Sheriff Mike Chitwood: Buy Local in Wake of Hurricanes

Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood on Monday encouraged residents to shop local in the wake of the year’s two destructive hurricanes. Many businesses in Volusia and Flagler Counties have been burdened with heavy repair costs after storm damage ravaged both local terrain and infrastructure. Chitwood told his Facebook followers, over 77,000 strong, to make an effort to look into locally-owned businesses and do their shopping there to help many of them land on their feet. The message is especially resonant with the Christmas shopping season starting this week. Among many others, businesses like John’s Appliance & Bedding, Tom Cook Jeweler, Haynes Brothers Furniture, and Granada Jewelers are running Black Friday sales that can be perused this week. Chitwood’s Facebook post also asks for additional local business owners to plug their businesses to help connect residents with the service they need to shop local. Other resources are also available to help identify useful businesses in the area, such as the Chambers of Commerce for Daytona Beach and Palm Coast.