Volusia News Now

Homicide may be result of stray bullet; investigators interviewing possible gunman

Headline Surfer® locator / 3220 Cadehill Drive in Deltona as shown in this snapshot graphic is the locale of a fatal shooting this Wednesday morning.

DELTONA -- The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after gunfire this Christmas morning that claimed the life of a 69-year-old man shot in the chest. His name has not been released.

"Deputies are investigating to determine whether a stray bullet may have caused the death," Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson told Headline Surfer®.

Deputies were dispatched to 3220 Cadehill Drive after the Sheriff’s Office’s Communications Center received a 9-1-1 call at 10:02 a.m. that a man had been shot.

Photo for Headline Surfer® / At left is a snapshot from surveillance video inside the Sun Trust Bank branch, 3865 Nova Road, showing a man in a Santa Claus get-up on Monday afternoon robbing the bank while displaying a wrapped package he insinuated was harmful, as in an explosive. The fake Santa left the bank with an undisclosed amount of cash. The package turned out not to be harmful.

PORT ORANGE -- Just two days before Christmas, a man in a Santa get-up with stocking hat, fake white hair and beard, robbed the Sun Trust bank branch, after placing a package on the counter while standing in front of a teller and passed her a note demanding cash and insinuating the package was harmful.

"An undisclosed amount of US currency was given to the male, who left the package on the counter prior to exiting the bank," Port Orange Police Lt. John Jakovenko told Headline Surfer® on the 3:13 p.m. robbery at the SunTrust, 3865 Nova Road.

Photo for Headline Surfer® / Shown at left is Gov. Scott's annual family Christmas card to Florida residents.

ORLANDO -- Gov. Rick Scott has a holiday message he wants to share with Floridians through media outlets like Headline Surfer®.

"Ann and I wish every family a very Merry Christmas," the governor said on behalf of his wife, in an e-mail Christmas card sent to daily media outlets throughout the Sunshine State on this Christmas Eve.

"We are most excited to spend our Christmas as the proud grandparents of three grandsons- two of which will be celebrating their very first Christmas this year. We wish you every joy this Christmas and the many blessings of family, friends, health and peace in the new year."

Headline Surfer® photo / Gene Sheldon poses in the backyard of his New Smyrna Beach residence with his dog.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The newest member of the Southeast Volusia Advertising Authority explains his e-mail question to his colleagues, "Who is the rat?" in an exclusive video interview inside his New Smyrna Beach residence.

The video shoot, along with an update on the growing controversies in the tourism agency, will be published today, exclusively on Headline Surfer.com. 

Sheldon makes no bones about his role and standing on the tourism board and community as a whole and his perspective on at-Large County Councilwoman Joyce Cusack who recommended his appointment, what he has to say of his predecessor, Palmer Wilson, and what he thinks of things like policies and procedures and Government in the Sunshine.

Photo for Headline Surfer® / Rick Karl, director Dytona International Airport, tells the 24/7 internet newspaper he is uplifted by healthy passenger traffic counts.

DAYTONA -- Passenger traffic at Daytona Beach International Airport increased 3 percent in November compared to the previous November, Volusia County officials said.

Last month, 44,939 passengers arrived and departed through the county-operated airport. This compares with the 43,666 travelers recorded last November.

And for the 12 months ending Nov. 30, there were 603,419 passengers tracked through the airport, compared with 583,142 recorded for the prior 12 months, a 3 percent increase.

“We are very pleased with the latest monthly traffic increase,” Rick Karl, the airport’s director, told Headline Surfer®.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Welcome to “Last Night, First Day at the Beach,” a special series of events, from sidewalk sales and dine outs to fireworks and beach yoga, with that final push through the holidays and the ringing in of the new year.

The “Last Night” portion of the events kicks off with the Countdown JAM! Friday with a free concert with multiple bands playing along Flagler Avenue. Some locations are age 21 and up.

Dec 27: Last Night Countdown Jam!

Dec 29: Kid's Day Pirate & Princess Party Character Brunch

Dec 30: Countdown to 2014 Sidewalk Sale

Dec 31: New Years Dine Out & Fireworks 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla -- After Southeast Volusia Advertising Authority Chairman Palmer Wilson was removed an unprecedented second time with County Councilwoman Deb Denys imploring her colleagues to "finish this" and getting her way in a 4-3 split vote seen by some as politically-motivated, Wilson's successor, Tom Clapsaddle, ate on the public's dime.

Duplication of investigations by State Attorney, FBI

Headline Surfer® / The appointment of Jon Kaney as investigator of Waverly bus bench probe for the County Council is something term-limited Council member Pat Northey is looking forward to in hopes of weakening at-large incumbent Joyce Cusack, whose seat she covets in the 20134 elections.

DAYTONA BEACH -- The ugliness of Volusia County politics continues to fester in the Frank T. Bruno chambers in DeLand with today's expected coronation of attorney Jonathan Kaney Jr. as the hired gun to investigate the Waverly bus bench advertising scandal, something already well under way with ongoing investigations by the State Attorney's Office and the FBI.