Breaking News Alerts

EDGEWATER -- A 12-year-old boy was transported by EVAC ambulance to Bert Fish Medical Center earlier today with serious injuries after the teen was struck by a motorist in a Toyota Echo in the 2700 block of Willow Oak Drive, Edgewater police said.

Police did not identify the victim or the motorist in the 3:24 p.m. Wednesday accident, but did say in a press release the injuries were serious enough that "traffic homicide investigators" were working the scene.

The 4:37 p.m. press release was not specific about the gender of the victim, but an Edgewater patrol supervisor confirmed for NSBNews.net late Wednesday night at the midnight hour that the victim was a boy.

Photos by Henry Frederick / Shelby Yant, dressed as "Yantsy Pants the Clown," shown here in the far left photo, sits with Kristen Speller, 2, and grandma, Rhonda Spellers, as they get ready to color at the corner table at Denny's restaurant in New Smyrna Beach. In the near photo, Shelby has the attention of a trio of siblings, Dontae Geraci, 9, and his sisters, Kendall, 4 and Madison, 8. They were at Denny's with their grandmother, Linda Geraci. Kids eat free on Tuesday nights at the New Smyrna Beach restaurant. All of the children in the photos and their grandmothers are from New Smyrna Beach.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- It's Tuesday night. There's no school's out for summer so 17-year-old Shelby Yant is just clowning around with little ones at Denny's restaurant on State Road 44.

Photo by Sera Frederick / Commissioner Ron Engele gave the ejection signal at the April 25 meeting as shown in this file photo to have NSBNews.net removed from the meeting. Two weeks later, he was a no-show and Mayor Mary Lee Cook apologized publicly to NSBNews.net for Engele's boorish and illegal behavior, adding the rest of the commission was guilty as well for not standing up to him.

 OAK HILL -- Without explanation, department head supervision of the police department was switched from Commissioner Ron Engele to newly appointed Commissioner Douglas Gibson tonight.

Engele was returned to department head supervisor of roads and bridges. Gibson, who was appointed by the commission at a special meeting Friday told NSBNews.net after Monday's meeting he had "no idea" why this occurred. Gibson, though, said he wasn't opposed to it since he is a retired trooper with the Florida Highway Patrol and believes his experience in law enforcement should benefit the city.

Courtesy photos / Devon Ramsey and Katie Gravitz, both 18 of Oak Hill, are accused of the burglary of a New Smyrna Beach-area residence with help from Jennifer Jones, a roommate of that home who is accused of being an accomplice and planning the crime.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A burglary caper at a mobile home park near New Smyrna Beach was foiled late Saturday afternoon by a neighbor with a gun who decided to take matters into his own hands, a Volusia County Sheriff's spokesman said.

The neighbor chased down the fleeing suspects and detained them for responding deputies. After deputies sorted everything out, they discovered that the break-in was an inside job planned by the victim's roommate, Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson said.

Photo by Henry Frederick / A tough-talking, no-nonsense director for eight years with the Southeast Volusia Advertising Authority, Deborah Boyd is moving on.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Deborah Boyd, the stalwart of a revenue stream that was being pulled in different directions has resigned her management post with Southeast Volusia Advertising Authority.

DELTONA -- The body found in the charred remains of minivan rental found early Thursday on a dirt trail in a wooded area off Lake Helen Osteen Road is that of a man and the case is being investigated as a possible homicide.

"The Volusia County Medical Examiner's Office performed an autopsy on Thursday, but has not ruled on the cause of death," Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson said. "The victim is an adult male who has not yet been positively identified. However, it isn't the person who rented the minivan, as investigators have located him safe and sound."

DELTONA -- The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office has launched an investigation after a body was found inside a burning vehicle in woods down a dirt trail off of Lake Helen Osteen Road near Haulover Boulevard early this morning.

The initial call about the fire came in from a resident at about 12:10 a.m. Thursday leading to the grisly discovery of the body, Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson said.

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.

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."

ORMOND BEACH -- A 37-year-old surfer was bitten in the calf by a shark 6:30 this morning near the Harvard Drive approach, Volusia County Beach Patrol officials said.

The surfer, Adrian Bronson, was surfing in shallow water Friday morning when he received a bite resulting in a minor puncture wound. Bronson declined to go the hospital and instead told lifeguards he was heading to work, Beach Patrol Capt. Tammy Marris said.