Photos for NSBNews.net by Thomas Conroy / A mail truck caught fire Thursday in Edgewater as shown here, but the carrier saved the mail inside.

EDGEWATER -- The post office motto states: "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." It doesn't say anything about the mail truck catching fire.

That is exactly what occuured in the 1400 block of Willow Oak Drive in the Florida Shores subdivision when a U.S. Postal Service carrier's mail truck caught fire while he was making his appointed rounds Thursday afternoon.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Mullinax Ford is offering New Smyrna Beach High School the opportunity to raise $8,000. Members of the community can earn money for NSBHS by simply test-driving a new Ford at the school, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 7.

For each person who takes a Ford for a spin during the "Ford Drive One 4 UR School" event, Ford Motor Company will donate $20 to New Smyrna Beach High School for up to 300 drivers. Mullinax Ford will donate an additional $2,000 for an additional 100 drivers - 400 Drivers equals $8,000. What a deal!

POMPANO BEACH -- The city's parks and recreation department presents Spring Fling today, 1701 NE 8 St.
Come meet the Easter Bunny, join in on fun activities with My Favorite DJ, Bella the Clown, bounce house and more!

Admission is $2 per child or two canned goods per child. All canned food collected is to be donated to located food banks. For more information on this March 31 event, please call 954-786-4111.

Bill Roe was heartbroken when he arrived at his beachside Ocean Properties to discover his beloved American flag, the largest in greater New Smyrna Beach, had been stolen from the flagpole. There is a happy ending to this story and we'll have it for you shortly, along with new videos and lots of photos.

We'll also have a story with dramatic photos out of Edgewater of a mail truck that caught fire.

Photos for NSBNews.net / Steve Clancy stands tall in front of his new Clancy's Mid-Town Dogs, 440 N. Dixie Freeway (US 1), a classic example of how CRA taxpayer monies used for "bricks and mortar" can markedly improve  a community's appearance and vitality.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- What used to be a used car lot on US 1 has been transformed to a brand new eatery: Welcome to Clancy's Mid-Town Dogs.

With $19,500 in matching CRA renovation grants, business owner Steve Clancy has renovated the 500-square-foot building into a walk-up restaurant with landscaped, outdoor seating.

It's also an example of the "bricks and mortar" approach to dealing with blight, which the state Florida statutes intended CRA grants for as opposed to the after hours alcohol-themed street festivals that cater to bars.

Brian Bouchard, 21, is accused of beating 14-month-old Isaiah Mitchell so badly he is on life support at Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach.

EDGEWATER -- While a 14-month old baby remains on life support with head injuries, his alleged abuser's run from the law lasted a mere seven hours with the apprehension Thursday of 21-year-old Brian Bouchard.

Acting on a tip, Volusia County Sheriff's deputies stopped a car near Acee Drive and Tatum Boulevard in Edgewater at 10:30 p.m., agency spokesman Gary Davidson said.

"And sure enough, their suspect, 21-year-old Brian Bouchard, was a passenger in the vehicle," Davidson said.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The two main taxing agencies in New Smyrna Beach mired in controversy are undergoing a metamorphosis. They are, of course, the Southeast Volusia Advertising Authority and the Community Redevelopment Agency. As the clock ticks closer to April, NSBNews.net will take a closer look in the coming weeks at how scandal took root with both taxing entities and what government leaders are doing -- or not doing -- to clean it up in our continuing investigative project, "Show Me the Money: New Smyrna Beach."

And having pored through thousands of pages of public government documents and court records and having covered countless public hearings, including a federal bankruptcy hearing in Orlando, NSBNews.net will shed light on a key business figure deeply embedded in the controversy who benefited from thousands of dollars in taxpayer money and has a trail of debt to show for it. His name is Robert Lott, who just four years ago, was among the most powerful and influential businessmen in Southeast Volusia.

Pavlina Osta interviews the boy band 'Allstar Weekend' and asks about touring with Selena Gomez, in the video at left. The band members talk among themselves in the video to the right.

By Pavlina Osta

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