Top 100 Stories

Mayor's Message
By Adam Barringer

After 21 years of having plans to pave Paige Avenue (road behind Denny's, Taco Bell & McDonalds), it has been completed.

This endeavor happened because of citizens who were involved, remained resolute, and a city commission that took action.

Twenty-one years to pave a road is to be considered "the speed of government!"

I recently attended a wedding in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York. The flight out of Orlando on Southwest had a layover in Chicago with a final destination in Newark, N.J.

We rented a car in Newark, spent time with family in Staten Island, then drove four hours upstate to Lake George. The wedding was held at a church in Glens Falls.

PIERSON -- Firefighters from four agencies continued to make progress Sunday on three brush fires that started in West Volusia the day before.

The Pierson fire, near the intersection Bell Fountaine Avenue and Carruthers Lane, grew to 243 acres and is 80 percent contained. Volusia County Fire Services was assisted by the Firewalkers, a multi-agency team of firefighters who specialize in brush fires, in this rural fire.

Photos by Henry Frederick / Four teachers are recipients of the 2011 Crystal Apple Awards handed out by the Southeast Volusia Chamber of Commerce for their outstanding service in the classroom: They are Kelly Conway of New Smyrna Beach High School, Marsha Kim of Read-Patillo Elementary School, Theresa Cameron of Indian River Elementary School and Kendra Blazi of New Smyrna Beach High School.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- As the school year winds down, four teachers stand proudly at the head of the class in greater New Smyrna Beach. They are the epitome of educational excellence and have been recognized for their teaching abilities with "Crystal Apple Awards" by the Southeast Volusia Chamber of Commerce. 

NSBNews.net, a proud member of the chamber, salutes Kelly Conway, Marsha Kim, Theresa Cameron and Kendra Blazi in our exclusive video coverage of the recent luncheon.

Photo by NASA/Kim Shiflett / Space shuttle Endeavor awaits its final launch scheduled for Monday at Cape Canaveral.

Grade: A

The countdown is on for Monday’s 8:56 a.m. EDT liftoff of the space shuttle Endeavor. In one of the most expensive, but rewarding undertakings our government has ever directed, the space shuttle program is first class as it winds down to its final missions.

After Endeavor, space shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to lift off for the final time on June 28.

Of all the shuttle launches, though the two that stand out are the tragic ones. Challenger blew up just 73 seconds after launch, killing all seven astronauts on board, and on Feb. 3, 2003, Columbia disintegrated during re-entry, killing its crew of seven. 

PIERSON -- Volusia County Fire Services responded to four brush fires in West Volusia earlier today sparked by dozens of lightning strikes and were helped in their efforts by a heavy rain storm that moved through the area between 3 and 4 p.m.

The first of the Saturday fires was reported at 10:08 a.m. near the Candice R. Strawn/Lake Dias Park on S.R. 11 north of DeLeon Springs. This fire grew to 5 acres and was contained by 4 p.m. A brush fire that grew to more than 120 acres was reported at 11:21 a.m. near Bell Fountaine Avenue and Carruthers Lane in Pierson, Volusia County spokeswoman Pat Kuehn said.

True Story

Henry was NSBNews.net editor/publisher Henry Frederick's favorite newspaper comic strip when he was a small child in the 1960s, which inspired him early on in life to seek a career in journalism. However, he wasn't named after the comic strip character. Henry's father is Henry Frederick Jr. and his late grandfather was Henry Frederick Sr., who carried a press card, though young Henry didn't know this until after he graduated from college and began his career. And Henry has a 17-year-old son, Henry IV, who enjoys computers and electronics, but so far has shown no interest in journalism.

Question: Now that Osama bin Laden is history, what is the next big priority (or priorities) for President Obama?

NSBNEWS.net photos by Henry Frederick; Poll taken at Denny's restaurant, S.R. 44, New Smyrna Beach

DAYTONA BEACH -- An alert clerk at the 7-Eleven at 1200 Flomich St., foiled a masked robber early this morning by running from the counter and into the back of the store as he was coming in and when the robber didn't see anyone he quickly took off, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office said.

"No weapon was seen or implied," Sheriff's spokesman Gary Haught said of the 2:34 a.m. Saturday robbery attempt at the 24-hour convenience store, just outside the city limits. "This is the second time the store was targeted. A man had robbed it Monday morning and got away with some cash."