Local News Now

EDGEWATER -- The Edgewater Fire-Rescue will host a blood drive and bone marrow screening Saturday in honor of Miami-Dade Firefighter Catherine Wall, who is fighting Myelodysplastic Syndrome, a very serious and aggressive disease of the bone marrow, said Edgewater Fire-Rescue spokeswoman Lt. Jill Danigel.

Wall is a 24-year veteran of MDFR and has received various accolades for her volunteerism and community involvement, said Danigel, also Edgewater's fire marshal.

Photo by Sandi Carroll for NSBNEWS.net. Cutline: Jason Lott smiles as he makes a glass ornament at Galleria di Vetro Dec. 5. Lott, along with Kyle Carni and Vaigale Duers-Stevens, will demonstrate flameworking as part of Art Walk on Flagler Avenue, which will be held 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Santa will slip away from his workshop and busy schedule to visit Art Walk on Flagler Avenue on Saturday.

He knows that it is the perfect place to take a relaxing stroll and do some last minute shopping. Santa will be on the avenue until from, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., then he must get back to work at the North Pole. So bring your cameras and your "wish list" to the gazebo at Flagler and Pine streets.

You can visit this special holiday Art Walk from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., as you avoid the traffic and the crowds at the malls and stroll along Flagler Avenue, the charming five blocks between the Indian River and the ocean.

Photo by Capt. Budd Neviaser for NSBNEWS.net. Cutline: These wild turkeys in New Smyrna Beach avoided becoming a Thanksgiving dinner.

These No Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, was detected in the samples collected from Mosquito Lagoon, Indian River lagoon, or the Banana River, thus far this month.

NSBNEWS.net video by Sera King. Video highlights: Performances by the Showdolls and singer Roxi Tomei and the lighting of the Christmas tree atop Bert Fish Medical Center.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Christmas came early to Bert Fish Medical Center. Santa Claus pressed the button to light up the Christmas tree atop the hospital and performances by the Showdolls of New Smyrna Beach High School highlighted Sunday night's entertainment before some 500 people.

Though the crowd thinned considerably after the first 90 minutes of the 6 p.m. gathering in front of the hospital, dozens remained to the end to see the tree lit up shortly before 8:30 p.m.

"Lights of Love" was the theme of the evening, sponsored by the Bert Fish Medical Center Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the hospital that raised $12,000 for the hospital through this event, said Garry Mac, hospital spokesman who served as emcee.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Erik M. Ramos, a 19-year-old city resident, was charged early Friday with burglary of an automobile and other multiple felony narcotics charges after trying to break into a motor vehicle in the 600 block of Faulkner Street, police reported.

Police said they received a call of a man breaking into vehicles Faulkner just after midnight and set up patrols in the area. Police said Ramos attempted to elude them by running through yards and jumping fences. He was detained near the intersection of Ronnoc Lane and US 1.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A 33-year-old city resident was charged Wednesday with burglary of a business after police responded to a 1:57 a.m. business alarm activation at the Texaco, 1121 S. Dixie Freeway, New Smyrna Beach police reported.

NSBNEWS.net Video by Sera King. Cutline: Check out the festivities on Flagler Avenue's big night in this video.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Quaint Flagler Avenue was not only lit up earlier tonight by the holiday lights, but by more than a thousand smiles as families gathered on the beachside tourist hub to celebrate "Light up Flagler."

Adelle Alleti, owner of Gone Bonkers on Flagler, was one of many merchants thrilled with the turnout. "It's a wonderful night for families to get out and into the Christmas spirit with their neighbors," she said. "That's what a small town is all about, bringing everyone out, especially in these hard times."

I would modestly propose that the days of American security have had it. No longer can we depend on George Bush and Company for the only hope their administration promised: To secure our country, our lives and our fortunes. The Obama regime will have to struggle with that accumulated Republican mess, one so prodigious that The Good Lord Himself might declare, “The hell with it!"

Have you watched ‘The Amazing Race” on television? If not, they have pairs of people race around the world, perform tasks and eliminate one couple per week until the final three couples are left.

The first pair to finish all their trips and tasks on the last episode wins $1 million.

This week they were in Moscow. Dallas & Toni, a mother & son, lost their money and passports when Dallas forgot his backpack in a cab.

Why is this interesting?

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The Volusia County Council has been invited to a social hosted by the Florida Inland Navigation District Board of Commissioners at 7 p.m.at J.B.’s Fish Camp, 859 Pompano Ave., said county spokeswoman Pat Kuehn.

F.I.N.D. is a special state taxing district for the continued management and maintenance of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, she said.