West Volusia Wire

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Fraud Alert
posted 4:59:54pm

News source: Kennedy Space Coast Federal Credit Union

KSC Federal Credit Union would like to advise the public of a “phishing” scam that has surfaced. Identity thieves are sending text-messages to cell-phone users. Recently, the message pretends to be from KSC Federal Credit Union and asks potential victims to call a number, and key in their credit card or ATM number. Other financial institutions from around the country have encountered similar “phishing” scams.

The cell-phone text message says that the recipient’s ATM card has been deactivated and provides a phone number to call. Those who do will hear a message asking them to enter their card number.

KSC Federal Credit Union advises consumers:

• Do not give your personal information to someone who contacts you by text message, phone call, or email. This likely is a "phishing" scam to steal your financial information. KSC Federal Credit Union will never text or e-mail members asking for confidential information.

• If you recently disclosed your information, contact your financial institution at once. They will advise you on how to proceed for your individual situation.

For more information on “phishing” scams and how to protect yourself from identity thieves, go to HYPERLINK "http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft" www.consumer.gov/idtheft

Florida Hospital DeLand goes smoke-free Nov. 19
posted 4:57:33pm

DELAND

News source: Florida Hospital-DeLand

For the health and well-being of patients, visitors and employees, Florida Hospital DeLand will be tobacco-free starting November 19, 2009.

The new policy means that any use of tobacco products will be prohibited by all employees, physicians, visitors, patients, volunteers, vendors and medical staff anywhere on the campus or on any property owned by Florida Hospital DeLand. This prohibition applies to smoking in personal vehicles on the property as well as on any sidewalks or streets within the boundaries of the campus.

“As a healing institution, we have a commitment to provide a safe and healthy environment to everyone who visits our facility,” said Daryl Tol, CEO/President of Florida Hospital DeLand. “It is also our responsibility to promote healthy living, wellness and disease prevention to the community.”

By making its environment completely smoke free, Florida Hospital DeLand is addressing the number one health risk today. According to the American Cancer Society, tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the United States. Each year, smoking accounts for an estimated 443,000 premature deaths, including 38,000 deaths among nonsmokers as a result of secondhand smoke. Half of all Americans who continue to smoke will die from smoking-related diseases.

Since smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, Florida Hospital DeLand feels it is essential to take this step toward providing better health and a better quality of life to the community it serves.

Orange City’s Fire Department and the City of DeBary anticipates a smooth transition
posted 4:27:09pm

ORANGE CITY

News source: City of Orange City

The City recently entered into an Interlocal Agreement to provide Municipal Fire and Rescue services within the City of DeBary. Orange City’s Fire Department is set to begin operations at the DeBary Station at 7:00 am on Friday, November 6, 2009. Deltona Dispatch is also prepared for the change as they have expanded their Fire Dispatch Services to include both Orange City and DeBary.

“We are looking forward to this opportunity to work with the City of DeBary and we anticipate a smooth transition. Volusia County, the City of DeBary, the City of Deltona, and our City have worked together to accomplish this,” said Fire Chief Herb Hoffman.

The following 9 employees are scheduled for shift work on Friday: LT David Soria, FF John Holsapple, FF Michael Marshall; Shift B- LT Scott Jefts, FF Geoffrey Brunelle, FF Frank Trenchard; Shift C - LT Brian Masters, FF Caroline Dorton and FF Clinton Scheels.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Historic Preservation Board seeks applicants
posted 4:52:36pm

The Volusia County Historic Preservation Board is looking for two qualified citizens to fill vacancies on the board, which advises the Volusia County Council on matters related to historic preservation policy, including use, management and maintenance of county-owned historic resources.

To be considered for appointment, applicants must live in Volusia County and have a background in architecture, history, architectural history, archaeology, anthropology, cultural geography, planning or other related disciplines; or have demonstrated special interest, experience or knowledge in history, archaeology, architecture or related disciplines.

New members will be appointed by County Council District 1 representative Andy Kelly and County Council District 5 representative Patricia Northey, but it is not necessary to live in those districts to be appointed.

Board members serve two-year terms and may be reappointed for additional terms. Meetings generally are scheduled at 3:30 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of January, March, May, July, September and November unless additional special meetings are called, as needed, by the chair.

Applications and detailed instructions are available at www.volusia.org/countycouncil/advisory.pdf or by calling (386) 736-5920, ext. 2398. Residents are encouraged to submit their applications by Nov. 30.

For more information, please contact Historic Preservation Officer Julie Adams Scofield at (386) 736-5953, ext. 2008, or jscofield@co.volusia.fl.us.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Record number of arrests at 2009 Florida VS Georgia football classic
posted 1:22:09pm

JACKSONVILLE

News source: Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco

In the largest college football game enforcement effort by state authorities this season, Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco agents, along with partners, arrested 252 people for the underage possession of alcohol. On Friday and Saturday, ABT partnered with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the University of North Florida to sweep through 2009 Florida vs. Georgia Football Classic festivities and stop underage drinking. ABT agents and partners enforced state law in areas surrounding the stadium, at The Landing, and RV City.

“It’s no secret that this game is often called the ‘World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.’ The fact is that these are two college football teams, and approximately half of all college students are not old enough to legally consume alcohol,” stated Secretary Charles W. Drago. “I am proud of our ABT agents and thank the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and University of North Florida for their partnership in stopping underage drinking at this event.”

Underage drinking prevention is one of the division’s top priorities. The division works to combat underage drinking through a three-tiered approach—education, prevention and enforcement. One prevention effort is Tailgaters Urging Responsibility & Fun, or TURF. TURF was launched by the Charmer Sunbelt Group, and former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason is the official spokesperson. Partners include Brown-Forman, Diageo, and CBS Radio. This initiative aims to positively impact the game environment for everyone with tips for a successful celebration, responsible alcohol consumption reminders and actionable steps each and every fan can take to ensure that the game, and the tradition of tailgating, is preserved.

The department’s mission is to license efficiently and regulate fairly. The department licenses more than one million businesses and professionals ranging from real estate agents, veterinarians, and accountants to contractors and cosmetologists. For more information, please visit MyFloridaLicense.com.

Another arrest in connection to the DeBary prescription drug ring
posted 12:08:54pm

DEBARY

News source: Volusia County Sheriff's Office

Update #1:

Another suspect in this case was taken into custody Saturday morning. Scott E. Davis, 47, DeBary, turned himself in to Sergeant Virgil Ford at the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office’s DeBary headquarters at about 10:20 a.m. today. Davis was charged with trafficking in hydrocodone and obtaining or attempting to obtain a controlled substance by fraud. He was booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail in Daytona Beach and is being held on $150,000 bond.

Sheriff’s investigators have now arrested a total of 17 people in connection with this case -- the ringleader, John Davey, who has been in custody since Oct. 2, the 15 defendants rounded up on Friday and Davis.

Deputies topple prescription drug ring with 15 arrests
posted 12:08:13pm

DEBARY

News source: The Volusia County Sheriff's Office

With the accused mastermind of a massive pill-pushing criminal enterprise behind bars on $1 million bond, Volusia County Sheriff’s investigators started dismantling the rest of the organization on Friday. By mid-morning, a total of 15 more suspects had been rounded up. It was all part of a large-scale investigation -- dubbed Operation Oxy-Clean -- targeting a DeBary-based network that bought pharmaceutical drugs with phony prescriptions and then sold the pills on the street for a whopping profit. On one DeBary street alone, Angeles Road, deputies nabbed nine suspects Friday morning with ties to the organization. The investigation is ongoing and more arrests are expected.

Headed by reputed ringleader John Davey of DeBary, the organization’s drug of choice was Oxycodone. Records show that in less than three months, the group fraudulently obtained 14,000 tablets of the highly-potent narcotic from the Pierson Community Pharmacy. Members of Davey’s organization always paid in cash -- a total of $17,550 between July 8-Sept. 23. The investigation revealed that Davey would supply the phony prescriptions and the money to pay for the drugs. The drugs would then be turned over to Davey, who would pay his accomplices with pills, money or both. Witnesses said that Davey would sell the pills for $10 each. At that price, the fraudulent pills tracked to the Pierson pharmacy would have fetched $140,000. However, not all of the pills made it to the streets. Witnesses told investigators that after the pills were obtained, Davey would sometimes crush 10 of them, mix the powder with water and inject himself.

Sheriff’s investigators launched the investigation nearly two months ago, after receiving an anonymous tip that Davey was obtaining prescription drugs illegally. After secretly following Davey and two accomplices on Sept. 25 as they drove to the Pierson pharmacy to fill a phony prescription, investigators arrested the 41-year-old Davey on charges of trafficking in illegal drugs and obtaining a controlled substance by fraud. Four days later, Davey posted $30,000 bond and was released from the Volusia County Branch Jail in Daytona Beach. However, as deputies continued to investigate, they discovered the massive scope of Davey’s operations. In total, investigators believe Davey had more than 30 people obtaining prescriptions for him. Based on the information, Sheriff’s investigators re-arrested Davey on Oct. 2 after obtaining a warrant charging him with operating a continuing criminal enterprise. Florida statutes define the offense as the commission of three or more felonies by someone acting in the capacity of an organizer or supervisor and in concert with five or more people. Davey is being held at the Branch Jail on $1 million bond. Investigators recovered blank prescription forms during a search of Davey’s bedroom following his Oct. 2 arrest.

This week, Sheriff’s investigators obtained arrest warrants for 20 of Davey’s accused accomplices. They began a massive round-up at 8 a.m. Friday morning, locating 15 of the defendants. Most of the defendants were arrested in DeBary, although some were also picked up in Deltona and Daytona Beach. Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson had high praise for the deputies who worked the investigation. “A lot of excellent police work went into putting this case together,” said Sheriff Johnson. “Prescription drug abuse is a growing problem with deadly consequences. Today’s arrests and the others to follow are a demonstration of the Sheriff’s Office’s commitment to attacking the problem at all levels.”

All of the defendants are being held on $150,000 bond on two charges each: obtaining or attempting to obtain a controlled substance by fraud and either trafficking in Oxycodone or trafficking in Hydrocodone. A list of the 15 defendants arrested Friday morning is as follows:

Roy V. Armstrong, 51, Daytona Beach.

Shanoh Armstrong, 32, DeBary.

Kimberly Ann Bialobos, 23, DeBary.

Carla Wood Collins, 36, DeBary.

Shannon N. Cox, 33, Deltona.

Salvatore D. Desantis III, 41, DeBary.

Ronald Deviney, 42, Deltona.

Cynthia R. Graves, 44, DeBary.

Michael A. Graves, 45, DeBary.

David Heaps, 50, DeBary.

Ronald Heaps, 45, DeBary.

Michael C. Jimenez, 26, Deltona.

Steven Larimer, 53, DeBary.

Christina Martin, 19, Deltona.

Christopher G. Piercy, 39, DeBary.

Friday, October 30, 2009

Deputies topple prescription drug ring with 15 arrests
posted 3:19:57pm

DEBARY

News source: Volusia County Sheriff's Office

With the accused mastermind of a massive pill-pushing criminal enterprise behind bars on $1 million bond, Volusia County Sheriff’s investigators started dismantling the rest of the organization on Friday. By mid-morning, a total of 15 more suspects had been rounded up. It was all part of a large-scale investigation -- dubbed Operation Oxy-Clean -- targeting a DeBary-based network that bought pharmaceutical drugs with phony prescriptions and then sold the pills on the street for a whopping profit. On one DeBary street alone, Angeles Road, deputies nabbed nine suspects Friday morning with ties to the organization. The investigation is ongoing and more arrests are expected.

Headed by reputed ringleader John Davey of DeBary, the organization’s drug of choice was Oxycodone. Records show that in less then three months, the group fraudulently obtained 14,000 tablets of the highly-potent narcotic from the Pierson Community Pharmacy. Members of Davey’s organization always paid in cash -- a total of $17,550 between July 8-Sept. 23. The investigation revealed that Davey would supply the phony prescriptions and the money to pay for the drugs. The drugs would then be turned over to Davey, who would pay his accomplices with pills, money or both. Witnesses said that Davey would sell the pills for $10 each. At that price, the fraudulent pills tracked to the Pierson pharmacy would have fetched $140,000. However, not all of the pills made it to the streets. Witnesses told investigators that after the pills were obtained, Davey would sometimes crush 10 of them, mix the powder with water and inject himself.

Sheriff’s investigators launched the investigation nearly two months ago, after receiving an anonymous tip that Davey was obtaining prescription drugs illegally. After secretly following Davey and two accomplices on Sept. 25 as they drove to the Pierson pharmacy to fill a phony prescription, investigators arrested the 41-year-old Davey on charges of trafficking in illegal drugs and obtaining a controlled substance by fraud. Four days later, Davey posted $30,000 bond and was released from the Volusia County Branch Jail in Daytona Beach. However, as deputies continued to investigate, they discovered the massive scope of Davey’s operations. In total, investigators believe Davey had more than 30 people obtaining prescriptions for him. Based on the information, Sheriff’s investigators re-arrested Davey on Oct. 2 after obtaining a warrant charging him with operating a continuing criminal enterprise. Florida statutes define the offense as the commission of three or more felonies by someone acting in the capacity of an organizer or supervisor and in concert with five or more people. Davey is being held at the Branch Jail on $1 million bond. Investigators recovered blank prescription forms during a search of Davey’s bedroom following his Oct. 2 arrest.

This week, Sheriff’s investigators obtained arrest warrants for 20 of Davey’s accused accomplices. They began a massive round-up at 8 a.m. Friday morning, locating 15 of the defendants. Most of the defendants were arrested in DeBary, although some were also picked up in Deltona and Daytona Beach. Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson had high praise for the deputies who worked the investigation. “A lot of excellent police work went into putting this case together,” said Sheriff Johnson. “Prescription drug abuse is a growing problem with deadly consequences. Today’s arrests and the others to follow are a demonstration of the Sheriff’s Office’s commitment to attacking the problem at all levels.”

All of the defendants are being held on $150,000 bond on two charges each: obtaining or attempting to obtain a controlled substance by fraud and either trafficking in Oxycodone or trafficking in Hydrocodone. A list of the 15 defendants arrested Friday morning is as follows:

Ø Roy V. Armstrong, 51, Daytona Beach.

Ø Shanoh Armstrong, 32, DeBary.

Ø Kimberly Ann Bialobos, 23, DeBary.

Ø Carla Wood Collins, 36, DeBary.

Ø Shannon N. Cox, 33, Deltona.

Ø Salvatore D. Desantis III, 41, DeBary.

Ø Ronald Deviney, 42, Deltona.

Ø Cynthia R. Graves, 44, DeBary.

Ø Michael A. Graves, 45, DeBary.

Ø David Heaps, 50, DeBary.

Ø Ronald Heaps, 45, DeBary.

Ø Michael C. Jimenez, 26, Deltona.

Ø Steven Larimer, 53, DeBary.

Ø Christina Martin, 19, Deltona.

Ø Christopher G. Piercy, 39, DeBary.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Sheriff's Office offers tips for a safe Halloween
posted 2:17:46pm

News source: Vousia County Sheriff's Office

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office is reminding residents to put safety first as they prepare for Saturday’s annual Halloween rituals. A good place for parents to start to make sure that they’ve selected a safe trick-or-treat route is the Sheriff’s Office’s on-line sex offender alert system, OffenderWatch. Fee to users, OffenderWatch gives residents a way to monitor the home address of convicted sex offenders. With the program, residents can run address searches, view maps and register important addresses so that they can receive e-mail alerts if a sex offender moves near any of their registered addresses. OffenderWatch can be accessed through the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office web site, www.volusia.org/sheriff.

Here are some additional tips to make sure all those little ghosts and goblins enjoy a safe Halloween:

Be sure that at least one adult accompanies children at all times, with a definite route and timetable set before leaving for trick-or-treating. If you’re going door-to-door, select a route that has adequate street lighting.

Try to complete the route before dark. If darkness falls and a few more houses are beckoning, have a flashlight or chemical glow stick handy, but never candles or torches.

At night, approach only those houses with outside lights on. Not only are youngsters safer in a well-lighted place, but they also may be more welcome. Often homeowners who don’t want to participate in the trick-or-treat ritual leave porch lights off as a signal. Respect their wishes and go on to the next home.

Remember common-sense traffic rules: Stay on sidewalks, walk facing traffic, obey all traffic signals and cross streets only at intersections or crosswalks.

Plan costumes that are bright and reflective. Place reflective tape on both the front and back of each costume and trick-or-treat bags for greater visibility.

Consider using makeup on children’s faces instead of allowing them to wear masks, which are hard to see through and can make breathing difficult.

Be certain that all parts of costumes are flame-retardant, including wigs, beards and capes.

Make certain that costumes fit well to prevent children from tripping. Also, costumes should be appropriate for the weather so that trick-or-treaters stay dry and comfortable.

Trick-or-treat bags should hang from children’s shoulders so that hands are free.

Be certain that no treats are eaten until an adult inspects them. Any unwrapped or suspicious-looking items should be thrown out.

Here’s another idea worth considering: Instead of trick-or-treating house-to-house, consider having a Halloween party at home or attending a civic group’s haunted house or a merchants’ downtown party.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Hematologist/Oncologist Joins Florida Hospital DeLand
posted 3:55:02pm

News source: Florida Hospital

Atis Barzdins, MD has joined the medical staff of Florida Hospital DeLand and Advanced Hematology and Oncology Centers.

Previously, Dr. Barzdins was practicing hematology-oncology in a busy community based practice in Ocala and The Villages.

Dr. Barzdins brings to the DeLand community his broad knowledge and hands-on practical experience in hematology and oncology. He strongly views his role as “a provider of individualized care customized to the specific needs of his patients, incorporating their personal values as well as emotional and practical aspects in dealing with the challenges associated with their medical conditions.”

He is board-certified in internal medicine, medical oncology and hematology.

Dr. Barzdins comes from Eastern Europe. He received his Medical Degree from the Medical Academy of Latvia, where he also completed his medical residency during which he passed the United States Medical Licensing Exams before coming to the United States. After his Internal Medicine residency at NYU Downtown Hospital, he continued his training in New York City where he completed his hematology-oncology fellowship at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Center. After his fellowship, he started practicing in Durango, Colorado.

Aside from the direct professional responsibilities, Dr. Barzdins has acted as volunteer educational lecturer for cancer patient support groups. He has also contributed to continued medical education on cancer related topics and has acted as a faculty presenter in a primary care update course organized by Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Mercy Medical Center in Durango, Colorado.

Dr. Barzdins research activities include a publication of analysis of a novel chemotherapy regimen in treatment of refractory pancreatic cancer, as well as patient accrual for cooperative group trials.

The Advanced Hematology and Oncology Centers is located at 680 Peachwood Drive, DeLand, 32720. For appointments, the office may be reached at 386-470-2424.