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Photos by Dale Smith / Hampton Inn developer David Swentor gestures as CRA Director Tony Otte stands by his side in explaining the timing of a special designation that could generate additional funding, even before the hotel has secured its primary funding at Tuesday night's New Smyrna Beach City Commission meeting. Mayor Adam Barringer, shown at far left, supported the request, but Commissioner Jim Hathaway, seated next to him, did not.

Editor's note: The following story was submitted by contributing writer Dale Smith:

NEW SMYRNA BEACH – The City Commission tonight approved a resolution allowing the developer of the proposed Hampton Inn & Suites on Flagler Avenue to be designated as a Qualified Target Industry Business.

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Photo by Dale Smith /  The former police station fronting U.S. 1 near the municipal airport will be razed if commissioners approve the demolition at tonight's meeting.

Editor's note: The following story was submitted by contributing writer Dale Smith:

NEW SMYRNA BEACH – The City Commission will hold its first meeting of the new year at 6:30 tonight with an expected vote to tear down the former police and fire department facilities on Industrial Park Avenue.

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Coutesy photos / At far left, jail mug of Christian Pursley, charged with first-degree murder in the shooting of Keith "Shorty" Roberts on his motorcycle shown on his Facebook memorial page. At right is Shannon Pursley, wife of the accused killer who was seeing the victim. The homicide police report is attached. You can read it by clicking the attachment.

ORMOND BEACH -- Shannon Pursley has to walk an even finer line shielding her children as she deals with the horror of having seen her boyfriend gunned down by her estranged husband during the early morning hours of New Year's outside the Rockin' Ranch bar.

"Im not only dealing with the mourning of Keith, but also dealing with the repercussions that the father of my child is in jail," she said Monday night in an exclusive interview with VolusiaNews.net.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The Chamber of Commerce is planning an exciting street event in downtown New Smyrna Beach on Saturday: Jan. 22. the Home Show & Business Expo.

"(It) will bring together bring together area retail stores, businesses, local non-profit groups and our great citizens," said Samantha Bishop, executive vice president of the Southeast Volusia Chamber of Commerce.

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Courtesy photos / At far left, Christian Pursley, 37, of Ormond Beach (as shown, far left in his jail mug), is charged with first-degree murder in the New Year's shooting of Keith "Shorty" Roberts, 36, of South Daytona (shown at far right). Christian Pursley and wife, Shannon Pursley (shown in middle), sit together at their wedding reception in this photo from Christian Pursley's Facebook page, which was taken down two days after the homicide. Roberts died a block from the scene after he was struck by gunfire while sitting in his pick-up truck with Shannon Pursley at 2:30 a.m. outside the Rockin' Ranch. She ducked down as Pursley fired 12 rounds from a semi-automatic handgun as the vehicle sped off onto Nova Road, according to police.
You can read the homicide arrest report by clicking the attachment.

ORMOND BEACH -- Shannon Pursley may very well have told the police she was divorcing her husband leading up to the fateful early morning hours of New Year's when he allegedly opened fire outside the Rockin' Ranch, killing her friend and almost her, court records show she has not petitioned for a "disolution of marriage."

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NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- An off-duty k-9 officer walking his dog shot and killed an aggressive pit bull that was initially aggressive with his dog and then lunged at him, New Smyrna Beach police said.

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VolusiaNews.net / NSBNEWS.net blogger Darlene Vann reacts to Saturday's mass killing that included the near-fatal shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, as shown here from her Facebook fan page. Complete wire coverage in our video feeds from the Associated Press, Fox News Channel and The New York Times, as well as our rotating wire headline feeds.

Here is the link:

http://www.nsbnews.net/content/381469-should-constitutional-right-bear-arms-be-repealed-wake-arizona-mass-murders

Here is Vann's take:

What are we to take away from the near-fatal shooting of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and the killings of six others among her constituents today at a public meeting in a shopping center parking lot? Are we to believe if you don’t agree with a politician just shoot him or her? Or if you don’t agree with a vote shoot the winning candidate?

It's the new year and as singer Taylor Swift would say, "end of a decade, but the start of an age." Every year people make their resolutions and every year they think back at the ones that they didn't fulfill from years past. It's a new decade and with that comes the chance to be new person.

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YouTube video of the crash-marred final lap of the 2010 Bud Shootout at Daytona won by Kevin Harvick.

DAYTONA BEACH -- The field for the 2011 Budweiser Shootout at Daytona will feature former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions, the 2010 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field, a host of former outstanding rookies and a collection of previous winners at the "World Center of Racing." Adding to the drama of the 33rd annual season-opening event, this field of drivers will compete for the first time on Daytona's new asphalt.