Local News Now

FAST FACTS: Here are key numbers for the New Smyrna Beach High School graduating class of 2009

Number of graduates: 314

Valedictorian: Jurate Juozas Lukosaityte

Salutatorian: Alexander Ashley Chisholm

Total scholarships offered to graduates: $1,348,725

* In area and local scholarships: $264,500

* In college, organization, and military scholarships: $791,400

* In Bright Futures scholarships: $292,825

Courtesy photo. Jurate Lukosaityte is valedictorian of the New Smyrna Beach High School class of 2009. The 18-year-old will attend the University of Florida and major in health science. She gave the following speech to her classmates at Wednesday's graduation ceremony at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach:

Courtesy photo. Alexander Ashley Chisholm, 18, of New Smyrna Beach, is the salutatorian for the 2009 graduating class at New Smyrna Beach High School. He plans to attend the University of Florida where he will major in physics. He gave this speech to his fellow graduates during Wednesday's ceremony at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach:

NSBNEWS.net photo by Henry Frederick. A swimming advisory is in effect for a stretch of New Smyrna Beach, south of Flagler Avenue, where excess rainwater is being piped into the ocean to allviate street flooding.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The Volusia County Health Department has issued a swimming advisory for the Columbus Avenue area of the beach.

"This swimming advisory is necessary because in an effort to alleviate flooding in the area the City of New Smyrna Beach is pumping flood water from local neighborhoods to the beach," said Shelley Szafraniec, Volusia County spokeswoman. "The water has not been tested for bacteria, but is likely to contain increased levels of bacteria. Advisory signs are being posted at this site."

EDGEWATER -- Here is an update on the flooding situation in Edgewater as reported by Edgewater Fire Chief Stephen Cousins as of this morning:

Damage
* There have been 2 reports of residences with minor flood damage. (No displacement at this time)
* Minor issues of trees/limbs on power lines have been reported.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas, D-24th from New Smyrna Beach, issued the following statement today on the announcement that President Obama intends to nominate General Charles Bolden as the new NASA Administrator:

"The nomination of General Bolden to lead NASA is a positive sign for the future of our human spaceflight program. General Bolden's background has given him the relevant management and technical experience to address the great challenges facing NASA today.

Stanley J. Kozak, 79, of New Smyrna Beach, an aerospace technical engineer for Weston Instruments, Inc., Newark, N.J., for 33 years before his retirement, died Friday, May 22, 2009.

NSBNEWS.net photo by Henry Frederick. New Smyrna Beach city employes work through driving rains Friday to pump water from side streets off Atlantic Avenue, including this one at Columbus.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Here is an update of the flooding situation in the city going into the weekend as provided by police spokesman Sgt. Michael Brouillette:

The current estimated residential / multi-family / commercial-stores / structure damage value is: $3,148,356.

Courtesy photo. A service will be held 10 a.m. Saturday for Pearl Hampton of New Smyrna Beach, Florida's oldest person at 111.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A celebration of the life will be held Saturday for New Smyrna Beach resident Pearl Hampton at the Allen Chapel AME Church. She passed away May 15, at the age of 111.

The 10 a.m. service at the church, 3444 Sheldon St., will be officiated by Pastor Michael Price. She was a church member. Hampton, the oldest living resident in the state of Florida at the time of her death, is on the Gerontology Research Group list of Validated Supercentenarian with ages from 110 to 115 worldwide (web address www.grg.-.org./Adams/E.HTM).

NSBNEWS.net photo by Sera Frederick. Sandbags aren't enough to keep excess rainwater out of this house off Atlantic Avenue.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Gov. Charlie Crist this afternoon declared a State of Emergency for the counties of Volusia, Flagler, Brevard, Seminole, Orange, Putnam, St. Johns, Clay and Duval.

Volusia has been hardest hit among the nine Central and North Florida Counties, with $52 million in property damage estimated by Volusia Property Appraiser Morgan Gilreath. Nearly 1,000 homes across from Volusia have been damaged by the flooding and portions of Daytona International Speedway are submerged in water. In New Smyrna Beach, 52 homes are damaged by flooding and the city is running 18 pumps around the clock to try and alleviate massive water build-up.