Volusia News Now

NSBNews.net video by multimedia editor Sera Frederick and photo by Henry Frederick / Here are video highlights of Saturday's crowd during FishStock 2011 at Riverside Park in New Smyrna Beach, home of the Memorial Weekend Striker Fishing Tournament. Shown at left is Cory Troiano of Gainesville with his dog, Alex. In the smaller photo, Donny Van Dingenen, 5, of Winter Park, sits for a pose. Shown above and below, is one of the boats in the fishing tourney.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Several thousand people jammed Riverside Park on Saturday for the Memorial Day Weekend Striker Tournament, also known as FishStock. People of all ages enjoyed the sights, sounds and sunshine. Some, like 11-year-old Cory Troiano, didn't leave home without man's best friend, in this case, a shepherd mix, named Alex.

Photos by Henry Frederick / The TD Bank in the Winn Dixie plaza on State Road 44 in New Smyrna Beach was robbed Saturday morning. Police said in a press release that they had bank surveillance photos of the robber attacked with the information, but there were none. These photos were taken Saturday night at the bank locale. A night commander with the NSBPD said she did not have access to any photos of the robber for media release since the incident occurred on the earlier shift.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The TD Bank, 1811 State Road 44, was robbed earlier today of an undisclosed amount of money by a lone robber, New Smyrna Beach police said.

Below is a copy of my request to appear before the New Smyrna Beach City Commission, our supposed leaders, who to date have been totally indifferent as to the goings on over at Bert Fish, where "millions of dollars" of legal fees have continued to be run up by the attorneys; all the while that our elected and appointed officials are more interested in the same old back-slapping and kumbaya crap that this commission has been bragging about for way too long.

Photos by Henry Frederick / Edward and Patricia Hunt of Edgewater enjoy a glass of wine at Clancy's Cantina as Clancy's wine hostess Brandy Winthrow serves a customer during Saturday's New Smyrna Beach Wine Walk at Art Walk.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Edward and Patricia Hunt spent the morning with their 5-year-old boy at the beach. Then he was off to the babysitter so they could enjoy a stroll on Flagler Avenue and a glass of wine at Clancy's Cantina.

Courtesy photos / This small plane lands on its belly at an Edgewater landing strip after its gear malfunctions.

EDGEWATER -- Richard Lundgren had no earthly idea his single-engine plane's landing gear had malfunctioned until he actually landed the craft on its belly Friday morning at the Massey Ranch Airpark. He was not injured.

Courtesy photo / Oak Hill Commissioner and Vice Mayor Linda Hyatt

OAK HILL -- A story in the Thursday, May 26 edition of the Daytona Beach News-Journal erroneously reports that Commissioner Linda Hyatt was named vice mayor at Monday's public meeting.

Of course, NSBNews.net was the only media outlet at Monday's Oak Hill City Commission meeting.

EDGEWATER -- A 12-year-old boy was transported by EVAC ambulance to Bert Fish Medical Center earlier today with serious injuries after the teen was struck by a motorist in a Toyota Echo in the 2700 block of Willow Oak Drive, Edgewater police said.

Police did not identify the victim or the motorist in the 3:24 p.m. Wednesday accident, but did say in a press release the injuries were serious enough that "traffic homicide investigators" were working the scene.

The 4:37 p.m. press release was not specific about the gender of the victim, but an Edgewater patrol supervisor confirmed for NSBNews.net late Wednesday night at the midnight hour that the victim was a boy.

Photos by Henry Frederick / Shelby Yant, dressed as "Yantsy Pants the Clown," shown here in the far left photo, sits with Kristen Speller, 2, and grandma, Rhonda Spellers, as they get ready to color at the corner table at Denny's restaurant in New Smyrna Beach. In the near photo, Shelby has the attention of a trio of siblings, Dontae Geraci, 9, and his sisters, Kendall, 4 and Madison, 8. They were at Denny's with their grandmother, Linda Geraci. Kids eat free on Tuesday nights at the New Smyrna Beach restaurant. All of the children in the photos and their grandmothers are from New Smyrna Beach.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- It's Tuesday night. There's no school's out for summer so 17-year-old Shelby Yant is just clowning around with little ones at Denny's restaurant on State Road 44.

Photo by Sera Frederick / Commissioner Ron Engele gave the ejection signal at the April 25 meeting as shown in this file photo to have NSBNews.net removed from the meeting. Two weeks later, he was a no-show and Mayor Mary Lee Cook apologized publicly to NSBNews.net for Engele's boorish and illegal behavior, adding the rest of the commission was guilty as well for not standing up to him.

 OAK HILL -- Without explanation, department head supervision of the police department was switched from Commissioner Ron Engele to newly appointed Commissioner Douglas Gibson tonight.

Engele was returned to department head supervisor of roads and bridges. Gibson, who was appointed by the commission at a special meeting Friday told NSBNews.net after Monday's meeting he had "no idea" why this occurred. Gibson, though, said he wasn't opposed to it since he is a retired trooper with the Florida Highway Patrol and believes his experience in law enforcement should benefit the city.

DAYTONA BEACH SHORES, Fla. -- Last week Obama threw Israel under the panzer. This week, speaking before the America-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), he tried, and I believe he failed, to walk that cat back.