Top 100 Stories

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- General gun season is now open in the Central Zone, which is where we are located, through January. It is legal to take deer having one or more antler at least 5 inches in length visible above the hair line, wild hogs, rabbits, raccoons, opossums, coyotes, nutrias, skunks and beavers. All legal rifles, shotguns, muzzleloaders, crossbows, bows, and handguns may be used.

If using a center-fire, semi-automatic rifle, it cannot have a magazine capacity exceeding five rounds. Fully automatic or silencer equipped rifles are illegal as are non-expanding, full metal case ammunition for the taking of deer. Using rim-fire ammunition is illegal to hunt deer. Antlerless deer season started Saturday and runs through Nov. 21. Limit is two deer daily regardless of sex. Shooting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.

DELTONA -- A Deltona man was killed Saturday when a vehicle crossed into the path of his motorcycle, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office reported.

Jose Garcia, 48, was transported by EVAC ambulance to Florida Hospital-Fish Memorial in Orange City where he was later pronounced dead.

At approximately 12:21 p.m., a 2003 Ford Explorer driven by Michael Pentz was traveling southbound on North Normandy Boulevard in Deltona. Pentz, a 41-year-old

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The Little Theatre of New Smyrna Beach will hold auditions for "Out of Order," a comedy by playwright Ray Cooney, at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 23 and Monday, Nov. 24.

Auditions are held in the Little Theatre rehearsal hall and are open to everyone and no experience is necessary. Readings will be from the script and
a copy is available for viewing at the reference desk of the New Smyrna Beach Library.

The show will run two weekends: Jan. 9 & 10 and Jan. 15, 16 & 17 at 8:00 p.m. Matinee performances are on Jan. 11, and Jan. 18, at 2 p.m. The director is

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- As part of its green initiative, Volusia County Government recently launched a recycling program on the beach, county spokeswoman Pat Kuehn said.

One hundred recycling containers have been placed in New Smyrna Beach adjacent to the trash cans.

To promote the program, Volusia County will give away free recycling tote bags to the first 1,000 beachgoers from 8 a.m. - noon, Friday, Nov. 21; Saturday, Nov. 22 and Sunday, Nov. 23, at the New Smyrna Beach toll booths.

When severe weather threatens, citizens want to know. Now, thanks to a Federal Emergency Management Agency Hazard Mitigation grant of $58,500, Volusia County citizens can sign up to receive severe weather warning notifications issued by the National Weather Service over their phones, said Volusia County spokeswoman Shelley Szafraniec

The grant will pay for an unlimited number of countywide severe weather notifications for one year.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Quarterback A.J. Granger came back from a non-throwing bruised shoulder in the Homecoming game to lead the 'Cudas to victory over DeLand, 21-13, in the season finale with two running touchdowns in the second half.

And even as DeLand mounted a late rally with seconds left in the game, an interception by 'Cudas defensive back James Hill, his second of the contest, sealed playoff-bound DeLand's defeat to give New Smyrna Beach a 2-8 record for the season.

Perhaps, the DeLand coaching decision to hold out its starting quarterback and first-string runner to rest up for the playoffs was a factor. Regardless, it was the personnel on the field that counted and the 'Cudas made the most of their opportunities.

Passenger traffic at Daytona Beach International Airport decreased 30 percent in October compared to October 2007, Volusia County spokeswoman Vickie Pleus said.

During October, 33,542 arrived and departed through Daytona Beach International Airport, compared with 48,049 in October 2007.

For the 12-month period ending Oct. 31, 624,234 passengers traveled through the county-operated airport. This is an 11-percent decrease compared to the prior period when 699,893 passengers traveled through the airport.

The Volusia County Council Thursday reaffirmed its unanimous support for a commuter rail system that is proposed to serve riders through a four-county region that includes Volusia, Seminole, Orange and Osceola counties, county spokesman Dave Byron confirmed.

DELAND -- Dozens of local, state and federal agents toppled a large-scale drug trafficking organization Monday morning in a series of coordinated raids on a criminal network responsible for distributing massive quantities of cocaine into West Volusia, Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson said.

A total of 16 people already are in custody, including 26-year-old Rosheen Cuthrell of DeLand, the reputed head of the organization, along with several of the group’s main drug suppliers, Davidson said.