Top 100 Stories

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Dr. Thomas Murphy, a Chicago-area cardiac surgeon who raced in the 24 Hours of Daytona, now known as the Rolex 24, at Daytona International Speedway, died Nov. 21. He was 80 years old.

Murphy was on the Specter Werks Sports Team that droves a Chevrolet Corvette and finished 28th overall in the 1999 Rolex 24 sports car endurance race. Other drivers on the team were Jeff Nowicki, Rick Mancuso and Mike Farmer. It was Murphy's lone time in the world class sports car race.

Remembrance of Murphy's run in the 1999 Daytona sports car endurance race and his death comes in at No. 78 in the HeadlineSurfer.com countdown of the top 100 stories of 2014.

ORLANDO -- The Orlando Magic weren't going anywhere last season while the Los Angeles Clippers had a chance to come out of the Western conference for the NBA finals, which made for a new lease on life for "Big Baby" Glen Davis.

SANFORD, Fla. -- A man who was cash-strapped offered an undercover woman police officer posing as a prostitute a chicken dinner and $3 n exchange for sex during a sting in early November, Sanford cop said.

Of the seven men arrested in the sex sting, the offer by 32-year-old Steven Torres of Melbourne was the lone barter offer leading to his arrest for solicitation of sex, police said.

The chicken for sex offer comes in at No. 80 in the HeadlineSurfer.com countdown of the top 100 local stories of 2014.

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. -- Follies Goes to the Movies -- The Sequel -- will be held at the Omond Beach Performing Arts Center March 27-29 .

The multiple award winning Follies Dancers troupe will join the entire Follies cast at the Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center on the three consecutives nights.

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. -- There's no popcorn, but the movies are free in the aditorium of the Ormond Beach Regional Library, which shows free movies in its auditorium.

Upcoming movies include:

OAK HILL, Fla. Check out Linda's Lagoon.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- US. Sen. Marco Rubio will be in Orlando and Kissimmee on Wednesday, March 25, with times and locations as follows: 10 am to noon, Renaissance Senior Community Center at Orange County Parks & Rec., 3800 S. Econlockhatchee Trail, Orlando; and from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Poinciana Community Center 395 Marigold Ave., Kissimmee.

BUNNELL, Fla. – A Palm Coast man accused of raping an 11-year-old girl was convicted after trial by a jury and sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years on Sept. 17.

Shaun Everette Whitt, 32, was convicted of sexual battery on a victim under 12 years of age, a first-degree capital felony, and engaging  in sexual conduct with a minor, a first-degree felony.

Assistant State Attorney Christina Opsahl prosecuted the case, outlining the frequent and repeated sexual abuse on the 11-year-old victim by Whitt during the previous year when she was 11 years old. Physical evidence in the victim's own bedroom and a medical examination presented at trial corroborated her claims that Whitt routinely forced himself on her when she as home alone while her mother was at work.