Your morning starts here.

Gas prices in Volusia and Flagler counties topped $4 a gallon on Wednesday, Sept.

9, while Daytona stations stayed below that mark; some Port Orange prices hit $4.19 (with Daytona as low as $3.69) (as AAA recorded the highest national averages for gas and diesel) amid a global oil-price surge.

Volusia County Schools approved a new vaping policy that focuses on education instead of suspending students for first-time offenses.

Officials said the change will help keep more kids in class.

Edgewater’s Economic Development Board shared a draft plan on Sept.

2 to convert Old Mission Road into a regional resilience corridor, with Volusia County and New Smyrna Beach collaborating on conservation, improved water management, a multi-use trail, and extra lanes for future upgrades.

Bonner Elementary, a historic Black grammar school that opened in 1926 as Cypress Street Elementary, served as a community hub in Daytona Beach until integration dispersed its students in the late 1960s+ it is remembered for its strong legacy and landmark National Register listing.

Volusia County school leaders will vote on proposed discipline policies that require first-time vaping offenses to include a district-approved education course and tier fighting penalties based on severity — a change aiming to curb rising referral rates before the start of the next school year.

Staff Sgt. Deonte Lamar Davis, a Daytona Beach native, died Sept.

1 from injuries sustained in a motor pool incident at Fort Knox — the Army is investigating the incident.

CATALYST Global Youth Initiatives in Deltona received a $17,000 grant from Community Foundation + United Way of Volusia-Flagler Counties to expand its mentoring program from four to eight middle schools.

It expects an additional $20,000 grant as part of the 2026-28 Community Impact cycle.

Mortgage rates reached 6.71% at the start of September, the highest since July 2025, which may raise loan costs for Daytona Beach home buyers & those refinancing.

Freddie Mac data shows rising Treasury yields are pushing up private lending rates.