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City manager selection subject to city commission approval

Photo for Headline Surfer / George Markert, an administrator with 28 years of service with the Rochester, N.Y., police force is New Smyrna Beach City Manager Pam Brangaccio's choice to be the new police chief here.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- After an extensive three-month search and interview process, New Smyrna Beach is ready to welcome a new police chief.

“We conducted a very thorough search to make the right decision,” said Pam Brangaccio, New Smyrna Beach city manager. “We interviewed several very qualified applicants extensively. In the end, the best fit for New Smyrna Beach was clear.”

Brangaccio will appoint George E. Markert subject to confirmation by the City Commission at Tuesday night's City Commission meeting.

Headline Surfer photos by Henry Frederick / Two years ago, the WWE held a house show at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach featuring stars like John Cena  as shown at far left, with fellow wrestler John Morrison. Such shows are few and far between.

DAYTONA BEACH -- The WWE could be setting up shop in Orlando with a new developmental training facility, which would be great news for those who love professional wrestling with rising stars such as Ryback and the trio of Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, collectively known as "The Shield."

Such wrestlers came from developmental facilities in other parts of Florida. "WrestleZone.com reports such a facility in Orlando would "hold five wrestling rings, which will allow for much more ring time for developmental wrestlers."

EDGEWATER -- The sights, sounds and personal accounts of the Boston Marathon bombing make me sick to my stomach with grief for all involved and for this country. Then I heard that the race was dedicated to the Newtown, Conn. survivors and many were in the stands observing the race and I cried.

How much more can those poor people take? We in this country have spent so many years believing that these types of things can’t happen here but of late they are more and more. Nowadays, I would think twice or maybe three times before doing anything involving a large crowd of people.

By Pat Northey

DAYTONA BEACH -- I want you to be the first to know that I am a candidate for the Volusia County Council at-large seat for the 2014 election. I am excited to share this news with you and grateful for all your support and help during this last election season.

Editor's Note: The at-large seat on the Volusia County Council is held by Joyce Cusack of DeLand, shown here, who has not yet announced whether she will seek re-election.  Pat Northey is the first candidate to inform the Volusia County Supervisor of Elections of her intention to run for the at-large seat. She is term-limited in her district 5 seat representing greater Deltona. That seat. too, is up for grabs in the 2014 elections. Northey, who took office in January 2007, represents District 5, which includes DeBary, Deltona, Enterprise, Osteen and Stone Island. She was previously an at-large representative on the council, having twice served as its chair before voters began directly electing the chair eight years ago. 

Despite Sunday's thunderstorms, fire remains an issue on US 92, as shown in this locator map.

DAYTONA BEACH -- Firefighters contained three small spot-over fires from the Mile Marker 128 on Sunday afternoon, but  a stretch of U.S. 92, from Kepler to Indian Lake roads, remains closed.

"Troopers will monitor the highway to determine when it is safe to reopen it.," Volusia County spokeswoman Pat Kuehn said. "Residents and drivers can expect smoky conditions along West International Speedway Boulevard this morning."

The spot-overs were caused by an increase in winds and decrease in humidity in the mid-afternoon.

The fire, now estimated at 225 acres, continues to smolder and produce significant smoke, Kuehn said.  

Norman Church wins 2nd year in a row

Photo for Headline Surfer / Skipper Norman Church had history on his side and perhaps a little faith Sunday as he repeated as champion in the 2013 Lipton Cup Regatta.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Norman Church was obsessed with winning the 2013 Lipton Cup Regatta off the Atlantic waters of New Smyrna Beach. So much so that he skippered "Obsession" into victory in the Spinnaker Class.

The regatta was held Saturday and Sunday with the first day much rougher going in the choppy waters.

“Building seas became quite a challenge resulting in four competing boats retiring with equipment or crew problems on Saturday,” the Smyrna Yacht Club said in a press release. “Sunday, light and shifty easterly breezes slowly increased providing for a fair and competitive race course.”

Expect more thunderstorms over the next 18 hours before sunny skies return Tuesday to greater Daytona Beach, according to the National Weather Service. The weather as shown at left is as of Sunday night.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The National Weather Service has issued an urban and small stream flood advisory for the Volusia County cities of New Smyrna Beach, Port Orange, Orange City, Lake Helen and Deltona until 9 p.m.

The advisory was issued at 6:58 p.m. from the National Weather Service in Melboune, following a fast-moving thunderstorm.

The South Jetty, as shown in this locator map, is in the northern most part of New Smyrna Beach where surfers and sharks share the waters.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A 21-year-old surfer from DeBary paddling in the waves in the South Jetty, suffered the first shark bite this year season, Volusia County Beach Patrol Capt. Tammy Marris said earlier today.

The surfer, whose name was not immediately available, was bitten 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Marris said, adding he suffered a minor cut to his hand.

Volusia County had eight shark bites last year, most of them near the South Jetty, where sharks as long as 5 feet, are drawn to bait fish that swirl in the swollen surf.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The showy medical causes of our era are AIDS and breast cancer. While these are "not" the leading causes of premature death in our society, they’ve captured the imagination of people who have been willing to go all out to raise awareness and money.

DAYTONA BEACH -- I went to Tallahassee last week to testify before a State Senate committee on behalf of Bill 1394 which would provide certain tax advantages and abatements to the Daytona International Speedway after the Speedway invests $250 million of its own money in expansions and improvements. Next week I plan to do the same before a committee of the State Legislature.