisory Board. Not pictured are fellow board members Randy McHenry, Dr. Arlen Stauffer and Bill Hall.