Local News Now

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Vehicle after vehicle pulled up to the street corner on Flagler Avenue on this temperate Sunday afternoon to get their hands on a John McCain-Sarah Palin election sign during the inaugural Uncorked wine- and food-tasting event.

But just as many, if not more of these same signs are being pilfered from people's lawns, say local Republican campaign officials.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- It was food, wine and merriment over the weekend on Flagler Avenue for the inaugural uncorked -- a wine- and food-tasting event along quaint Flagler Avenue on Friday, Saturday and most of today, before windin down just before 5 p.m. as planned.

Dennis Shepherd, a DJ hired to play jazz during the outdoor venue said the "turnout was really good," considering this was the first one put on by area merchants.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Barracudas sophomore running back Stephen Jackson is supposed to be the star of the future, but earlier tonight he showed why the future is now, wracking up 100 yards on the ground along with a pair of touchdowns for a 23-7 romp over district 7-4A foe Rockledge at home.

With the victory, New Smyrna Beach, now 1-5 overall, finds itself in a three-way tie in the district at 1-1 with Titusville and Seabreeze of Ormond Beach.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A nasty storm raced through Volusia County during the evening commute, but there were no major outages or traffic accidents reported in greater New Smyrna Beach, police said.

"We got pretty lucky," said acting Sgt Mike Mathyas of the storm that passed through with a heavy downpour and several huge lighting strikes that slowed traffic, especially on Dixie Freeway.

The north and south stretches of the main north-south artery made for dicey driving, Mathyas said, as well as Saxon on the beachside, but after the 20-minute downpour, the water receded pretty quickly.

OAK HILL, Fla.  -- Police are looking for a 19-year-old Edgewater man wanted in connection with the armed robbery of a pizza delivery person in Oak Hill.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Like people, pumpkins come in all shapes and sizes.

Some are big. Some are small. Some are round. Others are not so round. But they all bring joy to those who receive them as presents from loved ones and friends.

These are not just from any old pumpkin match. They're from God's pumpkin patch.

The First United Methodist Church of New Smyrna Beach is selling hundreds of them at its makeshift pumpkin patch in front of the Home Depot on State Road 44.