Hi, Hometown News readers.

We had another shark mishap - the 10th incident of the year, but fortunately, none have been serious.

In this latest scare, a Sanford teenager was treated for a bite on his foot. Stephen Munoz, 18, was in shallow water near the jetty in New Smyrna Beach when he was nipped.

The water was murky at the time of the bite, which is when these things typically happen. Beach patrol officers said a small shark, 2 to 4 feet in length, are going after bait fish, and in the churned up water, they often mistake a hand or foot for fish.

A bigger issue this week down New Smyrna way and beyond was the unexplained algae bloom. The bloom, created by bacteria, brought with it a nasty smell that lingered from New Smyrna north to Holly Hill, confounding residents and scientists alike. Something clearly died in the water creating the decay, but no one is quite sure what it was.

Luckily, recent winds and wave action have upset the bloom, and in most areas, it was washed away. It did not create a big fish kill as other bacteria in the water, like red tide, can do.

Experts are not certain what it was and why it crept along out shore, turning the water a weird pink/purple color.

Apparently, nothing is sacred these days. Workers were at the Coronado Methodist church in New Smynra Beach last week making repairs to windows after the church was broken into. Employees found the damage before a recent Sunday service. Several areas of the church were vandalized and some electronic equipment stolen. A nearby business was also burglarized. No suspects are in custody so far.

Affordable housing is a big issue in Florida and some reasonably priced homes will soon be coming to Daytona Beach. City leaders broke ground on the Flomich Woods development off Derbyshire recently. The site will soon have 20-plus single-family homes that will sell for at most $237,000. The price of the homes will be based on the applicant's income. The development was made possible through a city/county partnership, along with Consolidated Tomoka Land Development company and federal funds.

A couple of issues that will affect all of us in Volusia County have recently been voted on. First off, bus fares beginning Jan. 1 will cost more to ride the Votran bus in Volusia County. County Council members voted on the first increase in fares since 1998. Votran said they need the extra revenue to offset higher operating costs such as increased gas prices. The fare will go up 25 cents from a $1 to $1.25. The monthly pass will climb $5 from $35 to $40.

The County Council also voted to opt out of a new state law that allows all terrain vehicles on unpaved roadways. The new state law allows people to ride ATVs on unpaved roads if they have a license and go less than 35 miles per hour, but county leaders believe the law creates a safety issue and will continue to ban ATVs on public dirt roads.

It appears the county has settled with firefighters on a new contract. County firefighters said they have been trying for three years to reach some kind of agreement with the county, and all sides seem fairly happy with the working contract, set to go before the County Council later this month. Firefighters will earn a minimum 17 percent increase, and perhaps more for some senior members. The raises cover the last three years and will be retroactive.

Another methamphetamine lab was busted in Edgewater where Edgewater police, with help from the Eastside Narcotics Task Force, arrested Joyce Martin on drug charges. Investigators had been working a week on the case and said they found a full meth lab in Mr. Martin's home, along with marijuana and other drug paraphernalia. Mr. Martin faces a host of charges.

Family, friends and colleagues honored Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Darryl Haywood Sr. by dedicating a 10-mile stretch of Interstate 4, between Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach, to the fallen trooper. Trooper Haywood was trying to stop a reckless, speeding motorcyclist in October 2004 when he lost control of his vehicle and slammed into a tree. Donald Williams was later convicted of aggravated manslaughter and sentenced to 30 years in prison. Mr. Haywood's widow, Linda, hopes the highway memorial, with signage in her husband's name, will make motorists think twice about speeding. She said law officers are on the road to help and when they are deliberately endangered, too many people suffer. Linda said she always called her husband "Highway Haywood" and is very moved that now there is a "Haywood Highway."

Friends of a diver who recently went missing off the Volusia County coast remembered him with a memorial service. Robert Martin, "Bobby" to his friends, was diving 22 miles off the coast of New Smyrna Beach, when he briefly surfaced, waving his arms in a desperate struggle, then slipped beneath the water. A long search by the coast guard proved fruitless. His friends, including many at the Moontide Condominiums where Mr. Martin worked, said they were his family and will do what they can to keep his memory alive.

A couple of notes out of the Daytona Beach Police Department, including a recent training exercise that was planned but came on the heels of the Amish school shooting. As a result it had a much more significant impact. Daytona Beach officers used a former school building to train for just such a scenario - a shooter in the building threatening children. The department said they're training the average patrol officer to go in, form small teams and neutralize the threat, because it's the average officer who is typically on the scene first.

Chief Michael Chitwood, along with Sgt. Garin Grayson, who is in charge of the training, said they can no longer wait for the SWAT team to show up when innocent people are being killed or hurt. They need to ensure the first responding officers are just as ready to take out the threat and save lives. Every officer will go through the exercise to be prepared for a local crisis.

Chief Chitwood, not one to shy away from controversy, recently told WESH 2 that he has developed plans to deal with the homeless. The chief said his department is overwhelmed by the number of complaints against the homeless. He plans on forming a task force to crack down on trespassing.

Officers will also help the homeless get the social services they need. Chief Chitwood said if the homeless won't accept the help, they will be arrested and jailed.

Daytona's Homeless Task Force will consist of at least four trained officers who will be schooled in not just the police work but the social work as well. Advocates of the homeless worry the social services just aren't out there to help all those in need. They said a huge number of homeless have mental health issues, and unfortunately, monies have been cut from services locally. Chief Chitwood remains committed, saying if people need and want help, he'll do what he can to find it.

A stunt cost a 22-year-old South Daytona man his life recently when he jumped from the cab of a moving pickup into the bed of the truck but didn't make it. John Thomas Goffe was killed when he didn't make the jump and the truck rolled over him. Police are looking into whether alcohol played a part in the accident.

A Daytona Beach woman tells WESH 2 that Los Angeles police still haven't ruled out the possibility that her missing daughter could have been the victim of a serial killer on death row in California.

Investigators found dozens of pictures of young women in William Bradshaws' belongings, some of whom haven't been accounted for. Mr. Bradshaw was convicted of killing two women in the mid-1980s and had contact with many more as a photographer. Fran Webb, whose daughter Darlene disappeared from Daytona Beach in 1983, said it's still possible the young woman found her way to L.A. and perhaps crossed paths with Mr. Bradshaw. One of the pictures that belonged to him resembles Darlene, and the person in the photo hasn't yet been identified. Another woman, missing from our area since 1979, also resembles a photo that belonged to the serial killer. Michelle Sprague, 19, went missing after leaving a local strip club. A picture found among the killers things looks like her, and again, the person in the photo remains unaccounted for.

The New Smyrna Beach Fire Department is thrilled to have new self-contained breathing apparatuses as part of its equipment. They tell us it was made possible through a federal grant in part secured for them by Representative Tom Feeney.

A couple of quick shoot-outs to members of our local law enforcement. Some are leaving and some are moving up in the departments. Port Orange Detective Sgt. Frank Surmaczewicz was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, Detectives Wayne Dorman and David Meyer, both to the rank of sergeant. And the department said goodbye to two colleagues who retired. Cmdr. Michael Sheridan and Sgt. Katherine Sylvester are moving on but leave behind remarkable service careers in the city. Cmdr. Sheridan will actually work for the parks and recreation department.

In Daytona Beach, Sgt. Craig Buth is promoted to lieutenant. Sgt. Buth stepped in to act as public information officer after the passing of Al Tolley. Also being promoted in the city are officers Randall Doyle and Vincent DelGuercio, both to sergeant.

Coming up this weekend, the ever popular Battle of the Badges, set to go Saturday at the New Smyrna Speedway. The family event raises money for the Florida SheriffsYouth Ranches and features our top cops, including Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson, sheriffs from neighboring counties and our local police chiefs, in the 15-lap school bus race around the track. There are lots of other events for families, and children can cruise the track as well in school buses. Tickets are available at the gate or at sheriff's locations in Holly Hill and New Smyrna Beach.

Finally, the city of Ormond Beach continues to struggle with growth, particularly along A1A, where residents are in serious debate about whether to abide by current height limits or to go with a different, some say more flexible, plan. The grass roots organization "Can Do" has won the right to put an amendment on the November ballot to keep current limits in place. Another organization, "Can Be," formed in part with developers Bray and Gillespie, is fighting the amendment, asking to build higher on property the company owns in exchange for more green space and seaside parks.

City leaders are divided as well. The mayor is a proponent of the height limit in the land development code but allowing for some exceptions.