Local News Now

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Taking advantage of New Smyrna Beach's scenic and environmental beauty, the city's water taxi service is increasing its fares from $12 to $15 as of Wednesday as it transitions from a grant-operated program to a community-backed entity.

The Marine Discovery's taxi off the North Causeway provides 45-minute trips on the Intracoastal waterway to Inlet Harbor in Ponce Inlet, where along the 12-mile route, seafarers get an up-close view of dolphins, birds and other acquatic life, as well as breath-taking vews of the shoreline

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Habitat for Humanity welcomes everyone to its second annual Casino Night at Gilly's Pub 44 on Saturday, April 11.

Tickets are $20 per person, which includes 2,000 gaming bucks, free food all night, open bar during the first hour and drink specials all night. The event starts at 6 p.m. and ends at 10 p.m., at Gilly's Pub 44, 1889 State Road 44, across from the NSB Regional Shopping Center.

There will also be a silent auction, a 50/50 drawing, door prizes and a 5-day vacation giveaway as well as a huge cheer basket.

Courtesy photo. Erwin Mettler, 61, a convicted child sex offender, was arrested at his residence near New Smyrna Beach on 12 counts of possession of child pornography, the Volusia Sheriff's Office said today.
NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A 61-year-old registered sex offender was found with several images of child pornography in his residence near New Smyrna Beach and was arrested Wednesday, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office said this afternoon.

Courtesy photo. Capt. Budd Neviaser's son, Jim Neviaser, poses with his trophy. It's Spring turkey season and Capt. Budd has the latest information in his blog below.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- An overnight fight between two cousins outside a bar resulted in both of them being cut with a knife and one of them getting arrested earlier today, New Smyrna Beach police said.

Giles Lamar Hankins, of New Smyrna Beach, refused medical treatment for facial curs after a 12:37 a.m.Sunday fight outside Mr. C's Bar & Grill, 225 Dimmick St., police said. Police had received a call prior to arriving on scene "that a knife was involved and someone had been stabbed," according to a report filed by Sgt. Valerie Joyce.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. -- Christopher Trull the middle of the threeTrull brothers, who absconded from his probation nearly three years ago after a brief imprisonment for his role in the fatal attacks on a group of Spring Breakers here in New Smyrna Beach, was captured Thursday night in Nassau County after police there responded to a domestic violence call.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH --. A 17-year-old Mims girl is the first shark-bite victim for 2009 in Volusia County, where a record 24 attacks were reported last year.

The girl was surfing just south of Ponce de Leon Inlet Wednesday evening when she got nipped, a bite small enough that Band-Aids were used and stitches averted, the Beach Patrol reported.

This year's shark season has gotten off to a later start compared to 2008, when the first bite was Feb. 17.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Award-winning fiber artist and quilter Lauren Austin will appear at the New Smyrna Beach Regional Library at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 25, as part
of the Live in the Library arts and entertainment series. Austin will show her newest work documenting recent projects in Kenya and the Bahamas and will discuss her experiences, techniques and life-long obsession with fabric.

Her quilt, “Journeys Begin from Home,” was one of 44 selected worldwide for the Historical Society of Washington’s exhibit, “Quilts for Obama,” to celebrate President Barack Obama’s inauguration.

I read a very interesting article today about recycling and reusing nuclear waste. You know, that stuff the government has terrified us about for years and has buried in Yucca Mountain . Whenever the notion of more nuclear power plants comes up the first thing that happens is the chatter about the waste. What will we do with all the waste?

Come to find out, we can reprocess this material with relative ease and effectiveness. The problem is the government has made that process illegal.