Local News Now

And then there was one

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NSBNEWS.net photos by Sera Frederick. Columbus, off of Atlantic, is the last of the closed streets due to nearly 20 inches of rain over the past seven days that ended Sunday as shown in these photos taken on Memorial Day. Only Daytona Beach and Ormond Beach fared worse with as much as 27 inches of rain.  

Blogger Michael Visconti: The roots of Memorial Day hearken back to Waterloo

I came to America from Italy in 1931, when I was 6 years old. At the age of 17, I enlisted in the Air Force. That was 1942. I was honorably discharged in 1945 at war's end.

America gave me my freedom, and all these years later, I've enjoyed it. America has given you your freedom, which is why Memorial Day is so important. That's because many in the military wars we fought did not come home. They died for our country. They died for our country's freedom.

With that in mind, I found this write-up at Ancestry.com, which is appropriate for today's Memorial Day holiday:

Blogger Darlene Vann: Greenbriar should let elderly folks keep their pets

Imagine yourself old and alone except for your companion cat or dog. Or perhaps you are disabled and alone, no family except Fdo or Tabby. Now imagine your landlord is threatening to throw you out of your home unless you get rid of your one comfort in life, your pet. This is what is happening at Greenbriar right here in New Smyrna Beach.

Blogger Gerry Tatham: Former administration's torture policies an exercise in sadism

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.

Rainstorm winding down in Southeast Volusia; sandbag offering discontinued in NSB as flood waters recede

Newspaper Section

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.

NSB third in rainfall in Volusia County at just under 20 inches (See our latest video as well as clean-up tips from the county)

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.

NSB High School graduating class of 2009 earns $1.3M in scholarships (See the list of winners)

Newspaper Section

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

NSB High School Valedictorian Jurate Lukosaityte to her 2009 graduating class: 'Today is only the beginning'

Newspaper Section

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:

NSB High School Salutatorian Alex Chisholm to his fellow class of 2009 graduates: 'Believe in yourself'

Newspaper Section

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:

Department of Health issues swimming advisory for part of NSB due to piped water drainage from flooded streets

Newspaper Section

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."