NSBNEWS.net: Volusia County / State

DAYTONA BEACH -- Passenger traffic at Daytona Beach International Airport increased 13 percent in May compared with the same period last year, county officials said

By MARK WILLIAMS

PONCE INLET -- The town's outdoor burn ban that went into effect a month ago will remain in place until further notice because of dry conditions and concern about potentiasl brush fires, an official here said.

Under the burn ban, all outdoor burning is prohibited.

This includes outdoor recreational campfires, open outdoor cooking fires, trash fires, outdoor fireplaces, fire pits, chimneys, kilns and ovens.

Offcials point to safety education and aggresive enforcement in the lowering number of Florida highway fatalities as shown in the information graphic at left. A report released Monday shows an annual decrease in interstate deaths over the past four years.

 TALLAHASSEE – The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and the Florida Department of Transportation have joined together to announce that more lives than ever are being saved on Florida’s roadways. Based on an analysis of vehicle miles traveled in 2009, Florida’s fatality rate dropped to 1.3 fatalities per 100 million miles traveled, the lowest rate ever reported in the Sunshine State, officials noted today.

Courtesy photo.

Editor's Note: Here is Gov. Charlie Crist's Notes From the Capitol for the week ending June 11:

Dear Friends,

We are facing an unprecedented incident. I have visited with business owners in Pensacola, Destin, Panama City and St. Petersburg. They are hurting. The oil spill has affected the livelihoods of families and businesses along our coasts, as well as other areas of the state.

Courtesy photo.

Here is a computer-generated composite sketch of a man sought in the attempted sexual assault of a woman near DeLand Wednesday night.

DELAND -- The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a report that a man attempted to rape a woman at gunpoint Wednesday night near DeLand. A composite sketch of the attacker has been issued to the media.

Courtesy photos.

At left, Johnnie Burke, 51, of Deltona, far left, dies of a self-inflictede gunshot wound after fatally shooting his ex-girlfriend, Robin Whitaker, 46, and her husband of one year, Charles Whitaker, 48, early Tuesday morning, according to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office.

DELTONA -- A 51-year-old Deltona man, armed with two semi-automatic pistols, shot and killed his former girlfriend and then her husband, before turning a gun on himself in an early Tuesday morning bloodbath.

DELTONA -- The Volusia County Sheriff's Office is on the scene of a shooting in Deltona this morning that clamed the lives of three adults. Deputies were dispatched to 2507 Otis Ave. after a neighbor called 911 at 6:34 a.m. to report hearing the sound of gunfire.

The shooting occurred outside of the home. A man and woman were pronounced dead at the scene. Another man at the scene sustained a gunshot wound and was alive when deputies arrived. The wounded man, who is believed to be the shooter, was transported by EVAC ambulance to Florida Hospital Fish Memorial in Orange City, where he was pronounced dead.

Courtesy photo.

Editor's Note: Here is Gov. Charlie Crist's Notes From the Capitol for the week ending June 4:

Dear Friends,

As hurricane season begins, we in Florida must continue being prepared and remain vigilant. We are blessed to live in a state surrounded by water and beautiful beaches. However, that privilege also means we are vulnerable to hurricanes.

DEBARY -- Julie Scofield, historic preservation officer for Volusia County, will address local preservation efforts at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 19, at the DeBary Hall Historic Site.

DELAND -- Votran, Volusia County’s public transit system, will hold four public meetings this month to receive comments on bus service reductions that have been proposed as part of county government’s overall goal to reducethe 2010-'11 fiscal year budget by approximately $23 million.