Volusia News Now

EDGEWATER -- I was watching the coverage on the news about the recent tragic death of race driver Dan Wheldon thinking how ghoulish a society we’ve become. Yes, we all are stunned and saddened when these horrible things happen but we, also, demand faster cars in the races, more tricks during airplane shows and other such things that eventually lead to someone dying trying to entertain us.

By JIM HATHAWAY

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- This week I had the opportunity to interact with Southeast Volusia County’s younger generation on two occasions.

On Tuesday, New Smyrna Beach High School students from Teresa Tyson’s honors American history course came to city hall for a “mock” city commission meeting. Students sat in for each elected official and a number of city staffers. It was refreshing to see the young faces at the dais and among the crowd.

EDGEWATER -- Does it really make a difference? Is there any certain quality which would stand to a standard of strength? What difference would it make to just forget the all in all? How about the all? Does it stand on a premise of a certainty or is there really a difference? Should one care or just let it pass along the way? Undecided? Certainty or not should be the question!

DAYTONA BEACH -- Volusia County Beach Patrol Capt. Rich Gardner is being terminated in the wake of a sex scandal involving female employees working under him. The story was first reported earlier today by Clare Metz of WESH TV in Orlando and followed by a host of Central Florida media outlets including NSBNews.net, which will have a full report shortly.

DELAND -- Due to high water levels in the St. Johns River associated with recent rains, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is asking boaters to stay off populated areas of the river until the waters recede.

Primarily affected are populated portions in Volusia, Seminole and Orange counties. Most areas in Brevard County are rural and wooded and will not be negatively affected. However, problems could arise in the canal systems of lakes Poinsett and Washington.

Although water levels have not yet reached flood stage, officials feel they probably will in some areas. Once flood stage is reached, emergency idle speed, no wake zones go into effect automatically in portions of the river. The locations of these mandatory emergency idle speed, no wake zones and flood stages can be found online at www.srh.noaa.gov/serfc/index.php.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- D'Cota Dixon powered the New Smyrna Beach High Cudas to a 12-7 win Friday night at home against Titusville with a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs in the first half.

Both offensives were sluggish in the second half with Titusville finally getting on the scoreboard with a 1-yard TD run by Tevin Washington.

The sea surface temperature has been around the high 70s- to  80-degrees fahrenheit over the last week. Larger than the normal-sized bluefish for our area have been reported in the surf and around the piers with some as large as eight pounds.

NSBNews.net video by Henry Frederick / Clancy's Cantina was the place to be Saturday on Flagler Avenue for those few people who attended the Chili and Chaps street festival.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The few bikers who were on Flagler Avenue on Satuiday for the hyped "Chili and Chaps" event were drawn to Clancy's Cantina. And why not?

Exclusive NSBNews.net video by Sera Frederick / Blue Oyster Cult brings down the house at Destination Daytona with "Burnin' For You."

ORMOND BEACH -- Five years after the success of their album "Agents of Fortune," and their signature FM radio smash, "(Don't Fear The Reaper," Blue Oyster Cult came of age with the younger MTV crowd with their second mega hit, "Burnin' For You."