Daytona Beach, Volusia County | featured news

PALM COAST — From the first day of school, Kayleigh Lacertosa's third-graders know what lies ahead. They know they'll take the Florida Standards Assessment for the first time in the spring, and they know if they don't pass, they could spend another year in third grade. This summer, she taught at a reading camp for third-graders from across the county at Wadsworth Elementary. Her mission was to help youngsters who performed poorly on the state's standardized test prepare for fourth grade.

Members of the Port Orange Family YMCA who have had to wait to take a dip in the clear blue waters of the center's pool will likely have to wait longer — at least another week, a spokesperson said.The pool located at 4701 City Center Circle was forced to close July 5 when the clarity of the pool's water became a concern, according to Port Orange Parks and Recreation Director Susan Lovello.While originally it was thought to be an issue with the chemical components in the pool, Lovello said, the problem was eventually found to be a mechanical issue with the sand filtering system.

People with disabilities throughout the country and in Volusia and Flagler counties have something to celebrate this week — a hard-won freedom to live independent lives.Twenty-five years ago this Sunday, after years of protests and demonstrations, the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush.

BUNNELL — Sea Ray Boats could move another step closer to expanding its employee parking when Flagler County Commissioners gather Monday evening.The board is expected to formally adopt a pair of land-use changes for the luxury boat manufacturer during its meeting at 5 p.m. inside the Board Chambers at the Government Services Building, 1769 E.

LOUDON, N.H. — Kyle Busch claimed his third win in his last four races by holding off Brad Keselowski in lap traffic in the closing laps of the 5-hour Energy 301 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday.Keselowski finished second, and Kevin Harvick was third. Joey Logano and Dale Earnhardt Jr. rounded out the top five.The race ended under yellow because of a spinning car on the final lap, slowing Busch and everyone behind him to 45 mph as they headed to the checkered flag.Harvick took the lead from Keselowski on a restart following a lap-188 caution.

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — Jordan Spieth was one shot out of the lead and one round away from the third leg of the Grand Slam. Not since Bobby Jones has an amateur won the British Open, and then along came Paul Dunne with a bogey-free performance Sunday at St. Andrews that gave him a share of the lead.When a shootout at St. Andrews ended Sunday, 14 players were separated by three shots.

Wearing a tie-dye Joe's Crab Shack t-shirt, Jim Oehmke carves caricatures on the Daytona Beach Pier with wood-chips below him and the Atlantic Ocean behind him.Oehmke, a 69-year-old Ormond Beach retiree, says he carves every day, and works on the pier on most Thursday and Friday mornings.

In the sweltering July heat, a dozen or so fishermen deploy across Lake George on weekdays, working to control an exploding population of gizzard shad.The fish - which aren't popular food for people or wildlife once they're grown - have rapidly expanded in the lake, increasing nutrients in the water and increasing competition for recreational fish like bream and catfish. By paying a group of fishermen to remove the fish, the St.

Phyllis Hardaway used to take nearly 50 medications and found herself rushing to the emergency room every few weeks. The 55-year-old Daytona Beach resident is what the health care industry calls a frequent flyer. These patients comprise a large chunk of the nation's $2.7 trillion health care bill. One organization estimated in 2009 half of health care spending went to just 5 percent of patients.

A vocational college that trains more power line workers than anywhere in the nation could open a location in Volusia County.Officials at Northwest Lineman College, which currently has campuses in Idaho, Texas and California, are interested in leasing classroom and office space at Daytona State College in order to expand into the Southeast.“The Southeast has a need for this type of school,” said the school's vice president of strategic initiatives, Josh Luck, adding that DSC is the only school in the area they have talked to but plans are still being worked out.