Beacon reporter Al Everson is joined this week by Volusia County Tax Collector Will Roberts. The two dive into the complexities of PACE, a program offered to help homeowners pay for improvements. At the time of release, the PACE program has sued a number of tax collectors around Florida, including Roberts, for their handling of the program.

There's more to the story! Read more of Al Everson's reporting on PACE on The Beacon's website: https://beacononlinenews.com/2023/10/19/state-program-to-aid-homeowners-comes-under-fire/https://beacononlinenews.com/2023/10/19/state-program-to-aid-homeowners-comes-under-fire/

Now You Know is intended to share all community voices. Some you may agree with, some not. Yet, our podcast values them all and makes them available in the spirit of inclusion for our entire West Volusia community.

Want more local news? Visit The Beacon's website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.beacononlinenews.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. You can also find The Beacon on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

West Volusia Beacon Fall 2023 editorial intern Christa Assi sits down with two staples of DeLand's drag scene: Aaliyah and Zara Nouveau. Recorded around the three-year anniversary of Pride Night at DaVinci, the three talk about Pride Night, what it means to be do drag and what's next for the Nouveaus in DeLand.

There's more to the story! Read more about the Nouveaus, drag in DeLand and more on The Beacon's website: https://beacononlinenews.com/2023/12/26/tuesdays-are-a-drag-local-drag-show-celebrates-three-year-anniversary/

Now You Know is intended to share all community voices. Some you may agree with, some not. Yet, our podcast values them all and makes them available in the spirit of inclusion for our entire West Volusia community.

Want more local news? Visit The Beacon's website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.beacononlinenews.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. You can also find The Beacon on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

This week Beacon Co-Editor Eli Witek is joined by young pilot Jill Prime with a conversation the two had earlier this year shortly after Prime completed her first solo flight. Prime shares her story of how she got into flying, and what how her local community supported her.

Now You Know is intended to share all community voices. Some you may agree with, some not. Yet, our podcast values them all and makes them available in the spirit of inclusion for our entire West Volusia community.

Want more local news? Visit The Beacon's website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.beacononlinenews.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. You can also find The Beacon on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

On the first episode of this new Now You Know series, local librarian and man about town Sims Kline is joined by Beacon co-editor Eli Witek to discuss the ins and outs of reporting on the Volusia County School Board's policies regarding library materials. Witek has been following efforts to get certain books banned in the school system for some time now and gives the inside scoop.

READ THE STORY: https://beacononlinenews.com/2023/05/19/small-changes-high-feelings-in-the-battle-of-the-books/

Want more local news? Visit The Beacon's website at www.beacononlinenews.com. You can also find The Beacon on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Beacon publisher Barb Shepherd is joined this week by Central Florida-born poet and musician Chelsea Lynn LaBate. With a new book of her poetry out, LaBate talks all about her creative process, her struggles with mental illness and finding the good in the most challenging situations.

You can find more information about LaBate's new book, Free Roses, as well as her music and more on her website, www.chelsealynnlabate.art.

Now You Know is intended to share all community voices. Some you may agree with, some not. Yet, our podcast values them all and makes them available in the spirit of inclusion for our entire West Volusia community.

Want more local news? Visit The Beacon's website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.beacononlinenews.com⁠⁠⁠⁠. You can also find The Beacon on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Beacon interns Rakaysha and Rakayla Hill sit down with Khamya McNeal to talk about basketball at the collegiate level, life at Stetson University and how she likes DeLand. This podcast was recorded as part of the Hill twins internship with The Beacon through the Sisters Build Network's LOCAL L.E.G.E.N.D.S program. You can read more about the program on our website.

Now You Know is intended to share all community voices. Some you may agree with, some not. Yet, our podcast values them all and makes them available in the spirit of inclusion for our entire West Volusia community.

Want more local news? Visit The Beacon's website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.beacononlinenews.com⁠⁠⁠⁠. You can also find The Beacon on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Beacon publisher Barb Shepherd sits down with Dan Friend and Ken Goldberg. Friend is the mastermind behind the ongoing mission to bring ST 479, Tiger, a WWII tugboat back to DeLand where it was built after the boat spent decades in Europe. Goldberg is a member of the crew assisting Friend.

Now You Know is intended to share all community voices. Some you may agree with, some not. Yet, our podcast values them all and makes them available in the spirit of inclusion for our entire West Volusia community.

Want more local news? Visit The Beacon's website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.beacononlinenews.com⁠⁠⁠⁠. You can also find The Beacon on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Beacon co-editor Noah Hertz speaks with twins Rakaysha and Rakayla Hill, two rising high-school seniors helping out at local businesses through the SISTERS BUILD Network for Girls' LOCAL L.E.G.E.N.D.S program. The Hill sisters talk about how getting into workplaces has helped them learn new skills and about their plans for the future.

Now You Know is intended to share all community voices. Some you may agree with, some not. Yet, our podcast values them all and makes them available in the spirit of inclusion for our entire West Volusia community.

Want more local news? Visit The Beacon's website at ⁠⁠⁠www.beacononlinenews.com⁠⁠⁠. You can also find The Beacon on ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠.

Jeff Shepherd sits with DeLandite John Boyle, a former runner and track coach. Their conversations follows Boyle through the twisting and turning track that has been his life.

Now You Know is intended to share all community voices. Some you may agree with, some not. Yet, our podcast values them all and makes them available in the spirit of inclusion for our entire West Volusia community.

Want more local news? Visit The Beacon's website at ⁠⁠⁠www.beacononlinenews.com⁠⁠⁠. You can also find The Beacon on ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠.

Beacon reporter Noah Hertz is joined this week by Heather McLean of DeLand Pride, a DeLand-based LGBTQ advocacy organization. In the U.S., June is recognized as Pride Month, and while DeLand Pride has many events planned throughout June, recent legislation passed in Florida has put extra scrutiny on members of the community. McLean talks about what it means to be a member of the LGBTQ community in a community like West Volusia, the effects of recent legislation and much more.

Now You Know is intended to share all community voices. Some you may agree with, some not. Yet, our podcast values them all and makes them available in the spirit of inclusion for our entire West Volusia community.

Want more local news? Visit The Beacon's website at ⁠⁠www.beacononlinenews.com⁠⁠. You can also find The Beacon on ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠.