Top 100 Stories

New Smyrna Residents are divided one the subject of getting better education by putting more money into the public school system. This division is demonstrated by the responses given by two waitresses at Ruthie’s Restaurant. Amanda Fike, 23, replied more “money would buy better education” while Angela Kaniaris, 35, responded, “No, what you need is for parents to get involved in their children’s education.”

The sad fact is that more money will not buy better education. The huge increases in public funding have brought test score improvements that are quite small. A cynic might say that never before in human endeavor has so much been spent to achieve so little. Right now in Volusia County, we are spending over $17,000 per student in the k-12 program. In view of this, any suggestion that the taxpayer is slighting education is absurd.

ORMOND BEACH -- A man identified as the robber who was foiled by a knife-wielding store clerk in January was arrested Monday on charges of armed robbery and aggravated assault, Volusia Sheriff's spokesman Brandon Haught said.

DAYTONA BEACH SHORES -- Two teenage girls run over by a pick-truck Monday while getting a tan on the beach were likely saved by soft sand, the beach patrol reported.

The girls, whose names ad ages were not immediately available, were treated briefly at the Halifax Urgent Care Center in Port Orange --one for an injury to her legs and the other for an injury to her upper body.

DELTONA -- The victim of a Sunday afternoon liquor store robbery in Deltona got a good look at the bandit and his getaway vehicle, giving Volusia County Sheriff’s deputies a good enough description to find Joseph Fine less than half a mile away, agency spokesman Gary Davidson said.

"Fine was found with the stolen cash tucked into his shirt pocket and he admitted to committing the robbery at knifepoint," Davidson said.

No one was injured during the robbery.

The robbery happened at 3:07 p.m. at the Publix Supermarket Liquor Store, 2783 Elkcam Blvd.

Blenda J. Avignone, 92, of New Smyrna Beach, a former owner of a pharmacy, died Thursday, March 5, 2009.

Edna S. Boggess, 93, of Edgewater, a former component winder for Utrad Television Component Corp., Huntington, Ind., died Wednesday, March 4, 2009.

Lawrence Corrado Jr., 53, of New Smyrna Beach, co-owner of Beachside Hurricane Protection, died Wednesday, March 4, 2009.

Andrew B. “Andy” Davidson, Jr., 84, of Edgewater, retired from the Seneca Army Depot in Waterloo, N.Y., as deputy director of services and a supporter of Special Olympics, died Tuesday, March 3, 2009.

DELAND -- A tanker truck rolled over early Friday on the eastbound exit of State Road 44 off Interstate 4, forcing the shutdown of lanes on both sides well into the day as clean-up crews dealt with 3,800 gallons of spilled disel fuel, the Florida Highway Patrol reported.

The tanker hit his brakes suddenly when traffic slowed in front of him at 4:15 a.m., causing the tanker to jackknife near a retention pond. Because of the heavy fume smell, troopers closed all four lanes of I-4 for eight hours to allow clean-up crews to deal with the spill.

Courtesy photo. Congresswoman Susanne Kosmas, D-New Smyrna Beach, announced Friday $1.15 million in federal funding for law enforcement in Volusia County as part of a $135 million aid package to Florida.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Congresswoman Susanne Kosmas announced Friday that Volusia County was receiving $1.15 million of a $135 million federal aid package for Florida law enforcement and criminal justice entities.

Courtesy photos. Stephen G. Brady, 58, was found shot to death Sept. 22, a victim of suicide, but whether he suffocated his 56-year-old wife, Pamela Brady, with a plastic bag in their New Smyrna Beach home or whether she did it herself, remains a mystery. The deaths came after he abruptly resigned from his job as a lawyer with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement after a confrontation wth the husband of a co-worker he was having an affair with turned violent.

DELAND -- The Volusia County Sheriff's Office made its way into a house south of DeLand just before 6 p.m. Friday to arrest a suspect accused of firing
at a deputy, Volusia Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson said.

The arrest of 21-year-old Gary Jamel Cannon, Jr. brought a 4-hour standoff to a close. No shots were fired and no one was injured during the standoff.

Deputy Justin Stewart came under fire late Thursday night while investigating a car break-in on West Lisbon Parkway.

DELAND -- When residents “spring forward” Sunday, March 8, Volusia County Fire Services recommends not only changing the time on the clock, but also the batteries in their smoke alarms, sas county spokeswoman Shelley Szafraniec.