Now You Know - A West Volusia Beacon Podcast

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Beacon publisher Barb Shepherd is joined by former Beaconite and Director of Strategic Communications for the Florida Nursery, Growers & Landscape Association Kate Clary. The two talk about how all of our lives are improved when we're surrounded by some green.

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.

Beacon co-editor Noah Hertz is joined this week by Stetson University student Veronika Shchur. Shchur is one of four students from Ukraine who enrolled at Stetson University in the fall of 2022 after Russia invaded her home country. Shchur talks about her experience living in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, what her first year at Stetson in DeLand has been like and what she likes to do when she's not in school, acting as an unofficial ambassador for her home country.

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.

Local historian Sidney Johnston joins Beacon co-editor Noah Hertz to talk all things historic preservation. With his experience as a grant writer, Johnston gets into the nitty gritty of preserving historic structures and why it's a key piece to preserving a city's character.

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.

Beacon staff writer Noah Hertz sits down with local chef and sommelier Carol López-Bethel. Her sprawling career has taken her from government offices all the way to DeLand. Along the way, López-Bethel developed a love for locally-produced food, or "slow food." Listen to learn how she finds all of the best food in her area. But be careful — this one will make you hungry.

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.

Beacon staff writer Noah Hertz sits down with Drs. Melinda Hall and Kathleen Nigro. Hall, a Stetson University professor, teaches classes on ethics, feminism and gender studies. Nigro, a retired professor, has extensive experience teaching classes in history, gender studies and more, including courses that incorporate critical race theory. The professors talk about teaching topics deemed "controversial" by the state of Florida, as well as how they feel everyone could benefit from taking a gender studies or critical race theory course.

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.

This week, Beacon staff writer Noah Hertz speaks with freelance journalist Jared Olson. He grew up in Central Florida, but nowadays he lives in and writes about Latin America, with a focus on Honduras. Olson's writing about government corruption and environmental activism has been featured in Vice, The Baffler, Al Jazeera, The Nation and more.

Beacon publisher Barb Shepherd sits down with DeLand Black Heritage Trail founders Marguerite "Maggie" Ardito and Al Bouie to discuss the creation of a new bike trail that showcases long-overlooked landmarks of DeLand's Black history. They also talk about the trail's April 16, 2023 launch.

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.

DeLand resident Kathy Peebles shares her experience and thoughts about the January 6, 2021, riot outside of the U.S. Capitol that occurred while legislators certified the 2020 election results. Peebles traveled from her DeLand home to Washington, D.C., to see then-President Donald Trump speak and participate in the protest that day.

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.

Local librarian and man about town Sims Kline and Beacon Eli Witek talk about all things West Volusia in the first episode of this new Beacon series. Join Eli and Sims for a quarterly conversation with two long-time DeLandites. The music, art, business, social, education, and government scene in West Volusia and beyond.

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.

Beacon publisher Barb Shepherd has a conversation with DeLandite Kendrick Thomas. He's the special projects coordinator for the Supervisor of Elections Office, he's heavily involved with the Rotary Club of Downtown DeLand and he's lived as an openly gay man for years. Thomas shares his experience, both good and bad, of growing up gay in the DeLand community. He also gives advice to the younger members of LGBTQ+ community, parents and shares his hopes 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.

Beacon Editor Noah Hertz shares a conversation with actor/radio personality (and DeLand resident!) Carlos Navarro. Carlos talks about his impressive career journey - from acting parts in popular television shows like, 'The Walking Dead,' to his regular spot on the popular radio show, 'Monsters in the Morning.'

Carlos also shares on what it's like merging big-city professional adventures with coming home each day to an idyllic small town like DeLand.

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.

Beacon publisher Barb Shepherd talks with one of DeLand's youngest, most successful entrepreneurs Taylor Mims Bass about what it's like to run a restaurant that leads with love. They also talk about new projects and 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.

A conversation between two of DeLand's Thin Man Watts Jazz Fest's founders, Jeff Shepherd and Mary Allen.

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.