News in DeLand
The West Volusia Beacon
Published September 23Foodie File: Three places, one flavor — Nydia’s Empanadas finds a home in DeLand
For the Rodriguez family, empanadas have always been about more than what comes out of the fryer. They are a family history — one that began in Puerto Rico, traveled to the streets of New York and eventually made its way to West Volusia in a food truck. Now, that history has a…
The West Volusia Beacon
Published September 23Start the Halloween season with Edgar Allan Poe
DeLand High School’s Hill Street Theatre is getting ready to kick off the Halloween season by sharing the mystery of the last five days of Edgar Allan Poe’s life in Julian Wiles’ fictional play Nevermore! In this Gothic portrayal of Poe’s tragic last days, playwright Julian Wiles…
The West Volusia Beacon
Published September 19Garbage truck shooting explained
A parked box truck and a garbage truck that couldn’t maneuver in the cul-de-sac of an unfinished development in DeLand. That vehicular snarl was the beginning of an encounter involving more than half-a-dozen men that culminated in one shot in the leg, and that same man charged…
The West Volusia Beacon
Published September 16Museum of Art – DeLand marks 75 years
As the Museum of Art – DeLand celebrates its 75th anniversary, the organization is also navigating a significant transition, concentrating its operations Downtown while preparing for a future increasingly dependent on community support. Executive Director Martha Underriner has…
The West Volusia Beacon
Published September 16DeLand may boost property-tax rate
DeLand property owners appear likely to find themselves paying slightly higher property tax bills for public services like police, fire and sanitation in the fiscal year starting next month. The DeLand City Commission, in a unanimous vote, tentatively adopted a property-tax rate…
The West Volusia Beacon
Published September 15Regarding DeLand and the name game
Editor, The Beacon: I’m sick of people whining about gas prices, taxes, and what public services DeLand can afford to provide its citizens. Let’s stop ignoring the elephant in the room and get on board with what is important: the name game. DeLand. What kind of name is that? It…
The West Volusia Beacon
Published September 11Memorial ceremony for 25th anniversary of 9/11 in DeLand
The Daytona Beach Pipes and Drums play at the same time the second plane hit the Twin Towers, 25 years later at DeLand’s 9/11 memorial. To honor the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, DeLand Fire Department Station 81 held an on-site memorial and community…
The West Volusia Beacon
Published September 11Spiritual Side: “Community Love in Action”
Faith Lutheran Church in DeLand “Community Love in Action: Coming Together to Address Hunger and Homelessness” In this temple talk during the worship service at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 13, at Faith Lutheran Church, 509 E. Pennsylvania Ave., DeLand, Stetson University professor…
City of DeLand News
Published September 09MEETING OF DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY
The West Volusia Beacon
Published September 09The unkillable, illegal grass (that may be in your backyard)
Cogon grass, an illegal, invasive plant recognized by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, has recently been found to be a “tick haven” in an October 2025 University of Florida [UF] study. Five years ago marked the first recorded instance of the weed in DeLand,…
The West Volusia Beacon
Published September 08Make Old Jail site into attractive public space
Editor, The Beacon: I was surprised to learn from Sidney Johnston’s guest commentary in The Beacon that nearly a dozen buildings in DeLand’s Downtown Historic District have been demolished since the district was established in 1987. I assumed DeLand prided itself on its historic…
The West Volusia Beacon
Published September 03Man accused of stalking teen turns himself in on aggravated stalking charge
A Lakeland man accused of stalking a 16-year-old girl north of DeLand is back in custody after allegedly continuing to contact the teenager from jail despite a no-contact order. Joseph William Danger Woodard, 27, turned himself in overnight on a charge of aggravated stalking, the…