If you re headed to the Duels races at Daytona International SpeedwayThursday night, pack an umbrella.
The National Weather Service in Melbourne is forecasting a 50% chance of rain during the racing, which is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
“Over the next couple days we’re going to have a front sagging through, kind of through North Florida, dampening out and turning in a bunch of rain through the area, said Cassie Leahy, a meteorologist with the weather service. “That’s going to linger in Volusia. It could be pretty wet, but we’ll just have to see how it goes.”
News-Journal editorial board
Every day, the scientific evidence grows scarier and more concrete: Climate change is going to affect the way people – particularly Floridians and even more particularly residents of coastal reasons. We are somewhat flabbergasted that this reality is even considered a valid subject for political debate.
Officials in at least three local governments – Ormond Beach, DeLand and Volusia County – get it. All three have signed on to a project intended to set baselines for levels of so-called greenhouse gasses inside their boundaries. Across Central Florida, 15 other governments are joining an alliance that also includes the Florida Audubon, the East Central Florida Regional Resilience Collaborative, the University of Central Florida, Stetson University, Florida Institute of Technology and Local Governments for Sustainability, The News-Journal’s Abigail Mercer reports.
In a peaceful corner of the Marine Discovery Center in New Smyrna Beach, between a scenic bike trail and the bright blues and greens of the Indian River, rests a young garden. But rather than growing fruits and vegetables, or even flowers, the garden has a unique purpose: fostering a living space for birds.
“The national Audubon was asking its chapters to help save the birds,” said Marsha Cox, co-president of the Southeast Volusia Audubon chapter with her husband, Bill. “And our chapter has a saying: ‘no bugs, no birds.’ So we wanted a way to bring in the bugs.”
Ormond Beach moves forward with Plantation Oaks zoning
Ormond Beach s City Commission unanimously agreed Tuesday night to approve a second reading for rezoning the Plantation Oaks subdivision, as well as lifting its 55-and-over age restriction.
They also approved a letter of support for Volusia County to purchase 76 lots in the subdivision for conservation.
After months of contention, the two items regarding the subdivision passed with only around 30 people in attendance at the meeting, and no comments regarding the agenda items themselves.
Plantation Oaks, the source of consistent debate over the past six months in Ormond Beach, has been in the works since 2002 and is separated into three phases. Phase one, which will have 699 lots, is the phase the commission has been discussing.
Thirteen North Atlantic right whale mother-calf pairs have been spotted of the southeast Atlantic Ocean coast this season offering a glimmer of hope for the animals, after recent years of lower births.
Nine of those pairs were spotted off Florida s coast, including four pairs spotted off Volusia and Flagler counties. Researchers say they are thrilled. Years of low birthing numbers have been a great cause for concern for the species, as estimates suggest there could be as few as 360 right whales left.
Ralph Bundy, a co-researcher and drone pilot with the Marineland Right Whale Project, said many of the spotted whales were seen because of a predominantly westerly wind, which smooths the ocean surface and makes it easier for people to view them from the shoreline.