Local News Now

Primary Endorsements: At-large incumbent Joyce Cusack & challenger Webster Barnaby worthy of consideration

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Soon after winning re-election in the 2012 elections for what would be her 19th and 20th years on the dais, term-limited district 5 County Councilwoman Patricia Northey announced she was running for the at-large seat held by incumbent and fellow Democrat Joyce Cusack.

VCSO: Body of man found Saturday in water in Osteen ID'd; no foul play suspected

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Body found in Osteen / Headline Surfer®Headline Surfer® graphic / The locator map at left shows the area south of the 500 block of Osteen-Maytown Road where the body of a man was found floating in shallow water on Saturday. He has since been identified.
 

OSTEEN -- The body of a man found Saturday afternoon floating in a water-filled borrow pit in Osteen, has been identified as that of 56-year-old Robert Lewis Williams, a Volusia County Sheriff's spokesman said.

"Witnesses said they saw the victim going into the water Friday afternoon," Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson told Headline Surfer®. "Williams has family who live close by where the body was found, but he had no known permanent address. While there were no immediate signs of foul play, the Sheriff’s Office is investigating and will work with the Volusia County Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the cause of death."

VCSO: Circle K on Elkcam Boulevard in Deltona robbed

Sheriff's spokesman: At first, convenience store clerk thought man was joking

Circle K in Deltona robbedHeadline Surfer® graphic / At left is a locate map of the Circle K, 1805 Elkcam Blvd., in Deltona that was robbed by a man, possibly armed with a handgun at 12:23 a.m. Sunday.
 

DELTONA -- At first, the convenience store clerk thought the man was joking when he approached the counter and demanded cash early this morning, but it was all too real.

The Volusia County Sheriff's Office respond to 9-1-1 call about the robbery at 12:23 a.m. Deputies, who began arriving at the scene at 1805 Elkcam Blvd. two minutes later, were told that the robber had entered the store and demanded that the clerk hand over the money in the cash register.

"At first, the clerk said he thought it was a joke," Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davison told Headline Surfer®.

497. County Council candidate Ken Ali in 2012 debate closing: 'I'm heterosexual'

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Top 500 Newsmakers of Central Florida / Headline Surfer®
Daytona Beach businessman Ken Ali was a candidate for County Council in 2012 / Headline Surfer®Photos for Headline Surfer® / Ken Ali, a candidate for the district 2 County Council race in 2012, shown here in this recent self-portrait on his Facebook, has no regrets in declaring at the end of a debate that he's 'heterosexual,' a veiled bi-sexual jab at the incumbent, Joshua Wagner, married with his wife pregnant at the time with their second child, who laughed it off.
 

DAYTONA BEACH -- Things weren't quite right to begin with. First, the Daytona Beach News-Journal debate for the district 2 County Council race was held at the Brannon Center in New Smyrna Beach instead of a venue in Daytona Beach since that's the home turf of the seat held by incumbent Joshua Wagner.

Then came the prophetic words that that doomed the candidacy of candidate Daytona Beach businessman Ken Ali, if he had a prayer toy begin with in surviving a primary in the three-persion race and forcing a run-off with Wagner, in the 2012 November elections.

Internet newspaper holds public candidate debates in Oak Hill: Intro Mayor Douglas Gibson

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Public candidate debates held in Oak Hill, Fl / Headline Surfer®

Pat Northey no-show at Oak Hill public candidate debate / Headline Surfer®

Headline Surfer® Video by Multimedia Editor Serafina King-Frederick / Oak Hill Mayor Douglas Gibson and HeadlineSurfer.com Publisher Henry Frederick chat on the dais at City Hall to open the 2014 public candidate debates on June 24.

OAK HILL -- The first of the HeadlineSurfer.com Public Candidate Debates were held over two nights in late June. They were memorable for two things: attendance and two prime debate no-shows from the Volusia County Council dais in District 3's Deb Denys and term-limited District 5''s Pt Northey, who is vying for the at-large seat.

100. Hulk Hogan turns on WCW in Bash at the Beach at Ocean Center in Daytona

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Volusia County has had more than its fair share of scandals over the years. Headline Surfer® has ranked what it believes are the Top 100 most-shocking, talked-about county scandals.
Hulk Hogan with Hall and Nash in Daytona for Bash at the Beach / Headline Surfer®

DAYTONA BEACH -- The year was 1996, and the place was the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, where perhaps the ultimate betrayal took place.

Honorary FFA Degrees bestowed on two Volusia County Fair enthusiasts

Darla Borders & Billy Jones recognized for 15 years with Volusia County Fair in DeLand / Headline Surfer®DELAND -- Volusia County Fair Association Board President Billy Jones and administrative assistant Darla Borders received their State of Florida Honorary FFA Degrees at a ceremony at the Seventh General Session of the 86th Florida FFA State Convention & Expo.

NSB Commissioner Judy Reiker & husband Guy Mariande eat at taxpayer expense after she votes to raise taxes

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. -- Guy Mariande, a municipal government insider and his wife, New Smyrna Beach City Commissioner Judy Reiker, continue to eat at taxpayer expense, even after she voted to raise city taxes last September for the current fiscal year. So they get an "F" in our Making the Grade report card.
County Councilman Doug Daniels & wife caught claiming separate homestead exemptions 2 years running after getting married & living together Henry Frederick Mon, 07/28/2014 - 12:23
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Source: Elected official pushed for Waverly Media investigation that so far has cost taxpayers $150,000 claiming, 'We need to lance the boil,' while cheating on taxes

Angela Daniels didn't report homestead exemption 2 years running / Headline Surfer®County Councilman Doug Daniels and wife caught with double home exemptions / Headline Surfer®Headline Surfer® graphics /
County Councilman Doug Daniels of Ormond Beach and his wife, Angela Cameron Daniels of Daytona Beach, assistant director of the Ocean Center and paid $94,000, were married in November 2011, and began living in his Ormond Beach home, but continued claiming separate homestead exemptions, which is against the law. They got caught after two years on this past April Fool's Day, and two days later paid a penalty of $2,714.65. However, no criminal charges were filed.

DAYTONA BEACH -- Last winter, County Councilman Doug Daniels convinced a majority of his colleagues on the dais to hire his former law partner, Jonathan Kaney, Jr., to investigate Waverly Media because, "We need to lance the boil," that is corruption.