Archive

5. Volusia County breaks shark-bite record with NSB leading the way

Newspaper Section

Courtesy video and photo. New Smyrna Beach photographer and surfer Kem McNair has received worlwide recognition for his July 3 photo of a 5-foot spinner shark that jumped behind two surfers near the South Jetty. "When the water is clear and you ride wave, you can see them while riding your surf board," he said, adding he was standing in 3 feet of water when he captured the shark with his camera. "We see sharks like that two to three times a day," McNair said. "I shot him in half a second -- three frames. Before I could get him again, he was gone. People can't belive a shark can jump out of the water like that, but I've seen it many times."

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- If 2007 was the "Year of the Shark" in Volusia County with 22 bites, then 2008 had to be the "Year of the Shark Part Deux" with 24 bite victims. Just ask 6-year-old Zane Atcha of Deltona.

4. Barack Obama visits Bethune-Cookman University; John McCain makes pitch in Ormond

Newspaper Section

Courtesy video. NSBNEWS.net photo by Sera King. In the video, Barack Obama addresses an enthusiastic crowd at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach At right, supporters of Barack Obama show their support at the corner of Canal Street and U.S. 1 in New Smyrna Beach on Election Day.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Here is how NSBNEWS.net led its story on the early returns showing Barack Obama's historic victory for president: Barack Obama's mesage of "change" resonated big with voters nationally tonight with huge wins in Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and the New England States as he closes in on 338 electoral votes compared to 150 for John McCain. The threshold for the presidency is 270 electoral votes.

Insta Poll results on police raise

Newspaper Section

Here are the final results of the NSBNEWS.net Insta Poll which asked: Should the New Smyrna Beach City Commission approve a 2 percent raise for police officers?

Yes, they serve a vital function and deserve raises:.45%

No, the economy is bad - city should hold down costs: 55%

There were 38 votes cast during the four days that preceded Tuesday night's unanimous vote by the New Smyrna Beach City Commission to give 44 police officers a 2-percent raise for the current fiscal year that began Oct. 1, the same amount given to other municipal employees.

3. Tropical Storm Fay batters Volusia County

Newspaper Section

NSBNEWS.net video by Sera King. Oak Hill police Sgt. Robert Walker gives NSBNEWS.net a tour of the flooding situation during Tropical Storm Fay.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Tropical Storm Fay dumped a lot of water over Florida, with DeBary, Deltona and Osteen getting the worst of it, though all areas of Volusia County had to deal with the precipitation and wind. Not only did the county suffer $13 million in property damages during Aug. 18-24, but a tourist drowned in the surf.

Chamber president to address SE Volusia GOP club

Newspaper Section

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Robert Lott, president of the Southeast Volusia Chamber of Commerce, board member of Bert Fish Medical Center and owner of the Observer weekly newspaper, will be the guest speaker of the the Republican Club of Southeast Volusia County on Feb. 12.

The 11:15 a.m.Monday, Feb. 12 meeting will be at Smyrna Yacht Club, 1201 S. Riverside Dr., New Smyrna Beach. A buffet lunch will be served at 11:45 a.m.

NSB cops charge 18-year-old in auto break-ins; urge motorists to lock vehicles

Newspaper Section

Courtesy photo. William Henry Quick, 18, of 2846 Sunset Drive, New Smyrna Beach, is charged with 19 counts of breaking into unlocked motor vehicles.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Police issued a public alert this afternoon for motorists to lock their parked vehicles in the wake of the arrest of a suspected car burglar two days earlier.

National Weather Service Alert: Winter weather advisory

Newspaper Section

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The National Weather Service in Melbourne has issued a winter weather message for Central Florida, including the greater Daytona Beach area, which includes Southeast Volusia:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
236 PM EST FRI JAN 30 2009

New Smyrna Beach High teacher and Show Dolls coach Kelly Conway named Volusia County teacher of the year

Newspaper Section

DAYTONA BEACH -- Kelly Conway, a teacher at New Smyrna Beach High School known throughout Southeast Volusia as the coach of the Show Dolls dance team, was named Volusia County Teacher of the Year tonight at the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort.

2. John Tanner ousted in primary as state attorney; $200K in taxpayer money spent to keep grand jury report sealed

Newspaper Section

Courtesy video and photo. State Attorney John Tanner hired Jon Kaney, the preeminent expert civil attorney on Florida open records law, to represent his interests in keeping a grand jury report investigating his office sealed. Kaney is the counsel for the Daytona BeachNews-Journal and married to the newspaper's publisher Georgia Kaney. The News-Journal challenged the legality of keeping the grand jury report sealed through the hiring of outside counsel. Tanner ultimately won, but lost his elected office to relatively unknown R.J. Larizza, who was backed by police unions opposed to the incumbent. 

DAYTONA BEACH -- State Attorney John Tanner won a battle with the help of an old friend, but lost a war.

NSB Winn-Dixie store pharmacy on S.R. 44 robbed by gunman

Newspaper Section

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Police are looking for a young white man in a blue-hooded sweatshirt who robbed the Winn-Dixie store pharmacy of Oxycodone pills at 9:45 p.m. Saturday.

The man entered the store at 1835 State Road 44, walked over to the pharmacy and handed the pharmacist a note and said he had a gun on him.