NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The swine flu scare has hit home with the weekend death of a 15-year-old boy who attended New Smyrna Beach High School, Volusia school district and county health officials confirmed.

The Volusia County Health Department was notified of the H1N1 swine flu-related death of the of the boy Saturday, whose name was not released to protect patient and family confidentiality. The New Smyrna boy's death is the fourth swine flu-related death so far countywide.

PONCE INLET -- The Volusia County Marine Science Center (MSC) offers a wide variety of programs for youths and adults throughout the year, and the opportunities continue this October. All programs are open to the public. MSC admission applies for all on-site events and reservations are required.

Students young and old can discover the many wonders of marine life in environmentally rich Volusia County through the following opportunities:

● 1 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10: Plankton lab - Plankton means “wanderers” and often these minute creatures wander the ocean

SOUTH DAYTONA -- First golf carts hit South Daytona streets Wednesday morning

The Michael DeBloom family was one of the first dozens of South Daytona residents exected to obtain a permit for their golf cart under the City's newly approved pilot program that took effect Wednesday.

On Wednesday morning they took their first golf cart trip on city streets to transport their daughter to South Daytona Elementary School, South Daytona spokeswoman Jeanne Willard said.

NSBNEWS.net photos by Sera Frederick. New Smyrna Beach resident Robert Tolley, a speakng fixture at City Commission meetings, is questioning the spending practices of the CRA, including the nearly $9,000 purchase of an artificial Christmas tree for Canal Street merchants. The 20-foot tree was put up Sept. 15, an all-day affair by city workers and abruptly taken down the next day.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The City Commission and the Community Redevelopment Agency are holding a joint meeting 6 p.m. Thursday and citizen activist Robert Tolley hopes to lambast both for what he believes is wasteful spending with the nearly $9,000 purchase of an outdoor artificial Christmas tree for the Canal Street merchants as a prime example.

Courtesy photo/Sheriff's booking mug. Timothy Mass, 22,  of New Smyrna Beach, claimed his prescription for oxycodone, a painkiller that can become addictive, was stolen, but then admitted he made up his claims in hopes of scoring more of the drug, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office said of his Monday night arrest.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A 22-year-old claimed he was robbed at knifepoint Monday night near New Smyrna Beach and that the robber took off with his bottle of oxycodone.

But elements of the victim's story didn't add up and Timothy Maas of New Smyrna Beach eventually admitted to Volusia County Sheriff's deputies that he had lost his pills and had hoped that a call to 911 about a fake robbery would eventually net him a replacement prescription.

Instead, he wound up in jail, Sheriff's spokesman Brandon Haught said.

Courtesy photo. Charlie Carlson of New Smyrna Beach poses with Miss Scarlett, canine star of the movie "ASTRO ZOMBIES M3:Cloned" and the grand marshal for the upcoming Mardi Paws Parade in New Smyrna Beach.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Miss Scarlet, the neglected pooch who has turned into a sensational media darling, has been named grand marshal for the February Mardi Paws on Parade in New Smyrna Beach.

The city was one of the locations chosen by legendary Hollywood Producer/Director Ted V. Mikels while filming his latest movie "ASTRO ZOMBIES M3:Cloned."

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Blue Heron International Pictures announced Saturday that its latest Holocaust documentary -- Safe Haven: The Warsaw Zoo -- will screen at the 2009 Daytona Beach Film Festival, and award-winning director Gary Lester will attend the event.

The festival will be held at the Cinematique Theatre in Ormond Beach during the weekend of October 9-11.

Gary Lester of Port Orange is the son of Richard Lester, famed producer and teacher at New Smyrna Beach High School.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Computer knowledge is just a click away at the New Smyrna Beach Regional Library. Check out the free computer classes available in October, starting Wesdnesday.

Computer basics – offered at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday – is designed for beginners who want to learn about the physical components of a
computer and get acquainted with terminology. Participants also will explore some of the functions and features of the Windows operating
system.