Top 100 Stories

DAYTONA BEACH -- The Central Florida media focus on the 2-year-old Daytona boy who drowned in a retention pond Monday behind his home and in-depth advance reporting on the New Year's Eve block parties in Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach are dominating local news coverage during the noon hour today.

Headline Surfer®, the smallest of the daily media outlets and the lone new media representative, was among the top news outlets reporting on the drowning. And the 24/7 internet newspaper had top coverage of New Years eve block parties in Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach where alcohol-fueled partying is emphasized with CRA funding being utilized in both cities.

Headline Surfer® videos and photos / Rockin' in the New Year's Eve party Daytona Beach-style is shown from Main Street as 2012 gave way to the current year. The alcohol-fueled CRA-sponsored party on Main Street returns tonight with 20,000 strong expected to usher in 2014 with the usual array of trashiness, drunkenness and naughtiness.

DAYTONA BEACH -- Paul Politis, one of Daytona Beach's more prominent and longstanding small business owners with his Gator Beach and Sports across from the Ocean Walk Shoppes on A1A knows all too well that tonight's New Year's Eve block party on Main Street appeals to the lowest common denominator -- thousands of revelers drinking until they puke with little kids in tow and some even getting behind the wheel drunk -- the ultimate honk-tonk family outing.

Troopers: Speed a factor in death of young woman

Headline Surfer® graphic / Sanford teen Kimberly Phillips died Friday afternoon in an ATV accident in a heavily-wooded area of Osteen, as shown in the locator map at left.

OSTEEN -- An 18-year-old Sanford woman was killed when she crashed her ATV in a ditch before it landed on top and pinned her, the Florida Highway Patrol reported over the weekend.  

The freak accident occurred at 4:45 p.m. near Deer Run Road and Doe Drive when the teen, identified as Kimberly Phillips of Sanford, fishtailed while operating the 2012 Polaris all-terrain vehicle at a high rate of speed, the FHP said.

Headline Surfer® video produced by Multimedia Editor Serafina Frederick / Partiers celebrate New Year's Eve a year ago on Flagler Avenue in New Smyrna Beach with a brief fireworks show. The event repeats itself Tuesday night.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- "The Party's on Flagler" for New Year's Eve, complete with fireworks, the annual block party on Flagler Avenue, the beachside tourist stretch with its array of bars and nightlife, that is being promoted on the website of the Southeast Volusia Advertising Authority.

Jan. 1: "Unlock the Ocean Kick Off  2014," "Flamingo 5K Beach Run" & "Flamingo Flop" 

Jan. 2-3: "Resolution Days" 

Jan. 4: "Gallery Walk"

 

EDITOR'S NOTE: Please click 'read more' for a continuation of this story & an important message from Headline Surfer® Publisher Henry Frederick regarding the status of the marketing agreement with the SVAA.

Headline Surfer® graphic / Daytona Beach toddler Clayton Bland drowned in in a pond behind his residence at 355 Aleatha Drive at 12:50 p.m. Monday as shown in this locator map at far left.

DAYTONA BEACH -- A 2-year-old boy apparently drowned in a pond behind his resident this afternoon in the 300 block of Aleatha Drive despite the heroic efforts of a neighbor who heard the mother's screams that she herself could not swim and jumped in, Daytona Beach cops said.

Despite the efforts of the neighbor, Rhonda Moore, who dove into the pond and carried the boy to shore where she immediately performed CPR, the toddler was pronounced dead on arrival at Halifax Health Medical Center, the victim of a drowning, Daytona Beach police spokesman Jimmy Flynt said in a press release.

DAYTONA BEACH -- Headline Surfer® has put its 5th anniversary countdowns of the Top 500 Newsmakers and Top 500 Stories on hiatus until the completion of the year-end Top 100 Stories of 2013.

Also included in the year-end features are countdowns for the Top 10 Florida, USA and World Stories as well as awards for Law Enforcer of the Year, Municipal official of the Year, County Official of the year, Business of the Year and Newsmaker of the Year.

The inaugural award for Central Florida Politician of the Year: was announced on Thanksgiving and the recipient State Rep. Dave Hood of greater Daytona Beach.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Gene Sheldon, the newest member of the Southeast Volusia Advertising Authority, may be its most controversial and could end up as its shortest tendered with his brazen email to his colleagues with, "Who is the rat?

Photo for Headline Surfer® / Ray Lewis, shown at left, had the honor of waving the green flag to start the2013 Daytona 500 from Daytona International Speedway.  The previous year's honorary starter was another big man, WWE superstar John Cena as shown in the video above.

DAYTONA BEACH -- Size matters when it comes to waving the green flag to start the world-famous Daytona 500 from Daytona International Speedway. And what better strongman than Ray Lewis, the Baltimore Ravens All-Pro NFL linebacker.

Photo for Headline Surfer / Florida's longest serving Congressman, CW Bill Young, shown here at left, died Friday. He was 82.

ORLANDO -- Gov. Rick Scott issued a statement Friday, Oct. 18, from Orlando just hours after the passing of Congressman C.W. "Bill" Young, who at 82, was the longest-serving Republican in the House.

Young had been hospitalized for weeks at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

One such example: In the 1976 Republican primary for president, he endorsed then-President Gerald Ford over California Gov. Ronald Reagan.