Local News Now

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.

Courtesy photo / Deltona resident Gustavo Dominguez, who has a lengthy arrest record, is being held on $10,000 bond at the Volusia County Branch Jail on a kidnapping charge.

DELTONA -- Volusia County Sheriff's deputies arrested a man Friday afternoon who wandered onto the grounds of a daycare center in Deltona and briefly grabbed a 5-year-old girl.

Workers at the center, DTA Academy on Providence Boulevard, immediately realized what was happening and quickly got the girl away from the stranger.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla -- One of the best stories on the complicated and often boring topic of home values and tax assessments was written and published Thursday in the Daytona Beach News-Journal by metro reporter and projects editor Derek Catron.

Courtesy photo / Thick smoke billows from a wild fire off a muddy dirt road in DeLand near Daytona Park Estates subdivision where a dozen homes were briefly evacuated earlier in the week.

DELAND -- With growing concern about the extreme dry conditions, the spate of wild fires and a forecast that calls for less than normal rainfall, Volusia County Fire Chief Joseph Pozzo has been authorized to enact a fireworks ban that begins Monday in the unincorporated areas of Volusia County and the cities of Lake Helen, Oak Hill and Pierson, which are part of the county’s unified fire district.

ORMOND BEACH -- A 36-year-old Daytona Beach man was electrocuted Thursday morning while trimming branches and died a short time later at Florida Hospital Ormond Memorial, police said.

Police and fire rescue personnel responded to a 9-1-1 call at 597 N. Beach St. for the 11:40 a.m. accidental death.

Courtesy photo / NASCAR Sprint Cup driver parachuted to Daytona International Speedway to help promote July's Coke Zero 400 race.

DAYTONA BEACH -- NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Brian Vickers is known to fly around the high banks of Daytona International Speedway in a race car so when he skydived from a plane Wednesday he gave new meaning to flying on the track.

Vickers skydived solo into the legendary infield of the "World Center of Racing" from a jumping height of 5,000 feet.