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Torture of helpless persons powerless to fight back is the sub-human behavior of bullies and tyrants. There is no excuse for deliberately, maliciously inflicting pain and humiliation on anyone. It simply isn’t done!

Only a power-hungry brute labels his victim “terrorist” as he, himself, proceeds to terrorize that victim. An administration that does so while flaunting its “Christian” values deserves to share a special hell with other sub-humans who crucify their enemies.

DAYTONA BEACH -- A small airplane crashed before 9 this morning , which resulted in at least one death aboard, according to preliminary reports.

The report of fatalities is not confirmed, said Shelley Szafraniec, a Volusia County spokeswoman.

There may be a second person trapped inside the twin-engine plane. Sheriff's deputies and emergency crews are on the scene. The airport is closed, but commercial traffic is being allowed to land and take off, Szafraniec said.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The City of New Smyrna Beach reports that all major corridors in the city are drivable, but some neighborhood streets in the area of Atlantic Avenue remain restricted.

The New Smyrna Beach Police Department asks all motorist to use caution while driving in the affected area. Effective today, there are no further sandbag locations in New Smyrna Beach as the rain winds down. The National Weather Service reported that prior to today's light drizzle, New Smyrna Beach had accumulated just under 20 inches of rain over the past seven days.

NEW  SMYRNA BEACH, Fla -- With the rainstorm winding down, the following advice comes from county officials as presented by Shelley Szafraniec, who said: As blue skies try to find their way over Volusia County again, waters recede and residents begin cleaning up their properties, public safety officials are urging residents to follow the safety tips and debris removal guidance below. In addition, due to the large amounts of water pooling throughout the areas, Volusia County Mosquito Control intends to aggressively work to offset the large number of mosquitoes anticipated in the coming weeks. Citizens can play an important role in helping to alleviate the mosquito problem by removing water from containers and following the tips listed below.

FAST FACTS: Here are key numbers for the New Smyrna Beach High School graduating class of 2009

Number of graduates: 314

Valedictorian: Jurate Juozas Lukosaityte

Salutatorian: Alexander Ashley Chisholm

Total scholarships offered to graduates: $1,348,725

* In area and local scholarships: $264,500

* In college, organization, and military scholarships: $791,400

* In Bright Futures scholarships: $292,825

Courtesy photo. Jurate Lukosaityte is valedictorian of the New Smyrna Beach High School class of 2009. The 18-year-old will attend the University of Florida and major in health science. She gave the following speech to her classmates at Wednesday's graduation ceremony at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach:

Courtesy photo. Alexander Ashley Chisholm, 18, of New Smyrna Beach, is the salutatorian for the 2009 graduating class at New Smyrna Beach High School. He plans to attend the University of Florida where he will major in physics. He gave this speech to his fellow graduates during Wednesday's ceremony at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach:

NSBNEWS.net photo by Henry Frederick. A swimming advisory is in effect for a stretch of New Smyrna Beach, south of Flagler Avenue, where excess rainwater is being piped into the ocean to allviate street flooding.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The Volusia County Health Department has issued a swimming advisory for the Columbus Avenue area of the beach.

"This swimming advisory is necessary because in an effort to alleviate flooding in the area the City of New Smyrna Beach is pumping flood water from local neighborhoods to the beach," said Shelley Szafraniec, Volusia County spokeswoman. "The water has not been tested for bacteria, but is likely to contain increased levels of bacteria. Advisory signs are being posted at this site."

EDGEWATER -- Here is an update on the flooding situation in Edgewater as reported by Edgewater Fire Chief Stephen Cousins as of this morning:

Damage
* There have been 2 reports of residences with minor flood damage. (No displacement at this time)
* Minor issues of trees/limbs on power lines have been reported.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas, D-24th from New Smyrna Beach, issued the following statement today on the announcement that President Obama intends to nominate General Charles Bolden as the new NASA Administrator:

"The nomination of General Bolden to lead NASA is a positive sign for the future of our human spaceflight program. General Bolden's background has given him the relevant management and technical experience to address the great challenges facing NASA today.