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NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A Venetian Bay man armed with a handgun and threatening to kill himself was taken into custody without harm to himself or others early Sunday, June 6, and transported to Bert Fish Medical Center for a psychiatric evaluation under provisions of the state's Baker Act.

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NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The City Commission unanimously agreed to a new one-year contract with its police officers in January that provides no wage increases and actually costs the city less money.

Not only that, but there's a "savings of $56,000," with the new pact, said Personnel Director Carol Hargy at Tuesday night's City Commission meeting, adding it's retroactive to the start of the 2010 fiscal year that began last Oct. 1 and runs through Sept. 30.

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Edtor's Note: You can read the OBPD incident report on Sunday's discovery of a human skull in Ormond Beach by clicking the attachment.

ORMOND BEACH -- Police were called Sunday afternoon after a group of people who were operating all terrain four-wheelers in a dried up canal bed saw what appeared to be a human skull protruding from the mud.

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Courtesy photos VCBJ / Kendell Ratley, 25, of DeLand (shown at far left), is charged with first-degre murder ( with a firearm) and armed robbery with a firearm in the Monday shooting of 22-year-old Erin Grey of Deltona.

Listen to the dramatic 911 call made by the victim's brother, Nicholas Gray, pleads with a dispatcher: "Please I don't want her to die" and he's heard pleading with his mortally wounded sister: "Erin, please don't leave me."

DELTONA -- Saying he's a good person who carries his Bible every day, a Deland man charged with first-degree murder and armed robbery this afternoon, told Volusia County Sheriff's investigators he accidentally shot and killed a Deltona woman in her garage.

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Photos by Dale Smith / Joie Alexander is all smiles in her first weeks since being sworn in as the district 3 representative on the Volusia County Council, following her overwhelming Nov. 2 election victory over private attorney George Trovato.

Just a year shy of a decade with the Volusia County Council, Joie Alexander was term-limited from the at-large seat before deciding in the 11th hour last year to seek the district 3 seat held by term-limited Jack Hayman. Fighting off the label of career politician, Alexander finished first in the Aug. 24  primary in a field of seven and then easily defeated finalist George Trovato in the Nov. 2 general election with 56-plus percent of the vote.

The Newsmaker Q & A interview was conducted by contributing writer Dale Smith.

PORT ORANGE  -- Joie Alexander believes in sage words spoken by others who have had an impact on her life. Take Will Rogers, for example: "Don't let yesterday use up too much of today."

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SAMSULA, Fla. -- Fourth-grader Donnie Padgitt was among the many children at Samsula Academy on Monday to receive a fast-break visit from "Hot Shot" Aundre Branch, a member of the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters.

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NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A man asking for directions in a pick-up truck on Canal Street tried to abduct a 33-year-old woman in early February, demanding oral sex, but she managed to get away from him, New Smyrna Beach police said.