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Courtesy photos / Thanks to the Pastime Princess and the Dolpinview Restaurant, with a little assist from NSBNews.net and the power of the Internet, Tia Winn-McDonald of Edgewater, has enough money for her trip to Las Vegas to compete in the Miss Teen United States pageant July 7-15. She still needs to raise another $1,000 to cover personal expenses, but at least her trip is now covered.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- When Tia Winn-McDonald put out a plea on her Facebook page for help with fundraising for her upcoming trip to Las Vegas, NSBNews.net stepped up to the plate with a story posted just after midnight Sunday on its website and then posted a link to the story on Facebook with reminders Tuesday and Wednesday.

Courtesy photo / Circuit Judge returns for a second stint as chief judge of the 7th Judicial Circuit that includes Volusia, Flagler, Putnam and St. Johns counties.

DELAND -- Circuit Judge William A. Parsons will lead the Seventh Judicial Circuit as chief judge beginning July 1. Elected by the 42 circuit and county court judges in Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns and Volusia counties, Parsons will have administrative supervision over all courts in the 7th Judicial circuit which includes Volusia, Flagler, Putnam and St. Johns counties, during his two-year term.

If you don’t think American people are resilient just turn on your television and watch the survivors of the recent tornadoes in Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, and other Midwest states wander through their devastated neighborhoods trying to identify which rubble pile used to be their home so they can try to find some of their belongings.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The New Smyrna Beach Little Theatre will hold auditions from for "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27, and Sunday, Aug. 28, at the theater, 726 East Third Ave. on the beachside.

"Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" is an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical with lyrics by Tim Rice. The story is based on the "coat of many colors" story of Joseph from the Hebrew Bible's Book of Genesis.

Courtesy photo / John Delevan

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Edward Jones Financial Advisor John Delavan of New Smyrna Beach recently received the Jack Phelan Blue Blazer Award for his outstanding business building skills and client service efforts over the past year. The award was named for the firm's former national sales manager, Jack Phelan.

Only 147 of the firm's more than 12,000 financial advisors received the Jack Phelan Blue Blazer Award.

Courtesy photo / Ed Noseworthy, CEO for Bert Fish Medical Center, has accepted the position of president/CEO for Florida Hospital Fish Memorial in Orange City.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- With the unwinding process in full swing with Adventist leaving Bert Fish Medical Center, so, too, is the hospital's chief administrative officer.

Ed Noseworthy will officially assume his new responsibilities as president/CEO with Florida Hospital Fish on July 1. Noseworthy succeeds Joe Johnson, who has accepted the position of chief operating officer for University Community Hospital in Florida Division's Tampa Bay Region.

NSBNews.net photos by Henry Frederick / The weekly Observer newspaper had been a fixture in New Smyrna Beach for nearly a century where members of the public could stop by and look at the archives, chat with the editor or take out an advertisement. All of that changed six weeks ago when Michele and Robert Lott moved the operation from Flagler Avenue to their Edgewater home. To date, they haven't told their own readers why.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The weekly Observer newspaper has reached a new low, even in this economy.

Courtesy photo / Tia McDonald poses with her coaches, Karin and David Jenkins of Applause Salon in New Smyrna Beach, after her May 1 crowning as "Miss Teen Florida United States at the Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Tia Winn-McDonald is trying to raise money to pay for her travel expenses in Las Vegas for the Miss Teen United States pageant representing the Sunshine State.

You can help by purchasing a $25 ticket for an all-you-can-eat dinner and cruise on Friday aboard the Past Time Princess at Dolphin View Restaurant on Riverside Drive. Five dollars from each ticket sold will be donated for Tia's trip.

Have we been plagued? Is it just me or are there others out there with the same thought? It seems to me ever since the speech by President Obama that we are not a Christian nation, the U.S. and other parts of the world have had their share of devastating weather: the earthquake in Japan, Floods in Europe. More than 1,000 have tornadoes hit our country, wiping out cities and killing hundreds of people. It seems there is no end in sight. Do you think God is trying to tell us something?  

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Balloons were tied outside and music blared inside for the Southeast Volusia Chamber of Commerce's "RE-Meet The Chamber" on Thursday at the Brannon Center.