Cover Story

Courtesy photos/Wikipedia. Far left, a red tail hawk carries a snake up to a place for a forthcoming meal. At near left, a red tail hawk looks for rodents.

Each day, as I drive the rural roads on the way home, I usually see one or more red-tailed hawks on any given day.

NSBNEWS.net photos by Henry Frederick.

Kaye Walker, chairwoman of the New Smyrna Beach Charity Ball (on the right) celebrates with friends at the recent fundraiser at the Brannon Center.

Contributing photos for NSBNEWS.net by Mary Barringer.

NSBNEWS.net videos by Sera Frederick. Norwood's held its annual holiday food and wine celebration Thursday, Friday and Saturday with cooking demonstrations and plenty of wine tasting with 500 brands. Check out NSBNEWS.net's exclusive video coverage of this exciting event.

Courtesy photos.

These are among the contestants left in the SuperStars of Volusisa County: (From left to right) Candice Cuchetti, vocalist, New Smyrna Beach High School; Leontyne Carter, vocalist,  Atlantic High School; Michael Reyes, vocalist, Spruce Creek High School;  Katie Johnson, dancer, Atlantic High School; Brittany Vasile, dancer, Spruce Creek High School; Jonathan Foley, vocalist, home schooled; 2. Tanya Conley, violinist, Hinson Middle School; Kraze Dance Team, Deltona High School; Papillion,  dancers, Spruce Creek High School;  Xavier Durden, vocalist, Atlantic High School.

You only read about the bad kids. Nothing is said much in local print media about the good kids - probably because it doesn’t sell newspapers. Probably because there is such limited staffing at local papers and the use of stringers (contract labor) they can’t get to the high-quality events happening in this community. Port Orange in early October had their wonderful Family Days gathering at the Port Orange Park. What you saw were a couple of photos in the P.O. Neighbors section of the Daytona Beach News-Journal – with limited, if any copy, about the 20,000 such families in attendance.

NSBNEWS.net videos by Sera Frederick. Incumbent Sally Mackay and challenger Adam Barringer went toe to toe over the major campaign differences in the third and final candidates debate sponsored by the Public Watch Committee and NSBNEWS.net, which drew 100-plus people Monday night at the Brannon Center.

  NSBNEWS.net videos by Sera Frederick. The third and final candidates debate sponsored by the Public Watch Committee and NSBNEWS.net was held 6:30p.m. Monday, with 100-plus people in attendance. Here are parts 1-3 of the video series, featuring the debate for zone 1 city commissioner between Randy Richenberg and challenger Judy Reiker.

Courtesy photos. The photos represent some of the acts in the SuperStars of Volusia competition.  At top left, the Papillion Dance team of Spruce Creek High School, on the beach is Alexis Avelino of Spruce Creek H.S., playing the violin is Tanya Conley of Hinson Middle School, followed by the DeLand High School Boys Singing Ensemble and in the B&W photo is Daisy Layman of Deltona High School.

Contestants from 22 Volusia County public schools, four private schools and two colleges auditioned on Saturday, Sept. 19th, at Silver Sands Middle School for a chance to compete in the semi-finals of SuperStars of Volusia.

Courtesy photos. At far left, the stages at which an armadillo goes into its protective mode. Smaller photo, the typical image people have of armadillos are the dead ones run over by motorists.

To most folks, an armadillo is a small dead animal lying adjacent to or in the middle of nearly every road in the state of Florida. Of all the 20 species of armadillos only one makes the U.S. its home: The nine–banded armadillo has a range from South Carolina to Florida in the east and to the north commonly to Nebraska.