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DeLeon Springs shooting victim dies at hospital

DELEON SPRINGS -- The Volusia County Sheriff's Office is investigating a shooting Saturday night in DeLeon Springs that resulted in a 33-year-old man dying early the next morning at Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach.

"Deputies were initially dispatched to the area of Katrina Street at 7:18 p.m.after a resident called 911 to report hearing a commotion in the street and a possible gunshot," Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson said. "The caller said that after the disturbance, several people fled the area in a van. Deputies quickly responded, but everyone had already left the area."

NSB boy, 16, drowns in surf in Ormond-by-the-sea; body recovered next day

Newspaper Section

ORMOND-BY-THE-SEA -- A New Smyrna Beach boy was swimming with his pregnant girlfriend in an area not guarded by lifeguards when they got caught in a rip current and he went under while she was rescued by a another swimmer. Bendon Martin was just 16.

The body washed ashore early Sunday, about a mile from the reported drowning in the 1200 block of State Road A1A.

Deputies nab accused copper thief near cell tower outside Edgewater

Newspaper Section

Courtesy photo/Jail mug. David McDonald, 35, of Port Orange, was arrested early Sunday morning by Volusia County Sheriff's deputies on charges of stealing $500 worth of copper from a cell tower outside the Edgewater city limits.

EDGEWATER -- When he came across two Volusia County Sheriff's deputies on Sunday morning, David McDonald told them he was just out for a bike ride.

Four NSB Middle School girls taken to hospital after taking prescription pills at school

Newspaper Section

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Volusia County Sheriff's Investigators have launched an investigation after four girls at New Smyrna Beach Middle School had to be hospitalized after one of them brought three different kinds of prescription pills to school and shared them with the others.

Edgewater man charged in Port Orange bank robbery after turning himself in by phone 20 minutes later

Newspaper Section

Courtesy photo/jail mug. Tony Max Olea, 42, of Edgewater, was charged with robbing a bank in Port Orange after quickly turning himself in early Monday morning.

PORT ORANGE -- A  42-year-old Edgewater man turned himself in shortly after robbing a bank early Monday, Port Orange police said.

Tony Max Olea was subsequently charged with bank robbery, having essentially called in his own arrest by dialing 9-1-1 .

Blogger Darlene Vann: Cursive letter writing becoming a lost and vital art to the ease of e-mails

As a person who grew up being yelled at by teachers because I didn’t slant my written letters in the correct direction, I feel justified in commenting on how little the children of today are being taught about cursive writing.

Just because we have computers that doesn’t mean we don’t have to know how to write properly. Our written signatures are always something that is needed and should be legible. I have a friend whose handwriting was so bad she had her signature changed legally to a printed one. Before that time I had no clue one could do such a thing.

Income is earned, not distributed

President Obama has made statements that indicate that he is more interested in redistributing the incomes of Americans rather than creating circumstances under which they can earn more income.

Many Americans, like 44-year-old Donna Lee Clarelli of New Smyrna Beach, recognize this is not a great idea: “If I thought some of the money might end up with me I might be for it. However, I realize that I would not benefit from such a program.”

Blogger Capt. Budd Neviaser: Armadillos unique creatures

Courtesy photos. At far left, the stages at which an armadillo goes into its protective mode. Smaller photo, the typical image people have of armadillos are the dead ones run over by motorists.

To most folks, an armadillo is a small dead animal lying adjacent to or in the middle of nearly every road in the state of Florida. Of all the 20 species of armadillos only one makes the U.S. its home: The nine–banded armadillo has a range from South Carolina to Florida in the east and to the north commonly to Nebraska.

CRA funding called into question with demands for state audit by County Councilman Jack Hayman

Courtesy photo. County Councilman Jack Hayman wants a state audit of New Smyrna Beach's CRA.

County Councilman Jack Hayman is calling for a state audit of New Smyrna Beach's Community Redevelopment Agency for what he believes are irregularities in spending. New Smyrna Beach leaders say they welcome the oversight.

What else would you expect them to say. This is a tough situation for Mayor Sally Mackay on the eve of the general election where she is fighting for her political life against upstart businessman Adam Barringer who beat her by 15 votes in the Sept. 22 primary.