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Editor's Note: The following was written by the staff of Congresswoman Susanne Kosmas, D-New Smyrna Beach.

(Washington, DC) - Congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas (FL-24) commented on the announcement by President Obama and the U.S. Department of Energy that Florida will receive more than $300 million for energy efficiency grants and weatherization as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Could you be the next Tiger Woods? You can find out by playong in Saturday's golf outing at the Hidden Lakes Golf Course to benefit New Smyrna Beach High School's Project Graduation,.a drug- and alcohol-free event for graduating seniors.

Here are the plannrd events:

8 a.m.-noon, 4 Person Best Ball Scramble Shotgun Start (all ages welcome)
$60 Per Person;
$200 Per Foursome;
$100 Hole Sponsor;
Cart, Green Fees, Range Balls, 50/50, Mulligans, Coffee & Doughnuts,
BBQ lunch provided by Duke Daniels BBQ.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A “Culinary Art Walk,” will be held from 10 a.m.-5 pm. March 28, with area chefs presenting demonstrations in addition to the variety of interesting
and unique art works displayed by resident and visiting artists on Flagler Avenue.

The event is held in the five blocks between the Indian River and the ocean; and also includes entertainment, demonstrations, and a free prize drawing. Art Walk on Flagler is held the fourth Saturday of each month.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A 5-acre brush fire on Turnbull Bay Road earlier this afternoon destroyed some fencing, but did not touch half a dozen homes in its potential path, Volusia County officials said.

The 4 p.m. fire just west of the city limits was extinguished by fire crews from thecounty, New Smyrna Beach, Port Orange and the Florida Division of Forestry, said Shelly Szafraniec, Volusia Fire Services spokeswoman.

Szafraniec said no evacuations werre ordered, though several families left on their own and Turnbull Bay Road was closed to through traffic while firefighters fought

DELAND -- A man armed with a pistol robbed the downtown CVS pharmacy of oxycodone painkiller pills aftter pointing the weapon at the pharmacist Sunday, DeLand police said.

Nobody was hurt in the 11:29 a.m. robbery at the CVS, 2497 S. Woodland Blvd.

DeLand police were assisted by a Sheriff's helicopter in an unsuccessful search for the robber carrying a black semi-automatic pistol.

March 14, 2009: William T. Preston and Kathryn P. Payton, New Smyrna Beach.

March 13, 2009: Edward J. Brown and Brandy B. Karr, Edgewater; Robert J. Harris and Tiffany L. Cinelli, New Smyrna Beach; Daniel P. Dyett and Crystal A. McLeod, Edgewater.

March 12, 2009: William T. Preston and Kethryn P. Payton, New Smyrna Beach; Edward J. Brown and Brandy B. Karr,
Edgewater; Robert J. Harris and Tiffany L. Cinelli, New Smyrna Beach; Daniel P. Dyett and Crystal A. McLeod, Edgewater;

James N. Sowers, 87, of Edgewater, a management consultant and owner of Intex International Co., Edgewater, died Saturday, March 14, 2009.

DELAND -- The Volusia County Sheriff's Office is investigating an armed robbery of a business near DeLand Friday night.

A single robber entered the store, Romeo and Juliet's at 320 S. Spring Garden Ave., at 9:35 p.m. brandishing a handgun and demanding money. The man then grabbed money from the cash register and fled.

DELTONA -- A Deltona High School student was awarded the top prize for short films in a national film-making contest from among a pool of more than 700 entrants.

Nick Martir won the award in the "Young Minds Digital Times Film Competition" for his short film: "Wacky Wilderness."

The competition's aim was to give students a chance to share their ideas and showcase their films with an emphasis on "addressing real-life issues," said co-founder, Amy Looper, of OneSeventeen Media.

Editor's note: The following press release was written by the staff of Congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas, D-New Smyrna Beach, and posted on her Web site this week:

(Washington, DC) – In response to today’s report that Florida unemployment reached 8.6% in January with 800,000 out of work, Congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas (FL-24) issued the following statement: