Volusia News Now

Headline Surfer / NSBNews.net file photo

Should City Commissioner Lynne Plaskett opt to run again for her zone 4 seat, she'll have competition.  Qualifying papers have been taken out by Patrick Casserly. Click the PDF attachment for details on his filing.

Photo for Headline Surfer / NSBNews.net

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A group of kids -- really good kids -- have a chance to showcase their talents, but they can't do it without help from the community that hungers for feel-good stories in a fast-paced world where teenagers are admired for what they can do on the football field or on the other extreme, getting into trouble.

EDGEWATER -- A friend forwarded a request from a military friend of hers in Afghanistan telling her they were hit really hard and lost all their personal things. He said they needed towels, razors, and anything personal anyone would send to them. Turns out there are 100 people in his company who lost their stuff.

VCSO: 17-year-old female driver punched in the face

DELTONA -- A 21-year-old man was shot in the leg after an apparent case of road rage led to a melee and gunfire outside of a Deltona home early this morning, a Volusia County Sheriff's spokesman said.

Several bullets were fired into the home on Galena Terrace, with one of the rounds striking a victim inside the house, agency spokesman Gary Davidson said of the 12:30 a.m. Sunday incident.

The incident started at about 12:30 a.m., when a 17-year-old girl driving to her home at 1432 Galena Terrace said she got behind a slow-moving vehicle on Elkcam Boulevard. The teen pulled up close to the vehicle to see if it would speed up, but instead the driver of the vehicle in front of her started applying the brakes.

Willie Henderson Jr., 48, of New Smyrna Beach, remains jailed on this Sunday evening on charges of sexual battery with a deadly weapon/force, aggravated battery, false imprisonment and burglary with assault or battery, all felonies, that could net him a sentence of 40 years or more if convicted at trial in what Sheriff's deputies said was a violent attack on a woman in her home in the middle of the night.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A woman was awakened in the middle of the night, -- 3:30 a.m. to be precise, by a knock at the door and a face she knew: A man she had paid 20 bucks to mow her lawn.

DEBARY -- The city's signature event, "freedom and Volunteers," needs your help. The Community Partnership Program is planning the extravanza July 4th event.

The CPP will meet 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 15, at the Gateway Center for the Arts, 880 N. Highway 17-92, DeBary, to discuss the planning and coordination for this special event.

DEBARY -- A wife's oncern about her husband's whereabouts when he failed to return to their DeBary home Thursday night after a trip to Orlando, had a happy ending early this morning.

The alert was issued for Albert Kaplan, who drove off from the couple's home on Madera Road in DeBary at 2 p.m. Five hours later, his wife said someone in the Orlando area called to tell her that he had come across Kaplan and had given him directions on how to get back to his house.

DEBARY -- A 72-year-old DeBary man was driving back from Orlando Thursday, but never made it home and now Volusia County deputies are asking the public to let them know if they see him, agency spokesman Gary Davidson said just before midnight.

Albert Kaplan drove off from his home on Madera Road in DeBary at 2 p.m.

"Five hours later, his wife said someone in the Orlando area called to tell her that he had come across Kaplan and had given him directions on how to get back to his house," Davidson said.

The wife then His wife then called the Sheriff's Office at 8:14 p.m. asking for help in locating him to make sure he got home. Because Kaplan suffers from dementia and other medical ailments, the Sheriff's Office launched a Silver Alert through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to assist in the search for Kaplan. Area hospitals also were contacted.

Carol Jean Pace, the Holly Hill woman reported missing since April 18, was found safe Wednesday at a church in New Smyrna Beach that feeds the needy, police said.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A 48-year-old woman considered endangered The Holly Hill Police Department reports that Carol Jean Pace, who was reported missing seven days earlier was spotted Wednesday during the serving of a hot meals program for the needy at the First United Methodist Church Hot Meals Program here in New Smyrna Beach.

"The church reports that they recognized Ms. Pace from media reports and contacted the Holly Hill Police Department," Holly Hill Police Chief Mark Barker said in a press release to Central Florida media outlets, including Headline Surfer, the New Smyrna Beach-based 24/7 Internet newspaper.

New Smyrna Beach police officers assisted in contacting Pace and confirmed that she was safe.

"Ms. Pace indicated to officers that she was not happy with her living situation and simply left on April 13th," Barker said.