Local News Now

Editor's Note: Text by Sandi Carroll and house images by Cathy Bersre.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The IMAGES Tour of Homes will present six unique and fascinating homes in New Smyrna Beach festively decorated for the holidays, and a fantastic boutique featuring handmade gift items, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5.

This is the main fundraiser for the 34th annual IMAGES: A Festival of the Arts, an outdoor fine arts show. Featured homes will include:

The incredible Tuscan-style country home of restaurant owners Jeffrey and Paige Gehris on Canova Drive;

NSBNEWS.net photos by Henry Frederick. Mayor-Elect Adam Barringer (in the light blue shirt in two left photos and in last photo) was invited and attended a barbecue Saturday of the Inlet Shores homeowners association.

DAYTONA BEACH -- Andy Gygi, who gives his time to the investigative unit at the district office headquartered in New Smyrna Beach, is among several people honored as volunteers or employees of the quarter honored by Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson.

EDGEWATER -- The “Cold and drought protection” lecture at the Edgewater Public Library, originally scheduled for Nov. 17, has been changed to Monday.

Master gardener Howard Jeffries will speak at 10 a.m.

Pre-registration is not required. For more information, please call horticulturist Karen Stauderman at the University of Florida/Volusia County Extension at (386) 423-3368.

NSBNEWS.net photos by Henry Frederick.

At left, Nicole Garni of the Galleria Di Vetro, Glass Gallery & Studio, 310 Flagler Ave., mingles with wine tasters in front of her boutiigue, which provided custom glasses for Saturday's wine-tasting festival on Flagler Avenue. In the middle photo, Alan and Bobbie Argue of New Smyrna Beach, and a third patron, taste wine at the same location. In the third photo, cooking school author Ed Pankonin of New Smyrna Beach, pours wine and answers questions about choice wines. Garni said close to 1,000 bottles were sold at various Flagler Avenue businesses Saturday afternoon during the wine-tasting festival.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Judy Lee of New Smyrna Beach was among the countless patrons sampling wins dring Saturday's wine-tasting event on Flagler Avenue, with Lee coming to the conclusion that the "bordeeau" was the best: "It's excellent."

Nov. 7, 2009: Joshua C. Struble and Lynnette M. Gross, Edgewater.

Washington, DC -- After carefully reviewing the House health care reform bill, HR 3962, Congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas, D-New Smyrna Beach, issued the following statement:

Courtesy photo/Randy Wright. Difficult to see because of darkness, this horse was rescued late Thursday night from a muddy hole by New Smyrna Beach firefighters, a veterinarian and a tow truck operator.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A horse stuck in a muddy hole late Thursday night was rescued by firefighters, a veterinarian and her staff and a tow wrecker, at the Matava Family Farm, 225 Sugar Mill Road, a fire official said.

NSBNEWS.net photo by Henry Frederick. This photo was among several that went up in the Westside community the night before the general election.

DEBARY, Fla. -- An 18th suspect has been charged in a pill-pushing ring in DeBary with 48-year-old Patty Ann Russ of Deltona turning herself in to investigators at the Volusia County Sheriff's Office's DeBary headquarters in DeLand, Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson said.