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Ephrom Howell "Howie" Branton Jr., 39, of Edgewater, a landscaper, died Thursday, May 7, 2009.

Patricia A. Picciano, 73, of Edgewater, a volunteer at the Edgewater Public Library, died Thursday, May 7, 2009.

Mae J. Hayman, 86, of New Smyrna Beach, a Charter Member of the Southeast V olusia Historical Society, Menorcan Cultural SoCiety-St. Augustine, Friends of Canaveral Seashore and Friends of El Dora, an honorary member for over 40 years of the Florida Sheriffs Association (Boy's Ranch) and an avid bird watcher, died Wednesday, May 6, 2009.

NSBNEWS.net photo by Henry Frederick. People flock to the South Causeway Bridge in New Smyrna Beach to catch a glimpse of the shuttle take-off from Cape Canaveral. Others gather at the North Causeway Bridge as well as the beach for the 2 p.m. Monday liftoff.

NSBNEWS.net video by Sera Frederick. Meet the Mayor: Sally Mackay is our newest video feature, with twice monthly interviews with the top elected leader of New Smyrna Beach. The first interview includes Mackay's stance on the upcoming municipal budget and spending, the search for a new city manager and her plans for re-election.

OSTEEN -- A little bit of rain late Monday afternoon was welcomed by fire crewsworking the 3,000-acre fire threatening the Lake Harney Woodssubdivision in southern Volusia County, Volusia County officials said.

Division of Forestry crews worked through the night to plow lines around the growing fire. The fire extends from State Road 46 (to the south east of Lake Harney Woods subdivision), has run through the east end of the subdivision (heading northwest), and extends to Lake Harney Road off of Maytown-Osteen Road in Volusia County.

COUNTY ANNOUNCES SITES FOR SUMMER FOOD PROGRAM

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Volusia County’s Human Services Office will sponsor a Summer Food Service Program for children at 75 sites throughout Volusia County from June 15 through Aug. 14.

The program provides nutritionally balanced meals regardless of race, color, sex, disability or national origin, said Pat Kuehn, county spokeswoman. The programs are approved for areas in which 50 percent or more of the children qualify for free and reduced price meals during the school year.

TALLAHASSEE -- Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson will hold a media availability at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, May 14, at the Incident Command Post for the Central Florida wildfires, located at the Little Big Econ State Forest office, 1350 Snowhill Road, Geneva.

Prior to meeting with reporters, the Commissioner will view the wildfires from a Division of Forestry helicopter and will meet with fire and emergency personnel on the ground.

TALLAHASSEE -- Florida has 58 confirmed cases in the following counties: one in Osceola, Alachua, Indian River, Marion, Clay, Collier, Lake, Manatee, Flagler, Seminole, Okeechobee, and Duval, two in Orange, Brevard and Sarasota, 3 in Pinellas, 7 in Lee, 8 in Hillsborough, and 11 in Dade and Broward each.

New confirmed cases:

* Broward: a 14 year-old female
* Dade: a 10 year-old female

There are three probables in the following counties:

* Palm Beach has 1 and Okaloosa has 2.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Carol Kelley, principal of New Smyrna Beach High School, was welcomed back to school this week after being out since March after a car accident for which she suffered a broken pelvis and hip.

Though still confined to a wheelchair, Kelley returned to school, an occasion recognized on the high school's Web site with: "Welcome back, Dr. Kelley!"

DELAND -- Members of the Florida Division of Forestry Interagency Incident Management Blue team have established an incident command post at the Little Big Econ State Forest office, 1350 Snowhill Road, Geneva, to manage the multiple brushfires in parts of Brevard, Orange, Seminole and Volusia counties.

More than 100 personnel locally and from throughout the state are working together to contain seven large brush fires and numerous small
ones in the Central Florida area. At this time none of these fires are threatening any homes or structures.

Volusia County: