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NSB Middle School Stingray Stingers tops in nation in Hip Hop; jazz team second

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NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The Stingray Stingers, under the direction of Shannon Taylor, Elizabeth Taylor and Jodi Alligood, won a National Championship in Hip Hop at Wide World of Sports in Orlando.

NSB Middle's Jazz team placed second.

NSB hosts summit with Edgewater, Oak Hill and Port Orange on regional issues

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NSBNEWS.net photos by Henry Frederick. New Smyrna Beach officials hosted a regional summit Thursday night at the Brannon Center with sister cities Edgewater, Oak Hill and Port Orange to discuss possible consolidation of services, enhancing partnerships and marketing opportunities with NSB's athletic complex and economic development. Above left are Mayors Allen Green of Port Orange, Adam Barringer of NSB and Michael Thomas of Edgewater. Seated behind them is Realtor Ellen Darden of NSB. Seated in the upper right photo are Volusia County Councilman Jack Hayman and NSB City Commissioner Jack Grasty.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Mayor Adam Barringer understands there is strength in numbers. Which is why he hosted a summit Thursday at the Brannon Center with officials from neighboring cities of Edgewater, Oak Hill and Port Orange.

Oak Hill police sergeant cleared of wrongdoing

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OAK HILL -- Police Sgt. Mike Ihnken has been cleared of an accusation that he stole a dead man's wallet containing $55, the State Attorney's Office announced.

A review of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation determined there was "insufficient evidence to charge or convict Sgt. Ihnken with any crime," said Assistant State Attorney spokesman Chris Kelly.

NSB opts to delay Anglers' offer to purchase its leased riverfront property until new appraisal done

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NSBNEWS.net. The New Smyrna Beach City Commission opts to spend $7,500 for an updated appraisal of the neatly 2-acre parcel at 2 North Causeway on the Intracoastal Waterway that the Angler's Club has occupied since 1942 under provisions of a 99-year lease that in the past two years has been called into question by several vocal residents. The commission entertained an offer from the Anglers to purchase the property outright for $795,000, which would end the lease agreement. The commission, however, pressed by Angler critics, held off Tuesday night in favor of obtaining an updated appraisal. The city maintains the lease is valid, but an outside attorney hired by the commission last year said the lease was not valid. The city and the Anglers have been in talks since in an effort to avoid potential costly litigation for both sides.

Oak Hill promotes 'interim' Diane Young to top cop post

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NSBNEWS.net photo by Henry Frederick. Diane Young was promoted Monday from interim to perrmanent police chief of the Oak Hill Police Department.

OAK HILL -- Diane Young can proudly call herself chief of police of the Oak Hill police force.

That's because the Oak Hill City Commission voted 3-2 Monday to remove the "interim" from her title and name her perrmanent police chief, replacing Guy Grasso, who has a long-term disability injury from an auto accident on duty.

Memorandum of understanding over use of Bert Fish taxes for CRA projects to be discussed tonight

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NSBNEWS.net video by Sera Frederick. Citizen Bob Tolley has been questioning the viability of tax monies from Bert Fish Medical Center being used to fund community projects, with the Community Redevelopment Agency counting on another $2.3 mliion from the hospital over the next five years. Tolley has repeatedly questioned the proper uses in public forums like the one last month before the City Commission as shown in the video.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Are hospital taxes for health care or CRA Christmas trees, holiday lights and landscaping. These are the questions city resident Bob Tolley has been asking over the last few months. His inquiries have led to more intense discussions between administrators at Bert Fish Medical Center and officials in city government and the Community Redevelopment Agency over the use of tax dollars collected from the hospital for community projects.

Vote expected Tuesday on Anglers purchase of leased waterfront property

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NSBNEWS.net video by Sera Frederick. This video of the Jan. 12 City Commission meeting shows Bouchelle Island resident Bill Koleszar pressing the elected body for action on the Anglers Club lease. Koleszar is among a small group of political insiders who insist the Anglers' 99-year lease with the city is void. The city and the Anglers are negotiating a sale that may come up for a vote Tuesday night. The 6:30 p.m. meeting is at City Hall Commission Chambers, 205 Sams Ave.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A protracted battle among political insiders as to whether the city's longstanding lease with the Anglers Club of New Smyrna Beach for prime riverfront acreage on the North Causeway is invalid could be resolved Tuesday, if a proposed sale is approved by the City Commission.

Motorcycle rally ends with four biker-related deaths

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NSBNEWS.net photo and video by Sera Frederick. Members of the "Outlaws" motorcycle gang head north on Atlantic Avenue from Daytona Beach toward Ormond Beach in this photo shot in traffic late Saturday night. The video shows the scene on Main Street in Daytona Beach, ground zero for Bike Week, as captured in this video during a drive-through on Saturday night. As a special treat, NSBNEWS.net sets the video to the music of Steppenwolf's "Born to be Wild" and The Band's "The Weight," from the soundtrack to the movie Easy Rider.

DAYTONA BEACH -- Bike Week 2010 is over. So, too, are the lives of four bikers.

The decadence and excitement that is Bike Week was on display in its purest form Saturday night on Main Street where loud bikes, loud music, loud people and loud lights were the order of the night.