DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Headline Surfer is counting down the Top 100 stories of 2016 in the greater Daytona Beach, Sanford and Orlando metro area otherwise known as the I-4 corridor of Central Florida through Volusia, Seminole and Orange counties.
Among the top 5 contenders for the No. 1 story of the year in no particular order: The Pulse gay nightclub terrorist massacre; the ugliness of the presidential election between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton; the continuing saga over homelessness in Daytona Beach; records tied or broken in NASCAR races at Daytona International Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway; and no relief from escalating violent crime, especially in Daytona and Orlando.
So far Headline Surfer has presented recaps for stories ranked 31-100 in seven segments. What follows here is the eighth segment for stories ranked 21-30:
21. Daytona Beach Asst. City Manager Gary Shimun allegedly implicated in reverse prostitution sting; resigns from municipal post
Photos for Headline Surfer / Above, Gary Shimun, as shown from his Facebook page, has resigned from his post as Daytona Beach assistant city manager in the wake of a reverse prostitution sting for which a misdemeanor charge of assignation -- arranging to meet with another person for sexual favors in exchange for money -- is being reviewed by the State Attorney's Office.DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- A charging affidavit implicating Daytona Beach Assistant City Manager Gary Shimun in a reverse prostitution sting has been forwarded by the Volusia County Sheriff's Office for review before he is issued a summons by mail to appear in court to answer a misdemeanor charge of assignation under Florida's prostitution statute.
Shimun, 60, a married man, quickly fired off a letter of resignation after the Dec. 16 reverse sting. He was hired by City Manager Jim Chisholm 26 months ago. Headline Surfer is awaiting receipt of his letter of resignation from the municipality.
Headline Surfer is the first media outlet to report on this breaking news story that had city officials tightlipped.
An official with the Volusia County Sheriff's Office confirmed it had filed a charging affidavit accusing Shimun of making arrangements to hook up with a female prostitute in a hotel, who unbeknownst to him, was really an undercover cop.
"Your information regarding the sting operation is correct," Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson confirmed in writing after Headline Surfer made a public records request seeking confirmation that Shimun was implicated in a reverse prostitution sting Thursday where one of more undercover women cops posed as prostitutes hooking up with customers seeking sexual favors in exchange for money. "It was conducted on Dec. 14 by the East Volusia Narcotics Task Force and Daytona Beach Shores and resulted in a charging affidavit being filed on Shimun for the misdemeanor charge of assignation."
Under Florida Statute 796.07(2), the crime of assignation to commit prostitution is committed when a person makes an appointment or engagement for prostitution or lewdness, or any act in furtherance of such appointment or engagement. If convicted of Assignation to Commit Prostitution with no prior prostitution convictions, a judge can impose any combination of the following penalties: Up to 60 days in jail; up to six months of probation and up to $500 in criminal fines.
An official with the Volusia County Sheriff's Office confirmed it had filed a charging affidavit accusing Daytona Beach Assistant City Manager Gary Shimun of making arrangements to hook up with a female prostitute in a hotel, who unbeknownst to him, was really an undercover cop.
"Your information regarding the sting operation is correct," Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson confirmed in writing after Headline Surfer made a public records request seeking confirmation that Shimun was implicated in a reverse prostitution sting Thursday where one of more undercover women cops posed as prostitutes hooking up with customers seeking sexual favors in exchange for money. "It was conducted on Dec. 14 by the East Volusia Narcotics Task Force and Daytona Beach Shores and resulted in a charging affidavit being filed on Shimun for the misdemeanor charge of assignation."
Under Florida Statute 796.07(2), the crime of assignation to commit prostitution is committed when a person makes an appointment or engagement for prostitution or lewdness, or any act in furtherance of such appointment or engagement. If convicted of Assignation to Commit Prostitution with no prior prostitution convictions, a judge can impose any combination of the following penalties: Up to 60 days in jail; up to six months of probation and up to $500 in criminal fines.
Here is a copy of the letter of resignation, Daytona Beach Assistant City Managar Gary Shimun sent to City Manager Jim Chisholm in the wake of a reverse prostitution sting for which he is accused of arranging to hook up with a prostitute for sexual favors in exchange for money, who turned out to be an undercover cop.
Headline Surfer was tipped to Shimun's alleged sexual indiscretion by one of the media outlet's trusted sources, whose information checked out as "very credible" by secondary sources. Then Headline Surfer went to the proper authorities to get the criminal allegations against Shimun confirmed.
But first, here is what the primary source said occurred.
"They almost nailed him in the hotel where he went after making arrangements through texting to meet with what he thought was a prostitute," the source told Headline Surfer earlier this afternoon, "but he got suspicious and bolted. Turns out he was an assistant city manager, Gary Shimun, who fired off a letter of resignation, after he was pulled over."
The source told Headline Surfer that Shimun "lawyered up right away so they decided to send the charging affidavit to the state attorney's office to make sure everything is done right. But they've got him on the assignation through his texts. There's no way he can get out of this."
Shimun could not be reached for comment. Neither could his former boss, City Manager Chisholm, who did not return calls and email messages for comment.
But Chisholm's administrative PIO, Susan Cerbone sent Headline Surfer Shimun's letter of resignation.
Here is a synopsis of the law enforcement prostitution operation went down as explained by VCSO's Davidson, the senior PIO for Sheriff Ben Johnson:
"The reverse prostitutions operation had two elements. One element targeted prostitutes who use the classified advertising web site backpage.com to advertise their services," Davidson said. "Four females were arrested during that part of the operation and taken to jail -- three on charges of aiding, abetting or committing prostitution and one on a charge of solicitation to commit prostitution. The other element of the operation targeted “johns’ through advertisements posted by female undercover officers."
Davidson said Gary Shimun is accused of responding to one of those ads, "which resulted in our filing of the assignation charge against him with the State Attorney’s Office. We realize that there may be questions about why these four defendants went to jail and Shimun didn’t. So let me address that up-front. During the operation, Shimun is accused of sending some explicit text messages to one of our female undercover officers for the purpose of setting up a meeting in order to exchange sex for money."
Davidson continued:" Shimun showed up at the agreed-upon location, but at some point became suspicious and left before consummating the transaction. Because this was happening in real-time and additional cases that were part of the same operation were being worked simultaneously, investigators weren’t able to immediately review all of the text messaging to determine whether the contents of the messages provided sufficient evidence to effect an arrest. Because of that, the decision was made to let him go at that time."
However, Davidson pointed out, "Afterwards, when the contents of the text messaging were examined, it was determined that there was sufficient probable cause to file a criminal charging affidavit with the State Attorney’s Office. The ultimate charging decision at this time rests with the State Attorney’s Office, as is appropriate in circumstances such as these. However, had the investigators been able to immediately conclude their review of the contents of the text messaging on the night of the operation, Shimun would have gone to jail along with the other defendants."
The four arrested and booked into the Volusia County jail on prostitution-related charges were Bonnie Gilbert, Elizabeth Hasle, Javonshanay Ward and Christen Williford.
22. South Daytona has no solid leads in early September gunshot slaying of man in middle of the street
Photos for Headline Surfer / A huge tent was erected in the pre-dawn hours of Sept. 6, over and around the body of 25-year-old Emerson Green, shown above, who was gunned down in cold blood in this South Daytona neighborhood. The killer or killers sped off in what has been described as a possible silver-colored car. The tent freaked out neighbors who have not been fully cooperative with police.SOUTH DAYTONA, Fla. -- A 25-year-old man was shot and killed in the street in early September in the middle of the night in the 300 block of Orange Blossom and South Daytona cops have no strong leads as to possible suspects.
"Quite frankly they're not getting a whole lot of cooperation from the neighbors -- at least that is what they've indicated," an outside law enforcement source told Headline Surfer.
Several neighbors the internet news outlet spoke with recently said they found the whole thing quite unsettling during the middle of the night of Sept. 6 from the onset -- from shots waking them up hours before dawn, followed by a bunch of cop cars barreling through the neighborhood to the scene where the body of a young african-American man, Emerson Green, was crumpled in the roadway.
Then it got really bizarre when police erected a large tent around the body and put up yellow crime scene tape further out.
And South Daytona Police Chief Ron Wright may be his own worse enemy as he has been slow to release even the most basic details into the Sept. 6 homicide. A media release, which is standard in law enforcement agencies in Volusia County, was not even until early November.
Several neighbors the internet news outlet spoke with recently said they found the whole thing quite unsettling during the middle of the night from the onset -- from shots waking them up hours before dawn, followed by a bunch of cop cars barrelling through the neighborhood to the scene where the body of a young african-American man, Emerson Green, was crumpled in the roadway.
Then it got really bizarre when police erected a large tent around the body and put up yellow crime scene tape further out.
And South Daytona Police Chief Ron Wright, shown here, may be his own worse enemy if this case is to be solved as he has been slow to release even the most basic details into the Sept. 6 homicide. A media release, which is standard in law enforcement agencies in Volusia County, was not even issued by Wright's cop shop until early November.
Neighbors have been reluctant to say anything to the media in the days and weeks since. And with those days and weeks about to hit the one-month mark, the trail is getting colder.
When asked if he witnessed what occurred prior to cops coming on scene, one resident Headline Surfer briefly spoke with raised his voice before stammering off: "I didn't see nothing! Nothing!"
Another neighbor said she was shocked to see the large tent-like structure set up: "I don't know why they just couldn't have taken the body away. This was just over the top. You'd think this was some kind of a war zone the way it was handled."
After all, this neighborhood isn't used to this type of gun violence with blood spilled in the street. Several neighbors said even if they had seen something -- which they claim they didn't -- they made clear it wouldn't be worth risking their lives if the killer or killers were to end up reading something in the newspaper and then return to silence them for good.
It's called fear of retribution and even mistrust of the cops, some residents said.
Here is a basic outline as to what may have occurred, based on limited police statements and various media reports:
• Emerson Green of Daytona Beach had walked off from his girlfriend's home, possibly with two or three other people, well before the pre-dawn hours, police have said. And a short time later, between 3 and 4 a.m., a car pulled up to Green near the intersection of Orange Blossom Drive and Jones Street and an argument ensued between Green and one or more persons in the vehicle.
• Shots rang out, the car sped off and South Daytona cops found Green dead in the street. No information has been released as to how many shots were fired and where Green was even struck. Cops have said they believe the shooter may have been inside a silver-colored vehicle, if that description is even accurate.
South Daytona Police Lt. Mark Cheatham walks inside the yellow crime scene tape where a young man was gunned dowen during the overnight hours of Sept. 6. The homicide remains unsolved to date, nearly a month later, with no definitive leads.
Here is a basic outline as to what may have occurred, based on limited police statements and various media reports:
• Emerson Green of Daytona Beach had walked off from his girlfriend's home, possibly with two or three other people, well before the pre-dawn hours, police have said. And a short time later, between 3:30 and 4 a.m., a car pulled up to Green near the intersection of Orange Blossom Drive and Jones Street and an argument ensued between Green and one or more persons in the vehicle.
• Shots rang out, the car sped off and South Daytona cops found Green dead in the street. No information has been released as to how many shots were fired and where Green was even struck. Cops have said they believe the shooter may have been inside a silver-colored vehicle, if that description is even accurate.
Shooting victim was known to law enforcement with an alleged domestic violence complaint that led to his arrest weeks earlier
Green, originally from Syracuse, NY, was known to law enforcement, if only for a short time before his life was snuffed out.
arrested in July on a domestic violence charge against a different woman he had been living with in Daytona Beach. The then-girlfriend asked him if he was abusing drugs and he stormed out. When he returned later that evening and saw that she had already packed her bags, things got physical, according to a police incident report.
Green allegedly choked the woman and then slammed her into a dresser, causing her to bleed from a slight gash to the back of her head, according to a charging affidavit. The State Attorney's Office subsequently filed a misdemeanor domestic violence battery charge against Green in August based on that complaint affidavit taken by Daytona Beach cops with the victim.
23. RED FLAGGED: Lingering Concussion Puts Brakes On racing season for Dale Earnhardt Jr.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- There's no more pushing the pedal to the metal for NASCAR great Dale Earnhardt Jr.,the rest of the 2016 racing season due to the lingering effects of a concussion.
“I wish I could return to the No. 88 team this season,” the 41-year-old Earnhardt said in a statement issued by Hendrick Motorsports on Sept. 3, having already missed the last six races. “To say I’m disappointed doesn’t begin to describe how I feel, but I know this is the right thing for my long-term health and career."
Earnhardt continued, "I’m 100 percent focused on my recovery, and I will continue to follow everything the doctors tell me. They’re seeing good progress in my test results, and I’m feeling that progress physically. I plan to be healthy and ready to compete at Daytona in February. I’m working toward that. The support from both inside and outside the race team has been overwhelming. Everyone has been so encouraging and positive, from my teammates and sponsors to my family, friends and fans. It’s motivating and humbling at the same time.”
"Junior" has been evaluated on a regular basis at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Sports Medicine Concussion Program by Dr. Micky Collins and with Charlotte neurosurgeon Dr. Jerry Petty, no relation to the famous Petty racing stable.
Earnhardt revealed last month that that doctors believe his his concussion-like symptoms stem from his June 12 crash at Michigan International Speedway.
Photos and graphic for Headline Surfer / Jeff Gortdon and Alex Bowman will continie to fillin in for Dale Earnhardt Jr who will sit out the last 12 races as he has the previous six with concussion-like symptoms. Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motor Sports, said two drivers -- one a future Hall of Famer in Jeff Gordon, 45, who retired after last season, and the other, a newer driver to the sport, 23-year-old Alex Bowman -- will continue to split the driving duties in the remaining 12 races on the schedule as they have since July with Earnhardt missing six straight races.
“I know how hard Dale has worked and how frustrating this is for him,” Hendrick said. “He wants to be back, and we want him back, but we want it to be for the long haul. We’ve had incredible support from everyone involved with the team, including all of our sponsors. They’ve put Dale’s health first every step of the way."
Gordon will drive in four more races: Darlington, Richmond International Raceway next week, Dover International Speedway on Oct. 2 and at Martinsville Speedway on Oct. 30, the site of his last win.
“Jeff and Alex will give us a great opportunity over the rest of the season," Hendrick said. "Jeff is one of the best of all time and knows our system. He brings things to the table that no one else can. Alex is a young driver with a lot of talent, and he will give us a fresh perspective. We know they’re not only capable of running up front and giving us a chance to win, but they’ll help us get better.”
Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR's most popular driver as voted on by the fans 13 years running, has yet to win a Sprint Cup championship, though he has won two Daytona 500 championships 10 years apart - in 2004 and in 2014.
Regardless, Junior's legacy is cemented as one of NASCAR's elite drivers, the son of legendary driver Dale Earnhardt Sr, who was killed on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, trying to protect the lead for his two DEI (Dale Earnhardt Inc) drivers, Michael Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Jr., who were 1-2 at the time while he was third, when the elder Earnhardt was sent into the wall after being bumped from behind by Sterling Marlin who was trying to get around him to catch the front two drivers coming off turn 4 with the checkered flag in sight.
Earnhardt Sr., 49, was killed instantly in the nearly head-on crash with the concrete wall, collecting Ken Shrader's car in the process. Shrader was not seriously injured.
Waltrip would win the 2001 Daytona 500, his first-ever win of any kind on the major cup schedule with Earnhardt Jr. finishing second.
Waltrip would win a second Daytona 500 three years later.
Earnhardt Sr., considered NASCAR's greatest driver has seven Cup championships, but his only Daytona 500 win was in 1998. Junior's Daytona 500 victories were in 2004 and in 2014.
Junior has yet to win a Cup Championship with age creeping up on him -- he'll be 42 on Oct. 10 -- the window is narrowing, especially with this season now lost for him as a driver, but still a long shot for the N0. 88 team car.
Gordon, a four -tine Cup champion, will drive for Earnhardt in four more races: Darlington, Richmond International Raceway next week, Dover International Speedway on Oct. 2 and at Martinsville Speedway on Oct. 30, where he last won.
24. Headline Surfer Public Candidate Debates: Willie J. Kimmons a no-show vs. Billie Egger Wheeler for County Council Dist 2 seat
Headline Surfer video by Multimedia Editor Serafina Frederick / Billie Egger Wheeler answers the tough questions in the Headline Surfer Public candidate Debates back in October en route to her overwhelming victory in the Nov. 8 general elections over her opponent Willie J. Kimmons, who did not show up for the debate, which has generated 1,159 views since it was uploaded to YouTube on Oct. 23, two days after the debate was held. DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- As expected, Willie J. Kimmons was the only no-show back on Oct. 21, in the Headline Surfer Public Candidate Debates videotaped in a Holly Hill social club for three County Council seats up for grabs in the Nov. 8 general elections.
While Kimmons stayed home, that didn't stop Headline Surfer from discussing the issues with his opponent, Billie Egger Wheeler, a Daytona Beach Shores city commissioner, in the race for the County Council District 2 seat.
And when the votes were tallied on Nov. 8, Wheeler had crushed Simmons, with 22, 864 votes or 55.4 percent to his 18,405 votes or 44.6 percent.
The second debate featured County Council District 4 candidates Heather Post and Al Smith, which was contentious throughout. The third and final debate was for County Chair between the incumbent office holder, Jason Davis, and his challenger, Ed Kelley, winner of the Aug. 30 primary that had four candidates with Kelley and Davis moving on to the Nov. 8 runoff.
There was no primary for the district 2 seat because Wheeler and Kimmons were the only candidates to seek the office succeeding Joshua J. Wagner, who was barred by term limits from serving beyond his eight-year tenure, which ended Dec. 31.
While Kimmons, 72, decided to stay away from the debate, it didn't stop Headline Surfer from discussing the likely situation keeping him from coming into the Sunshine: Win or lose in the general election, there was a hearing set the very next day, Nov. 9, before a family law judge as to whether a permanent injunction of protection barring Kimmons from having any contact with a woman who alleges he brutally raped her on Feb. 19, a claim for which the State Attorney's Office said it would not pursue criminal charges against Kimmons, citing insufficient evidence. Kimmons, accompanied by prominent defense attorney, J. Peyton Quarles, refused to cooperate with Daytona Beach police.
Kimmons did not challenge the petition, which was granted to the woman who claimed he raped her.
The rape allegations were reported publicly for the first time on Sept. 29, by Headline Surfer, after receiving an anonymous tip and contacting the State Attorney's Office with a public records request for "any and all" documents related to the case. The State Attorney's Office subsequently released a series of documents totaling close to 100 pages, the same documentation SAO spokesman Spencer Hathaway said were sent to the Daytona Beach News-Journal on July 23 in fulfilling the public records request of the daily newspaper of record for Volusia and Flagler counties.
But the News-Journal did not publish a story on the rape allegations against Kimmons until Oct. 20, the day before the Headline Surfer Public Candidate Debates for the three County Council seats, including the district 2 contest between Kimmons and Wheeler.
Then two days later, the News-Journal wrote a second story on Kimmons, headlined, "Volusia Council District 2 candidates keep low profile" in which the rape allegations were not mentioned at all. Headline Surfer inquired of the News-Journal why it waited until the eve of the internet news outlet's debates to report on the rape allegations to which the reporter who wrote the story, Dustin Wyatt, sarcastically wrote back, "Thanks for the feedback."
The rape allegations were reported publicly for the first time on Sept. 29, by Headline Surfer, after receiving an anonymous tip and contacting the State Attorney's Office with a public records request for "any and all" documents related to the case.
The State Attorney's Office released a series of documents totaling close to 100 pages, the same documentation SAO spokesman Spencer Hathaway said were sent to the Daytona Beach News-Journal on July 23 in fulfilling the public records request of the daily newspaper of record for Volusia and Flagler counties.
But the News-Journal did not publish a story on the rape allegations until Oct. 20, the day before the Headline Surfer Public Candidate Debates for three County Council seats, including the district 2 contest between Kimmons and Billie Egger Wheeler.
Then two days later, the News-Journal wrote a second story on Kimmons and Wheeler, headlined,"Volusia Council District 2 candidates keep low profile" in which the rape allegations were not mentioned at all.
Headline Surfer inquired of the News-Journal why it waited until the eve of the internet news outlet's debates to report on the rape allegations, to which the reporter who wrote the story, Dustin Wyatt, shown here along with the email exchange, sarcastically wrote back, "Thanks for the feedback."
Numerous attempts by Headline Surfer to reach Kimmons and Quarles by social media messaging and telephone calls did not result in return messages or call backs from either of them.
Wheeler was uncomfortable in talking about the rape allegation, saying that as a former victim's advocate herself, she felt "empathy for the (alleged) victim, but added, ultimately "it's up to the voters" as to what they choose to believe.
"All I can do is be honorable -- I don't have baggage," Wheeler, 69, said during the debate. "Anyone can look at my history and see there's a clean slate."
Wheeler said she's built relationships with Volusia Counties 16 municipalities as past president of the Volusia League of Cities. As for other topics asked of Wheeler in the one-side debate: She said she's against any more driving areas being removed from the beach and favors some kind of homeless facility out by the jail -- "one centralized location" where county land is available. Wheeler said her No. 1 priority, if elected, is dealing with homelessness.
25. Brad Keselowski wins crash-marred Coke Zero 400 under the lights at Daytona International Speedway
Photos for Headline Surfer / Brad Kezelowski celebrates in Victory Circle after his big win in the 2016 Coe Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway.DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- With two laps to go Brad Keselowski held off the Busch brothers and teammate Joey Logano to score the victory just as Kurt Busch got turned into the tri-oval grass by Logano in the crash-marred Coke Zero 400 under the lights at Daytona International Speedway back in July.
Pole sitter Greg Biffle led the field to the green flag for the start of the race. But the honor of leading the first lap went to Carl Edwards.
Keselowski got by Edwards on the outside line to take the lead on the ninth lap. Riding along, the field raced two and three wide through the entire pack. The first caution of the race flew on lap 21 for a stalled car on the front stretch. The car was the No. 38 of Landon Cassill and he was reporting engine failure.
Because this came out the same lap as a scheduled competition caution, the teams were allowed to refuel. David Ragan opted to stay out when the leaders pitted and assumed the lead. He pitted the next time through and Keselowski cycled back to the lead. Jimmie Johnson was tagged for too many crew members over the wall and Casey Mears was tagged for his crew being over the wall too soon. Both restarted the race from the tail end of the field.
A number of cars, including race leader Keselowski, began pitting on lap 65. This handed the lead to Denny Hamlin, who pitted the next lap and handed the lead to Mears. He pitted on lap 68 and Kevin Harvick assumed the lead. He pitted the next lap and handed the lead to Clint Boyer. He pitted the next lap and the lead cycled to Kyle Busch. Danica Patrick was tagged for driving through too many pit boxes on pit road and was forced to serve a pass through penalty.
Hamlin passed teammate Busch on the top and took the lead on lap 77. Keselowski passed to his outside to take back the lead on lap 83. The second caution of the race flew on lap 90 for a multi-car wreck in turn 1. It started when Jamie McMurray bounced off Kyle Larson, got hooked into the wall by Johnson and collected up to 22 cars. McMurray said he didn't "know what happened. I think somebody got into my left rear, and I don't know if I cut a tire down. After I felt that happen, I just didn't have any control. ... It's unfortunate. It's part of [restrictor] plate racing."
The race restarted on lap 102. A power move to the outside by Keselowski got him by his teammate for the lead at lap 106. Debris brought out the third caution of the race with 30 laps to go. Busch exited pit road first. The race restarted with 26 laps to go. After racing side-by-side for five laps, Keselowski powered by him on the outside on the backstretch to take back the lead with 21 laps to go. Busch drove underneath him exiting turn 4 to retake the lead with 19 laps to go. Keselowski drove underneath him in turn 2 to retake the lead with 16 laps to go.
The race restarted with six laps to go. The fifth caution of the race flew with five laps to go after Edwards was turned into the wall by Ryan Blaney and collected Bobby LaBonte. Then with two laps left Keselowski maintained his lead for the win.
26. Daytona cops investigating report State Rep-elect Patrick Henry's son seen with a gun too when he was pistol-whipped in front of his home
Photos for Headline Surfer / At far left, Patrick Henry, son of State Rep-elect Patrick Henry, showcases a pic on his Facebook page of a young Snoop Dogg with a gun (as shown above).DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- State Rep-elect Patrick Henry's son was reportedly armed with a handgun when he was pistol whipped in front of his own home, according to police, based on a witness account.
However, no gun has been found with police having searched the front yard after the younger Henry was accosted.
Though several shots were fired by a gunman accompanied by a woman in a car, Patrick Henry was not struck by any bullets. He was treated at Halifax Health Hospital for a slight gash to his face from being pistol-whipped in the Nov. 30 incident.
One witness told cops the younger Henry pulled a handgun from his backpack and appeared to fire it during the gun violence, then got rid of the backpack with his skateboard and the gun at 1018 Thunderbird Drive. That's where he lives with his father and others in a home owned by the elder Henry's brother, Mayor Derrick Henry.
And Dannette Henry, the youngest of the three Henrys, elected to the city commission in the Nov. 8 general elections, replacing Patrick Henry, called 9-1-1 the day of the violence, in sheer terror after hearing the gunfire. She lives in the same neighborhood with her children.
Daytona Beach Police Capt. Capt. Jakari Young told the Daytona Beach News-Journal in a story published today that investigators have not found a gun, despite the hype in the newspaper about the younger Henry having one on him and brandishing it, according to chatter among cops on body camera videos at the scene with the elder Henry that day.
And while Patrick Henry has been cooperative with cops -- even if shown to be agitated on the police videos in front of his residence, the News-Journal has reported the younger Henry has not spoken to detectives about what happened.
Messages sent via social media for father-and-son Patrick Henry went unanswered this evening as have messages left with Commissioner Henry and Mayor Henry. The incident was initially reported in the News-Journal two days after it happened that Wednesday, about 3 p.m. when cops started receiving 9-1-1 calls from thew neighborhood, including one from Dannette Henry.
"Oh my God, he's (the suspect) going to shoot him in my yard. Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh My God!" Dannette Henry said, with labored breathing while telling her kids to stay down in the bathroom. "I do not believe this. Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, holy crap."
Dannette Henry apparently didn't recognize the younger Patrick Henry as her nephew, telling the 9-1-1 dispatcher she had never seen either man, describing them as having "dreads." And she got upset even as she was informed cops were surrounding the neighborhood, she felt they weren't responding fast enough: "They need to come to my damn house," Dannette Henry says. "Oh my God, I got to call the chief because you all take too long."
But the call that has far-reaching implications criminally for the Henry Family is another call placed that day that puts a gun in the younger Patrick Henry's hand and has him firing it. A neighbor who called 9-1-1 said both the victim, who was wearing a black T-shirt, and the suspect had guns. The unidentified 9-1-1 caller told the dispatcher the victim was on a skateboard and pulled out a gun from his backpack.
"They started beating the mess out of him in the Henry's front yard," the neighbor told the dispatcher. "The guy who was holding onto the tree pulled out his gun and started shooting at him (the suspect)."
Interim Police Chief Craig Capri did not return calls for comment, though PIO Jimmy Flynt did readily provide the incident report to Headline Surfer via email.
The incident report did not explain why the younger Henry was being chased southbound by the driver of a Nissan. But Commissioner Henry's under-age son told cops that he heard one gunshot and saw the car going after the man in the black T-shirt. The suspect then got out of the Nissan and punched the victim in the face, the teen said. Commissioner Henry did not respond to a message for comment.
Neither Patrick Henry nor his son have returned messages for comment.
27. Two lovable dogs -- Boots , a collie border mix, & Buck, a Chihuahua, killed by Holly Hill neighbor's pit bulls
HOLLY HILL. Fla. -- On the afternoon of Nov. 30, James Grimes didn't hear the excited barking barking of his wife's 5-year-old border collie mix, Boots, nor of his 3-year-old Chihuahua, Buck, like he normally did whenever he or his wife got home after work.
"They were the reasons to come home," Grimes said with tears in his eyes after he found Buck in the backward with large bite marks on his dead body. And when he opened the bathroom door, the grisly scene was even worse. Boots lay dead inside the bathtub -- blood and dog hair everywhere from his badly-gouged carcass. And he had to hurriedly slam the door when one of the neighbor's two pit bulls inside the close quarters lunged at him.
The other pit bull was in Grimes' backyard, having finished his handiwork with the helpless Chihuahua, which Grimes saw while calling 9-1-1.
The pit bulls had apparently jumped his locked fence and sought out the two gentler dogs, apparently getting to the larger one through a doggie door. Both of the dogs were taken away by Holly Hill cops, with help from animal control and euthanized.
That's because this was not the first time they had attacked other dogs in the neighborhood. After the carnage, the owner, Christina Speicher, readily signed away the pit bulls to their own demise, according to a police report.
The report detailed how Speicher, 26, had been noticed in writing by the city on Nov. 2 there was ample evidence to classify her pit bulls, Tiger and Marley, as "dangerous." And on Nov. 23, Speicher received a second written notice from Holly Hill that she had failed to take proper steps to contain her dogs as described by the city's "dangerous dog" ordinance. Speicher did not return calls for comment on the after she agreed to have her dogs put down by the Halifax Humane Society.
At a hearing earlier that month, a code enforcement officer testified that violations had occurred twice each in September and November. And according to at least one of several complaining neighbors at the hearing, Speicher's dogs were "freely running around the neighborhood" and "on several occasions" the pit bulls have "threatened, charged and attacked victims."
The city didn't move quickly enough, though, to prevent the violent deaths of two of the most genteel and loving dogs.
"This could've been prevented if they would've just taken the dogs away when the last call was made and they said the dogs were dangerous," Marilyn Grimes said, adding she and her husband had moved to their Ronnie Circle home just two months earlier. "Life just won't be the same anymore for us without them."
The report detailed how Speicher, 26, had been noticed in writing by the city on Nov. 2 there was ample evidence toclassify her pitbulls, Tiger and Marley, as "dangerous." And on Nov. 23, Speicher received a second written notice from Holly Hill that she had gailed to take proper steps to contain her dogs as described by the city's "dangerous dog" ordinance. Speicher did not return calls for comment on the after she agreed to have her dogs put down by the Halifax Humane Society.
At a hearing earlier that month, a code enforcement officer testified that violations had occurred twice each in September and November. And according to at least one of several complaining neighbors at the hearing, Speicher's dogs were "freely running around the neighborhood" and "on several occasions" the pit bulls have "threatened, charged and attacked victims."
The city didn't move quickly enough, though, to prevent the violent deaths of two of the most genteel and loving dogs.
"This could've been prevented if they would've just taken the dogs away when the last call was made and they said the dogs were dangerous," Marilyn Grimes said, adding she and her husband had moved to their Ronnie Circle home just two months earlier. "Life just won't be the same anymore for us without them."
28. Deltona's Paxton Lynch 26th pick in 1st round of NFL draft by quarterback-starved Denver Broncos
Photos for Headline Surfer / Paxton Lynch, the Memphis Tigers QB drafted in the first round by the Denver Broncos, has a strong Central Florida connection.DELTONA, Fla. -- Delton'a Paxton Lynch has gone from relative obscurity to the No. 26 pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft for the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos who were starved for a quarterback.
Denver needed a quarterback of the future with the off-season retirement of Peyton Manning and heir-apparent Brock Osweiler signing with the Houston Texans.
"It was obviously the greatest feeling," Lynch said shortly after the pick in a statement released by the Broncos. "This was a dream come true for me. The Denver Bronco organization is obviously one of the best in the league."
The 6-foot-7 Lynch, played quarterback for the Deltona Trinity Christian Academy Eagles before enrolling at Memphis and becoming the signal caller.
Denver needed a quarterback of the future with the off-season retirement of Peyton Manning and heir-apparent Brock Osweiler signing with the Houston Texans.
"It was obviously the greatest feeling," Lynch said shortly after the pick in a statement released by the Broncos. "This was a dream come true for me. The Denver Bronco organization is obviously one of the best in the league."
The 6-foot-7 Lynch, played quarterback for the Deltona Trinity Christian Academy Eagles before enrolling at Memphis and becoming the signal caller.
Lynch will compete with Mark Sanchez, formerly with the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles, who was signed after Osweiler bolted to the Texans as a free agent.
Lynch was the third quarterback drafted in the first round of the April NFL Draft after Jared Goff and Carson Wentz were selected with the first two picks, by the Los Angeles Rams and the Philadelphia Eagles, respectively.
The Broncos traded up with the Seattle Seahawks to take Lynch.
"It was always his dream was always to go to the NFL," said David Lynch, the quarterback's father.
29. Volusia School Board's John Hill Ignites firestorm In pointing out No. of days teachers absent
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Volusia County School Board member John Hill has ignited yet another another firestorm of controversy by calculating thew total number of absences by teachers during the the last school year. And on the surface, it's a whopper of a figure: 50,000 days.
Michael Tomlinson, teacher and football coach at Mainland High School wasn't pleased with Hill's numbers crunching exercise.
"Congratulations! I have been teaching in Volusia County for 27 years and have witnessed scores of school board members over the decades. I say congratulations to you because you have won the all time worst school board member I have ever witnessed in all my years," Tomlinson responded. "You have no clue of what teamwork, esprit de corps, or true leadership means. You post flippant comments that are derisive and counter productive to getting great things done. You sound like a little spoiled child who is angry because you aren't getting enough attention. Real leaders who are men and women of honor don't lower themselves to these tactics. But obviously you don't understand this."
Tomlinson is among at least a couple dozen teachers who have reacted angrily to Facebook posts by Hill in three successive days, the first on Aug. 12, that had a small graphic image with the figure 50,000 followed by three exclamation points.
Then Hill came back the second day with a large graphic that had the figure 50,000 with this teaser of a question: "Equals What???????" On the third and final successive day, Hill had the same 50,000 figure, but this time, the figure was in a graphic showing an airplane flying with a banner that had 50,000 written on it.
"Congratulations! I have been teaching in Volusia County for 27 years and have witnessed scores of school board members over the decades. I say congratulations to you because you have won the all time worst school board member I have ever witnessed in all my years," Mainland High School teacher and coach Mike Tomlinson responded. "You have no clue of what teamwork, esprit de corps, or true leadership means. You post flippant comments that are derisive and counter productive to getting great things done. You sound like a little spoiled child who is angry because you aren't getting enough attention. Real leaders who are men and women of honor don't lower themselves to these tactics. But obviously you don't understand this."
Tomlinson is among at least a couple dozen teachers who have reacted angrily to Facebook posts by School Board member John Hill in three successive days, the first on Aug. 12, that had a small graphic image with the figure 50,000 followed by three exclamation points. Then Hill came back the second day with a large graphic that had the figure 50,000 with this teaser of a question: "Equals What???????" On the third and final successive day, Hill had the same 50,000 figure, but this time, the figure was in a graphic showing an airplane flying with a banner that had 50,000 written on it.
And Hill finally explained what it was all about: "It may have been the morale or it could have been sickness or various other reasons, but this was the number of sick days last year for Volusia County teachers. I can't tell you the number of times that I was contacted about students sitting in a cafeteria for most of the day because multiple teachers called out sick. It seemed to be mostly on Mondays and Fridays. I feel that this is part of the problem with our school grade and must be addressed!"
Photos for Headline Surfer / School Board member John Hill's Facebook postings on teacher absences were posted on three consecutive days last month, leading up to the first day of school.
Hill continued, "! I will ask our Superintendent to place this topic on the agenda to discuss publicly. We want better schools and better performance and it starts with being present and not ABSENT. "
Then the second-year school board member from DeLand appeared to take a defensive posture, in response to posts by Mainland's Tomlinson and other teachers, stating, "This post was never intended to cast judgment or insinuate that people don't get sick or have a right to be sick. I only stated the data which I publicly requested regarding teacher sick time. It only reflects sick days and does not incorporate professional development, teacher training, or any other scheduled time off. I will get clarity if this includes disability or family medical leave."
Katy Fay, a teacher who lives in Edgewater questioned Hill's timing, asking, "This is what you choose to post the day before our students and teachers and administrators return to school?"
Fay didn't stop there, continuing to hammer Hill with a series of rapid-fire questions: Our students, who are eager, though nervous, to resume their studies? Our teachers who are excited yet nervous, wondering if they've prepared enough, knowing that it will never be enough? Our administrators who have spent their summer preparing to help students AND staff achieve? And how about the parents of these students? Do you think they want to see their school board representative start off the school year with an unwarranted attack on teachers, or would they prefer to see at least some pretense of a positive, proactive attitude. What do you hope to gain by continuing this adversarial role."
Headline Surfer reached out to Hill this afternoon for an explanation. He said the enormity of the absences needs to be "addressed," but declined to say whether it was in response to teacher "sick outs" during the heat of the negotiations with the union over demands for teacher raises, a situation that led to the school board declaring an impasse against the teachers over the summer before the two sides hammered out a new contract that called for modest raises.
"I'm not trying to be difficult I am just wanting to be clear and precise when this is discussed," Hill said, which he plans to bring up at the next School Board meeting on Sept. 13.
Andrew Spar, head of the teachers union, told Hill the 50,000 days worth of absences is "over-inflated.
"I must say, I was surprised to learn that you apparently over-inflated the number of days teachers were absent by more than 7,000 days," Spar wrote on Hill's Facebook page, drawing no response from the school board member. " You stated that teachers were out sick 50,000 days and it turns out it was less than 43,000.
"The total number of teachers in the district last year was nearly 4,600 and the numbers show that as a whole, teachers did not use more days than were allocated," said Spar, who represent nearly half of them. "Also included in those days are things like workers compensation, teachers who use sick days for maternity or adoption, teachers who are out for surgery, cancer treatment, heart issues,and other long term illnesses. Teachers are allocated 10 days of sick leave per year. Which is 1 day per month. Most teachers do not even come close to using all their days. I think it is important to be honest in the information that is put on social media, or anywhere for that matter, and it is very disappointing that you chose to put out inaccurate and incomplete information the day before the school year began.
Spar added, "Teachers do not get paid vacation time. They do get a total of 6 paid holidays a year (Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Years Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Memorial Day), but no paid vacation time. I think the real conversation should be, why are teachers out and who is covering, or in some cases, not covering, the classroom when they are out. People get sick and teachers are no exception, especially when you consider they work with children everyday and kids get sick too!"
Brenda Mathewson, a second grade teacher at Coronado Beach Elementary School, reacted to the figure by Hill, as if trying to justify the 50,000 days worth of teacher absences, by stating in part, "If the administration didn't put undo stress on us, maybe we'd be at school more often. I had saved YEARS of sick time only to end up on FMLA due to stress. I used every hour I had earned. More than 12 weeks of time.
Cathy Danwill Cohen of West Volusia said she understood why Hill brought up the absences.
" What it sounds like to me is "If the shoe fits wear it," Cohen said. "Some (people) are obviously taking advantage of their sick days, while others aren't. At our office, we get 10 days for a whole year. It's not setting a good example for students."
30. VCSO: 3-year-old girl drowns in pond behind family's home in Deltona
DELTONA, Fla. A 3-year-old girl lost her life Thursday evening, where Volusia County sheriff’s deputies out searching for the missing child pulled her from a pond behind her home, an agency spokesman said.
McKenna Macateer was pronounced dead at Florida Hospital Fish Memorial around 8 p.m., after deputies and paramedics tried to revive her at the scene at 3111 Dow Court.
"Deputies started searching for McKenna after the Sheriff’s Office received a 6:56 p.m. report of a lost child," VCSO spokesman Andrew Gant told Headline Surfer.
"The toddler had been playing with a dog in the back yard before she disappeared. Deputies started arriving on scene minutes after the call and soon noticed the dog was soaking wet. They went to the pond and found McKenna unresponsive in the water."
Gant said deputies performed CPR until an ambulance crew arrived and took over life-saving efforts, but the little girl didn't respond.
No other information has been released by the VCSO as to the circumstances that led to the the child being by herself when she ended up in the pond.
McKenna Macateer was pronounced dead at Florida Hospital Fish Memorial around 8 p.m., after deputies and paramedics tried to revive her at the scene at 3111 Dow Court.
"Deputies started searching for McKenna after the Sheriff’s Office received a 6:56 p.m. report of a lost child," VCSO spokesman Andrew Gant told Headline Surfer. "The toddler had been playing with a dog in the back yard before she disappeared. Deputies started arriving on scene minutes after the call and soon noticed the dog was soaking wet. They went to the pond and found McKenna unresponsive in the water."
Gant said deputies performed CPR until an ambulance crew arrived and took over life-saving efforts, but the little girl didn't respond.
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