Sept. 12, 1924 - July 12, 2010

Elsie Bolton Langston Pike, age 85, of New Smyrna Beach, passed away on July 12, 2010. Born in Chesterfield, Illinois on September 12, 1924 to Sarah and Arthur Bolton, the family moved to this area when she was an infant. Residing here for the rest of her life, she graduated from Live Oak High School in 1942, was married to Lamar Langston 1943 to 1957, and enjoyed being a devoted mother and homemaker.

July 4, 1946 - July 12, 2010

Funeral service for Jacquie Lou Simmons, age 64, of Edgewater, who died Monday, July 12, 2010 at Hospice of Volusia/Flagler, Edgewater, will be 10:00 a.m. Thursday, July 15 at Settle-Wilder's New Smyrna Beach Chapel, with Chaplain Beverly Richardson, officiating. Private burial will follow in Sea Pines Memorial Gardens.

Aug. 13, 1931 - July 12, 2010

Peter Jim Hargis, 78, of New Smyrna Beach, FL passed away on Monday, July 12, 2010. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Beverly Hargis; their 5 children, Jim, Michael, Sherrie, Kenneth and Stacey; 9 grandchildren; 4 great grandchildren; and a large extended family. Pete was born August 13, 1931 in Greenville, Mississippi.

NSBNEWS.net video and photos by Sera Frederick 

City Manager Pam Brangaccio spoke frankly with NSBNEWS.net immediately after the July 7 hearing with the Florida Department of Community Affairs in Tallahassee, but unable to answer why the city's planning department under the direction of department head Mark Rakowski (above) and (at left) chief planner Chad Lingenfelter, who worked under him and then continued alone after Rakowski's job was eliminated in December, dropped the ball on final paperwork on  land-use zoning amendments, dating back five years (see attachment for example of the transmittal forms). This fiasco, dating back to when Rakowski was promoted, has grounded 72 community projects a Wal-Mart-anchored shopping center and a 112-room hotel Flagler Avenue.  Lingenfelter has continued in his role  to this day despite calls from the mayor to have him fired .

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Mayor Adam Barringer makes no bones about it: He wants the two city planners identified by the city manager as being culpable for the city's five-year backlog of projects held accountable.

"This borders on criminal," the mayor, who has been in office less than eight months, said Wednesday as he deals with perhaps the biggest crisis in this city's history.

DAYTONA BEACH - Starting July 19, homeowners facing new foreclosure actions on their homestead residences in Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns and Volusia counties will be referred to mediation.

Late last year, the Florida Supreme Court ordered courts to implement residential mortgage foreclosure mediation programs to help deal with the state's foreclosure crisis. Officials believe mandatory mediation will help homeowners stay in their homes while also keeping caseloads at bay.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The New Smyrna Beach Regional Library has on display a joint exhibition by the Southeast Volusia Camera Club and the Poet’s Corner Poetry Workshop featuring photographs and poems of people. The Voices and Visions exhibit remains on display through July.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A 27-year-old bicyclist was transported to Halifax Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries Wednesday night after he was struck by a hit-and-run driver while pedaling westbound near the crest of the South Causeway Bridge, New Smyrna Beach police said.

Brandon Munsell was transported by EVAC ambulance after police and fire paramedics responded to a 9-1-1 call from a motorist who spotted the victim just after 9:21 p.m.

"He was conscious and talking," Sgt. Valerie Joyce said. The New Smyrna Beach victim's bicycle was taken into evidence by police.

Courtesy photo/VCBJ mug.

DNA blood evidence links Daniel Myles Buczek to a burglary, already jailed on an unrelated charge, according to Edgewater police.

EDGEWATER -- Like a scene in the popular TV series "Criminal Minds," an Edgewater cop used DNA to match a suspect to a burglary that had gone unsolved for four months.

Courtesy photo

South Daytona City Manager Joseph Yarbrough says he's pleased city employees are forgoing raises in the third and final year of their contracts to help the municipality deal with its budget crunch, calling it the most challenging in his 35 year-career.

SOUTH DAYTONA ─ As City officials scramble to balance the budget, union employees agreed to forego raises for the final year of a three-year contract.

Forced by the "most challenging budget" of his 35-year career, City Manager  Joseph Yarbrough asked bargaining units if they would forego both merit and cost of living raises for next year.

Those agreeing to a wage freeze include a total of 75 police, fire and general bargaining unit employees.

NSBNEWS.net photo by Henry Frederick.

Kerry-Anne Purkiss and Adam Barringer take a break from his SoNapa Wine Co. during a fundraiser there several weeks back for her   youth organization, K.C. Society, which provides educational and recreation outlets for teens.

Barringer, of course, is mayor of New Smyrna Beach and Purkiss is a blogger for NSBNEWS.net, featured on the opinion page. The fundraiser generated $500.