DeLand

Frontier Communications is located at 1398 S. Woodland Blvd. as shown here in this locator.

DELAND -- Frontier Communications is celebrating its recent $2.9 million expansion with a ribbon cutting event at 2 p.m. Thursday at the call center’s headquarters, 1398 S. Woodland Blvd.

The company added 20,000 square feet and 145 jobs, bringing the building’s size to 58,000 square feet and the workforce total to 550. Along with the expansion, the entire facility underwent cosmetic and other improvements, including the additions of an employee game room for relaxation, an outdoor area with a basketball hoop and an employee fitness center.

Photo for Headline Surfer / Scott Barkley of DeLtona is the sixth and final suspect aarrested for his alleged role in the armed invasion of a DeLand-area home at 1302 9th Ave. as shown in this locator map.

DELAND -- Sheriff's deputies apprehended a sixth and final suspect wanted in connection with a Feb. 25 armed home invasion outside the DeLand city limits.

"Volusia County Sheriff's deputies located 19-year-old Scott Barkley at his Deltona home (Tuesday) morning and arrested him without incident," Sheriff's spokesman Brandon Haught said.

FORT MYERS – The Stetson men’s basketball team (9-11, 6-3) fell behind early and lost to Florida Gulf Coast (14-8, 6-3) by a score of 96-65 on the road Friday night. Junior Chris Perez scored 21 points and senior Adam Pegg recorded his third double-double of the season to lead the Hatters in the defeat.

“They came out on a mission,” Stetson head coach Casey Alexander said of the Eagles. “We were prepared for it, but we didn’t respond to it, and that’s the disappointing thing. There are going to be runs in every game, and sometimes when it’s after the opening tip, it’s a real challenge to settle yourself down. We never did.”

FGCU opened the scoring with a three-pointer by Chase Fieler, and the Eagles were off to the races from there. Stetson fell behind by eight points, at 12-4, through three minutes, before making what ended up as its only true run to get into the game.

Victim is Volusia County's first reported homicide of 2013

Volusia County's first homicide of the New Year was reported in the 900 block of South Parsons Avenue outside DeLand as shown here.

DELAND -- Sheriff's investigators have are investigating what appears to be Volusia County's first reported murder of 2013, after a shotgun victim was dropped off late Tuesday at Florida Hospital Hospital-DeLand where he died less than an 40 minutes later, an agency spokesman said.

The victim was described only as an adult male, and though authorities know his identity, they're not releasing any further information until his family is first notified.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Votran bus routes throughout Volusia County could be impacted by parades this weekend and next weekend, including the Saturday afternoon Christmas parade in New Smyrna Beach, county officials said.

“We’ve tried to ensure as little disruption to service as safely possible,” Votran General Manager Steven Sherrer said. “To minimize the inconvenience, we’ve tried to gather as much parade information as possible to share with our riders.”

County spokeswoman Michelle Coats said most parades are scheduled for two hours. Parade route streets close an hour ahead of the parade. Some side streets may be closed.

DELAND, Fla. -- Sheriff Ben Johnson is confident and eager to put his record on the line in Tuesday's general elections against chllenger Wendell Bradford.