Local News Now

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Students from New Smyrna Beach High School will perform "Check, Please," by Florida playwright Jonathan Rand on Friday and Saturday.

Many zany characters will come to life, including a man in a burlap sack, a mime and a man who has lost 300 pounds. The play explores how hard dating can be, especially when your date happens to be a raging kleptomaniac, your grandmother's bridge partner or a foot-reading psychic. Which is better - staying single the rest of your life or suffering through a series of the worst blind dates in history?

Photos by Henry Frederick.

Republican U.S, hopeful Marco Rubio addresses an enthusiastic crowd Thursday in New Smyrna Beach.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Here is a sampling of the enthusiastic support by local residents and community leaders to Thursday's visit by Republicam U.S. Senate hopeful Marco Rubio to American Aero Services at the New Smyrna Beach Municipal Airport:

Margie Patchett, candidate for Volusia County Council at-large and founder of Volusia Tax Reform, goes over some campaign flyers with Rubio.

"He is wonderful. His message comes from his heart. He was speaker of the (Florida) house, when we took 17 buses up to Tallahassee in 2007, to push for reform measures. We need him in Washington. He's a true American -- a true conservative."

-- Margie Patchett

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The Florida Municipal Electric Association recently honored the community service efforts of the Utilities Commission of New Smyrna Beach staff by recognizing the municipal electric utility with the 2010 Community Service Award.

Photo by Mark Steighner

Bert Fish Medical Center is "shining a light" on breast cancer with the use of pink exterior lighting throughout the month of October. The initiative is part of a month-long community outreach effort to raise awareness about the importance of early detection through mammograms.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Bert Fish Medical Center is "shining a light" on breast cancer in an effort to raise awareness about the importance of early detection.

Far left file photo by Henry Frederick

Former Volusia County Council dist. 3 candidate Ellen Darden, shown far left, is livid with the story published Tuesday in the Daytona Beach News-Journal, "County Council candidate puts financial woes into public view," which takes dead aim at Volusia County Council at-large candidate Margie Patchett, shown here in the middle photo, which clearly favors her opponent, former state Rep. Joyce Cusack, shown far right.

Darden, who ran in the primary for the district 3 seat that has George Trovato and Joie Alexander squaring off in the November runoff, wrote a letter to the Daytona Berach newspaper regarding the bullseye on Parchett and sent a copy to NSBNEWS.net.  Here is Darden's letter:

Courtesy photo / VCBJ

Convicted child sex offender Richard Ervin of New Smyrna Beach is being held without bail at the Volusia County Brnch Jail on 10 warrants out of Pinielas County on child sex charges.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A registered child sex offender who lives in New Smyrna Beach is being held without bail at the Volusia County Branch jail on a warrant charging him with a series of sex crimes out of Piniellas County and is awiting transfer to that jurisdiction.

Photos by Henry Frederick

Linda DeBorde is the center of attention Thursday in front of her real estate office at the corner of Pine Street and Flagler Avenue where she is given a retirement sendoff, street-party style by 100-plus friends, family and other civic leaders in honor of her 38 years as proprietor of Nu Day Realty and her community contributions over the years. At left, great grandson Caysen Hilton, 2, gets some lovin' while T.C. Wilder, 80, displays his affection for the friend he's known for five decades.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Linda DeBorde took each day's challenges with the understanding that a new day would bring new rewards and challenges, hence "Nu Day Realty" became a cornerstone of earning a living and giving back to the community as each day turned into weeks, then months, years and decades. All of that came full circle Thursday with this day in her honor with the New Smyrna Beach  proclamation: "Linda DeBorde Day."

Photo by Henry Frederick

Samantha Bishop, shown in this photo taken earlier in the week in front of the Southeast Volusia Chamber of Commerce on Canal Street in New Smyrna Beach, has been at the helm for 40 days as interim executive vice president succeeding Steve Dennis, shown below, who was fired. Bishop said she discovered on her first day on the job that the chamber's financial reserves were depleted, forcing her Thursday to lay off the four paid staffers.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The four paid staffers for the Southeast Chamber of Commerce were let go Thursday because there wasn't enough revenue to pay their salaries, interim Executive Vice President Samantha Bishop said.

With that action taken, Bishop will move forward alone with the day-to-day operations of the chamber, relying on volunteers to help.

Photo By Chris Atwell

New Smyrna Beach High School students, staff, administrators and alumni alike are known for their 'Cudas football team as shown in this photo and that spirit will be magnified with the rallying cry to wear "black" Friday night at home against rival Mainland High of Daytona Beach.

By Chris Atwell

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- 'Cudas Athletic Director Jose Fernandez asks that everyone "Black Out" for the rivalry game Friday nigh at the New Smyrna Beach Stadium  with visiting Mainland High School of Daytona Beach.

Video by Multimedia Editor Sera Frederick.