Top 100 Stories

ORANGE CITY -- A Volusia County firefighter has been indicted by federal authorities on a two-count indictment charging him with receiving and possessing child pornography.

Steven James Bussard Jr., 30, of Sanford, arrested Feb. 17, was later presented in federal court and released on condition that he wear a GPS tracking device and surrender all firearms.

Bussard, employed at Station 31 in Orange City by Volusia County Fire Services since 2000, has been suspended without pay, pending the outcome of his criminal case, county officials said.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The Gallery Group of Flagler Avenue is seeking professional chefs and artists in any medium to participate in the “Culinary Arts” Art Walk” from
10 a.m.-5 p.m., March 28 in New Smyrna Beach.

Chefs are invited to present culinary demonstrations, and artists are invited to showcase culinary related art works. It will be a very special occasion.

For more information or to request a visiting chef or artist application, please call (386) 428-1770 or (386) 689-2672 or visit www.flaglergallerygroup.com.

DELAND -- A Volusia County Sheriff's deputy escaped injury late Thursday night when he came under fire while investigating a car break-in.

The shooting began after a resident on West Lisbon Parkway just south of DeLand called the Sheriff's Office at 11:23 p.m. to report a car burglary. While it's unclear whether anything was taken, the resident called after noticing that the car door and glove compartment were open.

NSBNEWS.net photo by Sera King. New Smyrna Beach City Attorney Frank Gummey told the City Commission it is his opinion that the city's 99-year lease with the Angler's Club is legally binding, regardless of whether it once had discriminatory membership policies and is not paying current fair-market value to use the municipal waterfront property.

EDGEWAER -- Life coach Sheri Kennington will present a two-part seminar on positive change at the Edgewater Public Library. She will discuss “The power of positive: Tools and insights for effective change” at 3 p.m. Saturday, March 7; followed by “Bringing balance, respect and positive change to ourselves and others” at 3 p.m. Saturday, March 14.

The free seminar is part of the library’s Florida Living Series, an adult program that encourages better living.

DELTONA -- A 19-year-old man was shot in the foot while standing outside his residence this morning, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office reported.

The Sheriff's Office received a 911 call at about 9:28 a.m. from a woman who said that someone had been shot in the foot at 2870 Chalmer St., but that the victim, Lonnie Solomon, was now at an address on Glenlock Street.

Deputies responded to both addresses and learned that Solomon had been standing in the driveway of his Chalmer Street home when someone shot him. His girlfriend then drove him to his mother's house on Glenlock Street.

ORMOND BEACH -- Leonard Willis, the Jacksonville suspect in multiple bank robberies in Florida and Georgia, has been arrested, Volusia Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson reported.

Law enforcement authorities captured Willis Wednesday morning fleeing from a bank robbery in Georgia," Davidson said.

Willis is being held at the Lamar County Detention Center in Barnesville, Ga., approximately 40 miles northwest of Macon.

ORMOND BEACH -- Law enforcement authorities have identified the suspect believed to be responsible for at least five bank robberies in the past month,
including three in the Ormond Beach area.

Multiple arrest warrants have been issued for 44-year-old Leonard Willis of Jacksonville, but so far he has eluded capture.