Honorable mention: Former Flagler Avenue financial kingpin Robert Lott

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Mayor Adam Barringer is Headline Surfer's 2012 "Newsmaker of the Year" for being embroiled in a second scandal involving allegations of using his elected position for financial gain with his private business holdings, the latest resulting in an ethics complaint file with the state. He also appointed a friend to the planning board who admitted in court to buying cocaine from an undercover police officer, voted $20,000 in CRA taxpayer funding for a boyhood friend to fix up his bar and cursed out a rookie cop who wouldn't let him drive through a closed side street before the start of the Christmas parade -- a cop who served in combat in Iraq.

Honorable Mention: Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Bill Roe, proprietor of Ocean Properties, the premier Realtor in New Smyrna Beach, is Headline Surfer's choice as the 2012 "Citizen of the Year" for his patriotic spirit and loyalty to God, country and overall standing in the community.

Honorable mention for this year-end award is Sheriff Ben Johnson who handled himself with class and distinction in his successful re-election as Volusia County's top cop.

DELAND -- County Council at-large member Joyce Cusack believes the time is at hand for she and her colleagues to take a critical look at how CRAs are being managed by the cities before and if any new agreements are struck as the current ones begin to sunset.

EDGEWATER -- This gun control issue has me in a quandary. While I myself do not currently own a firearm I have considered buying one and learning how to shoot it.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr: 'With this car we have a chance to do something great'

DAYTONA BEACH -- With the big crash sandwiched in between on day 2, the three-day Preseason Thunder Test at Daytona International Speedway that ended this afternoon provided an exciting glimpse into what NASCAR fans can expect from the "Gen 6" race cars at Budweiser Speedweeks culminating with the Feb. 24 running of the Daytona 500: Speed, baby! Pure unadulterated speed!

Chaired SE Volusia hospital authority board in wake of merger lawsuit scandal

Jan. 27, 1937 - Jan. 8, 2013

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A memorial service will be held Monday at the Coronado United Methodist Church for Jacqueline (Jackie) Kay Herchek, of New Smyrna Beach, former board chairwoman of the Southeast Volusia Hospital Authority, who died four days ago of complications from a brain aneurysm. She was 75.

Photo by Pat Kuehn for Headline Surfer / Circuit Judge William Parsons issues the oath of office to Volusia County Chair Jason Davis on Thursday morning.

DELAND -- Today was about respect and Jason Davis stood tall as he and most of his new colleagues were sworn in to office by Circuit Judge William Parsons before a packed house in the renamed Frank T. Bruno Council Chamber.

Bruno, term-limited after eight years as Volusia County's first elected chair was there in name only, though his former campaign manager Mike Jiloty was in the gallery, two months removed from a crushing defest to Republican Dorothy Hukill for a state senate seat.

Today was all about the new chair -- Jason Paul Davis, a 50-year-old combat veteran and one-time local radio producer who defied the odds and knocked off two of the biggest political heavyweights Volusia has seen in the last decade.

A woman was robbed at gunpoint of cash and prescriptions at 218 N. Dixie Freeway in New Smyrna Beach just after 11 p.m. as shown in this locator map.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A 26-year-old petty criminal robbed a woman of cash and medicine at gunpoint Wednesday night, but he couldn't outrun the long arm of the law even after ditching his getaway car, New Smyrna Beach cops said.

Eddie Selph was taken down by a K-9 dog and arrested after a brief chase through a wooded area and charged with armed robbery. Here is a synopsis of what happened in the 11:09 p.m. pursuit as described by Sgt. Valerie Joyce: Regina Krouse, 36, told cops she had been robbed at gunpoint of cash and prescriptions at 218 N. Dixie Freeway.

 SANFORD -- Before the mass murders in Aurora, Colo., and Newtown, Conn., no gun-related slaying created such a national uproar than that of unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin who crossed paths with gun-toting neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman. It's the No. 1 story in Headline Surfer's ranking of the Top 10 Florida stories of 2012.