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New Smyrna Beach firefighters 'pinned'

Edgewater police Sgt Robert Hazelwood pins firefighter promotion bage on NSB firefighter-son, Brandon Hazelwood / Headline Surfer®Photos for Headline Surfer® /
Edgewater Police Sgt. Robert Hazelwood 'pins' a promotion badge on his New Smyrna Beach firefighter-son, Brandon Hazelwood, at New Smyrna Beach City Hall.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. -- A firefighter received a promotional pin from his police officer-father during a ceremony before the City Commission, showing a penchant for public safety runs in the Hazelwood family.

82. DeLand cops: Man drinking beer in middle of road at night run over and killed

DELAND, Fla. -- A man who stopped in the middle of the road to drink a beer the night of May 30, was struck and killed by a motorist in a Chevy Tahoe, DeLand cops said
 

83. NSB cops: Dim-witted alleged meth user cooks drugs in men's bathroom at Detwiler Park

Top 100 Local Stories of 2014 in Central Florida / Headline Surfer®
Justin Hill, 20, charged with meth in NSB / Headline Surfer®Photo for Headline Surfer® /

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. -- An alert construction worker helped police catch a homemade chemist turned burglar the day after Thanksgiving.

Just after 8 a.m., a construction worker called 9-1-1 to report smoke coming from the men’s restroom in Detwiler Park, 701 Oakwood Ave. The worker also saw a young man running from the area carrying a bag and Justin Hill, 20, of New Smyrna Beach, was apprehended a short time later and charged with trying to cook up meth in the men's bathroom at Detwiler Park.

84. Orlando Magic fans get last laugh in NBA post-season: Dwight Howard & Houston Rockets bounced from playoffs

Top 100 Local Stories of 2014 in Central Florida / Headline Surfer®
Dwight Howard / Headline Surfer®

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Hey Orlando Magic fans, you can rejoice: Dwight Howard and the Houston Rockets were a bust in the NBA playoffs back in May.

Howard and the Rockets, the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference with a 54-28 regular season record, were bounced out of the first round in just six games by the Portland Trailblazers, 99-98 on a Friday night.

Howard and his Rockets' quick exit from the NBA playoffs comes in at No. 84 in the HeadlineSurfer.com recep of the top 100 local stories of 2014.

Tampa Rays pitcher Alex Cobb named 'honorary starter' for 2015 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

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Tampa Rays pitcher Alex Cobb to be honorary starter for March 29 Grand Prix of St. Pete / Headline Surfer®Grand Prix of St.Pete / Headline Surfer®ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Alex Cobb is trading in his fastball for the fast lane to serve as the honorary starter for the 2015 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the season-opening Verizon IndyCar Series race, which begins at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 29.

Oak Hill Vice Mayor: Colleague showed up at house in blonde woman's wig & robe after meeting with insiders

OAK HILL, Fla. -- Volusia County's smallest coastal municipality on the southern rural frontier has struggled for decades with trying to come of age from its orange-grove roots where modern amenities like water and sewer are non-existent -- save for a stretch of River Road -- in this rural outpost of 1,737 residents.

Interim Police Chief Donna Lavallee: NSB cop shop earns accreditation for first time in its history

Show Me the Money: New Smyrna Beach PD: From evidence room scandal to accreditation / Headline Surfer®

Evidence room scandal leads to revolving door of top brass before positive changes take hold in municipal force

New Smyrna Beach Interim Police Chief Donna Lavallee please her agency is accredited / Headline Surfer®First in a series / Display photo for Headline Surfer®. /
Donna Lavallee, New Smyrna Beach PD interim police chief, places her agency's official patch on a Florida accreditation board in a recent ceremony in Daytona Beach, Florida.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. -- After a tough five months in leading the New Smyrna Beach police force as interim police chief, Donna Lavallee has reason to smile with pride and a sense of real achievement as she gives way to new top cop Mike Coffin on Tuesday.

University of Florida study: Most millennials get their news online

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Millennials get most of their news from online sources, but don’t feel all that well-informed. That's the latest from a study conducted by Elite Daily with help from a research group at the University of Florida.

 

85. Indy 500 pace car revs up Turkey Run in Daytona Beach's Bellair Plaza

Top 100 Local Stories of 2014 in Central Florida / Headline Surfer®

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Vintage Indy 500 pace car at Turkey Run in Daytona Beach / Headline Surfer®DAYTONA BEACH -- A pace car from the 500 made a pit stop at the 2014 Turkey Run at Bellair Plaza, the last of the big annual special tourism events that is held during the extended Thanksgiving weekend.