Local News Now

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Headline Surfer's blog on a media seating arrangement that could potentially bar the Internet newspaper from a seat in the Sanford courtroom for George Zimmerman's Friday bond hearing was picked up by Google's News Directory within minutes and placed fifth among the search engine's top 10 stories worldwide.

Headline Surfer Publisher/Editor Henry Frederick challenged the fairness of the assigned seating that has multitudes of national news correspondents and even a producer for CNN's Piers Morgan guaranteed a seat for the scheduled 9 am Friday bond hearing.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Typically, a candidate for public office is endorsed after a series of profile stories where he or she is introduced and their candidacy outlined. There's no need to delay the inevitable in the race for county judge, group 8. Headline Surfer puts the full weight of its community journalism standing behind Volusia County Court Judge Bryan Feigenbaum. 

He is the epitome of what wearing the black robe is all about.

Feigenbaum has the acumen of a jurist in every conceivable way: Appointed by the governor in 2010, He's well versed in the law as a former 20-year prosecutor, he's fair and his integrity is beyond reproach.

Away from the bench, where Feigenbaum is assigned to the civil division at the New Smyrna Beach Courthouse Annex, he's a family man: Married with three children and a Big Brother.

Rainy weather on this Tuesday afternoon from Tropical Storm Debby kept beachgoers away from the hard sands of New Smyrna Beach as shown with this snapshot from the Volusia County beach cam, but that didn't keep surfers out of the water, even with a shark bite.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A 26-year-old Edgewater man was bitten on the foot by a shark while surfing this afternoon near the South Jetty where the waves are bigger and sharks like to hunt for bait fish, a Volusia County Beach Patrol official said.

The surfer had a 1-inch laceration to his foot while in 3 to 4 feet of water, Beach Patrol spokeswoman Capt. Tammy Marris said.

William Drossman is employed as the commander of the New Smyrna Beach Police department, the second ranked position there. City Manager Pam Brangaccio told the daily newspaper he had retired within the last 60 days. Despite several e-mails seeking clarification, city manager didn't admit she erred in saying his position had been vacated for two months via retirement.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Police Cmdr. William Drossman was stunned when he read a story published in Saturday's Daytona Beach News-Journal that had City Manager Pam Brangaccio announcing he and two other city employees had retired in the last 60 days and that their positions would likely be eliminated in the upcoming fiscal budget because of declining tax revenues.

"That's news to me," Drossman said when contacted Saturday afternoon by phone. Drossman, who suffered a serious muscle injury a couple of weeks ago, had his wife go to the store and buy a copy of the newspaper so he could see it for himself.

Here is an 11:28 p.m. Sunday radar snapshot graphic of a tornado watch affecting East Central Florida from the National Weather Service as shown in the area marked in red.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A tornado watch has been issued for greater New Smyrna Beach and northern Brevard County until 5 am Monday by the National Weather Service in Melbourne.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. -- Researchers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have received reports of more than 150 dead or distressed greater shearwaters, gull-like birds, along Florida’s east coast in Brevard, Indian River, St. Johns and Volusia counties this week.

Headline Surfer photo by Henry Frederick / Althea Philord, shown here at New Smyrna Beach City Hall commission chambers, is head of the city's nationally-recognized finance department.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The City of New Smyrna Beach Finance Department has earned national recognition for meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting from the Government Finance Officers Association in Chicago.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Four men, on of whom was armed with a handgun, forced their way into a home on Downing Street overnight and robbed two young men, before fleeing, police said.

Here is a synopsis of what happened as described by New Smyrna Beach Police Sgt. Christopher Roos in the 1:30 home invasion at 804 Downing St.: "The initial responding officers were able to ascertain from the victims, Stephen Michael Jackson, 20, and Aramis Arkeem Ponder, 22, that at least four unknown males, one of whom was armed with a handgun, forced entry into the home and demanded money and property belonging to the victims. The suspects later fled the scene with the victims’ property. The scene was secured and turned over to the New Smyrna Beach Investigative Division, who is investigating the incident. The identity of the suspects is still unknown."

Oak Hill averts legal action by disqualifying 2 commission candidates

Courtesy photo / Big John as shown here on his radio station, WELE, and a former member of the Volusia County Council, is a Holly Hill mayoral candidate, after all.

DAYTONA BEACH -- It took a judge's ruling to ensure Big John could run for mayor after the Holly Hill city clerk refused to qualify him.

Circuit Judge Richard Graham ruled in favor of John following a hearing Wednesday in his Daytona Beach courtroom, saying in part that although John hadn't followed proper procedures, his actions weren't flagrant enough to merit being disqualified from running for elective office.