Volusia News Now

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- People of all ages are expected to express themselves in costumes of their imagination during today's New Smyrna Beach Halloween Parade on Canal Street and NSBNews.net will be there with exclusive coverage for a third consecutive year.

EDGEWATER -- After 66 years on May 29ht 2004 President George W. Bush officially dedicated the World War II Monument in Washington D.C. to honor what Tom Brokaw called the Greatest Generation: Veterans of  World War II.

Deputies: Not the 1st time this has happened

Sharon Rosenberg is shown here in her jail mug after her arrest Friday on a charge of leaving a small child alone in a locked car.

ORMOND BEACH -- Volusia County Sheriff's deputies arrested a 63-year-old woman on Friday with child neglect after she left a 2-year-old girl alone in her car while she went shopping for groceries. And witnesses told deputies this wasn't the first time.

Second man attacked with machete in bloody street fight 

BREAKING NEWS: Justin Riley, 29, shown here at left in a previous Volusia County Jail mug arrest, suffered a major wound to his arm when he was attacked witrh a machete early Saturday morning in Daytona Beach. A second man was gunned down in the street.

DAYTONA BEACH -- Blood was spilled in a street fight in the Highridge Estates under the cover of darkness with one man shot to death and a second attacked with a machete-type weapon requiring life-saving surgery to close a deep wound to his left forearm.

The Volusia County Sheriff's Office has identified the 5:36 a.m. homicide victim on Aspen Street as 41-year-old Brian Leverett. Justin Riley, 29, underwent life-saving surgery at Halifax Medical Center for a deep wound to his left forearm.

Investigators with the Sheriff's Office's Major Case Unit have detained two brothers for questioning and a possible motive for the violence.

VCBJ mug / Edwin Wren, 19, is being held without bail at the Volusia County Branch Jail on charged with sexual battery of a child and aggravated child abuse, felonies that could net him life in prison if convicted.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A 9-month-old baby girl discovered Thursday afternoon to be bleeding profusely from physical trauma to her body was sexually assaulted, Volusia County Sheriff's investigators have concluded.

That night, investigators rounded up a 19-year-old man who had been left to watch the baby. Edwin Wren is being held without bond at the Volusia County Branch Jail in Daytona Beach, facing charges of sexual battery on a person under the age of 12 and aggravated child abuse. Wren was living with the baby's parents, who sometimes left him to tend to the baby, according to the arrest report.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A 1-year-old child has been transported to Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach with non-life threatening injuries earlier in the day Thursday after a neighbor took possession of the child and called authorities.

"The Volusia County Sheriff's Office received information about an injured child in the New Smyrna Beach area and responded to begin an investigation," agency spokesman Brandon Haught said. "Investigators are interviewing family members and possible witnesses to determine how the child was injured."

NSBNews.net photo by Henry Frederick / New Smyrna Beach City Commissioner Judy Reiker is stoic after her unanimous appointment as vice mayor during Tuesday night's city commission meeting.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- With nearly two years as an elected commissioner under her belt, it was inevitable the ceremonial title of vice mayor would be bestowed upon Judy Reiker.

Besides, the other more seasoned commissioners had held the title already, among them Lynne Plaskett, Jack Grasty and Jim Hathaway.

It was Hathaway who made the motion to transfer the title from his name to Reiker's with Grasty seconding and Plaskett chiming in "absolutely."

Already with a near 30-year run in district, Canal Street to be part of new one

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- When it was revealed at an economic summit over the weekend that Canal Street would be included in a new CRA district along the US 1 corridor where blight is paramount, some officials were stunned while others were tightlipped.

What to do about blighted US 1 corridor will be discussed at Saturday session

NSBNews.net photo by Sera Frederick / The US 1 corridor in New Smyrna Beach, long in decline, will be discussed as part of an economic summit between New Smyrna Beach and Edgewater officials at New Smyrna Beach City Hall on Saturday. NSBNews.net will have complete coverage.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The cities of New Smyrna Beach and Edgewater are holding a joint economic summit Saturday in the City Commission chambers with a special presentation by Sean Snaith, Director with the Institute for Economic Competitiveness at the University of Central Florida.

About 60 people paid $25 each to attend the 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. summit, which includes overviews on economic development goals and plans by both cities.