Volusia News Now

Headline Surfer® graphic / Amaris Martinez, just eight days shy of her second birthday, was accidentally run over and killed July 17, in her family's driveway in the 300 block of Avalone Drive in Apopka as shown in this snapshot locator map. 

APOPKA -- A 16-year-old boy was backing up his family's SUV in the driveway of his relative's residence, not knowing that in an instant his life would be changed forever.

The teen had no idea that 2-year-old Amaris Martinez had wandered out of her family's home in the 300 block of Avalone Drive, just as he was backing up the vehicle the afternoon of July 17, striking the toddler, troopers said.

Photos for Headline Surfer® / Medwin Nazif, shown here, is president of the Alzheimer’s Resource Council of Flagler County and director/co-owner of the Visiting Angels of Palm Coast as shown in this group pose.

PALM COAST -- Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior with symptoms usually developing slowly and worsening over time. 

But there is help. The Alzheimer’s Resource Council is offering a free memory screening at Visiting Angels in Palm Coast from 2 to 5 p.m. Thursday. Attendees are asked to make an appointment by calling 386-446-7874. The screening will be held at Visiting Angels in Palm Coast, located at 185 Cypress Point Parkway, Suite No. 5 (across from Walmart).

“Memory screenings are important in detecting Alzheimer’s early,” said Medwin Nazif, president of The Alzheimer’s Resource Council and director/co-owner of Visiting Angels . “The screenings are open to anyone with memory issues.”

Photo for Headline Surfer® / 

BUSHNELL, Fla. -- A scenic byway promoting ecotourism and history will be featured Jan. 25, as a ribbon cutting is held to celebrate the Scenic Sumter Heritage Byway's designation as an official Florida Scenic Highway.

DAYTONA BEACH -- Volusia County government is among myriad taxpayer-funded revenue sources that is a staple of advertising for the Daytona Beach News-Journal, the traditional print medium that has supported its positions as demonstrated by the recent coverage of the continuing scandal in the Southeast Volusia Advertising Authority and the hiring of attorney Jon Kaney to investigate Waverly Media.

LAKE MARY -- The 162-game suspension handed out today against New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez for the upcoming season, including any post-season games, may be a major blow to the Yankee line-up, but it is a big victory for Major League Baseball and for the fans.

For Headline Surfer® /

DeLAND -- WFTV was the first media outlet today to provide news on an attempt by County Chair Jason Davis to have three Southeast Volusia Advertising Authority Board members removed for violating Florida's government in the Sunshine Law by communicating with each other in a series of e-mails in support of their executive director, caught using the agency credit to pay for meals for himself and others.

Headline Surfer locator / New Smyrna Beach police didn't have much to go on in trying to find a gunman who Jimmy Lee Clark, Jr. , a convicted drug dealer shown here, claimed shot him in the ankle in July while robbing him of of his money.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A an ex-con who did three tours in prison for dealing cocaine man was transported to Bert Fish Medical Center on July 27 with a gunshot wound to an ankle after he claimed he was robbed of his money by another African-American man he claimed he didn't know. The shooter was never caught, New Smyrna Beach cops said.

The shooting comes in at No. 80 in the Headline Surfer® countdown of the top 100 stories of 2013.